The Gilded Wolves is a masterful YA Fantasy by Roshani Chokshi, author of The Star-Touched Queen and Aru Shah and the End of Time.

This book is set in 1889 Paris featuring a wonderfully diverse cast of characters reminiscent of the band of misfits from Six of Crows and a spectacular heist à la National Treasure with twists and puzzles like that of a Dan Brown book. IT’S EPIC!

Roshani Chokshi has a beautiful, flowery writing style that completely won me over. Written in multiple POVs, The Gilded Wolves is brimming with imagery and laced with wit! That being said, I feel like it may overwhelm some readers. The first quarter to a third of this book is a massive info-dump, especially while the world is built and the intricacies of the fantasy elements are explained. Readers get a lot of description and background right from the go. I caution readers to not be scared off by it, though. The story is imaginative and fun and worth it!

We get the good, the bad, and the ugly, given the point in history in which this story is set and the types of lives people of various backgrounds led then. I applaud Roshani for giving us great, diverse characters with vivid histories. I definitely loved all of the characters, but Séverin is a freakin doll — I adored him!

Overall, I really enjoyed The Gilded Wolves and recommend it to YA Fantasy fans who enjoy poetic writing and a loaded cast!

Wow. This book had MAJOR Six of Crows vibes and I was into every minute of it.

Heist? Check.

Magical artifact? Check.

Band of misfits who must scheme together and solve puzzles in order to obtain their goals? Check, check, check.

Roshani Chokshi bestows readers with a well formed world of Paris in 1889 that easily mixes magic and fantasy with realistic advances of the times, such as the highs of art and industry and the lows of racism and bigotry. We are introduced to Séverin Montagnet-Alarie, a thief and heir to House Vanth, one of the four houses of the Order of Babel. Unfortunately for Séverin, his house has been pronounced dead, and his inheritance kept from him. When offered the opportunity to reclaim what is owed to him, he jumps at the chance to do so, no matter the cost. From there, Séverin and his band of allies set out on a heist for the ages.

Chokshi’s writing is flowery and melodious while her characters are fully fleshed out and very well developed. They are diverse and engaging and easy to root for. The plot is intriguing and fast paced and being a puzzle lover and escape room enthusiast, I especially enjoyed the inclusion of different puzzles and ciphers within the text. It allowed me to try and figure it out along with the characters instead of just being handed the answer, which I feel was a great instance of showing rather than telling. I am also a huge fan of dialogue, so getting to read all the witty conversations and quips between characters was a big delight for me.

The ending lends great setup for the future of the series and I cannot wait to tag along on the next adventure!

*Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This was a new author for me and I'm officially in love! The Gilded Wolves was unique, diverse and had such vibrant and lovable characters that I was sad to see it end. I was lucky enough to get an ARC - which I'm super grateful for - but now it seems my wait is longer than ever for book two :( This girl isn't getting any younger and a year to wait will be pure agony! I know I'll be coming back for more of Severin, Laila, Enrique, Zofia, Tristan and Hypnos.

What I loved:
The cast of characters. It was hard to choose a favorite because they all were so likable (but Zofia is my girl!) R.C. wrote real characters, each one with their own personality, their own character traits, each one complex in their own way. I loved seeing this rag tag team combine forces and kick butt. The love and trust between them was frankly a beautiful thing. We need more!

The romance. I'm a sucker for it, I love it, need it and R.C. has given me so much to obsess over. OMG! Did I mention the wait for book will be torture for me?! The way things ended for my two ships was freaking devastating! Seriously though there is so much to root for and I'm hooked, line and sinker. Bring it Russia!

The Forging. Holy cow, this is something so awesome that honestly I am in love with the idea. The world of forging, it's so mysterious and shrouded in rumors and half truths, magic and legend that the snippets we get throughout the book just feed my curiousity for more. There is so much to explore there and the suspense of each reveal will definitely keep the hype going.

The heists. If you like rooting for the under dogs, watching the impossible become possible or just like the little guys winning one over on the big baddies you won't be disappointed. Severin and his team are clever, fast and pretty damn genius. I loved every suspenseful minute of their every adventure.

The humor. Seriously, this is something that isn't always so present in my reads so I loved that there are so many adorable moments of levity throughout. I've read this twice already and I still find myself laughing out loud and still really enjoying the banter between everyone. Zofia and Enrique are my absolute favorites!

Would I recommend? Yes, yes, YES! Highly recommended. This is a trilogy so the ending is a cliffy but its going to be a raging success and you won't want to miss out.

My favourite element of The Gilded Wolves was its characters. This novel had such a diverse cast of six main characters, whom I adored. They were so complex and had rich backstories, which made me get to know them pretty well and I'm a bit sad to leave them behind now that I've finished the novel. I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed that we didn't get every main character's point of view: I feel like I didn't care as much for one of them, I *almost even* forgot about them at times and so I didn't really care about this character's storyline or ending? That's too bad because I cared about everyone else; at this character, I am really sorry. Moreover, they all had amazing group dynamics and I loved every little interaction they had together. My favourite character was for sure Zofia, because I related to her in so many ways, but I also have a soft spot for Hypnos!

I had high expectations when it comes to the world-building of this novel, especially the parts about late 19th century Paris, as I'm French and a history major, but I can tell you that Roshani Chokshi did her job splendidly! You could tell how much research she put into her book and I loved that she didn't only show an idealistic Paris: she also showed France's ugly colonialist past, how unaccepting and racist society could be. As she said in her author's note:
"History is a myth shaped by the tongues of conquerors."

Shameful events can often be glossed over and this shouldn't be. This past needs to be acknowledged, discussed and I'm glad that voices that have been ignored for so long can finally be heard. So many important topics were talked about in this novel and Chokshi did a good job at that. The Gilded Wolves was also full of historical, philosophical and scientific references, which I adored!

While I was impressed by the way Chokshi portrayed Paris, I wasn't as convinced when she presented the novel's magic system. It was complex and a bit confusing at times, especially when paragraphs upon paragraphs were explaining the world: it felt a bit like info-dumping to me. Still, it was a bit more interesting once I understood everything.

To talk about the elephant in the room, that many reviewers have discussed: in many things, The Gilded Wolves is quite similar to Six of Crows. I am not saying that this is a bad thing: The Gilded Wolves has amazing characters no matter what and a different world building, but because of those similarities, the plot didn't take me by surprise, because it wasn't anything I hadn't read before. It could be thrilling at times, but overall I was left being unimpressed by it. Besides, I wasn't too convinced by the villain: I would have liked to know their motivations more; it has to be more than "I want to take over the world" to me, I need more explanations and very morally gray characters. Despite that, I adored the fact that it was all about a secret society!

I had tried reading Chokshi's debut in the past without success, but I really liked her writing style in this one, it flowed nicely and I got through this book really quickly. While I don't really want to pick The Star-Touched Queen again at this point, I'd be interested in reading more of her works.

To conclude, I thought that while being a bit too similar to Six of Crows for my taste, The Gilded Wolves is a novel with amazing characters and a compelling setting that many readers will adore. Some aspects of the novel, such as a confusing magic system at first and a plot that didn't take me by surprise didn't convince me as much, but maybe that's just me? I'm always super picky, haha.

Ah I surprisingly got approved for it by the publisher, after being rejected for the arc on netgalley! Ah so on it became my last read on 2018! And what a beautiful end to give to my 2018 year.

This book killed me, like for real, despite not being 5/5 stars it has become one of my favorite books of all time... I was so emotionally "roller-coaster-ed" by the time i finished this one.

Well, give me a fun crew and a heist anytime. Those stories are food for my soul and i am always down for them..

So yes this book indeed has a crew, comprising of Séverin; the group leader with a revenge plan in hand, Enrique; a quirky historian, Tristan; a plant lover and owner of a giant tarantula Goliath, Zofia; a mathematician and an inventor, honestly she reminded me of toph from avatar #love and Laila; how has an ability to read history of an object, where is was- who it belongs to, baker extraordinaire . And honestly i fell in love with their group dynamics. Each one of them had a deep, three dimensional personality and quirks that made them unique.

And yes it has an impossible heist, that could end up in serious consequences. As Sherlock would say "the game is on". Also think treasure hunts *_*

I really love the world building in this book. The deep, dark Paris of 1800, with its mysteries. The secret societies, the magic and an unknown villain hunting around. Just made the book so much thriller.

This book is so full of diversity and i love it.. Enrique , is a Spanish-Filipino, Zofia , a Polish Jew, Laila , an Indian girl, Séverin, a French-Algerian. It has representation for so many people, it has great underlying currents for girl power, and i loved it so much when the male protagonists were all of so what if she is a girl. And fully provided support.

