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resterenvie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Actually 4.9/5✩
“Wolves were everywhere. In politics, on thrones, in beds. They cut their teeth on history and grew fat on war.”
Have you ever imagined a fantasy book featured with a cool mix of ancient histories, puzzles, mythology, symbology, heists, magic system (the Babel Fragments, the Houses, Forged items) and ofc MATH? This book is for you.
Seriously, the characters are what makes this whole book come together so beautifully, every character is well developed and has interesting backstory, purposes, desires and personalities. I love how Roshani gave so many different races, cultures and backgrounds in one set of these characters. They have this complexity that makes them feel so real and human, so much relatable on some level. ‹𝟹
“Wolves were everywhere. In politics, on thrones, in beds. They cut their teeth on history and grew fat on war.”
Have you ever imagined a fantasy book featured with a cool mix of ancient histories, puzzles, mythology, symbology, heists, magic system (the Babel Fragments, the Houses, Forged items) and ofc MATH? This book is for you.
Seriously, the characters are what makes this whole book come together so beautifully, every character is well developed and has interesting backstory, purposes, desires and personalities. I love how Roshani gave so many different races, cultures and backgrounds in one set of these characters. They have this complexity that makes them feel so real and human, so much relatable on some level. ‹𝟹
- Séverin Montagnet-Alarie, the half French-Algerian fallen heir to House Vanth, owner of Hotel L'Eden.
- Laila, the Tamil (South Indian) baker and a dancer aka L’Énigme, she is the mom friend. A QUEEN INDEED. Her backstory was probably my favorite to read. ”MAJNUN”
- Enrique Mercado-Lopez, a Filipino-Spanish, bisexual, a historian nerd and book worm. FUNNY.
- Zofia, a Polish, Jewish, and autistic (actually this is never explicitly stated) scientist, math and chemistry genius, very socially awkward.
- Hypnos, black French-Haitian aristocrat, the young head of House Nyx, dramatic and sarcastic.
- Tristan Maréchal, he adored natures and animals, a botanist, obsessed with his pet—tarantula. Needs to be protected at all costs.
I like the writing style as well, the banter, sass (I don’t have any idea how many times I laughed out loud because of them, especially conversation between Enrique-Hypnos-Zofia), tension, and romance through the story were just so much fun and heart wrenching (especially Séverin and Laila) to read. Also the world-building, especially the puzzles and the mysteries surrounding the artifacts.
What’s more facsinating is the fact that Rohsani wrote Order of Babel; their history that has a connection to the Tower of Babel, how they were divided into four different Houses that led by their own matriarch/patriarch, and their unique custom. I also love the setting of this book and think the historical and fantasy aspects blended really well together, while also follows strong themes of colonialism and racism that existed at that time.
“Nothing but a symbol? People die for symbols. People have hope because of symbols. They're not just lines. They're histories, cultures, traditions, given shape.”
IT WAS SO GOOD, SO PRECIOUS, AMAZING CHARACTERS AND DIVERSITY, I LOVE FOUND FAMILY TROPE, THE ANGST, THE DRAMA. THIS BOOK BROKE ME AND I LOVED IT. Thanks to Rohsani Chokshi. ‹𝟹
Ps. Please read the author notes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racism, and Blood
friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The vibes. I loved reading it and wanted to come back every time. It isnt 5/5 just because I didnt understand where we were in the space sometimes and I did not understand their age. When I started the book i thout that they were adults but they're like 18. Overall love love highly reccomand will definitly be continuing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Gore, Racism, Sexual content, Torture, Xenophobia, and Gaslighting
Minor: Self harm and Suicide
hobbithopeful's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
If you like Six of Crows you're going to love this book! My deepest regret in life will be not reading this sooner.
A historical fantasy set in an alternate history in France The Gilded Wolves follows a found family of lovable and diverse characters. Their primary goal is to help Séverin regain his place as a Patriarch, a title stolen from him when he was younger, and a way to guarantee everyone gets what they most deeply desire. Along the way they plot, heist, and use magically forged objects to achieve their goals. This story follows 6 different characters, all unique with their own backgrounds and complex personalities. It is a testament to the writing talents of Roshani Chokshi that the narrative was easy to follow. I never felt confused or lost, or had the urge to construct a string map to keep track of the plot.
I adored the magic system in this book! All the imagery and inventions were so intricate and beautiful, I felt like I could see all the descriptions around me. It was so cool watching the characters figure out the puzzles, I liked how there were illustrations on the pages so the reader could also try to solve them as well. (Not me though, it is over my head!) I really liked Zofia, it is so great to read books with autism representation. I saw a few reviews not liking how she was written, but I thought it was very accurate. (Especially how sensory adverse she is!) I think it is important to remember there is no right way to be "autistic" and everyone has such a wildly different experience it's impossible to compare.
