Yet again, Roshani Chokshi has taken my breath away with this story full of adventure, betrayal, heartbreak, and shocking revalations. Sprinkled throughout this book are the stories of how Severin met each member of his motley crew and behind it the reason for his distorted sense of needing to save them by whatever means necessary. Severin's coldness is beyond saving with every word he speaks being colder than the last. There are some incredible quotes in this book, many shirts and bookmarks waiting to me made! With the memory of Tristan looming over everyone's head we learn some new and disturbing truths. We get some great cat fight scenes when a new femme fatale comes on the scene with secrets all her own that I am hoping to learn all about in the next book! There are some definite Aladdin vibes with a chase scene through a bazaar and a mobile "Cave of Wonders" so to speak. And then there of course the beautiful wardrobes, longing looks, and extravagant parties!! Then there's that ending that left my heart aching and wishing I could fast forward time to read the next chapter of this saga! This was another 5 star read for me, as is everything I have ever read by Chokshi.

This review will be posted on my blog and Instagram, September 21, 2020

The Silvered Serpents is the sequel to The Gilded Wolves.
I enjoyed this chilly adventure into 19th century Russia in search of an ancient artifact that will grant them the power of God. The Fallen House though not as in your face in this book is laying in wait for them to find the key to the treasure. As usual the villain waiting for the good guys to do all the work, (ugh they are the dead weight in the school group project).
The relationships of all of the team form and shift and change throughout as they are constantly trying to find their place. Since the death of Tristan, Séverin has been colder, different and distant. Making decisions on behalf of everyone for his benefit to further his purpose. He was a bit of an ass up until the end when he kind of snapped out of it, is it too late to salvage the relationships he had left? Grief is a living thing it's hard to process death or know how to live without an important person or to live with those that survived.
I loved all the new ice gadgets and ice creatures in this book. There was lots more of the history, love stories, mythology, equations, and mystery that I loved from the first book. It was different than the first since their team is now working in a way with the Order not behind their backs.
Now I seem to not have the best attachment to ice and the specific torture that was used, I mean who would be, no one really.
I was worried just about them falling in and getting trapped under ice but there were so many other dangers to come. And that torture ugh I have two daughters my daily nightmare the only good thing about the SIP is that I don't have to worry about abduction.
Shout out to Zofia, I love her and how her mind works! I'd love her to have her own book! ❤️

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you @wednesdaybooks, @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the ARC for my honest review.

PS Nick Cage is the muse we all didn't ask for! 🤣

Severin makes me so mad. Stop being such an a** to Laila. This sequel was not as strong as the first book. I am looking forward to see how this all ends and if Laila gets a happy ending.

The Silvered Serpents is the second book in The Gilded Wolves series by Roshani Chokshi. I enjoyed it, probably even more than the first book. In The Silvered Serpents, Severin and his team travel to Russia in the hunt for The Devine Lyrics, a long-lost book that rumored to grant the powers of God.

After the events of the first book, Severin's team is fractured but they need to work together to succeed and stay ahead of the Order and the Fallen House, who are also hunting for The Devine Lyrics. I was glad to be back in The Gilded Wolves universe, revisit the characters, and learn more about their pasts. I loved that the story is set in Russia! This book has ended on a cliffhanger, and I am very eager to read the final installment.

I think it’s more of a 3.5 again but I’m rounding up.

As this sequel release got postponed by a long period, I’ve actually had the ARC for months now but I just didn’t feel like reading it too early. And I’m always apprehensive about Roshani’s writing because it doesn’t always work for me, and with this weird year and my raging reading slump, I didn’t wanna take any chances. But I finally felt the urge to pick it up and I’m glad I did before the release date, though I’m still processing my thoughts about what I ultimately feel about it.

Roshani’s writing is always exquisitely beautiful and poetic but as a reader who loves simple straightforward prose, I’m not always in the right mindset to enjoy her work. But it didn’t feel that way this time. I found this sequel much easier to read and I finished it in just two sittings which surprised even me - maybe I’m just used to her style now or maybe it was slightly less flowery this time around. I also didn’t find the pacing to be slow like many other readers seem to have; I actually thought it was pretty fast even though I agree that it’s not as action packed or tense as The Gilded Wolves. The descriptions of the Sleeping Palace, the withering cold in Russia and just everything that they found in that palace was all very lush and vibrant, and I could totally feel the chill in my bones.