It also undercurrent themes exploring the draw backs of society like slavery, colonialism and colorism. I was delighted to find out that the author found out all this dark aspects of the past and decided to insert in the story. I believe these atrocities are never talked about enough. And liked how it was seamlessly interwoven.

Romance; wow it was sizzling in this one. And surprisingly there was a triangle i was okay with and didn't know who to root for in it. And the chemistry between some were off the charts omg.

Okay so lastly so many people have compared it to six of crows. Honestly thankfully, i didn't have those thoughts when i went in annnnnnnnnd that is so not the way to go because it will ruin your expectations. The two are very different books, just because it has a heist, magic and a crew doesn't mean you have to compare them. Because trust me you will end up nitpicking and comparing it will just ruin it all.

The last few chapter are the ones in which this book turns around and slaps you in the face and just does a 360. Because wow it left me devastated and also like WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING NONONONO! Beware you will have an agonizing wait for book 2 because by god i have one and it sucks.


All in all if you're a fan of heists, treasure hunts, a brilliant ensemble and a gobsmacking ride filled with intrigue this book so for you!!!!!!

There are so many things that I loved about this book. The mystery, the intrigue, the whole treasure hunting aspect- everything was so great and kept me on my toes throughout the whole story! I also LOVE all of the vivid descriptions and the attention to detail that Roshani has in this book. I felt like I was really there any time she described someone's outfit or the food people were eating.
Another thing that I absolutely loved was the diverse cast of characters. As someone who is Indian, I always love reading books where I can recognize aspects of my culture (without them being too over the top or like extra, if that makes sense), and this book really embodies the best way to do that. Laila's backstory was so interesting and tied so closely into some of the mythology I grew up hearing. I was also really excited about the mentions of classical Indian dance within Laila's performances. As someone who danced Bharatanatyam for 8 years, seeing someone else's connection to something that was such a huge part of my life. Besides Laila, I loved pretty much all of the other characters too! Zofia's love of science and social awkwardness warmed my heart. Her connection to her sister and her ability to save everyone at every step along the way made me love her even more. While I could talk about the characters for hours, I'll let you make your own opinions on all of the other characters (but if you don't like them, you're wrong and I hate you).
As you can see, I'm pretty much obsessed with this book and could talk about it forever. If you haven't already bought a copy of it, here are some purchase links for you: Amazon | Barnes and Noble. If you can't buy this book- DEFINITELY go request it at your library, because you 100% do not want to miss it!

I’ve seen the constant comparison to Six of Crows and while the story has some similarities – a heist adventure featuring a team of misfits – there are also vital differences.

The setting is an alternate Paris where magical artefacts are used to assist the ruling families stay in power. While there is a team involved in a mission-impossible type of heist, the leader and arch-planner is Séverin, who yearns for the future he lost aged seven, when what should have been his induction into the golden circle of ruling families was abruptly snatched from him in a plot that falsely claimed he wasn’t his father’s true heir. After that he was passed around a series of abusive step-fathers, each one mistreating or using him in some nefarious fashion. Along the way, he teamed up with Tristen, who had the misfortune to be the actual son of one of these nasty characters.

Chokshi’s prose style comes into its own as she gives us a vivid insight to each of these characters and what matters to them, which meant that when it all hits the fan I really cared about each one. It also meant that I didn’t ever find myself muddled or confused as to who was who doing what to whom. I like the fact there is real racial and sexual diversity among the characters, which is presented in a nicely matter-of-fact manner as their energies are engaged in trying to track down a magical ‘thing’ which will change everything.

The pacing works well. While this story starts fairly slowly, before winding up to the mayhem that ensues as the adventure goes awry, Chokshi also effectively manages the aftermath, which could have dragged into something a lot more downbeat and depressing. With this story, I get the sense that Chokshi has fully matured as a writer, gaining confidence to set her stories and characters outside the eastern backdrop that fuelled her previous adventures. One of the reasons why I regularly DNF fantasy heist adventures featuring a team of misfits, is that it is very difficult to write well. But when it all comes together, as it does here, it is a powerful, emotional read. I staggered away from this intense story with my head full of Séverin, Tristan, Hypnos, Zofia, Laila and Enrique – and hoping I don’t have to wait too long to discover what happens next…

The ebook arc copy of The Gilded Wolves was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion of the book.
9/10

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi is an amazingly fun, intricate fantasy heist that I adored every second of. (Also release day is definitely tomorrow Jan. 15, but I couldn't wait to post this!) It opens in the middle of a heist & inserts you into a magical alternate Paris circa 1889, where the Order of Babel safeguards a fragment of the Babel Tower, and what they believe to be the source of magic for the Western world. The heist is being perpetrated by Severin, a hotelier whose true inheritance was denied by the Order when he was a child, and his crew, an extremely diverse group with various talents. After their initial heist, they are approached with an offer to steal something much more valuable, and possibly return Severin's inheritance to him.

