Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this eARC of The Silvered Serpents in exchange for an honest review.

I've been sitting on reading The Silvered Serpents for a while now. According to NetGalley, I downloaded my copy in August of last year. I honestly had every intention of reading it right away. I loved The Gilded Wolves and the ending had me desperate to find out what happened to these beloved characters next. However, when the release date for Silvered Serpents was pushed back I didn't want to read it too early and forget everything by the time the final installment comes out. Then suddenly it was a month before it was due to release so I had to get reading!

I had just as much fun reading this book as I did the first! In this book, we trade out the heist novel of The Gilded Wolves for a gripping treasure hunt where the cost of failure could be Laila's very life! One of my favorite parts of Chokshi's writing is how unbelievably beautiful she makes everything. Everything is always described in such haunting detail that I can place myself in a scene easily. Her imagination creates the most intriguing settings and every time we enter a new one I lose my breath all over again. I still love the magic system of Forging and I loved that we got to see some more types of Forging in this installment.

I don't want to get too into the plot details of this book for spoilers but I felt like we got some good development for our main characters (though some of them were incredibly frustrating the whole book!) I also loved uncovering some secrets and learning the answers to a few of the questions I've had since the first book. There were a few not quite twists but reveals that felt like they were supposed to be more shocking than they actually were but the clues for them were quite obvious from the get-go. That said I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the final installment!

I unfortunately had to dnf this book about 100 pgs in, the story and characters werent sticking with me. I felt like I was forcing myself to continue reading it and not really enjoying it.

A fabulous sequel to The Gilded Wolves. I loved book 1 and book 2 was every bit as good. I wish there would be a book 3.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review may contain spoilers so read at your own risk.

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi is phenomenal. Infinitely better than the first one and I devoured it in three days. I fell in love with almost all the characters (it took me a long time to love Severin with his whole I need to be a god to protect people phase and I could not stand Laila still because she is always whining about something).

Enrique and Zofia are my two new favourite characters because the way they interact is priceless and I wanted to wrap them in bubblewrap and place them high on a shelf so the author could not hurt them. Enrique had me at the going into a volcano and coming out wanting chocolate and marshmallows (a boy after my own heart) and when he struggled to protect Zofia because he was all "not her" I was dying and in a puddle wanting to hug and stash them away somewhere. Hypnos is still a favourite because he is unabashedly himself in a world where people frown upon who he is.

Kudos to the author for having such a diverse group of characters and I never saw the twists coming. Not with the Muses or the Doctor.

This book hurt but it was magical and it immersed me wholeheartedly into the story. There were still a couple of inconsistencies but nothing that took away from the story. It was better than the first book because in the first one I forgot so many times that we were supposed to be in Paris, but with this one it was hard to forget because the author added details and reminded you of where you were. It was also a lot more diverse in settings, which I adored and now I need to read the third book. I need to know what happens.

500 out of 5 stars.

Highly recommend.

It's rare that a second book outpaces the first- this one did. I love The Gilded Wolves and wasn't sure where the story would love us this time. I was not disappointed at all. The imagery, fast-paced plot, and the characters all kept me riveted. I wish I could use it for our teen book club, but we don't do sequels.

I read book one of this series, The Gilded Wolves, last year and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to have a chance to read book two a bit early. And I’m so happy to say that The Silvered Serpents is one of those books that will stick with me for quite a while and for good reasons.

As a fan of serial stories, I know that the second book in a series is sometimes a bit of a letdown, just a filler between the book that sucks you in and the ultimate climax of the storyline. For me, that was so not the case here. I actually liked The Silvered Serpents even more than The Gilded Wolves.

The feels in this book are fairly severe. I really liked the characters in book one, but I grew to love them (even though I wanted to smack Séverin) in book two. Chokshi did a magnificent job of fleshing them out and giving them heart. I even liked some of the “bad” guys, which shows how intricately they are all crafted.

If I want to read a book again or if I’m desperate to know what will happen in the next book in a series, I will give the book five stars, and The Silvered Serpents absolutely fits that bill. I hope that book three comes out soon, because I need to know!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
The Silvered Serpents is set to be released into the wild on September 22, 2020. Be sure to read The Gilded Wolves first, however, or you’ll probably be lost in the narrative (which is so wonderfully done, that might not be a bad thing…), and preorder your copy today!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this novel for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own!

Mixed feelings about this one. I'm going to include a disclaimer that I listened to the first in the series on audio and then had this as an ebook, and sometimes it's difficult for me to follow a story when I make that shift.

If you like a lot of angst in your stories, then you're really going to enjoy this. I, personally, like angst as part of a dish, but not the dominant flavor across a whole meal. In The Silvered Serpents, it is unrelenting. Everyone is totally torn up all the time, and nothing ever looks better. That made this a bit challenging for me to get through.

Zofia and Enrique kept me reading. Their POVs, while still angsty, kept their heads above the waters enough that I could enjoy being inside their heads -- and I find them both utterly charming, particularly Enrique. Laila and Severin in this book were a slog. It is a perhaps realistic depiction of what grief can do to someone's functioning, but that doesn't always lend itself to an engaging story.

I enjoyed the magic and mystery quite a bit, but it leaves off in a rather maddening place. Not even a cliffhanger so much as an unspooled thread that's been left untidy.

(Also, I know this is a nitpick but — Lake Baikal is next to the Baikal Mountains. The Urals are over two thousand miles away. The error would be less glaring if it weren’t frequently repeated throughout the book. Where was the editor on that one?)

This might actually be one of my favorite series ever. Everything about it is just magnificent. The plot, the characters and their developments, the cultural representation, everything.

Let's talk about how great these characters are. When I tell you they would die for each other- I mean that. This crew would do whatever it takes to protect one another. The love that they have for each other is so beautiful and deep. I don't say this lightly- these characters are my favorite portrayal of friendship. The romantic love is wonderful as well, but the platonic love is the best I've ever read.

I could go on and on about these characters individually but I'll try to keep my gushing short and just pick one. Zofia. Sweet, sweet Zofia. I hold her so near and dear to my heart. She is Jewish and on the autism spectrum and this book explores more of her backstory. I just want to hold her and protect her forever. She struggles with her independence and sometimes feels like a burden to her loved ones, but she truly can hold her own. And I loved that Enrique was always paying attention to her! Their friendship was so sweet! I especially loved her friendship with Laila. Laila is the Mom Friend of the group and I absolutely adore her.

This book is about love, sacrifice, and the lengths we'd go to protect what we hold dear. Each character was beautifully created and developed. You can tell Chokshi poured her heart out. This series will hold a special place in my heart forever, and I cannot wait to see how it ends!

The Silvered Serpents is an excellent sequel to The Gilded Wolves. There's just as much mystery, intrigue, and of course some romance. I dare say that I actually liked TSS a bit more than TGW but I think it's jsut because I was more familiar with the characters and the world building.

We dive back in with Serverin and company to go on a mission of discovery or death in some cases. There are obstacles along the way of course but what I love about it all is the camaraderie yet also all the struggle between all the characters. They grow up a lot in this book.

We are also introduced to a few new characters to keep us on our toes. Overall, it's a great sequel with an ending that leaves us with our jaw on the floor and wanting more. I for one, can hardly contain myself with the wait for book 3.

The Silvered Serpents is not, imo, Roshani Chokshi's best work. It was slower than I expected, and I had to push myself to finish it, never a good sign! I expect high demand for this but I, personally, would have liked a stronger story.

This was an eARC I received from NetGalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

Severin and his team have successfully thwarted the Fallen House at a terrible cost. Desperate to make amends Severin pursues a dangerous lead to find a lost artifact rumoured to grant the powers of God. His crew will risk their lives to join him on one last job.

What I Didn’t Like:
-Slow. There are parts of this book that slow down time and carefully examine everything, but it reads slow. There are long wait periods between action, which is intentional, but still slow.
-The ending. I’m so picky about endings. I don’t like everything solved for me, I liked to have some mystery left or somethings left to keep me thinking about a book. At the same time, I like an ending that gives me some closure. I can’t say much about why (spoilers) but this one wasn’t the kind of ending I like. I’m so bummed.
-Static characters. This crew feels exactly the same as they did the first time around. Which is weird because other characters kept lamenting about how people felt different. I like when characters change and grow. I wanted this crew to feel different.

What I Did Like:
-More comfortable in the setting. The first book has issues where you don’t feel like you truly understand the world. That’s all fixed in this sequel. I felt completely comfortable here. I would adore a visit to these places.
-Beautiful language. I highlighted a few quotes in my Kindle (something I have almost NEVER done before) just because they were absolutely beautiful. The language here is amazing.
-The characters. I still like this little found family and I want only good things for them.

