The Silvered Serpents is the sequel to The Gilded Wolves. The gorgeous cover of the first book was what attracted me to it in the first place; however, as we all know, the book must be good or it will not make a bit of difference how stunning the cover is. Fortunately, this duo is is well worth reading, and provided me with many pleasurable hours.

From the beginning I was caught up in the story that was full of intrigue. I love the author’s world building that is so descriptive I could visualize many of the details. Since the first book is said to be set in Paris in 1889, and this one follows so closely after, it would be in the same time period. However, much of the technology and materials that are used seem like they are really something from the future. On the other hand, there could be a bit of an advanced civilization, like Atlantis, that exists along with the 1889 time period but is unknown to many of the residents. That really adds to the intrigue.


The characters were well developed, and I definitely came to care for them. The author did an excellent job showing the little things and emotions that brought them to life. They are all reacting in different ways to where the last book left off with the death of one of the members of this close knit group.

The book has twists and turns—many I didn’t see coming, and this is another wonderful aspect of the book that makes it a 5 star story.

After the first book, I was dying to get my hands on this one and Chokshi did not disappoint. It has such depth and beauty in these pages. I was blown away by every little detail. Between the story concept and the fluidity of the book, I devoured every word of it and left me begging for more. This is one of those books you struggle to write that review that would do it justice because you do not want to give plot points. Let me just say that this book is high intensity, beyond fast paced and will keep you glued to the pages!

This series has so many elements that I just adore. It's set in the Gilded Age in Paris, there is magic, a group of misfits who become friends, and (at it's core) a heist. Gilded Wolves, the first in the series, was fun, had an complex world of magic, and an exciting story. The Silvered Serpents continues the adventure. But this time, we get a more in-depth look at several of the supporting characters. This was a highly entertaining page-turner!

What I Liked:

Recap:

One of the unfortunate aspects of reading a sequel is that I often can't remember who the characters are, or what happened in the first book. The Silvered Serpents solves this problem by subtly recapping important events from the first book. I really appreciated this as a reader.

Characters:

While the first book was all about world-building, the second book is more character driven. We really get to know Enrique and Zofia, and see why they are such valued members of the group.

Enrique, a young Filipino man in Paris, has a lot of bravado. But this masks a deep unease as he navigates European society. He is keenly aware of how he is treated by most people. This affects his self-esteem and makes him question his worth to the group, and it's leader, Séverin. He is also the book's conscience, noticing how the Europeans conquer and pillage from other cultures.

Zofia is another character who we learn more about in this book. While not saying it outright, Zofia exhibits characteristics of Autism and anxiety. Zofia has very particular habits such as needing food to be bland (and not touching on the plate), and she soothes herself by counting objects. She knows she is different and that her friends do small things to accommodate her. While she uéderstands this is done out of love, she also doesn't want to be a burden.

Romances:

The love/hate relationship between Laila and Séverin is even more intense in this book. While they are drawn to each other, they have many misunderstandings, which lead to intense anger. I think both of them are confused by their feelings. How can you be so attracted to someone who hurts you so much?

The relationship between Enrique and Hypnos is also complex and touching. It's heartbreaking to see how Enrique wants a real relationship with Hypnos. But the object of his affections just can't take Enrique seriously. If this were a book set in modern times, Laila would be telling Enrique, "He's just not into you"!

Story:

The story is, again, filled with adventure, and puzzles. It was a lot of fun to follow the gang as they look for The Divine Lyrics, which could be the key to saving Laila. I really liked all the clues and puzzles they must sort through to find their prize.

Who else is looking for The Divine Lyrics? What will Séverin (or anyone) do with the prize once they get it? Who can they trust? So many questions... I liked that most of these questions are answered. Even though there was a cliff-hanger, the main plot points were resolved. This makes for a satisfying ending, while leaving the reader eager for the next novel in the series.

3.5/5 stars.

A lot of the things I loved about book one were still here in book two, but there were also some things I liked less this time around. For the most part, I still loved all the characters. Except Severin. I wasn’t a big fan of his arc in this book. He felt like a moody teenager who wanted to pretend like he cared about nothing in the world, but he failed miserably. I still love Zofia the most. We got a glimpse of her backstory here and I wish there had been more.

