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kiravelan's review against another edition
4.0
was it perfect? well, no. there are some things that just felt... a teeny tiny bit off. or at least lacking. but what mattered most to me was séverinlailazofiaenriquehypnos my little family... loved reading how each of them dealt with grief and their own struggles. love how they love each other despite all of that. love seeing them grow as their own characters (and then regress again, in some cases...) love séverin's dramatic antics even though im pretty sure it caused more trouble than it solved them.
the plot? well don't ask me. i think it was okay, picked up where it left off in tgw etc etc. the end goal is still pretty much the same, but the why changed because of the loss they suffered, so there was.. some interesting dynamic changes. the.. mysteries and riddles and stuff was fun. morbid and fascinating although not that... groundbreaking to me but it's still interesting to see how everything was put together.
the plot? well don't ask me. i think it was okay, picked up where it left off in tgw etc etc. the end goal is still pretty much the same, but the why changed because of the loss they suffered, so there was.. some interesting dynamic changes. the.. mysteries and riddles and stuff was fun. morbid and fascinating although not that... groundbreaking to me but it's still interesting to see how everything was put together.
thealbatrossreads's review against another edition
5.0
i am fairly certain that this is one of the best series i have ever read!!!
at first the gilded wolves might look a lot like six of crows, but they couldn’t be more different. the plot, the writing, the characters of this series are all completely amazing! it’s true at first the plot might be a bit confusing till you adjust to everything, but that wasn’t a problem and you soon realise how smart this book is. the world-building, the heists and every little detail about the characters are well planned and give the series a unique side that you don’t see in ya anymore.
i finally felt a connection with these characters and the main characters weren’t just “quirky” and “dark”, but complex and interesting, something else that I loved about the characters is that their flaws were showed as well which makes them even better.
the plot was genius at its finest in both books, the plot twist and little clues were unexpected, but smartly placed and the description of every little detail, especially the sleeping palace in the second book give you the impression that you’re actually there, like I could see the ice animals and yes, the dead girls too.
lastly I want to add that this series is so underrated and doesn’t get enough appreciation. I loved how it dealt with grief, showed from everyone’s perspective, love and society problems in that century, that some ya books don’t always address. can’t wait for the third book!!!
at first the gilded wolves might look a lot like six of crows, but they couldn’t be more different. the plot, the writing, the characters of this series are all completely amazing! it’s true at first the plot might be a bit confusing till you adjust to everything, but that wasn’t a problem and you soon realise how smart this book is. the world-building, the heists and every little detail about the characters are well planned and give the series a unique side that you don’t see in ya anymore.
i finally felt a connection with these characters and the main characters weren’t just “quirky” and “dark”, but complex and interesting, something else that I loved about the characters is that their flaws were showed as well which makes them even better.
the plot was genius at its finest in both books, the plot twist and little clues were unexpected, but smartly placed and the description of every little detail, especially the sleeping palace in the second book give you the impression that you’re actually there, like I could see the ice animals and yes, the dead girls too.
lastly I want to add that this series is so underrated and doesn’t get enough appreciation. I loved how it dealt with grief, showed from everyone’s perspective, love and society problems in that century, that some ya books don’t always address. can’t wait for the third book!!!
readingwithrae's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars.
okay, confession. i read the first book in this series so long ago i had to look up a synopsis online because i could not remember anything that happened. all i remember is that i found the first book tedious and a bit boring up until the end, where everything happened within the last ~50 pages. i really didn't think i'd even continue the series, but my completionist ass couldn't let it go. and so, here we are.
y'all, i'm so glad i picked this up. the silvered serpents is, in my opinion, so much better to its predecessor. you can really see how chokshi has grown as a writer; everything is smoother, the pacing issues from the first book are (mostly) fixed, and every character felt more fleshed out than book one. i adored reading about this group of misfits again (especially enrique, who is and will forever be my favorite). and the ending?! HELLO?! i immediately picked up the third book because i need to know how this all ends.
i guess the reason this isn't a 5-star is because there's still some issues. being in the same place for the entirety of the book made the middle drag a bit (though not nearly as much as the first book), and maybe i'm just dumb, but i still found the world rather confusing. but this still was a great sequel, and i really hope the finale is good *fingers crossed*.
okay, confession. i read the first book in this series so long ago i had to look up a synopsis online because i could not remember anything that happened. all i remember is that i found the first book tedious and a bit boring up until the end, where everything happened within the last ~50 pages. i really didn't think i'd even continue the series, but my completionist ass couldn't let it go. and so, here we are.
y'all, i'm so glad i picked this up. the silvered serpents is, in my opinion, so much better to its predecessor. you can really see how chokshi has grown as a writer; everything is smoother, the pacing issues from the first book are (mostly) fixed, and every character felt more fleshed out than book one. i adored reading about this group of misfits again (especially enrique, who is and will forever be my favorite).
