Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Gilded Wolves

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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cailean_renard's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

0.25

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asuna1930's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book was fantastic! An original, captivating story. My only detraction was that the male narrator sounded like a news anchor 😅

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thelittleoddling's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

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

3.75

While overall I found the diversity done quite well. Though as an autistic reader I was quite disappointed with how stereotypical the autistic representation felt. The best part was the way the others accommodated her needs but otherwise it fell flat.

The magic system is very interesting and unique if a bit confusing, though being the first in a trilogy we have time to dig into it more later, loved the visuals for some of the puzzles, though I wish there were more. Some scenes I struggled to imagine layouts of rooms.

I think this is a good book that is fun if you’re into found family and heist narratives.

It also includes some YA age appropriate discussions of the racism found in 1800s Europe which I think are done well.

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graceicle's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-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

3.5

Didn’t love it as much as I thought I might, not super keen to read the sequel but I might if I can at some point borrow it from the library!
This book is often compared to six of crows, and honestly doesn’t have the same vibes. It’s got a lot of the same tropes, and a similar setting, but it didn’t give me the same feeling. While I like and find the characters interesting, the world building clever, the magic system interesting; the story itself was tricky to follow at times and I struggled to keep focus. I listened to the audible version and LOVED the narration, it was so fun to actually have what felt at least to me (Aussie) like legitimate attempts at French accents for the (largely) French characters-so often everything is delivered in a flat American accent regardless of the characters backgrounds, and I’m so used to that that I really noticed the effort out in here to make that not happen and I think it really helped with the immersion, and definitely made it much easier to tell when the characters are speaking rather than narration, which is sometimes hard to determine in audiobook form!
Overall it’s a good and solid book with some really great elements, but it just didn’t grab me by the throat the way I was hoping.

I enjoyed how explicitly autistic Zofia was, and the way the characters -especially Laila - looked out for her needs and preferences, as well as not enforcing neurotypical responses onto her.

Loved the chaotic love triangle vibes-that’s not usually my thing but that might actually be the thing that tips me over into reading the sequel-to see how they explore that.

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bergha1998's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

If you liked Six of Crows I would wager you would enjoy this book. I did, though Séverin pissed me the fuck off in the end. I loved the diversity of this book, plus all the LGBTQIA+ characters. A book where everyone felt bisexual.

Found Family, LGBTQIA+, Romance Subplots

“He wished he didn’t know what he had lost. Maybe then every day wouldn’t feel like this. As if he had once known how to fly, but the skies had shaken him loose and left him with nothing but the memory of wings.”

“Fear grew in places unlit by knowledge.”

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leahcanread's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious tense 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

3.75

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takarakei's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-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

4 POVs, 6 main characters
Stolen treasures (imperialism)
late 19th century Paris
found family
autism rep (not explicitly stated)
bit of romance

Honestly didn't know what to expect from this and I really enjoyed this. The world building is fascinating, the magic and everyone's backstories were expertly crafted. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

The male audio narrator was not my fav but it didn't completely ruin it for me. There's a lot of visual puzzles that make more sense if you're reading the physical books (because there are diagrams etc)

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