There were also some atmospheric aspects such as setting and character and wardrobe descriptions that seemed way over the top in this book, almost to the point of being cringey.

I found the storyline to be fun and entertaining, but pretty predictable overall. The ending was interesting though, so I’ll be interested to pick up book three and see where the story goes.

The Silvered Serpents is the long-awaited sequel to The Gilded Wolves, by Roshani Chokshi. When the first novel came out, it was one of my favorites of the year. And I can tell you with complete honesty, the sequel is setting up to do the same.

Severin and the team are still reeling from the loss that came at the end of The Gilded Wolves. Yet they still have a mission, a goal to find a long lost treasure. Some are seeking the treasure to prove a point, others to sate their curiosity. While some? They're aware that their success or failure will decide the fate for one of their own.

“When the devil waged war in the heavens, even angels had to fall.”

It has been a hot minute since The Gilded Wolves released. Fans have had to wait quite some time for the sequel. That begs the question, is The Silvered Serpents worth the wait? The answer is yes. Absolutely and without a doubt, yes.

There is so much to love about this novel, I'm honestly not even sure where to begin. Let's start with my emotional reaction to it all, yes? I loved it. I was drawn in from the very first page, and quickly found myself devouring it.

It's also a book that left me exceedingly anxious at points, thanks to everything that was at stake. More than that, this book made me literally scream with shock at one point. My cats did not appreciate my sudden outburst, let me tell you. Yet it's the truth, and it shows how emotionally invested I became in this book.

“-perhaps monsters were misunderstood gods; deities with plans too grand for humans; a phantom of evil that drank from the roots of good.”

The world is still as beautiful and fascinating as it was the first time around. I still desperately want to see more of it, as well as more of the forging (the equivalent of magic) in this world. The characters are amazing, being very human, and at times, flawed. They pay a price for their flaws, and their failures. I think that's one of the many reasons I love this series so very much.

I was surprised by the more whimsical and lighthearted moments. Much of those I have to give credit to Zofia for. Her way of looking at the world and reacting to it left me amused. At several points she even managed to make me laugh, though I'm sure that she would not have actually intended to do so.

My biggest regret right now? That I have to sit here and anxiously wait on news about the next novel in the series. As with The Silvered Serpents, I have no doubt that the wait will be worth it. But the ending certainly made that wait just a touch more difficult.

The Silvered Serpents, by Roshani Chokshi, is a truly terrifying book. It is a reminder that books have the power to tear us apart inside, to break our hearts into a million pieces. It is also a reminder that books have the power to make us feel warm and happy, to give us characters that we can’t help but feel the need to protect.

All in all, The Silvered Serpents, by Roshani Chokshi is a masterpiece.

When I finished the book, I was shocked, terrified, and was sobbing. And the hardest thing about this book was having to leave the characters. I wanted to be there for Laila, run over and hug Zofia and Enrique, and punch Severin. Not really. Sort of.


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But these characters, I wanted to protect them. I still want to protect them. I want them to know that they are loved, and I want them to just once have a happy ending. Or at least a happy five minutes.

After suffering a loss that has broken his heart, Severin is determined to protect the ones he loves. Using any means necessary, they will not be hurt. Full of well intentioned love, he blocks out any emotion and pushes away any distraction that could stop him.

Laila is facing a deadline, and she is working as hard as she can to find what just might save her. But she is nervous to share secrets, and struggles to trust those who she wants to be close to.

Struggling with different parts of his life, Enrique isn’t sure what he wants anymore. But he will help his friends, and pushes through as hard as things get.

Zofia wants to help her sister, wants to heal her and make her better, but also wants to tell her more. She has faced a lot of antisemitism, and fears that.

Always seeking approval, Hypnos wants to fit in, to really become a part of the family the group has created.

The writing in the novel is incredible. While reading this, I could see the the characters so vividly, could imagine the adventures they were having and it made the experience of reading it so much more amazing.

Severin Montagnet-Alarie knew there was only one difference between monsters and gods. both inspired fear. only one inspired worship.
The world building in this novel is intricate, complex and unique. Some people are born with the affinity for forging, and forged objects are special, almost alive.

