I was given an arc of this book in return for an honest review:

This book hooked me right from the beginning, but then did get a little slow in the middle. By the end though, I was hooked again and couldn't put the book down! I love the differences of the characters in Severin's group, especially Zofia. I think it was nice that there was a character who thrived on logic and numbers because there are some kids who will be able to relate to her more than your typical main character. I also really liked that the story continued with the suspense built from the first few pages and brought in the idea of the Tower of Babel and "ancient" documents to guide the story line. I am already looking forward to the sequel!

From the prologue I was hooked! There is nothing like a good prologue filled with mystery and intrigue....and this was that!

Severin is a treasure hunter, or thief however you want to look at it, stripped of his title of heir to the House of Vanth. Together with his band of closest, most talented friends, he sets out to reclaim what is his.

The writing was just so real, the cast diverse and the descriptions vivid. There was a lot of mythology. Some parts were so detailed that I must admit I did get confused and had to go back and read.

All in all this was a great read, I loved the friendships, the brother/sisterhood, the banter and the puzzles and I would love to read more by this author.

DNF

I tried to pick this book up several times, but every time I did, I just thought it was boring. I couldn’t get into the story, and I didn’t really like the characters. I love the cover for this book, but I didn’t like the storyline.

For the longest time, I've been wanting to read from Roshani Chokshi mainly because she seems like the type of author who I'd adore supporting. If I'm not mistaken, she's a Filipino-Indian-American author residing in the US, and she has published books for children and young adult in the past—and no, this isn't the author bio, I have that down below—and I don't know why, but for some reason, I've never had the chance to read her debut, The Star-Touched Queen. However, when the opportunity to read and feature her newest title, The Gilded Wolves, presented itself, I most absolutely did not hesitate to jump on board. I requested for it without knowing much about the story and it surpassed each and every one of my expectations. It was such a thrill getting to meet the crew, and I absolutely cannot wait for y'all to meet them too. Read on to know my thoughts on this fabulous 2019 book.

The Gilded Wolves follows the story of treasure-hunter and hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie, as he goes on a quest to find an ancient artifact in efforts to bring back life to his dying legacy, the House of Vanth. And in order to see his plans through, he needs the help of 5 individuals who, in their own small ways, have different motives in helping that may or may not be in everyone's best interest. Together with his colorful crew of professionals, Séverin powers through to gain access to luxurious, secret societies, relics, and several histories, all while having to endure death-defying odds just to make sure everyone ends up in one piece—including their hearts.

I don't know where to start, so maybe I'll get this started with a comp: Séverin, Laila, Enrique, Zofia, and Tristan reminded me so much of the heist crew from Six of Crows—Kaz, Inej, Wylan, Jesper, Nina, and Matthias. I mean, their origin stories, their ways of thinking, and their lifestyles are so different from one another and I'm sure that there are a lot of contrasts in terms of their personality as well. But maybe what reminded me of the latter is the overall feel and/or aesthetic of the crew. The way that they all had each other's backs even though, at first, they all seemed like the type of people who just wanted to get their own agendas done, made me feel like they were such a good, diverse mix of people who, in the end, were impressively developed and the fact that Roshani gave them such colorful back stories, especially Enrique and Laila, warmed my heart so, so much. And to see a Filipino character be depicted / represented—Enrique is half Filipino and half Spanish—on such a major literature platform filled my Asian, diversity-loving heart to the brim. I would literally die for these characters and I will drop everything just to get the chance to read more about them.

I also enjoyed the heist and puzzles scenes featured in the story. If my memory serves me correctly, there were a total of 3-4 heists and there were so many underlying puzzles that played such vital roles in those scenes. And most, if not all of the puzzles featured several Egyptian, Filipino, and Indian histories and/or cultures making me feel like reading this book wasn't just for leisure or entertainment. I appreciated the fact that this story seemed so well researched and I feel like a lot of effort went into writing this story. Going through their Parisian adventures also felt like an educational experience, one that I wouldn't be forgetting about any time soon. If you're the type of reader who likes reading about mysterious back stories with the incorporation of history and a little bit of cultural symbolism, this book would be the perfect read for you.

As for the technicalities, what I loved most about this book is that it's wonderfully written, and all of it's plot points were connected impressively, leaving no holes that needed filling. From start to finish, the story was told in a way that gave me such a blissful and entertaining reading experience, one that's equal parts charming, and informative. I'm not sure if I'm making sense, but that's how it felt to me. I think it's safe to say that, at least in my opinion, and keeping in mind that this is the first book I've read from the author, Roshani writes her stories filled with heart and so much symbolism. I appreciated this, and I hope that other readers would too. And yes, after having read this story, I'll be sure to read her previously published books as well.

"The Gilded Wolves is the perfect book to start the new year with. It tells the story of an ambitious strategist, along with a lovable crew that everyone will no doubt fall in love with. It puts a spotlight on several cultures and traditions, making it a delightfully enlightening read. It's pretty obvious that a lot of effort went into writing this story and I can only hope that readers everywhere would get the chance to read this too. Right now, I can only hope that I could get the chance to read this again for the first time, just to feel that thrill again."

In an alternate late 1800s, stones supposedly from the destroyed Tower of Babylon are strewn across the world and give power to people to Forge items, create with special powers. France used to be ruled by four of the most powerful families, but one family reached too far for power and were destroyed. They were the Fallen House. The House Kore and House Nyx still stand. The House Vanth is said to have disappeared after no heir was found but Séverin knows that is a lie. He was the rightful heir and passed the test, but for some reason the administrators falsified it. Now Séverin longs to find a powerful forged item that will allow him to regain his spot as the rightful heir. He has surrounded himself by others who also have been wronged, have unique forging abilities, and their own quests. And many of them, like himself, come from mixed cultures. His father was French and mother from one of the French colonies. Laila is from India, drawn to France by a search for a book with clues to her own story. Enrique is half Filipino and half Spanish, brilliant at historical knowledge, but frustrated at being continually brushed aside by the influential Filipino society he longs to join. Tristan was raised as a potential heir like Séverin but has none of the ambition of his friend. He’s much more content with his plant creations. Laila is a Jewess from Poland who was kicked out of the French university after a misunderstanding. She has a brilliant mind for mathematics and science, but has trouble reading social cues. Séverin hears that a compass up for auction may contain a secret map that may be the key to finding an object powerful enough for their voices to be heard. As they set about acquiring this compass as a team, they find themselves caught up in a power play with more players than anyone knows at first and high stakes.

This world that Chokshi has created is so very imaginative. I like that she has most of the main characters coming from such a variety of cultural backgrounds. Having this set in Paris as the Exposition Universalle of 1889 is about to start adds to the ambiance. There’s quite the elaborate game of chess going on. I like that that keeps the reader guessing trying to figure out what’s going on and who can be trusted. That combined with new and interesting powers made this a very fun read for those who like to get a bit of mental stimulation in their stories. It’s a smart fantasy. Also good for those who like thrillers with global power plays involved. I don’t want to say too much because half the fun is just diving into and experiencing this world, plot, and characters that Chokshi has created. That said, I don’t think this will be for everyone. (See content notes for details.) Recommended for fantasy thriller fans, reimagined history fans, and fans of smart reads who can handle the content.

Notes on content [based on ARC]: Five to ten mild to moderate swear words and one strong word. No sex scenes. A past night when two characters slept together and both decided was a mistake comes up quite a few times with no details beyond some kissing, but there’s a lot of sexual tension there. There are some other kisses (both heterosexual and homosexual couples). An arrangement is made between two characters to have one lady pose as a man's mistress. A couple battles and incidences which result in bloodshed, scratches, and one beheading.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This has all the workings of a new favourite series! I found the world really interesting and would love to see more of it. I also really liked the characters. They worked well together and had the sort of humour that I love. The book came together perfectly to make just the sort of story I liked

I loved the mythology in it too. The way that the fictional society, the artefacts they seek and the dangers that the team face are rooted in various cultures and mythology, from the biblical tower of Babel, through Chinese numerical code, to the Egyptian Eye of Horus. I loved to see so many different myths brought together to create a story that felt real, like it could be hidden in the shadows, just waiting to be found.

