“Sometimes the only way to take down what had destroyed you was to disguise yourself as part of it.”

Most of you know that Roshani Chokshi is one of my favorite authors. I loved both The Star-Touched Queen & A Crown of Wishes with my whole heart and soul! So, I knew when she was writing a brand-new series, about a found family completing heists and solving puzzles, that I wouldn’t be able to resist once I got my hands on an ARC. And friends, this was such a treat to read.

This is a historical fantasy set in alternate 1889 Paris, France, and in this alternate world, children will manifest magical powers by the age of thirteen. And there are two different kinds of magic; the magic of mind and the magic of matter. There is also a very powerful secret society, that goes by the name of the Order of Babel, and it used to be made up of four houses, but two houses took over ten years ago. And by doing so, they made a very big mistake claiming the heir of one of those fallen houses as dead.

“Turning into ghosts is not what the dead deserve.”

➽ Séverin - Biracial (Algerian & French). For sure the leader of the group, who wants nothing more than to keep his crew safe and out of harm’s way. But he is on a mission to reclaim his true inheritance that was stolen from him with lies ten years ago, because he gets an offer than he couldn’t possibly refuse.

➽ Laila - Indian (ownvoices), dancer, who is dealing with a lot of grief and a lot of anxiety over her past. She has the magical (matter) forging ability to touch any object and read it to know everything about it. And she desperately needs Séverin’s plan to work.

➽ Tristan - White, and Séverin considers him his little brother, because they moved around a lot together in foster care. Also, Tristan loves his pet tarantula, Goliath, more than anything, but he’s still my favorite little gardener/botanist.

➽ Zofia - On the Autism spectrum, Jewish, Polish, has anxiety, and a lot of her actions (in my opinion, as someone who has OCD) feels like she may also fall on the OCD spectrum. She finds comfort in numbers, needs to have things in their rightful place, and is willing to do any and everything for her little sister that she was forced to leave behind. Zofia also has magical forging abilities of the mind.

➽ Hypnos - Black, queer (probably pan, maybe bi, and maybe even non-binary), heir of a French aristocrat but know he is also a descendant of slavery. His story line is a little rough at first, but you soon realize that he considers Séverin a brother to him, and honestly? Hypnos ended up being my second favorite character. Also, he made me giggle so much that my tummy hurt.

➽ Enrique - Biracial (Filipino (ownvoices) & Spanish), queer (he is either bisexual or pansexual, but I’m not sure my heart can take reading about a half Filipino, pan character because it is all I’ve ever wanted in literature!) But, this character meant a lot to me. I am not sure I’ve ever read specifically about a biracial Filipino dealing with cultural erasure on both sides of their heritage before. I mean, this book is literally people trying to erase cultures from history, and Enrique is literally a historian, but seeing people make comments about his looks and biraciality just really hit home for me on a really personal level. I completely realize that there comes an immense privilege with being white passing but reading this book and feeling how real and hurtful it is when people disregard you and erase you because you don’t fit in their stereotypical mold of what a half Asian person should look like, but they also never let you forget that you’re not fully white. Yet, also not feeling like you truly fit in because of your lighter or more westernized features, even if they comment about it in a way that they believe is positive and a compliment. And Enrique also has to deal with people thinking that Asian people are interchangeable and thinking that their cruel and ignorant words are acceptable to say. I loved all the characters in this book, but Enrique just felt like the character I’ve been searching for for a very long while and he just really encompassed so many things that I hold inside myself every day. His character just meant a lot to me, and I will cherish him forever and always in my heart.

And this ragtag group of misfits come together and create something so beautiful that I hardly have words to describe it. This book heavily talks about colonization. And even though the heart of this novel is about a found family who unconditionally loves one another, the soul of this novel is about cultural erasure and how important it is to keep the traditions and history from your culture, no matter who tries to make you believe that theirs is superior. And this book really puts an emphasis of the terrible acts people will commit while saying that it’s for or because of a higher power.

