Book Club Questions for The Gilded Ones

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she’s ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.

Quick Review of The Gilded Ones

With its found family relationships, deep ethical questions, and sprinkling of romance, this YA fantasy was more than I bargained for—in a good way. This poignant novel empowers women without demonizing men, which is a hard balance to strike. I especially loved the concept of bloodsisters and uruni, and it was fascinating to watch how those relationships evolved throughout the book.

Alert! Intriguing Discussion Ahead

I encourage book clubs to move beyond questions like, “What did you like/dislike about the book?” and “Who was your favorite character and why?” My discussion questions typically focus on ethical and moral dilemmas, book scenarios applied to real life, and character motivations.

Book Club Questions

1.  The way women are treated in Deka’s world borrows from real-world cultures, including customs like covering women’s faces in public, requiring women to have a male guardian outside the home, etc. Discuss the similarities and differences between women’s treatment in the book vs. real life.

2. How do you feel about White Hands’ brutal training methods? Should she have been easier on the alaki? Does your opinion change after you find out what she endured in her centuries of imprisonment?

3. White Hands manipulates many things throughout the book, including the relationship between Britta and Deka. Do you think her manipulation cheapens their relationship? If you were in this position, would learning your relationship had been set up change anything?

4. Deka’s torture in the cellar is a pivotal event in her life. What is the effect of it occurring so early in the book?

5. Deka finally gets to wear a mask the day she meets the emperor. She’s surprised that she dislikes it after wanting to wear one for so long. Have you ever had an experience where you got something you thought you wanted and it felt as uncomfortable as Deka’s mask?

6. Toward the end of the book, Deka realizes that she could have avoided her torture in the cellar. However, she appreciates what she went through because it made her understand the pain of the women she’s fighting for. What painful experiences have helped you understand or help someone else?

7. There are some clear parallels between Deka and Jesus Christ (divinity, ability to come back from death, role as a savior). Discuss.

8. When she found out she was an alaki, Deka thought it was normal to be hated. But she meets other alaki, such as Britta and Katya, whose families and friends still loved them. How does Deka’s view on the world and being an alaki differ from Britta and Katya’s based on how people treated them?

9. How did you feel when you realized the deathshrieks were former alaki? How did that change your understanding of the book’s events?

10. Belcalis asks Deka to never forget the horrible things that were done to her and other alaki. Is it possible to both never forget and also move on and heal? Defend your answer.

11. The training run with the recruits is the first time Deka owns her heritage and redefines the demon label she’s been given. What power is there in the labels or titles others give us? What about the ones we give ourselves?

12. The first time Deka and her friends ride out on a raid, the city people hurl insults and hatred at them. As they become renowned for killing deathshrieks, the insults turn to cheering and adoration. When have you seen a similar dynamic play out in real life? What do you learn from Belcalis’s plea that Deka remember how people treated the alaki before they saw them as valuable?

Below, you can download a PDF of The Gilded Ones discussion questions to print out and bring to your book club. I hope you have an intriguing discussion!

The Gilded Ones - Book Club Discussion Questions.pdf

Download PDF • 155KB

If you enjoyed these book club questions for The Gilded Ones, sign up for Patrice Carey Hale’s newsletter to get book club recommendations, book updates, and special content.

Sign up for Newsletter