4 stars!

*

The Gilded Wolves is an adventurous and action packed historical YA novel. It has a pretty cool magical twist and an interesting world-building, but the diverse cast of characters are the one that make this story so compelling. The are riddles, betrayals, humor, friendship, and quite a bit of heartbreak. The pace holds steady and the ending leaves you wanting so much more.

Roshani Chokshi shows what she’s made of with this new series. The tone is a lot different from her previous novels, but her writing continues to be engrossing and captures your attention right from the first chapter. This story is told in four main POVs, which flow smoothly and are very distinct from each other. Each character brings something new to the plot and it all comes together in a very entertaining read.

This is such!!! A jump from Chokshi’s previous works and I love it! This new universe shows her range as a writer and her ability to create cool and unique worlds that still feel grounded in reality. The narrative is so well done and I love how the riddles integrate with the rest of the plot. It’s such a cool resource that is very well used in this novel.

There are quite a few POVs to follow along in the book. It’s a bit difficult at first to get everyone’s voices, but they have such distinct and strong personalities that things settle down right in the first few chapters. All characters are complex and layered and it enriches the story to have glimpses from all of their perspectives. They each bring something new to the group and it’s such a delight to read about them working together.

A tiny bit of romance works its way through the plot, but the main focus is on the friendships the characters form with each other and all the trouble they get themselves in. There is so much tension woven through the chapters and it all integrates so well with the action scenes. You never really know what’s going to happen next.

The Gilded Wolves is fun historical novel filled with magic and lots of action. The characters are layered and lovely, and the strong focus on friendship gives the story an atmosphere that clashes well with the adventurous themes woven through the plot. Definitely recommend it to all YA Fantasy fans, especially those who like historical settings!

Okay, so this was just....wow. I freaking love Roshani. I first picked up her books this year, and very recently at that, when I met her at YALLFEST and found out she's literally the sweetest person EVER. I thought that she absolutely deserved for me to love her books, and so I read them, and fell head over heels. The Gilded Wolves was no exception. It was INCREDIBLE. The writing style was all the gorgeousness I expect from Roshani. It's magical and glittering and effortless. I don't have to try to imagine what she's describing. It's just there, and it's luscious. Perfect.

The adventure in this story was amazing. Honestly I wasn't sure what to expect from the blurb, because it's not too specific, but just imagine, Six of Crows meets The Da Vinci Code with a bit of Indiana Jones, all taking place inside a golden music box. It's gorgeous and fun. The stakes were so high, and the puzzles they had to solve were dazzling. It was a fantastic adventure story and I loved every second.

The characters were amazing. My absolute favorite is HYPNOS. Please, give me more. I need his perspective to become a normal thing in book 2. I loved Enrique's humor, Zofia's weirdness, Tristan's cuteness, Laila's kindness, and Séverin's....Séverin-ness. All the characters are super diverse too and I thought that was amazing.

Honestly, the world was just gorgeous. The blurb uses the word "glittering" and I think that's the absolute perfect description. This was a fantastic, fantastic novel, and I'm so grateful a story like this exists in the world. I've never read anything like it, and I just respect it so much. Roshani's imagination is something I'd love to live in. This is easily one of my favorites of the year, and I'm very very happy I got to read it just a little bit early. I'd recommend this to anyone.

I was a little unsure about this novel from Roshani Chokshi, mostly because I am SUPER picky when it comes to historical fiction. I'm not really into Regency or Victorian era books, so when I saw that this one took place in 1889, I was really skeptical that I was actually going to enjoy it. However, Chokshi's awesome writing and her ability to craft a awesome alternate history world put my fears at rest.

I say that this novel is alternate history because in this world there are people who can do this thing called "Forging" and it's basically a way to manipulate objects or people's minds! Love it! The book is essentially a heist plot, because we are dropped in the middle of a heist right off the bat and are introduced to Severin and his band of misfits that all live in his hotel L'Eden. Some reviewers thought they needed a little more about the world building in this one, but I didn't mind that Chokshi dropped me right in and made me figure it out along the way. For me it made it more interesting to me. I liked reading the unraveling of the Order of Bable and how Severin wanted to take back what was his.

