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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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
wow this was painful 🥲
4.25
A little slow for a sequel. The angst + romance subplot kept me going and it was worth it.
A little slow for a sequel. The angst + romance subplot kept me going and it was worth it.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Read this back in 2021, don’t remember much but the angst was so real.
I guessed a major part of the conclusion as soon as the book began. I also think that the rest of the conclusion was kind of cheap storytelling, it felt conjured out of thin air rather than developed over this book and the last book. Of course the language was still beautiful and a joy to read but the puzzles felt lacking. I feel like the puzzles were quick to complete yet took the characters multiple chapters to get through. If we’re supposed to believe that these are three five brightest minds then I find it a difficult fact to find truthful.
UPDATE: I actually am bumping this from a 3 to a 4 star. I really like this story and I have been thinking about it quite a bit. <3
UPDATE: I actually am bumping this from a 3 to a 4 star. I really like this story and I have been thinking about it quite a bit. <3
read on my blog + see my hand-lettered quotes!
**I received an ARC from Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
I’ll be honest and say that I was a bit scared to start this book. Would it live up to my expectations? Would my kids suffer more? Could I handle it? I will say the answers are: yes, Yes, and NO.
Now, it need not be said, but The Silvered Serpents was truly amazing; second book syndrome who? I think I actually liked this one more than its predecessor. Seriously, The Silvered Serpents is The Gilded Wolves turned up to eleven. Roshani really saw us crying and wanting the second book and said, oh you think you know pain? I’ll show you true pain.
There is more of a treasure hunt in this book, so the plot was quicker-paced yet equally balanced with the character arcs. The crew falls into an easy routine when treasure hunting, a reminder that they’ve done this many times before (something I feel like we only got a brief sense of in the first book). To everyone who said the clues in TGW were too simple: they were more detailed and less obvious here.
Since this is a Roshani book, I knew the writing was going to be stunning, but she really outdid herself in this book. The prose beguiles from start to finish, pulling you into the Gilded Age with all its decadence and wealth, hiding a system built on colonialism and racism. I have rarely been so into a historical fantasy because usually the history has to be established throughout the book, and I grow bored. However, Roshani ties the history in so well with the plot; there’s not any info-dumping, nor is there any time something doesn’t make sense.
Also, make no mistake, The Silvered Serpents still very much focuses on the colonial aspect. Enrique wants to be fully seen and recognized in the Filipino community but never being taken seriously because he’s biracial and therefore other in both the Filipino and Spanish communities. There’s also a small part about marginalized girls being kidnapped because “no one would miss them,” which, naturally, is horrendous.
Anyways, the prose is honestly so breathtaking; I was highlighting quotes on every other page. I particularly adored the metaphors of fairy tales and curses, as well as the comparisons to gods and monsters. If we’re getting angst, I want maximum strength angst!
All of the narrators are wonderfully fleshed out, in a way I didn’t think was possible because we already saw such amazing characterizations in the last book. They’re all still growing and revealing themselves to us, and it was great to see their hopes and dreams. They’re honestly all my kids, especially Laila and Zofia; I love them! I would lay down my life for them!
That being said, there is like ten times more angst in this book, so I was crying constantly. Obviously they’re all dealing with the aftermath of the first book, aka that death. Séverin is spiraling and internalizing his hurt. Meanwhile, Laila is coping with her imminent death if they don’t find the Divine Lyrics soon. Zofia deals with her sister’s health issues and coming out of her shell. Enrique seeks being wanted by the Filipino scholars, by Hypnos, by everyone basically. And Hypnos is desperate to be in the group, despite them, Séverin especially, holding him at arm’s length.
Of course, the romance was heart-stopping. The longing of it all…Although to be honest, I’m usually most into the romance of a book than anything, but with this series, I love all of the characters so much that I’m surprisingly more invested in their individual arcs rather than any romantic ones. That’s the power of Roshani’s writing!
The ending was one of the most gutting things I’ve ever read, and I finished this book right before bed, so naturally I couldn’t fall asleep because my brain was just a conspiracy board. And book 3 is so far away…
I would like to reiterate: do not compare this series to Six of Crows! Although I will say, if you didn’t much love The Gilded Wolves or found it a bit slow, I think you’ll like The Silvered Serpents more.
The Silvered Serpents crushed my heart into a million pieces and pieced it back together again. The characters go through astounding character arcs, ones that make me envious as a human being. I genuinely could not put this book down! The Silvered Serpents passes its predecessor in ways I couldn’t even imagine; the plot, the characters, the romance, the prose, all of it was stunning and gorgeous. Do not miss out on this beautiful series about history and all of its magic, bloody and otherwise.
original review:
roshani chokshi: writes the silvered serpents
me: reads it
me: hold on a second. man, hold on a second.
**I received an ARC from Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
Gods made choices. Gods burned cities and spared a child. Gods put gold in the palms of the wicked and left that miserable currency of hope in the hearts of the good.
