leilithunder_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
sydneyeser's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
notsp1derman's review against another edition
3.0
Sometimes it's nice to read something that's just alright, you know? And this book was exactly that. The characters are easy to like, the narrative is straightforward and enjoyable (and also very similar to Six of Crows, maybe even a bit too much...), so overall I had a fun experience.
There were definitely some hiccups along the way, though, and the ending felt way too rushed and all over the place for me to give it a better rating. Things happened a bit too fast for my liking, some characters lacked a clearer motivation and the magic system, Forging, felt too vague at times and I couldn't really grasp how it affected the world as a whole.
Even so, I had a good time. The Gilded Wolves was absolutely not perfect, but it wasn't terrible either. This trilogy definitely has potential, so I'll probably be reading the rest soon.
There were definitely some hiccups along the way, though, and the ending felt way too rushed and all over the place for me to give it a better rating. Things happened a bit too fast for my liking, some characters lacked a clearer motivation and the magic system, Forging, felt too vague at times and I couldn't really grasp how it affected the world as a whole.
Spoiler
Tristan's death also felt very underwhelming; after everything the group went through, the way he died felt just so weird to me.Even so, I had a good time. The Gilded Wolves was absolutely not perfect, but it wasn't terrible either. This trilogy definitely has potential, so I'll probably be reading the rest soon.
jarichan's review against another edition
4.0
Zugegeben, es erinnert sehr an Six Of Crows. Damit hatte ich ja keine schöne Zeit. Mit den Wölfen dagegen war es wundervoll.
Chokshis Schreibstil ist bezaubernd und erschafft sehr viel Atmosphäre. Es ist auch eine verzauberte und betörende Welt, in die uns die Autorin mitnimmt und ich kann mir das Buch auch gut als modernes CGI-Spektakel im Kino vorstellen.
Im Gegensatz zu SoC hatte ich hier übrigens auch das Gefühl, dass die Protagonisten sich wirklich mögen. Die Charaktere sind unterschiedlich und jeder hat seine Eigenheiten, das macht sie greifbar, real und zu richtigen Menschen. Auch die Dialoge sind oftmals herrlich zu lesen.
Ich freue mich schon auf Band zwei und hoffe natürlich, dass die Autorin die Qualität dieses Buches aufrecht erhalten kann.
Chokshis Schreibstil ist bezaubernd und erschafft sehr viel Atmosphäre. Es ist auch eine verzauberte und betörende Welt, in die uns die Autorin mitnimmt und ich kann mir das Buch auch gut als modernes CGI-Spektakel im Kino vorstellen.
Im Gegensatz zu SoC hatte ich hier übrigens auch das Gefühl, dass die Protagonisten sich wirklich mögen. Die Charaktere sind unterschiedlich und jeder hat seine Eigenheiten, das macht sie greifbar, real und zu richtigen Menschen. Auch die Dialoge sind oftmals herrlich zu lesen.
Ich freue mich schon auf Band zwei und hoffe natürlich, dass die Autorin die Qualität dieses Buches aufrecht erhalten kann.
nightwish's review against another edition
3.5
Ik vond deze leuker dan verwacht! In het begin moest ik er even doorheen komen, maar daarna pakte het verhaal me wel. Ook interessant dat het zich in dit tijdperk afspeelt. Wel jammer dat ze het autistische meisje (zonder ooit te zeggen dat ze het heeft) als een stereotype autistische man hebben afgebeeld.
clocss's review against another edition
5.0
THE CHARACTERS GUYS, THE CHARACTERS!!!!!!!
THEY DESERVE THE WORLD. I’LL DIE FOR THEM.
and stop a minute : what was this ending ?????????? i can’t stop thinking about the volume 2
THEY DESERVE THE WORLD. I’LL DIE FOR THEM.
and stop a minute : what was this ending ?????????? i can’t stop thinking about the volume 2
melissa300594's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
suziem's review against another edition
4.0
i actually really liked this book! it had the same kind of feel to six of crows and it had the same found family trope through the book. this is definitely a series i’ll continue.
epasnin's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
colourmeread's review against another edition
4.0
ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Six of Crows meets The Da Vinci Code and The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue in Roshani Chokshi’s tale of treasure hunts and cryptic riddles with compelling characters whose witty banter and dramatic gestures are sure to entertain.
The Gilded Wolves has three of my favourite things: a heist story, fascinating magic, and REPRESENTATION.
Our story is set in 1889, when a world’s fair called the Exposition Universelle was held in Paris. The major attraction of this event was a human zoo, then called a “Negro Village”, a large colonial exhibit which displayed over 400 indigenous people from a host of French colonies. In her Author’s Notes, Roshani mentions this time in history was what inspired her to write The Gilded Wolves.
In the midst of this ugly reality, we find ourselves in a place thriving with Forging, the science of bringing life to matter. People believe that Forging comes from the presence of scattered fragments from the Tower of Babel when it was destroyed, and finding a Fragment can either birth or end a civilization.