My favorite part about this book was how diverse all the characters were. I loved that there were a few mixed race characters in this, as well a woman of color in here. No surprise here, this is Chokshi writing here, but all the characters just came across so genuine to me. I think that Zofia read like she may be on the Autism Spectrum, and I think that was done very carefully and respectfully. I also really loved Zofia's and Laila's relationship with each other. Laila was a truly interesting character and was basically the Mother Hen to everyone, which I loved. She really cared about the crew, and I loved that in her relationship with Zofia she took the time to understand how she viewed things. Like when she leaves Zofia three dresses to wear for an event and she tells her that the last one has a lot of stitching Zofia can count if she got nervous. That attention to detail to a friend's emotions was so important, and it just really made me love their friendship.

I loved the plot and the idea of stealing artifacts from the people in power. The crew gets a lot more than they bargain for when they uncover what is really happening. I believe this is going to be a series because there has to be another book after that last line! I might be a touch mad at the author for leaving me hanging like that!

Overall, I really liked this book. I'm only not willing to give it a five star rating because I do feel like at parts the pacing was a little slow and there were parts where I was bored. These were really minor, so I still really recommend it. I do want to also mention that while this book is considered YA, to me it read more like an adult novel. So if you are looking at this for a teen in your life, I would recommend it for an older teen. I think if you liked Robert Jackson Bennet's Foundryside or Silvia Moreno-Garcia's The Beautiful Ones, then this books is for you!

*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

This fantasy is set in France in 1889 on the cusp of the Exposition Universelle when things are changing. It is a time of decadence and change and magic. It is the story of six teens who all have different reasons to be striving.

Severin Montagnet-Alarie is the leader of a band of misfits. He was supposed to be the heir of one of the magical houses of Paris but was denied his heritage and thrown into the "care" of those who wanted to use and abuse him. He is determined to get his heritage back. He inherited the money from his family and has opened an exclusive hotel.

Severin has gather a crew. Laila is Indian, a dancer, a pastry chef, and a person who was made by magic and doubts that she is real. She needs to find a certain magical book believed to be in the control of the Order of Babel. Tristan was one of the children met when Severin was traveling from one father to another after the death of his parents. Tristan is fragile and damaged and an extraordinary gardener who work is sought by the elite of Paris. He is also the proud owner of a large tarantula he calls Goliath. Zofia has strong magic having to do with metals and an unique affinity with numbers. She is also unable to interact with people lacking an understanding of jokes and a difficulty in processing speech. She was kicked out of school and needs to make money to pay her debt and help her family. Enrique is a gifted historian and researcher. He is also Spanish-Philippine and rejected from the revolutionaries who want to free the Philippines because he looks to Spanish. He also has a not-so-deeply buried goal of becoming a hero.

Added to this crew is Hypnos who is a patriarch of a house and who was one of Severin's childhood friends before his parents died. He is achingly lonely and without friends until he barges his way into Severin's gang.

The story reminded my of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows in that it was partially a heist story set in a lush fantasy world. It was also a story with action and adventure as the crew tries to find missing artifacts and encounters an evil crew that has its own goals. The story was filled with emotional intensity and intriguing characters..

The startling ending - which isn't quite a cliffhanger - will have readers eager for the next book in this series.

Captivating, mysterious, leaving you on the edge of your seat, mind-blowing book! Roshani Chokshi does it again in this new series. Characters you will fall in love with and the end of the book will leave you speckless and wanting more. This is a must read recommendation for me. I will be giving it as gifts as well. Set in Paris 1889 and a world where you will be taken on an adventure. You will be introduced to characters who are each searching for something but at what cost. The Order of Babel seeks out Severin to help them recover an ancient artifact things but what they discover will change of his life and his team of experts forever.

Love this book! Roshani Chokshi just takes you away to a world that you want to stay in forever. Beautiful writing and if you haven’t picked up any one of her books do yourself a favor and get one. This book will be a best-seller. Can’t wait for the next book.

“Sometimes the only way to take down what had destroyed you was to disguise yourself as part of it.”

Most of you know that Roshani Chokshi is one of my favorite authors. I loved both The Star-Touched Queen & A Crown of Wishes with my whole heart and soul! So, I knew when she was writing a brand-new series, about a found family completing heists and solving puzzles, that I wouldn’t be able to resist once I got my hands on an ARC. And friends, this was such a treat to read.