The Order of Babel is an order spread across the world made up of houses with a matriarch or patriarch, like House Kore, and the order is a main part in the book.

Set in late 1800s Paris the book is not only full of history and magic, but is also full of mythology. Legends and myths from all over the world come alive in this novel and are woven into the story and world.

The cast of characters is also very diverse, and the many cultures are written into the book.

Colonialism is also talked about quite a bit. The Order of Babel brings in objects from all over the world, and takes credit for a lot that is not theirs, and dehumanizes anyone different from them. The Order is the center of civilization, or at least they like to think of themselves of the center of it.

There is so much in this book, and it was difficult at times to take it all in. But sitting back, taking time to fully understand the book really helped me realize and understand even more about it. The Silvered Serpents exceeded my expectations, and I think that it was even better than the book before it, The Gilded Wolves.

The characters that we love, the found family, and the magic and mythology woven into the story all make the book incredible in so many ways. The heists and adventures that are sometimes to complicated to understand make the book exciting and compelling.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 out of 5 stars
Recommendable: Yes

To who? This book is an amazing sequel to The Gilded Wolves, so if you enjoyed that I definitely recommend reading this. If you are a fan of historical fantasy, I definitely encourage you to read this trilogy, and if you love books with heists, this book is wonderful. And if you are looking for an interesting book to read, pick it up.

Gilded Wolves was one of those books you kept thinking about when you weren’t reading it. And when you were you couldn’t help but keep trying to guess at what would happen next.

The Silvered Serpent was more, I read this book as slow as I could so that it wouldn’t end as quickly. I was hooked from the ending of The Gilded Wolves until the ending of The Silvered Serpent. All I can think about now is how Roshani could do me like that! It might have been just me but I did not know this was a trilogy.

I don't want to give spoilers so forgive my vagueness, Laila has my heart and her struggle.the whole way through. And all the other characters, wow do things get messy and confusing and just so real for them. I really enjoyed book two and more so than book one. Now I'm eager to see where things conclude with the gang and please Roshani, girl, please don't break my heart!!!!

I give this a 5/5 star rating!

The Gilded Wolves was an extremely hyped fantasy release last year that I was personally a bit disappointed with. However, the ending of The Gilded Wolves was enough of an interesting cliffhanger that when I was presented with the opportunity to read a copy of The Silvered Serpents, I knew I wanted to check it out. Fortunately, I can say that I thought The Silvered Serpents was definitely an improvement from the first, though it still lacked a little something to completely draw me in.



The Silvered Serpents picks up not too long after the events of The Gilded Wolves with all of our characters moving on from and trying to pick up the pieces of some of the more tragic fallout. Now the group of friends are somewhat reluctantly coming together to hunt down an ancient artifact that both Séverin and Laila are after, though both for vastly different reasons. This book really felt like a departure from the first book for a variety of reasons, including the differing relationship dynamics, location, and motivations for each character.



As mentioned, a majority of the events of The Silvered Serpents take place in one new location, the ice palace, which I think added a new and interesting dimension to the series. I really enjoyed exploring this new setting because it sounds stunning and I found it to be one of those places that simply embodies a sense of intrigue and mystery, and I also thought that the singular setting allowed for Chokshi to really spend more time focusing on character development and plot, which she did really well. There was one particular place within the ice palace known as the Menagerie that was filled with a variety of rather...foreboding animals made of ice that was easily one of the most captivating components of the palace.



I once again seemed to struggle with connecting to the characters as a group, but individually I felt that their development and Chokshi's descriptions were strong and effective in showcasing the internal struggles that each one faced. However, I feel like I once again struggled with enjoying the group as a whole. The camaraderie feels forced, and one of the my favorite characters from the first book was no longer which only added to the sort of disjointed feeling. There were a lot of conflicts between the characters, which of course is only natural when faced with high stress situations and pasts full of secrets, but it did sort of take away from the experience that the first book had where everyone seemed to mostly work together. There were also a few newer characters that we got to know and that I thought added some particularly interesting new dynamics to the story and friend group. I liked parts of these new characters, but I found some of the ways in which Chokshi incorporate them felt slightly awkward at times.



