The Gilded Wolves: A Novel by Roshani Chokshi
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Web ID: 16223625Atmospheric read
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi is a lush, captivating fantasy novel set in an alternate version of Paris during the late 19th century. It’s a world brimming with magic, secrets, and intricate heists, combining elements of historical fiction, steampunk, and fantasy in a unique and thrilling way. The story centers around Severin Montagnet-Alarie, a charismatic and enigmatic treasure hunter, who assembles a diverse group of misfits to carry out a dangerous mission: to retrieve a powerful artifact that could change the course of history. Chokshi’s writing is a standout feature of The Gilded Wolves—rich, atmospheric, and full of vivid descriptions that bring the Parisian setting to life. The city itself feels like a character in the book, full of hidden corners, grand ballrooms, and magical societies. The world-building is intricate and well thought out, with magical elements like "forging" (the ability to manipulate objects through magical expertise) and a secretive group called the Order that adds layers of complexity to the story. The novel’s strength lies not only in its world but in its diverse and well-developed characters. Severin, the ambitious leader of the group, is a morally grey character with a complicated past. The team he assembles—a mix of talented individuals with their own hidden motivations—includes the brilliant scientist Enrique, the sharp-witted scholar Zofia, the deadly assassin Tristan, and the ever-charming Laila. Each character is distinct and multi-dimensional, with their own personal struggles and ambitions, which gives the story a depth that extends beyond the heist plot. The dynamics between the characters are filled with tension, humor, and emotional complexity. Chokshi explores themes of identity, loyalty, and belonging as each character grapples with their personal demons, making them both relatable and fascinating. The plot of The Gilded Wolves is a thrilling mix of puzzles, dangerous alliances, and fast-paced action, all revolving around the heist to retrieve the artifact. In conclusion, The Gilded Wolves is a wonderfully immersive and thrilling start to Roshani Chokshi’s series. It combines a fast-paced heist with rich character development, a unique magical system, and a beautifully realized historical setting. For fans of ensemble casts, intricate plots, and lush world-building, this book is a must-read. Chokshi’s storytelling is engaging, and the novel leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Everything I hope for and more :)
Roshani Chokshi has always been a childhood favourite author of mine. I could NOT get enough of the Aru Shah and the End of Time series when I was young, and now that I found out about her young adult novels, of course I had to get my hands on them! This did NOT disappoint. Chokshi's writing was always so beautiful and had the story flowing extremely smoothly and effortlessly. Sometimes the attention to detail may prove to be a bit excessive, but there is still so much else to fall in love with. The plot! Its complexities and intricate turns and twists left me craving for more, and her character dynamics was everything I was used to from her other works. Also, the group of characters reminded me of the Six of Crows cast, another delightful circle of experts: Severin, Laila, Zofia, Enrique, Tristan and Hypnos. I loved the diversities and unexpected but unique traits of each character. Some parts did have me feeling kind of bored, but overall great story!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Eh
I first read this book in 2018 when it was an unreleased ARC. At the behest of my friends, I decided to reread it to see if my opinion would change. My original review was: “ Finished up my ARC of The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi today, giving it a 3 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️. I tried really hard to get into this one but I just couldn’t. It’s fantasy, heists, and old-world France mixed in with some Indiana Jones flair. It seemed like a complete copy of Six Of Crows, even down to the character’s backstories. However, I did love the last third of the book, the first parts dragged but the last third was jam-packed action and I was super happy about it, that’s what I came for! Overall, it wasn’t my cup of tea but hey, I was happy I read it.” After the re-read, I dropped it to a 2.5. I’m not sure if it was the writing, the plot, the characters, or the narrative but it just felt so off to me. I am doubly bummed I couldn’t get into this one and hope others enjoyed it.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Bummed
Well, this was kind of a hot mess. I had such high hopes but most aspects of this book fell as flat as week old soda. I will admit I did go into this book thinking I would absolutely love it, which could have led to the demise of my star rating. I really liked it in the beginning but it quickly became too difficult to figure out what was going on with the erratic plot and pacing issues. The terminology is confusing, and the story is too rich with borderline purple-prose, over descriptive history that seems to lend nothing important to the storyline (too much description is one of my pet peeves and can literally ruin a book for me). I think the plot itself would be entertaining if the execution were to be cleaner. I'm generously giving it 2 stars because of the unique plot line. You can sense the author's passion for the idea of her story but it's hard to tell if she tried too hard or too little.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Character building A +
Going into this book, I was hesitant because of reviews I had read. But I loved this book. The characters were fascinating in ways I hadn't truly seen before. Getting into their heads was a trip. The mythology of the book is a mix of many different cultures, which can make it dense and hard to understand at times. I had to go back and reread a couple of sections multiple times before I really understood what was being said. There was also a lot of mathematical logic in the book, which which a mathematically challenged person made it hard to read and understand at times as well. Plot development wise, there was a lot of politics and the romance took a backseat. I appreciate that in book series because readers need time to understand the characters and the world before romance is thrown in. But that's my personal opinion. Overall, this book was different in mythology than any others I've read and I would probably die for any if these characters.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Found Family Fantasy!
