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moonlightreads007's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
4.75
I definitely needed some time to digest this one after that ending - oh god, that ending... ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
Overall, I found this book to be much more action-packed compared with the previous one in the series - in the first book, the author was clearly providing background information and setting the stage for the events that would folllow. The beginning of this second book in the series was very engaging, and I found that the author was able to maintain suspense throughout. I love how the characters grow closer to one another, and their character development is readily observable (with the exception of Sévérin - I really didn't like his behaviour in this book tbh). The middle and ending parts were full of adventure, investigations, action and peril. The descriptions are exceptionally intricate and detailed; the story progression and plot are very well developed and organized. Be warned, the ending gets really dark (no spoilers this time though, I promise). Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who liked "The Gilded Wolves" and other similar books with themes of adventure, danger, friendships and mystery.
Overall, I found this book to be much more action-packed compared with the previous one in the series - in the first book, the author was clearly providing background information and setting the stage for the events that would folllow. The beginning of this second book in the series was very engaging, and I found that the author was able to maintain suspense throughout. I love how the characters grow closer to one another, and their character development is readily observable (with the exception of Sévérin - I really didn't like his behaviour in this book tbh). The middle and ending parts were full of adventure, investigations, action and peril. The descriptions are exceptionally intricate and detailed; the story progression and plot are very well developed and organized. Be warned, the ending gets really dark (no spoilers this time though, I promise). Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who liked "The Gilded Wolves" and other similar books with themes of adventure, danger, friendships and mystery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Antisemitism and Racism
Minor: Infertility and Miscarriage
karambit's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Kidnapping, Racism, Blood, Death, Violence, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Gore, Alcohol, Confinement, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Infertility, Cultural appropriation, and Self harm
discworldwitch's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Racism, Antisemitism, and Terminal illness
Minor: Confinement, Miscarriage, Infertility, and Child abuse
literarypenguin's review
adventurous
emotional
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
5.0
I am dead!
The Silvered Serpents is the sequel and second book of The Gilded Wolves series. This book has taken everything I loved from The Gilded Wolves and ramped it up tenfold. The characters, the writing and the plot were all bumped up majorly from the first book. This has truly cemented my love for this series and made this series one of my favorite series of all time.
Plot/Writing
The plot has our crew dealing with a tremendous and devastating loss from the last book. Everyone is dealing with grief in very different ways but also working to find out more about The Fallen House and what their plans are. They team up for what most of them think will be their last acquisition together, unfortunately fate has different plans for them as they make their way to the cold landscape of Russia.
The way grief was written in this book was so well done and very beautiful. It showed the different ways people show grief and what they choose to do with that emotion. Also Roshani's descriptions of a scene was so engaging and made me even more immersed in this book. She also showed the damage that can be done by grief and what it can do to that person and the people they love the most. The emotions just oozed off the pages and you could feel characters anger or disappointment at each other without them having to say a word. I loved the underlining message of how objects of our history are very important and should not be destroyed or sold for profit but us humans cant help our greed sometimes or our need for power. The humor was spot on as well, several moments made me laugh and was a very welcome presence among the sorrow that made up the majority of the book.
Atmosphere/Setting
The setting was a bit lackluster then the beauty and splendor of the first but the descriptions were still very detailed and I could picture the harsh landscape of Russia in my head. I wish we could have had more locations instead of being in The Sleeping Palace the whole book. The Palace itself sounded like a once beautiful and lovely home but overtime it has become cold and uninviting. I could feel the freezing temperatures coming off the pages and there were times that I thought the characters were in grave danger and would not be able to escape.
Characters
Severin, The Leader- Severin goes through so much in this book! He became lost after Tristan's death and put most of the blame for what happened on himself and his failure to listen. He was so stricken with grief that he locked his emotions tight within himself and refused to let them show. He even pushed his team away, especially Laila. His motive for wanting The Divine Lyrics was to become a god so that he could grant his team what they desired and not have to feel emotions ever again. Over time though his cold exterior started to melt away and in the end he realized what it truly meant to be a god and discovered his true purpose. It was very surprising to discover that he had the bloodline needed to use the Divine Lyrics and I hope that he will use this power for the right reasons and not to destroy the world. I hope that he can start coping with Tristan's death and understand that it wasnt his fault. That he did protect him and he continues to protect people.
Laila, L'Enigme- Laila has dealt with Tristan's death by trying to distance herself from the crew and Severin as much as she possibly can. Her feelings for Severin are still very strong but they are also changing as she sees Severin change for the worst. She deals with her potential death by trying to make every moment she has left count and she even gathers up the courage to tell Zofia and Enrique. She thinks about her past alot, from the undying love of her mother to her disconnected and cold father. She even thinks that she is the one to use the Divine Lyrics to hopefully extend her life but finds out it will kill her if she even gets near it.