Much like in The Gilded Wolves, this book was full of puzzles that our characters had to solve throughout the course of the book. Some of these were enjoyable and interesting, but I also lost interest in a lot of them and the explanations and/or descriptions of the characters figuring out how to solve them. On the one hand, I appreciate how much thought and effort Chokshi always puts into these components, but on the other hands I often feel that they drastically alter the pace of the story and cause things to start dragging a bit. There was also still a small issue with info-dumping and what seems to be a desire to include so much that just overwhelms the plot and story. Despite this, it was still a mostly entertaining read and I genuinely enjoyed the imaginative creations and plot that Chokshi developed.



Overall, I've given The Silvered Serpents 3.25 stars! If you read and enjoyed The Gilded Wolves, then you'll definitely enjoy The Silvered Serpents as well.

This book is just as incredible as The Gilded Wolves, although it is a little darker, and incorporates more angst. After the death of one of the main characters, each of the crew is grieving in their own way, and the dynamic of the entire group is changed. Séverin is determined to find a lost artifact that he feels can right his perceived wrongs; and in doing so, it becomes a single-minded obsession.

The world-building is just as incredible in this book, especially since the story takes us into the frozen setting of Russia in the middle of winter. The magic is similar, but we’re exposed to new types of Forged items and different expressions of magical abilities that absolutely blew my mind. Despite reading this book in the heat of summer, the setting made me feel chilled enough to want to put on fuzzy socks and wrap myself in a blanket.

Despite the characters going through their struggles, the clever and witty banter that characterized the first book was still present. I loved the way that they interact, but it also highlighted each of their flaws and the characters even got a little more vulnerable with each other as the bonds strengthened and their trust deepened. Some of the interactions absolutely broke my heart, right up until the end of the book. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next, while also dreading getting to the end of the book. I almost didn’t want to finish, knowing that I’d miss the characters and have to wait for another book to be written and released. I’m already dreaming of the next book.

This one is a must-read if you like heist books, especially with a diverse and unique flair. This series is one of my personal favorites, and this book absolutely cemented that status!

Solid 4 star read. I love these characters, I love their connections and relationships. The adventure in this one drew me in more than the first one. Will be picking up a finished copy for my shelf, I can see myself rereading these.

if this isn’t sequel of the year on my list, i’m going to yeet all of my braincells.
Don’t get me wrong, I adored The Gilded Wolves. But it just didn’t have that 5-star, ohmygoshilovethisbooksomuch feeling. But The Silvered Serpents????? THAT’S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY FRIENDS.

I’m genuinely still not over Tristan’s death. That is the one qualm I have with this book: there is no Tristan. I think Chokshi did an absolutely fantastic job of writing how each character dealt with their own grief.

Séverin has closed himself off from everyone. He dove to save Laila, only to realize she was never the target all along. Now, with his failure of keeping his promise to always protect his brother, his only goal now is to protect the others. By distancing himself. Smh, Kaz Brekker-esque logic. I truly felt both sympathetic and annoyed with him.

Laila is dying. And oh my gosh, my heart went OUT to her. She’s dealing so much guilt worry. Not to mention, Severin is being a bum so that’s not cool. Her character is so kindhearted, and we really see the strength of her goodness shine through in this one.

Enrique oh my word. He’s still struggling to reconcile himself, and to gain the approval of the Illustrians. There’s so much complexity to his character, and consequently his relationships.

Zofia is honestly one of my favorite characters. Her sister is dying, and she’s dealing with that on top of everything else. Reading from her perspective is also so unique because I believe she’s on the spectrum, and so she sees the world differently.

HYPNOS. He cracked me up in the first book but I was howling with laughter in this one. I mean:

“Normally, responsibility gives me indigestion.

What a mood. I also felt so much for him, because he just wants to fit in, he just wants his old friend back. Seriously, I adore him so much.

Roshani Chokshi has some of the most gorgeous writing I’ve ever read. She creates some of the most atmospheric scenes. A lot of this book takes place in Siberia and Russia, and I swear I could feel the snow, and taste the sugary candy. The magic in this series is so incredible and unique as well. Actually, the magic system is science-based, and a lot of the puzzles are based on historical and scientific knowledge.

I will say that I felt bits and pieces of this story were slow? This series is relatively character-focused, but it totally works. I love these characters with my whole heart and soul, and so I care about what they care about. It’s absolutely brilliant writing/plotting.

BUT THE ENDING.
Even if parts of the book were slow, the last 20% fully makes up for it. Plot-twists galore, and a heartwrenching moment that nearly made me cry. I loved this.

no no no no NO NO NO NO! I WANT TO GIVE THIS BOOK ONE STAR JUST BECAUSE OF HOW IT ENDED! But Chokshi I LOVE YOU SO YOU KNOW I CAN'T DO THAT😭. THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! THE AUTHOR IS PHENOMENAL! AHHHH I NEED THE NEXT BOOK RIGHT NOW!!!!!
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I am in SHOCK! THAT CLIFFHANGER NOOOOOOOOO!
aHHHHH anyways I have a post going up with the first and second book on my blog!

The Silvered Serpents is the awaited sequel to The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi. The previous book definitely ended in a bang which made a lot of people excited for the possibilites in this one. I'm gonna start the review saying that I didn't remember a lot from the plot of TGW, and I wish the book made a bit of a recap of a few plot points. It obviously reminded us of the major character death that happened previoulsy because it impacted all the other characters, but I wish some other stuff was highlighted as well.

Once more the treasure hunt was big in this book and that is what the series is known for, after all. In the plot aspect, I enjoyed the sequel more than its predecessor, because the hunt was more fun and the enigmas less confusing. It was fast paced and It didn't take me that much time to finish, which is a bit rare these days.

One critic I have about the POV and the characters is the fact that the Point of View system doesn't give that much insight in each characters' feelings. I think this could have been explored more. With so many characters, there must be a better distinction between POVs.

Speaking of the characters, I thought some of them were quite insufferable in the sequel. Yes, I'm speaking about Severin. It's comprehensive that he's in a bad state after the death of his brother, but the way he kept pushing people away and being rude just to seem like he didn't care was a bit over the top. This was also detrimental to his romantic relationsip with Laila, which lost all flavor after that. I found myself not even rooting for them to be together.

I loved that we got more background on Hypnos, but I wished he had a POV of his own. I think all the characters felt a bit disconected in this book, their dynamic wasn't as easy with each other.

Lastly, I had the most part of the plot twists figured out, and from the begining I thought I knew what was going to be the ending, and I was wrong, but not in a good way. It was a bit underwhelming to me and I ultimately though the stakes could have been higher.

Overall, It was a solid sequel, one that expanded the universe of the first book and had a great plot. The only thing I wasn't much of a fan was the way the dynamic of the characters changed for the worse.

Long story short, a team go on one last job/hunt. They are looking for an artefact that will grant the owner god like powers. I felt like this was less about the quest and more about self discovery and sacrifice The risk of their lives, and love and betrayal. Over all a great combination for a great story I enjoyed the storyline and felt connected to the characters. It was an easy read, but it didn’t change my life. As entertaining as it was I probably would read it again.

I'll be frank: I had a lot of trouble following the storyline in this book. There wasn't much world building going on, not much to explain who was what and with whom or where, etc. I had yo read it very slowly and take breaks to reread and understand. Overall, the story was good. But I wouldn't read another book in this series.

I write this review with my chest bare open after this book ripped my heart out. The Silvered Serpents picked off right after the events of The Gilded Wolvesand as such, it revolves around heartbreak and other kinds of pain. Séverin is haunted by the ghosts of what he couldn't do, and his mourning takes a dangerous shape while the group embarks on the search of an artefact that has the potential of changing the world.

I couldn't put this book down. I read it in less than 24hrs, because I needed to know what was going to happen. I think this was a big improvement from the last instalment: The Silvered Serpents was as magical as The Gilded Wolves, but had none of the confusing descriptions I struggled with. I enjoyed the search and clues so much better, and it was what truly made me enjoy this story.