“But the greatest thief of all was the Order of Babel, for they stole more than just objects . . . they stole histories”

But all these characters feel like a tier above the rest of what YA has to offer. They feel so real, their pain feels so raw, and you just want to protect them all at all costs. Roshani really is a master word weaver and I can’t help falling in love with every story she puts into the world. She is also the master of romance, and I was swooning extra hard for two people in this. (Also, the set up to book two will probably be the death of me!) As for the other romantic relationship, Roshani is either going to completely slay me with the love triangle or give me everything I’ve ever wanted with a polyamorous relationship. Lord, hear my prayers.

Also, because I don’t think I mentioned this above, a good portion of this book is set at a hotel called L’Eden where the crew lives and develops new advancements to help them with their missions. I know I’ve already gushed pretty hard over this book, but I love books that are set in hotels and inns so much, and it was just such an unexpected treat. Then again, Roshani always writes the best settings and my heart fell completely in love with a poisonous greenhouse in this story, too.

Overall, I just really loved this one. I am sure many people will compare The gilded Wolves to a mix of Six of Crows & The Da Vinci Code upon release, and I think that’s valid, bu I think it has its own unique spin, too. The cast is diverse and lovable, the writing is lush and beautiful, the themes are important and heartfelt, and the story is captivating and unputdownable. If you like a story with secrets and mystery, filled artifacts and puzzle solving, with a little romance and funny banter, then I completely recommend picking up The Gilded Wolves upon release.

I received an ARC of this book.
I would probably give this book 3.5 stars. It was a good historical YA Fantasy and hard to put down.
A team of misfits in an alternate Belle Epoque Paris work to stop a faction of madmen from gaining access to a piece of the ancient Tower of Babel. This group of friends uses their unique talents to plan a heist to rival "Ocean's Eleven" in order to keep the ancient artifact away from those who would misuse its power. The world-building is very good, the characters are likable, and the plot is very original.
That being said, I did have a few problems with the book. One, I really would have liked more elaboration on the backstory of the characters. Many important things happen to them before the actual book begins, and while these events are related in flashbacks, I think more attention could have been paid to these things. It really would have added to the story. Two, the "mythology" of the story was explained, but this is another area in which more detail could have enhanced the book. Three, the story is narrated by several different characters, and while this is well-done, at times it got confusing and I did have to go back an see which point-of-view we were looking through at the time. Perhaps the author could have varied the voices a bit more to make it easier to identify. Lastly, the climax of the book seemed rushed, and then the resolution/ending seemed very drawn out. The last several chapters just really served to set up the second book in the series. I would have liked a more definite conclusion instead of a lead-in to Book Two.
All that being said, the author had an original story and deftly created a world that drew me in as a reader. The sights, smells, tastes, and feelings were expertly described. The various characters each had idiosyncrasies, backstories, and personality traits that were relatable.
I did enjoy this book, but it almost seemed like the author wanted to do so much that many things were glossed over when they deserved more time. The fantastical story, the mythology and world-building, the decadence of the time, the puzzles/science/ math, the themes of colonialism, marginalization, isolation, being "the other," all deserved more attention than they received just because there was not room in the book. If it could have been tightened up and perhaps had less going on I would have given it a higher rating. I would still recommend the book to anyone who enjoys caper/heist stories, YA, Fantasy, and History.

If you enjoyed Six of Crows, in particular the unlikely found family trope, its heist shenanigans, and general chaos, then you had better be prepared to read (and fall in love with) this book. The Gilded Wolves is a gorgeously written, historical/dystopia/futuristic heist novel (no, that's not an oxymoron), with six wonderful main characters who you can't help but love.

The novel is set in Paris, 1889, and introduces the shadowy Order of Babel, who control Forgery, a form of magic. The Order "collects" Forged items from countries across the globe. Séverin, our main character (insofar as you can identify the main), is the last surviving member of the disgraced House Vanth, consumed with the desire to exact revenge on the Order for cheating him out of his inheritance. When a routine heist reveals something unexpected, Séverin and his team (Laila, Tristan, Enrique and Zofia) are enlisted by the Patriarch of House Nyx, Hypnos, to find a hidden artefact.

