I reread the Gilded Wolves just before reading this one as it had been a while and I’m glad I did. The first thing I noticed about the Silvered Serpents is that it is bleak. The setting – the ice and snow of Russia – was the perfect bleak, harsh backdrop for this story. None of Severin’s circle are coping well with Tristan’s death – least of all Severin.
Severin was really hard to like in this one. He’s so preoccupied with amassing power to protect those he loves that he loses track of what he loves about them in the first place. Laila and Enrique and Zofia and Hypnos are all estranged and wounded too, and the book as a whole showcases a loss of the hope and warmth of friendship and family from the first book.
There are some intriguing new characters – and a mindblowing reveal at the end. The Fallen House’s Sleeping Palace is beautiful and dangerous and the treasure hunt has higher stakes than the heist in the previous book. And after that ending, I’m anticipating even higher stakes in the final book.
I loved the descriptions and detail and the well-paced unrolling of events. Chokshi’s writing keeps getting better with every book of hers I read. I can’t wait for the next book!
*Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing an e-arc to review
Whimsical Dragonette 