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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this eARC of The Silvered Serpents in exchange for an honest review.
I've been sitting on reading The Silvered Serpents for a while now. According to NetGalley, I downloaded my copy in August of last year. I honestly had every intention of reading it right away. I loved The Gilded Wolves and the ending had me desperate to find out what happened to these beloved characters next. However, when the release date for Silvered Serpents was pushed back I didn't want to read it too early and forget everything by the time the final installment comes out. Then suddenly it was a month before it was due to release so I had to get reading!
I had just as much fun reading this book as I did the first! In this book, we trade out the heist novel of The Gilded Wolves for a gripping treasure hunt where the cost of failure could be Laila's very life! One of my favorite parts of Chokshi's writing is how unbelievably beautiful she makes everything. Everything is always described in such haunting detail that I can place myself in a scene easily. Her imagination creates the most intriguing settings and every time we enter a new one I lose my breath all over again. I still love the magic system of Forging and I loved that we got to see some more types of Forging in this installment.
I don't want to get too into the plot details of this book for spoilers but I felt like we got some good development for our main characters (though some of them were incredibly frustrating the whole book!) I also loved uncovering some secrets and learning the answers to a few of the questions I've had since the first book. There were a few not quite twists but reveals that felt like they were supposed to be more shocking than they actually were but the clues for them were quite obvious from the get-go. That said I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the final installment!
I've been sitting on reading The Silvered Serpents for a while now. According to NetGalley, I downloaded my copy in August of last year. I honestly had every intention of reading it right away. I loved The Gilded Wolves and the ending had me desperate to find out what happened to these beloved characters next. However, when the release date for Silvered Serpents was pushed back I didn't want to read it too early and forget everything by the time the final installment comes out. Then suddenly it was a month before it was due to release so I had to get reading!
I had just as much fun reading this book as I did the first! In this book, we trade out the heist novel of The Gilded Wolves for a gripping treasure hunt where the cost of failure could be Laila's very life! One of my favorite parts of Chokshi's writing is how unbelievably beautiful she makes everything. Everything is always described in such haunting detail that I can place myself in a scene easily. Her imagination creates the most intriguing settings and every time we enter a new one I lose my breath all over again. I still love the magic system of Forging and I loved that we got to see some more types of Forging in this installment.
I don't want to get too into the plot details of this book for spoilers but I felt like we got some good development for our main characters (though some of them were incredibly frustrating the whole book!) I also loved uncovering some secrets and learning the answers to a few of the questions I've had since the first book. There were a few not quite twists but reveals that felt like they were supposed to be more shocking than they actually were but the clues for them were quite obvious from the get-go. That said I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the final installment!
3.5 in actuality
This is giving very much middle book. I loved that Severin is being a deranged POS and like, it's alienating him from the group. I feel like it would have been easy to just have them all still be a tight clique but the fact that everyone is pulling away from Severin even in a story where the group dynamic makes it is kinda impressive. He's gone a little cuckoo after the events of book 1 and his goals and motivations in this installment are wack af lol
Then we have the rest of the squad, who all kind of splintered after book 1. They all end up coming back together to work towards Severin's goal, even though they actually have decent drivers behind it. There's a few new characters, there's emotional tension and representation, there's pining between Severin and Laila, but I do just feel that it dragged in spite of everything. There's also a surprising amount of pining between Hypnos, Enrique, and Zofia.
