The gilded wolves by Roshani Chokshi

I received an advance review copyif the audiobook for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to netgalley, hodder & stoughton and Roshani Chokshi for the opportunity to read this book.

I'm quite surprised to be giving this 4 stars. From the reviews I'd seen I wasn't sure it would be my thing but I enjoyed it.

The narrators (Laurie Catherine Winkel and P.J. Ochlan) did a good job with this one, the French accents seem to be done well (I will admit I don't have a lot of experience with an authentic French accent). I felt like they did a reasonable job of giving each character their own tone and making them distinguishable as best they could when they all had French accents. Their voices worked really well together too.

The magic system here was similar to other YA series and yet I felt like it was something I've not seen before until I really thought about it.

The twist surrounding laila and her origin story was very interesting and definitely not something you would guess. I really enjoyed her character, especially in the moment between her and zofia that showed how much she cared and respected her needs. While all the main characters have a strong found family vibe the two of them were the ones I was most interested in.

The romance potential was there but I was glad it took a back seat to the backstory development and friendships during this book. The series has time to introduce romance more later.

I was desperate to read the next book until the final part. The aftermath of the twist took the momentum out of the book somewhat and effectively ruined the found family aspect. I will still read it though and hold out hope for another twist that might fix it.

An interesting story of friendship, family and adventure with a splash of magic and intrigue.

With hints of the past albeit in the near future, this is a great introduction to a new series of books about great houses and the people in and around them.

3/5 stars for the first 20% that I listened to.

I dnfed this audiobook, not because of the story but because of the narration. I’m not familiar with French accents and words, and I found the French accent of the narrators when they were reading dialogue really hard to understand and I kept getting confused with words. The female narrator was good aside from that, but the male narrator sounded very monotonous when speaking between dialogue, and it wasn’t an enjoyable listen.

The plot of what I read was quite interesting, the magic system seemed really unique and nothing like what I’d heard of before. There was five main characters; Severin, Laila, Zofia, Enrique and Tristan each with their own POV. Out of all of them Zofia intrigued me the most. I’ll probably get a physical copy of this at some stage to read and I’ll probably enjoy it more.

The Gilded Wolves includes:
-YA Fantasy
-Historical Fiction
-Found Family

Set in 1889 Paris, the Order of Babel coerces Séverin to help them on a mission and in return is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance. I’m order to hunt down the artefact, Séverin calls upon a banks of unlikely experts.

I really enjoyed this book and since I was listening to the audiobook, it made the experience much more fun as there were different narrators for each of the characters. Honestly, I didn’t care too much about the romance in the beginning, but by the end it definitely became my favourite. Also, after that ending, I’m so glad the other 2 books are already out.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. i really enjoyed this book, and it has been a while since i have loved a book as much as i loved this one. i enjoyed everything about it, from the characters, to the plot, and how everything unfolded leading up to that ending. once i started reading, i did not want to stop, and i devoured it as quickly as i could. i also really liked the narrator for this audiobook. taking all of this into consideration, i am going to give it 5/5 stars, because i loved every second and i cant think of a single way to criticise this book.

DNF. Will be reading this one physically as the audiobook is dreadful.

Anything above 1.5x speed sounded strange and tinny, anything above 2x speed cut out words. I thought it was just me so I checked a physical copy and it was literally skipping chunks of words at a time.

I usually listen this fast so it’s not as if it was too fast to follow and I always gradually increase the speed to get used to a narrator too. So I immediately spotted with difference between 2 and 2.5x speed.

Unfortunately, I didn't finish this audiobook. I loved the premise of the book and think ill definitely pick it up when it's out but I just could not get on with the people reading it. Their pacing for reading it was off and made it difficult to listen to and then the horrible attempts at French and Polish accents just ruined it for me. I got as far as chapter 3 and gave up. But i think id enjoy the physical book.

This was so so good! It gave me all of the Six of Crows vibes with the heist, incredible group of characters that all bring something unique to the team, magic system, and all the mystery!

STORY: The pacing was well done and flowed nicely. The world building was good but I could have used more, I did enjoy the magic system although it was slightly confusing, but it was all the character developments, interactions, and plot that made it for me!

