The Gilded Wolves

A historical fantasy that showed potential - before it was all ruined by poorly written romance.

What sucks so badly is that I was super excited to read this book. I mean, I'd looked at a local-ish bookstore several times to buy it. ... Boy, am I glad I borrowed it from the library.

... I'm not even sure what I feel for the book. I mean, there are moments that are great, moments that are terrible and I truly hated three of the last four chapters.

Okay, look, I made predictions around a third of the way through the book. Character death information hidden under spoiler. I predicted that someone would die. I predicted that someone would die because of Severin's obsession with Laila. I predicted that Tristan would die because of Severin's obsession with Laila. I was right. What was supposed to probably be this shocking twist left me tapping my fingers going saw this coming. That was also roughly the same time I predicted that - with Severin's incessant chewing of whole cloves (really!?) Laila would kiss him and she muse on him tasting of clove. I was right about that, too, for those that care.

Look, I think the only way I can talk about this book and have it be coherent, is to break this down bullet point style.

Hook: 5 Stars
That opening, the first chapter, our first heist, everything was perfect. That lasted about 50-55 pages, until I was hit with Severin's second chapter. But, before that, golden.

Setting/World-Building: 3 1/2 Stars
Not perfect, but the world-building was fun and inventive. The setting...never really felt like 1800's Paris to me, but, meh, nice world-building makes up for that.

Plot: 3 Stars
Not good, not bad, just kind of a generic YA fantasy plot. It's there and it serves its purpose, but don't expect anything grand.

Pacing: 2 Stars
It cracks me up. I read some comments from people that didn't love this book, and one of their biggest problems was that there was too much action. ... Mine's just the opposite. Nothing ever happens. Even when you think something is going to, nothing does. This book is so slow.

Writing: 2 1/2 Stars
Supremely average. A little florid at times for me, but inoffensive. (Except whenever Severin is describing Laila or Laila is describing Severin. Then it becomes annoying and exceedingly florid.)

Characters

Zofia, Enrique, Hypnos: 4 Stars
I liked these three people. They are fun, Zofia is my favorite - despite whatever that was (jealousy?) in her last chapter. Enrique is an oddity in that his personality almost seems to be two complete opposite traits smashed together, but we get used to it. Hypnos is slightly enigmatic, but is a lot of fun and very much my type of character.

Tristan: 2 1/2 Stars
Tristan could have easily been up there with the other three, if we ever got a chapter from his perspective. He's got a lot more to offer than this book showed and I think a lot was missed out on because he wasn't a narrator.

Laila: 1 1/2 Stars
I didn't like Laila right from the start. At first she comes off all sweet and motherly to everyone - then we realize her obsession with Severin is only rivaled by his obsession with her. She is ‘the girl' of the story - mostly there only for the main guy to have a love interest and really, for a dancer, she's an awful klutz. I'm giving her a little leeway because she has the spark of an interesting story. Pity she was strangled by the red string of love before she could actually be a character.

Severin: 1/2 Star
Honestly, his character is terrible, he's an ass to everyone including his ‘brother' and the woman he's obsessed with. What I find absolutely hilarious is that everyone else - save Laila - actually reads like they belong in a YA book - Severin reads like he's a thirty-something billionaire mogul from those romance novels with names like ‘Grouchy (hot) Boss.'

The Romances

Severin and Laila: -5 Stars
I hated this. Seriously, without this obsession that they both have with each other, the book might have been good. I might have enjoyed it and not wanted to slam my head through my desk for some relief. Honestly, they had sex almost two years ago and they are still acting like they can't keep it in their pants. Even though they both agreed it can never happen again, (for some strange, manufactured reason to give it more angst and will-they/won't-they drama) they still fantasize about each other and obsess about each other and very strongly flirt with each other. (Did I mention that Severin's Laila obsession gets someone killed?) (Side note: The setup for book two seems to be that Laila will be pretending to be Severin's mistress. I had thought I might still read the second book. If this is part of the plot, I probably won't.)

Enrique and his crushes: 4 Stars
Enrique is explicitly stated as being bi. He, during the course of this story, finds himself attracted to two people, Hypnos, a boy and, Zofia, a girl. I totally support him with either of these two (though, once again, Zofia's reaction in her last chapter leaves me unsettled) and I believe, with their blooming friendship, there could be poly potential.

Side notes: I liked the friendship early on between Tristan and Severin. You know, before Severin's whole personality seemed to become ‘Laila.' I love the way Hypnos wants to befriend these people. I love Zofia's moments of friendship.

...

I wish every good thing hadn't been ruined by the ship of Severin/Laila.