The young adult novel I needed growing up. Forna creates a fantasy world which is, in some ways, not too different from our own. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Deka, we explore a patriarchy which abuses and controls women, scared of their powers. Forna also ties in issues such as  racism, homophobia and xenophobia within this incredible debut novel. Thus, whilst it is darker than I expected for a YA novel, this only makes The Gilded Ones a more powerful read.