Gilded Cage

Starred review from September 12, 2016
James’s clever debut, first published on Wattpad, introduces an alternate present day in which British society is stratified into aristocrats, who have magical skill, and mundane commoners, who are required by law to spend 10 years serving the skilled. Most end up in the factories and workhouses in Manchester’s infamous slave town, Millmoor. That’s the fate of 16-year-old Luke Hadley; the rest of his relatives are sent to work at Kyneston, the country estate of the Jardines, one of the most powerful families in the country. At Millmoor, Luke quickly becomes part of a secret group that helps ease the harsh lives of workers. Meanwhile, his parents and sisters are caught in the middle of Jardine family intrigues and political scheming that could change the country forever. The setting is so interesting that readers will eagerly suspend disbelief, and James drops tantalizing hints about how the rest of the world treats those who do and don’t have access to magic. Brisk plotting, sympathetic characters, and plenty of intrigue will keep readers on the edges of their seats, eager for the next book in a very promising series. Agent: Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown, Ltd.

July 1, 2017

This captivating dystopian tale of forbidden love has all the makings of a successful YA fantasy novel. Riveting and accessible writing will quickly draw readers into a story full of surprises, grief, and mystery. The book follows two siblings at the bottom of their extremely stratified society. Abi and Luke must endure 10 years of mandatory service to the exclusive and manipulative elite class, ironically named the "Equals." Blending modern technology and Oliver Twist -esque poverty and cruelty, James has created a Britain that teens will want to see fall. Readers will easily connect with the variety of narrators. Some may be turned off by the blatant political undertones, but the plot is so well developed that most won't mind. VERDICT An easy sell to fans of fantasy and dystopian fiction, but be prepared-teens will be anxious for the next installment in the planned trilogy.-Ashley Selima, Lincoln Public Library, RI

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2016
At first glance, the world of James' first novel seems familiar, but that illusion is quickly dispelled. The monarchy has long since been destroyedthe British aristocracy has been replaced with Equals, people born with magical gifts, who lord it over the commoners with their powers. The story starts just before siblings Abi and Luke begin the 10 years of slavery mandated for all commoners (i.e., those without magic). Unexpectedly separated, they quickly learn how little they understood of the Equals as their views of the world shift. Luke adapts to life in a factory town by joining a rebellion, while Abi and the rest of the family live together but grown apart while serving a powerful family of Equals. Nobody emerges unscathed from their slavery years, as the Hadley family can attest after mere months of service. The twists and turns make this book hard to set down; a second read may reveal many details that readers might breeze past the first time through. Readers will eagerly await the rest of the trilogy started here.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

September 15, 2016

The lower classes must serve the magically gifted upper-class rulers for ten years in this first in a trilogy, a Wattpad sensation and Watty Award winner persuasively described as a darkly fantastical Downton Abbey.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2016

Every person in England lacking the gifts of an Equal dreads their slave days, the ten years they must labor without wages or rights. Thanks to eldest daughter Abi, the Hadleys believe they have a better deal than most, as they have arranged to serve their decade together at the Jardine family estate. Things go wrong almost immediately, as son Luke is sent instead to the Millmoor workhouse where he falls in with a group plotting the end of slavery while the rest of the family are at the mercy of the Jardines. Debut novelist James does an excellent job of creating a dark contemporary world in which magic is used to prop up a corrupt aristocracy at the expense of ordinary people. Hopefully the details of this realm's powers will be fleshed out in the next volume, which readers will eagerly anticipate after the cliff-hanger ending here. VERDICT With solid YA crossover potential, this first novel should especially appeal to fans of Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" trilogy. [See Prepub Alert, 8/22/16.]--MM

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 1, 2016

Every person in England lacking the gifts of an Equal dreads their slave days, the ten years they must labor without wages or rights. Thanks to eldest daughter Abi, the Hadleys believe they have a better deal than most, as they have arranged to serve their decade together at the Jardine family estate. Things go wrong almost immediately, as son Luke is sent instead to the Millmoor workhouse where he falls in with a group plotting the end of slavery while the rest of the family are at the mercy of the Jardines. Debut novelist James does an excellent job of creating a dark contemporary world in which magic is used to prop up a corrupt aristocracy at the expense of ordinary people. Hopefully the details of this realm's powers will be fleshed out in the next volume, which readers will eagerly anticipate after the cliff-hanger ending here. VERDICT With solid YA crossover potential, this first novel should especially appeal to fans of Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" trilogy. [See Prepub Alert, 8/22/16.]--MM

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.