But the historical references, the puzzles and riddles, and the theme of grappling with colonialism that seeped through the words in the first book, didn’t have the same affect in this sequel. I guess we lost a bit of that newness and it became something expected, and the author didn’t really expand on the magic system much in this book. Literally my only major complaint from the first book was that Forging wasn’t explained properly, and I felt like despite the presence of many Forged objects this time around, the art of Forging itself took a backseat and we got to know nothing more about it. In that sense, this sequel was much more character focused than plot focused.

And the characters are where I’m unsure how to react. I really do love them all, especially Laila and Enrique and Zofia. But I didn’t feel much of a connection to Severin in the first book and while Hypnos is interesting, I wish we got his POV too. But this time, every single one of them is wallowing in their own grief, keeping secrets from each other, there’s hardly any open communication between any of them - making it all feel like an overblown angst fest which I didn’t wanna deal with. It’s obviously not the book’s fault because even the first book had a lot of angst and pining, but I’ve really lost the taste for that sort of tropes these days and it made my enjoyment of the book not very satisfactory.

To conclude, this was a good middle book which I thought had great writing and created a beautiful atmosphere. You’ll definitely enjoy it more if you prefer character driven stories with a lot (and I mean a lot) of angst. While I found the identity of the villain to be pretty predictable, I did not see the twists at the end coming and that was a nice surprise, and a good way to keep my interest on for the finale.

What can I say, this book lived up to The Gilded Wolves and made me love the world and characters so much more.

The Silvered Serpents began with our group being separated, but that was to be expected after the events of the first book. This book dealt with grief by showing the different ways each character dealt with it. Even though it had this element, Roshani Chokshi managed to add some humor and have a lighter mood.

The characters are written beautifully. The author delves further into their pasts and helps us understand the motives behind their actions. The relationships are built upon more in this book but I still think that there was not enough character interaction on-page. I wanted more scenes with just the characters without the plotting or action scenes to cut in between their time together.

Two new characters were introduced in this book, Eva and Ruslan. I immediately distrusted them, but I did not like Eva in particular. She came in immediately hating Laila for no apparent reason, and while it was later somewhat explained, I didn’t like how it was handled.

There was a lot of poor communication between the characters, whether it was side characters or main characters. Everyone spoke over each other and left no room for explanations, which led to needless drama.

Zofia and Hypnos are two of my favorite in this series, any time either of them is in the scene is a treat.

Roshani Chokshi’s writing is stunning with descriptions that make me visualize every scene and setting. I love how much detail she puts in every sentence.

The magic and the tools that the group uses are also better explained in this installment of the series. I still have some questions, but I’m sure they’ll be answered in the next book.

The ending was exciting and heartbreaking at the same time. There were so many plot twists, some I saw coming, some I didn’t. I cannot wait for the next book!

My initial thoughts upon reading The Gilded Wolves was that it reminded me way too much of Six of Crows, but less dark. I feel like this sequel separated it from that duology a lot more and was less heist like and more puzzle solving, which is what I needed.

I really enjoyed this sequel. The characters were recovering from the tragic events of the first book and I felt like I got to delve into who they were a lot more. I felt all of the emotions in this one and I enjoyed the journey, the puzzle, and the mystery of the Fallen House.

I definitely recommend this one and I can’t wait to see what will happen next after that ending!!

Why do second books in a trilogy always fall a little flat? I loved Gilded Wolves and loved Silvered Serpents as well. But at times the pace felt lacking! And the cliffhanger.. oh my god. I can’t wait another year to know what happened! Severin is bae and what he went through just made him so much more relatable than the first book!’ And I love Laila and Zofia! Just wish Hypnos could have been fleshed out a bit more?!

When I pick up The Silvered Serpents, I was expecting something similar to the first book. Instead, I got more–more thrill, more dark, and more pain. Even the heist and the riddles featured in this book are more complex, and personally, I found it more interesting. Compared to the first book, I definitely like this one more.

The Silvered Serpents follows Séverin and the rest of the team as they now try to find The Divine Lyrics, a book rumored to contain the knowledge to achieve God’s power. Unbeknownst to Laila, Zofia, Enrique, and Hypnos, Séverin actually has his own purpose to find the book. This journey takes them deep into the heart of Russia, where they meet old enemies and allies, and face the truth about their past.

Just like in The Gilded Wolves, what I love the most from this book is the characters. Still reeling from the loss of one of their own, we now see each one of them grieve in different ways. It’s really heartbreaking to read about it since I miss their dynamics from book one, but it made this book feels more real and I appreciate it. I’m especially intrigued with Séverin’s darker turn in this book, since I didn’t expect it at all. But at the same time, it’s not unrealistic, as grief could tear people apart.