Everything about this book felt rich and detailed. It's definitely a new fantasy novel to look out for!

I want to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me an e-ARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own. :)

Publication Date: January 15

This seems to be a really anticipated book for a lot of people. It was good but I just felt like some things were lacking. It could be because I was drawing so many SoC vibes but it's definitely not like that duology. 

3.5 stars

The Good:

The plot to this book is very interesting. It's inspired by the Tower of babel, from the Bible. There's also a lot of people with affinities that make for an interesting mix of characters. 


I really did like the characters. I got so many SoC vibes from them. It's a group of misfits that band together. Most of them have affinities for different things, rounding out a pretty good group. What I liked most about the characters, was the diversity! They are all from different cultures and walks of life, I appreciated that. I also loved the banter between them. It was really entertaining.


There is a touch of romance in this book but it's very much in the background. I think in the next book, it's going to be a much bigger presence though. 


The did like the ending! I did not see that coming and makes me really excited for the next book. 
The Bad:

Even though, the plot was interesting, it was confusing at times. There were a lot of times that there was so much going on that it became difficult to follow. There's a lot of math and puzzles and a lot of the time, I had no idea what was being talked about. I don't normally like math, so I think my eyes just glazed over most of that stuff. The world building in this book is so not good. There's a lot of the world and magic system that I would have loved to be more clear. I felt really confused a lot of the time and it's the weakest part of the book for me. 


I wish that there would have been more detail about the villain. I was really unclear on who, why, when, or what was going on with him. It all just felt too much of a mystery to me! 


I'm not sure if anyone can clear this up for me but.... was anyone else confused about the Gilded Wolves part? Is this where the masks come in? I feel like it was just an after thought and kind of came out of nowhere. 
Overall, I did enjoy this book. The characters definitely saved this book for me. I will be reading the next book because the ending has me totally hooked. I did find it a bit lacking but it was a good read. :)

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves, #1)
by Roshani Chokshi
The dynamic end of the story gives the book its title, like the hit review shows, the movie is over when they say the title of the movie. Gilded wolves is a dynamic and mythical world with its own unique twist and theory. The premise that the Tower of Babel has more to the story of history then an obscure reason for the dispersal of humanity, and its diversity. The cause and effect of this dispersion in this story has an alternative Cause and Effect. Is it quantum ideology that changed the story or is there some magic. This book does a great job of taking this obscure biblical story and creating the question, why would God, with all his might fear man building a monument to show its own divinity.
The characters are extremely detailed with backstories that could only take many books to finally encompass. They are appealing and intriguing in their present form, but also gives the reader the desire to find out more of the stories. Not only what will happen next the characters, but what really happened with S’everin’s fathers Lust, Greed, Gluttony, and Wrath. How the Forge will change the world, and will Laila find the reason for her creation, and purpose. What a great idea has born a new world to readers of supernatural fiction.

This was the first book in a new series but really should have been the second book. You're thrown into this brand new world that has very little world building and explanation. At first I questioned myself and my ability to interpret the book but then I realized no, there is really no explanations. There's a whole back story that is never explained and I'm sure with that ending we'll get the reason in the next book.

What I did like about the book was the diversity, people of color, queer were represented and in a delightful way. This isn't a cartoonish representation, it's done just right. I did like various characteristics of each but I didn't feel as though they were all fleshed out. I wish they would have been because they were so intriguing particularly Zofia and Tristan. Those were my two favorites if I had to pick.

Overall, I'm meh I pushed through this book because the plot, while underdeveloped, left enough details to make me sludge through pages and pages of of angst and a treasure hunt that had no purpose. However, at 60% it really picked up on the action and I was in.

I absolutely loved so many things in The Gilded Wolves. I think the title is intriguing and it made me want to read more. Chokshi is a master storyteller. I love how she weaves in the story of the tower of Babel into the fabric of this alternate Parisian society.

