Posts
Synopsis(From Goodreads):
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.
Review:
Just by the description of The Gilded Wolves, by Roshani Chokshi, I knew I would be in for a fun reading experience. This was a quick, fun book, filled with a glamorous setting, a wonderfully diverse cast, and a group of characters who form a family of thieves.
What I Liked:
World-Building:
I enjoyed the universe that The Gilded Wolves is set in: late 19th century Paris. This literally was The Gilded Age, and the setting was rich with the excitement of Paris as the Eiffel Tower was having its debut.
There is also the wonderful hotel L'Eden, where Séverin and his band of thieves live. It is filled hidden rooms, secret gardens, and workrooms where the group invent and forge items used in their heists.
Diversity:
I love that there is a good mix of characters in this book. Several characters are people of color, or of mixed heritages. I liked that this was not just glossed over in the story, but had actual ramifications for the characters. Enrique, for example, has some Spanish ancestry, but is mainly Filipino. Because he looks more Spanish, he's not considered a true Filipino. Yet that is the culture in which he is raised, and so he is constantly trying to prove he belongs among his fellow expats in Paris.
There are also a variety of characters who have various sexual orientations. There are gay characters, straight characters, and people who are bisexual. Although it was not explicitly stated, I think Zofia is an asexual character, as well.
There were also two characters, Zofia, and Tristian, who displayed traits of autism. Sometimes Zofia and Tristian had trouble feeling comfortable among other people. Sights, smells, and textures could make them anxious, but their friends always looked for ways to make them feel at ease. They were both valued for what they contributed to the group.
Band of Thieves:
The camaraderie of the characters (and the fact that each had a specialized skill) reminded me of Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo. This is a compliment, not a criticism. I loved that each member of the team was equally valued. I also enjoyed that they each had different relationships between each other. We all get different things from different friends. This book wonderfully illustrates this.
What I Was Mixed About:
Exposition:The world of The Gilded Wolves is rather complicated, and there were many passages early on used to explain how the mythology of the Houses, forging, the rings, and the Babel fragments work. I wish the author had sprinkled this more evenly throughout the book, rather than write long passages of this at the beginning of the novel. It came out rather like a lecture, and slowed down the action.
Puzzles:
This is basically a heist book, with several puzzles that need to be solved in order to reach an artifact. This is mostly fine, but when characters in books solve complex puzzles, the reader should also be able to solve it with them. But in this story, the only way to solve many of these problems is if you have arcane, specialized knowledge of math or history. This was frustrating as a reader.
What I Didn't Like:
There was one scene that I found utterly ridiculous and a clear rip off of Indiana Jones. I will not tell you what scene, but when you read it, you will roll your eyes! This is a small quibble, nothing that would steer me to downgrade the book.
Rating:
Release Date: January 15th, 2019
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Page Length: 464 Pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: A fun book filled with adventure, and a great mix of characters. Very Entertaining
0 comments :
Post a Comment