Enrique, The Historian- All he wants is to be listened to. Enrique has buried himself into his work and his ever growing need to impress The Illustrados. When a rejection letter, that he later learns was set up by Severin so that he might stay at L'Eden, crushes his self esteem he tries to show people that there is more to him then just a man who knows alot about history. He does learn the value of his worth as he saves the team and accepts his growing feelings for Zofia.
Zofia, The Phoenix- Zofia leaves L'Eden to go back home to care for her ill sister Hela. Zofia struggles with trying to find out where she fits in a world not equipped for someone like her. She tries to avoid becoming a burden to people and even comes out of her comfort zone to help her friends. She does everything in her power to help Laila and slowly comes to realize that she has feelings for Enrique. She does not want anyone else to die and doesn't know if she can handle another loss.
Hypnos, The Patriarch- We got to know Hypnos a bit more in this book but I still hope in the third book we get a couple of chapters in his pov. He is such a funny, charming but complex character. He tries desperately to fit in to the group and tries to fit into a role that is not his to fit into. He does nothing but kind things for the group but continues to be shunned especially by Severin. I think he is very lonely and has not had very many friends of his choosing growing up. I think he also tries to put on a act to impress people so that they may like him. It is very clear that he would do anything for the group and loves them like family.
The Relationships
Severin/Laila- OMG! This romance is so good! These two clearly love each other but dont want to pursue anything for fear of losing what they have. Severin doesn't want to be close to Laila because in his own way he puts blame on her. He wishes he wouldnt have jumped in front of her when he needed to jump in front of Tristan. He is scared to love her but finds himself giving into her more and more. Laila pushes Severin away for fear of her death breaking his already fragile heart. The addition of Eva built up the tension even more and added more depth to the already detailed romance. What Severin does to save Laila shows me just how much he loves her and how much he always will.
Hypnos/Enrique, Enrique/ Zofia- I love the romance blossoming between Zofia and Enrique. It is so cute and adorable. They both understand each other so well and work together beautifully. It was such a joy to read both of them coming to the realization of their feelings. I hope they admit this to each other in the next book. Enrique also realizes that Hypnos and him both need someone to love them and unfortunately breaks up with Hypnos. Hypnos saw Enrique as a casual affair more then a serious relationship when Enrique wanted something more. I hope this relationship teaches Hypnos more about love and how to love someone. I hope he finds his special someone.
This was a superb sequel to a great trilogy and I can not wait to read the next book. I am both sad to see this series end but excited to see where are team ends up and what trouble they get into next!
The Silvered Serpents is the sequel and second book of The Gilded Wolves series. This book has taken everything I loved from The Gilded Wolves and ramped it up tenfold. The characters, the writing and the plot were all bumped up majorly from the first book. This has truly cemented my love for this series and made this series one of my favorite series of all time.
Plot/Writing
The plot has our crew dealing with a tremendous and devastating loss from the last book. Everyone is dealing with grief in very different ways but also working to find out more about The Fallen House and what their plans are. They team up for what most of them think will be their last acquisition together, unfortunately fate has different plans for them as they make their way to the cold landscape of Russia.
The way grief was written in this book was so well done and very beautiful. It showed the different ways people show grief and what they choose to do with that emotion. Also Roshani's descriptions of a scene was so engaging and made me even more immersed in this book. She also showed the damage that can be done by grief and what it can do to that person and the people they love the most. The emotions just oozed off the pages and you could feel characters anger or disappointment at each other without them having to say a word. I loved the underlining message of how objects of our history are very important and should not be destroyed or sold for profit but us humans cant help our greed sometimes or our need for power. The humor was spot on as well, several moments made me laugh and was a very welcome presence among the sorrow that made up the majority of the book.
Atmosphere/Setting
The setting was a bit lackluster then the beauty and splendor of the first but the descriptions were still very detailed and I could picture the harsh landscape of Russia in my head. I wish we could have had more locations instead of being in The Sleeping Palace the whole book. The Palace itself sounded like a once beautiful and lovely home but overtime it has become cold and uninviting. I could feel the freezing temperatures coming off the pages and there were times that I thought the characters were in grave danger and would not be able to escape.
Characters
Severin, The Leader- Severin goes through so much in this book! He became lost after Tristan's death and put most of the blame for what happened on himself and his failure to listen. He was so stricken with grief that he locked his emotions tight within himself and refused to let them show. He even pushed his team away, especially Laila. His motive for wanting The Divine Lyrics was to become a god so that he could grant his team what they desired and not have to feel emotions ever again. Over time though his cold exterior started to melt away and in the end he realized what it truly meant to be a god and discovered his true purpose. It was very surprising to discover that he had the bloodline needed to use the Divine Lyrics and I hope that he will use this power for the right reasons and not to destroy the world. I hope that he can start coping with Tristan's death and understand that it wasnt his fault. That he did protect him and he continues to protect people.
