The only problem with this book is that it leaves you desperately waiting for the next installment. I love all the characters and the story arc. Can't wait to see what happens to Severus and the team.

Ok, wow. Phew! I just finished this book a few minutes ago and I’m just sitting here trying to come to terms with everything that happened in the last 10%. This book was a wild ride!

The Silvered Serpents is the sequel to The Gilded Wolves, which was one of my favorite books of 2019. I was so excited when I got the arc of TSS later last year, but I also knew that I wasn’t emotionally ready for whatever was going to happen in this sequel, so I put it aside for a few months and decided to wait for my summer break to read it. Not only did this book wreck me, but it was definitely a worthy sequel to TGW and added so many extra layers not only to this world but to these amazing characters.


I do want to point out that I think I loved TGW a liiiittle bit more. Although I understand the reason behind it, I think The Silvered Serpents lacked character interactions and romance, which was my favorite part of the first book. I thought group was so funny together, and some of my favorite scenes from The Gilded Wolves were of moments between all the characters. Like I said, I understand the reason behind the lack of said scenes, but I still missed them.


This was also a much darker book than the first. The characters are dealing with a painful loss, and they all deal in their own ways. It was heartbreaking to see what Tristan’s death did to the group as a whole.


I also think that, although I thought this book had a beautifully executed plot, it dragged a bit in some areas. Some moments I couldn’t stop reading, meanwhile there were some parts where I do have to admit I had to force myself into picking the book up and continuing. But, the later situation didn’t happen as much, and didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.

I also expected more of the Laila being Severin’s mistress, since The Gilded Wolves ended in a way that made me expect this plot point to be an important part of the sequel. We got so little of this plot and I was expecting more from it! Quite honestly, this might be biased, but I just wanted more of these two together overall!! I felt like I didn’t get as many scenes as I hoped, and I was left hoping for more.


Lastly, like I mentioned in the beginning of the review, the last 10% of the book were WILD. I found myself gasping so many times. I honestly predicted a few of the twists, but I still enjoyed their reveal even without being surprised. The last 3 chapters made me so frustrated, nervous, sad and obviously excited for the 3rd book! I can’t wait to see where Roshani takes us next!


*i received an arc of this book by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I wanted to love this, but Severin is just an extremely annoying character. He pushes everyone away who is close to them thinking it is for their betterment. How can he lead people when he can’t even face his own demons?! I wish the plot was more focused on the puzzle aspect of the heists versus the emotional. It was a bit too dark for my liking.

Severin: French-Algerian. Leader of the group. Supposed heir to House Vanth.

Tristan: Severin’s foster brother. Botanist. Pet tarantula Goliath (yikes!).

Laila: Indian. Chef. Dancer. Can read objects.

Enrique: Spanish-Filipino. Historian. Bi.

Zofia: Jewish-Polish. Lab rat. Autistic? OCD.

Hypnos: French-African-descent. Heir to House Nyx. Enemy to friend.



Things I Liked:

Growth. We start to see the characters’ flaws and how they came to be the people they are today. We see their weaknesses, as well as, them overcoming their fears in the form of strengths.
Not everything goes right. So many young adult novels have characters with essentially no faults. It is nice to see things not work as they are planned.
The puzzles. I love them! It was so fun to try to figure the puzzles out before the characters.


Things I Didn’t Like:

People who think they can decide what is best for someone. Severin is a guy that you love to hate. He has the best interests of people close to him in his heart, but he doesn’t always execute in the best way. He takes responsibility for things he has no control over and let’s that fear of hurt for those he loves takeover his life. People can decide for themselves if they want to take risks, they don’t need someone else choosing for them.
Forbidden love. Man loves girl. Girl loves man. Man can’t be with girl for fear of hurting her and vice versa. This is so stupid! You’ll make things work with someone if you truly love them.
Dark. The Silvered Serpents was a lot darker than The Gilded Wolves. Readers can find more foul play, deception, and a look into the darker parts of the human mind.


The Silvered Serpents is a story about deception, love, and friendship. People who enjoy heists and a loyal gang of misfits will love this novel.

I LOOOOOVE when a sequel is even better than the original book. I devour everything by Chokshi, and this book was no different. I actually read through the night and then had to teach and write a response for one of my classes the next morning. Was it a good decision? No. Was it one heck of a thrill ride? You bet. If given the opportunity, I wish I could read this one for the first time all over again. So, so, so good!

St. Martins Press, Wednesday Books and Netgalley are the source of all my joy in this time of unknown.

While Gilded Wolves is a warm sensual adventure in the land of Paris. Silvered Serpents is the chilling and thrilling follow up in the ice covered land of Russia. And let me tell you it shattered my heart like a icicle falling to an unforgiving ground. (Read: GREAT AMAZING IM DYING. ITS FINE)

Picking up a short time after the devastating conclusion of Gilded Wolves, the beginning of the book takes us on a painful journey of healing. Nothing is forgotten and moving forward seems near impossible. There is a hollowness and desperation from all the characters that makes you as the reader feel your heart squeeze.

But what I absolutely love about Roshani Chokshi is that she blends action adventure heartbreak and humor like a forged item that only she can control.

You will be in the middle of a tense moment and a character will have a perfect one liner that will make you laugh aloud and then worry for their safety in the next breathe. Because I love all of them, and no one is ever safe.

There is something so scientific and poetic about the writing too. Many times words were used that I had never heard and then when I realized their meaning saw that they fit perfectly in a tale of this world. A world we’re magic, science and the divine are a tethered chord.

I just finished it and I am uncertain if my blood pressure will ever be the same until the next installment comes into my life.

5/5

The Silvered Serpents is a fitting sequel to the excellent The Gilded Wolves. I enjoyed spending time with all the characters again, and the plot was entertaining and held my attention from start to finish. This is a darker work overall than the first book in the series, but there are still moments of wit and humour along the way. I liked the introduction of some new figures, especially Ruslan, and I turned the final page eager to know what would happen next and how things would conclude. Guess I'll just have to hold on for the release of book three! Highly recommended series for readers who like YA fantasy with the occasional darker twist. A solid 4.5 stars from me.

When I chose this book as an ARC, I did not know that it was book 2 in a series. There are parts that I felt lost in, but the author did a phenomenal job of filling the gaps.
This story was well written, with minimal use of unknown words (there are some). The intertwining of characters and stories was seamless.
I do look forward to the next book!

This book was fantastic!! I couldn’t put it down! It was so intense. So full of mystery and intrigue! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time while reading it

I didn’t much care for this book. Maybe I should have read the Guilded Wolves before picking this one up. I think I will try that and then reread it. I’m having a hard time staying focused on heavier reading. I’ll visit the first book soon.

If you loved the first one, I recommend picking this up. I enjoyed the setting, characters, and action sequences but I found the plot pretty obvious. None of the big reveals grabbed me. However, even with the predicable plot twists (looking at you main villain), I still really want to revel in the world. Everything is darkly beautiful. Opulence and mechanics and a bit of adventure a la Indiana Jones. Chokshi is a wordsmith rarely found.

I have to say I was disappointed with The Silvered Serpents. The first book in the series, The Gilded Wolves, was enjoyable enough and ended at a point where I wanted to see what would happen next. The Gilded Wolves already felt like an annoying sibling to Six of Crows and Silvered Serpents ended up being its ugly stepsister.

I ended up skimming most of the book because all I really cared about were Laila and Severin’s “will they or won’t they.” Except even Severin annoyed me most of the time. I constantly felt like he was making himself a martyr and that drives me crazy. Hypnos was actually the only character that made me laugh or smile. I just didn’t enjoy the book.

Digital copy received from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

I didn't particularly enjoy the first book, but I really liked this second one. It built on top of what we already knew of the characters and made them more complex. My main gripe with the first book was that I wasn't on board with the characters. This book really made them shine for me, and I found myself starting to really enjoy all of them.

#netgalley #thesilveredserpents

This was a good second novel. I would strongly suggest reading the Gilded Wolves first. The diversity of the characters and the unique world and powerful themes combines to make a wonderful story.

Oh man. Thank you, thank you, thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of the Silvered Serpents for an honest review.
The journey in TSS was tough but thrilling. You could feel the way the characters evolved since the TGW and I loved the new adventures. There was so much tension, cool forging, and I’m so proud of how far the characters have come. The journey is not over! And I know the best is yet to come.

I fear this series just isn’t for me 🤷‍♀️ so much description and so little plot development. Nothing makes sense to me, so many plot elements seemed illogical. And the relationship between Severin and Laila is downright toxic. Neither of the characters feels fully fleshed out to me when compared to Leigh Bardugo’s books. And I still don’t get what Forging is and what the Babel fragments and the Order actually do. But it seems I’m the only one struggling with this concept. Maybe some teenagers may find this book entertaining, I wouldn’t recommend it, though. What I also hated: The title has nothing to do with the content. The author tried hard though to squeeze the phrase in towards the end of the book, but one does get the impression that she wanted the title to be connected to a precious metal – which, again, does not make any sense whatsoever. I presume the next installment will feature bronze or platinum or damn kryptonite in the title. Anyway, I don’t care, I’m done with the series. I can’t even continue reading this in the light of being up to date on teen literature for the sake of my students as really cannot recommend it.

Nevertheless, thanks to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC!

I wanted to like this book. I truly did.
There is just something about the writing style that doesn’t flow for me. It has nothing to do with the plot or anything like that, I just didn’t really WANT to know what all was going on.

It might just have not been a book I enjoyed overall.
I do commend Chokshi on the bold subplots and I like the idea of the book.

-Stone

Chokshi is back with her amazing characters and gorgeous writing that make it so hard for me to put her books down. The Silvered Serpents is a perfect follow up to The Gilded Wolves. Picking up a few months from where we left off, we join the characters as they're all grieving the death of their friend in their own way. We explore each character more fully while they work together to solve the mystery of The Divine Lyrics. But everyone has secrets and those secrets are creating cracks and fissures within the group. I loved every aching, heart-breaking moment of this book and can't wait for the finale. Chokshi is at the top of her game with this sequel!

This winter fairy tale is unlike any other I’ve ever experienced. Brimming with fascinating, yet terrifying mythology and dazzling magic, Chokshi’s band of treasure hunters continue their adventure in this next installment of The Gilded Wolves trilogy.

Cecelia Beckman, Sheaf & Ink

My Thoughts
Revenge. A dish best served cold. And the mastermind Séverin Montagnet-Alarie plans to be an artisan when it comes to extracting vengeance. With his team scattered, he pulls them all together. One by one, he convinces them to join him for one last heist. Sweetening the deal with rewards beyond their imagining.

Roshani Chokshi has a magical way of creating landscapes that snare readers into vividly imagined worlds. The details she uses are captivating, holding us tightly in its enchanting grip, never letting go as we move from one alluring place to the next. We travel from the loud, gaudy, and bustling streets of Paris to the steely ice design of Russia. Although this new setting is a stark contrast from The Gilded Wolves, it is equally depicted in a magical and striking way.

Even though The Silvered Serpent isn’t as fast paced as The Gilded Wolves, Chokshi delves deeper into her characters psyche. She pulls back their many layers, exposing them to the cold and brilliant light, allowing the readers to connect with each of these characters on a more personal level. As she offers these glimpses of their past, certain characters are drawn closer together as they reveal more and more of themselves to each other. Allowing their vulnerabilities and insecurities to propel them forward to the inescapable ending of this story.

Betrayal, romance, and a terrifying legend that shapes the fabric of this installment, readers will feel the ice cold brilliance from beginning to end and an unyielding ache for the final book.

I love the world building, and the amazing depth of the characters. They are an unlikely crew, but they balance each other and bring a sense of family to the group. In this book, the death of one of their own hangs over everyone, especially Severin who considered Tristian a brother and who he had promised to protect only to feel responsible for Tristian’s death. Severin is the leader; Laila is a dancer from India, and has a secret skill – she can touch an object and read its past; Enrique is a historian and has studied symbolism; Zofia is an engineer and a mathematical genius. And then there is Hypnos who has latched on to the group. He is the Patriarch of House Nyx, lonely for friendship, and has found a fellowship with the others. The story is told by the point of view of each character, one chapter at a time. It added so much, to see the inner thoughts and feelings of everyone.

There are some very strong emotions and dangers, this is not a light hearted story. But it is well worth reading. I hadn’t read the first book, The Guilded Wolves, but I was so impressed with Silvered Serpents that I bought the first book to get the back stories.

What I liked most was the way the characters worked to keep their friendship, even when they felt hurt, misunderstood, or even betrayed. And the way they worked through problems, each person bringing their own strength to the table to make the total greater than the sum.

I am thankful for the chance to review this book. I received an ARK from Netgalley and Wednesday Books and this is my honest review.

“When things fell apart Séverin put them together. When they did’t know hoe to see what was in front of them, Séverin adjusted their focus. He would fix this. He had to fix this because no matter how much he’d changed…he was still their Séverin.”

The story starts right where The Gilded Wolves left us and the storyline focuses a lot on Séverin and his own internal struggle. Though the whole group is back together to pull off another heist…you can tell that they are all still hurting from the events of the previous book. The Silvered Serpent is just as action packed and full of surprises! Also excuse me but how am I going to wait for the next book with that ending…GAH?! I don’t want to give too much away since it is the second book.

I really enjoyed this book! Most of the time sequels/middle books kinda fall flat but not this one! So so good! I have to say it was much easier to follow the story. The Gilded Wolves took me about a 100 pages to understand what was going on but now that I have a better understanding it made The Silvered Serpents easier to enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

*I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a honest review*