"Gilded" (Book 1)- Click Here
"Silvern" (Book 2)- Click Here
"Brazen" (Book 3)- Click Here
by Christina Farley
Checkout the official series website for in depth information: Click Here
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My Thoughts: Korean Mythology & A Great Heroine!
This series truly amazed me when I read it the first time and when I re-read it the second and third time. When I first chose “Gilded” from the Kindle First Prime options I was a little skeptically when I began reading it, because a lot of YA books either really impress me or fail too. However, the first book impressed the heck out of me leaving me stunned by how much I truly enjoyed the story, and subsequently the whole series, to the point I’ve shared it with several friends. This series not only introduces a reader to a new culture but a mythology that hasn’t been written before in such a vivid and exciting way.
The protagonist is a sixteen year old girl named Jae Hwa who moves from America to South Korea. Adjusting to life from L.A. to Seoul is hard for anyone but for a teen it’s almost impossible. Luckily Jae Hwa finds a best friend named, Michelle, and that friendship brings herself a sense of normal, especially when strange things begin to happen around her. Through a series of events Jae Hwa learns that she comes from a family where for centuries the eldest daughter is stolen by the demi-god, Haemosu. To stop the curse from taking her as it did her ancestors, Jae Hwa uses her skills as a black belt and archery to defend herself. She also gains the help of her grandfather and boyfriend Marc along the way, together they learn more about the Korean’s history and gods as they try to protect the world and Jae Hwa. The question in the end is how far will Jae Hwa go to save those she loves?
Overall, I loved every single book in this series. From book one I was hooked and anxiously awaited the next books. My favorite aspect of this series is the fact it’s all about Korean culture and mythology. I generally love Egyptian, Greek and Roman mythology, so reading this series really opened me up to a new subject matter. The way author, Christina Farley, wrote the each novel with the Korean language infused and imagery highlighted helped me feel like I was right there with Jae Hwa as she fought her demons. Jae Hwa is an amazing heroine who isn't perfect which makes her perfect, she's a teen trying to do right while juggling life and death with family and friends. Oh and Marc with Jae Hwa is just too sweet but won't spoil much their cute relationship except that it develops wonderfully. This series can seem like another big name series but when you have a girl at the center of the plot it's an entire new level of drama and the settings is unique along with a new language. So if you like young adult books focusing on a strong female lead who fights for her family and friends against huge odds while learning about a new culture, this series will be worth a read.
Now be forewarned listed below are each books descriptions none are too revealing BUT still read at your own risk. I dare ya!
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"GILDED" (Book 1)
Price: $1.99 (at time of post) **$ALE PRICE**
Published Date & Page Count: March 1, 2014 . pages 352.
Published Date & Page Count: March 1, 2014 . pages 352.
Book Link: Click Here
Listed Rating: 
. 2
Price I Paid: Zip, Due to Amazon Kindle First Prime Subscription.
My Rating:
Description:
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 into 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.
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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 into 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.
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"SILVERN" (Book 2)
Price: $1.99 (at time of post) **$ALE PRICE**
Published Date & Page Count: September 23, 2014. pages 377.
Published Date & Page Count: September 23, 2014. pages 377.
Book Link: Click Here
Listed Rating: . 3
Price I Paid: **I received a free copy in return for an honest review, but I later bought it as well**
My Rating:
Description:
Jae Hwa Lee is ready to forget about immortals and move on with her life. Until the god of darkness, Kud, sends an assassin to kill her. She escapes with the knowledge that Kud is seeking the lost White Tiger Orb, and joins the Guardians of Shinshi to seek out the orb before Kud can find it. But Kud is a stronger and more devious god than Jae ever imagined. Jae is soon painfully reminded that by making an enemy of Kud, she has placed her closest friends in danger, and must decide how much she can bear to sacrifice to defeat one of the most powerful immortals in all of Korea.
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Jae Hwa Lee is ready to forget about immortals and move on with her life. Until the god of darkness, Kud, sends an assassin to kill her. She escapes with the knowledge that Kud is seeking the lost White Tiger Orb, and joins the Guardians of Shinshi to seek out the orb before Kud can find it. But Kud is a stronger and more devious god than Jae ever imagined. Jae is soon painfully reminded that by making an enemy of Kud, she has placed her closest friends in danger, and must decide how much she can bear to sacrifice to defeat one of the most powerful immortals in all of Korea.
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"BRAZEN" (Book 3)
Price: $1.99 (at time of post) **$ALE PRICE**
Published Date & Page Count: September 29, 2015. pages 352.
Published Date & Page Count: September 29, 2015. pages 352.
Book Link: Click Here
Listed Rating: . 6
Price I Paid: **I received a free copy in return for an honest review, but I later bought it as well**
My Rating:
Description:
Jae Hwa Lee spent her sixteenth year in Seoul, trying to destroy the evil immortals who had been torturing her family for centuries. The last thing she expected was to be forced to become their assassin. Trapped in the darkest part of the Spirit World as a servant to the Korean god Kud, fighting to keep her humanity, and unable to contact her loved ones, Jae Hwa is slowly losing hope. Kud, god of darkness, will do anything to keep her as a pawn in his quest for power over all of Korea, her entire family thinks she’s dead, and Jae’s true love, Marc, believes she is lost to him forever.
When Kud sends Jae to find and steal the powerful Black Turtle orb, Jae sees an opportunity to break free and defeat Kud once and for all…but first she needs to regain Marc’s trust and work with him to vanquish the darkness that threatens to overwhelm Korea. There’s much to lose as Jae struggles to save the land she’s come to call home.
Jae Hwa Lee spent her sixteenth year in Seoul, trying to destroy the evil immortals who had been torturing her family for centuries. The last thing she expected was to be forced to become their assassin. Trapped in the darkest part of the Spirit World as a servant to the Korean god Kud, fighting to keep her humanity, and unable to contact her loved ones, Jae Hwa is slowly losing hope. Kud, god of darkness, will do anything to keep her as a pawn in his quest for power over all of Korea, her entire family thinks she’s dead, and Jae’s true love, Marc, believes she is lost to him forever.
When Kud sends Jae to find and steal the powerful Black Turtle orb, Jae sees an opportunity to break free and defeat Kud once and for all…but first she needs to regain Marc’s trust and work with him to vanquish the darkness that threatens to overwhelm Korea. There’s much to lose as Jae struggles to save the land she’s come to call home.
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About the Author:
CHRISTINA FARLEY is the author of the Gilded series, a YA contemporary fantasy series set in Korea. GILDED was nominated for Korea's 2014 Morning Calm, Ohio's 2015 Buckeye award, and the Tome’s It List. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. Christina's adventures sparked her to write stories, infusing the real world with fantasy. Currently she writes from home in Clermont, FL with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown.
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