This is a historical fantasy set in alternate 1889 Paris, France, and in this alternate world, children will manifest magical powers by the age of thirteen. And there are two different kinds of magic; the magic of mind and the magic of matter. There is also a very powerful secret society, that goes by the name of the Order of Babel, and it used to be made up of four houses, but two houses took over ten years ago. And by doing so, they made a very big mistake claiming the heir of one of those fallen houses as dead.

“Turning into ghosts is not what the dead deserve.”

➽ Séverin - Biracial (Algerian & French). For sure the leader of the group, who wants nothing more than to keep his crew safe and out of harm’s way. But he is on a mission to reclaim his true inheritance that was stolen from him with lies ten years ago, because he gets an offer than he couldn’t possibly refuse.

➽ Laila - Indian (ownvoices), dancer, who is dealing with a lot of grief and a lot of anxiety over her past. She has the magical (matter) forging ability to touch any object and read it to know everything about it. And she desperately needs Séverin’s plan to work.

➽ Tristan - White, and Séverin considers him his little brother, because they moved around a lot together in foster care. Also, Tristan loves his pet tarantula, Goliath, more than anything, but he’s still my favorite little gardener/botanist.

➽ Zofia - On the Autism spectrum, Jewish, Polish, has anxiety, and a lot of her actions (in my opinion, as someone who has OCD) feels like she may also fall on the OCD spectrum. She finds comfort in numbers, needs to have things in their rightful place, and is willing to do any and everything for her little sister that she was forced to leave behind. Zofia also has magical forging abilities of the mind.

➽ Hypnos - Black, queer (probably pan, maybe bi, and maybe even non-binary), heir of a French aristocrat but know he is also a descendant of slavery. His story line is a little rough at first, but you soon realize that he considers Séverin a brother to him, and honestly? Hypnos ended up being my second favorite character. Also, he made me giggle so much that my tummy hurt.

➽ Enrique - Biracial (Filipino (ownvoices) & Spanish), queer (he is either bisexual or pansexual, but I’m not sure my heart can take reading about a half Filipino, pan character because it is all I’ve ever wanted in literature!) But, this character meant a lot to me. I am not sure I’ve ever read specifically about a biracial Filipino dealing with cultural erasure on both sides of their heritage before. I mean, this book is literally people trying to erase cultures from history, and Enrique is literally a historian, but seeing people make comments about his looks and biraciality just really hit home for me on a really personal level. I completely realize that there comes an immense privilege with being white passing but reading this book and feeling how real and hurtful it is when people disregard you and erase you because you don’t fit in their stereotypical mold of what a half Asian person should look like, but they also never let you forget that you’re not fully white. Yet, also not feeling like you truly fit in because of your lighter or more westernized features, even if they comment about it in a way that they believe is positive and a compliment. And Enrique also has to deal with people thinking that Asian people are interchangeable and thinking that their cruel and ignorant words are acceptable to say. I loved all the characters in this book, but Enrique just felt like the character I’ve been searching for for a very long while and he just really encompassed so many things that I hold inside myself every day. His character just meant a lot to me, and I will cherish him forever and always in my heart.

And this ragtag group of misfits come together and create something so beautiful that I hardly have words to describe it. This book heavily talks about colonization. And even though the heart of this novel is about a found family who unconditionally loves one another, the soul of this novel is about cultural erasure and how important it is to keep the traditions and history from your culture, no matter who tries to make you believe that theirs is superior. And this book really puts an emphasis of the terrible acts people will commit while saying that it’s for or because of a higher power.

“But the greatest thief of all was the Order of Babel, for they stole more than just objects . . . they stole histories”

But all these characters feel like a tier above the rest of what YA has to offer. They feel so real, their pain feels so raw, and you just want to protect them all at all costs. Roshani really is a master word weaver and I can’t help falling in love with every story she puts into the world. She is also the master of romance, and I was swooning extra hard for two people in this. (Also, the set up to book two will probably be the death of me!) As for the other romantic relationship, Roshani is either going to completely slay me with the love triangle or give me everything I’ve ever wanted with a polyamorous relationship. Lord, hear my prayers.

