The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
Release Date: January 15, 2019
My Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Set in a darkly glamorous world, The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous but thrilling adventure.
Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.
To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.
Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.
⚞🐺⚟
Wolves were everywhere. In politics, on thrones, in beds. They cut their teeth on history and grew fat on war.
I've put off writing this review for so long because I truly did not know how to verbalize my love for this book. We all knew Roshani Chokshi was going to give us something wonderful, but I was still so blown away. The Gilded Wolves is a gorgeous, lush masterpiece of a book, one that will capture you and keep you in its grasps.
Chokshi's writing was atmospheric, as usual, but the prose in this book was so off the charts. I have so many quotes bookmarked because I just love every line she writes. It's astounding, really, how she pulls us into this world and immerses us so into a historical setting.
The characters were all so amazing; I couldn't pick a favorite. I mean, I love Hypnos, but also Zofia and also Laila, and Tristan, and Séverin, and Enrique. It's impossible to choose just one! I would honestly lay down my life for all of them. And the dynamics between all of them; the found family is heart-wrenching, really. I love them so much, it hurts.
I'm in love with one of the ships in this book, and I'm intrigued by where the author is going with another one of the ships. She writes tension so well; I mean!! The dancing scene!! If you've read the book, you totally know what I mean!! This scene had me hanging on the edge of my seat.
Lastly, I want to address what people are most complaining about; yes, I definitely recommend The Gilded Wolves if you like Six of Crows, but with some caveats. Both have a heist and found family in common, but that's pretty much it. Yes, there are some parallels you can draw, but of course there will be with a similar premise and with such strong examples of the same trope! I think (or very much hope) that you'll like this book if you like Six of Crows, but please please please do not go into this book thinking they're the same. They're really not. I'll break some of the complaints down more.
The heist component in this book is not as prevalent or as detailed for so many reasons. For one thing, the heist is just a small plot point in a much bigger picture. For another, having a historical setting means you're confined to certain explanations. The clues can only stretch to the plot so far because they help submerse you in the world building! You have to build your plot around something that already exists.
And yes, you can find some parallels between the characters. I'll admit, I saw some but honestly, they're smaller details in totally different characters. The biggest issue is everyone saying Laila is just a lesser Inej, which is honestly...racist. Apparently we can't have two female South Asian protagonists in YA. Apparently that's just too much for anyone to handle. Yes, this is sarcasm.
Chokshi's writing was atmospheric, as usual, but the prose in this book was so off the charts. I have so many quotes bookmarked because I just love every line she writes. It's astounding, really, how she pulls us into this world and immerses us so into a historical setting.
The characters were all so amazing; I couldn't pick a favorite. I mean, I love Hypnos, but also Zofia and also Laila, and Tristan, and Séverin, and Enrique. It's impossible to choose just one! I would honestly lay down my life for all of them. And the dynamics between all of them; the found family is heart-wrenching, really. I love them so much, it hurts.
Enrique, who had always dreamed about what magic might feel like, thought he had found it then: myths and palimpsests, starlight sugaring the air, and the way hope feels painful when shared equally among friends.And there's so much representation! Laila is Indian, specifically Tamil, Zofia is Jewish, and Enrique is Spanish-Filipino. Séverin and Hypnos are both mixed French and Algerian and Haitian, respectively. This is what really sets this book apart: Chokshi explores the effects of colonization on the overtaken countries by featuring characters who are by-products of these efforts and setting the novel in a country that did much of the colonizing. Her characters' ethnicities are a large part of themselves and their characterizations, but there's also more to them than skin color or other physical attributes.
I'm in love with one of the ships in this book, and I'm intrigued by where the author is going with another one of the ships. She writes tension so well; I mean!! The dancing scene!! If you've read the book, you totally know what I mean!! This scene had me hanging on the edge of my seat.
Lastly, I want to address what people are most complaining about; yes, I definitely recommend The Gilded Wolves if you like Six of Crows, but with some caveats. Both have a heist and found family in common, but that's pretty much it. Yes, there are some parallels you can draw, but of course there will be with a similar premise and with such strong examples of the same trope! I think (or very much hope) that you'll like this book if you like Six of Crows, but please please please do not go into this book thinking they're the same. They're really not. I'll break some of the complaints down more.
The heist component in this book is not as prevalent or as detailed for so many reasons. For one thing, the heist is just a small plot point in a much bigger picture. For another, having a historical setting means you're confined to certain explanations. The clues can only stretch to the plot so far because they help submerse you in the world building! You have to build your plot around something that already exists.
And yes, you can find some parallels between the characters. I'll admit, I saw some but honestly, they're smaller details in totally different characters. The biggest issue is everyone saying Laila is just a lesser Inej, which is honestly...racist. Apparently we can't have two female South Asian protagonists in YA. Apparently that's just too much for anyone to handle. Yes, this is sarcasm.
I think the greatest power is belief, for what is a god without it?The Gilded Wolves is breathtaking and mesmerizing; Chokshi has crafted something magical in this book. We get to view 1889 Paris from the eyes of the marginalized, a feat few can pull off, but she does. Her novels only get better and better, and I can't wait for the next book. With atmospheric prose, lush worldbuilding, and extremely lovable characters, The Gilded Wolves will beguile you, from start to finish. You won't regret picking it up, trust me.
⚞🐺⚟
About the Author: Roshani Chokshi is the New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen and A CROWN OF WISHES. Her middle grade debut, ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME, released April 3, 2018 from Disney/Rick Riordan Presents. The sequel, ARU SHAH AND THE SONG OF DEATH is slated to release April 30, 2019. Her next young adult novel, THE GILDED WOLVES, is slated for January 15, 2019. Chokshi's work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Shimmer, and Book Smugglers. She was a finalist in the 2016 Andre Norton Award and the Locus Top Ten for Best First Novel. Her short story, "The Star Maiden," was longlisted for the British Fantasy Science Award.
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