Short and Sweet YA Fantasy Audiobook Review: Gilded by Christina Farley

Gilded by Christina Farley (Gilded #1)

bought on audio

Synopsis from Goodreads
Sixteen-year-old Jae Hwa Lee is a Korean-American girl with a black belt, a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows, and a chip on her shoulder the size of Korea itself. When her widowed dad uproots her to Seoul from her home in L.A., Jae thinks her biggest challenges will be fitting in to a new school and dealing with her dismissive Korean grandfather. Then she discovers that a Korean demi-god, Haemosu, has been stealing the soul of the oldest daughter of each generation in her family for centuries. And she's next.

But that’s not Jae’s only problem.

There's also Marc. Irresistible and charming, Marc threatens to break the barriers around Jae's heart. As the two grow closer, Jae must decide if she can trust him. But Marc has a secret of his own—one that could help Jae overturn the curse on her family for good. It turns out that Jae's been wrong about a lot of things: her grandfather is her greatest ally, even the tough girl can fall in love, and Korea might just be the home she's always been looking for.

Amazon kindle US/UK | Audible US/UK

8/10

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 I had this book on my kindle for ages and finally got to it by buying an audio companion to listen to instead. And, my dear ladies and gents, it was a delight.

First of all, Korea. I love Korean dramas, so getting back into the same world was tons of fun. The main character, Jae Hwa Lee is in an impossible situation and she is tough and stubborn enough to kick some serious butt. You go, girl! Mark, her aunt Kumo and her grandfather are pretty interesting as well, and the book is steeped in Korean mythology and very atmospheric. I really liked listening to it.

What slightly irritated me was her father, who stubbornly refused to believe anything which did not fit into his reality despite the evidence pointing otherwise. I felt like he not only didn't get his epiphany moment but also served as a simple prop to add to the adversity.

Otherwise, this is a dynamic, fast listen with a very pleasant narrator. Recommended for the fans of plucky young adult heroines and Asian mythology and setting.

* * *

У меня книга эта пылилась на киндле довольно давно, и добралась я до нее только потому, что купила значительно уцененный компаньон на аудио послушать. И вот, леди и джентельмены, оказалась она очень милой.

Во-первых, Корея. Я ж люблю корейские драмы, так что для меня это было как возвращение домой, Главная героиня, Дже Хва попадает в невозможную ситуацию, однако она достаточно сильна и упряма, чтобы надрать всем задницу. Да и поддерживающие ее персонажи, Марк, тетя Кумо, ее дедушка, достаточно насыщены и интересны. "Позолоченная" наполнена корейскими мифами и очень атмосферна.

Очень не понравился и раздражал меня папа Дже Хва, который упрямо не желал верить в происходяшее несмотря на близких ему людей годами пытающимися доказать ему обратное. такое впечатление, что он был очень деревяным персонажем, единственной целью которого было вставлять палки в колеса Дже.

А в остальном, книга очень динамичная с приятным рассказчиком и слушается на лету. Рекомендую поклонникам юных героинь и азиатской мифологии и местоположения.