First of all, this book completely, totally, and utterly sucked me in. Similar to The Star Touched Queen by Chokshi, you are immediately thrust into a world. It's confusing at first, but eventually you figure out which way is up and figure out how the world is structured. It's a very rich world, too, full of interesting kinds of magic and the opulence associated with the Gilded Age. While magic is very safeguarded, it's also a wonder and I delighted in figuring out how everyone was able to use it, as well as figuring out all the ins, outs, ups, and downs of the world Chokshi has created here. The plot is also eventful and character-driven. I always wanted to know what was going to happen next, and the heists were amazingly well written and able to be visualized. At times, I was reminded of escape rooms (which I love to do with my family), because there were so many fun traps and puzzles to figure out at different points, and lots of fun science also mixed in with the magic. Each time I had to (reluctantly) put it down, I counted down the hours/minutes/seconds until I could pick it back up again and finish it.

In addition to the world building and plotting, I just simply cherished the characters Chokshi creates here. The crew gives me a lot of Six of Crows vibes, but they are also wholly unique unto themselves. There's Severin, the leader and the master strategist behind their plans, and he has at some point and somehow recruited all of the rest of the crew, who also live in his hotel. From Enrique, a Filipino historian who wants nothing more than to aid in his people's fight for freedom, to Zofia, a neurodiverse expert on explosives, and even further to Laila, a courtesan with a secret past on a quest for a book, they are all well developed and precious to me in so many ways. Each one's talent is necessary, and each one has a motivation for going in on the heist for all or nothing. In my heart, I was rooting for all of them, even if I wasn't quite sure who to trust all the time.

Overall, if you're a fan of intricate world building, varied magic, historical fantasy, and unique diverse characters, you will absolutely love this book. It's a great read alike for fans of the Six of Crows duology but is still definitely its own animal. I definitely feel like this will be getting a re-read from me sometime this year. Be forewarned that there is a bit of a cliffhanger and the next one isn't due out until 2020, but the ride is totally worth it.

(Also, please take a moment to appreciate the beauty of that cover!)

Note: I received this book from Netgalley & the publisher n exchange for a fair and honest review.

Originally posted @ http://reviewsreadathons.wordpress.com

TL;DR - An interesting cast, but overall, just not as good as Six of Crows.

I was so in for this book. I love heists. I LOVE heists. But this one just didn't really do it for me. First, the book starts and it's confusing. The world seems very complex and not much is explained at first. So the reader is trying to play catch-up, meanwhile, the characters are blazing on full steam ahead. It just made me feel like I was trying to catch up pretty much the whole book.

The overall plot was okay, though not the most original. Group has a history of pulling off elaborate heists, but oh no! this time it doesn't quite go off as smoothly, now they must pull a heist for their original mark. That part was okay. What I had a REALLY hard time with, though, was the writing. At least four times throughout the book, something was happening and the author was describing it, but for the life of me I could not visualize what the heck was going on. I even reread passages. Several times! Whatever the author had in her head just did not translate to the page. At least, it didn't for me. Another small thing was a bit of consistency. Sometimes characters acted surprised by information that I thought they already knew. Lastly, the title makes no sense. It literally mentions gilded wolves once in the last 5% of the book.

The thing I think most people will be excited by is the diverse cast. Yes, the cast is diverse ethnically and it seems like a couple characters are probably bi. Also, it seems like one of the characters has autism, though it's not explicitly stated. With that being said, I didn't feel like any of the characters were super genuine or dynamic. I can only compare it to Kaz Brekker's crew in Six of Crows. I believe Kaz and the rest of his group. I don't really believe Séverin and his group. Perhaps they didn't seem quite as believably flawed? Or they were just a little too...much? I'm not really sure what it is, but I just had a hard time connecting to any of them.

