dnf.

it has come to my attention that the author of this book is close friends with another author who is a zionist. and even dedicated the first book to them.

I really enjoyed The Prison Healer. The ending had me reeling from all the reveals, and I desperately yearned to get my hands on the sequel to see all the drama and twists and turns that were to come next. For the most part, The Gilded Cage did not disappoint.

Picking up not too long after Kiva and co escaped the prison, we find Kiva struggling with the plan she set in motion at the end of TPH. She tells herself 'just one more day' to be with Jaren, to spend learning about healing, before she goes off to find her long-lost family and joins them in their quest to unseat Jaren from power.

But Kiva doesn't have to go looking, because they go looking for her. From here begins Kiva's journey of learning the truth about her mother, her siblings, her power and why she spent so long locked up in Zalindov. Not all of the answers come easy, and there's still a lot left to explore. I hurt for Kiva as her dreams/ideas about her family began to unravel, as she slowly began to uncover the dark truth and deceit. (Again, I do think there's more than what this book told us BUT AHHH.) And for the most part, I found this good. Kiva had built up such an idea of what her remaining family would look like, what she would look like with them, that it came to light to her that she didn't really think this through the whole way. I enjoyed that, that turmoil, as she began to think about her new found family of Jaren, Tipp, Cal and that of her blood relations.

However, I did struggle a bit with understanding Kiva's motivations. Time and time again it just did not make sense that her narrative would keep returning to her saying 'oh but I would betray Jaren'. As readers, we are given the impression that it's out of a sense of duty, but after a while even this becomes stale and it feels as if Noni had to keep Kiva attached to the idea of the rebel cause to fill the page count before she got to all the twists.

Bearing that twist, I can't say I was surprised, and it made me frustrated that Kiva didn't. I think this betrayal would've been a lot more heartbreaking, and surprising, if it came from the person she least expected - the person whom she thought on her side, not the one who was constantly shady. What a misdirect it would have been. And that persons accomplice? I didn't really gasp in shock at that either. It was just more like a . . . well okay. So I will say I'm a little disappointed as the twists here didn't get me as much as the ones in the first book did.

But do you know what I really enjoyed about this book? PRINCE CALDON. OH MY GOD'S I LOVE HIM. He's my favourite and we must protect him at all costs. The banter between Kiva and him was everything to me. The way he cared about her. The way he joked with her. The way he called her out. My best boy. I love him. I can't lie, I did start to ship them. Him saying that Kiva shines brightly?? The way he trains her?? How she was upset that she hurt him and he called her by her name and not one of the nicknames he has for her?? HEARTBREAK. The way he comforted her, saw her struggle, and reassured her?? PLEASE.

(But I am wondering if I will get this ship . . . or if Noni is going to write about Cal and another Corentine).

Don't get me wrong, Jaren as always was a sweetheart. But I don't think there was enough of him in this novel, or enough scenes to keep that relationship between Kiva and him going. He just popped in and out, Kiva and him made eyes over each other, and then he'd go again.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I'm excited for the third installment. Don't hurt my precious babies, Lynette Noni, please!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this e-ARC in exchange for a free review.

Thanks very much NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC to The Gilded Cage; i've had this sitting on my NetGalley shelf for ages but have put off reading it because I just didn't want to bring myself to - the first book caused me so much stress that I wasn't sure I could manage it again but I finally did and i'm so glad I did.

This book is definitely not quite as stressful as the first book but is so close; I was wary of who to trust throughout and whether Kiva was going to escape this book unscathed. I'm not going to comment on the plot too much because I don't want to spoil it for anyone but I would say there are so many twists and turns and Noni really keeps you on your toes. You never quite know what's going to happen next which definitely keeps the plot alive.

I loved Caldon so much and he definitely makes the book for me. Jaren seemed to take quite a back seat in this book i'd say and i'd have loved him to come more into his own and to the forefront in the next one. I both loved and was infuriated with Kiva with this book; she comes across as quite naïve which does feel in contrast to her from the first book.

The ending though, i'm not sure how i'm meant to last until the third book with that ending!! Don't be so cruel to us and just release it now please?!

