The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves: # 1)

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I would probably give this book 3.5 stars. It was a good historical YA Fantasy and hard to put down.
A team of misfits in an alternate Belle Epoque Paris work to stop a faction of madmen from gaining access to a piece of the ancient Tower of Babel. This group of friends uses their unique talents to plan a heist to rival "Ocean's Eleven" in order to keep the ancient artifact away from those who would misuse its power. The world-building is very good, the characters are likable, and the plot is very original.
That being said, I did have a few problems with the book. One, I really would have liked more elaboration on the backstory of the characters. Many important things happen to them before the actual book begins, and while these events are related in flashbacks, I think more attention could have been paid to these things. It really would have added to the story. Two, the "mythology" of the story was explained, but this is another area in which more detail could have enhanced the book. Three, the story is narrated by several different characters, and while this is well-done, at times it got confusing and I did have to go back an see which point-of-view we were looking through at the time. Perhaps the author could have varied the voices a bit more to make it easier to identify. Lastly, the climax of the book seemed rushed, and then the resolution/ending seemed very drawn out. The last several chapters just really served to set up the second book in the series. I would have liked a more definite conclusion instead of a lead-in to Book Two.
All that being said, the author had an original story and deftly created a world that drew me in as a reader. The sights, smells, tastes, and feelings were expertly described. The various characters each had idiosyncrasies, backstories, and personality traits that were relatable.
I did enjoy this book, but it almost seemed like the author wanted to do so much that many things were glossed over when they deserved more time. The fantastical story, the mythology and world-building, the decadence of the time, the puzzles/science/ math, the themes of colonialism, marginalization, isolation, being "the other," all deserved more attention than they received just because there was not room in the book. If it could have been tightened up and perhaps had less going on I would have given it a higher rating. I would still recommend the book to anyone who enjoys caper/heist stories, YA, Fantasy, and History.


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