Reviews with content warning for Animal death - The Gilded Wolves

Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

14 reviews

jeyjeyyy's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.0

Very weird pacing and I couldn’t explain the plot if I tried BUT also really fun, nice found family, nice romance and cool magic system so I liked it !
Also loved the historical and anti colonial aspects of the story, as a French it did really push me to question our history more and perhaps see it in a more nuanced way

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nicoleterego's review

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adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Right off the bat, yes, it's a discount 'Six of Crows,' but I don't mind the similarities. In fact, I really want the book to work. The magic system is unique, the characters have potential, and I like the heist plot and the found family trope. However, it just lacks something.

There's too much telling and not enough showing. Severin frustrates me because he's supposed to be the leader of the group, but the book doesn't demonstrate it. In every POV he gets, he just thirsts over Laila and thinks about his worries for the team, revenge, etc., but I did not see him actually doing something about it.

If anything, his actions are always questionable (examples: not being able to recognize a trap twice, ignoring Tristan, rejecting Laila at the end when the book built up their romance repeatedly throughout the whole book; that was so annoying). There were also throw-away scenes like when he went to feed Goliat but ended up, once again, pining for Laila. We didn't even get to know what happened to Tristan's pet. I know it's just a pet, but it could've been nice if the characters eventually learned to like the spider just because of Tristan.

On the other hand, Laila, Enrique, Hypnos, and Sofia are okay; I like them as characters. I love their dynamic and quirks. I just wish we could've seen how they grew close to each other. I felt like the readers were thrown into their dynamic without any backstory on what they went through together to become a solid group.

That's why even if Tristan died at the end, I didn't really feel much. I never got to see how the characters grew to love him and what I should be sad about regarding his death. The dead birds also confused me. I think it should've been a big revelation, but then I don't know him that much, so it didn't have the impact the author expected to have on the readers (or maybe that's just me). There was no setup to his betrayal. Sophia has the greatest potential, but I don't understand what the author wants to achieve with her love triangle with Enrique and Hypnos. Why did she revert back to her old self just because she saw them kiss? Like??? Her infatuation for Enrique shouldn't be the only reason for her to grow as a character. Also, am I the only one who thinks she has neurodivergent traits?

There was so much going on, yet nothing at all. Their plans are told and already in place instead of us being let in on the process of them finding their way to achieve something. That's why the stakes didn't feel real.

The magic system. I finished the book and I still can't understand how Forging works. 😭 LMAO. There are so many words thrown around that the author expects the readers to just understand. The names of the devices and substances just fly around without being explained. I couldn't connect with the world and the magic. It also didn't help that I just finished the Mistborn trilogy, and I kept comparing the way Brandon Sanderson wrote the magic system there.

On the bright side, I really love the Filipino representation. It's refreshing to see my own nationality being represented. Add to the fact that I love Enrique's character (him and Sophia were my faves). I like what the author wants to convey, what they dream of writing about, and I'm so on board with it.

Overall, an ambitious plot and great ideas but lacking proper execution. I hope the next book is better.

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luna_bear's review

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious 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

4.25

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florecita_lectora's review against another edition

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adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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deerlybeloved's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A thrilling and perfectly set-up heist movie in a book format, with more likeable characters and a plot that goes beyond, 'watch people go through lasers'. The cast is beautiful and interesting, the magic system is something to behold, and from the beginning you find yourself desperately hoping the best for the characters you meet.

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hobbithopeful's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense 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

5.0

If you like Six of Crows you're going to love this book! My deepest regret in life will be not reading this sooner.
A historical fantasy set in an alternate history in France The Gilded Wolves follows a found family of lovable and diverse characters. Their primary goal is to help Séverin regain his place as a Patriarch, a title stolen from him when he was younger, and a way to guarantee everyone gets what they most deeply desire. Along the way they plot, heist, and use magically forged objects to achieve their goals. This story follows 6 different characters, all unique with their own backgrounds and complex personalities. It is a testament to the writing talents of Roshani Chokshi that the narrative was easy to follow. I never felt confused or lost, or had the urge to construct a string map to keep track of the plot.
I adored the magic system in this book! All the imagery and inventions were so intricate and beautiful, I felt like I could see all the descriptions around me. It was so cool watching the characters figure out the puzzles, I liked how there were illustrations on the pages so the reader could also try to solve them as well. (Not me though, it is over my head!) I really liked Zofia, it is so great to read books with autism representation. I saw a few reviews not liking how she was written, but I thought it was very accurate. (Especially how sensory adverse she is!) I think it is important to remember there is no right way to be "autistic" and everyone has such a wildly different experience it's impossible to compare.

Favorite Moments: Hypnos being extra, Laila laying a cookie trail, all the clues and puzzles, and Séverin's parental figures depicted as the 7 sins
Least Favorite: The ending *ugly cries*

This book follows strong themes of colonialism, racism, and trying to find your place in a world that only sees you by your race. I highly recommend it, and can't wait till the next book comes in from the library so I can find out what happens next! (Oh yeah, it ends on a bit of a big reveal/cliffhanger, fair warning)

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