Laila, L'Enigme- Laila has dealt with Tristan's death by trying to distance herself from the crew and Severin as much as she possibly can. Her feelings for Severin are still very strong but they are also changing as she sees Severin change for the worst. She deals with her potential death by trying to make every moment she has left count and she even gathers up the courage to tell Zofia and Enrique. She thinks about her past alot, from the undying love of her mother to her disconnected and cold father. She even thinks that she is the one to use the Divine Lyrics to hopefully extend her life but finds out it will kill her if she even gets near it.
Enrique, The Historian- All he wants is to be listened to. Enrique has buried himself into his work and his ever growing need to impress The Illustrados. When a rejection letter, that he later learns was set up by Severin so that he might stay at L'Eden, crushes his self esteem he tries to show people that there is more to him then just a man who knows alot about history. He does learn the value of his worth as he saves the team and accepts his growing feelings for Zofia.
Zofia, The Phoenix- Zofia leaves L'Eden to go back home to care for her ill sister Hela. Zofia struggles with trying to find out where she fits in a world not equipped for someone like her. She tries to avoid becoming a burden to people and even comes out of her comfort zone to help her friends. She does everything in her power to help Laila and slowly comes to realize that she has feelings for Enrique. She does not want anyone else to die and doesn't know if she can handle another loss.
Hypnos, The Patriarch- We got to know Hypnos a bit more in this book but I still hope in the third book we get a couple of chapters in his pov. He is such a funny, charming but complex character. He tries desperately to fit in to the group and tries to fit into a role that is not his to fit into. He does nothing but kind things for the group but continues to be shunned especially by Severin. I think he is very lonely and has not had very many friends of his choosing growing up. I think he also tries to put on a act to impress people so that they may like him. It is very clear that he would do anything for the group and loves them like family.
The Relationships
Severin/Laila- OMG! This romance is so good! These two clearly love each other but dont want to pursue anything for fear of losing what they have. Severin doesn't want to be close to Laila because in his own way he puts blame on her. He wishes he wouldnt have jumped in front of her when he needed to jump in front of Tristan. He is scared to love her but finds himself giving into her more and more. Laila pushes Severin away for fear of her death breaking his already fragile heart. The addition of Eva built up the tension even more and added more depth to the already detailed romance. What Severin does to save Laila shows me just how much he loves her and how much he always will.
Hypnos/Enrique, Enrique/ Zofia- I love the romance blossoming between Zofia and Enrique. It is so cute and adorable. They both understand each other so well and work together beautifully. It was such a joy to read both of them coming to the realization of their feelings. I hope they admit this to each other in the next book. Enrique also realizes that Hypnos and him both need someone to love them and unfortunately breaks up with Hypnos. Hypnos saw Enrique as a casual affair more then a serious relationship when Enrique wanted something more. I hope this relationship teaches Hypnos more about love and how to love someone. I hope he finds his special someone.
This was a superb sequel to a great trilogy and I can not wait to read the next book. I am both sad to see this series end but excited to see where are team ends up and what trouble they get into next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, and Child abuse
Moderate: Antisemitism and Chronic illness
Minor: Miscarriage and Infertility
achingallover's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Rape, Terminal illness, and Xenophobia
bookish_otaku's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.0
4/5 stars
I must say I really enjoyed how the relationships and characters were developed further in this book. I would say Zofia was the character I liked most in book one because of the insight we got to her character and insecurities, and in this book (though I absolutely still love her) I think Enrique unexpectedly shined the brightest for me! Of course, Laila's back story and her romance with Severin is riveting and really yanks those heartstrings, but I don't know why, I found Enrique's story more... Resonant. An aspect I liked, as it displays Chokshi's ability to deepen multiple characters at a time.
The romantic angst was nice, but at times I found myself having to remind myself why there was angst. "Why is Severin being dumb again?" Then I'd habe to justify it because he has a reason, I just can never remember what it is and find it hard to buy when I do remember. To me, this felt like a sign that we needed better time learning about Severin and his own thoughts. The ending section was good, especially in showing us how he thinks, but I feel like sometimes there was this reliance on inserted back story about his fathers that didn't always have the clearest connection with the plot, or didn't seem supepr relevant. And then it didn't follow through and go through each sin like it had in the first book which just left me kind of confused.