Overall, I wanted to like this book so bad, but in the end I just felt kind of confused. There was SO MUCH talk about Goliath the spider and the dead birds, but then nothing really came of either of those things? I'll probably read the next book, but if you're looking for a really good fantasy heist book, I'd direct you to Six of Crows instead.

Overall Rating: 3 (really 3.5)
Language: Mild
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Moderate

Gilded Wolves is the first novel in a new series of the same name by Roshani Chokshi. Honestly, this is the first novel I’ve read by her and I wish I had found her sooner. Her writing style is exquisite and I never wanted the book to end!
The novel is one part fantasy, one part steampunk, and one part heist. There are also a couple of romantic subplots, which is a bonus. The characters that carry the plot are incredibly well written. Each one of the expanded cast is unique, from the way they act and dress to what their passions and motivations are.
Gilded Wolves takes place in Paris, 1889. But the Paris is this novel is very different from the one written about in history books. Here the elegance of the city is transcended thanks to the forging abilities of the people that live within it.
Forcing is very similar to magic, though it is somewhat more specific and specialized. Each character we’ve seen with a forging ability has had an affinity for one particular material. Some forge metals, others paper, yet others the mind.
One last thing worth commenting on before I begin my actual review: The cover. I honestly think this is one of my favorite covers so far. Admittedly I am partial to the deep green used, but it’s more than that. Even the cover speaks of elegance and fantasy all in one. It’s a perfect representation of the novel.
I honestly think I loved almost every moment of Gilder Wolves; even the twists that were designed to make me cringe. It was all so beautifully written. The writing felt like it flowed from one scene to the next, slowly building up the tension.
What really made this novel, in my opinion, were the characters. Originally we were introduced to five main characters. With time we’ve given the impression that a sixth might join the group (the jury is still out on that one). Six characters is a relatively large cast, especially before considering the number of secondary characters that are involved. But despite that, I never had a moment of trouble telling each one of them apart. Their way of thinking, speaking, and acting were all so clear and distinct.
The best part of these characters was their varied backstories and reasons for being involved. I’ll confess that I think they did the best job with the true main character, Severin. Each of his chapters started with an italicized backstory focused on one element in his past. All those moments were tied together with a common theme. It was brilliant and I found myself looking forward to those moments.
The rest of the characters fit their backstories well. Each one had a painful past, but they also had the drive to keep them going, and I respect that so much. Chokshi did a wonderful job of making these characters feel so painfully human at times.
The writing style allowed us to do more than just see what drove each character. At a certain point, it became impossible to avoid seeing the faults in these characters. The human faults, that is. Their obsessions, their weaknesses, their fears. All those elements were slowly revealed with time, but in the end, they all came into play as well. It was brilliantly done.
As for the plot…it was as intense as it was breathtaking and heartbreaking. The convoluted nature of their missions helped to obscure the true goals of those behind each scenario, leaving us at the edge of our seats.
It became quickly evident that there was more going on here than meets the eye. I enjoyed watching the plot unravel, as it showed a unique level of complexity. When combined with the fluid writing it became captivating.
I won’t talk too much about the conclusion here, for obvious reasons. I will say that I didn’t even remotely see it coming. Yet with some retrospection, I have to agree that it was all laid out to happen exactly like that. It was very well done.
Part of me is sad that I’ve finished Gilded Wolves. I know it’s early yet, but I rather hope that we’ll get news soon about the sequel. In the meantime, I think I’ll dig into Chokshi’s other works. I think she’s an author worth keeping an eye on.

Did not finish.

I really tried hard to love this book. But the writing and the slow movement of plot is incredibly boring.

I don't find Roshani's writing nice. There were too much information in the first chapter and too less movement in the next ones.

I'm a sucker for epic fantasy but gilded wolves didn't work for me at all.

I don’t know what to say about The Gilded Wolves.

My policy is to be honest when reviewing but sometimes I worry that I can get a little…. ranty. It’s not like I’m the Hulk or anything. I think instead of getting angry I just get disappointed. Like my parents were towards me multiple times during my teenage years.

I try not to read reviews of books that I’m reading until after I’m done reading and then I go looking to see how many people agree or disagree with me.

I think my opinions on this book will be from the outside looking in as from what I can see the general reviewing consensus is that this is an amazing book worthy of 4 and 5 star ratings.

I’m not saying it isn’t but unfortunately it won’t be getting those from me. But honestly, I don’t know what to say about The Gilded Wolves because I don’t know what to think about it.

This is going to be such a rambling review and for that I can only apologise.

