Gilded/ Silvern/ Brazen by Christina Farley

Farley’s Gilded series follows Jae Hwa Lee, a young Korean-American girl recently moved to Korea, despite warnings from her strict, traditional grandfather. Jae’s father doesn’t listen. He isn’t interested in the rantings of an old man, spouting fantastical tales. But there’s more truth to Grandfather’s warnings than Jae could ever imagine.

 

In Gilded, Jae must confront the curse on the women of her family. For generations, the demi-god Haemosu has stolen the souls of the eldest daughters of Jae’s family, and Jae’s next. With the help of her grandfather, her aunt, and a secret group– the Guardians of Shinshi– dedicated to protecting Korea from spiritual assault, Jae must confront Haemosu and break the curse once and for all.

 

In Silvern, Jae just wants to live a normal life, and be done with the Immortals. They aren’t done with her though, not by a long shot. Kud, the god of darkness, is seeking the magical orbs that protect Korea. To this end he infiltrates the Guardians, who are attempto find the orbs in order to protect them. Only Jae can see through the facade, but no one believes her. In the end, Jae must make a hard choice with far reaching consequences.

 

Brazen finds Jae dealing with those consequences. Her friends have turned against her, and she’s forced to carry out work she dislikes. She still hopes to set things to rights, and protect the land she’s come to cherish. Jae must also come to terms with the ramifications of defeating Haemosu, both because the Otherworldly lands he ruled are falling to ruin, and because her repeated forays into the spirit realms is affecting her ability to exist in the physical realm.

 

I adored this series! I read Gilded several years ago, and finally got the chance to read the whole series together. The first time I read Gilded was, I believe, my first exposure to fiction inspired by Korean myth and I loved it. The mythology behind the orbs, and all the unique creatures prompted me to research more into the actual mythology for myself.

 

Jae was a likeable enough protagonist, though at times she seemed a bit impulsive, and also a little too skilled relative to age and maturity. Part had to do with her ancestry, I know. She did grow and change as the author grew more polished over the course of the series.

Go figure, but one of my favourite characters was recurring antagonist Kud. I’m a sucker for darker deities, and through the series you really get to know Kud and his motivations. Sometimes it’s easy to see why villains do the things they do. I’d love to see a story of his past, from his perspective! Highly recommended, especially if you enjoy stories inspired by myth, or set in Korea.

****Read for my own enjoyment.

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