This was fabulous!! The second book in a series always seems to be either really bad or really good. This one falls into the really good category! Before I knew it, the book was over and I need the next book NOW!!

The Silvered Serpents is the second book in the series from Roshani Chokshi and it's brilliant. Works great as a standalone as there is enough explanation you don't feel lost. As the second book in the series, it's just as good as the first and might actually be the favourite of the two books.

Once again, Chokshi weaves a beautiful tale full of heartfelt characters, swoony romance, and heart-racing moments. I love her style and can't wait for the final installment. Definitely one to pick up this Fall!

This was a heavily character-driven book.

We see all of our main characters struggling to cope up with the aftermath of everything that happened at the end of the last book. I liked that the author showed that things were not ok, even though a considerable amount of time has passed since then.

Zofia and Enrique were the main highlight of this book for me. They were the absolute best and they are the reason why I liked this book so much. There is such an incredible character growth for both of them! The author has done a great job of giving very realistic representation via these two characters.

Enrique is such a sweetheart! He is so intelligent and intuitive and he is such a loyal, kindhearted friend! In this book, he is completely dedicated to take a step ahead in his academic profession and to display his amazing knowledge in front of intellectuals, but sadly, he gets mocked for possessing the very same knowledge that makes him so special.
Zofia doesn't understand emotions, but she is trying to be independent and to take care of her ailing sister. She just wants to show everyone that just because she cannot understand the subtleties of human emotions, does not mean that she cannot navigate the world on her own or that she is a cripple.
Both these amazingly talented people are trying so hard to carve a mark in the world on the basis of their own hard work, but they are always undermined and ridiculed by everyone! Even by the ones who are closest to them! And that was very frustrating for me to read! I mean, it made a good story, but it still broke my heart!

I did not like Severin in this book! He was all 'emotions make me feel pain, so I will block all my emotions'. He takes several bad decisions when he is in this cold-hearted phase and he behaves so horribly with his friends! Severin really did not deserve the loyalty that his friends showed him in this book.

I felt Laila was severely underutilized. Her character has so much potential, but her abilities were only highlighted in a negative way here. Also, I did not understand the point of Hypnos's presence in the plot because he really does not do anything substantial in this book. Some new side characters are introduced in this story and they were a very good addition to the plot. I liked the role of Head of House Kore in this book, it is much more substantial and meaningful than the first book.

Coming to the plot of this book, it's pretty similar to that of the first book. Here also our characters have to find something for the Order. As with the first part, the descriptions in this book are very beautiful and there is a great mythological context to the story. But the first book had a certain kind of thrill to the task which I felt was lacking in this book. The task in the first book involved lots of planning and plotting and everyone had a role to play in it and it took a lot of teamwork and effort to execute it. In this book, I felt that things were happening a bit too easily for our group. The problems did not seem too challenging and were solved quickly enough, mainly because of the genius of Enrique and Zofia. Enrique really outshone everyone. It was because of his intelligence combined with Zofia's talent that the team was able to get past the roadblocks quickly.

The ending was not very surprising, I had guessed some parts of it. But it was very well written and very well executed! The last few chapters just kept me on the edge of my seat!

All in all. I did enjoy this book and after that ending, I cannot wait to read the next book!

Thank you for giving me this ebook. The above words reflect my honest opinion. I will post this review on my bookstagram handle (@a.perennial.reader) by 15th July 2020. The link for my handle is given below. I will again put up a post on instagarm in the week of release of this book. I will post my review on Amazon once the book is released.

I think this was a great sequel to the Gilded Wolves. It wasn’t as glitz and glamour as the first, it was definitely darker. I enjoyed the darker mood and how there was always just enough suspense to keep me saying “one more page”. I was hooked by the first couple pages and didn’t want to put it down until I was finished. Now I’m dying inside waiting for the next installment.

4.5/5

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley in exchange for my unbiased honest review.

I have been waiting a long time for this book. I loved the first one and ugly crowd at the ending. It left questions, and I obsessed over how Roshani Chokshi would continue the series. I have to agree with many other assessments that the second installment is darker, so feel forewarned.

I refuse to give away spoikers but two things bothered me. The first is the aesthetics of the writing. There were a couple of times where the story went too fast and I was left very confused. It wasn't "jumpy" but it was a very quick transition that made me go back and re-read a line or a paragraph.

The second was the character Severin. His attitude and demeanor towards his "friends" felt wrong somehow. Even when the reader is given an explanation, I still felt that the lines didn't add up. I felt confused by his actions versus his thoughts/words.

Other than those two things, the novel was more than I expected and I cannot wait for the third novel. I'm literally biting my nails. 4 out 5 stars.

