A gorgeous historical fantasy with a charming group of main characters. Chokshi's band of thieves are as different from each other as possible, but the bonds between them give this story its heart. The rest - the glamorous 1890s Parisian setting, the magical world-building, the final twists at the last chapter that leave the reader demanding more - those are all icing on the cake!

Pretty sure it's me, but for some reason I just couldn't get into this story. No matter how many times I tried, nothing grabbed me and I was bored. I did not finish it, so I cannot give it a full review.

When I found out that Roshani was coming out with a new book, I knew I had to read it. I waited for 45 minutes to receive an ARC at Yallfest, only to have them run out when I got to the front of the line. It did not disappoint.
The Gilded Wolves was a really, really good book. I was afraid since it had been so hyped up it would disappoint, but it didn't. In fact, it exceeded my expectations.
Of course, being Roshani's writing, the description in this book is everything. She makes even the most ordinary of things seem like it's filled with magic, which in the world of The Gilded Wolves it probably is. Whatever the case, the fact remains that Roshani Chokshi has one of the most beautiful writing styles out there, and this novel is true to that.
One of my favorite parts of this book were the characters. They all had so much depth to them that was amazing to see. All the little details about who they were and what they wanted were exhaustive and completely brought them to life.
I really loved the main gang-- Enrique, Zofia, Severin, Laila, Tristan, and even Hypnos, the anti-hero who flirted with literally anyone and anything. I am in love with Enrique, as I knew I would be, and I want Severin to be my older brother. The banter between them and literally just the personality they all had made me want to be a part of the group.
The Gilded Wolves is extremely fast-paced. I mean like "one-second-everything's-fine-and-the-next-someone's-lying-in-a-pool-of-blood" fast paced. It was thrilling and amazing and incredible, but it's one of those books you have to give your full attention to or you will get lost. Which wasn't a problem for me since all I wanted to do was read it once I started, but if you're a skim reader or you like books that kind of just amble along that you can pick up and put down at will, The Gilded Wolves will be like a slap in the face.
But as with almost any YA book, there were parts I wasn't a fan of. Two guys share a kiss towards the end of the book which is led up to by light flirting over the course of the book. One of them talks about how he accepted his bisexuality, and two of the characters have a one-night stand in their past that they can't forget about.
Cursing is moderate, and I think there's one f-bomb. Mentions of courtesans and mistresses are sporadic throughout. And of course there's the fact that my ship hasn't sailed yet, which is always annoying. #Enfia #Zorique
But all those negatives don't change the fact that I loved this book. While there were things I could have done without, The Gilded Wolves was overall a huge thumbs up. After all, who could say no to "National Treasure" meets "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" set in Paris? Four out of five stars!

A heist, a unique magic system and a found family comprised of diverse characters. I had to read this book!

Voicy writing and tight dialogue pulled me into the story of Séverin and his crew from page one. The characters are each larger than life, yet someone you’d love to hang out with whether over one of Laila’s mouth-watering confectioneries or while Tristan feeds his pet tarantula crickets. Some of the characters have magical powers and the magic system is both unique and quite complicated. I found myself at once amazed by the their abilities and feeling a bit like they were too super-human, tilting the scales in their favor. Luckily, the bad guys are equally overpowered, keeping the tension high. The heist plot is of full of high-stakes action and surprising twists. A page-turner. This book will appeal to fans of both heists and fantasies.

The post is scheduled for the 15th on thewingedpen.com

As a fan of Roshani Chokshi ever since her debut, I'm so excited and so lucky to read THE GILDED WOLVES. Set in the lush streets of late 1880's, THE GILDED WOLVES brings in a group of geniuses and brave people to an adventure that will surely have you catching your breath and will keep you on your toes!

THE GILDED WOLVES, apart from a brilliant story and worldbuilding — to which I won't detail since I'm scared I'll let some spoilers slip — showed Roshani's growth into writing. Her distinguished poetic prose is still there but do not overshadow the narrative, this one, for me, is great improvement! I thought her previous books were page-turners but TGW makes you want to both devour it and savour it. I don't know if that makes any sense, but you just want to know more and more about Severin and Laila and everyone else's history and curiosities!

I also want to say that my Filipino heart is happy to have Enrique in the amazing cast doing amazing historian stuff — well, most of the time.

This book was such a wild ride from start to finish, my only regret was not starting this much sooner! This is admittedly my first read by Roshani Chokshi, but upon finishing this book in one glorious sitting, I’m determined to read her other books as well and recommend them to the students in our reading association. This is definitely geared toward the higher end of the young adult spectrum, but all can enjoy this tale of intrigue with an even more interesting ensemble of characters that you’ll find yourself enamored with in no time at all.