If Oceans 11 and The Da Vinci Code had a baby it would probably look a little like this book. If this book had a cousin then the cousin would probably look a little like Six of Crows.

The disclaimer I have is this – I haven’t even read Six of Crows but I swear to god I know every single thing about it. You can’t not, unless you live under a rock. I’m not complaining because when you have a book blog and follow people and do memes and lists then you’re going to come across what is popular and adored.

Six of Crows is clearly adored. And the reason why I keep mentioning a book that I haven’t even read is because I, someone who hasn’t even read Six of Crows, can understand that The Gilded Wolves was a little on the familiar side for a lot of people.

The Gilded Wolves seems to be the Six of Crows posher, more glamorous cousin. It’s the kind of cousin who enters the room and your mouth drops with envy because…. well… glam. But then, after speaking with them for an hour, you wander away dazed and confused.

Are they so intelligent that your lowly mind couldn’t follow? Were they trying so hard to be intelligent that you were confused because nothing made sense? Did they just bamboozle you with the shiny??

That’s how I felt about this book.

First and foremost this is a character driven story and not a plot driven one. Not a problem. I love character driven books.

There’s Kaz Brekker, I mean Séverin, the suave and often cantankerous leader of the gang with a tragic past. There’s Inej, I mean Laila, his possible love interest with a mysterious and tragic past who has a particularly unusual skill. We also have Enrique (tragic past, skilled), Zofia (tragic past, skilled) and Tristan (tragic past, skilled).

We follow this group of five friends via four of their viewpoints. But this is where my first issue kicks in – for something so character driven I didn’t really feel like I understood the characters.

We skimmed across them and learnt things about them like they were part of a checklist in a guide on how to create a character; religion, race, tragic backstories, sexual orientation, tragic backstories, hidden desires, tragic backstories, nervous behavioural habits etc.

It was almost as though each character had to be so unique that they became paper thin versions of unfulfilled fleshed out versions. I liked them because they were fun characters but I didn’t love them. I didn’t get them. I certainly didn’t feel the warmth or sense of caring between them despite how much ‘banter’ they gave.

I also felt that anvils were being dropped over and over again about their relationships until I wanted to yell, ‘yes, I get it!’

For instance Séverin and Laila spent a night together prior to the story and swore it would never happen again. But did I need to have it repeated every time I was in either of their viewpoint sections?

Repressed desire and longing makes for wonderful conflict but it quickly became repetitive as it was brought up in one of their minds every single time they interacted.

That being said I did adore Zofia and Enrique and Hypnos and the burgeoning whatever it is between all of them and despite my above gripe I actually really liked Séverin and Laila’s complex relationship.

I think this may be where my dissatisfaction came in – I actually wanted more time spent within each character and more explorations of their relationships, romantic and otherwise. When the characters clicked they really clicked and I found myself aching for more character depth and interaction.

This is also where I differed in my approach to this book. I dove into the character interactions and glimpses into their motivations and poured over the setting descriptions but lightly skimmed over huge chunks of the plot for my own sanity.

I have two degrees. Neither of those are in math.

There was so much math in this story. I hate math.

The plot surrounding the heist just didn’t interest me. I think its no secret now to say that I want chapters of more intimate interactions between characters to pages of code breaking and hieroglyph cracking.

Also, I didn’t understand it. I just didn’t have a clue what was going on most of the time. The world building, while vast, was a little too vast and all the explanations only confused me further.

Yet, paradoxically, the setting seemed to serve mainly as an aesthetic. I know, I’m confusing.

In a world of heightened glamour and Forging I still don’t know what Forging is or how it came to be. All I know is that Forgers make pretty and magical (but not magic) things that exist for the sake of The Pretty.

I don’t have a gripe about the writing – it’s good writing. Pretty prose in places and some delicious lines (mainly by Hypnos). Séverin is described by Hypnos as some dark corner of a fairy tale like the wolf in a bed or an apple in a witches hand and honestly – I am here for that kind of scrummy writing.

The strange thing about this book? Even though I’m giving it 2 stars (and I was genuinely torn between 2 and 3) because I was just too confused – I will be reading the second book.

Why? The characters. I’m clearly invested enough in them to want to know how they end up.

Damn you, The Gilded Wolves. You’ve got just enough gold in you.