This is book two of the gilded wolves series and it was even better than the first. This books takes us to Russia to prepare for the winter conclave. Séverin and the team have two weeks to discover the sleeping palace and the treasure of the fallen house. More importantly , the divine lyrics that will stop Laila from dying.
The death of Tristan left a hole in everyone in different ways. The most shocking is that if his brother Séverin . He cannot bear to lose his friends but in order to protect them he becomes disconnected, cold and almost malicious in order to keep himself from feeling. It’s heartbreaking to read since we know how close everyone was and now it seems irrevocably broken. This book will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I can’t believe I have to wait a year for book 3!

Now this. This was a sequel. Roshani Chokshi has done it again. Just when I thought she couldn’t have broken my heart more than she did in The Gilded Wolves, she does this.

The Silvered Serpents starts with the characters still reeling from the events of the previous book. It was darker, the stakes were higher and the characters were just as real and developed as they were in the first book. I don’t want to go into too much detail in terms of plot because, obviously, spoilers, but just let it be known that if you enjoyed the GIlded Wolves, this will not disappoint.

It’s rare that you find a sequel that is able to not only live up to expectations but exceed them. All the aspects that drew me into the first book were present. The characters continued being smart, logical, but also emotional and had FLAWS. The way Chokshi is able to balance plot and characters is my favourite thing about her books. The plot keeps you reading and the characters make you care. She has managed to get the perfect balance I need in a fantasy book like this.

And can we just talk about that plot twist!! I genuinely did not see that coming and I am now (not so) patiently awaiting the third book.

Overall, I loved this sequel much and I can’t wait for it to be released to the rest of the world so I can tell everyone I know to read it.

Thanks again to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I had to plow through The Gilded Wolves so I could read and review this, but it was totally worth it! I love this world and these characters and the STAKES of it all. I can't wait until the final book, even though I'm subjecting myself to an even longer wait.

I don't know how I will be able to go on until book 3 is published. I think that sums up my feelings for this book.

This is a perfect follow up to The Gillded Wolves and what all sequels should aspire to be. It perfectly expands the world and delves deeper into all the characters. The plot is really cool and though it drags a bit in the middle I love the characters so much it didn't reduce my enjoyment at all. And OMG that ending!

I will be anxiously counting the minutes until book 3 is released.

What is this book? Stale dreams. A wound left to fester. A shattered cup, you were a second too slow to catch. But it's also beauty, mystery, the craft of illusion spun of all hopes. It's a fairy tale which while lovely, holds deadly thorns under its flowers. But it's mainly questions - how far would you go to protect the ones you love? How much of yourself would you overcome or sacrifice? And how much would you destroy those you love in the quest? This book caused so many thoughts to run through my head and despite the pain, I loved every second of it. These characters own my heart. The story gripped me as I rushed to see what would happen next. Roshani Chokshi knows how to craft a story that is magical and oh so human. Now I eagerly await the third book because I need know what happens to these amazing characters.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Gilded Wolves drew me in from the very first page. When we were first introduced to Severin and the rest of the crew, we were given this pieced together found family that lived, loved, and breathed for each other. They knew other's pasts and weren't afraid of what they saw. For them, they were happy to be a part of a family, even if the family often completed dangerous heists. In Gilded Wolves, we saw just how deep betrayal and treachery can go and how far a fallen house will reach to be back in the spotlight.

At the conclusion of Gilded Wolves, the crew is down one member (who had a darker past than he revealed to his family) and deciding whether or not they will head to Winter Conclave in Russia. When they receive word that the Divine Lyric, the book that Severin desperately wants and Leila needs in order to live, may be located at the Fallen House's Sleeping Palace, they begin the harrowing search to find its coordinates. It ends up being right under their noses, but in order to travel to the Sleeping Palace, they must elicit the help of Russia's house and the Matriarch to get there, something they swore they'd never do.

In Silvered Serpents, we're brought alongside the found family as the fine lines keeping them together are beginning to fray and the family is beginning to distance. They know Severin is the cause, but none of them feel comfortable bringing it up. As they get closer to finding the Fallen House's secrets and uncovering the location of the Divine Lyric, their relationships will be tested and they will be subjected to dangers none of them saw coming. Just how far will they go to feed Severin's need for godliness and for Leila to live? And how far will the Fallen House go to rule the world?