RATING: 4.5

Thank you so much Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing sequel of one of my fav reads of this year.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! That ending made me so angry I almost had an heart attack. Those last plot twists made me want to throw something at the wall.
I especially loved Kiva and Jaren relationship on this book. The pining and yearning OMG it was so perfect. Although in this book my fav character was for sure Caldon. He was so funny and smart-ass, every dialogue with he had with Kiva made me want to laugh so hard,
After the ending of The Prison Healer I was really curious on how the author would continue the story and I must tell I was NOT disappointed. I loved all the twists and turns the story took.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series since this is becoming my favorite series of this year.

I forced myself to the end of this book, mainly because I wanted to know if my predictions about what would happen were correct. They were.

The issue I had was that the central conflict (Kiva's family are rebels but she's in love with the crown prince) didn't have any real ground to stand upon, because there was nothing supporting WHY Kiva's family should get the throne. Her grandmother summed it up perfectly:

"You plan to follow blindly in your family's ill-fated footsteps, seeking to steal a throne that you believe is yours for no other reason than a diluted bloodline."

An old blood claim - that's literally ALL their reasoning for why they should be on the throne. Oh, sure they have a few personal grievances, but there's never any proof that the royals are bad rulers. Half the rebels are vaguely mentioned "malcontents" (without a reason why they're angry) and the others, we're somehow expected to believe, are fanatics annoyed by the toppling of this family's ancestor several hundred years before.

If there was some mention of bad rulership or tax issues or a famine or literally any of the issues that could cause someone to be angry with a ruler, then I might have felt that the rebels had a foot to stand upon. But they didn't, and the book goes out of its way to show that these are good rulers (so that Kiva's torn and made to rethink) so I could not believe that there was a big enough rebel movement. It just wasn't believable.

Plus, her brother's OK, but her sister is a horrid piece of work. And they've all abandoned her for a decade, so her love seemed excessive, and just there to give her a reason to work for the rebels. In short, the premise was flimsy and all designed to set up a conflict of loyalties that I could not believe for one minute as it lacked any sort of justification.

The story itself is so predictable. On page five, I made a bet with myself about how it would all turn out, and I was completely and utterly correct. It's the middle book of a trilogy, so you know it's going to end with Kiva deciding her family are wrong and that the current royals should have the throne, but she's going to be revealed when her family win - and win because of her (thus adding betrayal and romantic angst to the next book.)

The major problem with this is the decisions she makes that gets to that state are stupid. It felt like she was only making them because she knew what plot points had to happen. "Oh no, I've decided that I won't betray the royals and my family are wrong, but immediately after this decision, I'm still going to tell them the exact thing they need to win."

I loved this series!!!!! the characters, the world-building. I was a little apprehensive about which direction the author would go after the bombshell ending of the last book. However, they did not disappoint at all. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a new series.

Fantastic! I couldn't get enough of this book. The writing was great, I couldn't get enough of this. It was 100 pages too long but fantastic nonetheless. Cannot wait for book 3!

The Gilded Cage is a book full of drama and deceit.

Kiva has to deal with her waring loyalties. This meant I spent a lot of the book going Oh No don't do that. If this was a film or T.V show I would have been watching it through my fingers.

In a lot of books where a group is trying to overthrow the Crown. The ruling monarchy is never shown in a good light. But in The Gilded Cage, we see the good and the bad. It also makes Jaren more irresistible.

Finding out more about the world, and Kiva family made it interesting and gripping. Especially their influence on the ending.

Overall I really enjoyed The Gilded Cage and I CAN NOT wait for the next book.

My Rating for The Gilded Cage is 4.8 out of 5.

Where do I even start! The prison healer series might be my favourite series of 2021 we see so many trilogies fall down in the second book, but my friends The Gilded Cage is an epic sequel that will keep you guessing from start to finish. Not a single page was wasted it was pure magic!

It follows off exactly where we left off Kiva is in the Capital and living a life caught between the boy she loves and duty to her family. We get to learn more about each sides family and family secrets are revealed.

The ending might have you wanting to throw the book at the wall or put it in the naughty corner! Cannot wait for the third book! I have a feeling it’s going to be EPIC

After I finished The Prison healer I was beyond excited to get to reading its sequel, The Gilded Cage. In general it did not disappoint, even if it took a different turn to what I was expecting. I enjoyed the complex politics and character dynamics, the continuation of Kiva’s journey and getting to know new characters in both the royals and Kiva’s family of rebels. This middle book focuses on Kiva’s torn loyalties which made for some really interesting storylines.