This is where we meet our cast of ragtag renegades. (They’re officially my children and I will stan them for the rest of time.) If you’re a lover of diverse reads, you’re going to love Roshani because The Gilded Wolves doesn’t shy away from diversity, feminism, LGBTQIA+ representation, and inclusivity. I’m a bit of a character design enthusiast and I’m in awe of Roshani’s ability to not only write characters with such distinct personalities, but to write them in a way that I understand and feel the strength of their motivations.
I love that she writes about marginalized characters and their struggles, and especially loved reading about Enrique, a Filipino-Spanish character who is a member of The Ilustrados — a group of European educated Filipinos who dreamed of reform for the Philippines. However Enrique, unlike other members of The Ilustrados, looks more Spanish than Filipino and has always felt left out of the group’s inner circle.
As a Filipina, I can’t even begin to tell you how it felt to read a bit of our history in the pages of this book. Enriques desire to free the Philippines from Spanish colonization resonated so strongly with me and it goes without saying that his arc is the one I’m most eager in following. I was also overwhelmed by the fact that readers who may not know much about the Philippines get to see this part of our history and I absolutely loved that.
Enrique may be my obvious favourite, but from Zofia to Laila to Tristan and Séverin, I love them all. It’s rare for me to care about all of the characters in the cast and want a book about each of them. They’re so well-written and fleshed out, I can recognize them from a distance.
The Gilded Wolves is one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a long time. There wasn’t a dull moment in this book and I found it evenly paced. There are hints of romance, most of which manifest as sexual tension, and while moments of it happened a bit too often for me, I generally found it wickedly teasing. 😉 I also loved that it was pre-existing, and there’s history between the characters involved.
The Gilded Wolves is a strong start to what’s shaping up to be a series to be reckoned with. The worldbuilding was a little infodumpy in the beginning but it’s such a small factor to everything else I loved about the book. It’s alternate historical fantasy with mythologies, secret societies, and mysteries. It’s for fans of beautiful imagery, found families/friendships, diverse characters, and snarky, humorous banter. It’s a smorgasbord of everything I love and I feel like Roshani wrote it for me. 💕
Six of Crows meets The Da Vinci Code and The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue in Roshani Chokshi’s tale of treasure hunts and cryptic riddles with compelling characters whose witty banter and dramatic gestures are sure to entertain.
The Gilded Wolves has three of my favourite things: a heist story, fascinating magic, and REPRESENTATION.
Our story is set in 1889, when a world’s fair called the Exposition Universelle was held in Paris. The major attraction of this event was a human zoo, then called a “Negro Village”, a large colonial exhibit which displayed over 400 indigenous people from a host of French colonies. In her Author’s Notes, Roshani mentions this time in history was what inspired her to write The Gilded Wolves.
“History is a myth shaped by the tongues of conquerors. What appears good may eventually sour and curdle in our collective minds. What appears bad may later bloom and brighten. I wanted to write this trilogy not to instruct or to condemn, but to question what is gold and what glitters.” — Roshani Chokshi
In the midst of this ugly reality, we find ourselves in a place thriving with Forging, the science of bringing life to matter. People believe that Forging comes from the presence of scattered fragments from the Tower of Babel when it was destroyed, and finding a Fragment can either birth or end a civilization.
This is where we meet our cast of ragtag renegades. (They’re officially my children and I will stan them for the rest of time.) If you’re a lover of diverse reads, you’re going to love Roshani because The Gilded Wolves doesn’t shy away from diversity, feminism, LGBTQIA+ representation, and inclusivity. I’m a bit of a character design enthusiast and I’m in awe of Roshani’s ability to not only write characters with such distinct personalities, but to write them in a way that I understand and feel the strength of their motivations.
I love that she writes about marginalized characters and their struggles, and especially loved reading about Enrique, a Filipino-Spanish character who is a member of The Ilustrados — a group of European educated Filipinos who dreamed of reform for the Philippines. However Enrique, unlike other members of The Ilustrados, looks more Spanish than Filipino and has always felt left out of the group’s inner circle.
As a Filipina, I can’t even begin to tell you how it felt to read a bit of our history in the pages of this book. Enriques desire to free the Philippines from Spanish colonization resonated so strongly with me and it goes without saying that his arc is the one I’m most eager in following. I was also overwhelmed by the fact that readers who may not know much about the Philippines get to see this part of our history and I absolutely loved that.
Enrique may be my obvious favourite, but from Zofia to Laila to Tristan and Séverin, I love them all. It’s rare for me to care about all of the characters in the cast and want a book about each of them. They’re so well-written and fleshed out, I can recognize them from a distance.
The Gilded Wolves is one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a long time. There wasn’t a dull moment in this book and I found it evenly paced. There are hints of romance, most of which manifest as sexual tension, and while moments of it happened a bit too often for me, I generally found it wickedly teasing. 😉 I also loved that it was pre-existing, and there’s history between the characters involved.
The Gilded Wolves is a strong start to what’s shaping up to be a series to be reckoned with. The worldbuilding was a little infodumpy in the beginning but it’s such a small factor to everything else I loved about the book. It’s alternate historical fantasy with mythologies, secret societies, and mysteries. It’s for fans of beautiful imagery, found families/friendships, diverse characters, and snarky, humorous banter. It’s a smorgasbord of everything I love and I feel like Roshani wrote it for me. 💕