Silvered Serpents was an alluring sequel to the beauty of Gilded Wolves. There's a severe lack of treasure hunting and found family books in the world and I was more than pleased to discover this series and find just that. The found family of Severin, Leila, Enrique, and Zofia works in a way that is difficult to pull off. Each of them have their own needs and quirks, but they are supportive of one another and don't call out the flaws they each have. Zofia, in particular, has a long past of negative reactions from people, but is supported by her found family who do their best to understand her and soothe her whenever possible. Even during the treacherous and harrowing journey to Russia and the Winter Conclave, they stand by each other's side. Their bond gets tested frequently and, where most people would break, they strive and they grow. They learn to rely on each other and to understand how each of them changes and reacts in difficult situations.

As a warning, I cried. My best friend cried. The ending of this book is a heartbreaking and ruining cliffhanger, but it was meaningful and I know it will lead to a finale that is tragic and loving all at the same time. This review was tough to write, solely because I love these characters and some of their character arcs HURT, but the resolutions at the end of the series should be *chef's kiss.*

I enjoyed reading several aspects of this book! The pacing was wonderful, characters were well drawn, and the reading experience on the whole was delightful.

Wow this sequel is wild. I loved this. Unfortunately, since it’s a sequel I can’t say too much without potentially spoiling the first book, but this was a great follow up. It wasn’t as lighthearted as The Guilded Wolves, but that’s expected considering how it ended. It was such a good view of grief and how everyone can handle it differently. There are high stakes, journeys and beautiful writing. I can’t wait for the finale, Roshani Chokshi has me hooked.

I hate to admit that I abandoned this book at the half way point. As a result, I will not be posting this review to any other site. I prefer to keep my public postings to books that I finish and can provide a positive review.

I absolutely loved the Moscow setting. Given the current temperature of 110 degrees in the Arizona desert, the ice palace and snow scenes were a refreshing environment to visit. The lush and detailed descriptions are totally immersive as they were in the Paris setting of the first book in the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed the treasure hunting and puzzle solving aspects of the story. As in The Gilded Wolves, the team must work together to ascertain the answers to various riddles before they can move on to the next step in the search.

I found the characters to be flatly portrayed and unappealing. This is due in part to the rifts in the team at the end of the first book that carries through to the plot of this second book. However, I found it difficult to cheer the team on as they came across as so unpleasant and selfish. This may have been resolved by the end of the book but I couldn't find a god reason to continue.

The Silvered Serpents builds on the masterpiece that was The Gilded Wolves, Roshani Chokshi weaves a brilliant tale with pieces of history and folklore rarely taught in schools. Making her characters more life like with each paragraph and relationships so beautifully intimate, Chokshi shines brighter than ever in her latest novel.

Roshani definitely put the pedal to the metal and drove this story into favoriteville for me.
Now let's start with my favorite parts to this story. As all Roshani books do, the atmospheres are pure magic and enchantment. Plot twist but not really if you know me- I'm forever going to be a sucker for Russian themed/ influenced novels, and while Russia is definitely not the main location for this book, the groups entrance into this new environment left me screaming like a fangirl banshee after drinking too many Root beer floats. The mood in this new landscape was EVERYTHING. Roshani even adds some references to history and their impacts via the characters, pogroms specifically, and it was interesting to see how history threaded together with Roshani's world building. It made for a stronger setting than Paris at times because I felt as if I was living through these scenes. The Sleeping Palace plot was definitely a 11/10 for me!
Moreover, this installment for Roshani's writing felt different to me. I haven't read A Crown of Wishes to be fair, but this story felt grittier, darker, and more emotional. So many characters are revealing their truths, fears, and desires to the readers, and my heart aches at all of them. I felt more connected to them than I ever did in TGW, which is a comment I'm glad to make because at times I was not feeling all of them in TGW.
One of my favorite parts is actually going to be annoyingly alluded to in this review. At certain points Roshani adds this unique POV to the book that shows us a past experience of a certain character, and it made me scream every single time. They became my favorite part to this story because they are so small at first glance (cause I just want to read about the present haha), but each one holds this importance that you sometimes don't realize until it is too late.
Anyway, Zofia is still without a doubt my favorite character. I loved that she got more chapters in this story (it seemed like it to me at least idk if I'm correct) and was also able to put down a few more boundaries. She, like all the other characters, has A LOT, to worry about both through their group and personal reasons. Her development was by far amazing.
THEN Laila and Séverin have their own issues to deal with after the ending of TGW, and I wanted to just hug them both. Séverin definitely deserves a smack upside the head at times because COMMUNICATION, but I understand why he puts himself down this path due to pain, grief, and fear for others.
Enrique was a character in TGW that I felt “meh” for. I just don’t remember him leaving a mark on me through the first installment, but like Zofia he really steps it up in the book, especially in terms of his torn opinions on matters. He suffers in a very different way in this sequel, and I definitely fell to his side when the revelation is revealed. He deserves the world and happiness. I’m hoping he can find it by the end of this series.
TSS is a great representation in my opinion on differing forms of grief because each character handles it differently. The grief doesn't even refer to death or one experience for all of them because each have their own things going on, which only intensifies the stakes the team has for this heist/ job. They have different motivations, and their broken relationships only intensify this reality and danger. I was on the edge of my seat. Truly there are some terrifying scenes that sent alllll the shivers down my spine towards the middle and end of the book.
Lastly, I want to say that Roshani does a fantastic job at simultaneously creating and revealings clues from this book and the first. It shows all of the thought and hard work she's put into creating this dynamic world, and I have to give her credit. I really want to do a TGW reread sometime before TSS releases in the fall because it will definitely give me some clarity again. I highly recommend reading these books back to back once it is possible.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Where to start? When I picked up The Gilded Wolves last year, I became enamored by the cast of characters. I love found families so much, and this crew stole my heart really quickly. This book, just surged my adoration for them.

