The Silvered Serpents ARC Review!! // a witty masterpiece of a sequel

Hi friends! I’m here to talk about the sequel to a book that honestly blew me away earlier this year. AND I’VE GOT *THOUGHTS* SO BUCKLE UP*. Also, spoilers for The Gilded Wolves, so if you haven’t read it yet be warned!

*thought about adding “buttercups” for about half of a second. worst half of a second of my life

A huge thank you to Wednesday Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

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 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.

if this isn’t sequel of the year on my list, i’m going to yeet all of my braincells.

Don’t get me wrong, I adored The Gilded Wolves. But it just didn’t have that 5-star, ohmygoshilovethisbooksomuch feeling. But The Silvered Serpents????? THAT’S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY FRIENDS.

I’m genuinely still not over Tristan’s death. That is the one qualm I have with this book: there is no Tristan. I think Chokshi did an absolutely fantastic job of writing how each character dealt with their own grief.

Séverin has closed himself off from everyone. He dove to save Laila, only to realize she was never the target all along. Now, with his failure of keeping his promise to always protect his brother, his only goal now is to protect the others. By distancing himself. Smh, Kaz Brekker-esque logic. I truly felt both sympathetic and annoyed with him.

Laila is dying. And oh my gosh, my heart went OUT to her. She’s dealing so much guilt worry. Not to mention, Severin is being a bum so that’s not cool. Her character is so kindhearted, and we really see the strength of her goodness shine through in this one.

Enrique oh my word. He’s still struggling to reconcile himself, and to gain the approval of the Illustrians. There’s so much complexity to his character, and consequently his relationships.

Zofia is honestly one of my favorite characters. Her sister is dying, and she’s dealing with that on top of everything else. Reading from her perspective is also so unique because I believe she’s on the spectrum, and so she sees the world differently.

HYPNOS. He cracked me up in the first book but I was howling with laughter in this one. I mean:

“Normally, responsibility gives me indigestion.

What a mood. I also felt so much for him, because he just wants to fit in, he just wants his old friend back. Seriously, I adore him so much.

Roshani Chokshi has some of the most gorgeous writing I’ve ever read. She creates some of the most atmospheric scenes. A lot of this book takes place in Siberia and Russia, and I swear I could feel the snow, and taste the sugary candy. The magic in this series is so incredible and unique as well. Actually, the magic system is science-based, and a lot of the puzzles are based on historical and scientific knowledge.

I will say that I felt bits and pieces of this story were slow? This series is relatively character-focused, but it totally works. I love these characters with my whole heart and soul, and so I care about what they care about. It’s absolutely brilliant writing/plotting.

BUT THE ENDING.

Even if parts of the book were slow, the last 20% fully makes up for it. Plot-twists galore, and a heartwrenching moment that nearly made me cry. I loved this.

So that’s it! You can add this to Goodreads here or preorder here! Tell me:

Are you excited for this???

Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Girlfriend Box