Sadly, I don't think there was a lot of character development, especially not relationship development. Séverin, mayhaps, was the only one that got an interesting arc, but the rest of the characters stayed more or less in the same place they were at the start of The Gilded Wolves; a little bit more sharpened by pain, but these acute angles were barely given importance; the story, instead, was more action-driven.

There's something about the characters that I could not pinpoint until I saw who my favourites were: Séverin and Hypnos took all my attention, and it was because they are deeply flawed. Laila, Enrique and Zofia were in a safer place, their decisions and thoughts always pure and within reason. This never exasperated me because they were well-written, but it certainly made them felt flat compared with Séverin. While I was rooting for Hypnos and concerned about Séverin, I barely feel a thing for the rest of the group and it saddened me deeply.

In general, I'm devasted because even if there was certain development between two members of the group, the relationships between each other didn't feel as important, and it's a thing I really wanted from a found-family story.

On the other side, I keep loving how diversity plays a role in these books, exploring colonialism especially, and the little bits we took from Laila's and Enrique's culture were beautiful. I'd love (and for the course this book took, it certainly feels like a possibility) if the next books talked more about Hypnos' and Séverin's heritage, and the lack of connection they must feel because of their mother's backgrounds.

There is also the plot twist. Boy, was it a plot twist. I did not expect it at all but made so much sense I'm still thinking about how big and cool it was. I can't wait for the third book!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc!

DNF 12% - This book just isn't for me. I think if you really loved the first book, then you'll probably love this one as well. The first book was just okay for me and at this point I've forgotten almost everything that happened. The characters discuss something at the beginning of the book that apparently happened at the end of the last one regarding the dead birds. I made a specific note during the first book that they kept referring to the dead birds but nothing came of it? So I'm just really confused at this point and I didn't like the first one enough to want to continue muddling through this one. It's gotten to the point where I'm avoiding reading because I'm just not enjoying it.

Note: I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars!
The Silvered Serpents delighted me quite unexpectedly. Unlike a lot of other readers, I was not a big fan of the first book of the series, The Gilded Wolves. Hence, I went into this book hesitantly, more because I cannot leave a story unfinished.

The Silvered Serpents was an amazing read!! While its pacing was fast enough to keep me on my toes, a lot of the twists and turns were quite unexpected and had me gasping. While the first book was a heist, this second book of the series has the flavour of a treasure hunt. I loved how all the hints were very cleverly placed throughout the book, but in such a manner that the final reveal was almost impossible to guess. The ending of the book was simply breath-taking. I think its quite accurate to say that the last 10% of the book almost gutted me but then revived me.

The overall mood of The Silvered Serpents is much darker than the first book, with each of the characters dealing with the grief of Tristan's death in their own way. As I am an ardent fan of all things dark and heart-breaking, this had me cheering throughout the story. The dimension of grief and mortality gave a whole new angle to character development, which was marvelously done. At the same time, well-placed banter between characters provided comic relief in the story.

While the relationships within the "found family" remained ever-strong, the individuality of each of the character was much more pronounced in this book, as we see all of them coming to terms with the darkness in life and becoming more hardened and mature. Severin recedes into his own shell and pushes everyone away, Laila comes to terms with her impending death, Zofia worries about her sister's failing health, Enrique grapples with his identity as a biracial person, and Hypnos tries hard to become a part of the group and cope with his loneliness.

While I loved each character's unique journey, I still think the character of Hypnos deserves more attention and development. I would love to see him becoming more important to the group and his personality not limited to a lonely and vain but adorable patriarch of House Nyx.

I'm going to be honest, I was a bit nervous going into The Sivlered Serpents, because while I enjoyed The Gilded Wolves, I didn't seem to love it as much as others and my favorite character met an unfortunate end. But I'm happy to say, the darker tones and themes of this story really pulled me in. - I'm always here for a hero taking a darker turn. The story is electrifying and had the 'Can't-Put-Me-Down' factor that book one was missing. I'm all in for The Silvered Serpents.

5/5 for breaking my heart

Amazing sequel, I loved this as much if not more than The Gilded Wolves, and can't believe the torturous wait I have ahead of me.

I'm off to go collect and bottle my tears to remind myself of the pain, yay.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.