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A review by cassidyserhienko
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
4.0
Lately I have been very into anything set in Paris. Not that I’ve actually read that many books, I just think a lot about how I would like to. It’s the New Orleans effect for me, if I see anything that takes place in either of these cities I automatically click Want to Read (whether or not I actually do is up for debate). So a fantasy HEIST set in Paris was basically made for me.
Though it is never explicitly stated (because the language did not exist in the era the book is set in), Zofia is clearly on the autism spectrum. Enrique is a bisexual disaster (although nowehere near Hypnos’ level of tragic and dramatic), and Laila is a dancer from India. If you’re looking for quality diversity in a fantasy, The Gilded Wolves definitely has it. However, I didn’t think that Chokshi gave herself time to really delve into each of the character’s and their issues, but seeing as this is a series I think that she did a good job of establishing each of them and getting us invested while still giving them room to grow and issues to explore in the sequel.
Time was really my biggest issue with the novel, and was perhaps why I didn’t find it as memorable as I would have thought given everything that it has going for it. I felt that some of the biggest issues should have either been left for the next book, or devoted more space. Like Laila was created from a dead baby? Or something? That was kind of just thrown at us and never really addressed again. And the big emotional climax didn’t really have much payoff for me. *Spoiler: We were never given enough time to really get to know Tristan to feel the effects of his death*
All that said, I think that the set up for book 2 was superb (meaning all that tension between Laila and HBIC Séverin) and the characters and world are worth buying into this series, so I will definitely be picking up The Silvered Serpents.
Though it is never explicitly stated (because the language did not exist in the era the book is set in), Zofia is clearly on the autism spectrum. Enrique is a bisexual disaster (although nowehere near Hypnos’ level of tragic and dramatic), and Laila is a dancer from India. If you’re looking for quality diversity in a fantasy, The Gilded Wolves definitely has it. However, I didn’t think that Chokshi gave herself time to really delve into each of the character’s and their issues, but seeing as this is a series I think that she did a good job of establishing each of them and getting us invested while still giving them room to grow and issues to explore in the sequel.
Time was really my biggest issue with the novel, and was perhaps why I didn’t find it as memorable as I would have thought given everything that it has going for it. I felt that some of the biggest issues should have either been left for the next book, or devoted more space. Like Laila was created from a dead baby? Or something? That was kind of just thrown at us and never really addressed again. And the big emotional climax didn’t really have much payoff for me. *Spoiler: We were never given enough time to really get to know Tristan to feel the effects of his death*
All that said, I think that the set up for book 2 was superb (meaning all that tension between Laila and HBIC Séverin) and the characters and world are worth buying into this series, so I will definitely be picking up The Silvered Serpents.