I was a tad nervous going into the second book in this series because I had head so many good things about the first and it was kind of a flop for me, but this one made up for it . We had mystery, growth, treasure and just everything. You get to see why things played out the way they did and had a bit of a twist in who certain people were. I was so blown away. BUT THE. CLIFFHANGER!! I NEED TO KNOW NOW!!!

There are about a million things I love about 'The Silvered Serpents,' the latest in the Gilded Wolves series by Roshani Chokshi, and one thing, I absolutely detest. We'll save that for last though, because in no way do I want to allow it to overshadow the rest.

Though the series seems to be billed as Young Adult, the themes are actually very mature and fully developed, as are many of the scenarios the group of characters find themselves in. The relationships don't lack depth or physical contact, the author simply.. easily manages to convey it without getting down into the 'smutty details.'

Her prose is elegant and she deftly swings between intimate emotional sequences and moments of fast-paced action, without interrupting the flow of the story. The pace is constantly in flux, yet not disjointing. This is a genuinely talented writer and I loved the references to the legend of Laila and Majnun.

Severin, the focal point in much of the story, is absolutely sexy. He's the perfect mixture of beautiful, brooding, self-loathing behavior. The darkness and conflict in him, only serving to draw those around him (as well as the reader, in my case), closer and closer with every glimpse. Truly, he breaks my heart, and not just when he's good.

Laila.. is a lovely combination of strength and vulnerability. She has weaknesses, as we all do, but she's a tough girl. Not physically imposing or annoyingly overbearing. She doesn't overcompensate by trying to intimidate or insult (as a rule).. no. She's just tough enough to build those walls out of pride and the self-awareness that sometimes letting things through, might break her.

I often struggle to like more than a character or two in a story.. finding the others to be grating or insubstantial, but that's really not the case with any of Chokshi's characters. I am just as drawn to Hypnos' understated neediness, as Enrique's desperation for recognition, and Zofia's struggle to see things in the same ways as those around her. Even the antagonists and supporting characters are likable in their ways. Good, bad, or neutral, they're all vivid characters that I won't soon forget.. and.. don't wish to.

Now, remember that thing I said I hated? It's a cliffhanger. An utterly unnecessary.. mistake.. in my opinion. If this were some short, weekly serial a la the original release of Stephen King's 'The Green Mile?' Acceptable. If the writer/story were weak.. and the author needed something to capture the reader and bring them back for the next book.. at least understandable. But it's a tactic and nothing more.. and in this case.. it cheapens the work.

The cliffhanger takes a stunning story, filled with rich characters, creative mechanical and magical/alchemical elements, and gorgeous scenic imagery.. and rather than trusting in what it has to offer to draw the reader back.. it forces the issue. I understand that there's a continuing arc here that will carry throughout the books, but there's no reason to double down on that and give us an incomplete Act either. And that's how this feels.

All that being said, I highly recommend this novel. I'm going to go out and buy the first in the series, and I'll buy this one too when it releases in physical formats. I'll eagerly wait for news of a third. I didn't want to put 'The Silvered Serpents' down.. and I'm willing to bet.. you won't either..

Of course, Roshani Chokshi does it again. I mean, truly iconic following The Gilded Wolves. I didn't know what to expect and how she was going to follow that up but I loved it and think this is truly the next big YA series.

A great continuation of the series! I love the versatility and diversity of the characters. It was fun reading as they developed from book 1 to book 2.

Roshani Chokshi’s The Silvered Serpents did not disappoint with this fantastic sequel to The Gilded Wolves. All the action, romance, and absolutely gorgeous prose are present. Although, there seems to be a more serious vibe to TSS - there are some really heart-wrenching scenes - Ms. Chokshi’s clever wit remains ever-present in some LOL moments. The story line, the twists and the progression of each character are all fantastic.

Well done, Roshani, well done! Now to wait …..

More detailed review closer to publication date.

A big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, Wednesday Books and Ms. Chokshi for providing this e-book for my honest review!

This was even better than Gilded Wolves! Roshani Chokshi tore my heart out with this one. The character development was far superior in this installment, and I cared about our little group of misfits every step of the way. This was a dark, yet beautiful book. The ending still has me in its grip - I can't stop thinking about it. There is just so much depth and meaning in the whole story, it is a breath of fresh air in the YA scene.

