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jackpep's review against another edition
2.0
I could see the appeal, which is why I bought it–but it failed to keep my attention. I'm usually pretty good about getting through books but this was a real struggle. Heavy amounts of confusing info dumps and a lack of sympathetic, relatable, or even likable characters are the most likely culprits for me.
phoebe_the_titan_of_prophecy's review against another edition
2.0
lets start with the good, i really enjoyed the worldbuilding and all of the puzzles were cool.
now the bad, someone told me that it was like six of crows, it was not, in a bad way. but they had someone have an eagle on a cane, they owned a hotel, and the love interest was basicly great value inej. something else why would they kill tristan i liked that dude, but sadly he is dead. i did like the arsonist lady though.
now the bad, someone told me that it was like six of crows, it was not, in a bad way. but they had someone have an eagle on a cane, they owned a hotel, and the love interest was basicly great value inej. something else why would they kill tristan i liked that dude, but sadly he is dead. i did like the arsonist lady though.
chou520's review against another edition
3.0
very cool concept, lukewarm execution
i really liked how the author incorporated the reality of colonialism and white / western supremacy into their fantasy setting — a lot of fantasy novels set in history ignore this glaring fact, so i feel like this could’ve been So good
unfortunately it was not … while a big part of the book + the characters motivations followed around the lines of taking back what’s rightfully yours, their commitment to this feels lackluster at best, and is never fully explained. a lot of the development of the story and characters happens before the novel begins, which can be an interesting plot device if done right but terribly unilluminating if done wrong (this book was the latter).
the main character severin, half french half north african, spends the whole book motivated by wanting to take back his birthright inheritance which was stolen from him by the french. it’s his sole personality trait, but then at the end he just suddenly abandons the Sole chance presented him at achieving this… why…… through that action his entire already one dimensional character is undermined.. seriously this guy was so annoying and totally unlikeable to Me… he treats everyone terribly and is so self righteous despite (spoiler alert) the entire basis of his ego ending up being a lie . i was pretty disappointed by him because i was actually pretty excited for MENA representation in a novel like this
the other characters have similar flaws. they Tell us their motivations, but never show us why it’s their driving force, and moreover why the reader should care. a lot of characters are built on common cliches (the logician, the smart dorky nerd type, etc etc) but cliches only work if they ultimately become subversive to the readers expectations. unfortunately the characters never seem to deviate from their one dimensional basis, and when they do, it feels so nonsensical (see above)
it makes them very caricatural. the only mildly interesting ones, enrique and laila, still seem kind of flat. enrique is half spanish half filipino and his main aim is to join the local filipino effort in resisting spanish colonization. v cool concept, but we’re never really shown why he feels so strongly about this movement and what his experience being mixed entails. it’s hinted at, but left much to be desired. we’re never told about his past, so his character was just confusing (but so slayful and had the best one liners !). i also didn’t like how his character kind of played into the ‘bisexual who can’t pick’ trope like i don’t think the author intended it but umm ok it certainly came off that way. laila was the character with the best depth imo, and i don’t have much criticism other than her interest in the main character. what exactly does she see in him eeekkk….. they fell in love before the story began and part of me feels like the author did this on purpose because she knows there’s nothing she could write that could possibly convince us that severin has any amorous quality to him
the romance between severin and laila was definitely one of the worst parts and extremely Cringe. believe me when i say i kind of rooted for them at first but the development was so disappointing and the trope of we-can-be-together-but-let’s-just-not is the worst. like there is literally nothing stopping you guys from expressing your love. their only reason was ‘ahh it’ll distract us from our ambitions’ umm you’re both like 17 i think you have the capability to multitask
the plot was also confusing at times, the setting wasn’t conveyed very well despite being fascinating in theory, and things went a little too perfectly. the heist was the center of the story, but it’s hard to care about a heist that doesn’t seem to have any solid obstacles . theyre stealing from one of the largest and most powerful organizations in the west, but it’s hard to feel concerned for the characters when this organization can’t even supply proper protection for their treasures like come on u guys really couldn’t even hire a guard or something…… why are the treasure spots always conveniently barren of people . the apex of the novel is a certain characters death, and this death causes great turmoil within the plot and the remaining living cast. but the character who died was about as interesting as a napkin (which is to say Not interesting at all) so i really couldn’t care less at his death honestly .. like that sucks i guess :(
overall i really enjoyed the diversity of the main cast and a lot of relevant points were raised about the idea of ownership, but for every well crafted concept was another half baked one. i’m still gonna read the next one though because i have Hope that all the cool ideas will be more developed
i really liked how the author incorporated the reality of colonialism and white / western supremacy into their fantasy setting — a lot of fantasy novels set in history ignore this glaring fact, so i feel like this could’ve been So good
unfortunately it was not … while a big part of the book + the characters motivations followed around the lines of taking back what’s rightfully yours, their commitment to this feels lackluster at best, and is never fully explained. a lot of the development of the story and characters happens before the novel begins, which can be an interesting plot device if done right but terribly unilluminating if done wrong (this book was the latter).
