**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Actual rating: 3.5

Roshani Chokshi's newest book, The Silvered Serpents, is the sequel to The Gilded Wolves. Readers follow a group of characters in shifting perspectives who make up a found family, and they have a new heist in this installment.

I'm a sucker for heist books. I love found family. I love friendship groups where everyone has a particular role. I love world mythology and myth-inspired novels. In theory, The Gilded Wolves and The Silvered Serpents should be perfect for me. I like Severin, Hypnos, and Enrique. I like the diverse cast of varying ethnic backgrounds, queer representation, and neurodivergent representation. But I have to admit I have a disconnect somewhere with these books.

I had to reread The Gilded Wolves before starting this book, because I really couldn't remember any of the story beyond the synopsis. This is incredibly abnormal for me as I can remember specific events from books I read in childhood. I blamed that on listening to the audiobook rather than reading physically. I've now read that book twice in two different formats, and I'm still struggling to recall what I read literally last month.

The Silvered Serpents had the same quality of just... lack of impact. I love both character-driven stories and action-based stories. I had no emotional investment in this book, and couldn't be bothered when characters were in genuine danger. I felt the pacing was slow up until the last 50 or so pages, and my investment in the characters wasn't strong enough to particularly care by that point.

And then the epilogue happened. And now I want to read the sequel. I want to love these books so much, and I just don't. But sure enough I'll be reading the next one I guess. I don't even know how to feel.

In this sequel to The Gilded Wolves, the once close-knit team of Séverin, Laila, Zofia, and Enrique has drifted apart in the wake of Tristan's death at the hands of the Fallen House. Haunted by the loss, Séverin becomes obsessed with locating an artifact he believes could turn him into a god. He convinces the crew to help him with this one last mission, which leads them into the heart of Siberia.

The Silvered Serpents is a bit darker than the first book, given that the relationships between the crew members have deteriorated due the tragedy at the end of The Gilded Wolves. However, it's still an exciting page-turner full of magic and mythology, with some great character development. Another cliffhanger ending will leave readers wanting more!

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi doesn’t actually come out until September 22nd, but it’s worth the wait. The sequel to The Gilded Wolves takes the crew to Russia to try and save Laila… As the bookish community knows, a group heist novel is one of the best trends to come out of YA fantasy, and Roshani Chokshi does them better than most: diverse, full of history and mythology, with complex characters! Her protagonists are from marginalised backgrounds, autistic and queer, and exceedingly well-written, and I highly recommend this series (although the book ends on an evil cliffhanger, so be warned).

This book is absolutely infuriating. the poTential the story has,,,
Roshani would've nailed it if this was a standalone instead of a trilogy you can't change my mind. her writing can be so beautiful if she just throws away all the childish banter and repeated explanations. we spend 22/36 chapters inside the sleeping balance going in circles,,,? you could skip from chapter 15 to the last few chapters without missing much. a tragedy.
3 stars for giving zofia a fire sword though

FAVOURITE BOOK OF 2020 HANDS DOWN!!!!
This book was everything!!!!! Just as good as TGW, if not even better. High stakes and humorous antics with so many unexpected twists and turns. I love these characters so so much, it felt like coming back home :( I'm gonna spend the rest of my life rereading these books.

How much do I love this series? As much as all the treasures said to exist in the Sleeping Palace… as much as all the ice in Siberia… the champagne in L’Eden and… well, you get my drift. The characters are now familiar, so spending more time with them felt like meeting old friends. Their dynamic is still funny, sweet and loving, even if losing Tristan added a layer of complexity. The plot is engrossing and its rhythm steady, but it’s the world-building that’s fantastic. This time, the team travels to Russia in their quest to find The Divine Lyrics. The main setting is a palace made of ice. There are new characters, one of which I loved and another one I hated, that further complicate the relationships. The dialogues still have the spark from the first volume, and some parts were so funny they made me laugh. Other chapters broke my heart. And the ending - oh, what an ending. One of my favorite reads of the year.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/St. Martin's Press!

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of The Silvered Serpents in exchange for this review!

I love some of the characters in this series. After finishing this second book, Zofia is definitely my favorite and Enrique comes in as a close second favorite. Both of these characters were so great (and relatable in some ways) that most of the highlighting I did was in the chapters with their point of views. While all of the characters and settings were written very well and with so much detail, the plot and the puzzle solving/adventure aspect of the story fell a bit short. Some things were a bit obvious to me. While that doesn't always take away from a story for me, this one felt a little drawn out in some places because of the lack of thinking or puzzle solving that myself as a reader needed to do.

C.M. Karys Rating: 5 Stars

Hello As The Book Ends readers! You may be wondering why there was a change of regime for this review. Allow us to explain. We are Chiara and Maria, two sisters from Italy with a passion for books. Reading them, writing them—you name it. We both run Bookstagram accounts (_ckarys and _mkarys on Instagram for those of you who are curious), and we’re currently in the copyedits phase of our first to-be-published New Adult fantasy book, Ilahara (which we write with the author name of C.M. Karys).

A few months ago, we read The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi and fell head over heels in love, which is why when our good pal Erin asked us to guest review an earc of the sequel, The Silvered Serpents, our answer was a very calm “yes”. *insert sounds of lie detectors going haywire*

Our opinions sometimes differ, but not with The Silvered Serpents, so this is going to be an easy review to write.

The story picks up shortly after the events of The Gilded Wolves, with all the pain, heartbreak and angst that entails. Tristan is dead, Laila is dying, Enrique and Hypnos are in a relationship that may or may not be destined for doom, Zofia struggles with some complicated feelings. Through it all, a grieving Séverin is being an absolute prick (somehow making Chiara love him even more.)

It was interesting to step into a world that was extremely familiar and yet so much darker. Conflict ruled the narrative, both within the individual characters and in the relationships. Love, friendship, loyalty—everything was strained to a breaking point. The character development was incredibly done, and every member of the L’Eden group comes of out this book with new secrets, new revelations, new layers, making them incredibly real, relatable and just overall lovable.

A weaker book would have suffered our busy schedule and editing exhaustion, but Roshani Chokshi’s incredibly lush writing carried us through and kept us on the edge of our seats through every discovery, twist and turn. We will be honest, we thought the story was headed in a certain direction, but come the end of the book, everything we believed was turned against us and delivered one hell of a shocking finale. If you thought The Gilded Wolves was heartbreaking…this is worse. So much worse.

Naturally, this sequel could get no less than 5 glorious stars from both of us. We’re anxiously waiting for the book’s release in September to devour it again and we’re already counting down the days until the third book. Or at least an arc because the pain is real.

Hello darkness, my old friend...What am I supposed to do with myself now? Ooof, this book scarred me. This book is looking back upon the first book and saying, "Oh, my sweet summer child!" Or maybe I am just saying that to the past me who read the first book. I loved the first book. I love this one too. I was just not emotionally prepared for the turmoil this second book would put me through.

You know I really thought I had this book all figured out and, let's say, congratulations to me for guessing 25% of this correctly! I know, super impressive. Of course it all ends on a cliffhanger as well so now I will just be agonizing over all that happened until the final book in this series. I need to go do some yoga, drink some tea and go relax because this read has wrecked me. Have I emphasized this enough? If you care about these characters, prepare to be wrecked.

If you loved the first, I am fairly sure you will love this one too. If you just liked or thought the first was ok, give this one a try because I think it might just surprise you. When you finish you can then join me in the anxious wait for the next book!

So, where to begin?! I have so many emotions and thoughts right now after completing this book!

First off I should say that every issue I had with The Gilded Wolves was fixed with The Silvered Serpents. I much preferred the cohesive information, and more linear plot in this sequel. I felt that the story was given more room to breathe and to unfold more naturally this time around. The background history was not overdone, nor confusingly presented. The tidbits of information aided to the story, and gave a nice historical element to enhance the treasure hunting plot. My inner Indiana Jones was so happy!

My favorite, and most redeeming thing, about The Gilded Wolves are the characters. Here, they are given even more room to shine, and for the reader to adore them more. Zofia’s chapters really were exceptional, and I think her POV really shows the reader how the mind of a brilliant, kind, and interesting person on the spectrum operates. I love how her character depicts so many who are under represented in YA Adventure, and in rare first person POV nonetheless.

Chokshi successfully created a different mood with this book after the loss that occurred at the end of the last. From Paris to Russia, the new cold location echoed the loss and bitterness of the story, which begins right after The Gilded Wolves leaves off. One last treasure hunt, one last chance for redemption.

I loved the ending, and the questions it left for the reader. I’m very excited to see where the plot and characters go from here. I also have to comment about the writing because my copy was so excellent and it was uncorrected!

The gang is back at it again! After the devastating loss that the first book leaves you with, The Silvered Serpents picks up right away in the midst of the upheaval that has broken our poor little family apart. With more action, puzzles, and villainous mischief, Roshani has stepped up the intrigue.
I loved the history wound with the mythology throughout the story. There is just enough to keep your brain working as you try and solve the clues laid out right along with Séverin and the other.
I do wish that there was more character development involved. A couple more snippets are shared about each ones past, but overall I did not feel much growth from The Gilded Wolves.
The plot was a tad slow for me a in few spots, but overall another fun adventure to be a part of, with a tantalizing cliffhanger.

Oh boy…! This was a rollercoaster of emotions! I was basically a mess after I finished. I needed the next book, like yesterday! The writing and prose were as beautiful as always and I had such a fun time reading this.

The Silvered Serpents starts straight where The Gilded Wolves left off, with the crew devastated and still grieving. Until Severin decides to unite the group with one more heist. Dun dun dun…

I loved the new setting of this book, instead of Paris, we are transported to Russia. The landscapes and descriptions were so lush and vivid. The sequel was a lot more eerie and darker than the first and I enjoyed the direction Chokshi took.

The characters were amazing, as always. Chokshi touched further on the crew’s backstories and their inner turmoil and feelings. She does a great job at this because I felt for every single character and they all hold a special place in my heart. Along with the initial crew, I liked the introduction of new characters. They were complex and you don’t know what to make of them.

In terms of the plot, it was fast-paced and gripping. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, fearing for all my beloved characters. However, I did find that the pacing lagged a bit towards the middle but it picked up really quickly!

Overall, I enjoyed this sequel so much! It was so heartbreaking and heartfelt - I was an emotional mess. I can’t recommend this series enough!

I know I will be in the minority of readers and I really, really tried with The Silvered Serpents, I did, but...I just did not love it. It was a surprise to me too, as I loved The Gilded Wolves and went to GREAT lengths to procure a advance reader copy of TSS. I really became invested in the characters in TGW and was highly engaged in the story from beginning to end.

The Silvered Serpents find Severin, Laila, Enrique, Hypnos and Zofia off to Russia to follow the clues that will help them find The Divine Lyrics. They find a hidden ice palace full of statues of girls with their hands cut off, ice sculpted animals guarding the rooms, a metal leviathan that appears and disappears daily, all beckoning them to come unlock their many secrets.

The tone of The Silvered Serpents was much darker, which based on the final events of TGW was somewhat inevitable, but I felt there was too much disconnection between the characters, each locked in their own grief and unable to truly come together to help each other manage it. I felt a lot of the characters dilemmas were continually rehashed or retold in a different way, but still ultimately only incrementally moving the narrative forward. And poor Hypnos, does no one see the pain they cause this poor young man as they continually shun and exclude him from truly being part of their inner circle.

I KNOW second books are hard. The author can only give so much away as they have to save all the big reveals for the final installment. I finally became re-engaged in the final chapters and will definitely finish this series. Chokshi is a gifted writer, I look forward to more of her work. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review.

4.5 stars

This was an excellent sequel to the gilded wolves, Roshani Chokshi continues to amaze with her gorgeous prose and loveable characters. One of my favourite things about this book was the atmosphere/setting - in the book we are travelling to russia/siberia and wintery enviroments are just my favourite thing to read about especially with Chokshi magical lyrical writing really adding to the atmosphere.

The characters are also a big highlight of this book for me, each POV character we follow has their own struggles to work through in this book, as well as working together for the over-arching plot. Our 5 mains are working together to try and hunt down a magical book called the divine lyrics which will grant them various wishes, all wanting it for different reasons. Their journey is filled with various twists and turns and some mysterious new characters who we are not sure whether to trust or not.

Severin - is struggling with grief in this book and you can really see the consequences it is having on him, he has become very distant and refuses to get close to anyone, while still caring about his friends he thinks the best thing for them is to maintain distance. I do think sometimes Severin is overly angsty/moody, but this didnt take away from the story for me.

Laila - I love Laila's character and how she mothers the other by bringing them food and such, in this book she is trying to come to terms with the new severin and the old one she new as well as keeping various secrets including the real reason she wants the divine lyrics.

Zofia - Zofia is one of my favourites characters and in this books she is struggling with wanting to do things for herself/not relying on others, it was really nice to see her arc in this book as she becomes more confident in herself.

Enrique - Is my favourite character (I just love his general bookworminess and how much he loves food) and in this book we really see him wanting to be heard but feel like no one is listening, leading to some tension with the other characters. I also really liked all of his and zofia interactions, their banter and how much they care about each other is adorable.

Hypnos - while we don't get his POV we see through the other characters eyes how much he wants to fit in/belong and how his exeruberant exterior hides a lot of insecurities, i loved finding out more about his character in this book, even if he did treat my baby enrique badly.

I also really enjoyed the themes explored in this book including the many different faces love can take/the different ways people have of expressing their affection, how on the surface it may not look like love but the characters actually have the best of intentions at heart. This lead to a very stressful ending and needless to say i'm highly anticipting book 3!!!

The Silvered Serpents is the stunning sequel to the Gilded Wolves! Changed by the events of their last adventure, all of the characters now struggle to carry on as they once did. When the group is forced to work together again, nothing is the same as it once was. Unbeknownst to all, this mission is more than it seems. It’s a joy to re-visit the group as they tackle one last job. The Silvered Serpents is spellbinding, a story with a darker shift in tone compared to book one. This makes sense since the characters have lost friends, broken hearts, and possess compelling secrets that weigh heavily on them.

The descriptions are beautiful and absolutely transported me to another world. The story is gripping, with intricate details, plenty of laughs, and new characters with hidden motivations. The writing will make you laugh aloud and simultaneously marvel at the way certain sentences are composed like a beautiful symphony. I love the fantastic representation and portrayal of complex characters. Laila remains my favorite! I couldn’t put this down and already can’t wait for book three after that ending!! The Silvered Serpents releases September 22, 2020. Thank you to Roshani Chokshi, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As decadent and thrilling as the first volume. The team reassembles for a deadly artifact hunt of the book called The Divine Lyrics. But time is running out for one of their friends and so many truths are about to be unmade.

Expect another adventure in book 3.

Spoiler free opinions: I absolutely adore this ensemble cast and I can’t help but wish for them to succeed. One character in the last book did something that I felt was unforgivable and this book they continue to disappoint. I’m not sure I buy that sometimes love wears the face of a monster. I didn’t like how they injured their friends in the most personal and painful of ways. I’m sure book 3 will be their redemption arc, but as a reader, I don’t know if I can forgive them for treating their friends so badly (even for a dubiously “good” reason). Still, the story is so fun and the rest of the cast such a delight that I’m excited to keep reading.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reader's copy.

I went into The Silvered Serpents directly after reading the first book in this trilogy; The Gilded Wolves. While I enjoyed The Gilded Wolves, I somehow managed to love The Silvered Serpents even more. Roshani Chokshi did a fantastic job on this sequel.

The development of the characters in this book was delightful, I loved how Chokshi showed each of our main characters dealing with grief in their own way, it added an extra layer of humanity to them. I found myself equally invested in each of the main characters which can be owed to the multiple character povs. A lot of times for me personally multiple povs don't work for me, but that clearly was not the case here. I wasn't dreading a certain character chapter coming up or counting the chapters until it was time for my favourite character's chapter.

The pacing was well thought out and executed very well. I did however find the ending to feel slightly rushed, I would have loved for the last 10/15% of the book to have been spaced out a bit more. With saying that I still loved the ending and can't wait for the next book.

The group is at it again. After the heartbreak of Tristan, Séverin gathers the others to find the Divine Lyrics. He believes this will bring Tristan back. Each goes, for their own reasons, on this treasure hunt into Russia. Along the way, they pick up Ruslan and the mother Séverin wished had stayed.
Once they find the Silent Palace, they search to find the elusive book. What they find instead is completely different.

This book ends on a cliffhanger. Book three does have a date for publication.

Opinion
What a ride! Emotions run high in just about every aspect of this book. I feel that this book may be better than the first book, if that’s possible. I truly enjoyed the way Ms. Chokshi used language to convey her thoughts. The way she does it is truly an art form.
If you like treasure hunts, intrigue, love or friendship, you will want to pick this book up,
Fair warning though, this is the second book. You will need to read The Gilded Wolves first.
Many thanks to netgalley.com for providing me with an ARC of this book.

My most anticipated sequel of 2020!! Almost cried when I got this arc and now that I've read it, I'm really going to cry. Can't believe I'll have to wait a year for the third book. The Silvered Serpents did justice as a sequel, even if things got more messy. Chokshi's writing is beautiful as always and I loved looking into the team's minds and grasp their emotions after the events in the first book. Thank you for this eARC and I wish the author success with this and future books!!

The Silvered Serpents upped the ante quite a bit from The Gilded Wolves! There was a lot going on - even more secrets, a lot of danger, and some twists I did not see coming.
The characters continued to grow, but their little band was fractured after Tristan's death, and Séverin was too busy with other things to try to glue them back together.
I loved the mystery, and especially the sense of true urgency as the story unfolded. Definite recommendation from me.