Also, because I don’t think I mentioned this above, a good portion of this book is set at a hotel called L’Eden where the crew lives and develops new advancements to help them with their missions. I know I’ve already gushed pretty hard over this book, but I love books that are set in hotels and inns so much, and it was just such an unexpected treat. Then again, Roshani always writes the best settings and my heart fell completely in love with a poisonous greenhouse in this story, too.

Overall, I just really loved this one. I am sure many people will compare The gilded Wolves to a mix of Six of Crows & The Da Vinci Code upon release, and I think that’s valid, bu I think it has its own unique spin, too. The cast is diverse and lovable, the writing is lush and beautiful, the themes are important and heartfelt, and the story is captivating and unputdownable. If you like a story with secrets and mystery, filled artifacts and puzzle solving, with a little romance and funny banter, then I completely recommend picking up The Gilded Wolves upon release.

I received an ARC of this book.
I would probably give this book 3.5 stars. It was a good historical YA Fantasy and hard to put down.
A team of misfits in an alternate Belle Epoque Paris work to stop a faction of madmen from gaining access to a piece of the ancient Tower of Babel. This group of friends uses their unique talents to plan a heist to rival "Ocean's Eleven" in order to keep the ancient artifact away from those who would misuse its power. The world-building is very good, the characters are likable, and the plot is very original.
That being said, I did have a few problems with the book. One, I really would have liked more elaboration on the backstory of the characters. Many important things happen to them before the actual book begins, and while these events are related in flashbacks, I think more attention could have been paid to these things. It really would have added to the story. Two, the "mythology" of the story was explained, but this is another area in which more detail could have enhanced the book. Three, the story is narrated by several different characters, and while this is well-done, at times it got confusing and I did have to go back an see which point-of-view we were looking through at the time. Perhaps the author could have varied the voices a bit more to make it easier to identify. Lastly, the climax of the book seemed rushed, and then the resolution/ending seemed very drawn out. The last several chapters just really served to set up the second book in the series. I would have liked a more definite conclusion instead of a lead-in to Book Two.
All that being said, the author had an original story and deftly created a world that drew me in as a reader. The sights, smells, tastes, and feelings were expertly described. The various characters each had idiosyncrasies, backstories, and personality traits that were relatable.
I did enjoy this book, but it almost seemed like the author wanted to do so much that many things were glossed over when they deserved more time. The fantastical story, the mythology and world-building, the decadence of the time, the puzzles/science/ math, the themes of colonialism, marginalization, isolation, being "the other," all deserved more attention than they received just because there was not room in the book. If it could have been tightened up and perhaps had less going on I would have given it a higher rating. I would still recommend the book to anyone who enjoys caper/heist stories, YA, Fantasy, and History.

If you enjoyed Six of Crows, in particular the unlikely found family trope, its heist shenanigans, and general chaos, then you had better be prepared to read (and fall in love with) this book. The Gilded Wolves is a gorgeously written, historical/dystopia/futuristic heist novel (no, that's not an oxymoron), with six wonderful main characters who you can't help but love.

The novel is set in Paris, 1889, and introduces the shadowy Order of Babel, who control Forgery, a form of magic. The Order "collects" Forged items from countries across the globe. Séverin, our main character (insofar as you can identify the main), is the last surviving member of the disgraced House Vanth, consumed with the desire to exact revenge on the Order for cheating him out of his inheritance. When a routine heist reveals something unexpected, Séverin and his team (Laila, Tristan, Enrique and Zofia) are enlisted by the Patriarch of House Nyx, Hypnos, to find a hidden artefact.

What I especially loved about this book was the characters. Firstly, the main cast is really diverse - four of the main six are characters of colour and two are mlm (one is explicitly bi, and allowed to crush on both male and female characters in the book). Though, yes, I do live in hope that one of the girls is going to be wlw as well, but who knows. Secondly, for most of the book, I genuinely couldn't decide which of them was my favourite. Of course, if you know anything about my type of character, you can probably pick out which of them ended up being my favourite, but that didn't stop me loving each of them individually.

Throughout the book, I think I was in awe of how well Roshani Chokshi can develop a plot and her characters simultaneously. Every one of them is fully rounded, and even when you're not in their POV, you can just feel them coming off the page with life. I think that was most obvious for Hypnos because for most of the book he was only viewed through other characters' eyes, but you still get such a clear idea of his character it's almost as if you did get that time in his POV.