This is my first time reading this author but it definitely won’t be my last. I loved this alternate historical heist YA novel. It has a diverse cast of amazingly round characters that I feel like other others could learn a thing or two from when creating characters that stick out. I can’t wait for volume 2.!

I think that the author had an amazing idea and concept for this book, unfortunately, it's the end product that did not work in its entirety for me. There were a lot of things that made me unable to fully enjoy the story, and the main one was the lack of development as regards the world-building. The fact that this book is set in XIX century Paris, and the whole discourse of colonization and colonizer's stealing cultural items from places these empires conquered was so interesting, but the fact that the author didn't stop to actually immerse the reader into this world little by little so as to not make the audience feel lost from page 1 is what didn't work for me. I wish she would have had a more detailed or at least an easier breakdown of the world building because, when as a reader I'm lost from the very first chapter and I have no idea what I'm reading, it means there's something you're not doing right. In a lot of cases, because of that same issue readers just straight up stop reading the book altogether, which of course is not ideal.

Another thing that really made me kinda wary of this book was what everyone's been saying already, the similarities this book has (way too many) with a very popular book, which is six of crows. The fact that it's being advertised like that does not help at all in trying to stop these comparisons from being made, but it's understandable that it's done as an advertising technique that we see very much used all the time with books. Regardless of that, I went into this without that idea in my mind. I didn't want another story to stain a new one I was about to be immersed in, but you can't not spot all those similarities, even without even trying. Your mind unconsciously goes there when you have the same group dynamic as the six of crows had, when the title is also similar, when the characters are also similar, when the humor you intend to create between the characters is also similar. There's just so many things that make you compare the two books without you even intending on doing so. And I guess whether that bothers you or not is a personal choice. For me, it really bothered me the fact that I couldn't stop thinking of six of crows when I was reading this book and thinking how much better soc was, if I'm being completely honest.

Overall, I feel torn about this book because there were so many things that I liked about it and so many other that I didn't like at all. I think that for a first book in a new series, things could have been better explained or at least done so in a slower pace so as not to lose the reader in utter confusion, but I have hope that the sequel could be a great improvement from book one.

How did I like The Six of Wolves?

Let's use that joke to get this out of the way: yes, it's very similar in plot and character to Six of Crows. But that's why I loved it. I want more fun heist novels with found families where everyone has some sort of secret but above all, they trust and love their own.

The Gilded Wolves is set in Paris and follows Severin trying to reclaim his rightful place as the patriarch of his family home. In his circle we have Laila, a girl trying to find her own answers, Enrique who has learned to fight with his words, Zofia who has learned to fight with her brain, Tristan who is the precious cinnamon roll and Hypnos, the fellow outcast who just wants to have friends.

I enjoyed the characters more than anything else and their interactions and banter are what makes this book. The plot is interesting and griping but Chokshi info dumps a lot all over the place and sometimes it could get confusing. I knew the basis of what was happening and I knew what the characters were doing and that's all that really mattered to me.

I'm definitely excited to see where the series goes. Also ships for days.

I never really liked The Star Touched Queen by by Roshani Chokshi, but The Gilded Wolves sounded so interesting that I just had to give it a chance, and I'm really glad I did.

The Gilded Wolves takes places in the 1880s in France, almost a century after the French Revolution. This is a world where some individuals have the power to Forge, having been born with magical powers with a variety of affinities, including metal, plants, and minds. In this world, there also also several houses that dominate the world of the Forged. The main characters - Severin, Leila, Enrique, Zofia, and Tristan, soon joined by Hypnos - are a band of misfits who have made a name for themselves and are seeking to regain their rightful places in the world. They soon discover an item called a Horus Eye that could be the key to their goals, but acquiring it would mean risking their lives.

Roshani Chokshi's writing has really grown between writing this and The Star-Touched Queen. I actually felt bonded with the characters and was able to get lost in the writing, instead of wading through purple prose. She clearly learned to hone her use of lush descriptions so they really give weight to the story now, instead of it just being words needed to go through to get to the actual plot. This was very much a character-focused book, with chapters alternating between four different point-of-views, which I did enjoy. In addition, the characters were really diverse, with four of the six not being white, and one of them heavily implied to be on the autistic spectrum.I do have to say though that there was character who I felt like I didn't know very well, which really came to be an issue in the last half of the book, as there were a lot of plot points revolving around this character. I did also sometimes have some issues keeping track the rules regarding Forging and its society, which sometimes bogged me down, just because there were so many of them, and not all were clearly articulated. But those are the only main things that I didn't like a out the book.