There's rep with Enrique being mixed race and feelings like he doesn't fit in. There's Zofia's autism rep. Enrique is bi and I think Zofia is asexual? I do have to wonder why all the rep is packed into the "side characters" so much lol like why is Severin white and generally untouched other than by some childhood trauma and being literally insane
When the book started ending I was a little shocked tho lol I had just started getting REALLY into it because it was the action sequence and next think I heard "epilogue" like.... SOS guess I gotta get to book 3 fairly soon
I like the little humor between the group members and I like their dynamic as a group!! The characters are definitely the pull of this series for me, more so than the plot or the math stuff lol there's a lot of like adventury puzzle solving that's fun but doesn't translate the best over audio personally
This is giving very much middle book. I loved that Severin is being a deranged POS and like, it's alienating him from the group. I feel like it would have been easy to just have them all still be a tight clique but the fact that everyone is pulling away from Severin even in a story where the group dynamic makes it is kinda impressive. He's gone a little cuckoo after the events of book 1 and his goals and motivations in this installment are wack af lol
Then we have the rest of the squad, who all kind of splintered after book 1. They all end up coming back together to work towards Severin's goal, even though they actually have decent drivers behind it. There's a few new characters, there's emotional tension and representation, there's pining between Severin and Laila, but I do just feel that it dragged in spite of everything. There's also a surprising amount of pining between Hypnos, Enrique, and Zofia.
There's rep with Enrique being mixed race and feelings like he doesn't fit in. There's Zofia's autism rep. Enrique is bi and I think Zofia is asexual? I do have to wonder why all the rep is packed into the "side characters" so much lol like why is Severin white and generally untouched other than by some childhood trauma and being literally insane
When the book started ending I was a little shocked tho lol I had just started getting REALLY into it because it was the action sequence and next think I heard "epilogue" like.... SOS guess I gotta get to book 3 fairly soon
I like the little humor between the group members and I like their dynamic as a group!! The characters are definitely the pull of this series for me, more so than the plot or the math stuff lol there's a lot of like adventury puzzle solving that's fun but doesn't translate the best over audio personally
Ok, this was going to be a four star until the ending!!! WOW- so- yea. That. No spoilers!
I love the characters! I love Zofia and her quiet, mechanical complex, I love Laila and her motherly love towards them all, I love Enrique and his love for history(I’ll listen!!!!), and I love Séverin sorta- and his want to protect his family.
I hated Eva- sooooo much, just don’t like her.
And it left us on a cliff hanger- NOOOO- I need answers!
Amazing world building it added so much personality and really grew the chapters more, so overall just a really good book!
I love the characters! I love Zofia and her quiet, mechanical complex, I love Laila and her motherly love towards them all, I love Enrique and his love for history(I’ll listen!!!!), and I love Séverin sorta- and his want to protect his family.
I hated Eva- sooooo much, just don’t like her.
And it left us on a cliff hanger- NOOOO- I need answers!
Amazing world building it added so much personality and really grew the chapters more, so overall just a really good book!
4.5/5
I am kicking myself that it took me so long to get around to this sequel, and simultaneously cursing the fact that I now have to wait for the final installment. That ending?? I wasn't ready.
This had everything that made The Gilded Wolves so great - a brilliant and diverse cast of characters whose identities and how they affect their interactions with the world are beautifully and sensitively handled by the author, as well as intricate and unique worldbuilding that somehow succeeds in combining mythology, history, and mathematics of all things to create an intriguing blend of puzzles and magic that help drive the plot. Speaking of which, the plot of this book is excellent - there was barely a dull moment in this book. A couple of the newer side characters got on my nerves at parts, but the way their role in the story developed kept me hooked.
I devoured this 400 page book in one day - something I haven't done in a very, very long time. If that doesn't speak as to how much I enjoyed this book, I don't know what does.
I am kicking myself that it took me so long to get around to this sequel, and simultaneously cursing the fact that I now have to wait for the final installment. That ending?? I wasn't ready.
This had everything that made The Gilded Wolves so great - a brilliant and diverse cast of characters whose identities and how they affect their interactions with the world are beautifully and sensitively handled by the author, as well as intricate and unique worldbuilding that somehow succeeds in combining mythology, history, and mathematics of all things to create an intriguing blend of puzzles and magic that help drive the plot. Speaking of which, the plot of this book is excellent - there was barely a dull moment in this book. A couple of the newer side characters got on my nerves at parts, but the way their role in the story developed kept me hooked.
I devoured this 400 page book in one day - something I haven't done in a very, very long time. If that doesn't speak as to how much I enjoyed this book, I don't know what does.
This was just fine.
