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A review by bookish_otaku
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'm thinking 3.5/5 but the ending definitely has me intrigued.
This is a historical novel with magical realism and a heist setting that takes place in France. It rings very similarly to Six of Crows, but it still manages to make its own path with a sturdy individualism in each character and an introcately planned heist. If anything, I think the heist aspect outplays that of Six of Crows, and the characters are more uniformly developed, however there were some things that sat strangely with me.
Laila's character has a huge interest in baking and that's made very clear from the beginning, but we never really get a look into WHY. I wish this had been deepened beyond what it was so that we could delve more into her character and so that it wouldn't seem like a random trait thought up just to make her seem more unique. It also didn't really have any important role in terms of the heist. I know she candied a violet to counteract poison but it wasn't all that integral it be candied. It was just her personal flare which was nice, but also didn't seem essential I just wish there had been more.
Worldbuilding was intriguing with the houses, but I'm still not entirely clear on how the magic system works. I know there is something called Forging that some people can do and some people can't and that it gives objects special qualities, but it's all a very vague understanding. I also know there seem to be some pretty powerful boulders (from the sounds of it, they're awfully chunky) called Babel stones? But I don't fully understand their connection to Forging. I also don't know if Sphinxes are forged statues or people or animals? That entirely escaped me and left me feeling blind in many scenes.
Along with worldbuilding, the book opens talking about these very confusing concepts that aren't really clarified later on. It also delves right into the characters and trying to understand who everyone is and how they're related is a lot while also trying to balance what's happening plotwise and what's happening with worldbuilding and magic.
But onto the good, because there was definitely a handful of that. First, representation. Six of Crows (yes I keep mentioning it I can't help it) is praised for its diversity, but I really loved how this book seemed to delve further in, touching on topics of what it's like to be mixed, or to be born in a position of power but have the "wrong" skin color, and on being Jewish and (not explicitly stated but from my understanding) autistic. Now bear in mind, I am not autistic, but I liked how Chokshi wrote Zofia's character. Incredibly bright (a math magician if I say so myself) and just wired differently in terms of social interaction, she struggles with how others percieve her as stupid and does her best to fit into a world that's deadset on labeling her an outcast, and then with her intersectionality as being Jewish. Her character is probably the best written in this first installment, and I'm excited to see her arch because I can tell there's a lot in store for her.
Enrique and his passion for history really shines in this story, and I loved how we got to peak into his insecurity with being mixed Filipino Spanish, but looking mostly Spanish. It's not a POV we see often in any literature, and I think Chokshi did a great job bringing it into the limelight, especially during the heist.
Gosh I loved all the details and thought put into the heist.
That ending. I don't know all I can say is oof. Something angsty this way comes. Although a final note that I can't label as either good or bad. Between this and SoC, there were some similarities that stuck out to me. Some I'm sure are purely coincidental, and some are probably heist tropes that will continue. I find an interesting parallel between Kaz/Inej and Severin/Laila. We have the mastermind of the heist falling in love with his right hand woman (secret weapon if you will) who hails from general South Asian heritage and has or had a job that was deemed lowly and made them some sort of commodity (Inej as a courtesan and Laila as a burlesque-ish dancer). Then there of course always has to be the LGBT+ entanglement (which is fine, three straight couples is boring but I'd love to see a happily single person who isn't dead). Actually, there always seems to be that intragroup sexual tension and people start to get paired off. I'm hoping we get a character not interested in relationships, just to change it up but they don't become some weird sort of 7th wheel. Being single and alive is fine too.
This is a historical novel with magical realism and a heist setting that takes place in France. It rings very similarly to Six of Crows, but it still manages to make its own path with a sturdy individualism in each character and an introcately planned heist. If anything, I think the heist aspect outplays that of Six of Crows, and the characters are more uniformly developed, however there were some things that sat strangely with me.
Laila's character has a huge interest in baking and that's made very clear from the beginning, but we never really get a look into WHY. I wish this had been deepened beyond what it was so that we could delve more into her character and so that it wouldn't seem like a random trait thought up just to make her seem more unique. It also didn't really have any important role in terms of the heist.
Worldbuilding was intriguing with the houses, but I'm still not entirely clear on how the magic system works. I know there is something called Forging that some people can do and some people can't and that it gives objects special qualities, but it's all a very vague understanding. I also know there seem to be some pretty powerful boulders (from the sounds of it, they're awfully chunky) called Babel stones? But I don't fully understand their connection to Forging. I also don't know if Sphinxes are forged statues or people or animals? That entirely escaped me and left me feeling blind in many scenes.
Along with worldbuilding, the book opens talking about these very confusing concepts that aren't really clarified later on. It also delves right into the characters and trying to understand who everyone is and how they're related is a lot while also trying to balance what's happening plotwise and what's happening with worldbuilding and magic.
But onto the good, because there was definitely a handful of that. First, representation. Six of Crows (yes I keep mentioning it I can't help it) is praised for its diversity, but I really loved how this book seemed to delve further in, touching on topics of what it's like to be mixed, or to be born in a position of power but have the "wrong" skin color, and on being Jewish and (not explicitly stated but from my understanding) autistic. Now bear in mind, I am not autistic, but I liked how Chokshi wrote Zofia's character. Incredibly bright (a math magician if I say so myself) and just wired differently in terms of social interaction, she struggles with how others percieve her as stupid and does her best to fit into a world that's deadset on labeling her an outcast, and then with her intersectionality as being Jewish. Her character is probably the best written in this first installment, and I'm excited to see her arch because I can tell there's a lot in store for her.
Enrique and his passion for history really shines in this story, and I loved how we got to peak into his insecurity with being mixed Filipino Spanish, but looking mostly Spanish. It's not a POV we see often in any literature, and I think Chokshi did a great job bringing it into the limelight, especially during the heist.
Gosh I loved all the details and thought put into the heist.
That ending. I don't know all I can say is oof. Something angsty this way comes. Although a final note that I can't label as either good or bad. Between this and SoC, there were some similarities that stuck out to me. Some I'm sure are purely coincidental, and some are probably heist tropes that will continue. I find an interesting parallel between Kaz/Inej and Severin/Laila. We have the mastermind of the heist falling in love with his right hand woman (secret weapon if you will) who hails from general South Asian heritage and has or had a job that was deemed lowly and made them some sort of commodity (Inej as a courtesan and Laila as a burlesque-ish dancer). Then there of course always has to be the LGBT+ entanglement (which is fine, three straight couples is boring but I'd love to see a happily single person who isn't dead). Actually, there always seems to be that intragroup sexual tension and people start to get paired off. I'm hoping we get a character not interested in relationships, just to change it up but they don't become some weird sort of 7th wheel. Being single and alive is fine too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, and Death