What I especially loved about this book was the characters. Firstly, the main cast is really diverse - four of the main six are characters of colour and two are mlm (one is explicitly bi, and allowed to crush on both male and female characters in the book). Though, yes, I do live in hope that one of the girls is going to be wlw as well, but who knows. Secondly, for most of the book, I genuinely couldn't decide which of them was my favourite. Of course, if you know anything about my type of character, you can probably pick out which of them ended up being my favourite, but that didn't stop me loving each of them individually.

Throughout the book, I think I was in awe of how well Roshani Chokshi can develop a plot and her characters simultaneously. Every one of them is fully rounded, and even when you're not in their POV, you can just feel them coming off the page with life. I think that was most obvious for Hypnos because for most of the book he was only viewed through other characters' eyes, but you still get such a clear idea of his character it's almost as if you did get that time in his POV.

I also want to gush over the plot itself for a bit. It's so intricately woven and thought out, and so engaging you don't even think to put the book down for a moment. And then just as you think everything's sorted out now, everything's happy, suddenly Roshani Chokshi pulls the rug from under your feet, breaks your heart, and turns everything upside down, so all you're left with is a cliffhanger, a lot of soggy tissues and at least a year-long wait to find out how it all gets resolved.

If there was anything at all that I didn't like as much about this book, it was the love triangle. I wouldn't have minded so much, but I disliked one of the sides of it. In my opinion, they'd have worked better as becoming really good friends instead of having relationship potential (and then I could escape that particular romantic angst), but I guess I'll have to wait to see where it gets taken in book 2. Also, I know I was expecting more of a historical atmosphere to this book, but it's not really historical so much as a kind of futuristic past (because of Forging), if that makes sense. That it's set in Paris in 1889 is relegated to the background almost, so if you're going in expecting it to be very historical or historically accurate, then you might be disappointed.

So, if I hadn't made it clear before now, this is definitely a book you're going to want to read. Maybe multiple times over just to fully absorb every little detail about it. Just make sure you're prepared for a broken heart.

ARC provided by Wednesday Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will admit the story is probably more of a 3-star read for me, but the characters really made up for it. They're such a joy to read and I instantly loved them all from their very first introduction.

The Gilded Wolves is a historical fantasy about reclaiming your birthright and power. Mix that in with some treasure hunting, cool science, diverse characters, and Paris as a backdrop: You really got yourself such an interesting and fun story!

Right away we are thrown into a heist plot line filled with puzzles to solve and codes to crack. Usually these plots excite me but I will admit I got a little confused from the way the story was told initially. I really wanted some more backstory about said treasures and artifacts. In truth, at times I felt like I was reading a Dan Brown novel because it was very "clue-solving-heavy"; however it lacked more in depth research and I felt like I was just skimming a Wikipedia article. I also felt like the magic system was a bit messy.

So while the actual heist story line didn't quite sell me, I want to say that I 100% loved all the characters and their backgrounds so much. I love a diverse, fun, witty squad. Seriously, this book is filled with so much witty banter and sarcasm. Their personalities felt realistic and pure, and I was living for the romantic tension between two certain characters. I also adored one character who is a scientist/engineer through and through, and another character who is a historian who can lecture you non-stop about anything and everything. And then there's a certain character with his pet tarantula whom I loved with all my heart.

And speaking of diversity, this book is full of so much representation. There is rep for autism, races and ethnicities (black, Filipino, Indian, Jewish, Polish), and LGBTQIAP+ (pan, bi). While there's so much rep for all these cultures it is also brought up several times how these cultures are being erased/oppressed due to colonialism. Big props to Roshani Chokshi for including such important themes in this book.

I think fans of heist/treasure hunting stories may enjoy The Gilded Wolves. And if not, then I highly recommend this book if you just want to read about some awesome, fun characters who I want to be friends with. I really liked how this story ended and how badass my favorite character was. I'm looking forward to the next installment already.

I also wanted to note that I read the digital ARC copy via NetGalley, and there were some major formatting issues with the text and diagrams/photos. This did not affect my review in any way, but it did make the overall reading experience not quite as enjoyable and at times I had to re-read several paragraphs over again to make sure the dialogue was matching up with the right character.

