he Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi is book two in her The Gilded Wolves Series.
The Silvered Serpents can be read as a stand alone. For best reading experience I recommend to read the books in order.
This is Severin and Laila's unique story.
I started redaing and at first I was a bit lost. I didn't know the world of them and it took me a minute to get into the story. But then oh boy what a storyline and what a wolrd.
Great read with great characters and a fantstic storyline. 4,5 Stars.

~~ I received an ARC copy of The Silvered Serpents by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review~~

The minute that I saw that The Silvered Serpents was already available for ARC, I squealed at the chance to get my hands on a copy. I remember the twists and turns and the way that The Gilded Wolves (the first book of this series) had sucked me in. It had been way too long since I'd read the first book and I couldn't wait to delve back in. My deep respect to Rokshani Chokshi who definitely did not hit a sophomore slump with this book. Each of the characters in this tale is changing, and growing and learning and I love that she gives the space for each character to evolve. The plot remains gripping as we follow the team in their search for The Divine Lyrics and to undo some of the things that happened in the first novel.

I love love loved this book and can't believe I have to wait who knows how long for the next one. This is one of the series that has definitely been worth the wait and Ms. Chokshi's masterful storytelling made it hard for me to put down. i can't wait to see what's next.

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Recommend: Definitely!
Review:

Oh sweet diggity-dog, this book took me for a ride and I am now angry that I have to wait over a year for the third book after that ending! I can't believe Roshani would write an ending like that and leave me crying in bed at 5 a.m. So rude!
Okay, so this book takes places a little while after The Gilded Wolves, with the team all still reeling and trying to cope with the loss of Tristan. Enrique is diving into his work and becoming an Illustrado, Laila is living as much as she can and being L'Enigme, Zofia is trying to figure out how to take care of her sister, Hypnos is being Hypnos, and Sevein is blaming himself and shutting everyone out.
This book starts with a serious bang and doesn't let up, not even on the last page. I adore the different POV, since it lets me really get to know all the characters, but also I get different perspective on events. There are plot twists on top of plot twists, the imagery is absolutely incredible, and that ending is going to throw some people into really deep bookhangovers.
Roshani absolutely blows me away with her world-building, this time taking us into the frozen heart of Russia, with creatures and palaces one can't even begin to fathom. The characters are all struggling in some way, have to deal with a betrayal, and an ending that is devastating.
I absolutely adored reading this book and I can't believe Roshani wrote down these beautiful words for me to devour. My only regret is how long I will have to wait for the third book.

oh wow my poor poor heart.

I was incredibly lucky to win an arc of this book in a giveaway, and I'm so glad I did.

So I feel like sequels tend to be a little slower, especially in a trilogy. I was worried that the Silvered Serpents was going to be this way, especially when it started out a little slow. But it certainly picked up. And ripped my heart in two. And sent tears streaming down my face.

This book is lovely. It brings you all the excitement and adventure the Gilded Wolves did, but with a slightly new twist and higher stakes. Roshani Chokshi has created a beautiful, tragic world, and I really can't wait to see what the last book brings.

Everyone read this series. it's so much fun.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5 stars!

Oh my goodness, this was a spectacular read. It’s almost 2am and I’m unable to organize my thoughts into coherent sentences. So, I’ll have to come back and do that later. But I just had to take a few seconds before sleep to sing this book’s praises! It’s going to be a looooooong wait for the next (last?) book.

* Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. *

I got way more into this one than I did with the first book, which is rare for me to say. This one felt significantly darker, which is something I am a sucker for. The character development was well done.

3 stars. This one fell a little flat of my expectations. That's not to say I did not enjoy it, because I did. I just was hoping for things in this book that I did not get, and that's tainting my review a little bit. Let's start with what I did enjoy.

The world of Forging is as beautiful as ever. That ice palace was absolutely stunning. I loved all the descriptions, and the plot within it was very fascinating, even though I saw that plot twist coming from a mile away. It still baffles me that our band of literal geniuses had no inkling of it happening until the enemies were already upon them. But I digress. The search for the Divine Lyrics was really fun. There were mysteries and chases just as we expect from this series. The fallout from the death at the end of the Gilded Wolves made for some nice emotional moments. And, as usual, the characters were wonderful.

I loved all the conflict with Laila posing as Séverin's mistress. Laila herself is as wonderful as she always has been. She became my favorite in The Gilded Wolves, along with Hypnos, and remains so in this installment. Her character has so much HEART. She is utterly warm, and utterly confident and I really love being in her head. But I don't particularly love her WITH Séverin, as I don't think he deserves her. Séverin's journey in this book was fraught with angst and bad decisions. I hope he can find some healing in the finale.

As for our final three, Hypnos, Enrique, and Zofia, I thought some potential was lost there. I was really hoping for a polyamorous relationship between the three of them, but that is not to be. I love all three of the characters as individuals. Hypnos is hilarious, constantly makes me laugh, and I can see so much hidden complexity in him. I love Zofia's adorable, neuro-divergent genius perspective. I like Enrique's knowledge and passion for history. I thought the alchemy between the three of them could have been something wonderful.

As for the end, as I stated earlier, I saw the plot twist, and the villain a mile away. The last plot twist regarding a certain character, however, was the only part I didn't see, and I think that journey is going to be fun to read. I hope our characters get what they deserve in the finale.

3.5 Stars
I don't know exactly how I feel about this sequel. I loved The Gilded Wolves with the characters and the atmosphere, and the food....it was wonderful. Naturally I was a little worried going into the second book to this series because of standard "second book issues". Some of those issues are here, including some pacing problems, a little rehashing of the first story, and a very large cliffhanger, but I think the main issue I had was with the characters. I felt like they were a little flat this time. I didn't get quite what I wanted from them and it really bummed me out, I hate that I have any issues with this book because I wanted to love it as much as the first one. That being said, overall, I did enjoy reading this book, I just really wanted a lot more out of this installment but you can bet I will be reading the next book, in what, two years or something.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

This sequel to "The Gilded Wolves" picks up a few months after the first novel's events that saw Séverin's brother dead. The crew comes together once more for one last heist --- the treasure might save Laila's life while Séverin, driven by guilt, hopes to become a god and change everything for the better. But things have changed and working together is no longer as easy, fun, and unburdened as before.

While the world building and the magic system still make no real sense (forging is nothing and everything???), story-wise the novel was quite enjoyable. Yes, all the characters are so overly intelligent or good looking or dramatic or witty, but I have grown fond of them. I enjoyed their journey to Russia / Siberia and I still absolutely enjoy the mythologies hidden everywhere. Still I had hoped for more character development and more explanations concerning world building or magic system. Well.

4 Stars because it was entertaining

This is an incredible follow up to The Gilded Wolves. I enjoyed this a lot more than the first book in the series and am dying to get my hands on the next book already!

Full review to come!

The Silvered Serpents is the sequel to The Gilded Wolves. If you haven't read The Gilded Wolves, you can see my review here. Spoilers ahead for The Gilded Wolves - proceed with caution!

We pick up shortly after the events of the last book, which left one of our characters dead. Pretty soon, though, there's a new artifact to find in remote Russia. Most of the team's very lives, or the lives of their loved ones, depend on the team's ability to find the object so the stakes and high and the banter is quick.

This is pretty easy to review, because if you liked the first book, you'll love this one. Aside from Severin being really annoying/a total idiot, its an improvement on the first book! I enjoyed the first book, but the second one was twice as fun, largely because of the puzzles they had to solve and the trappings of those puzzles. Basically, they end up in an ice palace with critters and traps that attempt to murder them in various ways. It's so creative and fun to read - minus the whole you-could-die-at-any-time thing, I wanted to go to there. That and the characters (aside from the aforementioned Severin, who I'll get to in a minute) continue to be likable and their developments make sense and drive their individual storylines forward in a cohesive, fun way.

Ok, let's talk about Severin, shall we? Je does the thing where he assumes total responsibility for Tristan's death and then tries to protect the other characters from a similar fate by not communicating with them and making decisions on their behalf. It's all very Aelin/Celaena of him and was increasingly frustrating to read.

TLDR: If you liked the first one, you'll love the second one! It's got that same Six of Crows meets Indiana Jones vibe, but manages to improve upon the first book. 4 stars - I really liked it.

The Gilded Wolves had me hooked, so of course I was dying to read this, and the sequel was amazing as well! Roshani Chokshi is a damned artist with words, I love her work. This story had a lot of great action, just like the first, and each character still has so much personality, all unique and lovable in their own ways. They still trade a lot of witty banter, but there is a heavy focus on the group's grief. And the way it ends! Holy crap, this series is just so good!

The Silvered Serpents is the follow up to the amazing The Gilded Wolves. Unfortunately, this installment doesn’t live up to the wonder of the first book.
After losing the closest thing he has to a brother, Severin has focused his life on one thing: finding The Divine Lyrics. No longer will he dally in human emotions and the tragedies of life. Meanwhile, the rest of the group have broken away dealing with their own pursuits and then are only brought back together when Severin finally finds a lead to the item that will change everyone’s life. The team’s heads to Russia and must once again face The Fallen House.
The issues with this book are that it is typical bridge novel for a trilogy. The plot is drawn out to span a whole book so the ending sets up for the finale. I was left unfulfilled especially after the amazing start. The novel doesn't feel self-contained with a plot with beginning middle and an end. It stops after middle promising and ending in the last book.
I hate the idea of not liking this book. There were some aspects that are great. The characters other than Serving still shine and they are what propel the h novel in its slow passed plot. I wanted more for each of them than just a frosty prison and the ghost of Tristian hovering over their heads.
When there is action, the author echoes the fantasy world of the original. The places are amazingly described taking you away from your daily life. It's these expansive places that really shine.
Whatever I thought of this book, the characters and the climax of the book pushes me towards the the next novel. I'm ready to see what happens and how it affects the characters I have come to love.

The Silvered Serpents was one of the best books I have read so far this year. The group is broken after the events of last year. Severin, more so, because of his deep bond with Tristan. Severin is also trying to come to terms with what Tristan was doing. Meanwhile, Enrique, Zofia, Hypnos, and Laila are struggling also. Each has their own burden to bear. So well written. The angst came off the pages.

Let's talk about the end. I was NOT prepared for what happened. I should have been, looking back. I was left almost crying and saying "Why!! Why!!" And the cliffhanger!! All I have to say is HOLY CRAP!!!

The Silvered Serpents is currently available for preorder. Its expected publication date is September 22, 2020.

I wasn't sure I could like the sequel anymore than I liked The Gilded Wolves. I got the Gilded Wolves in an OwlCrate earlier in the year and it took getting an ARC of The Silvered Serpents from Netgalley to get me to dive in, once I did I was hooked! The second book picks up with a new magical quest but is so much more than that.

The change of venue to wintry Russia provides beautiful imagery for the story to develop. The team has to deal with the repercussions of what happened to them at the end of the last heist and the way Chokshi addresses this with each of the characters is masterful. The characters are so deep and in this story they go from people trying to pull off a mission to characters I really love and empathize with. It's rare I read a multi-POV story and I'm not racing through one to get back to a POV I prefer, but in this series, I truly enjoy each of the characters in their own right. Each character faces their emotions and finds strengths they didn't believe they had. I particularly love the interplay between Severin and Laila and how their story develops and what is revealed.

The story is action-packed with the same intricate historical and magical details from the first novel and plenty of mystery and intrigue and even a few twists I didn't see coming! The ending was sooo good, I can't wait for the next book.

This is on pace to be one of my favorite series of all time.

I loved Gilded Wolves and imo Silvered Serpents is even better. Heists, highjinks, complicated relationships and schemes. Everything has been building to this. Since it’s not out until September 2020, I’ll hold off posting my full review until nearer the time but rest assured the wait will be worth it. Highly recommend for all YA fantasy heist fans and those looking to scratch their Six of Crows itch.

**I received an eARC of 'The Silvered Serpents' through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review**

Roshani Chokshi's 'The Silvered Serpents' was such a great read, and it left me wanting soo much more!

This is the sequel to 'The Gilded Wolves', which takes Severin and his crew into Russia in order to find an object that is said to have the power of the gods. This story takes place a couple months after the events of the first book, and the group are still mourning over the tragedy that took place at the end of 'The Gilded Wolves'. Everyone is struggling to move forward. Relationships are severely strained, making the task of working together very complicated. However, they face any struggles encountered in Russia seamlessly, placing the goal of seeking the object ahead of personal conflicts.

I already enjoyed the personalities Severin, Laila, and the crew expressed, but I feel that she added a whole new dimension to their characters in 'The Silvered Serpents'. Each person's conflict was displayed and described beautifully. We dive more into each character's personal struggle with racism and social complications, and how they persevere in spite of said complications. Each person carries their own internal 'flaw', and they grow even closer as the story progresses, building up to quite a huge cliffhanger!

'The Silvered Serpents' is an excellent follow up to 'The Gilded Wolves'! I can't wait to purchase this book when it's released...and anxiously awaiting book 3 of the trilogy!

--Cathleen (Woven From Words)
https://wovenwords.com (I will post my blog review on August 2020)

The Silvered Serpents is a story about sacrifice, grief, love, and obsession. Still in the midst of their grief from The Gilded Wolves, Séverin, Laila, Enrique, Zofia, and Hypnos are still reeling from that unexpected death. Even though they may have reunited for one last job, there are ghosts and gulfs of silence between them. Remnants of sweeter memories, tinged with ignorance, and regret. Faced with the ache of loss, our intrepid adventurers have to figure out if they will let their grief turn them bitter, or if they will allow themselves to treasure each moment.

And what better adventure is there than a treasure hunt? The Silvered Serpents brings a story full of ghost stories that inspire legends, mysterious iconography that stretches back centuries, and a dangerous power that could unravel the world. A plot full of treacherous and familiar conspiracies, betrayal coming in ice tipped daggers, and secrets that could be our undoing, The Silvered Serpents is a fierce adventure story anchored by characters who will tug your heartstrings.

*Thank you Netgalley/St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This is a great continuation of Gilded Wolves. The characters are struggling with the end of the 1st novel and head from Paris to snowy Russia to find an artifact that is rumoured to give the power of the Gods to the holders. I don't want to give too much away, since it is a sequel.

To be entirely honest, I hated the first one and was just frustrated with it. I felt like it was generic, the characters were forgettable, a rip off of Six of Crows and the characters talked like they were smart for the sake of being smart.

But since I had the e-Arc and had requested it before reading Gilded Wolves (it was really anticipated for me) I knew I was going to give it a go. I'm also a completionist and feel a need to finish series. This series took all my complaints, fixed them in a satisfying way and gave me a fantastic story though. The characters didn't feel as generic and the writing was a lot better. We didn't get long segments of characters talking smart for the sake of it, they actually just felt like they were supposed to be that way as they figured it out. I had way more fun reading this book, and I read it a lot quicker than the first novel. The travel and the heist were perfect for me. The darker tone, the character arches. Honestly, I just really loved this novel.

This book is a lot like The Wicked King to me, in that the first is forgettable but still totally worth reading to get to the second book that is way better than the original. The writing was also the perfect amount of purple for me.

4/5 stars.
If you like YA Fantasy and heist novels I really recommend this. Even if you didn't like the first or decided not to read it because of what you heard about it, give it a try. This novel is definitely worth the read. It's perfect for fans of Six of Crows or if you want to read a YA version of The Lies of Locke Lamora.

Hmmm... Review? Not so much. Rants and illogical thoughts? Most definitely.

This book doesn't release until September 2020, but I just finished reading The Gilded Wolves and I had to know what was next for Séverin and his team! I'm new to Chokshi's work, but this series has me HOOKED!! This author's words are inspired, reverent and relevant. I love history, especially mythological or religious history, and the way she filled this story with so much color, I was enthralled.

✳ A huge part of me sympathized and understood Séverin's actions and behavior. He had suffered such an unbelievable loss. A loss that even I was still coming to grips with. So him bowing out on things that humanize him or exploit his vulnerabilities made sense in a sad sort of way. However, another part of me wanted to shake him and yell in his face. I wanted him to lean on his friends because they were hurting too. Well, maybe don't lean on Laila. She was still all too selfish IMO. I just think he needed their support and comfort more than anything else.

✳ My bae was so busy trying to protect his heart from more pain and to protect those he cared about, he did just about everything he could to hurt them and push them away. It may not have been his intention, and I may have wanted to punch him in his back for some of his negligent words and deeds, but the end result was the same.

She couldn't live with his pity, and she would die at his apathy. All that remained was his silence. Laila wondered if that was the truest death - being slowly rendered invisible so that all she inspired was indifference.


✳ I was determined to understand Séverin's urgent need to find the book of the Divine Lyrics aside from the obvious. His lofty goals didn't seem to align with everything I had already learned about him. Was his grief warping his values? While his ambitions shared a marked similarity to what The Fallen House was seeking, maybe he felt that he was on the side of righteousness because his intentions were pure?

✳ I've been shipping Enrique and Zofia for a minute now. At first I wondered if there would be a polyamorous relationship between the two of them with Hypnos as a content top, but now I'm not so sure.

✳ I kind of guessed the huge plot twist almost from the beginning. It was weird that my mind already went there when there wasn't any real evidence to steer me that way, but when weird ish happens, I start figuring out the why and I was so freaking right!!

✳ Why didn't these so-called friends ever simply trust in Séverin. I get it. Truly I do. He wasn't acting as the man they had all come to know and love. I get it. However... wasn't he the one who plucked each of them from obscurity? Didn't he encourage, support and believe in them? He deserved better and I kept waiting for someone to speak up, confront him, and treat him the way he had always treated them. Imagine it was Hypnos, the newcomer, who was the one to have his back!

✳ Dear author... that scene at the end... Bittersweet. All of the answers, everything my bae did was right there at their fingertips. Please tell me that they actually see it!! Until I get some reassurance (the next book can't come soon enough!) I'm going to be over here crossing my fingers, my toes, and even my nose hairs hoping you gently coax me from this edge. Honestly, I need to find out the next book's release date STAT!!