Books I’ve read during Orilium
1. A Wolf Called Wander - class: shapeshifting, calling: faewild cartographer
2. The Night Before Christmas - quest
3. Where Dreams Descend - class: inscription, calling: faewild cartographer
4. Parron Europa - class: animal studies, calling: alchemist
5. The City of Brass - class: alchemy, calling: faewild cartographer
6. Emily Wildes Encyclopedia of Faries - class: astronomy, calling: Faewild Cartographer
7. A Dowry of Blood - quest
8. Fantasia V - quest
9. Outbreak!: 50 tales of epidemics that terrorized the world - quest
10. Ninth House - class: demonology, calling: Faewild Cartographer
11. Daughter of the Moon Goddess - class: elemental studies, calling: Faeweild Cartographer
12. The Cat Who Saved Book - class: animal studies, calling: Master of Elements
13. Fantasia VI - quest
14. Only Mostly Devastated - class: conjurgation, calling: Master of Elements
15. The Wolves in the Wall - class: shapeshifter, calling: Master of Elements
16. Persians: The Age of the Great Kings - class: animal studies, calling Faewild Cartographer
17. Norse Mythology - quest
18. Hell Bent - class: astronomy, calling master of the elements
19. Yellowface - class: restoration, calling: master of the elements
20. The Tea Dragon Socieity - class: elemental studies, calling: alchemist
21. Unbirthday
22. The Blood Trials
23. The City of Brass
24. Mythos
25. The Well of Ascention
26. Fantasia VII
27. City of Ghosts
28. The Silvered Serpents
Books I’ve read during Orilium
1. A Wolf Called Wander - class: shapeshifting, calling: faewild cartographer
2. The Night Before Christmas - quest
3. Where Dreams Descend - class: inscription, calling: faewild cartographer
4. Parron Europa - class: animal studies, calling: alchemist
5. The City of Brass - class: alchemy, calling: faewild cartographer
6. Emily Wildes Encyclopedia of Faries - class: astronomy, calling: Faewild Cartographer
7. A Dowry of Blood - quest
8. Fantasia V - quest
9. Outbreak!: 50 tales of epidemics that terrorized the world - quest
10. Ninth House - class: demonology, calling: Faewild Cartographer
11. Daughter of the Moon Goddess - class: elemental studies, calling: Faeweild Cartographer
12. The Cat Who Saved Book - class: animal studies, calling: Master of Elements
13. Fantasia VI - quest
14. Only Mostly Devastated - class: conjurgation, calling: Master of Elements
15. The Wolves in the Wall - class: shapeshifter, calling: Master of Elements
16. Persians: The Age of the Great Kings - class: animal studies, calling Faewild Cartographer
17. Norse Mythology - quest
18. Hell Bent - class: astronomy, calling master of the elements
19. Yellowface - class: restoration, calling: master of the elements
20. The Tea Dragon Socieity - class: elemental studies, calling: alchemist
21. Unbirthday
22. The Blood Trials
23. The City of Brass
24. Mythos
25. The Well of Ascention
26. Fantasia VII
27. City of Ghosts
28. The Silvered Serpents
4.5/5 Stars. This series is truly magical. The various magical elements and the distinctive characters in this series, all tied together by Roshani Chokshi's beautiful writing and elemental twists on our 19th-century cities. Everything was so carefully crafted together and I found myself holding my breath more often than not.
i'm still a bit confused with the world building and the 'heist' (technically this book doesn't have a heist but idk what else to call it) part of the book but severin's relationship with all of the main characters is top tier. don't get me wrong he was an asshole for most of the book and he's not my favorite character but his bond with hypnos? the way that severin keeps pushing him away because he sees him as a brother and he's afraid he can't save him the same way he couldn't save tristan, that got me in tears. his friendship with zofia was brief in this book but it still moved me. can't really delve into his friendship with enrique due to spoilers but they served angst so much, and don't get me started on severinlaila i just know they're going to serve deathtrope in the third book. my favorite ship is probably zofiaenrique i would literally give up my firstborn to make sure they get endgame, which i guess we'll find out tomorrow since that's when the last book comes out. manifesting that all the five main characters get the ending they deserve
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
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