The characters were some of the favorites that I read in 2018. Séverin is snarky and made me laugh. He's a perfect main character because he's full of flaws and believes he has all the answers. His own confidence gets in his way.

The engineer, Zofia, is a drawn perfectly as a girl on the autism spectrum. In one moment, the dancer tempts her with a line of cookies that made me chuckle. Zofia expresses the difficulty sarcasm and other types of subtext in conversations cause to someone with her set of circumstances. She's even influenced by textures. We aren't given a diagnosis, but if I chose one, I'd say she has Aspergers because she's very intelligent, reclusive and functions in society.

Laila the dancer is mysterious with a complicated past - she'd like to know who's pulled the strings in her life. She is a sensual dancer and lives a double-life as a baker. Knowing the power of costume and branding she has carefully built her reputation, but she believes her life is fleeting.

I had a harder time keeping track of Tristan and Enrique for some reason. One had the greenhouse, and a deep need to protect. He'd been like the brother Séverin never had as they bounced around to other homes as orphans. While the other was the brilliant historian who dreamed of being respected by his people.

The magic system was delightful, full of mysterious house rings and enchanted objects with a steampunk feel. The rules of the magic were clearly laid out and at the heart of what Séverin believes he wants to change in his life. The prose is filled with gorgeous images and the dialogue is witty. Mystery underlies the story and they're under a strict amount of time to solve all their problems, which keep getting bigger and bigger.

I hate to give away the fun things in the book. I wondered who were the gilded wolves from the beginning. I'll just say that each house has their own symbol and if you can figure out who's mascot is the wolf you'll have it. To me, gilded implies a surface veneer of worth or respectability. So, if the wolves are gilded, they may not be what they hope to seem.

I would have given this book 5 stars if not for one element. Any book that crosses the line, of what I would consider clean of sexual, content gets marked down. Though not overly detailed there is a running theme of two characters having had a sexual liaison, homosexual innuendo, and a same-sex kissing scene. I didn't mention him earlier, because I feel like he's a secondary character, but Hypnos is the contemporary of Séverin, who's central to the gay themes in this story. It's something parents should know before their children read it.

The Gilded Wolves is billed as YA, but I think adults will like it just as much or more than the teens.

This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 Stars

The Gilded Wolves tosses you straight into Paris, 1889, and the adventure immediately begins. The book follows Séverin and his diverse band of misfits all who have something to gain from this wild hunt for an artifact. A hunt that will change all of their lives.

Upon reading the synopsis I was immediately hooked on The Gilded Wolves, it sounded like something I would enjoy. But this book fell flat for me. The book drops you right in the middle of a scene and it took me forever to feel like I was caught up. The amount of world-building and information to set up the scenes was a lot to keep up with. (I actually had to start writing some of it down to help) And I personally do not enjoy when a book makes me take in so much information straight away.

Right off the bat, I did start to compare this book to Six of Crows. Both have a band of misfits (dare I say some with the same characteristics) and deal with a heist. It did feel like an imitation of SoC at times, but I will say that it has plenty that SoC didn’t.

The thing I liked the most was the fantastic cast of characters! There was a great amount of diversity and I freaking loved meeting each and every single one of them. It is such a wonderful thing to see this much diversity in a small group of friends. It’s more real. Each character had a different personality trait that made them much more enjoyable. Especially Tristan, his obsession with his pet tarantula was adorable and I loved him for it!

Overall, I was going to give this book 2 to 2.5 stars. But the ending bumped it up to a 3 as I didn’t expect THAT ENDING to happen. Wasn’t planning on continuing with this series but I definitely will now, I have to know what happens next. It might not have been my favorite, but it was still a good read. I would definitely recommend this for those who love diverse casts and historical fantasy!

The Gilded Wolves started off a little slow for me, but there was so much information and world building to get into! You're thrown into it and have to figure out what's going on and how everything works. Once everything was put in place and I understood what was going on, it was an exciting read full of action and intrigue.