The Silvered Serpents is a decadent adventure filled with action, intrigue, and just enough crazy to keep you on the edge of your seat. Now don’t get me wrong, this book gets dark, and fast. But after the ending of The Gilded Wolves this really felt like a natural progression. In the wake of a traumatic and unexpected death, our core group of characters grapple with the effects that this loss has on their lives while simultaneously trying to prevent the death of another. Chokshi tackles grief and trauma head on, inviting the reader into a world of complex and challenging emotions. It might not be all action and wit the whole way through, but the details and exploration of the characters are both deep and realistic. A patient reader will be rewarded with nuance, so don’t rush through the ‘slow’ bits – it’s all good stuff!

And the world building, my word! Transporting the setting from France to Russia was simply divine, as it allowed for layer upon layer of mythology to be built up over time without ever feeling onerous. I was in love with the ice palaces, mechanical leviathans, enchanted winter animals and stories of long dead goddesses. It is magical, steeped in folklore, and the perfect setting for a tale that is darker and more turbulent. The parties were spectacular and opulent, the challenges imaginative, and the villains not at all what I expected. Everything came together into another perfect cliffhanger ending, and I simply can’t wait for the third book to come out.

I loved how much time we got to spend with Sofia and Hypnos, gaining greater insight into their personalities and the effect that they have on the group dynamic. Sofia remains one of my favourite characters, and I can’t wait to see how she will develop in the next instalment. For someone that is often seen as weaker than the others, she has some truly spectacular moments, and the real beauty was seeing her recognize that she’s not just a sidekick. Laila and Severin too, were particularly show-stopping, with their raw feelings and excessive tension. We are all fools for love, and it seems these two are fond of playing games with higher stakes than most.

This delectably dark tale is wrapped up in Chokshi’s spellbinding prose. It evokes the heartstrings, the imagination, and offers a veritable cornucopia of diversity without going the line of tokenism. Through it all she highlights the value of all life, and addresses through subtle undertones the issues arising from colonialism and cultural destruction. It is a testament to the intelligence of a younger reading audience, but I know that many of the issues and undertones addressed will not be appreciated by all.

I can't even deal with the way this book ended right now! Talk about a cliffhanger. Although the beginning of the book was a little slow for me, the amount of twists and turns in the final third more than made up for it! It's going to take me a while to fully process everything that happened. Just WOW.

This sequel was AMAZING! I totally feel back in love with the world and characters, and the end left me in shock and in desperate need for the next!! I will be rating this one high and recommending it to everyone as series whole!

I found this book really boring and the only reason I read it so fast was because I just wanted to be done with it. I didn't feel anything for any of the characters and the plot didn't really interest me at all.

Everything was just a bit too easy. The characters just somehow knew the answers to all the problems they encountered and there was no mystery or thrill. The villain in this installment was also very lack luster. I guess he was also supposed to be the comic relief and it was just sad and cringey.

The romantic relationships in this book felt so forced. It's like Chokshi made a list of what characters were going to end up together and wrote all the scenes to match that idea. The Zofia and Enrique just don't really connect for me and instead of showing us that they have feeling for each other, Chokshi tells us how they feel with cheesey lines.

I was really disappointed because I did enjoy the first book. Now I'm not sure if I want to continue on and read the final book in this trilogy.

I wasn’t in love with this book when I read it, but it was very well written and was still a nice story. I’d consider reading more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Note: Review to be posted to Goodreads on November 10, 2019 and on retail sites (Barnes & Noble, Amazon) upon publication date, September 22, 2020.

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Silvered Serpents left me completely breathless and in awe of Roshani Chokshi’s ability to craft such a mesmerizing, intricate tale. The second installment of The Gilded Wolves series, Chokshi’s latest entry is certainly darker than its predecessor and will leave you reeling from the countless twists and turns.

From the first chapter, Chokshi lures readers back into the immersive world introduced in The Gilded Wolves, which eruditely interweaves real-world history, religion, and folklore with fantasy. Continuing shortly after the events of The Gilded Wolves, The Silvered Serpents centers on Séverin and his team as they embark on another dangerous acquisition; however, this time set against the backdrop of Imperial Russia. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that the stakes are even higher and the events of this book leave our favorite characters irrevocably changed.

