The Gilded Wolves is typically marketed as akin to Six of Crows, but that’s not quite it. The story is more National Treasure than Ocean’s Eleven.
People who compare this book to Six of Crows are wrong. I know, I know – that’s a pretty aggressive stance to take about book marketing. But I’m all about my aggressive stances, and it’s really true! The Gilded Wolves and Six of Crows are NOT the same. Yes, they have the same basic ingredients of a YA heist with six characters (four boys and two girls), but that’s where the similarities end. SOC is more adventure- and action-based. TGW had action and adventure, but it is primarily a puzzle-solving heist story. It is way more akin to National Treasure than Ocean’s Eleven. And I LOVED it.
Non-spoiler review first!
I ADORED Laila. I love Chokshi’s writing normally. And since I am an Indian woman who also dances Bharatanatyam, Laila made me feel so seen. There have been other Indian-coded characters in YA fiction (Inej comes to mind because of the SOC parallel). These other characters don’t capture the essence of what it really feels like to be Indian in a western world like Chokshi’s Laila.
TGW is Victorian without ignoring Colonialism.
I was so glad to see a story that took place in the Victorian era while also addressing the evil of colonialism. The characters are also benefiting from colonialism! This is an unusual POV in YA lit. In general, I also loved all the discussion about race, belonging, and identity in this book. These conversations occurred through the mixed characters Enrique, Hypnos, and Severin. Each of these boys experienced race in a different way due to how they looked and those they interacted with.
The parallel struggles Enrique and Hypnos faced of not “belonging” were particularly stinging. They both wanted to belong with a group but didn’t because of their appearance. Enrique wasn’t brown “enough”, and Hypnos was “too” brown, which was painfully accurate to the POC experience. Enrique’s story also included a discussion of colorism within communities of color. Essentially, all around awesome insight into the POC experience.
Slight spoilers begin here!
I’m usually the type of person who likes a magic system with clear rules that are explained very well to the reader. This book did NOT have that. But I was aware of that going into the book, and I’m admittedly very biased to like Roshani’s writing, so I was unbothered by it. And all the other good things about the book made me not care that the magic system was confusing and vague. I am curious if we will be getting more details about it in the future.
BIG SPOILERS NOW. BIG SPOILERS BELOW. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED, DON’T COME AT ME.
I was not expecting the character death to actually happen. Partway through the story I suspected that Tristan might die, but main characters so rarely die in YA books that I didn’t think it would actually happen. The suddenness of his death, especially after it seemed they got their happily every after, was so well done and I was very sad. The aftermath of his death and Severin’s guilt for “saving” Laila instead, and his misplaced anger at her was also very well done and incredibly heartbreaking to see. It was only made worse after a whole book of the two pining over each other.
Let’s Talk About the Birds
The reveal of Tristan’s disturbed mind and how he tortured the birds was also heartbreaking and good. The missing birds was not a mystery I thought would be solved in the book and I was pleasantly surprised that it was resolved (and distraught for Tristan).
Heir (un)Apparent
Severin’s decision to not take the House Vanth ring after Tristan’s death was bittersweet. It was the growth I was hoping to see from him when the story began, but I was sad that it happened not because he realized he didn’t need it to “belong”, but because he doesn’t want it without Tristan. And THEN the final reveal that Severin is actually not the blood heir of House Vanth?? What a sucker punch. I didn’t see coming at all and I usually spot these things, I was shook.
An Ode To Roshani Chokshi
Bless Roshani Chokshi for the YA content I wanted. I wish she was a writer when I was a wee childe but I’m glad I have her now in my mid twenties 😀