I'm really happy to say that I decided to brave Roshani Chokshi's writing again since her debut with The Star-Touched Queen and I'm looking forward to picking up the sequel to this.

*I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

There was a lot to love about this one. Magical artifacts & treasure heists, a great cast of characters with multiple POVs of various backgrounds, and great plot/pacing.

The Gilded Wolves just sounded so lovely that I couldn’t resist, plus I’ve not read Roshani Chokshi’s other books so it was all in all a perfect storm. I mean really, Paris in 1889 just sounded glamorous and with you throw in a dash of magic and thievery it gets even more exciting.

Severin Montagnet-Alarie is a dashing hotelier, artifact hunter, and disinherited son of House Vanth. He has surrounded himself with useful friends who can help him find a specific ancient artifact that could help to legitimize his standing as heir. He and his band of merry miscreants were somewhat reminiscent of Kaz and his crew from Six of Crows – Bardugo fans rejoice! I did feel that the characters in The Gilded Wolves were somewhat less criminal than those in Six of Crows, but the heist plotline definitely added to the similarities. I genuinely enjoyed each of the characters and even Hypnos head of House Nyx and his enthusiastic participation in the skullduggery grew on me with time. The cast was diverse in both origin and interests without feeling forced or haphazardly dashed together the way some self-proclaimed “diverse” SFF books do.

Now that I’ve glossed over characterization, we’re on to the plot. I fear I can’t give too much away but as I mentioned it’s a heist story that’s also a bit of a treasure hunt. Severin is trying to restore House Vanth, and two other houses currently stand proud with their magical artifacts, but there was once a fourth house. The fourth house was disbanded years and years ago, though rumors have always circulated that there were those still loyal who worked towards its restoration (or at least vengeance). The Order of Babel (the people who’re really in charge) are also kind of a big scary unknown and honestly, it’s been a few weeks since I finished the book I can’t remember what exactly they do – sort of manage the magic use? The plot is exciting, though there were periods of dilly-dallying that slowed the book down a little. I think the book would have benefited from a more solid grounding in House politics and function because I failed to care about it much at all. I think a prequel novella set around the time of the fall of House Vanth would have been awesome.

Overall, The Gilded Wolves was a dramatic book with just the right amount of Shocking Secrets revealed and at just the right times. There were emotional portions that actually evoked emotion because Roshani Chokshi wrote characters that were easy to like and engaged the reader. This book was unique enough for me to want to continue the series, though it didn’t quite sweep me off my feet. I’d definitely recommend this for fans of Six of Crows or any of those other YA books that have the “fantasy friend squad of exceptional talents” thing going on.

ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher.

So. This took me forever to get through. Longer than anything has taken me in a really long time (I mean, I read 377 books last year ...) I don't know if it's because I was reading it around the holidays and my kids were sick ... but this didn't move as quickly as I wanted it to.

But I am here for this diverse vigilante nerd posse. I am interested to see where this goes. This feels a little Moulin Rouge mixed with a little National Treasure along with the added bonus of science-magic. I think teens will be interested in this because of the way in which Chokshi layers different elements. There's adventure, there's history, there's problem solving and puzzles, there are issues with inheritance and friendships and relationships ... if the reader can stick with this through the world building to the point where they can be invested in the adventure, I think they will be hooked.

Also, my girl crush on Roshani Chokshi remains strong.

Set in an alternative Paris of the 1890s, five friends seek to find a valuable artefact that will let one of them claim his rightful place as heir of one of the major Houses of an ancient Order.

It took me quite a while to warm to this book. Mainly because I found the world building and system of magic to be poorly described and felt very confused for at least the first half of the book with so many questions about the world we were in distracting me. We're told only that five fragments from the Tower of Babel were dispersed to various sites where major civilisations would later arise and the art of 'Forging' would flourish. Forging appears to be the art of making objects from other substances with both functional and magical properties but we're never shown anything about how people know they have these skills or are taught to use them and we never see anyone in the process of using them. We're also told that in France there were four Houses that belong to the Order of Babel but nothing at all about how these Houses came about, who belongs to them or what they do, just that they are important. Unfortunately that wasn't enough for me to enjoy the adventure even though the writing was good and the plot well constructed. The cover is certainly very lovely but the title did not resonate with the novel (who were the Gilded Wolves?). I also wasn't overly invested in the characters, but feel there is scope to develop them further in a sequel (perhaps with a bit more world building, please).