We are re-united with Kiva after the big bombshells dropped at the end of The Prison Healer. She is really Kiva Correntine, has healing magic and has been given a way into the royal family that the rebels could only have dreamed of. But Kiva’s loyalties are torn between her family and the royals who have taken her under their wing. Jaren, the Prince and heir to the throne, trusts her with the biggest family secrets and Kiva has to decide what she will or won’t do with this acquired information. Re-united with her siblings, they have ten years of catching up to do and not everything is as it seems anymore.

I honestly expected this story to take a completely different turn after the reveals in book one! Kiva came off as such an unreliable narrator but it seems she was more reliable than I thought. I loved watching Tipp and she integrate with the royals who take them in without a second thought. Kiva and Jaren’s relationship intensifies, and the family are not concerned with it at all. Kiva’s magic also keeps rearing its head, tired of being shoved down in the deepest parts of her. But if she reveals her magic, the royals will imprison or either kill her, as she is their enemy. I liked the expansion of the magic, both in terms of the royal elemental powers and Kiva’s healing ones. I still think there is room for it to grow!

It was good to be introduced to Kiva’s siblings, who have changed since she last saw them ten years ago. Her brother is kind and a little disenchanted with being a rebel, where as her sister is a little harder around the edges having been put in charge after the death of their mother. Kiva also meets her grandmother, and eccentric old woman with plenty of secrets herself. I loved this character! She is the best Correntine. Getting to know the royal family more was also great, and I was particularly drawn to Queen Ariana who is battling a drug addiction. We know from Jaren that the drugs make her cruel but it was so heart-breaking to see all the sides to her.

The ending was reminiscent of The Prison Healer with more bombshells and reveals. Makes me excited to see what will happen! Overall this wasn’t a bad follow up to The Prison Healer. It has the same life or death moments that keep you on the edge of your seat, but it didn’t quite grip me in the same way. I am sure the ending will be completely explosive!

The Gilded Cage is second book in the The Prison Healer series, the final one in the triology is expected to be released in October 2022. Kiva has escaped the death prison, Zalindov, and is now living in the royal palace. She is struggling to suppress and secretly hide her magic and also trying to decide where her allegiances lie and she finds her loyalties torn between her rebel siblings and her royal friends. The pace is much slower in this book and there is a lot less drama and action, but we learn a lot more about the back history of the characters and the politics of the world. We also get to see life outside of Zalindov prison, exploring the towns and scenery. The writing is wonderfully descriptive and there are plenty of unexpected twists and turns to hold the reader’s interest

Kiva continues to be a strong, fierce and loyal character, however her divided loyalties account for why she is much more indecisive. Jaren is fiercely protective of her and their chemistry and interactions are fabulous. This slow burn romance takes an unexpected turn right at the end and I’m intrigued and excited to follow its development in the final instalment. Naari was one of my favourite characters in The Prison Healer, she took much more of a backseat in this story and sadly I didn’t think her personality shone through as much. Tipp is still as cute as a button and unexpectedly I found myself rooting for Caldon, who plays a much more significant role here.

A slower paced sequel, however the world, characters and storyline continue to be complex and intriguing. The ending was completely unexpected and a bit of a shocker. I’m really looking forward to reading the final book to find out how the events that transpired in The Gilded Cage will unravel.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC for review. My review will be published across my social media platforms nearer to the publication date and Amazon when published.

4,5 stars

OMG the angst!! What a rollercoaster of emotions here!
I wanted to peek at the ending, badly, so many times as I was biting all my nails and needed reassurance about Kiva and Jaren. But I resisted and when I reached the end….what a finale! On a huge cliffy where my heart goes to Kiva and Jaren!
How will I wait for the third and last book in the series?

Now that some of my pent-up emotions are out of the way, let’s get to what is The Gilded Cage about.
WARNING: If you haven’t read the Prison Healer yet, don’t go further as you’ll get spoilers for book 1!

