The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna (Paperback 2021)

The must-read epic fantasy of 2021, as featured on Cosmo, Buzzfeed, Book Riot and Refinery 29.

In this West African-inspired world, girls are outcasts by blood and warriors by choice, perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Panther.

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in Otera, a deeply patriarchal ancient kingdom, where a woman’s worth is tied to her purity, and she must bleed to prove it.

But when Deka bleeds gold – the colour of impurity, of a demon – she faces a consequence worse than death. She is saved by a mysterious woman who tells Deka of her true nature: she is an Alaki, a near-immortal with exceptional gifts.

The stranger offers her a choice: fight for the Emperor, with others just like her, or be destroyed…