I love that Chokshi doesn't leave us hanging with the characters, either. Her plot is super intriguing, but her characters are just as good! I loved learning about each of their backstories and was fully invested in each of their story lines in a rather quick amount of time. The novel is told from each of their viewpoints, which I really appreciated. It was nice to see others' perceptions of each other and then understand what's really going on with each character. Along with the plot, they also have surprising reveals and intrigues just going on internally, which is a really nice parallel and nicely brings the story together. And it's really easy to switch from each voice because the characters are quite diverse and each have very unique qualities.

The setting really can't be beat; you're dealing with an alternate fantasy world set in the late 1800's in Paris. It's just so cool, and then Chokshi throws a heist on top of it. The stakes are incredibly high and it just makes for a compelling read. I kept turning page after page and was fascinated by how magic works in this world--it's very well thought out.

While the main conflict mostly resolves itself, I was wanting more at the end. I get that that's how series work, but I SO MUCH WANT TO READ BOOK 2! I'm very excited to read the next book now that I feel like I have a handle on how the world works, so I can dive right in and just enjoy the story. Definitely recommend for alternate history fantasy lovers!

"I cannot be both the descendant of Haitian slaves and the son of a French aristocrat, even if that is what I hold in my heart. [...] But what no one tells you is that even when you decide which world you will live in, the world may not always see you as you would wish. Sometimes it. demands that you be so outrageous as to transcend your very skin. [...] Make yourself a myth and live within it, so that you belong to no one but yourself."

This is one of those books where I enjoyed it SO MUCH that it actually makes it hard to write a proper review because I'm just sitting here like 'oh, what did I like about it? EVERYTHING!' I had previously read Aru Shah and the End of Time by this author, and it was definitely an enjoyable little middle grade adventure but this book is on an entirely other level.

All the characters were great and I loved how they played off each other. The setting is also really interesting and I like how she blended events from actual history with the new magic/technology system she created [and I'm hoping we get a little bit more into exactly how that works in the next book!]. The heist part of the story was fun, but what really stood out to me was that almost all the characters were POC / mixed-race and there was a lot of focus on how that affected them in their day to day lives and interaction in the world. There's also an author's note at the end where she talks about how this came from her own experience as a POC and also her obsession with this period in history.

Also just as a little P.S.: I know a lot of people are comparing this to Six of Crows [in both positive and negative terms], and I just wanted to say that yes there are surface similarities but it's definitely not the same story. I think it's more like 'if you liked Six of Crows then you will also enjoy this' and not 'oh this is the exact same thing'. They definitely have a similar vibe but they also focus on different areas and I think we should just all be happy that we have another awesome new series to read rather than endlessly talking about an old one.

This was definitely not the review that I wanted to be writing. When I first got word of this novel, it sounded EXQUISITE! A fantastical treasure hunt filled with magic, shape shifting and special powers was music to my ears.

Unfortunately, the magic died there for me. There is no doubt that Chokshi's writing is lyrical, whimsical and beautiful. Sometimes, though, that seems to over take the story, leaving the actual story on the back burner and instead an endlessly poetic description of something in its place.
The bones of the story and the characters were interesting. Some of the powers that the characters had were very intriguing. and captivating. The world building was exceptional as well. The detail that Chokshi put into it impressive. From the magic system to the masks, the ranking systems and houses.
Everything about this book made me want to love it. Ultimately though, I did not finish the book. So many times I felt like I was reading in circles, and that pulled all of my focus from the actual story.
Chokshi's story is beautiful, her worlds are detailed, but her writing just isn't for me. I gave this one star for this reason.

First of all, look at this gorgeous cover! When I first saw it, I knew I had to read it before even before reading the synopsis.

This book was such a joy to read. It's a fantasy adventure/mystery. I LOVE being surrounded by ancient artifacts, relic, mystery, ballrooms, illusions, magic, sweets, nerds, secret societies, ball dresses and etc. It's all there. Treasure hunts are in there. The characters are wonderful! I love them all. I was able to relate to most of all of them. They were witty, funny, intelligent, nerdy, lovable, loyal, and much more.