Prior to reading The Gilded Wolves and The Silvered Serpents, I considered Roshani Chokshi to be one of my favorite authors based on her beautiful The Star-Touched Queen series. Through her words, she is able to breathe life into every page and make her characters truly come alive. The Silvered Serpents was no exception and I frequently found myself taking notes with my favorite sentences and passages (not common for me). I was also delighted by her subtle nod to The Star-Touched Queen in one of Laila’s chapters towards the conclusion of the book.

As the events of The Silvered Serpents slowly unfolded, Chokshi’s cast of characters only continued to develop, at times in unexpected ways. Each chapter gave us a unique look into these characters’ lives and made me feel as if I knew each one personally. In particular, I felt most connected to Laila and found her story to be captivating. My only critique of The Silvered Serpents is that I occasionally had to reread sections because of the complexity of the situation or location being described.

That being said, The Silvered Serpents completely shattered my expectations and is definitely my favorite book in The Gilded Wolves series (so far). Fortunately, I was able to dive right into The Silvered Serpents immediately after finishing The Gilded Wolves. I have absolutely no clue how I am going to wait until the (presumably) final book in this series is released (expected publication date 2021)!

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC! Assigning a rating to this book is difficult. Although it qualifies as highly engrossing, it was not particularly enjoyable to read. A melancholy pervades the narrative landscape of The Silvered Serpents, creating a somewhat bleak reading experience for the reader. The shadow of Tristan's death permeates the story, effectively excising buoyant moments for the reader. None of the lightheartedness and camaraderie spills over from the previous book. Roshani Chokshi’s diction choices are still vivid and magical, but now her brand of magic is at times soulless and devoid of joy. All the characters of the story are emotionally damaged to some degree, seeking connection in their actions and subsisting on a fervent hope of belonging and being loved unconditionally. Their voices seamlessly and effectively propel the story forward, but it is a story steeped in sadness and bereft of hope for much of book. Perhaps Chokshi wanted to push her readers to the brink of despair along with her characters, but I hope the next installment will offer a much-needed reprieve from the darkness. I will definitely continue reading this series because I am ravenous for a resolution to this harrowing tale. Chokshi deftly dangles the reader at the precipice of her story, but mercifully offers a hopeful glimpse of a satisfying conclusion.

This series continues to be very confusing for me. Like a lot of other readers, I found it difficult to follow the plot of this book, as well as The Gilded Wolves. The only reason I continued the series is because I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships, and I wanted to see what happened to them next. But I didn't really enjoy anything other than the interactions between characters.

Thank you, Netgalley for providing me with this ARC! After really enjoying The Gilded Wolves, I was excited to see what Chokshi was going to bring in the sequel, and ultimately I was not disappointed! Although at the beginning I was a little worried as she started to undo most of the cliffhangers from Book 1 (ex. Severin finding out about Tristan so quickly), I held out and it seemed like it was a better story because of it.
In many ways, Book 2 was easier to follow than Book 1 because the magic system was already in place and required less detailed explanations. I thought Zofia really shined in this book, moreso than any other character. I enjoyed seeing her Jewish heritage brought into more detail through their trip to Russia and discussions of the pogroms. Enrique and Laila both remained constant from Book 1, although I thought Laila's feelings toward Severin fluctuated too often and too quickly to remain perfectly believable. Severin, although frustrating, was believable in his reaction to Tristan's death. My biggest disappointment with the series has always been a lack of description of the setting-- I often find characters in places that I had no idea where they were.
Overall, I keep coming back to this series due to Chokshi's wonderful discussions and depictions of diversity in her chosen time period. I am always impressed and pleased with her handling of cultural artifacts, biracial characters, and different religions, as well as her phenomenal characterizations of Zofia and Enrique across both books. I enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to Book 3!

A little note to say that this is a spoiler free review, for those who have not yet read The Gilded Wolves. I urge you to do so, it will only enrich your literary life.

Another note: I am so incredibly thrilled to have read an early copy of The Silvered Serpents. Roshani Chokshi is one of my favorite authors, and I am constantly amazed by her stories. It is an absolute honor to review this novel. You all need to read this trilogy.

Again, Roshani Chokshi blows me away. I am eternally stunned by her world and character-building, which came out in equal force to create the dynamics of Séverin’s team in icy, beautiful Siberia. The Silvered Serpents expands upon the tale wound up in The Gilded Wolves, a masterful sequel that does not suffer from second-book syndrome. I was already in love with these characters, but Chokshi used that to wrench my heart around, as I suspected would be the case. I am so incredibly torn that The Gilded Wolves is a trilogy and not a duology—I love these books so much, but my heart cannot take much more!