Roshani Chokshi is back with an all new book, complete with her gorgeous writing and an interesting ensemble cast of characters--and ART HEIST.

In Roshani Chokshi’s new book, we follow six main characters, each belonging to different Houses of Parisian elites who have magical affinities. Their gifts are categorized by mind and matter (mind over matter, heh)--gifts that manipulate physical things like gases or liquids, or gifts that manipulate less permeable things, like that of reading an item’s past just by touching it.

Our group consists of outcasts, each in their own way. Severin, the leader of the group, has lost claim to his birthright of a broken House, and by stealing back an artifact, hopes to reclaim it. The magic in this book and the setting are wildly interesting. Especially as regards the setting, Roshani Chokshi has written both the beauty and utter horror to be had in the Parisian World’s Fair--Exposition Universelle. She doesn’t shy from the ugly, the bad, the racist, the prejudiced. Her inclusivity and diversity in this book are a thing of beauty, however!

Each character have their own quirks and interests, their own intricate histories with pasts and each other. If you’re looking for a Six of Crows-esque ensemble cast, this one is for youuu.

As usual though, my favorite part was Roshani Chokshi’s GORGEOUS writing. She has toned it down for this book from her previous duology, but it’s still very much her style and it comes through with beautiful turns of phrases and description. Honestly that was the highlight of this book for me because I have some serious writer envy when it comes to Roshani’s beautiful turns of phrase.

If you enjoy her previous fare and ensemble casts and diverse historical storytelling, be sure to check this one out!

I truly can't remember the last time a book captured my heart and consumed me the way this book did.
From the very beginning I fell in love with this found family group of friends. Their banter made me cackle so hard, and the way they all supported each other unconditionally was so refreshing to see.
Laila was the perfect mom of the group. I could definitely see myself in the way she took care of all of her friends and baked all of her endless desserts-and I was absolutely envious of her confidence as L'Enigme.
Zofia was the character that I related the most to, and I adored Chokshi's portrayal of her as an autistic character (she's never confirmed to be autistic, but it's made pretty clear throughout the book). The way that she saw the world, thought about things, and struggled to connect with her friends rang true so closely with me.
I also really liked how Hypnos was such a complex character. He wasn't your average antagonist-we really saw his motivations and reasons for doing the things he did, and his growth throughout the book was fantastic.
The angst between Severin and Laila was SO GOOD. I am actually dying to read the sequel, and it's killing me to have to wait for so long.

The settings and descriptions in this were amazing. Chokshi creates a world truly worthy of the underworld with the Order and all of the Houses. The parties and history and world building were so rich with history-you can really tell that Chokshi did so much research going into this book.

I also thought it was so refreshing to see such a unique magic/science system. I loved how she perfectly blended the magic and science together, so that you truly can't have one without the other. I want to learn so much more about Forging and the way it works, because it really is so fascinating.
Overall, I can't recommend this book enough. Definitely pick this one up when it comes out!

~ARC provided by NetGalley~

I said it before and I'll say it again Roshani Chokshi is seriously becoming one of my favorite writers!!!!! Throw me in a heist, some magic type ish, some romance and not to mention the way her writing captivates you; I'm all in. I mean just read this bit here...
"Slowly, Enrique pushed the hour hand. Hypnos and Severin had moved closer without him noticing. He saw the scene, suddenly, in his mind's eye, as if from afar: three boys kneeling around a clock made of bone, the light behind them rendering them sharp shadows brought to life, and he felt that thread of hunger sewing them all together in the moment, so that when it cam right down to it, perhaps their souls would have been indistinguishable."
Her words and worlds just suck you right in. Ready for number 2 and this one hasn't even been released yet!! And let me just say I love Hypnos! Read the book, that's it lol.

AHHHHHH! With vibes of Six of Crows and the GrishaVerse, I enjoyed this immensely...which is really no surprise. Roshani is hands down one of the best (and one of my favorite) YA authors today. Her writing is impeccable.

I will admit that in the beginning, it's a lot to take in. The Order. Forging. That leaves for a lot of confusion, and I wasn't sure if this book would be for me after all. However, the characters, the plotting, the heists...so much fun. And smart.

I loved the historical elements woven in. Again, this just helps to showcase Chokshi's brilliance.

As the story progresses, it begins to feel like a puzzle coming together. And all that stuff from the beginning were stray pieces that you may have forgotten about. This is usually the problem with info dumps. They're tedious and get overlooked. I did have to go back and re-read things that I'd forgotten in order to make sense of later developments. But this didn't detract from my enjoyment.

