While still dealing with the consequences of the events of The Gilded Wolves, Séverin and his team travel to Russia in search of an ancient artifact that legends says will grant a person god-like powers. After his failures, Séverin is desperate to find it, hoping that it will allow him to protect his friends from every possible danger. But his attempts to save them may drive them farther away, for the ghosts of the past linger on in every possible way, and Séverin is only beginning to learn how those ghosts can still hurt the future. Meanwhile, the rest of the team members have their own secrets to keep, and though sharing those secrets could save them, trust is as scarce as warmth is in the frozen Russian landscape. And the closer they get to finding the artifact, the more they find that their secrets could be as dangerous as the ghosts pursuing them.

“Empty bookshelves covered nearly all the wall space, and yet, when Enrique breathed deeply, he caught the scent of books. Of binding and pages and tales eager to be known. Knowledge was coy. It liked to hide beneath the shroud of myth, place its heart in a fairy tale, as if it were a prize at the end of the quest. Perhaps whatever knowledge was here was similar. Perhaps it wished to be wooed and coaxed forth.”

Though fantasy sequels often have a reputation for being a step down in quality from the first book, they have their advantages. Dozens– or hundreds– of pages are not given over to character introductions or worldbuilding. The reader gets to plunge into the story straightaway without asking a thousand questions about why the magic works the way it does, how it is used, and how it can change the characters’ world. By the time book two comes around, these things are known, and so are the characters. The reader often has a favorite one or two or three, and is dying to know what will happen to them. Will they fall in love? Will they find the artifact? Will they make it to the next book? The story is allowed to unfold without interruption, and if the author knows what they’re doing, the reader is swept up in the whole affair.

Fortunately for fans of The Gilded Wolves, Roshani Chokshi knows what she is doing and tells another sweeping tale of intrigue and magic that will grab readers from the first page and not let go until they’ve turned the last one.

Because the heavy lifting of worldbuilding was a major part of The Gilded Wolves, The Silvered Serpents is free to expand upon the ideas introduced in the previous book, as well as focusing more specifically on the characters, their inner conflicts, and the interpersonal strife between the crewmembers. Their conflicts do as much to propel the story as the plot itself does– a bit of a rarity in YA fantasy, which too often relies on deus ex machina devices and random plot twists to get the story moving. And while Chokshi is an obvious believer in the plot device of Chekhov’s gun, she knows better than to deploy it at every turn, and so while mentions of spider venom or magical mechanical animals might go overlooked by the casual reader, a perceptive reader will know to be on the lookout for them, and then be delighted when– and by how– they are put to use.

But for all the cleverness of the magic and devices in The Silvered Serpents, its greatest strength is the characters, who come alive in their disparate ways. Their strengths complement each other even more this time around, while their fears and weaknesses lead them to make mistakes and put their trust where they shouldn’t. And in a genre that relies on snarling boys and sneering girls who can’t be bothered to use their words, Séverin and Company know how to have a conversation. Whether they’re imparting historical tidbits or trying to figure out how they feel about each other, these characters sound like real people who are just trying to figure out what they want from the world while dealing with world-changing events.

The Gilded Wolves laid down a foundation of myth and magic. The Silvered Serpents builds upon it, letting personal stories intersect with legendary ones to create a layered narrative that doesn’t let up until the last page. And even then, readers will be left wanting to find out what happens next.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion in any way.

It's amazing how this book can be so different from book 1 in how it develops yet still evoke the same feelings of wonder.
Having already introduced the complex mythology of the world and the characters in The Gilded Wolves, Chokshi jumps in headfirst into book 2. We start off seeing how the death of poor Tristan has affected everything about the lives of the rest of the characters. Everyone is separated and not really dealing with things properly. Severin in particular. They come back together for a final attempt at finding the Divine Lyrics and the Sleeping Palace where the treasures of the Forgotten House lie. But things are far from back to normal and as many secrets separate them as unite them.
New characters are introduced, old characters are shown in a new light, and the character development remains some of the best I've seen in a while. As much as there are conspiracies, secrets, and magic in this book, it's in the characters and their interactions where it shines.
Overall, a great action-packed sequel that brings all the excitement of the first book while adding a whole new layer of welcome complexity.
Be warned, the ending is a massive cliffhanger. I can't believe I have to wait who knows how long to know what happens next.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the early read!

The Silvered Serpents is the sequel to last year's "The Gilded Wolves" (Reviewed Here). The Gilded Wolves was a novel a lot of people I trust seemed to love - a heist novel featuring an alternate early 20th Century Paris/France, featuring a with a secret Order of Magic behind the scenes, and a crew of outsiders (due to race, class, and other reasons) aiming to pull off a series of heists regarding hidden and lost magics for both fortune and recognition of their own worth. Unfortunately, I just couldn't find myself to love the novel as much as others, especially as its magic system and one major character were so close in nature to that of another novel I loved (Robert Jackson Bennett's Foundryside) that it was distracting. Still, there was enough here between the characters, and the very strong setting (which dealt with themes of race and colonialism) to make me want to see where the series would go from the end of the first novel, and I applied for an e-ARC of this sequel as soon as I saw it on NetGalley.

Unfortunately, I honestly found The Silvered Serpents to be an inferior novel to its predecessor, to the point where I actually had a bad taste in my mouth by the ending. The book takes its predecessor's biggest fault - its least interesting character being its primary protagonist, who was honestly a little annoying in his motivations and actions - and makes it far worse, turning that character into an utterly unlikable person in response to the prior book's happenings. The rest of the cast has some highlights, but otherwise this novel turns into a heist novel in which the characters just aren't fun or interesting to read, the themes of the setting aren't really explored too heavily, and certain plot elements are both predictable and lead to a cliffhanger ending that is utterly unsatisfying. There are some highlights where I can see how I might've loved this book otherwise, but they're the exception not the rule.

NOTE: A Major Spoiler as to The Gilded Wolves' ending is unavoidable in further discussion, so it will not be hidden in the rest of this review. You are forewarned.


---------------------------------------------------Plot Summary-----------------------------------------------------

Séverin Montagnet-Alarie has spent the time since Tristan's death on a single-minded quest to rediscover the legendary book "The Divine Lyrics", a book whose power the Fallen House once sought, which had long been sought lost....until Roux-Joubert, the Fallen House murderer, had revealed that it still existed inside the Sleeping Palace of the Fallen House. With the power of the book, he could become a god, restore Tristan, and ensure that nothing ever happened again to his friends. Unfortunately, months of searching by Séverin and the Order have revealed no clue to the Sleeping Palace so hope seems dim....until one last lead reveals a possible clue.

Of course, since that fateful day, the team has been separated. After Séverin's monstrous words, Laila has been living out her life as the dancer L'Enigme, knowing that without the book, her artificial life will soon come to an end on her 19th birthday, with only weeks left to go. Enrique has been attempting to show his scholarship, and the importance of bringing back colonial works to the colonies, to the Ilustrados, all the while carrying out a secret affair with Hypnos. Zofia has returned to Poland to care for her sister, who is dying - all the while without knowing the truth of what Zofia has done.

But this one lead brings them all back together, as it leads them to Russia, in a race to find the book before the Order can get there first. But the agents of The Fallen House are still out there, hunting for the book - and them - as well, and time is running out. And what exactly the team will find as they hunt for the book, and what they will have to, may be more than they could possibly imagine.....

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As with the first novel, The Silvered Serpents is told from the perspectives of the four remaining members of the team: Séverin, Laila, Zofia, and Enrique (sixth ranger Hypnos, who is now the fifth ranger, does not get a POV). It's a team of outcasts for various reasons - Laila is Indian in a colonial European power, to say nothing of her dark origins, Enrique is half Filipino and thus isn't trusted by either the locals or by the greater Filipino community, and Zofia is Jewish in a very antisemitic setting as well as autistic, and very uncomfortable with other people, to say nothing about expressing herself (even to herself). It's a cast that I really should like, and with Laila, Zofia, and Enrique, I kind of do.

The problem is Séverin, whose response to his brother's death is to not just close himself off to others, subsuming his feelings to his drive to become all powerful so that he can fix everything, but also to just become an utter asshole. At the end of the last book, he drove Laila away by calling her not a person, which is not only insanely rude but literally picking at her ultimate fear, and while that might have been in the moment of grief (but still honestly unforgivable), he's only worse here months after the fact, manipulating others but especially Laila in totally cruel and cold ways. And this isn't a momentary thing that he eventually is forced to get over as you might expect, with the team being forced to come to a reckoning to work together and to realize that they each depend upon the others - no this happens FOR THE ENTIRE NOVEL. Given that he's the leader of the team, this is just painful and utterly infuriating to read - and the novel never manages to make up for it at all.

The rest of the team is mostly better, with Laila being incredibly sympathetic, Austistic Jew Zofia being incredibly easy to like and root for, and Enrique's unstoppable curiosity towards histories being utterly charming, but they never really stand out, and the fun dialogue you might expect in a heist novel is mostly suppressed by the darkness hanging over Séverin. Extra team member Hypnos is mostly sympathetic as well, but he acts like an utter ass regarding his relationship with Enrique - which only is worse to read given how that relationship hurt Zofia at the end of the last book - and when finally called upon it, acts like he didn't know what he was doing. Two new temporary team members aren't particularly interesting, and the book teases where its going with them from the beginning in such an obvious way you'll see it coming throughout, which doesn't help it all.

And then the plot ends in the most unsatisfying way possible. The story leaves Paris and moves to Russia, but its a Russia that isn't very specific and just feels generic, as our characters search for the special book that could lead them to godhood. So it gives you an impression that certain events will eventually happen in this book, with the implications of them being dealt with either at the end or in the next novel....except they don't happen at all here, being left entirely to the next novel (contrast the ending of the first book, which had its climax early and then what felt like a long epilogue section). It's utterly unsatisfying as a way to end a book I was already not enjoying and almost reading on at that point only to see how things would be resolved (and they're not). I should point out that again the book does touch on the issues of colonization and its impact, and the horrors of treating people as non-persons, but none of this winds up mattering to the plot in the end.

I'm sure there's a way to write a heist novel with characters so suffering from trauma that they act poorly to one another and without the levity and quips for the most part you see within such a novel. I'm sure there's a way to write a such a book in a way that it brings up serious relevant themes. But The Silvered Serpents is not that book, and I cannot recommend it.

A somewhat somber sort of sequel, which just makes emphasizes the tender appreciation of these characters and their found family. The plot sometimes felt drawn out and the tenseness of the final scenes were a bit undercut by some fairly obvious clues, but the world was nicely rendered, and the characters compelling. This continues to be a series offering appeal to fans of Six of Crows and The Raven Cycle as well as historical fantasy like Iron Cast, The Diviners, Dread Nation, and Leviathan.

The Silvered Serpents is an imaginative, wildly original, and magical adventure. I started this book and quickly realized you need to read the first one to know what is going on. There's no jumping right in on this adventure. A lot of things happened in book one and this story starts from there. I had to go on a wait list for The Gilded Wolves at the library (the first book is really popular for good reason). In a world where God's powers were placed inside magical objects and scattered around the world after the fall of Babel, an order divided into ruling houses protects the magical objects. Séverin and his band of unlikely misfits is looking for the ultimate object that turns the user into a God. But danger is on every corner, blackmail and double crosses are the name of the game when everyone wants a piece of the action. The characters capture the imagination and the story fuels a wild ride that keeps the pages turning right up until a cliff hanger of an ending that will keep you coming back for the next installment. Action packed and unpredictable, the story is a fantastic romp. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Full review will be on my blog on September 17th 2020.

I enjoyed The Gilded Wolves a lot – enough that I finished it in pretty much one go – but it’s safe to say that The Silvered Serpents does not suffer rom second book syndrome. If anything, The Silvered Serpents is significantly better than the first book. The stakes are higher, the consequences harsh and rough and everyone is going through an absolutely terrible time. Suffice to say, it’s exactly the kind of book I love. The ending of The Gilded Wolves was painful as hell. I read it this morning, as of writing this review) and was fortunate enough to have The Silvered Serpents to leap straight into. But The Silvered Serpents did not ease my troubled soul. Instead it hurt me twice as bad, and now I’m ready to go feral to get my hands on the final part of this trilogy.

The classic heist sections were still very much present in this book, and so were the puzzles and logic aspects that I absolutely loved from the first book. It was one of my favourite things about the ensemble, that they all very clearly had different strengths but also that we got to see them work together, and there’s more of that here. Enrique and Zofia are the best duo and I want to watch them team up together forever. The characters go through absolute hell in this book. All of them are handling the grief of Tristan’s death and subsequent discoveries about what led him to that point, and it’s pulling the team apart. I spent this whole book so conflicted about all of them. There were moments where all the characters were truly toxic to each other, and I wanted to separate them as much as I wanted to smack their heads together and make them play nice. Hypnos remains my absolute favourite, a hilarious hero, and I’m glad that he got to be more involved in the team. It’s hard to go into the character dynamics as much as I’d like to, as I don’t want to spoil significant moments in the book, but it’s safe to say that if you love complex character relationships and trauma-fractured-families, you’re going to love this as much as I did.

The setting was pretty interesting. I think I still prefer the cool-as-hell Forged Paris over the depths of snowy Russia, but the ‘forgotten palace’ mentioned in the summary is an unbelievably cool setting and I hope it spawns a lot of fan art (I want people to draw David, okay?). The Forged ice creatures were unbelievably cool and there were plenty of moments that delved into the idea of Forging a little more than the first book. The pacing in this book was even better than the first one, and it was so unbelievably easy to read. I read this over a few hours because every time I picked it up I couldn’t put it down without having read at least 20% of my eARC.

Overall this was an incredible read, and I highly, highly recommend it. I kind of regret reading an eARC, because now I have to wait forever for the next book to arrive.

*Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and Roshani Chokshi for providing me with an arc for an honest review."

Summary: The continuation of The Gilded Wolves picks up months after the fallout of the catacombs battle. L'Eden is nothing more than the ghosts haunting Severin as everyone has moved on to their own things. When a clue to the Sleeping Palace is discovered the group reunites but they've all been changed by loss and their own motivations to complete the job.

Review: I should probably wait to write this as I just finished the book and have a lot of feelings but that might be the best time. First, the dedication which for the life of me I could not understand Nic Cage and then it hit me at midnight "We're going to steal the Declaration of Independence." This may seem like a total head scratch that I would put this in the review but this book has that same energy. We're going to do the impossible and it's going to be messy, but every clue solved is going to be a jolt of energy and light in a very dark world. While each chapter is a different person's pov the story flows ever forward. This format also lends, at least in audio and ebook format, to having no clue if you're close to the end or who it will end with. In terms of character development everyone has a chance to get more of their backstory fleshed out and gets the opportunity for self discovery and bravery. Without spoilers I must say Zofia had the best character growth out of the group. Laila had the best quote with Severin coming in a close second.

I have seen a lot of reviews that compare this series with Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and get turned off by it thinking it's some form of knock off. I ask anyone reading this review who has been on the fence because of this to give it a chance. The similarities are that its a diverse group of people each with a particular skill set and a heist. The story is entirely it's own based on a compilation of mythology, history, and the author's imagination. It's got action, it's got mystery, it's got doomed romance, and a cliffhanger that will make you want to rip your hair out while casually offering anyone at Wednesday Books with the power to let you read an arc of book three whatever they want. (If anyone from Wednesday Books actually reads this I'm dead serious even if it means tracking down a mythical book lost for 20 years.)

Wow! Wow! Wow! This book is so action packed and way more exciting than book 1. We know the characters now and Roshani had no qualms about throwing them right into the fire. I love them all so much now. Surprise, the book ends with a cliffhanger and I CANNOT wait to see what happens in the next book. However, parts of this did drag a little for me and was a little predictable, but still immensely enjoyable.

This book was a great sequel to The Gilded Wolves. Everyone is still feeling the aftermath from the last book’s events, but a new treasure hunt has the group back together again onto their next journey, and there is no time to waste! The stakes are high in this one, leaving it impossible to down, I loved the mystery that this new hunt brings, and how it unfolded throughout the book. The characters are my favourite, I’m a huge fan of the dialogue between them all them and to see where their minds are during this hunt.
This book is great and the set up for the next book in this series!

The Silvered Serpents, the second in The Gilded Wolves series, continues the story of Severin, Laila, Enrique, Zofia, and Co. as they embark upon an even bigger heist than before, with much higher stakes. This series about found families, magic, and the experiences that forge us together is just perfect--YA fantasy with a hefty amount of adventure.

I actually liked The Silvered Serpents more than The Gilded Wolves. I already knew the characters, so it was nice to just drop back into the story and commence with the action. There wasn’t the same amount of world-building required, which allowed Chokshi to focus on the individual characters’ arcs in greater detail.

The bonds between the friends are strong; despite Severin’s decision to turn off his emotions, he is determined to protect his found family at all costs--even if it means wearing the face of a monster.

This would be the perfect for readers who loved A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Briged Kemmerer or the Grishaverse books by Leigh Bardugo.

this is my second book of hers i have read, aside from the gilded wolves which was a bang and that's why i was so hyped for this one and definitely this book lived up to my expectations! every emotions you can muster from being invested and loving a book, here you go. representations, tropes, lines, the writing, she does it so well words are actually escaping me. check out the gilded wolves and jump to this one and be ready for a ride !!!

Yes! She does it again. I don't know how Chokshi builds such believable puzzles and riddles for the reader to have to dissect, or how she so deftly knits mythology from around the world mixed with subtle (but potent) cultural commentary, but this YA fantasy series hits all my favorite escapist notes.
Starting from where we left off in GILDED WOLVES, (no, it wasn't all a dream), Chokshi weaves a new caper for the much-less-cheerful crew to go down. The first fifty pages I wasn't sure if I would be dragged in-- but oof, yep. High drama, high feelings, high puzzles, and approachable fantasy. My only complaint is I have to wait another few years for the next one.

First of all, if you haven’t checked out The Gilded Wolves you should probably read taht first because this review WILL spoil TGW (Here‘s my review for TGW).

I’m still not over Tristan’s death… and neither is the crew (Speaking of which, is there like a group names for this dysfunctional found family?). All of them are dealing with their grief and they’ve all separated which was so sad to see because IT HURT.

Let’s just start off with how much I wanted to punch Severin in the face. Like right from the beginning to near the end?! He was just doing dumb thing after dumb thing all in the name of protecting his friends but he really wasn’t being a good friend?! UGH. The THINGS HE DID. I love a book that can give me every emotion, even anger haha

I personally wasn’t a huge fan of the Laila/Severin dynamic this time specifically because of the dumb things Severin kept doing. I was really excited about the possibility of the “fake dating” trope but it was definitely utilized in a different way than I was expecting here. The angst in this one really leveled up for this one but it was a bit too frustrating for me. Especially in Laila POV when Eva was introduced I was easily frustrated with the “love triangle” trope that was being presented. Of course, it just added to the amount of emotions and chaos so while I didn’t completely enjoy it, it didn’t knock off any points for me.

You know what I DID really enjoy? More friendship scenes with Laila and Zofia. I LOVE THEM. Also the dynamics between Hypnos and Enrique and Zofia?! I LITERALLY LOVE THEM. Enrique was basically my favorite character in TGW and I was so happy that he continued to be number 1 on my list along with Zofia. Their dynamic is just *chef’s kiss*. I really wanted to just give them hugs throughout the book. *EVERYBODY JUST NEEDS TO LISTEN TO ENRIQUE WHEN HE TALKS, OKAY?!*

I also just really understood Hypnos so much in this book. Like he made me sad and angry but I also just really related to him which was a LOT of emotions to deal with.

I really loved that the character’s were just expanded a lot in this book. I’m a sucker for great character development and getting to see each perspective and their dynamics (the amount of wholesome and also frustrating moments I have highlighted is amazing).

I was really proud of myself for actually being able to wrap my head around the magic and world building a little more this time while reading especially after re-reading TGW. I don’t know why I felt that it was confusing the first time around but this time it was more expanded and easier for my weak brain to handle.

The only reason it’s not a five star read is because the ending happened. I think in the beginning of the year when I requested the book I was pretty positive it was a duology but I think it got expanded (which is totally awesome and great) later so when I read this and it just ENDED LIKE THAT my head just couldn’t wrap around it. On top of that, it took me a good twenty minutes to understand what exactly happened at the end and I’m not usually a fan of confusing endings (for example, City of Brass). This is my personal thing because my brain has limited capacity of understanding when reading. BUT anyway, overall this was still a fantastic ride. The last 30% I read all in one sitting because I was so engrossed in the story and it was fantastic!

If you love an amazing squad with great dynamics, the feeling of wanting to punch a character for being so incredibly frustrating but also understanding them, just absolutely amazing characters that deserve hugs, a really intriguing magical system, a really angsty couple, and of course, a little bit of mystery and a bunch of heist you should definitely pick up this incredible sequel!

3.75 STARS

Even though it took quite a bit longer for me to read this than The Gilded Wolves, I definitely preferred it. It begins in the months following the events that took place at the end of the first book, and the characters are still grappling with its ramifications. Our gang must put this aside to embark on a treasure hunt. Fortunately, there isn't too much build-up, and we get into the action pretty quickly ( something that wasn't the case with TGW ). I found the middle portion a little slow and more difficult to read, but the end was quite intense. The very final chapters (the last 2 specifically), however, should not have been included. Any real impact the ending had was ruined for me. Normally, when I finish a good book, it's all I'm constantly thinking about for a couple of days, and I'm desperately anticipating reading a sequel...but with this, I'm ready to move on (I still am excited to see what happens though).

The plot itself was a lot less confusing this time around, which probably also contributed to why I liked it more. I still don't have a full understanding of certain aspects of the worldbuilding, but I did not feel as out of the loop as I did with the first one. I must admit that some of the reveals/twists were quite disappointing. The fact that my 5 brain cells were able to figure things out before these intelligent characters did was a little concerning.

The real reason why I enjoyed this more than the first is because of the characters. I already liked them, but I felt that, this time around, I had truly became attached to them. From the instant they began interacting again, it was as if I suddenly realised, "Wow, I actually really like this. Can I get more of this please?". Similarly to the world building, I feel like a lot of the groundwork had been set up in the first book, so it was easier to become engaged. Both as individuals and in their relationships with others, the characters became a lot more interesting, and I was truly invested in their struggles and story...well, that is, except for Séverin...all this book did is solidify my hatred . I also believe the writing has improved since the first. The banter was more enjoyable and felt a lot more natural. It was also just easier to read in general.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this and definitely have high hopes for the finale.

Thanks to Partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Roshani Chokshi’s The Silvered Serpents in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, September 22, 2020.

