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A review by graceicle
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Racism, Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse