I love heist books. The end.

Ok, but really. I like the blend of fantasy and historical fiction. It’s not often YA fantasy borrows from real world events and historical figures, it was a nice change. Though I did find the aspects that were purely fictional a little hard to follow sometimes, not enough detail going in. But that’s really my only gripe. The characters were charming, the story kept a nice pace, etc.

Roshani Chockshi's latest novel masterfully weaves history, science fiction and fantasy into one action-packed novel. The Gilded Wolves centers around 5 friends who must, ultimately, save the world, Set in Paris, with wonderfully diverse characters, this book is sure to entertain reluctant readers and fans of historical fiction as much as Science Fiction fans. It is a wonderful story of the power of friendship and the forces that attract and keep us together.

Inevitably this book is going to be compared to Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows, and while there are many similarities, I think this is actually the stronger book. You can map some of the leads directly to characters from SoC but not all of them, and perhaps most obviously pretty mu h everything in the book makes more sense if all the characters are aged up six years, but the excessive youth of the cast isn't gross here the way it was in SoC.

The heist elements here work way better and are less frustrating than SoC's sleight of hand, whoops the plan wasn't what you thought it was, tricked you! nonsense.

On the whole, it's a fun, quick read that sets up a sequel but isn't an active cliffhanger.

This book was fun. I'm not one for heist novels but Chokshi is brilliant in what she brings to the table. A great story and one I'll have a good time hand-selling.

I absolutely loved The Gilded Wolves. Roshani Chokshi builds a beautiful world of magic and high society.
It is Paris 1889 on the verge of the World's Fair. While normal people are looking forward to see "exotic" forms of humans, the true event is happening within The Order. The Order controls the magical Babel stones, the pieces of stone left from where God knocked down the Tower of Bable. Each piece still exudes his power. Severin has been stripped of his house but knows there is a way to earn his place back. When the patriarch of the House of Nyx comes to him with a request, he knows that he has a chance to reclaim his honor. What Severin doesn't know is that something bigger is brewing, bigger than him and his group of friends.
Severin's diverse of group of friends adds realism and brings together a variety of cultures into the world. Laila hails from the east and uses her mystique as an entertainer. Zofia shows characteristics of being autistic; she uses her unique talents to become a prominent part of the team's plan. Hypnos and Severin are both bastards of mixed blood. None of these characters are negated to stereotypes and it's beautiful.
The world Chokshi has created is just as beautiful. Each location is described in lavish, sensuous detail. Sumptuous clothing gives characters amour or weapons depending on their situation. Tristan's power with flowers is lush and makes me wish i had his creations. This is a full world where every part is included in the overall beauty of the whole.
The story is exciting and enchanting. Characters use magic called forging for a variety of talents from stone animal protectors that come to life to mystical mirror door ways. Mundane is mixed with exceptional to create a perfect blend of timing. I was always on my toes wanting to know what happens next.
The Gilded Wolves is a gorgeous fantasy of magic wrapped in Paris of yesterday. Exciting and captivating, I cheered the character on and become invested in their lives. I truly look forward to the next book in the series.

I wanted to read this book because it was giving me a Six of Crows vibe and I'm always here for that. I've tried other stories that I thought would be similar, but they always fell far short of the magnificence of Bardugo's world building and pacing. This is the first time where I can say that I've found a YA fantasy/adventure that actually comes close. The detail and layers to the world building were incredibly well done. The magic system is complex, and there is an information dump in this book that took me a bit to work my way through. But once I situated myself with the characters and setting, it was smooth reading.

The story centers around a group of five friends in late 19th century Paris: Séverin, Laila, Tristan, Zofia, and Enrique. They're a band of thieves who work together against a powerful society called The Order of Babel. All of them feel like an outsider in Parisian society for their own reasons, but together they are all treated as equals. Séverin is a wealthy hotel owner who leads them, but also takes on a protective role. They're not just friends, they've become more like family. The dynamic between this group was loving, teasing, and above all accepting. I really enjoyed the humor and witty dialogue between the group. It had a sarcastic, snarky edge that really entertained me.

As part of the Montagnet-Alarie line, Séverin should have been the patriarch of the House of Vanth with a place of power and untouchable influence in the city. The greed of others has stripped him of his inheritance, and he's bound and determined to forcibly take back what's rightfully his by whatever means necessary. As treasure hunters, they all use their personal gifts and skill sets to pull off their heists. Abilities in engineering, mathematics, forging, history, and reading an object for information help them plan and make their acquisitions. In the beginning of the book, you're thrown right into one of their schemes that doesn't go quite as planned. They've been made, and a deal must be struck in order to extricate themselves. It could either win them everything they've been fighting for, or destroy them. Their whole future hinges on the outcome.

I had a soft spot for Zofia. While she was a genius at engineering and solving mathematical puzzles, when it came to social cues and interactions she had difficulty. She exhibited many of the signs of being on the autism spectrum, but her condition wouldn't have been understood or accepted during that time period. My heart went out to her because she was so hard on herself for not understanding people, or how to behave in a way that everyone else did effortlessly. Often people would misinterpret her as cold, because she distanced herself to prevent her inevitable social mistakes. I loved how Laila befriended her, and took the time to know her quirks so well that she could make her feel at ease.

Laila was probably the most intriguing character for me. She's a famous cabaret dancer known as L’Enigme. The public sees only what she wants them to see: sultry, exotic, and captivating. There's much, much more to her and it goes well beyond her surface looks. Laila is hiding a dark history, and it may kill her one day soon if she isn't able to uncover the secrets of her unorthodox birth. She's a loner who feels she can't afford to allow anyone to see who she really is. Séverin is the one person who seems to know her better than anyone else. Their one night stand was a weak moment that got through her defenses, and now she's in denial over her deeper feelings for him. Their attraction to each other was the kind of slow burn, taut sexual tension that I love to read in fantasy. It was glaringly clear that they both couldn't let go of how attracted they were, and their feelings would not be tamped down no matter how hard they pushed.

Tristan was the youngest of the group and the closest to Séverin. They're not related by blood, but were raised together and are brothers in the truest sense of the word. Séverin is highly protective of him, and has made a vow to himself that he will not only keep him safe, but finally give him a secure home when he finally gets his inheritance back. Tristan was a sweet and quirky character that created a pet spider, created awe inspiring things, and had the whole group wrapped around his finger. But like pretty much every character introduced, there was quite a bit more to him than expected which comes to light later in the book. One thing I didn't really get about the two brothers' shared history was their seven "fathers" who were named after the seven deadly sins. That could have been explained more in depth for my liking through the flashbacks.

The main conflict regarding the Babel fragment and the Fallen House was one that I can genuinely see taking a full trilogy to resolve. This faction of The Order that was ruthlessly cut out was really creep-tastic. Harnessing the power of the dead, and aiming to become God-like creatures to "purify" humanity, they were disturbing to say the least. Sometimes I think plots are too thinned out to stretch over a three book arc, but this one has so many strings left dangling. This was a promising start to the series that fans of fantasy with an intricately drawn, diverse cast of characters will love.

If you’ve read other books written by Roshani Chokshi, you remember the lush magical settings and rich, Indian culture. The unforgettable characters main characters with quirky companions and delicious banter between them.

Gilded Wolves is a whole different kind of story. From the setting in late nineteenth century France to the complex alternate history and magic system, Gilded Wolves took some getting used to for me.

I really enjoyed the characters. There’s something incredible about creating a cast of six with relationships as close and complex and realistic as this group had. I loved the Ocean’s Eleven style heist the group sets up. It created a lot of tension and danger, which kept me turning page after page.

The magic system and politics between the houses of power were a little hard for me to keep track of at first. The prologue and opening chapter felt a bit heavy with history and setting details, but once the real story begins and we meet Séverin and his crew, I found it really easy to connect with them. If you loved the close character relationships and the high stakes of the heist in Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, you want to check out Gilded Wolves.

Will post 1/23/19

• Title: The Gilded Wolves
• Author: Roshani Chokshi
• Series: The Gilded Wolves Book 1
• Pages: 570
• Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
• Rating Out of 5 Stars: 4.5

“Don’t capture their hearts. Steal their Imagination. It’s far more useful.”

My Thoughts:

Where to even begin… Do I start with the beautifully lyrical writing? The cultural rep? The historical and mythology rep? I could go on and on about how many boxes this book ticked for me. I finished it then immediately started it over again and read it in one sitting because I was not ready to leave this world yet. The second read through was just as fun as the first.

There are two types of people in the Gilded Wolves. People who can work a type of magic called “Forging” (people who work the elements of the earth to create different objects though there are a few who can work with people’s minds.) and those who cannot. Most of the cast of characters we encounter have some type of Forging affinity. Those that do not have more than enough personality and interesting skill sets to make up for their non-magical abilities. I find there is a nice balance in the way the tradeoff between Forge magic and learned skills are used to progress the story.

There is representation galore in Gilded Wolves! Chokshi takes a very diverse cast of characters and fits them together to show that everyone can work together regardless of gender, race, sex, orientation or status in society. Will they always agree, no, of course not. But they all realize that together they can accomplish far more then on their own. Everyone has something they can bring to the table. But as they are each other’s strengths; they are also their weaknesses. We see many examples of this throughout the book.

Our setting is quite daring as well showing us the ugly beauty that was Paris during the Exposition Universelle at the start of “The Beautiful Age” of France. Where the lines decadence and degeneration were often blurred. Antisemitism, Xenophobia, mistreatment of the poor was a big issue then that Chokshi does not shy away from. Her subtle touches on cultural genocide using myths, faiths and practices from across the globe and through time continue to add more depth to an already incredible story.

I think there’s a bit of something for everyone. If you like science, there’s all kinds of alchemy, botany, engineering to be found. If you like history there’s plenty of cultures from Greek, Egypt, Babylonian, etc. You like fantasy? There’re magic artifacts, wielders, and traveling mirrors. You like mystery? You’re working your way to uncover what happened with a disinherited heir, two fallen houses, stolen items, more than one characters secret past... You like riddles? There’s puzzles and riddles the group must solve to find the answers they seek. You like romance? Yep, it’s got that to.

Some issues I think people may have is that some of the mathematical themes or not so well-known cryptograms may go over some people’s heads. The story does tend to come across as progressing very quickly in places. With such a large cast some POV’s can get a little lost. I do wish we that more of the city itself was used. We get beautiful descriptions of the places the characters are in but with so few used, the world felt a little cramped at times. That aside I still really enjoyed this book.

**E-ARC copy kindly provided by St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley in return for an honest review.**

Roshani Chokshi is one of my favourite authors. I absolutely loved both The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes. Ever since the announcement for The Gilded Wolves I’d been waiting excitedly for the day to come when I could finally start reading it. I certainly thought I would love it as much as her two previous YA novels, but the fact of it is… I didn’t. I don’t know if I’ve ever tried to persuade myself to love a book before, but I really tried to persuade myself to fall in love with The Gilded Wolves the entire time I was reading it. It wasn’t that I wasn’t enjoying it or that I was actively disliking it. I just wasn’t falling in love like I thought I would, like I had with The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes.

I think the main reason why I didn’t fall in love with The Gilded Wolves was because I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters or the story. I certainly liked all of the characters – Séverin, our Algerian-French boy who is all about stealing back what’s his and denying his feelings for a certain beautiful girl; Laila, our Indian girl who takes care of everyone and bakes and is denying her feelings for a certain boy; Enrique, our fave bisexual Spanish-Filipino historian who loves desserts; and Zofia, our Jewish autistic genius who hates feelings but also feels a lot. And the two main side characters – Tristan, who is sixteen and just a tiny boy, and Hypnos, who is our disaster bi and definitely needed to be a POV character in my opinion.

There was so much to love about all of these characters and I did love aspects of them, but I just also wanted a bit more. Hardly any of their backgrounds were revealed, and that resulted in a loss of connection with me. I wanted to know more about who they were, where they came from, and how they ended up being this found family that would do anything for each other. I love me a found family but I actually need the finding part for it to really hit home.

As for the story… if I’m being frank it was confusing. I had no idea that The Gilded Wolves was historical fantasy. I honestly thought it was plain historical, and so when there was loads of magic and futuristic technology my brain was like the hell??? And I never quite got over that. Also, the whole premise of the novel with these magical religious artefacts but also rings and Houses and God… I was Confused. I kind of just went along with it, hoping for it to be revealed in a way that made whole and complete sense to me but that never quite happened. All I could really grasp was that the Tower of Babel (which I know literally nothing about) was real, and bits broke off all around the world. To protect these bits (from what, not quite sure) Houses were created (by who??) and all these Houses have rings. If you put the rings together then the fragment “wakes up”. Why have rings in the first place then?? Also, there’s this magic called Forging, which I didn’t really understand except that people who can Forge can make things to do weird shit that they don’t/can’t normally do.

If the plot/premise/magic system of The Gilded Wolves had been explained a little more, I think I would have been more on board with everything. But the fact that there were video recorders in 1889 just messed with my head too much, especially since there was no explanation for how there was a video recorder in 1889.

Even though I wanted more from The Gilded Wolves both in terms of world building and character development, I still did end up enjoying it. And I definitely want to read the next book in the trilogy, especially after that shock reveal at the end of the book. Even though I went in with high hopes that were not quite met, I still love Chokshi as an author and writer, and she remains an auto-read and auto-buy for me.

© 2019, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.

I have yet to read Chokshi's other books but from what I have seen in this book I would be reading one soon. The world was intriguing and I enjoyed going through the story.

I had heard about this author before... but I had not read anything by her, so here you g with my first review of a book written by Ms. Roshani Chokshi! This one I can recommend to anyone who has an open mind and love captivating reads that will make you read the whole book almost at once! The romance and feeling will be on the sensual side as it will be right under your nose, but... not directly there! So it's the best way to give it to YA readers (older than 15 years old)
Ms. Chokshi created a really dark vision of word with her way of showing XIX-th century Paris. This one has magic, powers, secrets and dangerous hidden secrets that can be for sure deadly! A group of young people will go on one particular mission, and they will be a bunch that will have the true meaning of diversity in color, origin, and sexuality! So who are they?
Séverin - thief that has French father and NA mother. An heir of House Vanth that is considered dead, but the Order - some kind of royalty - is denying him his inheritance.
Tristan - Séverin's brother. He loves his spider (tarantula), Goliath - yes this gives me a creep, but... it was not that bad to me as I expected... so if you are beware of the story due to it - give it a shot, I devoured the book.
Laila is Indian origin dancer, the tension between her and Séverin can be palpable and I loved that there was something between them but who knows what? Read TGW to find it out!
Zofia - I have a soft spot for her, as I'm also Polish as her, she is also Jewish, and she can be named genius easily - yes that comes with some price, as she has some kinds of insecurities, and maybe she's on spectrum, but that's just my guess - but if that's true it was presented in a really good way! Solving any riddle/mystery is her way of life!
Enrique is hmmm... I think it can be called bisexuality, but I'm not a master in naming those. Also, he came with mixed race origin (Spanish and Filipino). He was a perfect character with traits of being full of fun and history geek (but XIXth century one) -his dialogues with Zofia were great!
Hypnos - snarky House patriarch, a man of dark skin. When I think about one word to describe him it's hilarious! Yes, that goes well with his attitude and personality!
How can you not love those group with such diversity in them? They make the read to be full of events and some of them will be really shocking. I fell for that book, and I only have one thing on y mind! WHEN CAN I GET BOOK 2! D you hear me? I need book 2!

I tried so hard to get into this book but I couldn’t. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and at times I was confused about what was going on. It may be that I wasn’t in the right mindset to read it. At least I’m hoping that is the case. I’ll pick it back up later and come back to leave a proper review.

There were definitely some strong Six of Crow vibes, particularly in the beginning re: the heists & character archetypes, but once the mythology got going, those comparisons dimmed and the world building flourished. As with Six of Crows, I think having so many POV characters made it somewhat difficult to fully connect with everyone (& I’m ironically mourning the absence of Hypnos’ and Tristan’s POV!), but I definitely loved what we did see (& wanted more of it!).

I am so, so, so intrigued by the world at the end of the book & the characters’ fates as well as the location/set-up for the next book (because who doesn’t love some gaudy Imperial Russia??)! Definitely recommend, especially for anyone who likes magical histories they’ll be thinking about for days.

*I received a free copy of this for review from Netgalley**

Solid 3.5/3.75 stars. I can’t exactly pin down what about this book stopped it from being the 5 star read I was anticipating. I LOVE Roshani Chokshi’s writing and I’m a sucker for a good heist but something about it was off for me. I found it gave me Six of Crows feels without the anticipated danger around every corner. I was never really worried for any of the characters the way I wanted to be with this big epic stunt they were trying to pull off. I enjoyed the magic system and the will they/won’t they from the 2 main characters. And at times it was so atmospheric I felt immersed in the situation and other times I was completely disconnected. Could’ve been been my mood or maybe I was reading to much into the hype. I’ll definitely be diving back into this in a few months to see if my thoughts change.

The Gilded Wolves is another splendidly written, luxurious tale of magic, legend and mysticism from Chokshi. The author's characteristic lush and vivid written sets the stage for a new world where powerful and scheming Houses vie for supremacy and a rag-tag group of outsiders seeks to challenge this hierarchy. Do not be fooled! Much more is a foot throughout this new world steeped in the decadent setting of 1889 Paris, fulled with unearthly abilities, a dash of science, intrigue, betrayals, and attraction all centered around the Order of Babel and the quest for knowledge and main protagonist Severin's desire to reclaim his inheritance.

This was a decadent read that reminded me of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows. I love a good fellowship of interesting characters coming together to solve puzzles and pull a heist!

Loved the cover of the book and the story is simply gorgeous. I highly recommend it! It's a book that I will never forget reading.

I recieved an ARC by way of Netgalley.


Holy heck is this book amazing. I went into this totally blind and I am amazed.

The characters were like a beautiful cast and so diverse it's beautiful. I especially like the character she chose to be on the spectrum and Roshani did an amazing job of normalizing their experience.

I highly, highly recommend this book for anyone who loves solid world building and sick heists carried out by a cast of misfits!

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Those who follow my Instagram account will know that I am in LOVE with Paris and French culture in general. The moment I read the synopsis for The Gilded Wolves I knew I needed to read it. A gang of misfits coming together to pull off a heist? Yes, so much yes.

For me, the book took a while to get into. While the writing was beautiful and immediately plopped me into the setting, there was so much information to absorb right off the bat. The intricacies of the society as a whole confused me for the first hundred or so pages. I like a book that builds quickly as much as the next person, but there is something to be said for a book that eases you into the world building.

That being said, I was connected to the characters quickly. Their overall dynamic was fascinating, and I really loved the romantic entanglements. They were so insanely full of angst and longing that I was intrigued right away.

My favorite part of the book though was the number of intricate puzzles Chokshi wove into the plot. They were intriguing and intricate, making me think. I adored watching the characters work together to solve them.

My Takeaway: Even with the confusion at the start of The Gilded Wolves, it was an intriguing read with an EPIC ending. I will absolutely be reading the sequel to this one!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

When I finished reading this book I was in love with it. Of course, I also wanted to throw it against the wall and rant and rave over the ending. So, the short of it is, this book is absolutely amazing and I love it, but the ending ripped my heart out and lit it on fire.

First up, let me tell you about the amazing characters. I love books with fascinating characters and this one has 6-- yes, that means there are also 6 POVs, but I think they are all very distinct. We've got a diverse crew here in looks, nationalities, gender, sexual orientation, motivations, religions, and Zofia is on the Autistic spectrum. They all have flaws. faults, strengths, weaknesses, and will wiggle into your heart faster than you can properly learn their names. Do I have a favorite? No, I can't choose, I love them all. I'd love to talk about them all individually, but I think we'd be here forever and I'd start ranting soooooo, moving on!

There is some romance tension, but it isn't a big portion of the book. It is there, past sexual experiences are mentioned, and feelings towards other characters and their looks are brought up, but it isn't overpowering. I think it was just enough and you know... contributes to my overall heartbreak. Oh, speaking of heartbreak, there are mentions of child abuse! So, please be forewarned.

Now the plot. We've got treasure hunters searching for artifacts and there are many other little motivations in the background which come up and will influence decisions. such as Severin wanting his place as patriarch, Tristan wanting to be safe and Severin happy, Laila wanting a book, Zofia wanting to pay off her debt so she can send her sister to medical school, Enrique wanting to become a more influential member of a secret society so he can help his people, and poor Hypnos who just wants friends. Oh? Is that last one not true??? I will fight you!
But it all revolves around the treasure (and friendship) and so they have to decipher codes, go to secret locales, and fight mysterious people. It is such a fantastic read.

Oh and the dialogue between characters is A+! I can't remember the last time I highlighted (on my e-reader) so much of a book. I kept wanting to add more and more updates to Goodreads. The writing is brilliant! I was sucked into this world and felt like a fly on the wall for these characters. I love everything about it so, so much. it is definitely a new favorite and I cannot wait to get the sequel in my hands.

I HIGHLY recommend this one and will be reading the sequel and more by this author. Go read it!!
The only thing... I still don't understand the title...

The Gilded Wolves is a book I really liked. I liked the story and the way it is developed by the author. I like that it is a fast-paced adventure that takes place in a 19th century Paris which is also full of magic. The world building of the novel is amazing.
The story combines treasure hunters, ancient magic and a group of misfits.
I highly recommend it and I can't wait for the sequel.