I did not finish this book due to the misquoting of Scripture, adding to it without any sort of disclaimer or note about it being fictional (even with one, I'm still not okay with them twisting God's Word). I won't be finishing this one because of that. ......................................................

"The Gilded Wolves" is an exhilarating heist taking place in fin de siècle Paris. The cast of characters is incredibly diverse (gender, sexuality, ethnic background) and they all have gifts - magical and non - to assist in acquiring a mythical object. As a historian, my favorite characters was the group's resident historian Enrique and his textbook knowledge. I didn't love some of the romance plots - any with Hypnos, however, are perfect.
"The Gilded Wolves" definitely reads as setting up for the next book in the sequel. Sometimes the pacing was a bit off and I would have liked more world-building as some parts of the magic and social drama get confusing.
The novel is a historical fantasy with elements of magic. The Paris is definitely of our world and not a secondary world Paris. Because of this, the major themes Chokshi tackles are all the more relevant. At the heart of the novel is the theme of colonialism and its exploitative effects. Chokshi also expertly explores what it means to be a family, the weight of legacy, and how race and class are oppressive social structures. I will definitely read the sequel!

I’d been meaning to read Roshani Chokshi’s work for quite some time, and when I heard about The Gilded Wolves, I immediately knew I wanted it to be my introduction to her stories. I’m a big fan of historical fantasy, especially stories set in real places but crafted very differently from what those places actually were in that setting, and I’m a sucker for a good heist story with lovable characters, both of which were facets Gilded promised to deliver.

Luckily, Roshani is just as delightful of a storyteller as I anticipated she would be, because I was captivated from the beginning and found myself head-over-heels in love with this series by the end. The writing is so much fun, full of hilarious, laugh-out-loud banter and sweet, tender moments (I swear I highlighted half the book), and the heists and puzzles craft an air of endless suspense and intrigue.

Even better, the characters in this story are some of the best I’ve ever met. They are all incredibly complex and real, and you’d be hard pressed to dislike any of them because they all have such lovable quirks and bits of their personalities. I never get tired of a good “squad” and this little gang of misfits has to be one of my new favorites! Oh, and there is a romance in this book that has some of the best romantic/sexual tension I have EVER read in YA (without ever being even remotely explicit).

In fact, can we just stop right here and talk about these characters? Because, honestly, I tried writing this review without taking some time to gush over each of them individually, and I just couldn’t do it.

→ Séverin 💀 half-Algerian, clever, criminal mastermind, total grump-butt in the best way
→ Laila 🍰 Indian, #squadmom, baker extraordinaire, sweetest and most loving little ball of sunshine ever, has a beautiful story arc regarding the importance of dance in her culture/homeland
→ Zofia 🔬 Jewish, Polish, autistic (and so well-done, written with such obvious care and research), scientist/genius, wickedly funny, probably my actual favorite??
→ Enrique 📜 Filipino/Spanish, queer, adorable, pouty, historian, has endless internal monologues about feeling erased, suffering racism/microaggressions, etc., made me cry a million times
→ Tristan 🕸 precious soft little bean, has a pet tarantula he never shuts up about, needs to be protected and cared for at all costs
→ Hypnos 💎 black, queer, doesn’t always have the best motives but is generally the actual softest, killer taste in fashion

I have only one complaint about this book, and honestly, I loved the story overall so much that it pains me to even include this: I struggled with the world-building for quite a while. You’re kind of dropped right into the action from the get-go, and you’re forced to catch up on the run, which I normally love, but this world is just so intricate and has such a large-feeling magic system that I feel I would’ve benefited a bit from being given more of a primer before launching into the main plot.

I actually have heard a few friends say it feels like this book needs a prequel novella in order for the world-building to fully function, and while I don’t agree that it’s entirely necessary , I do think it would be an AMAZING addition if Roshani ever chose to follow that route later on.

Minor complaints aside, though, The Gilded Wolves still feels like an easy 5-star read for me because I adored the characters so much and had such a tremendous amount of fun with the adventure and obstacles that really come into play in the second half. I cherish these characters so much, and in the two weeks it’s now been since I finished reading, this story has only grown more and more dear in my heart. I am beyond excited for the sequel and can’t wait to see what Roshani will do to indubitably wreck my life as the saga continues.

Ultimately, I’d recommend this to any fans of historical fantasy, “squad” groups, and lovable, diverse characters, as well as readers who don’t require a tremendous amount of back-story or a slow pacing in fantasy. I also wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who enjoys fun, flirty or otherwise humorous banter in their books.

All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Gilded wolves was really hard for me to get into right from the start. The characters were interesting in their own, but the lack of world building just made me emotionless over them. Hard to connect to

This book was alright. The premise sounded really intriguing and refreshingly unique. But it was very hard to get into. Somehow the author gave the reader both too much and too little information at the beginning of the book and I found myself confused about the world that the book is set in. I felt like I got to know who the characters were right away, but it was really hard to grasp all of the rules of forging and how that impacted the world of Paris in 1889. This made the book frustrating to read.
I also had a feeling that the author couldn't decide whether this was a YA or an adult book, and it made the romance in the book frankly annoying. Maybe it was due to the different ages of the characters? But some of the romance was written more like a YA book with crushes and characters questioning their sexuality, where one of the romance plots seemed more like an adult book in nature. It also got on my nerves that every single time two of the characters interacted, their past tryst was brought up. It got old quick.
I did really like the characters in the book. That's something the author did a great job of. The characters were all interesting and I felt myself wanting to learn more about them and caring about their fates.
3 stars since the book did pick up about halfway through, the action scenes were well written, and I liked the diverse cast of characters.

All I can say is w o w. I have never gone so fast from NetGalley to preordering a physical copy as I did with this book. I couldn't put it down. Each moment as as magical as the last. Thanks author does a great job of creating a diverse, interesting world with a lot of tension and interest throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and was sad I didn't have even more to read! Loved it.

Prepare yourselves because Roshani Chokshi does it again. This book has her signature, decadent, luscious writing that helps you imagine the most beautiful world. Paris is a glittering, dangerous city where our characters are all diverse with different drives and needs propelling them. I loved this little band of misfits and just want to give them all hugs and take care of them. There are four points of view in this book, each distinct and unexpected. The plot was very evenly paced, with multiple heists and exciting moments, along with moments of downtime with tea and cookies. I can't wait to see the puzzles in book format. This is one to get your hands on straight away before Severin comes to steal it from under your nose!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the chance to read a review copy of this book via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion.

Title: The Gilded Wolves
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release date: Jan 15th 2019
Rating: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Would I let my kid read this? 100%

I was lucky enough to receive a digital ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review, thank you!!!

The Plot
In short - this is a heist story. It is also a story of magic, friendship, puzzles, and history. There are a lot of themes packed into this book and it moved along at a steady pace, with action followed by development and puzzles, then more action and development and puzzles..... by the end I wished that it was the second book about to be released, not the first! I was so wrapped up when it ended that I just wanted the book to keep going! There was also a baby cliff hanger, where no one was dying or in imminent danger, nothing crazy happening, but a firm hook is set and you know you are going to be eagerly awaiting the next installment!

The Characters
The Gilded Wolves had me wanting to crush on half of the characters before I realized they were all teenagers. I set it in my mind that back in the 1800s, young people were a whole lot different than they are today in maturity level and intellect.... but I still really wanted to picture at least Severin as someone my age. I am not going to go into individual characters here but they are a band of misfits. They are a pretty typical group on the surface - awkward girl, fake girl, braniac, the immature one, the moody leader...but under the surface and throughout the book their secrets are told and they become dear to the reader, or at least to me they did The point of view switches between four of them -I think - throughout the book, with one exception that made sense at the end. I wish I could have heard his voice, oh what would it say!