Where, even, to start? Probably with the world and the prose. The depiction of the world in 1789 links history (colonization, European powers) with the magic of Forging and connections to ancient references (the tower of Babel, the Nine Muses), to a magical effect. Readers can understand and connect with each clue towards The Divine Lyrics (the object of desire for Séverin’s team) because of their cleverly crafted historical and magical significance within the real world. I especially loved seeing representations of the Nine Muses from Greek mythology, each with a special connection to an art or science. They each also had a symbolic item that signified their presence in a work, because they were otherwise indistinguishable from one another. My favorite muse has always been Urania, depicted with stars and compass. Chokshi’s prose is lyrical and devastating, as always. A couple of my favorite quotes are "What is magic but a science we cannot fathom?” and "Love does not always wear the face we wish."

For me, the heart of this story (or, I should say, the characters in this story to which my heart belong) is Laila and Séverin’s plot thread. The two of them are so magnificent together, but are blocked by their own desires: Laila’s to live, and Séverin’s obsession with protecting his friends. I cannot evaluate the strength of their stories objectively, because every time they were on the page, my heart just screamed for these angel children (though, of course, they are neither angelic nor children. This is merely my intense affection taking over my rationality). The tension between them as they continue to hide their desires and intentions from each other builds in a tantalizing way, much as it does through the first book in the series. I especially liked the contrast between Séverin grappling with the concept of godhood and Laila simply wishing to live her mortal life to a longer end.

Of course, the whole team is depicted in such a beautiful manner. Haunted by loss, and fractured after the events of The Gilded Wolves, they must find a way to focus on their mission while balancing high tension. Each of them is so well defined by the portrayal of their grief. Their individual arcs are given full attention within the scope of the story, which rounds out the novel.

The plot never disappoints. In the novel, we continue the journey of Séverin’s team as they seek the key to divine power. Fast paced and exciting, there’s an exceptional balance between emotion and action in The Silvered Serpents. The tension between the characters changes state throughout the novel, and I found myself screaming, holding my breath, and crying at various moments while reading. The pacing was snappy and each beat precisely placed, exactly as I’d predicted. I didn’t expect The Silvered Serpents to be such a quick read for me, although perhaps this is due to the fact that once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I never imagined finishing a day after I started.

Overall, an amazing novel. I have exactly zero bad things to say about The Silvered Serpents, and am so excited for you all to fall in love with this series just like I have. 5/5 stars.

Unbelievably good follow up to “Gilded Wolves.” Chokshi creates characters to fall in love with, treasure hunts to twist the mind, and enough romantic tension to ignite an inferno. And she does such a good job of making the reader yearn for the next book at the close of the current book. This book is darker than the first, both internally with regards to the mental state of many of the main characters along with the evil-doings and proclivities of the “big bad.” All-in-all a really well done page turner.

Roshani Chokshi is a beautiful writer and this novel supports that because it is just a wonderful story. The second book in this series, it was well done, full of beautiful imagery and captivating! I love reading anything Chokshi creates and look forward to the next one! Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Silvered Serpents was pretty good, despite struggling from sluggish pacing. The problem actually isn’t so much that this book was bad, it’s more so that The Gilded Wolves was so good that it almost can’t live up to it. It has entirely lost The Da Vinci Code vibe, with basically no opportunity for code cracking this time, and the Six of Crows friendship dynamics have utterly dissolved, but the world building is still rich and completely maintains the decadence of the era.

The story picks up pretty much where the last ended, with each of the characters feeling the loss of a member of their group and struggling to figure out their purpose now that the group has disbanded after Severin turned into a cold-hearted wretch. They end up having to come back together, each once again using their specific skill set to unlock the whereabouts of the (possibly mythical) book which will help save Laila’s life and stop their enemies.

I feel like I lost touch with the characters in this book. I really liked the dynamic in the previous book, with a healthy dose of borderline rude jibes and unspoken loyalties. This time they felt very separate from each other, almost each with their own story eventually feeding into a greater cause. I guess it just lost its heart, whereas the previous book had so much of it.

