Super Short Summary

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna tells the story of Deka, a teenage girl in the village of Irfut who discovers she has gold blood during the Ritual of Purity, marking her as an alaki, or divine descendant. Branded as demonic and subjected to torture and death, she escapes with the help of a mysterious woman named White Hands. Deka joins other alaki in training to fight deathshrieks and uncovers her true divine heritage while challenging the patriarchal society that oppresses them. The story includes depictions of violence and trauma.