I also want to gush over the plot itself for a bit. It's so intricately woven and thought out, and so engaging you don't even think to put the book down for a moment. And then just as you think everything's sorted out now, everything's happy, suddenly Roshani Chokshi pulls the rug from under your feet, breaks your heart, and turns everything upside down, so all you're left with is a cliffhanger, a lot of soggy tissues and at least a year-long wait to find out how it all gets resolved.

If there was anything at all that I didn't like as much about this book, it was the love triangle. I wouldn't have minded so much, but I disliked one of the sides of it. In my opinion, they'd have worked better as becoming really good friends instead of having relationship potential (and then I could escape that particular romantic angst), but I guess I'll have to wait to see where it gets taken in book 2. Also, I know I was expecting more of a historical atmosphere to this book, but it's not really historical so much as a kind of futuristic past (because of Forging), if that makes sense. That it's set in Paris in 1889 is relegated to the background almost, so if you're going in expecting it to be very historical or historically accurate, then you might be disappointed.

So, if I hadn't made it clear before now, this is definitely a book you're going to want to read. Maybe multiple times over just to fully absorb every little detail about it. Just make sure you're prepared for a broken heart.

ARC provided by Wednesday Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will admit the story is probably more of a 3-star read for me, but the characters really made up for it. They're such a joy to read and I instantly loved them all from their very first introduction.

The Gilded Wolves is a historical fantasy about reclaiming your birthright and power. Mix that in with some treasure hunting, cool science, diverse characters, and Paris as a backdrop: You really got yourself such an interesting and fun story!

Right away we are thrown into a heist plot line filled with puzzles to solve and codes to crack. Usually these plots excite me but I will admit I got a little confused from the way the story was told initially. I really wanted some more backstory about said treasures and artifacts. In truth, at times I felt like I was reading a Dan Brown novel because it was very "clue-solving-heavy"; however it lacked more in depth research and I felt like I was just skimming a Wikipedia article. I also felt like the magic system was a bit messy.

So while the actual heist story line didn't quite sell me, I want to say that I 100% loved all the characters and their backgrounds so much. I love a diverse, fun, witty squad. Seriously, this book is filled with so much witty banter and sarcasm. Their personalities felt realistic and pure, and I was living for the romantic tension between two certain characters. I also adored one character who is a scientist/engineer through and through, and another character who is a historian who can lecture you non-stop about anything and everything. And then there's a certain character with his pet tarantula whom I loved with all my heart.

And speaking of diversity, this book is full of so much representation. There is rep for autism, races and ethnicities (black, Filipino, Indian, Jewish, Polish), and LGBTQIAP+ (pan, bi). While there's so much rep for all these cultures it is also brought up several times how these cultures are being erased/oppressed due to colonialism. Big props to Roshani Chokshi for including such important themes in this book.

I think fans of heist/treasure hunting stories may enjoy The Gilded Wolves. And if not, then I highly recommend this book if you just want to read about some awesome, fun characters who I want to be friends with. I really liked how this story ended and how badass my favorite character was. I'm looking forward to the next installment already.

I also wanted to note that I read the digital ARC copy via NetGalley, and there were some major formatting issues with the text and diagrams/photos. This did not affect my review in any way, but it did make the overall reading experience not quite as enjoyable and at times I had to re-read several paragraphs over again to make sure the dialogue was matching up with the right character.

I did not finish this book due to the misquoting of Scripture, adding to it without any sort of disclaimer or note about it being fictional (even with one, I'm still not okay with them twisting God's Word). I won't be finishing this one because of that. ......................................................

"The Gilded Wolves" is an exhilarating heist taking place in fin de siècle Paris. The cast of characters is incredibly diverse (gender, sexuality, ethnic background) and they all have gifts - magical and non - to assist in acquiring a mythical object. As a historian, my favorite characters was the group's resident historian Enrique and his textbook knowledge. I didn't love some of the romance plots - any with Hypnos, however, are perfect.
"The Gilded Wolves" definitely reads as setting up for the next book in the sequel. Sometimes the pacing was a bit off and I would have liked more world-building as some parts of the magic and social drama get confusing.
The novel is a historical fantasy with elements of magic. The Paris is definitely of our world and not a secondary world Paris. Because of this, the major themes Chokshi tackles are all the more relevant. At the heart of the novel is the theme of colonialism and its exploitative effects. Chokshi also expertly explores what it means to be a family, the weight of legacy, and how race and class are oppressive social structures. I will definitely read the sequel!

