Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Gilded Wolves

I understand what this book was trying to be, but it really did not live up to the standard for me. A heist found family style book that is compared to Six of Crows far too often. I think this sits at a 2.5 for me, but I will round it up since it is still better than the other two star books that I have rated.

The issue with this book is that it doesn't really delve too much into developing the characters past their flaws. This book is plot driven more than character driven and that is probably where it loses me. I like the diversity in this book and the colonization discussions but where is the growth? The status quo is more or less maintained by the end of the book without a true catharsis. It just stops, has many time skips and sets up the plot point for the second book in the last time skip.

Some of the plot points were also very messy. I didn't like the references to different mythological things since they didn't have a historical connection, their name is just used to pique interest like the eye of Horus, the Fragments of Babel, the golden ratio/phi.

You can't tell me that they saw the bone clock and didn't bother looking closer at the clock for words OR they knew they were dealing with the Fallen House who spreads messages using the bone clock but never realized that it could be a trap for them?? They read the mind of your friend so of course they would know you had a bone clock in your possession. They literally called it a bone clock, the answer to the riddle was bone, why was time spent on trying to find alternatives?

Alternately, was I supposed to feel something when Tristan died? He added fairly little to the plot for me. I think he may even be resurrected given the nature of the Fallen House with their religious motifs.

I really also did not like the Severin/Laila couple. There are so many allusions to their one night stand but this will they/won't they plot when they obviously will is strange.

The end of the novel also ended with a love triangle of Hypnos -> Enrique -> Zofia. I like that rep, didn't mind this way too much but who knows how it will resolve.

Why did Severin not want to get his house back? Tristan died but three other people were still counting on him rising back in power to meet their goals but nothing is even said about that and it bothered me off since it was just a way to set up the next book as Severin in not the true heir to the house of Vanth.

I don't think I will be picking up the second book but it looks like many others enjoyed it.

Content Warnings