This was so much fun! I love a good heist story and the angst between two of the characters really sealed the deal for me. I loved this world and how the author used France as her setting. If you need a new obsession, then check this out! I need the second book asap! 4.25 stars! Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for the provided ARC!

Although it took me a few chapters to get into the book, once I did I really enjoyed the read. I especially found myself loving each of the main characters. Plus, truly hoping that everything worked out. However, what I think caught me most was the impressive world building. Not to mention, the amount of mythology. From Greek and Biblical mythology with mathematics and more. How the author was able to put in so many different elements and have things make sense was impressive. Not going to lie, I felt really good when I solved one of the puzzles before the characters did.

In regards to the characters, I really enjoyed each main character. Each one had a very prominent personality. It was very easy to remember who was who! Honestly, I couldn't help but adore each one. The amount of diversity in the book was amazing. I really think that Roshani Chokshi did an amazing job with the characters as well as the setting. There was quite a bit of action and it was very much a whirlwind at times.

All in all, this was a great book and I cannot wait to read the next in the series. I definitely recommend The Gilded Wolves.

This book will take your breath away right at the beginning.
You jump into action right in the first pages, and you want one thing: for it to continue. And it does.
Set in Paris during the Universal Exhibition, The Gilded Wolves is well paced, and we get attached to the characters during their first lines.
All along the book I was nervous to know if they were okay, or going to be. I won’t tell you if they are or not.
I couldn’t put it down, and I am going to reread it as soon as I have the physical copy in my hands.

I have to be honest, I was skeptical going into this book. Lately, I've read too many YA fantasy novels that fell far too short of my expectations. The Gilded Wolves is by far one of the best YA fantasy novels I've read in the last few years.

I always struggle when rating books. How do you give the same rating (5 stars) to a classic novel that has withstood the test of time (e.g. Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment) and a YA fantasy book that you know might not be remembered 20 or 30 years from now? Well, for me, a YA fantasy deserves a 5 star rating if (a) it is engaging and unpredictable; (b) has interesting characters; (c) has some inkling of an angsty romance; and (d) is well written. The Gilded Wolves checks all of these items. I was completely swept away by the world. The writing is exquisite. The world is interesting and unique, and the characters are as complex as they are varied. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait for the sequel.

I do think it is best going into this book blind. But if you have to know anything, know this: it is set in the 1880s Paris. There is magic and interesting mythology. There is a crew of misfits that is trying to pull of a major heist. The book has lots of actions and twists and turns, reads very quickly, and the author is skilled with metaphors and descriptions.

This book was very nearly perfect. Chokshi's writing gets better and better with each book. The plot, world building, and (most of) the characters were excellent and drew me in. This book is a mix of Six of Crows, Ocean's 8, and Moulin Rouge—but with people of color. The heist, with all the twists and turns, was well plotted; I never felt like it was all too much, and I always wanted to keep reading. There were two related sour notes: The use of ableist language and the characterization of Zofia. Most of the ableist language (e.g., crazy, idiot) is used about her. It's also problematic that the lone disabled character refers to herself as broken—and it's never refuted. This is harmful for disabled and nondisabled teens alike to read. I wanted the characterization of Zofia's disability to live up to the rest of the book, but it didn't.

Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2019! Such a complex storyline, wonderful and diverse characters and such a rich book overall. This definitely was such a delight, I fell in love with the characters the moment I started. I loved how it was told from each characters point of view. Would recommend this book to everyone!

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this magnificent book!

Just by the description of The Gilded Wolves, by Roshani Chokshi, I knew I would be in for a fun reading experience. This was a quick, fun book, filled with a glamorous setting, a wonderfully diverse cast, and a group of characters who form a family of thieves.

What I Liked:

World-Building:

I enjoyed the universe that The Gilded Wolves is set in: late 19th century Paris. This literally was The Gilded Age, and the setting was rich with the excitement of Paris as the Eiffel Tower was having its debut.


There is also the wonderful hotel L'Eden, where Séverin and his band of thieves live. It is filled hidden rooms, secret gardens, and workrooms where the group invent and forge items used in their heists.


Diversity:

I love that there is a good mix of characters in this book. Several characters are people of color, or of mixed heritages. I liked that this was not just glossed over in the story, but had actual ramifications for the characters. Enrique, for example, has some Spanish ancestry, but is mainly Filipino. Because he looks more Spanish, he's not considered a true Filipino. Yet that is the culture in which he is raised, and so he is constantly trying to prove he belongs among his fellow expats in Paris.