As mentioned above, the heist and the riddles are also more interesting for me. Once again I’m in awe with Roshani’s geniuses–how she incorporated myths and legends into this book. I also love how she tackles the colonialism issue that’s practically rampant in that era. My main issue with the world-building in book 1 is also resolved, eventhough not fully. There were some things I still didn’t understand, but overall it didn’t hinder my enjoyment toward this book.

In conclusion, The Silvered Serpents is a great and solid sequel. If you haven’t start this series yet, I highly recommend it!

She did it again!
I can describe how much I loved this book. Everything in 'The Silvered Serpents' is perfect and well-written. Roshani Chokshi elevate YA Historic Fiction for another level.

The Silvered Serpents was an interesting continuation to the series.

It starts off with a flashback and you certainly learn more about the characters on this epic adventure. But for some reason I just didn't care as much this time around. The chapters were easy to get through but they were also just as easy to put down.

I think it might just be a case of I'm not in the mood for this book but I was super excited to read this arc and will definitely be getting myself a copy once it's out.

The Gilded Wolves was really good. The Silvered Serpents were really really great.

Before this book, I thought I was slumping. And then, I read this in a day.

Honestly, it took me a minute to fully remember what had happened in book 1 but when I got there, I was attached to the page. Could not put it down. It was as infuriating as it was satisfying and I loved every single second of it.
This series is a masterpiece. I love its characters, its plot, its historical background and critique. I just love everything about it. The romance is on point, the twists I never see coming, every time I think I see something coming something else happens. I just cannot. Per.-Fec-Tion.
I could not recommend this enough.
Protect my girls, protect my gays and protect the infuriating yet lovable idiot.

Buy this book, read this book, live this book. And come scream at me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC.

THIS BOOK ENDED ME!!!!
Seriously, I am at a loss for words right now. Sophomore slump, who? Absolutely not this book. The Silvered Serpents exceeded my expectations, and they were set VERY high from The Gilded Wolves.

This book was different from TGW, and in the best ways possible. While I felt TGW was more of a “setup” type of book, TSS was nonstop action. I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

The characters, plot, pace, and THE WRITING(!!!) were fabulous. Roshani is in a class of her own. Seriously. The way she writes is unparalleled. It’s captivating and downright beautiful. I would read the book for her writing alone.

I’m in the biggest reading slump since I finished Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood - Sarah J Maas.

To say I need book 3 is the understatement of the century!!

Goodreads review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3292323188

When I read The Gilded Wolves last year, I was undecided about whether or not I would bother continuing with the series when the next book was released. It’d been underwhelmed given how much I adored Roshani Chokshi’s other books and how much I’d built up my expectations based on the premise. But, as I expected, my abiding affection and need for a new Chokshi book had me requesting a preview copy as soon as The Silvered Serpents showed up with a release date and I’m ashamed by my earlier hesitance because of course she delivered on the premise that had me so intrigued. The Silvered Serpents raises the stakes of the series while delving deeper into the characters and their personal struggles, especially around loss and power – or really, powerlessness.

It’s been a few months since Séverin and his team of friends lost one of their own to the Fallen House’s attempts to rise again and disrupt (and eventually destroy) the others in the Order of Babel. While they initially had a purpose – tracking down the Fallen House’s treasures, purportedly located at their lost Sleeping Palace – the leads they had dried up along with the patronage of the Order, and the members of the group went their separate ways. But Séverin hasn’t given up his determination to find the Sleeping Palace and the Book of Divine Lyrics that is rumored to be among the treasures – a book that can be wielded to transform people into gods. He refuses to be in a position where he might lose anyone else that he loves, but sometimes that means pushing people away. Bringing everyone back for one final push, Séverin and the others confront their grief over the loss of Tristan and must decide what sacrifices they’re willing to make for friendship and their larger goals.

For me, the biggest improvement in The Silvered Serpents over The Gilded Wolves is that it felt far more focused. I’m sure a big part of this is because world-building and character establishment is completely necessary in the first book of a series and that, by book two, everything has more room to breathe. That made all the difference. Where the friendships between the characters could feel informed or forced during Gilded Wolves, from page one of Silvered Serpents everything felt completely natural. There are still allusions to a shared history that predates the series but the text-based supports are there now from the events of book one. Similarly, there’s a bit more world-building going on, the foundation is there from the last book (and, even without refreshing my memory, I remembered enough of it not to be completely lost). The overarching plot surrounding the Fallen House still doesn’t capture my interest much in itself, but I definitely cared more about the central characters during Silvered Serpents so that its impact on them was able to drive my interest.

