"Sixteen-year-old Jae Hwa Lee is a Korean-American girl with a black belt, a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows, and a chip on her shoulder the size of Korea itself. When her widowed dad uproots her to Seoul from her home in L.A., Jae thinks her biggest challenges will be fitting in to a new school and dealing with her dismissive Korean grandfather. Then she discovers that a Korean demi-god, Haemosu, has been stealing the soul of the oldest daughter of each generation in her family for centuries. And she's next.
But that’s not Jae’s only problem.
There's also Marc. Irresistible and charming, Marc threatens to break the barriers around Jae's heart. As the two grow closer, Jae must decide if she can trust him. But Marc has a secret of his own—one that could help Jae overturn the curse on her family for good. It turns out that Jae's been wrong about a lot of things: her grandfather is her greatest ally, even the tough girl can fall in love, and Korea might just be the home she's always been looking for."
NetGalley. Thanks for the copy.
Even though I'm Asian, it doesn't mean I'm Korean. (And I'm not Korean.) I have no idea if the legends and myths and facts and language stated in Gilded are accurate. (I could do a quick Google search. From the looks of some sites, there is a Korean demigod named Haemosu. So yay, for cultural diversity!)
Jae Hwa Lee, the main character, is in incredible danger. After moving to South Korea from the United States, Jae Hwa is threatened by a demi-god. He wants to steal her soul and make sure she will never leave him (getting creepy vibes?). Unfortunately, he hasn't been doing this to just Jae Hwa but also to her female ancestors before her. (Now that is gross and vile.) Jae Hwa is a strong, fiery, aggressive, amazing character (who I am in love with, so buzz off, Haemosu). Despite being tested and tempted over and over again, she never breaks down.
The world building is amazing. Not only does Christina Farley takes the readers to South Korea, she also brings us to a spirit world of... well, deceased souls, gods, and demigods.
The plot starts off quickly. A mysterious man (Haemosu) appearing from seemingly nowhere. A possible love interest. A family secret. As Jae Hwa dodges the attempts on her soul and unfolds her family's secrets (which is annoyingly kept in secret from her), the closer her enemy gets. Haemosu is an excellent and cunning villain, who hits Jae Hwa in the least expected moments. But he is also a delusional creep.
The conflict between Haemosu and Jae Hwa is of a cat and mouse game. Haemosu is too powerful in the spirit world, but Jae Hwa always manages to slip away. One little mistake, and Jae Hwa is bound to him forever. Intriguing and suspenseful, isn't it?
The ending brings so much potential for a sequel. I would love to see Jae Hwa continue hunting for... Oh, sorry. I forget myself. Spoilers. I can't reveal spoilers.
In conclusion, Gilded is an amazing start to a fascinating series. With a strong character, a soft and slow romance, and a dangerous, supernatural enemy, this book is definitely one of my favorites for this year. Points for diversity.
Rating: Four out of Five
Sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely is an interesting book. Thanks!
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