I’ll be honest and say that I was a bit scared to start this book. Would it live up to my expectations? Would my kids suffer more? Could I handle it? I will say the answers are: yes, Yes, and NO.
Now, it need not be said, but The Silvered Serpents was truly amazing; second book syndrome who? I think I actually liked this one more than its predecessor. Seriously, The Silvered Serpents is The Gilded Wolves turned up to eleven. Roshani really saw us crying and wanting the second book and said, oh you think you know pain? I’ll show you true pain.
There is more of a treasure hunt in this book, so the plot was quicker-paced yet equally balanced with the character arcs. The crew falls into an easy routine when treasure hunting, a reminder that they’ve done this many times before (something I feel like we only got a brief sense of in the first book). To everyone who said the clues in TGW were too simple: they were more detailed and less obvious here.
Since this is a Roshani book, I knew the writing was going to be stunning, but she really outdid herself in this book. The prose beguiles from start to finish, pulling you into the Gilded Age with all its decadence and wealth, hiding a system built on colonialism and racism. I have rarely been so into a historical fantasy because usually the history has to be established throughout the book, and I grow bored. However, Roshani ties the history in so well with the plot; there’s not any info-dumping, nor is there any time something doesn’t make sense.
Hypnos understood him. The other boy knew from experience what it was like to live with a fissure in one’s soul, never quite knowing which side of oneself would reign sovereign — Spanish or Filipino, the son of the colonized or the son of the colonizer.
Also, make no mistake, The Silvered Serpents still very much focuses on the colonial aspect. Enrique wants to be fully seen and recognized in the Filipino community but never being taken seriously because he’s biracial and therefore other in both the Filipino and Spanish communities. There’s also a small part about marginalized girls being kidnapped because “no one would miss them,” which, naturally, is horrendous.
Anyways, the prose is honestly so breathtaking; I was highlighting quotes on every other page. I particularly adored the metaphors of fairy tales and curses, as well as the comparisons to gods and monsters. If we’re getting angst, I want maximum strength angst!
The boy who had rescued Zofia and given her a world of comfort, taken a chance on Enrique and given him a platform to speak, seen Laila for her soul and not just the flesh that encased it. She hated that glimpse because it reminded her that he was like a cursed prince, trapped in the worst version of himself. And nothing she possessed — not her kiss freely given, nor her heart shyly offered — could break the thrall that held him because he had done it to himself.
All of the narrators are wonderfully fleshed out, in a way I didn’t think was possible because we already saw such amazing characterizations in the last book. They’re all still growing and revealing themselves to us, and it was great to see their hopes and dreams. They’re honestly all my kids, especially Laila and Zofia; I love them! I would lay down my life for them!
That being said, there is like ten times more angst in this book, so I was crying constantly. Obviously they’re all dealing with the aftermath of the first book, aka that death. Séverin is spiraling and internalizing his hurt. Meanwhile, Laila is coping with her imminent death if they don’t find the Divine Lyrics soon. Zofia deals with her sister’s health issues and coming out of her shell. Enrique seeks being wanted by the Filipino scholars, by Hypnos, by everyone basically. And Hypnos is desperate to be in the group, despite them, Séverin especially, holding him at arm’s length.
Of course, the romance was heart-stopping. The longing of it all…Although to be honest, I’m usually most into the romance of a book than anything, but with this series, I love all of the characters so much that I’m surprisingly more invested in their individual arcs rather than any romantic ones. That’s the power of Roshani’s writing!
He stared at her when she laughed, his eyes never leaving her face. “For you, I’d make anything real.”
The ending was one of the most gutting things I’ve ever read, and I finished this book right before bed, so naturally I couldn’t fall asleep because my brain was just a conspiracy board. And book 3 is so far away…
I would like to reiterate: do not compare this series to Six of Crows! Although I will say, if you didn’t much love The Gilded Wolves or found it a bit slow, I think you’ll like The Silvered Serpents more.
SĂ©verin Montagnet-Alarie knew there was only one difference between monsters and gods. Both inspired fear. Only one inspired worship.
The Silvered Serpents crushed my heart into a million pieces and pieced it back together again. The characters go through astounding character arcs, ones that make me envious as a human being. I genuinely could not put this book down! The Silvered Serpents passes its predecessor in ways I couldn’t even imagine; the plot, the characters, the romance, the prose, all of it was stunning and gorgeous. Do not miss out on this beautiful series about history and all of its magic, bloody and otherwise.
original review:
roshani chokshi: writes the silvered serpents
me: reads it
me: hold on a second. man, hold on a second.
3.5 stars. I enjoyed the pacing and seeing where the story went, but definitely missed the banter and the mythology of the first book. There was *something* missing, though I can't put my finger on it. In the description, it touted a book filled to the brim with betrayal and heartbreak, and I was all ready for some twisty-turn-y plot twists...but that didn't happen. You know where the betrayal is coming from...It was very obvious. The only thing missing from the antagonist was a white cat to stroke while cackling.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced