There is something about Roshani Chokshi’s writing that beguiles me anytime I read her works. If I had to describe Roshani Chokshi’s writing in one word, it would have to be lush. Like you could pluck any of her words out of the air and taste them. The words seem to dance on the page and before I know it I’ve finished another amazing story. Though the way that The Gilded Wolves is different from her previous stories her words will resonate with the reader long after finishing the book. From the beginning until the end, you’ll be in love with many if not all of the characters, and most importantly, drawn into 1889’s Paris, France.
The story revolves around Séverin Montagnet-Alarie, who’s a hotelier/treasure hunter with a penchant for tracking down secrets. Faced with the opportunity of gaining his true inheritance back when asked for aid from the Order of Babel, he seizes the opportunity to take back his birthright. All it takes is retrieving an artifact…but he can’t possibly do it alone.
Along for this amazingly written adventure/heist story includes an audacious engineer, an alcohol loving historian, a gorgeous dancer leading a double life, and Séverin’s brother, a loving young man despite a lack of blood ties. This rag-tag team will face danger, deception, puzzles, and of course delicious secrets that hide in the opulence of Paris. This is a story you will not soon forget.
The Gilded Wolves captured my heart. From the beginning, we start with this vivid mystery and are introduced to our amazing cast of characters, each with their own secrets and hurts that they are hiding from the world. There is quite a bit of world-building in this story, but it is not overwhelming, simply setting the scene for amazing events to happen throughout. The Paris setting of this book is quite unforgettable. It blinds you with lights, but seduces you with its shadows. It lures you into a perfect heist setting. The story itself did not feel rushed, and I felt like I savoured every moment of it.
The historical aspects of The Gilded Wolves felt very well articulated, and the puzzles. Oh the puzzles! No good heist story would be complete without them. It helps lure you more into the world, figure out what’s happening in this story just as much as our characters, and by the end…you’ll be invested in this world where secrets seem to be currency. To give you anymore than this would be spoilery.
The diverse perspectives, orientations, and backgrounds of all of these characters also made it worth the read for me. There is nothing better than seeing the culture of a character being woven into and giving a story something more. It makes the actions, words, and thoughts even more meaningful in my opinion.
This story isn’t centered around romance, but does have a romantic vibe to it in stolen moments. The settings definitely help. But I feel that the love that is most conveyed here is the love of family. It helps cement these characters both in your head and in your heart. I don’t think I could possibly pick a favourite character, but I definitely think you’ll have a favourite spider by the end of the book.
Something that readers might not love is that it was at times, particularly in the beginning, very historical and information heavy. Although these parts are definitely relevant to the background of the story, it might not appeal to everyone. However, this wasn’t something that lost me as a reader. I feel that sometimes the best secrets and puzzle’s lie in wait at the beginnings of books. With The Gilded Wolves, I’m going to have to wait awhile, since this story doesn’t release until January 2019, so I would assume that book 2 might not come out until 2020.
This story is a 10/10 for me, especially because of the characters. They were unforgettable and so imaginative. I’ve also never been more in love with Paris. It captures the elements of a historical fantasy quite well, and I cannot wait to unravel the mysteries and puzzles of book two! In the meantime, if you are not familiar, or have not read any of her works, I would definitely recommend The Star-Touched Queen series. They’re gorgeously written, are available at a bookstore near you, and also have a novella that was released in August recently. Happy reading!
The Gilded Wolves is available from January 15th 2019 at Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Will you be reading The Gilded Wolves? Have you already? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
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