Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves, 1)
*AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
First in a "wildly inventive and wildly representative" (The New York Times Book Review) historical fantasy series, Roshani Chokshi's The Gilded Wolves follows the exploits of a found family--six societal outcasts tasked with stealing a powerful artifact that can alter their lives for the better, but at the cost of breaking the world. All eyes are on Paris where the Exposition Universelle World Fair is to be held. Hidden among the technological marvels and artistic creations on display is an item of unimaginable power--a Babel fragment that would enable those who wield it with magical Forging abilities over nature's elements. Séverin Montagnet-Alarie's birthright was stolen from him. Now, to reclaim his rightful place among France's elite, he must obtain the Babel fragment for the Order. It is a heist that will require the ingenuity and skills of those with nothing to lose and everything to gain: Enrique, a gifted historian and wordsmith, caught between two worlds; Zofia, a brilliant Forging artist and engineer, separated from her family; Hypnos, a rival aristocrat who needs an ally among the Order; Tristan, an extraordinary Forger raised at Séverin's side, loyal to his adopted brother's quest; and Laila, the mysterious dancer and espionage artist who stole Séverin's heart in a moment of vulnerability he couldn't afford. But as the dangerous risks of their escapade surge, Séverin finds himself torn between his desire for revenge against all those who wronged him and the people he's deliberately placing in harm's way--including the woman he loves and fears to lose... "A masterpiece of imagination." --New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Garber "Part political misadventure, part puzzle and thoroughly charming, with a band of rapscallions and a string of surprises." --New York Times bestselling author Holly Black "[A] smart, dark adventure." --New York Times bestselling author Adrienne YoungBUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
**This review and more can be found on my blog Love at First Write**
I was given an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For context, I have previously read Chokshiâs hilarious mythological book, Aru Shah and the End of Time, so I had a lot of expectations going into reading this! If youâre looking for a historical heist, this is the novel for you! Séverin Montagnet-Alarie has been exiled from a powerful order and spends his time taking back whatâs his: the items of his inheritance that were taken form him upon exile. A job gone south forces him to take a commissioned job: stealing a Forged (magical) item from The Order he was kicked out of! Séverin and his talented crew get into higher stakes than ever before as relationships form and break under the pressure.
Set in 1889 Paris, the environment of the book and the outfits of the characters are absolutely fabulous- Iâm sure so much research went into this book! The best part for me was that we were given a group of 6 characters, and they were equally given screen-time and were all well developed with personal histories and motivations. Thatâs hard to do in one initial book and I was blown away. I didnât realize how attached I was to the characterâs plots until I started rooting for [certain things] to occur. Our exiled hotel owner, a biracial friend from the past (a current Order-member), a biracial bisexual historian, an Indian dancer with a powerful touch, a genius engineer with a debt to pay, and our exileâs brother with the ability to Forge flowers.
The bisexual representation in particular was done quite tastefully, showing the characterâs interest in multiple people and their past struggles with religion and family. As someone who identifies as bisexual, I was shocked and pleased to see this realistic experience in this novel, especially since the novel has only been marked as Historical Fiction and Fantasy so far. Itâs nice to see an LGBT+ character in a book that doesnât revolve around their sexuality. Going further, this characterâs commitment to a person was just that, choosing a person to be with and not âchoosing a genderâ. Unfortunately, the latter happens too often, so I am over the moon about this character!!
Of course, this book ends with prophesized action ahead, and a big twist- I canât wait for Séverin and the crewâs next adventure!
I was given an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For context, I have previously read Chokshiâs hilarious mythological book, Aru Shah and the End of Time, so I had a lot of expectations going into reading this! If youâre looking for a historical heist, this is the novel for you! Séverin Montagnet-Alarie has been exiled from a powerful order and spends his time taking back whatâs his: the items of his inheritance that were taken form him upon exile. A job gone south forces him to take a commissioned job: stealing a Forged (magical) item from The Order he was kicked out of! Séverin and his talented crew get into higher stakes than ever before as relationships form and break under the pressure.
Set in 1889 Paris, the environment of the book and the outfits of the characters are absolutely fabulous- Iâm sure so much research went into this book! The best part for me was that we were given a group of 6 characters, and they were equally given screen-time and were all well developed with personal histories and motivations. Thatâs hard to do in one initial book and I was blown away. I didnât realize how attached I was to the characterâs plots until I started rooting for [certain things] to occur. Our exiled hotel owner, a biracial friend from the past (a current Order-member), a biracial bisexual historian, an Indian dancer with a powerful touch, a genius engineer with a debt to pay, and our exileâs brother with the ability to Forge flowers.
The bisexual representation in particular was done quite tastefully, showing the characterâs interest in multiple people and their past struggles with religion and family. As someone who identifies as bisexual, I was shocked and pleased to see this realistic experience in this novel, especially since the novel has only been marked as Historical Fiction and Fantasy so far. Itâs nice to see an LGBT+ character in a book that doesnât revolve around their sexuality. Going further, this characterâs commitment to a person was just that, choosing a person to be with and not âchoosing a genderâ. Unfortunately, the latter happens too often, so I am over the moon about this character!!
Of course, this book ends with prophesized action ahead, and a big twist- I canât wait for Séverin and the crewâs next adventure!
Content warning for fantasy violence, abuse, manipulation, racism, antisemitism, kidnapping, murder, and related topics. I really liked the worldbuilding in this novel and felt like the fantasy elements were well-included without info dumping. I liked some of the characters, but others used very similar voices. The heist elements were all really cool, where I got a little let down were the puzzle and cryptology elements. It got convoluted and it felt confusing for the sake of being confusing. I'm not sure if I'll read the next one in the series, I'll have to think a little bit more!
The prologue to this book alone will draw you in! The story is a lot of fun and the array of characters makes it even more enjoyable. I don't remember the last book I read that was set in this historical french style and it was really refreshing.
I loved that each POV comes from a different background and contributes a different perspective of the events going on to create a clear description of the world around them! I think Roshani did a wonderful job of building complex characters whose combined abilities make for the perfect team!
The themes in this YA fantasy also contribute to the story in ways that other YA Fantasy hasn't done very much of recently and I think that it will really resonate with readers. I can't wait to read book two!
I loved that each POV comes from a different background and contributes a different perspective of the events going on to create a clear description of the world around them! I think Roshani did a wonderful job of building complex characters whose combined abilities make for the perfect team!
The themes in this YA fantasy also contribute to the story in ways that other YA Fantasy hasn't done very much of recently and I think that it will really resonate with readers. I can't wait to read book two!
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