AUDIO: I was a bit apprehensive when I found out there were two narrators, but I really liked it! It worked so well with the changing povs, and each narrator did a great job of keeping me hooked on the story.

I highly recommend if you’re a fan of Six of Crows, heists, and an incredible group of characters.

I couldn’t put this book down! It was itching me to get the book in my hands every time I put it away for some time. I needed to move on with the story. If you haven’t read it already, please do so!

It’s 1889 Paris. The city is about to host Exposition Universelle, an event that breathes new life into the streets of the French capital. People from all over the world are gathered in the city of light to witness first handed all the new inventions and magical items that are going to be put on display. Along side with the new and revolutionary, ancient secrets are coming into light and artifacts are being hunted down.

Treasure hunter and wealthy hotelier Severin Montagnet Alarie and his trusted companions are in pursue of such ancient artifacts. He has made an oath to himself, to find and acquire all the artifacts that once belonged to his family. He and his friends are working on well prepared and planned such acquisitions, because, wealthy as he might be, he doesn’t want to draw attention to himself by openly looking after these artifacts.

After the last acquisition he is contacted by the ever powerful Order of Babel. He is offered with an agreement. Help the Order with their mission and in return get his true inheritance. This is an offer he cannot easily decline, but also his team mates will get something out of it as well, so it should be a win win situation for all. That’s if they manage to stay alive…

So, here is a new favorite squad I was so glad to meet! Severin is the leader of the group, the heir to House Vanth, which no longer exists, after Severin was refused his heritage. He is half French and half Algerian, so he knows about being different. Tristan is his brother in arms, his best friend, one he knows very well and for a long time. Together they have been through some rough time. He is also an engineer. Then comes Laila who is a gorgeous Indian girl with a skill in baking and an astonishing power in her palms. The other girl of the squad is Zofia, a Jewish Polish extremely intelligent person with very little experience in interpersonal relationships. Enrique is the last to fill a spot in this squad. He is also biracial, half Spanish and half Filipino and he really want to fit in with his Filipino part. He is a brilliant historian who has a great sense of humor and a troubled heart. By the end of the book he is torn between two different persons of different sex.

When the squad meets the Order of Babel, one more person comes to add to the squad. Hypnos is the patriarch of House Nyx, a black aristocrat who loves fashion as well as boys. He has a wonderful sense of humor too and he seems to consider Severin a friend. He really wants to be part of the squad and he soon becomes acquainted with everyone.

The plot is full of magic and adventure. A number of puzzles was used throughout the story that made it all the more interesting to read. The puzzles were used to show the characters’ way of thinking as well as their ability to work as a team. There was also magic in different forms and different aspects and it felt so good to read something so different and so familiar at the same time. And that ending! This surely explained one part of the story, but it left questions on others.

The narrators have done an excellent work too! We have two narrators on the audiobook and four point of views from four different characters. I believe both Laurie Catherine Winkel and P.J. Ochlan have performed fabulously on all the parts. I enjoyed the whole narration and loved how each character had their own accent. They both really added to the story!

If you like a good heist with magical artefacts you will absolutely love The Gilded Wolves.

I listed to the audiobook thanks to NetGalley, there were 2 narrators which makes it easier to follow along with the different narrators.

I found the magic system a little hard to understand with just the audiobook alone so I think this would be a great audio book to listen to as your reading to give yourself a full immersive experience, or as the perfect re-read option.

Overall a compelling story full of intrigue, I just got a little lost only listening to the audiobook. 3.5 stars.

The amount of worldbuilding at the start is a little overwhelming, with so many details to get to grips with. However, the world and magic system is so creative and magical, and I was entranced from the very first page. I was totally swept away by the imaginative Forging and intriguing applications of the characters’ abilities.

I absolutely adore a good heist novel and there were plenty of twists in this one, along with a fantastic cast of characters. One of my favourite things about The Gilded Wolves is the characters, the friendships and relationships between them, their interactions and humour – that is what kept bringing me back to this book. It’s also great to see such a diverse multi POV cast, with BIPOC, LGBT, and autistic characters. Roshani Chokshi explores racism, colonialism, and many other important themes, interweaving these in well with the characters’ stories and showing the impact these issues have had on their lives.

Although I so wanted this to become a favourite, there were a few things that affected my enjoyment. I didn’t always feel that I understood everything, with difficult mathematics and puzzles I found hard to follow, and complex set pieces that were difficult to visualise. Some of the worldbuilding was a little vague and I didn’t totally understand the rules of the magic system, though in some ways I enjoyed the endless possibilities the lack of rules created.

Having mixed feelings throughout the book, it was up to the ending to decide which way I would lean. Unfortunately, the ending didn’t quite deliver for me, largely down to the tonal shift. The humorous dialogue throughout the book gave it a lighter edge, despite the life-and-death situations, so the darker tone of the ending was jarring. The final chapters were also very drawn out with lots of time skips, which made the ending less impactful.

The Gilded Wolves is a diverse and magical historical fantasy, with great characters and a twisting plot. Despite all the things I loved about this book, many of the set pieces were complicated and confusing, which sucked some of the excitement out, and the ending sadly just didn’t work for me.

Really loved this book definitley worth the read!

Found family kills me everytime, but a found family plot and magic, the best! All of the characters are really interesting but some of them take a little longer to get into. I loved the plot and it really made me want to read the rest of the trilogy, I definitely will be!

The character dynamics really make the book, you can see clearly what each character brngs to the team, though it can be a little jarring when you're so into a POV and then it switches. I think the romance was one of the best set ups I've seen in YA books.

All in all you should definitely read this book!

I was really excited to listen to this audiobook since I've heard really good things about this book but unfortunately one of the narrators made me dnf. The female narrator was good even if her french accent was a little hokey at times but it was the male narrator I couldn't get on with. He was just so monotone and grating. Weirdly I quite liked his french accent but when he goes back to his normal narrating tone it was such a jarring contrast. I'll just have to read a physical copy.

This book was beautiful and I loved every second of it. So excited to read the next one. I thoroughly enjoyed the audio version and the narrator was superb.

This is a fantastic audiobook. I was sucked in quickly to the fascinating historical fantasy world. The connection’s between the characters and the heists make it a fantastic beginning to this trilogy.
In this world where houses exist that keep the secrets of babel and hide the pieces along with accumulating wealth and magically forged items it is a complex yet intriguing idea.

I loved the characters and the choices made, along with the unrequited love.

I loved this audiobook. There's so much to process right now story wise.
I'm glad I didn't read this in print earlier, because the audiobook experience was great!
The narrator is amazing.
I will definitely looking forward to more books narrated by this narrator!

My review is based on the audio book version of "The Gilded Wolves"

I would love to go back and read the book because I actually think that the audio version is doing this book dirty- loved the concept, Love the character building, the world building- Paris 1889 that's an absolutely massive tick for me.

The narration just didn't work especially the accents.

Based solely on the audio version I'd give this 3/5, I think that the book is more deserving of a 4/5.

I've been trying to get into more audiobooks lately and I think rereading books I've previously liked is the best way to go. The narrators were wonderful and I could envision the exact scene despite my phone being halfway across the room so I had no idea which chapter we were on. I can't say much about the story/plot because I've read this previously so I already know how the series ends but I do love zofia <3

I was kindly given an ARC of the audio book for the gilded wolves and I found the story to be interesting but unfortunately I just couldn't get past the male narrator, he just wasn't for me! I'll definitely be picking up the paperback as I enjoyed the story and would love to carry on with the series.

Set up in 18th century Paris the book has so much to offer us.

A book with the male protagonist after the inheritance that he was denied takes a different path in life & becomes a treasure hunter. Soon he comes face to face with a secret elite group who wants his help to get some ancient artifact in exchange for the thing he wants the most!

The book flows beautifully with sequences aligned. The gang with which the protagonist works reminds me of some home of Six of Crows. Especially the Laila Majnu chemistry is so mirrored with Inez & Kaz, that my mind kept constantly going back to the Duology.

Another weird word that has been on my radar 'Babel' has been used quite frequently here, especially related to the artifacts, the old houses e.t.c I am trying to gauge more details on this concept for now.

The only part where I got a bit annoyed was that for some reason the book felt like it has some language barrier issue. I kept going to and fro to understand who said what and when those things happened.
Everything else was perfect.

So I would rate the book a 4/5 ⭐

Thankyou very much for the ARC:
@netgalley
@roshanichokshi
@hodderbooks