I’d been meaning to read Roshani Chokshi’s work for quite some time, and when I heard about The Gilded Wolves, I immediately knew I wanted it to be my introduction to her stories. I’m a big fan of historical fantasy, especially stories set in real places but crafted very differently from what those places actually were in that setting, and I’m a sucker for a good heist story with lovable characters, both of which were facets Gilded promised to deliver.

Luckily, Roshani is just as delightful of a storyteller as I anticipated she would be, because I was captivated from the beginning and found myself head-over-heels in love with this series by the end. The writing is so much fun, full of hilarious, laugh-out-loud banter and sweet, tender moments (I swear I highlighted half the book), and the heists and puzzles craft an air of endless suspense and intrigue.

Even better, the characters in this story are some of the best I’ve ever met. They are all incredibly complex and real, and you’d be hard pressed to dislike any of them because they all have such lovable quirks and bits of their personalities. I never get tired of a good “squad” and this little gang of misfits has to be one of my new favorites! Oh, and there is a romance in this book that has some of the best romantic/sexual tension I have EVER read in YA (without ever being even remotely explicit).

In fact, can we just stop right here and talk about these characters? Because, honestly, I tried writing this review without taking some time to gush over each of them individually, and I just couldn’t do it.

→ Séverin 💀 half-Algerian, clever, criminal mastermind, total grump-butt in the best way
→ Laila 🍰 Indian, #squadmom, baker extraordinaire, sweetest and most loving little ball of sunshine ever, has a beautiful story arc regarding the importance of dance in her culture/homeland
→ Zofia 🔬 Jewish, Polish, autistic (and so well-done, written with such obvious care and research), scientist/genius, wickedly funny, probably my actual favorite??
→ Enrique 📜 Filipino/Spanish, queer, adorable, pouty, historian, has endless internal monologues about feeling erased, suffering racism/microaggressions, etc., made me cry a million times
→ Tristan 🕸 precious soft little bean, has a pet tarantula he never shuts up about, needs to be protected and cared for at all costs
→ Hypnos 💎 black, queer, doesn’t always have the best motives but is generally the actual softest, killer taste in fashion

I have only one complaint about this book, and honestly, I loved the story overall so much that it pains me to even include this: I struggled with the world-building for quite a while. You’re kind of dropped right into the action from the get-go, and you’re forced to catch up on the run, which I normally love, but this world is just so intricate and has such a large-feeling magic system that I feel I would’ve benefited a bit from being given more of a primer before launching into the main plot.

I actually have heard a few friends say it feels like this book needs a prequel novella in order for the world-building to fully function, and while I don’t agree that it’s entirely necessary , I do think it would be an AMAZING addition if Roshani ever chose to follow that route later on.

Minor complaints aside, though, The Gilded Wolves still feels like an easy 5-star read for me because I adored the characters so much and had such a tremendous amount of fun with the adventure and obstacles that really come into play in the second half. I cherish these characters so much, and in the two weeks it’s now been since I finished reading, this story has only grown more and more dear in my heart. I am beyond excited for the sequel and can’t wait to see what Roshani will do to indubitably wreck my life as the saga continues.

Ultimately, I’d recommend this to any fans of historical fantasy, “squad” groups, and lovable, diverse characters, as well as readers who don’t require a tremendous amount of back-story or a slow pacing in fantasy. I also wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who enjoys fun, flirty or otherwise humorous banter in their books.