***PROCEED WITH CAUTION: SPOILERS FROM BOOK ONE, THE GILDED WOLVES, APPEAR.

Roshani Chokshi’s The Silvered Serpents focuses again on the crew of Séverin as they come back together for another heist. After being driven apart by the loss of one of their own in book one, their trust has been fractured. Séverin is desperate to find The Divine Lyrics, a book that can make him a god, able both to protect his friends and to become impervious to being hurt by them or by their loss. Laila, too, wants to find the book--she believes it’s the only thing that can keep her alive. Enrique is desperate once again to prove himself: he has lost confidence since separating from his friends, unable to make his mark as an academic. And Zofia is ready to quit so she can be with her dying sister . . . until Séverin convinces her otherwise.

As in The Gilded Wolves, the strengths here for me are the diversity of the group, who each come from different races, different countries, different classes, and different religions. Their disparate talents and ways of thinking mean that they can each contribute a unique strength to the group--and, of course, their magical talents are different, as well. The world here is one of a series of magical houses, unified in asserting their own superiority but also in competing against each other for new treasures and wealth and prominence, and each of the protagonists wants (or needs) something from the ruling class who runs the houses.

There’s a cinematic quality to so many scenes within the novel--I love the different locations that Choskhi imagines so beautifully--and I like each of the characters and the personal challenges each is undergoing, as well. Shifting between the four points of view works well for me. I did wish for more from Séverin’s sections. I empathized with his grief, which has made it difficult for him to interact with his friends the way he used to, but I didn’t completely believe the personality change he underwent, and I wanted more from his chapters, which were my least favorite. I found Laila, Enrique, and Zofia each to be more believable and more nuanced.

Overall, Roshani Chokshi’s The Silvered Serpents is a compelling story, a worthy sequel to The Gilded Wolves.

This book is a masterpiece! A literal rollercoaster of emotions! So much angst! So much longing!

Being a Roshani Chokshi book, I was expecting nothing less, but The Silvered Serpents hurt me in ways that I never deemed imaginable.

The Silvered Serpents is a book that truly defies the laws of "Second-Book Syndrome". Every single expectation that Chokshi created with The Gilded Wolves, was completely obliterated in this book, (in a good way, obviously) and I can't believe that I was scared to start this book! Given, my nerves were more about how much Chokshi would play with my heartstrings, and those nerves were 100% valid because, by the end of the book, I felt way too much to ever sum up in one review!

While the first book was more a heist and this one is more a treasure hunt, every aspect that was touched upon in the first book was revisited here, including *that* death, and the issues of colorism, colonialism, and racism. And I specifically loved how no part seemed like it was pushed aside for another. The balancing of light-hearted banter and darker, more pressing matters was impeccable, and I don't think that I was bored at all.

Unlike The Gilded Wolves, however, the majority of The Silvered Serpents takes place in Russia, during the Winter Conclave. Now with maintaining the setting, all while making sure that the history of the time or place isn't compromised is a really difficult job, but The Silvered Serpents is brilliant at avoiding info-dumps, which are really common in Historical Fiction/Fantasy. In continuation of the Historical aspect, anachronisms are unnoticeable, which goes to say, there may be none at all. While the races of the characters may not have been given as much freedom in that time period as is shown, that is not a viable basis to make a claim upon, especially since Chokshi merely does that to give minorities some representation. All in all, this book is a magical read and raised the roof on my expectations. Dare I say, I think it's even better than the first!

At its core, The Silvered Serpents is an epic journey toward discovering the very definition of what makes us human and the importance of love, acceptance, and hope within that definition.

What I loved

I love the depth of the main characters whose very flaws make them endearing and life-like. I particularly find Laila intriguing with the mystery of how she came to be. Even her proper name is unknown. Was she born or created? Does that even matter? She is the real enigma that her stage name implies, but what I enjoy about her the most is her heart. None of the other main characters have a heart as big as Laila's, and she shows it through her loyalty, determination, and ability to notice the small details that other people tend to overlook. She is the very essence of humanity, and her life is on the line as foretold that she would die by her 20th birthday.