I honestly thought it was going to be a stand-alone book until the end. The way it ended. Now I have to wait! It's that good.

I really enjoyed the wild ride on this adventure and am looking forward to Book 2(I have no idea what the name of the title is but the author had confirmed that she's working hard on her 2nd book.). Many of you guys will really enjoy this book because it has humor, adventure , treasure hunts, and many more. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.



This book gets 4 stars from me.



I received this eARC from Wednesday Books through Net Galley and ARC print from Bookish First in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. Thank you!

Fortunately i dnf this book, i honestly thought i would have loved it. the blurb sounded great but i couldn't get into the historical aspect it is set in 1889, but it didn't feel like that at times. there is 6 main characters and none i found that i could relate too. it was legit confusing with the different POV changes all the time. I tried i got to roughly 25-30% enough to know if i was going to like it or not.

Combining the cleverness and action of a heist movie with a touch of fantasy and whole lot of charm,  The Gilded Wolves is a story of colonialism, power and corruption. But mostly, it’s a tale of friendship and finding a place for ourselves in a world that has no room for us.#

When God destroyed the Tower of Babel, He left humanity a gift. Fragments of the tower which bestow on a chosen few the power to Forge, a gift of creation second only to the power of God.  The Fragments are hidden, safeguarded by The Order of Babel, a group of nobles entrusted with their keeping. The Four Houses of France were given the job of protecting the European stone for this season but problems have occurred. One House indulged in blasphemy and had to be purged. Another house had their ring, which can reveal the location of a Babel Fragment, stolen. One house produced a “mongrel heir”, a bastard born to the daughter of slaves from Martinique. And one house produced no heir at all.

Or so the story goes. Séverin Montagnet-Alarie believes differently. He knows he is the heir to House Vanth. The nobles of France didn’t want two “mongrels” holding European rings and had denied him his rightful place because of his mother’s Algerian blood. He, however, has a plan to get his birthright back. As a wealthy hotelier, owner of the most fashionable establishment in France, L’Eden, he has been able to attract a motley band of followers; Enrique an historian of Filipino descent who dreams of freedom and reform for his Spanish controlled country; Laila, a breathtaking young dancer with a mysterious past; Zofia, a brilliant Jewish engineer whose nationality has kept her from rising to her proper place in society and Tristan, who can Forge plants into fairytale (or nightmare) creations. They’ve been stealing, er… acquiring, secrets and treasures needed to force the Order’s hand and return Séverin to his true position. Once there, he will be able to help the others gain what they need to make their dreams come true.

But beneath the excitement and charm that shimmers through Paris are dark, ancient secrets. A phantom menace hunts the European Fragment and it will be up to Séverin and his friends to save all of Europe. And if each of them profits from this brave deed? Well, that’s just icing on the cake.

The author does an excellent job of blending fantasy, history and reality to create a unique, lushly imagined world which glitters with the opulence of La Belle Époque but shows the shadows in which the dark stain of colonialism cast upon a large portion of the world’s population. The fantasy aspect weaves gently and naturally through this universe, the rich costumes, decadent cuisine and fabulous, lavish parties of the era a perfect fit for the luxurious, often ornate, magic of Forging.

The author has a writing style entirely suited to such work. She paints word pictures which are always sumptuous, gorgeous, and posh. Her characters might face hardship and hatred but they do so in style. This really adds to the enchantment of the work, forging an extra layer of bewitchment to the text.

The characters are all well drawn, especially Séverin. One paragraph describes both the man and the world he dwells in perfectly:

Everywhere he looked, he was surrounded by gilded wolves. And for whatever reason, it made him feel perfectly at home. Wolves were everywhere. In politics, on thrones, in beds. They cut their teeth on history and grew fat on war. Not that Séverin was complaining. It was just that, like other wolves, he wanted his share.

That’s plot, character, and setting in just a few sentences. His friends are handled with the same consummate skill, and their camaraderie is one of the best parts of the story. The author is able to explore their vulnerabilities, their hopes and hurts and dreams and show us how they have been both crafted by the world they live in and have risen above it. I truly enjoyed every moment I spent with them.

