This book is set in Paris in 1889 with a large cast of characters filled with diversity. The prose is very lush, imaginative and glamorous with swoony romance. It has a lot of good banter (which I love) and very heartwarming. it is basically Ocean's 11 in Paris in the past with fantasy elements thrown in. I love historical fiction and fantasy so these two together should work perfectly. This book did sometimes, unfortunately there were moments where the world building was a little hard to follow. I feel like the beginning was a little hard to get into. Other than that this book was really enjoyable.

3.5 I really wanted to love this book, but found it hard to follow at regular enough points that I still feel confused about some of the action. I think I need to read it again, but I usually like to have a solid understanding of what I've read the first time through. Chokshi creates awesome characters, makes great commentary on race and politics of the late 19th C, as well as ones that are relevant to us today. Her writing is lovely and she offers up some great turns of phrase. I just wish that it had been easier to follow scene changes and characters moving between settings. I'll read the 2nd one and hope to find a clearer plot, and I'm hoping that my re-read of Gilded Wolves will help everything gel better for me

3.5 stars

If you're not very well-versed in 1889 Paris, The Gilded Wolves can get a little confusing to read, with a deluge of information threatening to drown you page after page. The characters, despite the book belonging to the upper YA category, felt and sounded much younger than their actual age (or, cringe, childish), much of it due to the forced, unsmooth banter thrown all over the place. But the story gets better after every turn, and you get used, if not desensitized, to the aforementioned issues, with the characters, written as they are, growing on you.

For instance, I couldn't have foreseen the last two twists in the story, especially the very last. The penultimate twist turned my reaction from "oh, well, okay, this is a decent story" to "oh, damn! They went there"; and the last twist completely changed the game. If this is meant to make the reader anticipate the sequel, it did its job phenomenally.

I'd never truly felt the stakes were real throughout the story, as it just felt safe every time, but the last two twists proved that the story can not only bark—but also bite.

Though plagued by his unfulfilled destiny as the un-acknowledged heir of House Vance, one of the mighty houses of power, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie has made a prosperous life for himself as the owner of the L'Eden, a famous, lavish hotel in Paris. After his father died, Séverin was rejected by the Houses, the ruling power in Paris who not only control high society but the practice of Forging, an ancient art where objects can be imbued with certain abilities. He seeks to reclaim his rightful inheritance through whatever means he deems expedient. A talented thief and leader, he has brought together am equally-skilled band of misfits to help him recollect the treasures of his family's house. Each member has their own talents and desires. Able to discern things about someone by simply touching an object that they handled, Laila came to Paris seeking an ancient manuscript that could help her understand her past and shape her future. Enrique always dreamed of being a Forger; never receiving the gift of foring, he became a historian and seeks to influence the world, especially his home country of the Philippines. Zofia, a master engineer, was rejected and scorned as a child. Now, she works to provide for her sister and hopes that, through the use of her skills, she can make a better life for both of them. Tristan, the last member of this band of misfits, is a talented forger and the brother that Séverin never had.

When Séverin steals an ancient artifact, he and his gang of misfits get dragged deeper into the world of mysterious orders and hidden societies. Blackmailed and forced to team up with Hypnos, the patriarch of House Nyx, they have to work together to solve the puzzle and try to keep every member of their group alive. The promise of success drives them forward, for if they succeed, perhaps they can fulfill the desires of each and every member of their group. However, if they fail, the consequences will be dire.

The Guilded Wolves is set in Paris of 1889, a city of decadence and debauchery, where the Order rules and controls the practice of Forging. It is a city full of secrets. The author, Roshani Chokshi, brings the Exposition Universelle into her altered reality and weaves together both historical reality and fiction to create a new Paris of 1889, where those individuals gifted with the affinity for forging can shape either mind or matter using their focused will along with a good understanding of the object's properties. It is in this world, that our heroes search for the hidden treasures that they hope will fulfill their dreams and desires.

I loved the witty banter between the characters. As I was reading, I found myself chuckling and reading certain sentences again or reading them aloud to a friend who was sitting nearby so she could enjoy them too. I liked the characters and their interesting quirks and personalities. I enjoyed the world that the author created, and though the idea of forged objects wasn't very unique in my opinion, it was interesting, and the rules were seemingly consistent. I was frustrated, however, by certain characters and their inability to express what they were really thinking sometimes. Interpersonal relationship health, especially in romantic relationships, was not their strength. I had hoped that they would see how their negative choices were affecting them and make better choices as the book progressed. Overall, the book was enjoyable, but I wouldn't recommend the book for a younger or less mature audience since the romantic tension and previous trysts between the characters are discussed through the book (though never explicitly).