The other characters are also brilliant and deserve mention. Severin is the leader of the group of adventurers. He lost his mother and the man he knew as his father at a young age and was raised, in turn, by the seven deadly sins. I'm not sure if this is actual or metaphorical, but the impact is the same. Severin has deep, deep scars that have not fully healed and may never fully heal. His determination to find the salve that will fix leads him on the adventures that make up this trilogy.

Enrique is a man who is desperate to find his place in academia or just in the world. He knows the cold hard hand of racism being half Filipino in a time when 'human zoos" held Filipinos for viewing.

And last but not least, Zophia. She is Jewish in a time when antisemitism has taken hold and faces bigotry as a result. She demonstrates many symptoms seen in people with autism. She is brilliant at science with a forge ability in metals, but she does not understand emotion or subtle social cues. This rounds out the cast of characters who are the main protagonist, but the support characters don't disappoint.

I love the setting of The Silvered Serpent – The Sleeping Palace, which is a beautiful hidden palace in snowy Siberia owned by the Fallen House. Full of past horrors and forged objects, the setting is both beautiful and dangerous. The perfect backdrop for the adventure to find The Divine Lyrics – an item that Severin believes will make him a god, and Laila believes will allow her to live beyond the age of 20.

I loved the magic that is not magic. Fragments from the Tower of Babel were buried all over the world, and they give certain people Forging abilities that look like magic from the perspective of this world, but in the world of the novel, "magic is a science that people cannot fathom." Portals, the ability to look and sound like someone else, weapons created from everyday objects is just a small sampling of the magic that's not magic but is fascinating.

I also love the smaller aspects that have a significant impact. The puzzles that must be solved in figuring out how to find the object they seek; they are a fun diversion keeping the story from getting weighed down by the seriousness of the overall journey the characters are on. And the use of the Tower of Babel, which is at the heart of the trilogy. I find the symbolism delightfully original, and it fits perfectly in all aspects of the story.

To Read or Not to Read

Yes – read it and enjoy the unique world where magic is a science, and the Tower of Babel has even a more significant impact than giving creating a variety of world languages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Going into this book, I didn't expect to like it more than Gilded Wolves. I liked Gilded Wolves, but it wasn't nearly as good as this book. Roshani takes the foundation of book 1, wrapped them in pixie dust, and put it together into an even better story for book 2. I'm honestly shocked.

For starters, I love Severin's development. Not the beginning, because he was definitely going through a lot of grief, but later on. By the end of the book, he reflected the person we see in Gilded Wolves more and it reminded me of how much I missed him. We also have more Enrique and Zofia in this book which makes me SO HAPPY. They're my two favorite characters and getting more time with them made this book for me.

I loved the plot progression too and while there was a drag in the middle a little bit, Roshani always knows how to spice things up and keep it interesting. Enter Eva - I don't like her, but she made the middle parts way more interesting and fun to read.

I'm getting off topic - basically, I loved this book. There wasn't much I disliked and I'm so excited for the third book! I need to know what happens next.

This book is the second book in the Gilded Wolves series.

I think people should give this series a chance because so many people have tried to compare this book with another and they are not the same at all and this series is just so good.

The Silvered Serpents was amazing and I was so excited to see my favorite gang back again on a new mission. They are dealing with their own trauma and the bond of this group has gotten even closer. This book is also a lot darker than the first book as they are dealing with loss and grief and so much more but it only makes this book intense and makes you not want to put it down.

I love how fast pace this book was, how it had me stressed out and wanting more and wanting the best for my faves. I seriously could go on with how much i loved this book and so worth the read.

Thanks Netgalley and Wednesday books for letting me read and review this book early!

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi was the second book in this treasure hunting series, The Gilded Wolves, that tackles also social issues. The first book concentrated mostly on world building but here the character development really shines. I loved how much growth was displayed by all. There were some shocking discoveries and the build up for the next in the series is insane!