Hi everyone! Normally I post individual reviews for books in a series but as I read this trilogy one after the other, I’ve decided to pop them all into one trilogy review! If you want to find out more about an individual book in the series, click on one of the covers below!

Series Rating: ★★★★

Before going into Gilded Cage, I had heard SO much about this series. I had met the author Vic James and had the opportunity to see her talk on several panels in the last two years at YALC. All of this meant that I went into the series with SUCH high expectations. Luckily for me, the trilogy did not disappoint!

The Dark Gifts trilogy is fantastic. It is crammed full of plot twists and turns, steering you right away from the path you think you’re taking right at the last minute. I’m keeping this general as it’s a whole trilogy review but let me just say that the plot twists carry on right until the end of the final book. Every time I thought I could predict what would happen I ended up being wrong and thrown in a different direction. I loved the dystopian world that Vic James has created. I originally thought this was going to be a lot more fantasy than it actually is. In reality, this trilogy is a true dystopia. It’s set in the UK as we know it, with lots of shout out to familiar towns and cities, but there is a magic system and with that comes a powerful and dangerous hierarchy.

There is no doubt that these books are absolutely vicious. I would be happily reading a page and then BAM a character death would happen in a sentence. But don’t let me mislead you – some of the deaths are very short and sharp but they are absolutely gruesome and I can see them pretty vividly even having read the trilogy nearly a month ago. With the deaths comes some sadness but I didn’t find myself getting too teary when reading the trilogy.

These books have a whole host of incredible characters to fall in love (or hate) with. I can’t say much without spoiling things so let me say this: some of my favourites are Luke, Abi, Silyen and Renie whilst I thoroughly enjoyed hating Crovan. The plot twists provide many pivotal moments for the characters and some of those I loved early on became people I eventually loathed and vice versa. I loved that I didn’t know who I could trust, just as Luke and Abi didn’t know who they could trust. It made for a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.

I read the trilogy within a week – that really goes to show just how quick it is to access and read. I couldn’t stop myself flipping the pages but Vic James certainly does know how to end a chapter and keep the reader wanting more! A fantastic trilogy full of excitement, darkness and a compelling look into the injustice of society using a dystopian world. I loved it!

Have you read Gilded Cage or the Dark Gifts trilogy?

What are your favourite YA dystopia novels?

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