I also found the pacing really difficult to persevere with. I have no problem with slow pacing when it’s a tool to build the world, develop our connection with a character by spending a lot of time with them, or enable the plot to move forward by moving a character from A to B. In this case the pacing is really just an oversight, because it doesn’t contribute to any of those things, it simply is just a little bit boring.

I’m not sure if the fact I received an ARC was actually a little but inhibiting in this instance, because the E-copy I received didn’t include any of the drawings/codes/diagrams the Gilded Wolves did. This was a huge mistake, and I really hope the finished copy has them in, because that was one of the most compelling features of the Gilded Wolves – being able to crack the codes alongside the characters.

The ending does significantly make up for the losses though, leaving us on another cliff-hanger desperately grappling for some answers.

ARC provided from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be honest and say that I was a bit scared to start this book. Would it live up to my expectations? Would my kids suffer more? Could I handle it? I will say the answers are: yes, Yes, and NO.

Now, it need not be said, but The Silvered Serpents was truly amazing; second book syndrome who? I think I actually liked this one more than its predecessor. Seriously, The Silvered Serpents is The Gilded Wolves turned up to eleven. Roshani really saw us crying and wanting the second book and said, oh you think you know pain? I’ll show you true pain.

There is more of a treasure hunt in this book, so the plot was quicker-paced yet equally balanced with the character arcs. The crew falls into an easy routine when treasure hunting, a reminder that they’ve done this many times before (something I feel like we only got a brief sense of in the first book). To everyone who said the clues in TGW were too simple: they were more detailed and less obvious here.

Since this is a Roshani book, I knew the writing was going to be stunning, but she really outdid herself in this book. The prose beguiles from start to finish, pulling you into the Gilded Age with all its decadence and wealth, hiding a system built on colonialism and racism. I have rarely been so into a historical fantasy because usually the history has to be established throughout the book, and I grow bored. However, Roshani ties the history in so well with the plot; there’s not any info-dumping, nor is there any time something doesn’t make sense.

Also, make no mistake, The Silvered Serpents still very much focuses on the colonial aspect. Enrique wants to be fully seen and recognized in the Filipino community but never being taken seriously because he’s biracial and therefore other in both the Filipino and Spanish communities. There’s also a small part about marginalized girls being kidnapped because “no one would miss them,” which, naturally, is horrendous.

Anyways, the prose is honestly so breathtaking; I was highlighting quotes on every other page. I particularly adored the metaphors of fairy tales and curses, as well as the comparisons to gods and monsters. If we’re getting angst, I want maximum strength angst!

All of the narrators are wonderfully fleshed out, in a way I didn’t think was possible because we already saw such amazing characterizations in the last book. They’re all still growing and revealing themselves to us, and it was great to see their hopes and dreams. They’re honestly all my kids, especially Laila and Zofia; I love them! I would lay down my life for them!

That being said, there is like ten times more angst in this book, so I was crying constantly. Obviously they’re all dealing with the aftermath of the first book, aka that death. Séverin is spiraling and internalizing his hurt. Meanwhile, Laila is coping with her imminent death if they don’t find the Divine Lyrics soon. Zofia deals with her sister’s health issues and coming out of her shell. Enrique seeks being wanted by the Filipino scholars, by Hypnos, by everyone basically. And Hypnos is desperate to be in the group, despite them, Séverin especially, holding him at arm’s length.

Of course, the romance was heart-stopping. The longing of it all…Although to be honest, I’m usually most into the romance of a book than anything, but with this series, I love all of the characters so much that I’m surprisingly more invested in their individual arcs rather than any romantic ones. That’s the power of Roshani’s writing!

The ending was one of the most gutting things I’ve ever read, and I finished this book right before bed, so naturally I couldn’t fall asleep because my brain was just a conspiracy board. And book 3 is so far away…

I would like to reiterate: do not compare this series to Six of Crows! Although I will say, if you didn’t much love The Gilded Wolves or found it a bit slow, I think you’ll like The Silvered Serpents more.

The Silvered Serpents crushed my heart into a million pieces and pieced it back together again. The characters go through astounding character arcs, ones that make me envious as a human being. I genuinely could not put this book down! The Silvered Serpents passes its predecessor in ways I couldn’t even imagine; the plot, the characters, the romance, the prose, all of it was stunning and gorgeous. Do not miss out on this beautiful series about history and all of its magic, bloody and otherwise.