It took me a while to download this book, because it wouldn’t download correctly and I finally got it in the middle of January, after it was already released lol

This is a very very unique , intricate story and world. The characters are the driving point of this story because they are all so diverse and unique. You have a Jewish girl with autism (pretty sure), a young abused boy with (ocd? Sensory deprivation? Not sure on that one) but he is the sweetest little baby soul ever. An Indian woman who isn’t completely human? But they are all so witty and hilarious. They clash but in all the right ways and they love each other so much.
The main driving point of this book for me is the characters. I am attached to them, they are just a bunch of misfit, nerds trying to fit together and find their way in life. I did struggle with picturing them as teens, which I believe they all are because they seemed a lot older. Specifically Severin and Enrique. I wasn’t a huge fan of trying to pair a certain couple, BUT I did enjoy the bi sexual rep within that situation. I also was just heartbroken during a specific part in the end.

The world is lush and descriptive. Might sometimes be overly descriptive to where it lost me a little bit... the plot is pretty straight forward but for some reason it gets lost, and then comes back, gets lost, comes right back. There’s one small thing about this story that threw me off a little and I can’t explain it. The beginning was a struggle for me to get going. I felt like we got info dumped very fast but at the same time didn’t know what was going on. The characters feel like a second story group, like there’s back story with them that we don’t learn or know anything about really. I also didn’t think the ending was that huge of a cliffhanger.....


The magic system of forged objects, (has been done before but no judgment) was a little confusing at first. There’s a lot of words thrown in that aren’t given explanations for, so you just have to put two and two together. There’s also tons of history, math, science, mythology, all of the above and some of it I quite enjoyed and some (the math) was just waaayyy to much for me and made me feel stupid, and bored. But I appreciate all of the effort put into this book to make it so complex.

Overall it’s a very lush, awesome world with amazing characters and the characters are what made me hold on, but the pacing is a little off and the writing is very heavy, but in a complicated way...

I really enjoyed this one. I love a good heist and throw in a group of misfits and you have me hooked. The "magical" system was interesting but it was confusing at times and I hope they expand on this in the next book. All of the characters had distinct personalities and were so diverse. I liked how we got multiple POVs and back stories on each. I enjoyed the audiobook, it really brought the characters to life--especially Hypnos. Reading the description of this book gave me Six of Crow vibes (which I have yet to read ---I know I know I'm so late to the game.) While I saw the ending coming from the beginning (I mean foreshadowing) It still set up the second book nicely.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Roshani can do no wrong in my books. Love the mythology, the inclusiveness of marginalized characters and the beautiful writing. Love it.

This is historical fiction set in Paris, 1889 and geared for older teen readers. It's a blend of history, magic and paranormal. This book was not my cup of tea but I think many readers will love it. A group of people band together to find ancient artifacts to be kept by The Order of Babel. It's a dangerous and risky job and there are some who don't want the secrets revealed. Lots of adventure and lore that should keep teens reading. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book had an interesting magical system and story line. It kind of reminded me of an Indiana Jones or Da Vinci Code adventure book. There are things that need to be deciphered to find an item and the a team goes on the hunt for the item. It was very different from a lot of the books out now in the fantasy genre. I felt like it was a fresh idea and enjoyed it a lot.

As many other reviewers have mentioned, this book is very similar in plot to the Six of Crows . The style of writing is more flood and romantic with beautiful imagery and attention to detail. From an embittered hero (Severin/Kaz) looking to stick it to the those who wronged him to the cast of thieves collected the fringes of society. However, despite the similarities, I still really enjoyed The Gilded Wolves.

Set in Paris, the story follows Severin, a wealthy hotel owner, who was wrongfully denied his heritage by the mysterious Order of Babel years ago. Severin is approached by the heir of the House of Nyx with a mission that would settle the score with the Order. Severin jumps at the chance to seek revenge at those who wronged him and assembles a crew of skilled masterminds (think Ocean's Eleven). I loved the banter between characters and in particularly really enjoyed the characters of Zofia and Hypnos.

Unlike the author's previous books, there is very little romance. But the thrilling plot, humorous banter and character building are enough to keep you entertained for hours.