I love the quiet, understated romance incorporated. Never does it take the spotlight from the familial vibes and love. It's definitely there...but only in small, stolen moments. Which, of course, makes me want it even more.

This little gang of characters have definitely solidified a place in my heart. And I cannot wait for the next book, though I have no choice but to do so!

This was quite great, and I was not expecting that. I have no idea why, but I went into this book expecting not to like it that much, probably because of the time period it takes place in. I'm not usually a fan of books that take place too far in the past, but that assessment was VERY wrong for this book. Which is a good thing.

The setting for this book was interesting in the sense that you really got to see how the time period affected the characters. For example, Laila, who is an Indian woman, battles with the struggle of having a dark skin tone in Paris at the time. Being mistaken for a servant countless times surely puts a burden on someone. Of course, this is demonstrated through many other characters as well.

Plot-wise, I went into this book wary too. It's pitched as a heist story, and that is one of my favorite tropes, but also one that can be done wrong. I was afraid it wouldn't live up to the epicness of other heist stories like Six of Crows or the Now You See Me movies. Luckily, I was wrong yet again. The heists in this book were super exciting and had a total Indiana Jones vibe.

There were so many twists and turns throughout the plot, and that honestly might be one of my only critiques for this book. At times I did find myself confused, and that may have been due to any of these three reasons:

1) The book was just confusing? Most likely not this, but always a possibility.
2) I read this on vacation so I couldn't put all of my usual brainpower into it.
3) I read this on Kindle, and for some reason I never connect to Kindle books as easily as I do for physical books.

While I was at times confused by the plot, and at the beginning felt a disconnect from the characters, as the story progressed I got more and more into it. By the end I was fully engrossed and I really want to read the sequel.

Lastly, I would like to discuss the amazing cast of characters from this book. There were six main characters in this story, and I would say that each one was arguably as interesting as the next. Let's give a quick rundown, shall we?

❇ Séverin- Even though he's presented as the protagonist, I honestly feel like I know the least about him. I love the dynamic he presents with Laila (even if he is a complete jerk in that one scene near the end), and his emotions towards her are incredibly engaging. I need to see where his character goes in the rest of the series.

❇ Laila- SISTER SNATCHED. That ending scene with her and Séverin though. I felt her break a couple of chapters before, but man, did she bounce back. She is an immensely strong female character, especially when she transforms into L'Énigme. I need more of her and the angst with Séverin in book two. Now.

❇ Zofia- This girl might actually be me in an alternate reality. She has trouble with social interactions (most likely a form of autism or asperger's, but it remains unnamed because it would not have been identified in the 1800's), and is in love with math and physics. She uses numbers to calm down and appreciates the Fibonacci Sequence. I swear, the author somehow read my mind and infused it into this character. Also she's Jewish, and I'm half Jewish, so clearly Zofia=Emily here.

❇ Enrique- Oh Enrique. In love with history, symbology, and maybe a dude in this squad of characters *wink wink*. Or a girl. Who knows?? Because we have a bisexual love triangle on our hands and I don't know what to do with it. THIS IS WHY I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW.

❇ Hypnos- He might be tied with Zofia for my favorite character in this book. With quotes like:

"You're like a plague."
"What was that? I'm all the rage?" Hypnos cupped a hand to his ear, then grinned.

What is there not to love?

❇ Tristan- A little jelly bean.

All in all, a great book and I'm kind of sad that I read it so early, because now I have to wait over a year for the sequel. *sniffles*

I'm conflicted about the rating of this book. I did like it a lot. I loved the complex characters and their backstories. Ms. Chokshi really breathed life into them. All of the characters had good motivations for what they were doing. I loved the setting. January/February is going to be a great month for books set in France.

I think perhaps why my gut gives this book 3.5 stars is that it was a little too long. Maybe there was a little too much backstory. Maybe there was too much shared about the characters. Even though I enjoyed it (and will probably read the sequel), it wasn't a book that I couldn't put down.

The Gilded Wolves tells the story of a group of teens (who actually act older than teenagers) who are trying to steal an artifact. These artifacts are amazing and have great powers, and it's one of the charms of this book. They get a little more than they bargained for, when they realize that there is a group of people bent on rising up and becoming like gods.

I love how the author builds a world behind the real world that we can all read about in history books. How there is an unseen group of people with amazing power behind the scenes. How there is magic around us when everything seems ordinary. I also loved the puzzles and mathematical thinking that is in this book. I think a lot of people are going to like it. If only it was a little shorter, I think I could have loved it more.