Who Should Read This One:
-Obviously, fans of The Gilded Wolves should read this one.
-If you were lukewarm about The Gilded Wolves, you may like this one better. Less time is spent on building up the world so we get more time to immerse ourselves in it.
-In general fans of fantasy with epic world building and found family will enjoy this one.

My Rating: 4 Stars. This one had issues but overall it’s a well written fantasy book that readers of the genre will enjoy.

After coming out victorious against the Fallen House and losing a member of their crew, Severin's compatriots have gone their separate ways as they all attempt to deal with the loss. Yet, in a last-minute letter from Severin, they all rush back together in order to complete one last job: find the Divine Lyrics. Assuming its just his way to avenge the one they all lost, everyone gears up, ignorant of Severin's true intentions. For in order to protect them all as he has promised, he will make them gods.

There were many things I thought were done well in this book. First, the world building was absolutely fantastic--I've never read anything like it. Second, I loved the banter between our main characters. It was fresh and fun and made the crew seem more like family, even with the differences in Severin's character in this book. I particularly delighted in Enrique's character mostly because I enjoy history as well and loved how one of the themes centered around forgotten history. Finally, the plot was interesting and unpredictable, leaving me guessing as to what was going on.

While I did mention above all the things this author did well, I just didn't really relish reading this story like I wanted to. I appreciate all of the things I said above, because like I said, they were done really well and while I can take the time to acknowledge that, I did not want to keep turning pages. I found myself bored until the last 15% of the story, and after seeing all of the glowing reviews, I have just come to the conclusion that this isn't my kind of book.

I recommend this story for YA readers and fans of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare since I feel like this book was a bit of a mash-up of those two stories.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

Wow. This novel.... the first one was interesting and enticing and action packed and emotional!! This novel had all of those and even more action, more on your toes and holding your breath with parts and that ending was MEAN!!! And I say that because I IMMEDIATELY want to read the next novel. Thankfully it's not THAT much of a painful cliffhanger as I thought it was going to be, then their were a couple more shorts chapters.

One thing I love most about this novel is all the different points of views from all the characters as you see them all handling (not well by any means....) the fallout from the previous novel and really every different persons way of dealing with grief. Then we have a whole new mystery and adventure and goodness! I seriously cannot wait for the next novel because I just want to know what happens! This was so fantastic and I am embarrassed for how long it took me to read it after receiving it from Netgalley! I promise I won't do that again if you let me have the third one....

A creative and engaging fantasy! I liked the varied cast of characters and the way Chokshi crafted her world. I'd read this author again!

I am pretty sure that this book has solidified that character driven historical fantasy is the way to go. Seriously, this book is equally beautifully written on the inside as the cover is designed on the outside.

An action-packed adventure focused on mystery and friendships.

I loved this sequel to The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi. This book took the amazing elements of the first, and then expanded upon them. The action is more intense, the riddles are more complex, and the relationships develop and deepen in really beautiful and powerful ways. The author also does a remarkable job of exploring deep themes and questions of justice, love, and power dynamics, while maintaining chronic plot stakes, a sense of adventure, and bringing in elements of humor.

I personally appreciated seeing the diverse cast of characters, as well as the representation of someone on the autistic spectrum. The characters are developed and portrayed with sensitivity and so much heart, and reinforces important values of not just romantic love, but familial and friendship love.

All in all, an outstanding sequel. Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher, and Roshani Chokshi for an e-arc!

This series is so magical and wondrous. I love the way the magic system is so unique and the characters are so well written.

The first book was stellar for me but this one seemed a little too different for me. I love the growth of Laila, Zofia, and Enrique as characters. But I felt Severin was a bit flat. I was a little bored by his chapters and felt like I struggled to get through them. He was just so angsty and woe-is-me, and while I get it, it got old for me.

Other than that I did enjoy this book and I need the next in the series to see what happens now! That cliffhanger had me flipping through the pages searching for more!

Whhhhyyyy! Why do you do this to me!! Lol this book was so good. Everything about Roshani's writing is as always lyrical and sucks you in. I love this book even more than the first and so down that it'll be sometime before we know the end. That ending left me in pieces!!!! ♡♡♡

The book was loads better than The Gilded Wolves. This book was darker than the first and I can't wait to see what's to come in the next book.

I loved this book. I love these characters, and the relationships they have with each other. Each character is so different, but they all work together in their group so well. This story was amazing, and intriguing. I couldn’t put it down, and I cannot believe I have to wait for the third one. It kept me on my toes the entire time. I truly enjoyed this book.