All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Gilded wolves was really hard for me to get into right from the start. The characters were interesting in their own, but the lack of world building just made me emotionless over them. Hard to connect to

This book was alright. The premise sounded really intriguing and refreshingly unique. But it was very hard to get into. Somehow the author gave the reader both too much and too little information at the beginning of the book and I found myself confused about the world that the book is set in. I felt like I got to know who the characters were right away, but it was really hard to grasp all of the rules of forging and how that impacted the world of Paris in 1889. This made the book frustrating to read.
I also had a feeling that the author couldn't decide whether this was a YA or an adult book, and it made the romance in the book frankly annoying. Maybe it was due to the different ages of the characters? But some of the romance was written more like a YA book with crushes and characters questioning their sexuality, where one of the romance plots seemed more like an adult book in nature. It also got on my nerves that every single time two of the characters interacted, their past tryst was brought up. It got old quick.
I did really like the characters in the book. That's something the author did a great job of. The characters were all interesting and I felt myself wanting to learn more about them and caring about their fates.
3 stars since the book did pick up about halfway through, the action scenes were well written, and I liked the diverse cast of characters.

All I can say is w o w. I have never gone so fast from NetGalley to preordering a physical copy as I did with this book. I couldn't put it down. Each moment as as magical as the last. Thanks author does a great job of creating a diverse, interesting world with a lot of tension and interest throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and was sad I didn't have even more to read! Loved it.

Prepare yourselves because Roshani Chokshi does it again. This book has her signature, decadent, luscious writing that helps you imagine the most beautiful world. Paris is a glittering, dangerous city where our characters are all diverse with different drives and needs propelling them. I loved this little band of misfits and just want to give them all hugs and take care of them. There are four points of view in this book, each distinct and unexpected. The plot was very evenly paced, with multiple heists and exciting moments, along with moments of downtime with tea and cookies. I can't wait to see the puzzles in book format. This is one to get your hands on straight away before Severin comes to steal it from under your nose!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the chance to read a review copy of this book via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion.

Title: The Gilded Wolves
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release date: Jan 15th 2019
Rating: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Would I let my kid read this? 100%

I was lucky enough to receive a digital ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review, thank you!!!

The Plot
In short - this is a heist story. It is also a story of magic, friendship, puzzles, and history. There are a lot of themes packed into this book and it moved along at a steady pace, with action followed by development and puzzles, then more action and development and puzzles..... by the end I wished that it was the second book about to be released, not the first! I was so wrapped up when it ended that I just wanted the book to keep going! There was also a baby cliff hanger, where no one was dying or in imminent danger, nothing crazy happening, but a firm hook is set and you know you are going to be eagerly awaiting the next installment!

The Characters
The Gilded Wolves had me wanting to crush on half of the characters before I realized they were all teenagers. I set it in my mind that back in the 1800s, young people were a whole lot different than they are today in maturity level and intellect.... but I still really wanted to picture at least Severin as someone my age. I am not going to go into individual characters here but they are a band of misfits. They are a pretty typical group on the surface - awkward girl, fake girl, braniac, the immature one, the moody leader...but under the surface and throughout the book their secrets are told and they become dear to the reader, or at least to me they did The point of view switches between four of them -I think - throughout the book, with one exception that made sense at the end. I wish I could have heard his voice, oh what would it say!

The Writing
Chokshi has an unbelievably poetic writing style. My favorite passage was this::

"Kisses were to be witnessed by stars, not held in the presence of stale death. But as the bones rose up around them, Laila saw fractals of white. Pale constellations of bone. And she thought that, perhaps, for a kiss like this , even hell would put forth its stars"

The descriptions throughout the book were flowery almost to the point of excess, but not quite. Her world is full of magic and she did an amazing job bringing it to life. This book is meant to be savored, not skimmed. I only skimmed when the one character started rambling about math and puzzles, those descriptions were not my brain's favorite. I also didn't mind the multiple points of views as it was not repetitive and kept the story moving.

Overall Impression:
As I write this I feel like I should have given it five stars, but it was a little drawn out at times and I was jarred by the last few chapters. I felt like I did when Kristen Britain killed off Yates, just sad and going WHY lady WHY did you do that, you're just cruel to my heart 😂. The book mainly has positive relationships, clean language, and is lgbq+, but it doesn't really read like a young adult book and I think adults can get into it too. In that spirit I would say yes, let your young adults read this (then read it after). Anyway, I give it a solid 4/5 stars and would recommend to anyone who likes heists, fantasy, magic, young adult, fiction, or a good book in general!

The full review (with better formatting!) can be seen at:
https://onenursereader.wixsite.com/onereadingnurse-1/home/the-gilded-wolves-by-roshani-chokshi

May be some spoilers

Paris 1889

Some spoilers The 

 matriarch of the house kore is running late for dinner with the house of nyx.she has on a beautiful designed  silk dress.she has on a babel ring she received when becoming the matriarch of the house of kore She is stabbed in the hand while waiting for a   carriagre along with a blow to the head . Her babel ring  is stolen away into the night.Severin ,a known theif,has a special object from the house auction he is trying to recieve.LaiLA is waiting for severity  to come back with treasure map hidden in compass.Severin has his wrist stuck in one of the house objects bear.Severin is helped by Eugene . "In the dark, he felt the presence of the orders treasure  like the eyes of the dead,Hate shivered through him. He couldn't bring himself to look at the looming salvaged piles . He might help severin steal ,but the greatest  thief was the order of babel,for they stole histories,swallowed cultures  whole,smuggled evidence of illustrious  antiquity onto large ships and spirited them to differentvlsnds." "Once there were four houses of france, like all the other houses within the order of the babel the French faction swore to safeguard the location of their babel fragments,the source of all forging power ,forging was a power of creation rivaled only by the work of gof. But one house fell.and another  house died without a heir.now all that is left Is a secret",the  fallen house had tryed rebuild tower of babel"to the public the order of babel was nothing more than Frances research arm tasked with historical preservation   they knew  nothing of the auctions  ,the treasures  buried deep beneath the ground. Half the public didn't even believe the babel fragment was a physical object but rather a dressed up biblical  metaphor." Zofia opened up a savings account  hoping to gain some money from severins treasure map.zofia once a student was plagued with rumors that she would steal anything including forging  affinity , After an accident in lab arrested for insanity and arson,severin gave her a way to gain back what she lost."when he first heard  about the compass he imagined it would lead them to lost treasure  of the fallen house,the only cache of treasure that the order would do anything to posses  ." 

I loved the characters and different  points  of view

I really wanted to love this book. It has been favorably compared to Six of Crows and several other of my favorite titles, and I launched into ready to be wowed... but I wasn't.

Pros:
-Imaginative world building
-sympathetic characters
-heists
-interesting magic and mythology
-Chokshi's lyrical writing style

Cons:
-I didn't feel like I knew who Severin was. I knew his history. I knew his goals. I even knew a few of his quirks. But he didn't have a personality I could put my finger on. I rooted for him, but I didn't love HIM.
-It felt like the author sat down with a checklist of diverse characteristics she wanted to hit. Gay: Check. Mixed race: check. Character with social disorder: Check. Orphans: check. History of abuse: check. Family dysfunction: check. I am not against any of these characteristics, but it seems like authors of late feel like they have to hit you with everything or risk being called racist, classist, elitist, or homophobic. In trying to defeat all of these potential missteps, we've hit the trope of "Most diverse group of friends EVER. We're SO different but we just love each other."
-This book tried hard to be Six of Crows and didn't live up because it didn't find a balance of fun. I was so depressed over every characters life. Didn't anything good ever happen to any of these people? EVER?

This wasn't a bad book, but I wasn't excited to pick it up. I was already dreaming of the other books I wanted to read when this one was over.

My expectations for this book were high, and it more than surpassed them.  If I could rate it more than 5 stars, I gladly would.

With such unique, magical world-building, and a closely bonded clan of charming characters planning a dangerous heist, The Gilded Wolves has the feel of Six of Crows.  I've also seen this book compared to Indiana Jones and National Treasure, and with clues, puzzles, and historical elements, I can see why. 

The incredibly well-developed characters made this novel for me.  They're a family of their own choosing, and along with that comes humorous dynamics - I laughed with them, but also felt their pain.  Each of the six has their own talents and skill set and bring something to the table.  And such wonderful inclusion!  Bisexual, gay, autistic, with different cultures and backgrounds.   

At over 400 pages, this is a chunk of a read, but I didn't want it to end.  An intricate plot, beautiful writing with so many quotable lines, charismatic characters, and masterful world-building - I highly recommend The Gilded Wolves to fantasy, history, and adventure fans.  Easily one of my best reads this year, and the next book can't come soon enough.  

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.