What worked best for me in Silvered Serpents is the character development. Even the best heist or treasure hunting story can fall flat if the characters involved are too flat. And some of the worst plotting can be overlooked if and when the characters are compelling enough (and the plotting in Silvered Serpent is a long way from terrible). Seeing how each member of Séverin’s team comes to terms with Tristan’s death – both individually and in how they interact and relate to the group – is a character study I’d happily read even without the larger plot. It was a really natural way to further explore each character’s backstory as well as how their personalities and insecurities function and drive their actions. And while they clearly make a great deal of progress in their journeys of self-discovery, there’s also plenty to show they each still have a ways to go. I think I might be looking forward to book three (which I’m guessing will be the last in the series based on how and where book two ends, but I’m purely speculating) perhaps more for seeing the characters finish their growth arcs than for the resolution of the overarching plot.

But looking to book three is getting a bit ahead of things. The Silvered Serpents will be available on September 22, 2020.

3 stars only because the action in the last 20% bumped this up slightly from an original rating of closer to 2 stars for me for the first 80% of this book. But it's a VERY generous 3-star rating for me.

The story started out with promising, grittier, darker vibes. Our wolves are dealing with grief and pain, and strained relationships with each other and I thought that would lend itself well to giving <i> The Silvered Serpents </i> more of a bite (and elevating the characters to feel more real). Unfortunately, there really wasn't much of a story for me to sink my teeth into.

Many of my original critiques about <i> The Gilded Wolves </i> still stand in this sequel, which goes to show how much doesn't change if I can still say the same things about the characters, plot, and writing one full book later.

The last 20% was full of action, but not much else happens throughout. The pacing is uneven and it's confusing to make sense of events given the large amount of intervening information between dialogue. The flashbacks to Séverin's Seven Deadly Sins fathers and other characters' memories, data dump of history, multiple character perspectives, and too much time in the head of each character (as a vehicle for character development) keeps us at a distance as readers. Most of what we know about the characters takes place in the past, which was also my critique in TGW. It's an odd technique to try and build up your readers' investment in characters based on the things you tell us about their past, but then there's nothing you SHOW us that earns our interest NOW as we're reading it. I'm not just going to take your word on the characters; I want to see how they act. I don't necessarily care about how they were in the past before either of the two books takes place. I want to know who they are NOW.

There's very little actual interaction and dialogue in the present. And what little there is feels cheesy and cringe-y for me. Thus, the characters still seem flat, and we're still at square one after 2 books. I don't have a better sense for them - or the forging magic system at all. <spoiler> It's cool there were ice animals, but I don't care as much about that as I do about understanding more about TRISTAN and his "habits" as Chokshi has Séverin refer to them. That was the most real part of these characters for me. </spoiler>

It seems like all the characters have 2 defining "quirks" to help you distinguish between them, but they don't feel like REAL people. They're mostly just the same personality and the humor is all the same - and very cringe-y/cheesy. You can tell the characters are kids playing at being adults: Enrique's unruly hair is mentioned a lot, and his love of cake. Laila's "kind" mothering and she's the one who bakes the cakes, I don't really "buy" her as a courtesan. Séverin I still know nothing about, and I'm not sure I even remember what his forging ability is. He's supposed to be dark and brooding and mysterious (lots of comparison to "eyes the color of dusk" whatever that is) but it's really just aloof. <spoiler> Though I did enjoy his story on recruiting Zofia and their connection - that warmed my heart to both of these characters, and I wanted more of THAT kind of emotion. It was a flicker of depth before the characters returned to cardboard. </spoiler> Hypnos says <i> mon chère </i> a lot, and I'm not sure he has any other lines of note, oh and he winks a lot because he's "sassy" in a very forced way, and the resident lush. Zofia's character building gets a bit more - but the <spoiler> dynamic with her and Enrique and Hypnos is very odd and I don't enjoy that. It's again a very forced faux love triangle. I just felt a lot of second-hand embarrassment with the writing.</spoiler>