Spoiler
and there was something so addicting about watching séverin descend into his own madness after tristan's death, walling himself off to those he loves most in a feeble attempt to save them.i guess the reason this isn't a 5-star is because there's still some issues. being in the same place for the entirety of the book made the middle drag a bit (though not nearly as much as the first book), and maybe i'm just dumb, but i still found the world rather confusing. but this still was a great sequel, and i really hope the finale is good *fingers crossed*.
worldsunlikeourown's review against another edition
5.0
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
4.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and Edelweiss for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“What he had done had not looked like love. But then again, love did not always wear a face of beauty.”
The Fallen House was successfully thwarted in the catacombs of Paris, but the terrible events that followed still haunts Séverin and his crew. Tristan’s death has hit all of them hard, and they have mostly gone their separate ways. Desperate to put things right, Séverin gathers them together for one last job – to find the legendary Sleeping Palace where the lost treasures of the Fallen House are rumoured to be hidden, and with it, a tome known as The Divine Lyrics which supposedly grants it’s owner the power of God. But as their hunt leads them out of Paris and into the icy expanse of Siberia, they must face not only the deadly obstacles and traps laid by their enemies, but also the demons of their own pasts in this sequel where the stakes are higher than ever.
I think I’ve been sitting on this ARC for over 10 months now, which has been quite the task. It’s really annoying that what should have been a February release got pushed back all the way to September, because I’d forgotten most of the story. Word of advice – reread The Gilded Wolves before starting on this, or atleast one of the many recaps available online. This book picks up where the previous one left off and expects the reader to be caught up on the story as it doesn’t spend too much time rehashing events that have already happened.
After the roller coaster that was The Gilded Wolves, I was expecting this to be good, but wow – that was more than anything I thought of. The writing and world-building is as stunning as ever, this time set in Russia, and the clues that lead our crew to a mysterious palace of ice. I loved how the Sleeping Palace was described, with its wonders, hidden dangers and long held secrets, and I could nearly visualize it. This book was much faster paced, considering it was more of a treasure hunt, yet perfectly balanced with some amazing character growth. Although they’ve all fallen into what seems to be a familiar rhythm of a job, there is so much more going on internally that each of them is dealing with.
“I wish, in war, there were no need for casualties. And yet, no one is truly safe. When the devil waged war in the heavens, even the angels had to fall.”
While the plot of this book is about finding the lost treasures and ultimately The Divine Lyrics, in some ways, it is even more about the journey our characters are making to get there. Each of them seeks the book for a different reason. Séverin hopes to set things right with the power of Godhood and protect his friends, whereas for Laila, the book is her last chance to escape her fast-approaching death.
The Silvered Serpents is significantly darker in both mood and dialogue, and the light-hearted banter of the first book is much diminished. Yet, Roshani Chokshi manages to insert witty repartee in all the right places to lift the mood of the story without detracting from the overarching grief and loss that is at the core of this book. It is truly one of the most realistic portrayals of grief I’ve come across. Each of the crew is dealing with it in different ways and this is the driving force behind their motivations and actions. Laila is attempting to reconcile herself with her imminent death, Enrique continues to struggle with his biracial identity and fitting in, Hypnos longs to belong in the group, Zofia deals with her sister’s poor health and her efforts to come out of her shell and a grieving and deeply haunted Séverin is being his worst brooding and secretive self, closing himself off from the others, and internalizing everything.
We already know from the ending of The Gilded Wolves that Séverin is not in fact the true heir to House Vanth, and the truth behind that was one huge reveal I was looking forward to. Let’s just say it was sufficiently shocking and then some and ok, I was expecting a cliffhanger, but did it really have to be that evil? The last couple of chapters completely blew me away and I do hope it won’t be another year and a half before I can get my hands on what promises to be a spectacular finale. The Silvered Serpents was a spectacular read and the strength of this story remains in its amazing characters, so much so that my attention was more on their arcs than the quest to find the artifact. This is one book I did not want to put down as I tried to piece together the delightfully intricate clues and twists. If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly recommend it, and this book especially, because this is what a sequel done right looks like!
4.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and Edelweiss for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“What he had done had not looked like love. But then again, love did not always wear a face of beauty.”
The Fallen House was successfully thwarted in the catacombs of Paris, but the terrible events that followed still haunts Séverin and his crew. Tristan’s death has hit all of them hard, and they have mostly gone their separate ways. Desperate to put things right, Séverin gathers them together for one last job – to find the legendary Sleeping Palace where the lost treasures of the Fallen House are rumoured to be hidden, and with it, a tome known as The Divine Lyrics which supposedly grants it’s owner the power of God. But as their hunt leads them out of Paris and into the icy expanse of Siberia, they must face not only the deadly obstacles and traps laid by their enemies, but also the demons of their own pasts in this sequel where the stakes are higher than ever.
