From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis comes a fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Graceling, and Game of Thrones.
In the land of Ourthuro, cruelty is a way of life. The king rules with an iron fist and no one dare defy him--no one except his daughter. Princess Leena is keeping a dangerous secret, she has fallen in love with a soldier and it would mean both of their lives if her father ever discovered their affair.
But Leena will risk it all to be with the man she loves--her heart, her life, her freedom. And when her brother's birthday celebration takes a dangerous turn, Leena is forced to make a decision that will change the fate of her nation and eventually the world.
The Golden Cage is a prequel novella to The Shadow Soul (A Dance of Dragons #1)--available now!
Free Novella:
My Review:
From the moment I read the synopsis, I was hooked! I definitely wasn't disappointed after reading it. I think Kaitlyn Davis managed to pack so much into such a short novella. It is often times very hard to capture multiple emotions within a novella because of its short length but I was able to feel fear, horror, love, and hope.
I was appalled with this world from the minute I started reading. (Keep in mind I am talking about the society not the writing) I was horrified with the way women were treated and I hated the King and the people who stood by idle. There is a line where Princess Leenaka describes her sisters as "A backdrop. Pieces of art to be admired." This summed it up perfectly and it made me want to jump through the screen and teach the King a lesson or two. The sad part is that this is not far from the truth in some places around the world. I thought it was great that the author was bringing the issue of women objectification and the inequality and lack of voice some women have to light, whether it was her main focus or not.
Another thing I found particularly interesting and unique within the world was the use of tattoos. I won't go into great detail about it since I think it adds to the story. But I did love the presentation of it and the role it played towards the end of the novella. The symbolism behind it was both beautiful and frightening.
Overall I really enjoyed this novella and I would even go as far as calling it my favorite novella thus far! I loved that I could read it without reading the first book in the series and not feel a disconnect. It was very well written and engaging and it left me wanting more! I though the romance was sweet and would have loved to see even more of it and how it had developed over time. The only negative I would mention is that I would have really loved to read more about her "gift" and have it explained more in depth but I understand why that couldn't happen within this story and so it is more of a selfish complaint. I will definitely be picking up and reviewing the first book in the series: The Shadow Soul!
This novella is FREE so you should all go out and check it out!
~Judith
I was appalled with this world from the minute I started reading. (Keep in mind I am talking about the society not the writing) I was horrified with the way women were treated and I hated the King and the people who stood by idle. There is a line where Princess Leenaka describes her sisters as "A backdrop. Pieces of art to be admired." This summed it up perfectly and it made me want to jump through the screen and teach the King a lesson or two. The sad part is that this is not far from the truth in some places around the world. I thought it was great that the author was bringing the issue of women objectification and the inequality and lack of voice some women have to light, whether it was her main focus or not.
Another thing I found particularly interesting and unique within the world was the use of tattoos. I won't go into great detail about it since I think it adds to the story. But I did love the presentation of it and the role it played towards the end of the novella. The symbolism behind it was both beautiful and frightening.
Overall I really enjoyed this novella and I would even go as far as calling it my favorite novella thus far! I loved that I could read it without reading the first book in the series and not feel a disconnect. It was very well written and engaging and it left me wanting more! I though the romance was sweet and would have loved to see even more of it and how it had developed over time. The only negative I would mention is that I would have really loved to read more about her "gift" and have it explained more in depth but I understand why that couldn't happen within this story and so it is more of a selfish complaint. I will definitely be picking up and reviewing the first book in the series: The Shadow Soul!
This novella is FREE so you should all go out and check it out!
~Judith
Kaitlyn Davis is the bestselling author of the
Midnight Fire series, a young adult paranormal
romance, and the A Dance of Dragons series, a young adult epic fantasy. Kaitlyn graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Writing Seminars. She's been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to finally share her work with the world. She currently lives in New York City and dreams of having a puppy of her own.
Author Links:
Thank you so much for joining my blog tour! I am so thrilled you enjoyed The Golden Cage! I hope you love The Shadow Soul as well!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you loved this one! Thank you so much for hosting a tour stop and sharing your thoughts!
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