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A review by asreadbykat
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
4.0
True rating: 4.75/5 Stars
I've heard the title "The Gilded Wolves" floating around for a while, but it came up again when Chokshi's most recent work was released. When I went to the foreign bookstore near me and I saw they had the entire trilogy, I had to give it a try.
I'm so glad I did. This is one of those rare books that grabs you from the first line and drags you in, taking you on a journey and adventure from the first word. Yet even though the adventure is almost nonstop, the reader is still able to get emotionally attached to pretty much all of the characters before the end.
The characters, actually, are one of the best things about this novel. Each one of our main cast is different, suffering in some way and trying their best to deal with it while achieving their individual goals through slightly unrelated means. "Identity" is a key theme running through this novel, and is something each character struggles with from beginning to end. Whether that struggle comes from the characters ethnicity, their birthright, or a (possible, I'm not sure) mental "disability," these struggles are real and (with the exception of perhaps one) completely relatable. So many authors in the past decade have tried to make their works truly diverse, but no recent authors have done so well as Chokshi has in this story.
Aside from the characters, the world and its ideas are also intriguing. I love seeing how an author takes a real place and events, and weaves them into their work. Taking those kinds of liberties can be fun in writing, but it does take some finesse to not mangle the end result when the topic is one as horrifying and delicate as what inspired the author (which they do explain in an afterword). Chokshi handles everything with care, but also pulls no punches. There are lines and scenes that left me angry, breathless, sad, and heartbroken, and it's all wrapped up in a mystery that kept me guessing from beginning to end.
The ONLY thing that prevents me from giving this a full 5 stars is what feels like an unnecessary "love triangle." I've never (even as a teen) been a huge fan of romance plotlines that don't really move along the plot too much. Usually this would result in a full half-star being taken off; however, the "triangle" does serve some purpose for the characters, and this IS only the first book in the trilogy, so I'm willing to give it some time.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm sad it's taken me so long to read it. I will definitely be re-reading it often and recommending it!
TL;DR: Great characters, great mystery, and great writing.
I've heard the title "The Gilded Wolves" floating around for a while, but it came up again when Chokshi's most recent work was released. When I went to the foreign bookstore near me and I saw they had the entire trilogy, I had to give it a try.
I'm so glad I did. This is one of those rare books that grabs you from the first line and drags you in, taking you on a journey and adventure from the first word. Yet even though the adventure is almost nonstop, the reader is still able to get emotionally attached to pretty much all of the characters before the end.
The characters, actually, are one of the best things about this novel. Each one of our main cast is different, suffering in some way and trying their best to deal with it while achieving their individual goals through slightly unrelated means. "Identity" is a key theme running through this novel, and is something each character struggles with from beginning to end. Whether that struggle comes from the characters ethnicity, their birthright, or a (possible, I'm not sure) mental "disability," these struggles are real and (with the exception of perhaps one) completely relatable. So many authors in the past decade have tried to make their works truly diverse, but no recent authors have done so well as Chokshi has in this story.
Aside from the characters, the world and its ideas are also intriguing. I love seeing how an author takes a real place and events, and weaves them into their work. Taking those kinds of liberties can be fun in writing, but it does take some finesse to not mangle the end result when the topic is one as horrifying and delicate as what inspired the author (which they do explain in an afterword). Chokshi handles everything with care, but also pulls no punches. There are lines and scenes that left me angry, breathless, sad, and heartbroken, and it's all wrapped up in a mystery that kept me guessing from beginning to end.
The ONLY thing that prevents me from giving this a full 5 stars is what feels like an unnecessary "love triangle." I've never (even as a teen) been a huge fan of romance plotlines that don't really move along the plot too much. Usually this would result in a full half-star being taken off; however, the "triangle" does serve some purpose for the characters, and this IS only the first book in the trilogy, so I'm willing to give it some time.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm sad it's taken me so long to read it. I will definitely be re-reading it often and recommending it!
TL;DR: Great characters, great mystery, and great writing.