My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Title: The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves, #1)
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Format: Hardcover (borrowed)
Pages: 388
Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Historical, Diversity
No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them.
It’s 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.
To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.
Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history–but only if they can stay alive.
The Gilded Wolves – wow! I’ve seen a lot of reviews where readers DNF’ed this book. I also saw glowing reviews of it too. The gorgeous cover and the polarizing reviews got me curious enough to read this book.
It did take me a few days to really get into the book. I put it aside for a few weeks and even renewed it once at my library. I wasn’t sure I was in the mood for it, and I wasn’t sure if it was for me after reading a few pages. But I kept reading…and something kept me there. It could be the characters, or my curiosity because I love puzzles, history and artifacts. (Also, I just read Harry Potter – I know, I know, only now?…but I’m a Ravenclaw for sure 😂)
This book has everything in it. Diversity, puzzles, history, secret societies, Paris, attraction, friendship, and a heist! At one point I thought, should I be taking notes? I was confused for the first few chapters because there is a lot of information to take in but the more I pushed through, the more the world gelled together.
I love the diverse cast of characters. Of course, my favorite is going to be Enrique, who is a bisexual Spanish-Filipino young man. I loved that he is super smart about history and artifacts. Also, he was funny and he’s my people! It’s rare to see Filipino characters and it made me feel recognized. ❤️
Another character that spoke to me is Zofia, who is a socially-awkward, Polish-Jew. She is a whiz at Math and Science . My husband is Jewish and so my children are Filipino/Jewish (by way of Russian descent)/and a lot of other European ethnicities thrown into the mix through my husband’s mom’s side. And…my daughter’s name is Layla, and what a coincidence that there is a Laila in this story! It’s like this book was made for me. Laila is a beautiful Indian young woman with a past that is really intriguing! Her skill is to entertain and spy on people.
I enjoyed Hypnos too, he brought fun and lightness to some of these serious characters even though he seemed like a villain at first. I wasn’t sure if I could trust him. And then there is Severin and Tristan who grew up together and their bond is special. Severin and Tristan had an interesting upbringing and I hope to learn more about him in the next book.
This story revolves around Severin and his goal to become a patriarch and reinstate House Vanth. The world-building is captivating to say the least. France is ruled by four Houses that are in The Order of Babel. Severin is coerced to take on a mission to help The Order find an ancient artifact. If he succeeds, his wishes will come true.
At times, especially in the beginning I felt like I needed a family tree or map of something to keep the world-building straight in my mind. You have to keep in mind the origins of The Order of Babel. It basically started with the destruction of the Tower of Babel (Genesis/bible), where five fragments scattered and where they scattered, it created civilizations. Where these fragments remained, the art of Forging or creation/creating was possible. Interesting was the tidbit about the West getting their fragments through the Crusade when the Knights Templar got their hands on it.
So the duty of the Order of Babel is to safeguard their fragment in the West or else all the world is doomed. When I read all this in the first chapters…I was like what is this? Forging? What are they forging and for what? What exactly can they make? I had so many questions! Throw in some French words and my brain started to hurt. But in a good way, I think. But I can see why some people DNF’ed this book. Not gonna lie – I thought about it. I think I just needed to be in the mood to read about 19th century Paris.
From there we meet our cast of super smart, different and talented characters who help Severin with this heist. If Severin is made patriarch of his own house then the rest of the crew can reach their own personal goals as well, with his help and backing.
I loved the puzzles, and working out the clues. It had all the stuff that made the Da Vinci Code amazing back in the day. I kept wondering how the author kept all this straight when writing her book! The clues were woven in with a heist, set in this glittering world of Paris during the 19th century. I was impressed just on the information alone. I wanted to google everything.
The writing is wonderful. I was drawn into the bond of friendship-turned-family that these characters share. Their differences make them a tight crew, the interaction between was fun and heart-warming. The action is fun, intense and at one point heart-breaking. The relationships are complicated as each of them try to survive and carryout this heist successfully. I loved their inner dialogues, their troubled pasts and individual stories.
This wasn’t a quick read but the beauty of this book is how the author explores many themes in this story. This book touched on so many issues like colonialism, race and sexuality. So I am glad I didn’t DNF this book! I was even trying to explain this whole book to my husband and said the next book will take place in Russia! 😱 He was like…cool…😅 So I could tell by the way I was blabbing to him about this book soon after I read it, that I really enjoyed it and had to tell someone, right away.
Before book two comes out in 2020 I am going to reread this book again because now that I know what happens I need to read the parts that initially confused me. I need to see if I missed anything. By the way, I was near the end and thought there were more pages to read, and I put the book down to bathe my daughter. When I returned to the book and realized I was looking at the Author’s Note…I was like…wait..it’s done?! 😂 I was ready for more!
I’m looking forward to the sequel to see what is the deal with Severin and if they can find the next lost artifact! 😬 If you like a heist story that involves puzzles, romance, friendship, diversity, history and lore – then definitely give this book a chance.
Get it here: Amazon
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost for you. Thanks!
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 