Condemned for her golden blood, a girl joins an army of cursed women — and uncovers the lie her whole world is built on.
- Score
- 77.0
- Spice
- 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Sweet
- POV
- first
- Ending
- HEA / HFN
Tropes
Content warnings
Curated signals, not an exhaustive guarantee.
If you liked this, read
What readers think
Readers consistently praise the bold feminist themes, West African-inspired worldbuilding, and fast-moving action sequences — particularly the satisfying mythology reveal in the third act. The book's unflinching portrayal of systemic violence against women resonates strongly with its target audience. Criticism clusters around execution: many reviewers note that key character growth and bonding happen off-page via time-skips, leaving emotional beats feeling unearned. The romance subplot is widely considered thin and underdeveloped. Pacing is polarising — some love the propulsive momentum, others feel the novel summarises rather than shows critical scenes.
Read it if
- · Readers who want feminist fantasy rooted in African mythology rather than European conventions
- · YA fans who prioritise action, sisterhood, and social commentary over romance
- · Readers looking for a debut with a strong mythology twist and series potential
Skip it if
- · You need a well-developed romance arc at the centre of the story
- · Heavy content warnings for sexual violence, child abuse, and torture are dealbreakers
- · You prefer nuanced, show-don't-tell character development over a fast, plot-driven pace
If you liked this
- · For fans of An Ember in the Ashes who want African mythology instead of Roman
- · Like Red Sister but younger in tone and more explicitly feminist in message
- · For readers who loved Children of Blood and Bone and want more warrior-girl action
In this series
Part of Deathless — read in order:
Full series profile & spice/trope breakdown →Which dark romantasy heroine are you? Five choices in a forest that wants you dead.
Take the quiz →