I think I’ve been sitting on this ARC for over 10 months now, which has been quite the task. It’s really annoying that what should have been a February release got pushed back all the way to September, because I’d forgotten most of the story. Word of advice – reread The Gilded Wolves before starting on this, or atleast one of the many recaps available online. This book picks up where the previous one left off and expects the reader to be caught up on the story as it doesn’t spend too much time rehashing events that have already happened.
After the roller coaster that was The Gilded Wolves, I was expecting this to be good, but wow – that was more than anything I thought of. The writing and world-building is as stunning as ever, this time set in Russia, and the clues that lead our crew to a mysterious palace of ice. I loved how the Sleeping Palace was described, with its wonders, hidden dangers and long held secrets, and I could nearly visualize it. This book was much faster paced, considering it was more of a treasure hunt, yet perfectly balanced with some amazing character growth. Although they’ve all fallen into what seems to be a familiar rhythm of a job, there is so much more going on internally that each of them is dealing with.
“I wish, in war, there were no need for casualties. And yet, no one is truly safe. When the devil waged war in the heavens, even the angels had to fall.”
While the plot of this book is about finding the lost treasures and ultimately The Divine Lyrics, in some ways, it is even more about the journey our characters are making to get there. Each of them seeks the book for a different reason. Séverin hopes to set things right with the power of Godhood and protect his friends, whereas for Laila, the book is her last chance to escape her fast-approaching death.
The Silvered Serpents is significantly darker in both mood and dialogue, and the light-hearted banter of the first book is much diminished. Yet, Roshani Chokshi manages to insert witty repartee in all the right places to lift the mood of the story without detracting from the overarching grief and loss that is at the core of this book. It is truly one of the most realistic portrayals of grief I’ve come across. Each of the crew is dealing with it in different ways and this is the driving force behind their motivations and actions. Laila is attempting to reconcile herself with her imminent death, Enrique continues to struggle with his biracial identity and fitting in, Hypnos longs to belong in the group, Zofia deals with her sister’s poor health and her efforts to come out of her shell and a grieving and deeply haunted Séverin is being his worst brooding and secretive self, closing himself off from the others, and internalizing everything.
We already know from the ending of The Gilded Wolves that Séverin is not in fact the true heir to House Vanth, and the truth behind that was one huge reveal I was looking forward to. Let’s just say it was sufficiently shocking and then some and ok, I was expecting a cliffhanger, but did it really have to be that evil? The last couple of chapters completely blew me away and I do hope it won’t be another year and a half before I can get my hands on what promises to be a spectacular finale. The Silvered Serpents was a spectacular read and the strength of this story remains in its amazing characters, so much so that my attention was more on their arcs than the quest to find the artifact. This is one book I did not want to put down as I tried to piece together the delightfully intricate clues and twists. If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly recommend it, and this book especially, because this is what a sequel done right looks like!
berliozdragon's review against another edition
5.0
again couldnt put it down !! its so beautifully written i dont get attached to books or characters very easily but i really have become attached to them and these books. also zofiaenrique !!!
iceboundreader's review against another edition
4.0
Book 2 picks up in the aftermath of the ending of book 1.
I was able to get into this one right away. Severin slowly coming undone and pushing everyone away was heartbreaking.
The pace picks up as the search for the mysterious book everyone seems to want a piece of takes them all the way to Russia.
New people are brought in but can they be trusted?
Again another cliff hanger ending that makes me wish I had book 3 already.
I was able to get into this one right away. Severin slowly coming undone and pushing everyone away was heartbreaking.
The pace picks up as the search for the mysterious book everyone seems to want a piece of takes them all the way to Russia.
New people are brought in but can they be trusted?
Again another cliff hanger ending that makes me wish I had book 3 already.
apenguinkeeper's review against another edition
5.0
ALRIGHT. WHAT.
First off, what a wild ride. I was kept very invested nearly the entire book.
Good on Laila for finally telling SOMEONE she's dying. But did it have to be Enrique who told Severin??? THAT HURTED.
KILLING EVERYONE OFF WAS JUST A POWER MOVE BY THE AUTHOR AT THIS POINT. Never rest easy in these books. I've never felt more attacked by the author of a novel in my life. And cutting it off before they're clearly going to come back to life?? RUDE. VERY RUDE.
Anyway highly recommend this trilogy. Have fun y'all.
First off, what a wild ride. I was kept very invested nearly the entire book.
Anyway highly recommend this trilogy. Have fun y'all.
sailor_marmar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.25