I don't know, Severin and Laila's arcs just felt too straightforward whereas the other characters had more nuanced struggles. I like when we see Laila struggling with her own identity and if she considers herself "real" but feel there could have been a much deeper exploration. Severin was obviously upset about Tristan, and I think his desire for godhood was fine, but I'd love to know more about him feeling misunderstood. A little detail that was touched upon nicely and in such a wonderful metaphor of monsters and gods at the end. Seeing how the smallest but most basic of human desires morph and form our actions. With Laila, it would be her desire to be loved. We already know Hypnos wants belonging in more than one way, Enrique to be heard, and Zofia to not be made to feel as if she doesn't fit. All just different sides of the same die, differentiated in nuance to become a completely different menifestation in their characters. Hoping we get more of that in book three.
Now of course, the plot was mwa chef kiss as always. Chokshi really does a nice job with her historical heist plots. And the twists? Loved it. I can't say I was too shocked, but it felt more like a satisfying click of a missing puzzle piece fitting into place. I was worried this book would fall into second bridge book syndrome, but I'm so glad it didn't and if anything, was a great build off of the first book.
Chokshi really capitalized off the angst between Laila and Severin, and wow it hurt so good (when I just went with the flow and stopped questioning things). Despite them being in the spotlight, I love how the love triangle plays out in the background. So understated but also it really steals the spotlight for me and ugh I love itttttt. Is it clear enough yet how much I love Zofia, Enrique, and Hypnos?
I must say I really enjoyed how the relationships and characters were developed further in this book. I would say Zofia was the character I liked most in book one because of the insight we got to her character and insecurities, and in this book (though I absolutely still love her) I think Enrique unexpectedly shined the brightest for me! Of course, Laila's back story and her romance with Severin is riveting and really yanks those heartstrings, but I don't know why, I found Enrique's story more... Resonant. An aspect I liked, as it displays Chokshi's ability to deepen multiple characters at a time.
The romantic angst was nice, but at times I found myself having to remind myself why there was angst. "Why is Severin being dumb again?" Then I'd habe to justify it because he has a reason, I just can never remember what it is and find it hard to buy when I do remember. To me, this felt like a sign that we needed better time learning about Severin and his own thoughts. The ending section was good, especially in showing us how he thinks, but I feel like sometimes there was this reliance on inserted back story about his fathers that didn't always have the clearest connection with the plot, or didn't seem supepr relevant. And then it didn't follow through and go through each sin like it had in the first book which just left me kind of confused.
I don't know, Severin and Laila's arcs just felt too straightforward whereas the other characters had more nuanced struggles. I like when we see Laila struggling with her own identity and if she considers herself "real" but feel there could have been a much deeper exploration. Severin was obviously upset about Tristan, and I think his desire for godhood was fine, but I'd love to know more about him feeling misunderstood. A little detail that was touched upon nicely and in such a wonderful metaphor of monsters and gods at the end. Seeing how the smallest but most basic of human desires morph and form our actions. With Laila, it would be her desire to be loved. We already know Hypnos wants belonging in more than one way, Enrique to be heard, and Zofia to not be made to feel as if she doesn't fit. All just different sides of the same die, differentiated in nuance to become a completely different menifestation in their characters. Hoping we get more of that in book three.
Now of course, the plot was mwa chef kiss as always. Chokshi really does a nice job with her historical heist plots. And the twists? Loved it. I can't say I was too shocked, but it felt more like a satisfying click of a missing puzzle piece fitting into place. I was worried this book would fall into second bridge book syndrome, but I'm so glad it didn't and if anything, was a great build off of the first book.
Chokshi really capitalized off the angst between Laila and Severin, and wow it hurt so good (when I just went with the flow and stopped questioning things). Despite them being in the spotlight, I love how the love triangle plays out in the background. So understated but also it really steals the spotlight for me and ugh I love itttttt. Is it clear enough yet how much I love Zofia, Enrique, and Hypnos?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Confinement, Grief, and Miscarriage
plumpaperbacks's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely adored this book. The characters are some of my favorites; they’ve all got a special place in my heart, which is thoroughly broken right now. I’m distraught. Roshani Chokshi is an evil genius. She put a brilliant ensemble cast, heartwarming friendships, agonizing romantic tension, mysterious treasure hunts, multiple explosions, banter aplenty, intriguing magic, unbelievably high stakes, and relevant discussions on many topics including racism and antisemitism all in one book barely over 400 pages. She really did that. I don’t even know what to say. I can only express myself through sad memes as I wait desperately for book three.
Representation:
Representation:
- Séverin is biracial (French-Algerian)
- Laila is Indian, has anxiety
- Enrique is queer, biracial (Spanish-Filipino)
- Zofia is Jewish, autistic
- Hypnos is biracial (Black), queer
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Self harm, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Blood, Antisemitism, and Infertility
Minor: Animal cruelty, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
There’s one scene where a character remembers witnessing a stranger’s suicide as a child.astralbooks's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Terminal illness, Antisemitism, and Self harm
Minor: Sexual assault, Suicide, Miscarriage, and Animal cruelty
Re sexual assault,
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