the main character severin, half french half north african, spends the whole book motivated by wanting to take back his birthright inheritance which was stolen from him by the french. it’s his sole personality trait, but then at the end he just suddenly abandons the Sole chance presented him at achieving this… why…… through that action his entire already one dimensional character is undermined.. seriously this guy was so annoying and totally unlikeable to Me… he treats everyone terribly and is so self righteous despite (spoiler alert) the entire basis of his ego ending up being a lie . i was pretty disappointed by him because i was actually pretty excited for MENA representation in a novel like this
the other characters have similar flaws. they Tell us their motivations, but never show us why it’s their driving force, and moreover why the reader should care. a lot of characters are built on common cliches (the logician, the smart dorky nerd type, etc etc) but cliches only work if they ultimately become subversive to the readers expectations. unfortunately the characters never seem to deviate from their one dimensional basis, and when they do, it feels so nonsensical (see above)
it makes them very caricatural. the only mildly interesting ones, enrique and laila, still seem kind of flat. enrique is half spanish half filipino and his main aim is to join the local filipino effort in resisting spanish colonization. v cool concept, but we’re never really shown why he feels so strongly about this movement and what his experience being mixed entails. it’s hinted at, but left much to be desired. we’re never told about his past, so his character was just confusing (but so slayful and had the best one liners !). i also didn’t like how his character kind of played into the ‘bisexual who can’t pick’ trope like i don’t think the author intended it but umm ok it certainly came off that way. laila was the character with the best depth imo, and i don’t have much criticism other than her interest in the main character. what exactly does she see in him eeekkk….. they fell in love before the story began and part of me feels like the author did this on purpose because she knows there’s nothing she could write that could possibly convince us that severin has any amorous quality to him
the romance between severin and laila was definitely one of the worst parts and extremely Cringe. believe me when i say i kind of rooted for them at first but the development was so disappointing and the trope of we-can-be-together-but-let’s-just-not is the worst. like there is literally nothing stopping you guys from expressing your love. their only reason was ‘ahh it’ll distract us from our ambitions’ umm you’re both like 17 i think you have the capability to multitask
the plot was also confusing at times, the setting wasn’t conveyed very well despite being fascinating in theory, and things went a little too perfectly. the heist was the center of the story, but it’s hard to care about a heist that doesn’t seem to have any solid obstacles . theyre stealing from one of the largest and most powerful organizations in the west, but it’s hard to feel concerned for the characters when this organization can’t even supply proper protection for their treasures like come on u guys really couldn’t even hire a guard or something…… why are the treasure spots always conveniently barren of people . the apex of the novel is a certain characters death, and this death causes great turmoil within the plot and the remaining living cast. but the character who died was about as interesting as a napkin (which is to say Not interesting at all) so i really couldn’t care less at his death honestly .. like that sucks i guess :(
overall i really enjoyed the diversity of the main cast and a lot of relevant points were raised about the idea of ownership, but for every well crafted concept was another half baked one. i’m still gonna read the next one though because i have Hope that all the cool ideas will be more developed
redheadreading's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
caitlinjohnson's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
The writing still isn't something I'm used to enjoying but after about 30 or so pages, I finally got into it and I was hooked. The entire cast of characters was so easy to love and get attached to, you find yourself rooting for their victories, big and small.
I appreciate that the romance didn't take over the plot, it was there but it wasn't all you focused on when reading. Hypnos and Enrique had been kicking my feet and Laila and Severin had me holding my breath whenever I read one of their scenes. The tension that Roshani Chokshi builds up between her characters is something else entirely.
Zofia was, by far, my favourite character. I found myself finishing her chapters and immediately wanting her POV again.
I appreciate that the romance didn't take over the plot, it was there but it wasn't all you focused on when reading. Hypnos and Enrique had been kicking my feet and Laila and Severin had me holding my breath whenever I read one of their scenes. The tension that Roshani Chokshi builds up between her characters is something else entirely.
Zofia was, by far, my favourite character. I found myself finishing her chapters and immediately wanting her POV again.
clarawasiak's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
bookish_emily's review against another edition
5.0
It's Paris in 1889, and the Exposition Universelle is just around the corner. Séverin Montagnet-Alarie manages a wildly popular hotel by day, and by night "acquires" treasures that once belonged to his now-extinct family House. Everything is going smoothly until one such acquisition traps Séverin in a contract to steal something with potentially world-ending repercussions. He would be lost without the help of his trusty team: Enrique, a historian longing to belong; Zofia, a brilliant scientist who can make sense of math but not people; Laila, a dancer and cook with a magical secret; and Tristan, Séverin's foster brother with an extraordinary gift for plant magic. Will this be the one acquisition that is too much even for these experts?
The Gilded Wolves is an enchanting historical fantasy novel with a host of fantastic characters. I loved experiencing the viewpoints of Séverin, Enrique, Laila, and Zofia, and felt as though I were becoming friends with them as the story progressed. The action and suspense made this book hard to put down, and the explosive ending left me not-so-patiently waiting for the sequel!
The Gilded Wolves is an enchanting historical fantasy novel with a host of fantastic characters. I loved experiencing the viewpoints of Séverin, Enrique, Laila, and Zofia, and felt as though I were becoming friends with them as the story progressed. The action and suspense made this book hard to put down, and the explosive ending left me not-so-patiently waiting for the sequel!
jane_calamity's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Animal death
Moderate: Racism, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and Kidnapping