The Writing
Chokshi has an unbelievably poetic writing style. My favorite passage was this::

"Kisses were to be witnessed by stars, not held in the presence of stale death. But as the bones rose up around them, Laila saw fractals of white. Pale constellations of bone. And she thought that, perhaps, for a kiss like this , even hell would put forth its stars"

The descriptions throughout the book were flowery almost to the point of excess, but not quite. Her world is full of magic and she did an amazing job bringing it to life. This book is meant to be savored, not skimmed. I only skimmed when the one character started rambling about math and puzzles, those descriptions were not my brain's favorite. I also didn't mind the multiple points of views as it was not repetitive and kept the story moving.

Overall Impression:
As I write this I feel like I should have given it five stars, but it was a little drawn out at times and I was jarred by the last few chapters. I felt like I did when Kristen Britain killed off Yates, just sad and going WHY lady WHY did you do that, you're just cruel to my heart 😂. The book mainly has positive relationships, clean language, and is lgbq+, but it doesn't really read like a young adult book and I think adults can get into it too. In that spirit I would say yes, let your young adults read this (then read it after). Anyway, I give it a solid 4/5 stars and would recommend to anyone who likes heists, fantasy, magic, young adult, fiction, or a good book in general!

The full review (with better formatting!) can be seen at:
https://onenursereader.wixsite.com/onereadingnurse-1/home/the-gilded-wolves-by-roshani-chokshi

May be some spoilers

Paris 1889

Some spoilers The 

 matriarch of the house kore is running late for dinner with the house of nyx.she has on a beautiful designed  silk dress.she has on a babel ring she received when becoming the matriarch of the house of kore She is stabbed in the hand while waiting for a   carriagre along with a blow to the head . Her babel ring  is stolen away into the night.Severin ,a known theif,has a special object from the house auction he is trying to recieve.LaiLA is waiting for severity  to come back with treasure map hidden in compass.Severin has his wrist stuck in one of the house objects bear.Severin is helped by Eugene . "In the dark, he felt the presence of the orders treasure  like the eyes of the dead,Hate shivered through him. He couldn't bring himself to look at the looming salvaged piles . He might help severin steal ,but the greatest  thief was the order of babel,for they stole histories,swallowed cultures  whole,smuggled evidence of illustrious  antiquity onto large ships and spirited them to differentvlsnds." "Once there were four houses of france, like all the other houses within the order of the babel the French faction swore to safeguard the location of their babel fragments,the source of all forging power ,forging was a power of creation rivaled only by the work of gof. But one house fell.and another  house died without a heir.now all that is left Is a secret",the  fallen house had tryed rebuild tower of babel"to the public the order of babel was nothing more than Frances research arm tasked with historical preservation   they knew  nothing of the auctions  ,the treasures  buried deep beneath the ground. Half the public didn't even believe the babel fragment was a physical object but rather a dressed up biblical  metaphor." Zofia opened up a savings account  hoping to gain some money from severins treasure map.zofia once a student was plagued with rumors that she would steal anything including forging  affinity , After an accident in lab arrested for insanity and arson,severin gave her a way to gain back what she lost."when he first heard  about the compass he imagined it would lead them to lost treasure  of the fallen house,the only cache of treasure that the order would do anything to posses  ." 

I loved the characters and different  points  of view

I really wanted to love this book. It has been favorably compared to Six of Crows and several other of my favorite titles, and I launched into ready to be wowed... but I wasn't.

Pros:
-Imaginative world building
-sympathetic characters
-heists
-interesting magic and mythology
-Chokshi's lyrical writing style

Cons:
-I didn't feel like I knew who Severin was. I knew his history. I knew his goals. I even knew a few of his quirks. But he didn't have a personality I could put my finger on. I rooted for him, but I didn't love HIM.
-It felt like the author sat down with a checklist of diverse characteristics she wanted to hit. Gay: Check. Mixed race: check. Character with social disorder: Check. Orphans: check. History of abuse: check. Family dysfunction: check. I am not against any of these characteristics, but it seems like authors of late feel like they have to hit you with everything or risk being called racist, classist, elitist, or homophobic. In trying to defeat all of these potential missteps, we've hit the trope of "Most diverse group of friends EVER. We're SO different but we just love each other."
-This book tried hard to be Six of Crows and didn't live up because it didn't find a balance of fun. I was so depressed over every characters life. Didn't anything good ever happen to any of these people? EVER?

