The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi
Series: The Gilded Wolves #2
Published September 22nd 2020 by Wednesday Books
Age Range: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Representations: Rep: south african (algerian) MC, bi/pansexual filipino-spanish MC, autistic polish-jewish MC, indian MC, queer black Haitian MC
Rating:
Synopsis:
They are each other’s fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.
Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost — one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumoured to grant its possessor the power of God.
Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into the icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all.
As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined.
A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job.
✘✘✘✘✘
Everyone’s trying to deal with the death of Tristan individually which meant that they barely communicated with one another. The immense guilt for not being strong enough to protect Tristan is weighing heavily on Séverin’s shoulders. He yearns for power to prevent such tragedy from happening once more. With just less than a month to go, Laila is running out of time. She needs the Divine Lyrics more than everyone else. All Enrique wanted was to be accepted and feel belonged. Yet that goal seemed too far away. Planning to leave, Zofia has to return to Poland to take care of her sick sister. Lastly, Hypnos desires Séverin’s approval and to be a part of the team.
Romance-wise, things are definitely not working for anyone. Tristan and Hypnos started something. The novelty of it gradually fades and Tristan is left wondering if everything was worth it. Zofia, as an outsider to this duo, feels a sting in her heart though she barely wants to decipher what it truly means. Laila and Séverin barely spoke. The only time they had any conversations together is wrapped in words they don’t truly wish to say.
As usual, Roshani Chokshi’s writing style is beautiful and magical. She painted vivid imagery of the cold palace in Russia, the illustrious creatures and the horrors within. In The Silvered Serpents, the crew discovered the truth behind the Divine Lyrics. The expansion of the mythology is fascinating as well. Zofia and the rest continued using their knowledge and intelligence to understand and solve the mysteries.
I fell in love with the cast of characters once again. Tristan’s death inevitably changed the dynamics and the way they interact with one another. The group is slowly distancing themselves emotionally. Only those brave enough would open their hearts to the rest. I’m incredibly invested in what will happen next considering that mind-blowing and painful ending. Roshani Chokshi is determined to mess with my heart.
➸ The friendship:
“It’s not an insult.”
“You basically called me a dog–”
“–I said your actions paralleled that of a dog.”
“That’s not exactly complimentary.”
“Is it complimentary if I tell you he was an exemplary dog?”
“It’s not a monstrosity,” said Zofia, a touch defensively. “Automaton pets are not so far out of the norm–”
“Pet?” repeated Hypnos. “Did she say pet?”
“A pet is a dog or a cat–” started Enrique, appalled.
“Or a tarantula,” said Zofia.
“I beg your pardon–”
“There’s no need to beg,” said Zofia.
Zofia did not agree. A Forged invention was neither inherently good nor evil, but a vessel suited to a particular purpose.
“Perhaps it would be less terrifying if it had a name,” she said. “I like ‘David.'”
“No,” said Hypnos, Laila, and Enrique at the same time.
thisbellereadstoo.wordpress.com 