4 stars to Gilded Wolves! I can’t wait for the sequel.

WOAH! This book has everything I want in a book. It has a rag-tag group of people who have come together for their own interests but wanting to work together. There is a perfect balance of real-world and magic. I loved this book, the pacing and the tension between the characters. IT IS A MUST READ!

With The Gilded Wolves, Roshani Chokshi has constructed a unique fantasy heist novel that also functions as a commentary on cultural theft under the guise of historical preservation. Séverin Montagnet-Alarie thought he knew his place in the world, as heir to House Vanth. But when the other heads of the Houses of France turned him away, denying him his rightful place as the next patriarch of House Vanth, Séverin made it his mission to steal back what had been taken from him. With a team of smart and unusually gifted individuals, Séverin has caused a myriad of trouble for the Order of Babel, the organization in charge of the Houses of France, stealing back artifacts belonging to his own House and returning stolen cultural artifacts to their countries and peoples of origin. When Hypnos, patriarch of House Nyx offers Séverin a second chance at claiming his inheritance in exchange for stealing a mysterious artifact from another House, Séverin’s blind ambition lands him and his crew in the middle of a conspiracy that will test each character’s resolve and pit them against a dangerous organization.

The Gilded Wolves has one of the best casts of characters I’ve come across. I love how each character has their own personality, set of skills, and way of perceiving in the world. Chokshi excels at creating characters whose cultural and sexual identities are incredibly important to them. Identity is the driving force behind all of their motivations and heavily influences how they see themselves. Séverin is obsessed with reclaiming his birthright and isn’t afraid to take dangerous risks in order to do so. Though a natural leader, he isn’t always honest with himself and holds the faulty belief that if he can just become patriarch, he’ll have everything he’s always wanted. Tristan is Séverin’s closest companion, having grown up in a number of foster homes alongside him. Tristan is more interested in his pet tarantula than his adopted brother’s schemes, but they are both fiercely protective of one another. Laila is in her element when she is either in the kitchen baking or taking care of others. Masquerading as a courtesan becomes incredibly resourceful as she is able to gain access to places that would otherwise be closed off to Séverin and his crew. Laila’s past is the most mysterious. Save for Séverin, no one knows of her ability to read memories tied to objects. This gift, or perhaps more aptly a curse, is tied to her origins that even she doesn’t quite understand.

One of my favorite things about this group of characters is the witty dialogue and no one exemplifies this more than the young historian Enrique. From the get-go, he had me in stitches. His humor is always a breath of fresh air and I really like that Chokshi’s doesn’t sacrifice the rest of his character for the sake of comedic relief. Enrique not only has a passion for history, but for his country’s freedom. The Philippines has been under Spain’s thumb for the last 300 years and Enrique wants to be part of helping his country gain independence. Zofia is more adequate when it comes to making bombs than making friends. Some of the most rewarding scenes in this one involve Zofia and Laila. The latter shows incredible patience, slowly helping Zofia come out her shell. The final character is the enigmatic Hypnos, the young patriarch of House Nyx, who was once childhood pals with Séverin. Hypnos is both arrogant and charming. Though regarded as more of an enemy at first, Hynpos feels draw to Séverin and his friends, to their camaraderie, for there’s no denying that Hypnos’s easy smiles actually hide a loneliness underneath.

If you like fantasies rooted in history, Chokshi’s latest novel is the one for you. Chokshi pays close attention to detail, bringing not only her characters, but this world to life. It took a little bit of time for me as a reader to be comfortable moving through this intricate world, but once I did, it was one I wasn’t quite ready to let go of with the closing pages. Forging was an aspect that I really wanted to explore more of. There are individuals in this world able to manipulate matter and the mind, the latter of which is highly regulated as it includes the ability to control minds and create illusions. The former takes on many forms, including the ability to manipulate metal and stone into different forms, even lifelike creatures.

If you like tragic heroes, found families and impossible heists, Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves is one you don’t want to miss. I’ll be spending the next year eagerly anticipating the sequel and reeling from this one’s gut-punch of an ending.

My first observation when I started reading The Gilded Wolves was that it was all quite different from the other works by Roshani Chokshi that I’ve read (all of the The Star-Touched Queen books). Not only is the historical period (1800s) and location (Paris, France) different, but the style in which the book was written is too. I found that the The Star-Touched Queen books were written in a more lyrical style and the atmosphere was very otherworldly and mystical.

