Books & Literature

Book Review: The Gilded Cage, by Lynette Noni

YOUNG ADULT: #1 bestselling Australian YA author Lynette Noni is back with the second book in the breathtaking Prison Healer trilogy!

Lynette Noni stays true to form with another exciting page-turner in her latest trilogy.
4.5

The second novel in Lynette Noni’s Prison Healer series kicks off six weeks after the action-packed finale to the opening story. Protagonist Kiva is now ensconced in the heart of enemy territory, River Palace, where all is not as it seems.

The shock twist that wound up the first story is just the beginning for Kiva. From Zalindov Prison to her new gilded cage, Kiva is forced to tread the delicate line between right and wrong as the plot weaves in unexpected directions and truths are unveiled. It’s difficult to tell where this story will go and who, in fact, is on the side of good.

Following the success of her debut series The Medoran Chronicles, and the Whisper duology, Lynette Noni has become Australia’s bestselling author of YA fiction. She stays true to form here, building an intricate fantasy world populated with deep histories, complex cultures, and unique characters.

Personalities are defined by their actions and dialogue, giving each character their own voice and many shades of grey. Noni excels in writing characters that pop from the page; people you love or love to hate. Her dialogue is tight, witty and full of warmth, where even the villains have a charm that makes you love to hate them. The interaction between each character is very distinct, with no two relationships mirroring another. More so, no one is one dimensional. Villains can do right and heroines can do wrong. This is the real strength of Noni’s writing.

Her clever plots captivate the reader with their speed and unexpected turns in the story. The descriptive prose is concise but fully realised, enhancing the pace, not hindering it. Each chapter is a page turner and all possible futures are on the table for all of the players.

The third and final book in the trilogy, The Blood Traitor will be released this year, concluding Noni’s own trilogy of highly successful and enjoyable book serials. With so many stakes and fates in the balance, the final volume of the Prison Healer trilogy is bound to be as breathtaking as her previous conclusions.

Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet

This review is the opinion of the reviewer and not necessarily of Glam Adelaide.

Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: September 2021
RRP: $24.99

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