This wasn't a bad book, but I wasn't excited to pick it up. I was already dreaming of the other books I wanted to read when this one was over.

My expectations for this book were high, and it more than surpassed them.  If I could rate it more than 5 stars, I gladly would.

With such unique, magical world-building, and a closely bonded clan of charming characters planning a dangerous heist, The Gilded Wolves has the feel of Six of Crows.  I've also seen this book compared to Indiana Jones and National Treasure, and with clues, puzzles, and historical elements, I can see why. 

The incredibly well-developed characters made this novel for me.  They're a family of their own choosing, and along with that comes humorous dynamics - I laughed with them, but also felt their pain.  Each of the six has their own talents and skill set and bring something to the table.  And such wonderful inclusion!  Bisexual, gay, autistic, with different cultures and backgrounds.   

At over 400 pages, this is a chunk of a read, but I didn't want it to end.  An intricate plot, beautiful writing with so many quotable lines, charismatic characters, and masterful world-building - I highly recommend The Gilded Wolves to fantasy, history, and adventure fans.  Easily one of my best reads this year, and the next book can't come soon enough.  

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

I’ll be honest it took me a couple tries to get into the book. I’ve been in a reading slump and nothing is really appealing to me right now. But I tried it again because I love this author and this cover and I’m glad that I did! It’s a super interesting story (and again, that cover is gorgeous). Definitely give it a read and find out for yourself.

What a fun little gem of a book! Having just read Six of Crows for the first time only a week ago, I found the resemblance startling – but in form only. The story is rich and fast-paced, with all the magic Chokshi brings to her books. It was exciting to see her take the magic of her usually Indian inspired novels and bring them to Paris, nothing lost in the transition. Her rich worldbuilding and colorful detail made this book a joy to read.

Chokshi has created an alternate Paris where magic is commonplace and the Order of Babel retains control. Babel pieces hidden from the world allow forgers to create beautiful and dangerous items, which give this alternate world technology similar to ours. It is here, in the lavish hands of the order, that our story takes place.

The crew of this Oceans-Eleven-Meets-Indiana-Jones-with-Magic book is diverse and easy to relate to:

Séverin, the heir to the third house of the French Order of Babel, stripped of his title due to nefarious reasons and politics. He owns a hotel, L’eden, and secretly runs heists to steal the most remarkable forged objects the world has ever seen, along with his team.
Laila from India, with an ability to read people’s history while holding an object of their possession, with an amazing talent for baking and one of the best dancers Paris has ever seen. (Can she be my best friend, please?)
Enrique, the Spanish/Filipino historian with a great sense of sarcasm and who occasionally remembers how to act human.
Zofia the mathematician/engineer of Polish Jewish descent, kicked out of university for her dangerous magical affinity, who only seems to tolerate people and would much rather ber tinkering.
Tristan, the recluse botanist, and who is a very recluse sort of person, with his gigantic pet spider he seems to love more than anyone else.
And unoficially, Hypnos, heir to another French House, a French aristocrat of mixed race, which doesn’t sit well with his peers, making him defy expectation at every turn.

Together, they need to solve the clues to basically save France, using their own set of skills. It involves cunning, deceit, and a fair bit of math, along with amazing forged gadgets a bit à la James Bond with a scoop of magic. You get to know each of the characters just enough to relate to them, though I wish I had more time to know them more. If I had one disappointment to say of the book, it would be that it was too fast: in some places, it got confusing because the action piled up and the points of view were all over the place, and it could have been paced down to show us more about the characters and their past.

All and all, I’m getting the hardcover. This book is sure to be a hit and I can’t wait for the sequel!