The Gilded Wolves, while also containing magic like the other books, feels a lot more rooted in our our physical world as we know it. Well, except for—as I mentioned—the magic. I found the magic system in this book to be interesting and commendably different from other magic systems that I have read about. I know that believable magic systems are complicated to create, and I always appreciate when an author takes the time to make their system stand out from others—especially since there are so many magic systems already out there!

Another thing that I liked about The Gilded Wolves was the characters. I tend to find most friend groups in books to be annoying. But I found that I really really liked how these characters were portrayed, and how they interacted. There was so much great banter! And, also, the amount of representation in this book was phenomenal! There was an excellent amount of diversity in the main cast, and it didn’t feel like it was forced! Sometimes books add diversity just for the sake of it, and readers tend to catch on. But, with The Gilded Wolves, it was done seamlessly and without ulterior motive.

I also liked that this was a heist book. I love heist plots, and this one definitely kept me engaged and biting the nails of one hand while I held the book with the other. And lastly, the romance! And … that is all I can say without rambling and spoiling everything. So, needless to say, I highly recommend The Gilded Wolves and cannot wait to see what will happen next with the plot and with Chokshi’s amazing cast of characters!

Here’s a quick pitch that I’ve taken to using whenever I talk about The Gilded Wolves: Six of Crows meets National Treasure meets Indiana Jones… in Paris. If that is enough to get you hooked on the idea of preordering this novel to read as soon as it comes out, I’ll consider my job done here.

But if you need a little more insight into why I think The Gilded Wolves is such an enjoyable, excellent read, never fear – I’ve got you covered with the rest of this review!

The Gilded Wolves is set in Paris in the year 1889 and follows the adventures of Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. Séverin is a wealthy hotelier to the world, and a treasure hunter to a select few, and he’s been determined to reclaim his true inheritance as a member of one of the French houses of the Order of Babel. In order to do this, he must locate and secure a powerful ancient artifact with the help of his found family: Tristan, Enrique, Zofia and Laila. The combination of their decided talents in science, history and magical abilities might be the key to their success. But, like any underhanded deal, there may be more to this mission than meets the eye.

I can easily admit to The Gilded Wolves being my favorite novel from Roshani Chokshi (though I’m intrigued by A Crown of Wishes and intend to read that one). The appeal of this novel, at least to me, lies in three specific aspects: the world, the story and the characters.

One of the things I liked about The Star-Touched Queen when I read it a couple of years ago was the way the world came to life through descriptive turns of phrase. Roshani Chokshi has a lush writing style that really succeeds in making her worlds and characters pop right off the page – and that was certainly also the case with The Gilded Wolves. While The Star-Touched Queen meandered through descriptions a touch too heavy-handed, the way that her descriptions – of the locations, of the events, of the characters and their appearances – were woven into The Gilded Wolves was much more to my personal taste. Plus, the historical and mythological references are also a treat! It’s a surprising rarity for me to feel truly transported to another world when I read something, so it was a real treat to have that experience with this novel. I’m particularly fond of the particulars of the hotel where the gang resides (especially Tristan’s garden and Laila’s kitchen), as well as how Roshani Chokshi used moments riddled with details to really make these characters stand apart as individuals… but more on that shortly.

Instead, let’s move on another aspect I loved: the story. I already mentioned three comp titles earlier, and essentially, what Roshani Chokshi managed to do was take all my favorite things about them – a large ensemble cast, character relationships, heists, magic, history, science, puzzles – and combine them to create The Gilded Wolves. I already alluded to a lot of historical and mythological references earlier, but I needed to mention them again because those details play a big part in the story… and that’s all you’ll be hearing about that. This novel is also one of the books I’ve read that engaged my attention from the start! It has action-packed moments, feels-packed scenes and plenty of banter and humor laced all throughout. I genuinely found myself entertained and emotional at turns up until the very end. (And oh, that ending certainly gave me a lot of feelings!)