Favorite Moments: Hypnos being extra, Laila laying a cookie trail, all the clues and puzzles, and Séverin's parental figures depicted as the 7 sins
Least Favorite: The ending *ugly cries*
This book follows strong themes of colonialism, racism, and trying to find your place in a world that only sees you by your race. I highly recommend it, and can't wait till the next book comes in from the library so I can find out what happens next! (Oh yeah, it ends on a bit of a big reveal/cliffhanger, fair warning)
A historical fantasy set in an alternate history in France The Gilded Wolves follows a found family of lovable and diverse characters. Their primary goal is to help Séverin regain his place as a Patriarch, a title stolen from him when he was younger, and a way to guarantee everyone gets what they most deeply desire. Along the way they plot, heist, and use magically forged objects to achieve their goals. This story follows 6 different characters, all unique with their own backgrounds and complex personalities. It is a testament to the writing talents of Roshani Chokshi that the narrative was easy to follow. I never felt confused or lost, or had the urge to construct a string map to keep track of the plot.
I adored the magic system in this book! All the imagery and inventions were so intricate and beautiful, I felt like I could see all the descriptions around me. It was so cool watching the characters figure out the puzzles, I liked how there were illustrations on the pages so the reader could also try to solve them as well. (Not me though, it is over my head!) I really liked Zofia, it is so great to read books with autism representation. I saw a few reviews not liking how she was written, but I thought it was very accurate. (Especially how sensory adverse she is!) I think it is important to remember there is no right way to be "autistic" and everyone has such a wildly different experience it's impossible to compare.
Favorite Moments: Hypnos being extra, Laila laying a cookie trail, all the clues and puzzles, and Séverin's parental figures depicted as the 7 sins
Least Favorite: The ending *ugly cries*
This book follows strong themes of colonialism, racism, and trying to find your place in a world that only sees you by your race. I highly recommend it, and can't wait till the next book comes in from the library so I can find out what happens next! (Oh yeah, it ends on a bit of a big reveal/cliffhanger, fair warning)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racism, Torture, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, and Colonisation
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Slavery, and Death of parent
moonlightreads007's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
The world building and character development in this book is absolutely phenomenal; I felt like I was immersed in the characters' universe while reading. I would describe the writing style as very detail-oriented and descriptive, with lots of dialogue interspersed. I loved the characters' friendships with one another and I appreciated the humorous interlude jokes included in the book as a way to ease the tension from the action and suspense that was happening. The only reason I took off half a star was because there was one part of the ending that I didn't like but aside from that, this was a very enjoyable read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes reading fantasy and adventure books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, and Antisemitism
mitzee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-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? It's complicated
4.75
Really liked the story and the cast of characters. Into the idea of an beautiful Indian lead, someone who is neurodivergent, and queer characters. Interested to see where it goes next. (Had a hard time with one of the narrators voices and it made it challenging to get into the story at first.)
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood and Abandonment
jessicaludden's review against another edition
funny
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? Yes
4.5
“Make yourself a myth and live within it, so that you belong to no one but yourself.”
I loved this so much. The characters immediately grabbed my attention with their unique personalities. I love Roshani’s writing style when it comes to characterization. I would read the words and think “that was the perfect way to say that.” It would just make so much sense in my brain. She managed to give every character little quirks that helped shaped them into realistic people. She also put so much care into their interactions that I very quickly began caring about their relationships and friendships and understood how deeply they all care for each other. I also love the setting of this book and think the historical and fantasy aspects blended really well together, while also touching on the racism that existed at this time. Exploring the glamour and horror of this time period. As someone who is half Filipino, it was so exciting for me to learn that one of the characters was also half Filipino. That has never happened to me before and it was just really nice. I do think some of the action sequences were a little bit hard to follow and some settings were difficult to imagine. Overall, I love these characters, this world drew me in immediately, and I’m excited to read the rest of the series.
I loved this so much. The characters immediately grabbed my attention with their unique personalities. I love Roshani’s writing style when it comes to characterization. I would read the words and think “that was the perfect way to say that.” It would just make so much sense in my brain. She managed to give every character little quirks that helped shaped them into realistic people. She also put so much care into their interactions that I very quickly began caring about their relationships and friendships and understood how deeply they all care for each other. I also love the setting of this book and think the historical and fantasy aspects blended really well together, while also touching on the racism that existed at this time. Exploring the glamour and horror of this time period. As someone who is half Filipino, it was so exciting for me to learn that one of the characters was also half Filipino. That has never happened to me before and it was just really nice. I do think some of the action sequences were a little bit hard to follow and some settings were difficult to imagine. Overall, I love these characters, this world drew me in immediately, and I’m excited to read the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Death, Racism, Blood, and Grief
tuesdaye's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Torture, and Blood
Moderate: Xenophobia
antonique_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Murder, and Colonisation
maybe_a_cat's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
booksthatburn's review against another edition
Having trouble tracking the dynamics of the group since they’re already a team when the book begins. Also, for the audiobook, one of the narrators has a very flat affect which conflicts with the liveliness of the other narrator’s portions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death, Blood, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, and Fire/Fire injury