Oh
My
Gosh
I need the 3rd book like now!!!
Wow this book was what I wanted the first one to be. I was disappointed in the first. I thought it wasn't enough action. This one did not disappoint. And the ending wow.

I don’t know if I should write this now. I’m a sobbing mess. I keep whispering, “please let there be more. Don’t make me end like this.” I am broken. If it’s not completely obvious, this book was amazing. I fell in love all over again. I had forgotten how much I loved the first, but this renewed my interest with urgency. From start to finish, this book does not disappoint. The only thing I can’t stand is the tension between Severin and Laila. If you read the first, you know what I mean. It wasn’t truly as if I “didn’t like” it; I just wanted them to finally be together. Lol. Anyways, I am dying for the third book, cursing myself for making my wait even longer.

A great second novel. I'd strongly suggest reading Gilded Wolves first. The diversity of the characters, the unique world and powerful themes combine to make a beautiful story.

I cannot tell you how long I debated over what rating to give this book. I seriously don’t think it’s ever taken me that long to figure out whether or not I loved a book or hated it. Luckily for The Silvered Serpents, love won out. Allow me to walk you through the entirety of my indecision. I’m gonna put spoilers at the very end of my review, so if you don’t want to read those just read until you see the big SPOILER ALERT warning.

First off, there’s the fact that I hated Severin for the majority of this book, which tells you something because I loved him in the first book. Now I will say he redeemed himself towards the end, and I understand somewhat why he was acting the way he was for most of the story, but that didn’t make it any less aggravating. I genuinely wanted to slap his frustrating face.

Then there’s the issue of Enrique’s love life. If you read my review of The Gilded Wolves, you know how much I ship Zorique. Well, I’m a little torn because, like a petulant child, I’m not happy with compromising, and that’s kind of what this book felt like to my ever-shipping heart.

I WANTED THEM TO BE TOGETHER LIKE OFFICIALLY FINALLY but that didn’t happen, although we’re getting closer and there were so many great moments between the two of them. So in this arena, it was kind of a toss-up as to whether I was satisfied or frustrated but I think overall I’m slightly pleased. I think.

The storyline was absolutely amazing. Like, even better than the first book if that’s possible. I also felt like it was a lot less confusing, so that’s a plus. I only had to go back and reread twice just to get a grip on what was happening.

As far as negative elements go, there were, unfortunately, quite a few. Drinking plays a part in the story, and sexual activity is referenced plenty of times. Unmarried people have sex, though it isn’t described in detail.

There is sporadic cursing, including f-bombs (no more than twice). There is a homosexual couple that is together for a lot of the book, and although there isn’t a lot that happens it is referenced quite often and there are moments of flirting/physical contact between them. Not to mention gore and violence, although I don’t think there’s a whole lot of that.

Considering all of these things, I think my consensus rating is three and a half out of five stars. There were a lot of things I didn’t like, making the whole experience rather frustrating. It was kind of like watching “Avengers: Infinity War”. I just want to get on to the next installment so everything can be all better. It was, however, a well-told story, and one that was very interesting to read, even if it went back and forth between being enjoyable to read and making me want to rip my hair out.

SPOILER ALERT

I was also really confused about the whole thing with Tristan. They kept referencing his “demons” and how he killed birds and stuff but I felt like it was never really explained. Like, why did he do that?

What haunted him? Why didn’t anyone know or why did he feel driven to murder birds? I really would have liked if that had been fleshed out more, especially since that was continually referenced.

Then there’s the fact that the ending STRESSED ME OUT. What the heck is happening? Is everything gonna work out or NOT? THESE ARE THINGS I NEED TO KNOW.

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of “Why. Just Why.”

I'm going to be straight up with all of you. I did not love the first book. If it wouldn't have been for that ending with Laila and Severin and the information that exposed about a certain someone really not being the heir, I don't know if I even would have requested this ARC. Thank God I did. When I saw that I was accepted for it, something in me craved it. I immediately picked it up and basically didn't put it down until I was finished.

This book, to me anyway, is a lot different than the first. It's got an edge to it. Our main characters are REELING after the death from the first book and it has all but completely disbanded their once tight-knit group. Their grief throughout the entire book is so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Characters are darker than they once were because of it, and some of the relationships are so strained that it almost makes it hard to breathe, thinking back to it. I don't even usually like these types of books. I guess I must have been in the mood for something a little grittier than my usual fare.

Because this book doesn't come out until February 2020 and anything could change (I really hope it doesn't), I'm not going to get into the plot. All you need to know is that their goal in this one is to find ~the book~ they've been wanting for a while now. They are lead to an extremely unique place to look for it and I enjoyed Chokshi's ability do describe even the most simple of things especially in this instance. She has the ability to make everything seem so much more than it actually is which obviously adds to the magic and mystery of it all.

There were some twists that I certainly DID NOT see coming which is always a delicious thing. We learn so much more about our characters and their pasts and it helped me connect with a few of them way more than I had in the previous book. And. The ending. THE ENDING. Holy crap, guys, it's one of those endings where you can see it happening through multiple sets of eyes so you're finding out different information at different times and I was literally yelling at my Kindle and my husband was getting upset with me because I wouldn't stop to tell him why. Basically I'm almost kind of beating myself up over the fact that I've already read this because now I'm going to have to wait WAY TOO LONG to find out what happens in the last book. And I REALLY. REALLY. need to know.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.♥

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

We are back in the beautiful and lush world but things are very different and somber now. The Silvered Serpents picks up where we left the characters still recovering from their sudden loss.