It's interesting that I feel that Chokshi makes the choices I would deem the oddest for her characters. Again, <spoiler> we get more about "Slaila" in the past - yeah I made their couple name "Slay-la". But, in the present there's a very weird dynamic - it's like it was "lovers that happened once-to somewhat friends-to enemies-to we slept together again once. A lot of anger that is pretty hostile to read about and weird. </spoiler> "Someone says something to one of them, and then the character reminisces for a full 2 pages about how "his eyes flew to mine" and a bunch of purple prose - then we get a one word response. It's too hard to keep track of what the heck is going on, combined with all the historical info data dumps. JUST. TALK. TO. EACH. OTHER. Instead of mooning over the twilight colored eyes or rose and sugar perfume that we hear about every 5 lines. <spoiler> I'm not invested in either of you or your romance based on this super moving experience you both had in the past that happens before either of the two books we read. </spoiler> Again, telling me "hey you shoulda known this character way back when - they were great!" does nothing to change how I feel now. It feels disingenuous, like you're writing what you THINK will convince us to like your characters, instead of just focusing on the story.

We get rushed glimpses of the characters' backstories. I'd rather have a book exploring those dynamics more than the vague/convoluted heist plot (Laila's story alone could be a whole series). I said this after reading TGW too. So yeah, this book doesn't move us forward at all. The cliffhanger does make me want to read book 3 - because at this point what the hell, why not. I just wanted more from this one and am disappointed I feel the same as the first book for the majority of elements. It shouldn't only be the last 20% of the book that was "just okay." Chokshi uses beautiful language, but I'm not moved solely by metaphor. I want a writer who can spin a beautiful tale - not just pretty, yet empty, words - because I'm a reader who puts more stock in a creative plot/story and character arcs than the writing style. If this is you too, then tread carefully with this one.

Sometimes Reneé Ahdieh veers into this territory for me with her "flowery" writing, and Laini Taylor for SURE does. So if you love that kind of writing, then I think you will enjoy Roshani Chokshi's work! I hope this novel resonates with you more than it did with me!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the chance to read this e-ARC.

I liked, but didn't love, The Gilded Wolves. I recognized its strengths– beautiful prose, a diverse and developed group of characters, glorious world-building– enough to stick with the series and hope that subsequent books wouldn't get too bogged down in details that masked the beauty of the overarching plotline.

The Silvered Serpents definitely delivered. Chokshi's prose is very lush, to the extent that I had to make my way through this novel somewhat slowly, but it was worth savoring over time. In The Gilded Wolves, so much happened with so much detail that I closed the book after and thought, 'so what exactly happened?', but The Silvered Serpents benefits immensely from a more compact plot that largely takes place in one setting, making the plot twists and climaxes that much more thrilling.

I also found the character development to be exceptionally well done. While the first book definitely showcased that main cast all has their own unique skills and talents, in the follow-up we get a deeper look at their motivations, which served as an excellent driver for the trilogy at large. I look forward to the final installation of this trilogy, and hope we get answers to all the questions posed thus far. We know what these characters want; I can't wait to see how they get it.

Oh. Oh. Oh wow.
I picked up The Gilded Wolves (TGW) last year and I loved it. And The Silvered Serpents was even better. Everything I did not like in book one, was better in this one. Book two just became a favourite of this year, it did everything right and I am not over it. Probably won’t be anytime soon. But let’s start to explain why this book is perfection, shall we?

First things first: let’s take a second to appreciate this absolutely gorgeous cover! It’s so pretty! I could stare at it all day.

quote: qhen the devil waged war in the heavens, even angels had to fall.The characters. What can I say? After everything that happened in TGW, the group of characters is broken, yet woven together by everything that they went through. The relationships have a tension to them, an uncertainty. There is so much love between the main cast, yet there are so many questions and so many secrets and so many things they don’t know. Each character has lost someone or something, and while they’re trying to figure things out and even though there is so much left to say, they are still a group and know each other. But on the other hand, they get to know other sides of their friends. The dynamics between these characters was so great to read, subtle things to pick up on, the yearning and longing. There was so much development.

And you know what? They have my heart. I love them all, individually and as a group. *wipes tear away* please don’t let them hurt more. I am very attached, especially to Laila and Zofia.

While well written characters are the most important thing for me in a book (and The Silvered Serpents 100% delivers), I also love a fast-paced plot with a lot of action (again, the book delivers). While there are a few slower moments, there is a lot of stuff happening. There are fighting scenes and disputes and I loved every second of it.

What can I say? There were surprised gasps and a lot of wailing on my part. The Silvered Serpents was fantastic in plot and characters and while I’m so happy I read this already… I don’t want to wait for book 3. I need to know things!! On that note, please read these books and suffer throw your whole heart into the series with me.

