The Silvered Serpents

• Author: Roshani Chokshi
• Genre: YA Fantasy
• Publication Date: September 22, 2020
• Publisher: Wednesday Books
• Series: The Gilded Wolves #2

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I am providing my honest opinion voluntarily.

TRIGGER WARNING: Anti-Semitism, reference to past child abuse, murder, disfigurement

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 rumored 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.

This book is just as incredible as The Gilded Wolves (see review here), although it is a little darker, and incorporates more angst. After the death of one of the main characters, each of the crew is grieving in their own way, and the dynamic of the entire group is changed. Séverin is determined to find a lost artifact that he feels can right his perceived wrongs; and in doing so, it becomes a single-minded obsession. 

The world-building is just as incredible in this book, especially since the story takes us into the frozen setting of Russia in the middle of winter. The magic is similar, but we’re exposed to new types of Forged items and different expressions of magical abilities that absolutely blew my mind. Despite reading this book in the heat of summer, the setting made me feel chilled enough to want to put on fuzzy socks and wrap myself in a blanket. 

Despite the characters going through their struggles, the clever and witty banter that characterized the first book was still present. I loved the way that they interact, but it also highlighted each of their flaws and the characters even got a little more vulnerable with each other as the bonds strengthened and their trust deepened. Some of the interactions absolutely broke my heart, right up until the end of the book. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next, while also dreading getting to the end of the book. I almost didn’t want to finish, knowing that I’d miss the characters and have to wait for another book to be written and released. I’m already dreaming of the next book.

This one is a must-read if you like heist books, especially with a diverse and unique flair. This series is one of my personal favorites, and this book absolutely cemented that status!

People who have sat around with me while I’m reading, especially when there’s a surprising reveal, a shocking plot twist, or an unexpected event often look up in alarm when I gasp audibly. The gasp factor is directly related to the number of times I audibly gasp during a reading, and there isn’t an upper limit.

Gasp Factor: 14