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erins_bookshelf_'s review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I need the next one like now
That thing with the birds was a bit creepy but I’m assuming Tristan had some kind of mind issue because of that stupid Phobus Helmet so I can’t blame him :(
The action and story of this were incredible I’m really glad I finally picked this up
I got it from my library so I need to buy it but I will be getting the next two from the library I need to know what happens next
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Ableism and Antisemitism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, and Sexual content
lisa_m's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book however reminded me so much of some of my favourite books:
- a found family that reminded me a lot of Six of Crows (especially Kaz & Séverin!)
- a magical Order reminding me a lot of the Shadowhunters
- tattooed vows that reminded me of ACOTAR
- great unique gifts that reminded me of Raybearer
and somehow while reminding me of so many other books and series this book managed to stay unique.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I can't wait for the sequel. The only reason I'm not quite giving it 5 stars is the ending & Séverins behaviour in the end.. Careful: BIG SPOILERS AHEAD! I get that he is hurt and grieving but what he said to Laila is in my opinion pretty unforgivable.. He knew how insecure she was about that and still he said it and didn't even apologise.. so so shitty!! The are both hurt but she did they right thing and overcame her fears while he was just an asshole.
I generally really liked Séverin throughout the book but this just didn't stick right with me..
Also what happened to Tristan was so unexpected and super sad. I usually get emotional very easily while reading but I didn't cry this time. I was sad but not THAT sad. That is also one of the reasons I decided to not give the book 5 stars. It didn't manage to ruin me..
I guess I did like the characters but I wasn't really attached to any of them. I do like though that the other is not afraid of killing of her main characters.
Also I really liked Laila and I think her POV was also always the most interesting to me. I really hope she will stay kind even after what happened because in one of the last chapters we get to see the new her and I have to say I don't like it. She carries her hurt around like a blade and that is so unlike her.
What I probably enjoyed most about this book was the scenery. Paris 1889 but with magic and secret societies.
I still have a lot of questions about the magic system and general world building but I hope that will all be clearer to me when I read the sequels.
I also really enjoyed the Authors Note at the end. What the author said about the Exposition Universelle and "La Belle Epoque" was really interesting. I like that she said you cannot just take the good and ignore the bad and I think you can definitely see that in the book as well. It has the glamour but also the seriousness which you already know I love in my books :)
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
madamenovelist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
alexiab's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh my GOD what an excellent start to a trilogy. The characters are incredible and I love all of them with my whole heart, the plot is interesting and twisty and gOT ME ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT?! the magical world is unique but easy enough to follow, the drama, the humour, all of it is WONDERFUL.
And that ending?! Ripping my heart out more than once, flipping the whole story on its head while also setting up a killer plot for the sequel??
BE STILL MY HEART IM DESPERATELY IN LOVE.
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Self harm and Torture
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi is book one of the Gilded Wolves trilogy. This is the second Chokshi book I've read this year, and I loved it! I flew through the story and now I wish I had the next book!
We get different POVs from each of our characters: Séverin, our ring leader and hotelier trying to get his inheritance back; Tristan , his brother in all but blood who owns a pet tarantula (why did no one warn me about this?!) And loves gardening; Enrique, the historian who is trying to find his place in the world when he fits nowhere; Zofia, the Jewish, neurodivergent engineer with a debt to pay; Laila, a performer with a secret and a quest; and Hypnos, the Patriarch of House Nyx (although we don't get his pov until the end).
This was such a fun read! It's like if Six of Crows met Indiana Jones/antiques roadshow. The story is set in the Beautiful Era in Paris where opulence, science, and industry are flourishing. Chokshi gives us such an illustrious setting, but doesn't shy away from the horror that was also present at this time due to racism and colonialism. We get a heist and found family trope. All each of these characters want is to belong, to have a family, for them to all be together.
I loved all of the character moments we get throughout the book. I love all of the small, but loving things they do for each other. Like Laila makes sure she is always clear with her instructions to Zofia and brings her favorite cookies. Séverin is our broody, handsome guy that keeps pushing his feelings down about Laila (serious Kanej vibes). Hypnos is my favorite! He's charming, annoying, and chaotically bisexual. I love how flamboyant he is. I really need for Hypnos, Enrique, and Zofia to be poly.
So. Many. Mixed. Race. Characters! Both Séverin and Hypnos are the sons of enslaved women and French noblemen, and this plays a role in how they are treated in society. Enrique is Filipino and Spanish, but his features appear more Spanish and so he suffers from not feeling Filipino enough and we see this reinforced when he is brushed off by the Illustrados. I also didn't realize that Chokshi herself is mixed race, being Indian and Filipino. I think this is also the first book I've read that had Tagalog in it.
Now I need to get my hands on book two! This definitely a new favorite for sure.
Graphic: Death, Self harm, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Antisemitism
lavenderbluestories's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Cultural appropriation
kaitlinlovesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Racism, Blood, Antisemitism, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
stephbakerbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
We get four main POVs and enough world-building to set the stage. A lot of history—real history from 1889 Paris—mixed with the magic. I will admit to being a little confused at some descriptions, but it didn't detract from my understanding of the plot or enjoyment of the book. It has a slower start, but things really pick up around the middle of the book and don't slow down until the end.
I loved these characters. Some of them took a little while to get to know, but this is a great found-family read with each member having a distinct personality and complexities. I loved the development, loved the ups and downs. Zofia might be my favorite.
I've read two other books by this author—years ago, so I don't really remember them, but I can definitely say this one is my favorite of hers. I did read this book because it was compared to Six of Crows, but that's probably unfair to this book. Was it as good as Six of Crows? No, but it's different...so I don't think it's a fair comparison. And I'm hoping these characters get even more time to steal my heart in the next two books!
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racism, and Antisemitism
karambit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Torture, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Gore, Miscarriage, Self harm, and Death of parent
rebeccaxpaige's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Colonisation