But it is the main cast of characters that really made The Gilded Wolves such a great read. I really loved them all! Séverin is a young man filled with determination to claim his rightful place no matter what that takes and for the benefit of the (found) family he loves. Tristan is his brother in all but blood, with a predilection for his pet spider Goliath, working in his garden and caring deeply for their family. Laila is a talented baker and a gifted dancer with a dark past that might take away her future. Zofia is an excellent engineer with a gift for Forging metals, who finds it easier to navigate equations over conversation. And Enrique (my personal favorite!), is a Spanish-Filipino historian and linguist who is determined to leave his mark on the world. These five individuals (and a sixth, who I won’t mention just yet for fear of spoiling anyone) wormed their way into my heart, some in an instant, some over time. The result though is that I care deeply about them, and I’m invested in discovering the outcome of their journeys. (I’m also equally in love with their relationships because the sheer amount of love, banter, conflict and consideration that went on really tugged at my heartstrings.)

I’m sure it’s obvious that I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Gilded Wolves. It really hit my sweet spots when it comes to stories, and I’m so glad for that! It pains me a little that I must wait a whole year for the sequel, but I am eagerly anticipating having that one in my hands. I would definitely recommend pre-ordering this novel or picking up a copy at your local bookstore on release day, and I hope you end up loving it as much as I did.

I am in the midst of reading THE GILDED WOLVES by New York Times best-selling author Roshani Chokshi (Aru Shah and the End of Time). Her newest title is a fantasy involving a band of thieves in 1889 Paris just before the Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) and official opening of the technologically innovative Eiffel Tower. Their leader is Séverin who is rich, powerful and a risk-taker. He is joined by a gifted scientist and landscape artiste that he considers a brother, Tristan, plus Enrique who is an historian with identity issues, next, a math prodigy and arsonist named Zofia, and, finally, Laila, also called L'Enigme, who is very skilled at reading objects' histories and is searching for her own. Many items in this story are "forged," made to exhibit special powers and the thieves are trying to thwart the Order of Babel as they search for a "Horus Eye" so as to eventually regain Séverin's birthright. Suspenseful, filled with puzzles, magic, and scheming, plus some romantic tension, THE GILDED WOLVES received multiple starred reviews (from Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and YOYA). This is a complex and compelling story and its characters represent many mixed ethnicities; look for it on our shelves soon as both a print book and downloadable audio version.

This is my very first Roshani Chokshi and I have to admit that after so many of my favourites had raved about The Star Touched stories I was so very excited to read this one. Unfortunately I was left feeling very underwhelmed and confused.

In fact, confused was how I felt a lot of the time while reading this one and although I kept hoping that all the snarls would unravel slowly and I would start to feel like the world made sense I'm afraid it never panned out that way.

To start there are a lot of characters and for me they just didn't traslate well onto the page. I found myself straining to like them because there was a feature that I liked or because they had a characteristic that I normally find endearing/easy to connect to. But I just didn't feel like everyone was fleshed out nearly enough and I really struggled to get into the many, many plots because I wasn't connected to any of the characters or invested in their various stories.

I did adore the autism rep and I felt that Zofia's character was one of the ones I connected with the most and I really felt as though Chokshi did this justice.

There was a LOT of dialogue and I felt like while the dialogue was good and realistic, the narrative suffered because there seemed to be more talking than world and character building.

The world building that I did take away from it though I adored - a glittering steam punk version of Paris where Forging (creating something and giving it life) is normal.

I think when all is said and done I really loved the IDEA of this one but something about the writing and total confusion when it came to the plot and magic system just really didn't gel for me and I couldn't love it. I am determined to try Star Touched though as I think that it's two completely different vibes and that series could definitely be for me.

I really liked a lot of aspects of this story, but some of the flaws kept me from loving it. I felt like I was missing the backstory of their relationships with each other, the world they are a part of, and the general concept of the house system. There was something missing....but it didn’t stop me from loving the characters and being engrossed in the fast paced plot.

AN amazing historical fantasy! Fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows will love this grand heist set in Paris.

I loved this book so much, It is my first Roshani Chokshi book, although I have everything she has written priorly. This book was just beautifully written. I will have a much more detailed review on my blog within the next few weeks, but I wanted to jot down a few thoughts here.

1. I loved her world building
2. I loved the characters
3. Sometimes with YA the dialogue of the characters drives me crazy, because sometimes it comes across really immature. This book did not have that issue.
4. The cover and the naked hardback are stunning!

I really enjoyed The Gilded Wolves! This book is perfect for fans of SIX OF CROWS. The similarities between the two books are numerous - the composition of the group of main characters is the same, both books are set in a magical alternative 1800s, and both books rep diverse characters. The plot - a heist - is fun, but what really makes this book shine are the characters. Each character shines in their own way, and the group dynamic is just perfect. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to YA fantasy lovers.