My heart broke at the end of the last book, and throughout this one that pain kept coming back with the remembrance of it, and it's rare that character's feelings can do so. Laila and Zofia especially once again just left me an aching mess. Seeing each character deal with grief in their own way is something that just brings more life into them, and if that leaves aches in my heart, I'll gladly deal with it for more.

The plot had my attention completely. The location? Absolutely stunning and chilling. Something about the icy locale along with a story of hope but also betrayal just fit so perfectly to me.

Usually I know second installments are a big hurdle to cross. A lot are much lackluster compared to their first, but in this case I found the Silvered Serpents to completely deny that entire idea. Over all I couldn't even think of one thing I hated or terribly disliked over the course of the book.

At this current moment, Roshani Chokshi has made my favorite Young Adult series, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

I just absolutely LOVED this book. Every second of it.
While reading the first book I wasn't sure if this series was for me but the ending left me surprised, so I definitely wanted to continue reading and oh boy, I was not disappointed. Obviously. I kinda can't believe I love these characters all so much because I didn't care for most of them in ”The Gilded Wolves” but suddenly - maybe because I already knew them - I really connected to them and found something relatable in everyone. They feel just so damn real and human. Well, except maybe Severin. He was actually my least favorite of the cast, which was a bit surprising for me because in the first book I liked Severin and Laila the most and in ”The Silvered Serpents” I was always longing for more chapters from Zofias and Enriques POV. I just truly adore that we have such a diverse cast of characters in these books. And the banter between Zofia and Hypnos was just everything and made me smile a lot. They're just really funny at the most unexpected moments.
And the plot? Kept me totally on my toes the whole time because so much was going on. For me ”The Silvered Serpents” was perfectly paced, I wasn't bored one bit while reading it and also not overwhelmed with what's going on - which was a lot - and at the same time, we get to see a lot of the characters thoughts and feelings, which made it feel very character-driven. The ending wasn't as shocking for me after ”The Gilded Wolves” and I guessed who would be the bad guy pretty early, but it was still so much fun to find out if I was right. Which I was, so yay me.
But it wasn't just plot and characters, it was also the setting and Roshni Chokshi's beautiful writing style that made me fall absolutely in love with this book. There were so many beautiful descriptions and quotes I marked on my kindle. Also, I just really like it if a second book takes place at a different location than the first one, and Russia/The Sleeping Palace was such a cool, atmospheric setting.

So, I think that was enough of me gushing about this book. I think it's very clear how much I fell on love with the characters and their stories and I can't wait to find out how this tale will end in the third book.
If you liked the first book a bit (or not) I would definitely recommend reading the second book in the series because ”The Silvered Serpents” was everything I hoped for and more. It was just so, so good. In fact, I can't stop thinking about it.
And that should be really enough of me raving about this book, but let me say one more time: Please do yourself a favor and READ THIS SERIES.

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi is an excellent novel that has elements of historical fiction, fantasy, intrigue, suspense, mystery, and kept me interested throughout.

This is the follow-up novel to 2019's fantastic Gilded Wolves. Luckily, the typical sophomore slump does not apply to this gem.

I won't rehash the plot, as one can read for themselves, and as also not to divulge any potential spoilers. But, I need to say that this book is everything that one can hope for in a fantasy novel. It is labeled as YA, however I am definitely not in that category, and I enjoyed it immensely.

It is dark, suspenseful, nail-biting, exhilarating at times, complex, and the twists and turns continued with that theme. I loved the complexity of the character cast, and I loved, LOVED the location of Russia. It definitely added to the overall concept and feel for the book. The pacing was perfect.

I can't wait to read the third installment.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St.Martin's Press for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.