The Gilded Cage begins after the Prison Healer ended.
Kiva and Tipp are both in Vellantis, in the palace, invited by Jaren.
Jaren still cares very much about Kiva and all along, he’ll be a real cinnamon roll. Not only is Jaren handsome and talented in combat and magic but he also has a heart of gold and he’ll prove it countless times!
That’s why Kiva, being the daughter of the last rebel Queen and decided to have a revenge is absolutely torn about it!
All along, she’ll be torn between her allegiance to her family, her sister the harsh and fierce Zuleeka and her brother the brave but sweet Torell, and between Jaren and his family as they welcomed her with open arms.
Everyone in the royal family was so kind to her. Even the infuriating Caldon , Jaren’s cousin, real flirt but expert in combat and drill sergeant to Kiva.

So even when her brother and sister wanted her to help them dethrone the royal family, Kiva couldn’t help but dream of another future. One as a healer, one with Jaren.

Things really got messy and complicated for her and I was on pins and needles all the time!

I wanted Kiva to let go of her revenge and choose to forgive. I wanted her to explain to her siblings why she couldn’t follow that path. And I was also angry because Jaren did certainly not deserve such duplicity!

We’ll have many twists, one of the biggest right at the end,an amazing cast of characters, conflicted feelings, choices to make, secrets uncovered about Kiva’s family and her power, and a huge cliffhanger!

I promise you won’t be able to stop reading!

I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy this book at all.

I found the book slow and repetitive. The relationship between Jaren and Kiva continues to feel forced to me; I still don't understand at what point in the first book did Jaren fall head over heels to be acting like a lost puppy. I'm just not fan of those love-at-first-sight tropes.

Kiva was a completely different person now that she was outside of the prison. Gone was the girl that survived 10 years in Zalindov, instead replaced by this character with no real purpose apart from guiding the story forward.

I'm not sure if I'll be coming back for the third installment...

This was so much better than the first. At the end of the first book I knew this book was going to be incredible, but I really did not expect some of the plot twists. I love the way we unravel Kiva’s story and the insane slow burn between her and Jaren is almost unbearable. P.S, is it bad that I love Caldon the most? I can’t wait for the third book.

After reading The Prison Healer and expressing enthusiasm for this book, despite some hesitation about the beginning of the story, and after the shocking ending, I'm finally here to tell you about the second volume: The Gilded Cage!
In this book we find ourselves in a whole new setting, far away from Zalindov. What's more, the author introduces new characters, some interesting, others a bit less so. Certainly the young Prince will have captured the attention of readers.
In this second volume, in addition to the dynamic adventures of the protagonists, the author focuses on the concept of family. In fact, Kiva, in this volume, is reunited with her sister and brother, making the moment really exciting!
It's nice to deal with such issues, even within a fantasy book.
The Gilded Cage, as well as the first volume, was an engaging and enjoyable read.
The conclusion, though! Give me the third book now!

Wow! This book is just as good as the first!

This book picks up where we left off in book one, with Kiva, Jaren and Tipp escaping from the prison and heading back to the palace.

I don’t want to give more than that as I don’t want to say any spoilers, but omg!!! So many twists and turns I just did not see coming!

This book keeps you just has hooked as book one, with so many characters you can not help but love (Caldon!); but keeping to the originality of the story and the reasons behind why everyone is doing what they are!

I am now absolutely devastated I have to wait for the next book! This is slowly becoming one of my favourite series I’ve read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I had heard such amazing things about The Prison Healer (and it’s ending!) that I held off on reading the first book until I could jump right into the second, which resulted in me devouring the first two instalments in the series in under 4 days and leaving a gaping wound in my chest.

In comparison to the first book, I definitely found the pace of The Gilded Cage a bit slow at times and the first 60% of the book or so felt like a lot of filler. In saying that, I can definitely understand why it’s necessary to the plot, but I was left looking for more.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know some of our favourites from the first book better - Kiva, Jaren, Naari and Tipp are all climbing the ranks of some of my all time top characters and I’m super excited to see what’s next for them. With this book taking place after their escape from prison, we also got to meet some of the wider Vallentis and Corentine family (just wait til you meet Caldon & Tor!!), and the political clashes that were introduced in the first book become more prevalent and complex.

Not to let us off to easy - Noni has ended this on a cliffhanger so steep that it’s comparable to JLA’s ending pages of From Blood and Ash, and I’ll be keeping an eager eye out for more details on the next instalment of the series!