(But I still have no idea why the book was called The Gilded Wolves)

I received a copy of this books thanks to Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
It seems like I’m growing old for YA books since I’m finding them more and more unsatisfying and The Gilded Wolves is not the excepton.
I found the writing style just ok, not the type of writing that could grab me and make my want to read the book in just one sitting.
The cast was diverse and very interesting but I didn’t like the premise of the story, it’s just a personal preference but I don’t like story with Biblical references, and I was aware of the revelation at the end of the book.
I think many young readers would like this story, that faintly remembers Six of Crows, for me was just an ok reading that didn’t made me curious about the next book in the series.

At once a heist novel, a historical tale, a fantasy, and a meditation on the abuses of power, this book hits the mark in all respects. In this reimagined Belle Epoque Paris, certain individuals have the power to Forge, or affect matter or mind in a way that smacks of magic. Such power creates a world of haves and have-nots, and that’s where Severin’s team of thieves comes in. They use their gifts to “liberate” valued items for various clients, but Severin’s ultimate goal is to restore his House Vanth back to power.

When the head of House Nyx hires the crew to steal the Horus Eye, a mysterious power object, the team has to deal with not only the many challenges of the job, but a shadowy group that wants to claim the item for its own ends, which just might include the end of the world as they know it. Science collides with magic, and there are plots within plots as the tale unfolds.

The main characters are colorful, flawed, and distinctive, and each has his or her own goals — from Laila, the object reader, to Enrique, who seeks Filipino independence, to Severin’s plant wizard brother Tristan, and Zofia, the socially awkward master engineer. The relations between these diverse characters deepen and grow more complex as the story evolves, but they never get in the way of the action.

It’s a heist tale to rival Leigh Bardugo’s SIX OF CROWS, told in lyrical, evocative language and full of twists and reversals. I was sad to see the story end, but cheered by the fact that it’s the first of a series. Highly recommended.

http://brucehale.com/book-review-the-gilded-wolves/

I’m just gonna go ahead and state the obvious. is The Gilded Wolves almost exactly the same book as Six of Crows? why, yes it is. are the six main characters in The Gilded Wolves almost precise carbon copies of the six main characters in Six of Crows? also yes. BUT does The Gilded Wolves hold its own despite the undeniable comparisons and parallels I can draw from any given scene in this book? ALSO YES, THANK YOU GOD.

funny how formulas sometimes DO work. give me six INCREDIBLE, diverse main characters with an extremely specific set of skills each, a heist, a luscious magic system and powerful world building, and I’m absolutely sold. regardless of the indisputable likeness between the two books, The Gilded Wolves takes off with an extremely rich world building in the lush and vibrant descriptions Roshani Chokshi gives us of 1890s France. As an art/design student, I also really appreciated the teeny tiny nods to things like art movements and The Great Exhibition of 1851. The magic and science systems here are also absolutely to die for!! I love how industrial everything in this book feels, how modern. I’d even go as far as to say The Gilded Wolves gives off steampunk vibes, and I LOVE it. I love the magical atmosphere and ambience of this alternate picture of France.

and God, the characters! I’m now a mother of six and I’ll do anything in my power to protect my children (I WON’T LET YOU TOUCH TRISTAN, ROSHANI CHOKSHI, I WON’T, I’M PRETENDING THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK DID NOT HAPPEN). I love the backstories!! I love the Bible references in Severin’s character (and overall in the general world building)!! I love how diverse the cast of characters is!! I love that everyone provides their very own special touch to the gang, and how none of them could even begin to survive a day without the others. I love how they’re a less deadlier and much livelier version of the Six of Crows characters, yet they hold their own and absolutely shine when juxtaposed.

the one thing I couldn’t bring myself to like about this book was the villain. I LOVE a good villain, but Roshani Chokshi just simply didn’t give us a clear and morally gray bad guy in here. there WAS a bad guy, yes, but we never really learn about his true motivations other than ‘taking over the world’, and that’s honestly not really a good villain to me. I need to get to know the villain, to even come to ROOT for him at some point, and that just didn’t happen here.

again, addressing the elephant in the room, yes, The Gilded Wolves is almost exactly a carbon copy of Six of Crows, but it’s also so essentially its own story and plot with a drastically different magic system and startlingly beautiful world building. can’t wait for the next book in the series!! thanks again to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books!!