The search for the Sleeping Palace and the artifact called The Divine Lyrics has Severin and his crew back together on a new questing adventure. Like The Gilded Wolves, The Silvered Serpents is a combination heist, whodunit, mystery with layers upon layers of intrigue and deception. This book is literary steampunk, with amazing descriptions of settings, costuming and magic.

Severin, still really from the loss of Tristan is dark and distant, deciding that everyone he loves is lost and therefore, he will harden his heart in order to protect it. The story opens with Severin, being led by his grief wanting the Diving Lyrics for all the wrong reasons and Laila wanting them for reasons that may shock her friends. The team feel heavier in this book, each dealing with the loss, their new dynamic and their own worries.

Both grief and love and how the two can be confused, entangled and effect by the other play a role in this adventure. Laila emerges as the caretaker of the group but not the doormat, refusing to take responsibility for the brokenness of others. Each characters vulnerability and imperfections are played in such a a way to make them more human to the reader, while solidifying the bond in the team

We can see the progression of these characters, they have matured some since the last book. Enrique and Zofia’s awkwardness play well into each other and so while, I too felt like I didn’t understand a thing they said, the meshing of their minds made them a great team. They are all so well formed, even in their flaws that even when some are unlikable, they are believable. I appreciate that the characters don’t always end up in neat and tidy romantic pairs with ease.

Much like the Gilded Wolves, this book is also puzzles wrapped in enigmas wrapped in deception.
Roshani Chokshi does fantastic characters, great world building and leads the reader through riddle after riddle, drawing you deeper and deeper into the puzzle. This is a beautifully written book, complex in so many ways but a delight to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Our favorite treasure hunters are back and ready to take on a new heist that will hopefully lead them all to a new, brighter future.

'The Silvered Serpents' follows the events from 'The Gilded Wolves', so there will be major spoilers from the first book in this review.

Séverin’s loyal team inside of Hotel L’Eden can no longer be found inside those walls. Suffering the loss of their beloved team member, Tristan, and shouldering their own hardships, everyone has separated. Séverin, Laila, Zofia, Enrique, and Hypnos don’t feel much like a found family as they once did in 'The Gilded Wolves'. They are now broken and fighting their way through their grief in different ways.

Hoping to keep the promise he made to each of them, that he would always protect them, Séverin calls on his team for one final job. Finding 'The Divine Lyrics' has always been the treasure they eagerly sought after. Séverin finally has a lead on where the mysterious book may be hidden, but he needs his team back if he hopes to right his wrongs.

Compared to 'The Gilded Wolves', this sequel is a lot darker and the characters are more mature. We don’t get a sparkly version of them anymore. We get their raw feelings after dealing with so much pain.

They’re all lonely souls even when they are together. I found that being inside of their heads felt a lot different than before, even when they have the same insecurities. Hypnos wants to feel a part of the team, Enrique wants someone to listen to him, and Zofia doesn’t want to become a burden.

I really felt for both Laila and Séverin in this book. Laila’s days are numbered. She’s constantly frightened over what is to become of her if she can’t figure out how to save herself. Then there is Séverin who lost his brother and that pain is unbearable for him. That heartbreak he feels is what leads them to their final heist.

The team puts their trust in one another once again to hunt for 'The Divine Lyrics'. It takes them on an icy path. There are a lot of new characters introduced, some old acquaintances make an appearance, and there are many twists and turns! My mind is still blown from the final revelations in the final act.

It would be a shame for me to spoil much of the plot because Roshani Chokshi does a fantastic job writing this story. She twists history and fantasy in such a telling way that makes the reader curious to know more about this world she’s created. On top of exploring mythologies, she also continues to tackle the history of European colonialism. The way she is telling this series is brilliant!

Overall, I believe fans of 'The Gilded Wolves' will be pleased with this sequel. It will tear your heart open but you’ll thank Roshani Chokshi for it. There’s plenty of action, suspense and mystery! Readers will get to know their favorite characters on a more personal level and wish for the final installment to give them their happily ever after.

This book was just so much fun; I practically flew through it. A lot of reviews of the first book, The Gilded Wolves, mentioned it being confusing, and I mostly agreed, but there's no confusion to be found in this book. While I believe this book could work just as well as an adult fantasy - especially with all of its damaged, vulnerable main characters still reeling from the events of the last book - I did appreciate the younger touches of humour dotted about. And the ending will leave you speechless, I guarantee it.