There is a new search underway to find something that is of equal importance to many. This quest leads them out of Paris and into Russia.

There is a lot of intrigue, scheming and a dangerous leviathan that our cast of characters have to thwart to unravel the mystery of the item they hunt for. For this is literally now life and death.

I love and cherish Roshani’s writing. This was a heartbreaking story and frustrating at times because you just want to shake some of them but that’s not how grief works.

The characters are what I love the most about these books. Even though they are hurting they're still a joy to read. There’s just such wonderful representation and the frustration that feel is very palpable and heavily relatable today.

The only problem I have now is how long I have to wait for the last installment. The ending snuck up on me and stole my breath away.

Roshani Chokshi returns readers to a beautifully crafted world of magic, intrigue, relationships and revenge. Chokshi's lush writing style enhances the complicated relationships and motivations that drive each character, leaving the reader wanting more. The Silvered Serpents narrative feels colder and darker than The Gilded Wolves, picking up flawlessly from the end of the first novel. However, despite the overall darker feel, The Silvered Serpents is most definitely a novel about hope and family -- a light that peeks and pulls at the corner of darkness. Chokshi's work is always a pleasure to read, and The Silvered Serpents is no exception!

I did not really like the first book of this series but i decided to give the second one a try. I really enjoyed this one far more that the first one. I was glued to the page and i flew through this book. I will be recommending this book to my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I wasn't sure how Roshani Chokshi could top The Gilded Wolves, but she didn't disappoint.

Months after the events in The Gilded Wolves, Severin and his team are still reeling from an unexpected loss when they should have been celebrating a victory over the Fallen House. Severin's hunt for a long lost artifact becomes more desperate than ever, as he becomes determined to protect the people left behind. Other members of his team are just as motivated to find the Divine Lyrics, but for another reason entirely. Their search takes them out of Paris and into Russia, where they encounter obstacles placed by their adversaries and by the demons none of them are willing to talk about. The stakes are impossibly high for the mission of their lives.

One of the things I loved most about The Gilded Wolves was the dialogue, and despite the more somber tone of The Silvered Serpents, Chokshi managed to insert banter and witty comments in all the right places. There are just enough moments that remind the reader of the average age of Severin’s team, because for all of their numerous accomplishments and skills, they’re still 20 something year olds who can mourn the loss of sandwiches and name a giant metal leviathan David. Throw in a good ol’ friends to lovers to friends to frenemies to lovers to...enemies? You get the gist - I’m sold.

Another of the many things I love about Roshani Chokshi’s writing is that she doesn’t just throw in representation for representation’s sake - she has her characters get mad and indignant and tired of being seen as background props. Their cultures and heritage shape the way that they see the world and interact with others and it’s just so affirming to see my own indignation and exasperation, and things I’ve actually said, represented in literature. I’ve been in Enrique’s shoes, shouting to be heard. The Silvered Serpents continues the work in The Gilded Wolves and makes me feel seen, and there’s something so powerful about that.
Roshani Chokshi’s writing continues to be incredibly clever in The Silvered Serpents. She places clues in plain sight for readers to try and parce together, and even when I thought I had the twists figured out, she still managed to surprise me. It was impossible to stop reading The Silvered Serpents, and I found myself anxiously awaiting the next moment of free time I could get to read. This is one of those books you seriously won’t be able to put down! (And SERIOUSLY, if anyone’s ready to scream about that ending with me...I’m waiting.)

My full review will be posted on my blog (currently under construction) in October.

Severin, Laila, Enrique, Zofia, Tristan, and Hypnos return with a ferocious tale of double-crossing, lethal heists, and enigmatic puzzles. Roshani Chokshi does a wonderful job of heightening the stakes. Each character undergoes a unique arc. Shocking events push the sextet to the breaking point. I cannot wait to devour the grand finale.

Everything has been building to this book.

We have heists.
We have travel.
We have stakes that are higher than they ever were before.

Also can I just give a shout out to Roshani who knows how to craft beautiful sentences?!?!!?! They aren’t always the type of lines to get tattooed or put on a mug, but they are oftentimes just so beautiful constructed I have to pause and go “wow, that’s amazingly written.”

This book has such a realistic portrayal of grief. I love how each character handles it differently. All of their actions make sense for who they are. You can feel their pain. Understand their motivations.

I think the line "Love does not always wear the face we wish." will have me forever broken tbh. It's such a...haunting and beautiful quote.

There is less banter and lightheartedness in this book than was in the first, but that makes sense given how that book ended. But don’t worry!!! The book still has funny bits:

“Why isn’t he going in?” muttered Hypnos.
“Fear of dismemberment,” said Zofia. “If I were designing thief-catching mechanisms, I would have a device rigged to attack the first three people who entered.”
Hypnos stepped behind Zofia. “Ladies first.”

I love the character arcs. I loved the storyline. The tension. The plot twists. It was grand.

And that ending!!!!! Oof. I’m going to need a bit to recover.

Content Warnings and Trigger Warnings: infertility (prologue), mentions of suicide, mention of stillbirth (chapter five), grief, a person disguises themself as someone else to trick someone into doing sexual things, mentions of child abuse, body mutilation, self-harm for forging purposes, drugging people without their consent, violence, some gore