Wow, what an incredible follow up to The Prison Healer - absolutely fantastic. Again, wonderfully written and gripping right from the start! Would definitely recommend!

This hurts. A lot.

That’s the review, lol. I am kidding, but that’s pretty much how I would sum up this book. Don’t worry, I will tell you more about The Gilded Cage, the brilliant sequel of The Prison Healer. But truth is, I was in pieces at the end of this book and I should warn you before you pick this up, you should prepare yourself to be destroyed. Also, if you haven’t read The Prison Healer you should not read this review as it contains spoilers of the first book.

The Gilded Cage takes place a little after the events of the first book. Kiva is out of Zalindov prison, protected by Jaren, who is also the current heir to the throne. The same throne Kiva is secretly plotting to take, as she is trying to get revenge on the people who destroyed her family (so yeah, you know, Jaren’s family). Kiva is finally reunited with her long lost brother and sister but, while her feelings for Jaren keeps growing, she often questions her allegiances and loyalties.

In this sequel you will get both sides of the story, you will get to meet the whole royal family but also Kiva’s remaining family’s side. Like Kiva, you will probably struggle to pick a side. I was personally not ready to like Caldon so much and he is possibly one of my favourite characters of this series (and I’m sure he will become your next new fictional boyfriend). And I was also not ready to like Kiva’s brother, Tor, so much.

It is a solid sequel, it raises the stakes of the first book, it introduces many new amazing characters, and you get a glimpse of the world outside Zalindov and the royal ruling family. Compared to the first book, you can expect a different pace and less action, as this story is mostly focused on politics and family issues. Because of the way it ends, I have high expectations that we will continue to explore this world in the next book and get more entangled with all the lies and plotting of this world.

It answered lots of questions posed at the end of The Prison Healer, which was my favourite part, I love it when I don’t have to wait until the very last chapter of a series to know what I need to. While some secrets were finally told, this sequel will just leave you with even more mysteries and plots to unravel. The ending will kill you, I’m sorry, I can’t sugarcoat it. It’s such a great story so far, Lynette Noni is such a mastermind, the writing is super engaging and the plot twists are so unexpected, it was difficult to put it down (even if I had the urge to scream and throw my kindle at the end).

I have to admit, there were moments where I wanted to shake Kiva and tell her to wake up, but it was a difficult journey for her and I felt how she was questioning everything she was doing and feeling. She was a character split in two and I felt for her during the whole book. Finally, I feel the moral obligation to add that the slow burn romance in this book is ridiculously good.

I am sure that if you loved The Prison Healer, you will definitely love the sequel as well. The Gilded Cage is more about the politics around Vallentis and Corentine family members. It was what I was expecting from this sequel and so much more. I want book three right now, please.

Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for an e-copy of this book. The opinions above are my own.

I loved The Prison Healer so much that I was incredibly excited to read the next book in the series.

The Gilded Cage picks up right where the first book left off. This time there’s more royalty, intrigue and magic. Kiva is torn between her loyalty to her family and her feelings and respect for the current heir to the throne, Jaran, and his family. After being kept in the dark for most of the first book, it was interesting to learn more about both Kiva and Jaran’s families and backgrounds. We also get to explore more of the wider Kingdom of Wenderall as we leave the isolation of the prison behind.

The characters remain a real highlight, we have loveable Tip, brilliant Naari and perfect Jaran. Caldon, Jaran’s cousin, is the real standout though, he’s sarcastic and witty but we also learn there’s a lot more to him than that. Kiva’s brother and sister also make for interesting additions as their lives have deviated greatly from Kiva’s and there is much for her to catch up on. Noni has a great way of including a good number of characters each with their own complexity.

This book feels very much like a lot of groundwork is being established for the future, and we do slowly build and build to the final few chapters. At times I did become quite frustrated with some of the decisions Kiva made and I would have liked the rebels claim to the throne to be a bit stronger. However, by the end of the book a lot of that no longer mattered and even though I anticipated a lot of the twists there’s a cliffhanger that really leaves you wanting more!

Overall, The Gilded Cage is a decent sequel and fantasy book but not quite as good as the first one, I find that’s often typical for the middle book in a trilogy though and I’m still really looking forward to the final instalment which I have such high hopes for!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.