The romances in this tale are all in their embryonic phase. Séverin and Laila shared a night together once but that takes place in flashbacks, and during the course of our story, they are discreetly dancing around each other. The feelings are clearly there, desire is clearly there but both of them have good reason to be cautious regarding moving the relationship forward.  There is also the start of an affair between Enrique and an enigmatic young man but the two don’t progress beyond a kiss before the end of the tale. Still, there is a promise of an epic love(s) here, we will just have to wait and see if it comes to be.

In any tale that deals with serious subjects such as racism and colonialism and political power struggles there is the possibility that the fictional story will be lost to the lesson or cause the author has embedded in the book. Rest assured that does not happen here. The darker aspects of history never overshadow the brilliant, fantastical fable the author is spinning for our pleasure and amusement. Those factors remain very much in the forefront, while the darker threads lend a quiet, subtle much needed gravitas to the brilliance and lightness of the surface.

The Gilded Wolves is the first book of a trilogy that promises to be entertaining, engrossing and utterly enjoyable. This is a must read for fantasy fans.

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after the first of this book i was worried about what i had gotten myself into. but the next night I was absolutely sucked in and could not put it down. I tried to read it all that night but was not able to pull it off.

I did really enjoy this book - the details were very descriptive and i had no problem seeing it play out in my minds eye. also I really enjoyed the characters and how they all fit together.

It's Paris in 1889, and the Exposition Universelle is just around the corner. Séverin Montagnet-Alarie manages a wildly popular hotel by day, and by night "acquires" treasures that once belonged to his now-extinct family House. Everything is going smoothly until one such acquisition traps Séverin in a contract to steal something with potentially world-ending repercussions. He would be lost without the help of his trusty team: Enrique, a historian longing to belong; Zofia, a brilliant scientist who can make sense of math but not people; Laila, a dancer and cook with a magical secret; and Tristan, Séverin's foster brother with an extraordinary gift for plant magic. Will this be the one acquisition that is too much even for these experts?

The Gilded Wolves is an enchanting historical fantasy novel with a host of fantastic characters. I loved experiencing the viewpoints of Séverin, Enrique, Laila, and Zofia, and felt as though I were becoming friends with them as the story progressed. The action and suspense made this book hard to put down, and the explosive ending left me not-so-patiently waiting for the sequel!

My Review: I was so excited to get a copy of this to read and enjoy! But sadly for me, this book was just a so so read. I have to say that for most of this title I felt very confused and very lost! I pretty much understood what was going on and what was happening but this one had a ton of puzzles and really reminded me of a fantasy National Treasure or one of those Dan Brown movies. But where those movies and books explain the puzzles in a way you can follow them this one didn't do that very well. At times I ended up rereading pages and at one time a full chapter to really get what was going on. At others with all the math I really just didn't care at all and found myself skimming those pages. This book is a full-fledged novel that deals with religion, politics, fantasy, and a LOT of history, but it was just so thick at times that it made it more like a chore to read.

The world building in this one was great it was an alternative view of London at the turn of the century which was great. The magical system to me was very confusing at times and I wish it would have been explained a lot better. Just like a lot of the stuff mentioned above. At times I was very confused once again.

The characters were great I really loved them and kind of wished that they would have been in another book that I could enjoy. This one just had so many issues with it being bogged down with technical jargon to the point that I felt like I should be taking notes because there was going to be a test at the end. It did the one thing that I hate about adult fantasy novels. It tried to toss all of this information at you which is fine but it did it in a way that it's really not understandable.

In the end, this was a young adult novel written for adults. I really wish this author would have written this like her first two novels which were freaking amazing. Because this one I had a hard time getting through to love it.

One other thing I have to say is that this is one of those books that the cover and the title do not match the story. Did I miss it? But who are the Gilded Wolves? Are they guarding something?

I really think that this could have been a 1000 Star book if all of the technical crap and a lot of the history stuff that they spew would have been toned down or taken out.


Go Into This One Knowing: Light Romance, Confusing, Humor, Cliffhanger