There are also a variety of characters who have various sexual orientations. There are gay characters, straight characters, and people who are bisexual. Although it was not explicitly stated, I think Zofia is an asexual character, as well.



There were also two characters, Zofia, and Tristian, who displayed traits of autism. Sometimes Zofia and Tristian had trouble feeling comfortable among other people. Sights, smells, and textures could make them anxious, but their friends always looked for ways to make them feel at ease. They were both valued for what they contributed to the group.



Band of Thieves:

The camaraderie of the characters (and the fact that each had a specialized skill) reminded me of Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo. This is a compliment, not a criticism. I loved that each member of the team was equally valued. I also enjoyed that they each had different relationships between each other. We all get different things from different friends. This book wonderfully illustrates this.


What I Was Mixed About:

Exposition:

The world of The Gilded Wolves is rather complicated, and there were many passages early on used to explain how the mythology of the Houses, forging, the rings, and the Babel fragments work. I wish the author had sprinkled this more evenly throughout the book, rather than write long passages of this at the beginning of the novel. It came out rather like a lecture, and slowed down the action.


Puzzles:

This is basically a heist book, with several puzzles that need to be solved in order to reach an artifact. This is mostly fine, but when characters in books solve complex puzzles, the reader should also be able to solve it with them. But in this story, the only way to solve many of these problems is if you have arcane, specialized knowledge of math or history. This was frustrating as a reader.


What I Didn't Like:

There was one scene that I found utterly ridiculous and a clear rip off of Indiana Jones. I will not tell you what scene, but when you read it, you will roll your eyes! This is a small quibble, nothing that would steer me to downgrade the book.

Disclaimer: This review is not sponsored. I was given an e-ARC of the book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The book begins with a backstory that foreshadows the succeeding events that will happen in the plot, which definitely set the tone in a manner that engrosses the readers.

Like all treasure hunter stories, the book introduced us to the band’s ringleader, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie, who was in the middle of a secret mission. This might sound like a cliché, but it’s always a good way to start. I would say that the first few chapters were written in a compelling way, like the author gave out food samples that entice the consumers to buy the the full product. Believe me, it’s that compelling.

The book introduced us to Paris that may be the center of all lights and glamour, but has a ghastly aspect waiting in the deepest corners. The story gave us four Houses in the Order of Babel: Kore, Nyx, Vanth and the Fallen House. Each house has their own Patriarch or Matriach — it gave off a Game of Thrones vibe (but set in a modern world without dragons). What I like about the idea of different houses is it gives plot more meat. It provides identity, and possible backstories that the author could explore in the next books (yes, it’s a trilogy!).

The Houses also manage all Forged artifacts and safeguard the deeper secrets of the Babel Fragments that make Forging both materials and minds possible. It introduced us to a kind of magic (or scientific skill) known as Forging. I like how it was a different take on how magic works and how the system doesn’t fully rely on it.
Impressively, Roshani Chokshi gave the characters their own identities too. I’m always a sucker for novels who have different POVs, let alone five characters who intricately told the story without obvious gaps in the plot. It was elaborately woven and carefully written. Chokshi beautifully told us each character’s past, making us understand how they got to the present and what drove them to be together: a band of misfits that in a a way, perfectly fits each other’s puzzle.

I was also surprised that Roshani Choshi has a Filipino heritage, and she also included a Filipino character in the book. As a Filipino, it brings me pride and joy to see real significant people from my country’s history woven into the plot — and there’s a lot more to the story and details from the Filipino history that are woven into this book (read the Author’s Note).

Additionally, this book is filled with representations in all aspects. It shows how people from different ethnicities, heritage and orientations complement each other regardless of how diverse their cultures are.
Ultimately, this book was a crazy ride with unexpected turns and twists. I picked this book up expecting it to be just another fantasy book, but it was more than that. It gave me a resounding feel of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code through its riddles and symbolisms, and the thrill of Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider because of their missions. If that doesn’t excite you, I don’t know what will.

To be fair, this was the first book I’ve read from the brilliant author, Roshani Chokshi. And I know this won’t be the last. I remember mispronouncing her name before on my Book Haul video when I bought Aru Shah and the End of Time. But now, her name will forever be etched in my heart, as well as her stories and writing prowess.

Huge thanks to St. Martins Press and Wednesday Books for the e-ARC!

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi will be released on January 15, 2019.

This review was also posted on my blog. Link found below.