I love Roshani Chokshi and everything she writes! She created such lovable characters that are very easy to connect to. I appreciate the diversity and both poc and lgbtq rep in her main characters. This has the found family trope which I am a sucker for and it also tackles a lot of historical and current issues in a manner I found informative and enjoyable. Her writing prose is beautiful and filled with vivid descriptions that set the scene. There is a lot going on in the books, which did leave me pretty confused alongside the plot though. The concept of the 7 deadly sins, mythology, heists, and the unique magic system was a bit too much but I enjoyed reading it anyways. The magic system in this book is called "Forging" which I was hoping to get more of an explanation of, but this first installment of the trilogy didn't really dive into it. I did enjoy the next book of the series (Silvered Serpents) more because we did get more clarity and the magic system was explained more in depth.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
AMAZING
Oh my god, with a story this good, where do I even start? The vast cast of diverse and interesting characters who have each made their way into my heart? The intricate and highly thought-out plot that constantly delivers twists and turns at every corner? The effortless and gorgeous writing which paints a historically stunning world filled with delicious food, breathtaking sights, and cunning individuals? This book is the ultimate treasure hunt and X marks everything I love about it. Of course, it has its flaws as does every book but it has so much to offer. I truly feel that, with this book, Roshani Chokshi has finally come into her own and made the transition from queen to goddess. I am very glad there are three books because I can NOT wait to see where this story goes and how it's built upon and I have a strong feeling I am not going to be disappointed. (I haven´t read the other books)
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great Bi Rep!
If you’re looking for a historical heist, this is the novel for you! Séverin Montagnet-Alarie has been exiled from a powerful order and spends his time taking back what’s his: the items of his inheritance that were taken form him upon exile. A job gone south forces him to take a commissioned job: stealing a Forged (magical) item from The Order he was kicked out of! Séverin and his talented crew get into higher stakes than ever before as relationships form and break under the pressure. Set in 1889 Paris, the environment of the book and the outfits of the characters are absolutely fabulous- I’m sure so much research went into this book! The best part for me was that we were given a group of 6 characters, and they were equally given screen-time and were all well developed with personal histories and motivations. That’s hard to do in one initial book and I was blown away. I didn’t realize how attached I was to the character’s plots until I started rooting for [certain things] to occur. Our exiled hotel owner, a biracial friend from the past (a current Order-member), a biracial bisexual historian, an Indian dancer with a powerful touch, a genius engineer with a debt to pay, and our exile’s brother with the ability to Forge flowers. The bisexual representation in particular was done quite tastefully, showing the character’s interest in multiple people and their past struggles with religion and family. As someone who identifies as bisexual, I was shocked and pleased to see this realistic experience in this novel, especially since the novel has only been marked as Historical Fiction and Fantasy so far. It’s nice to see an LGBT+ character in a book that doesn’t revolve around their sexuality. Going further, this character’s commitment to a person was just that, choosing a person to be with and not ‘choosing a gender’. Unfortunately, the latter happens too often, so I am over the moon about this character!! Of course, this book ends with prophesized action ahead, and a big twist- I can’t wait for Séverin and the crew’s next adventure!
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com