Category: Wednesday Books

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves: Book 1) by Roshani Chokshi

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves, #1)

5 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Date of publication: January 19th, 2019

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

Where you can find The Gilded Wolves: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Set in a darkly glamorous world, The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous but thrilling adventure.

Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can’t yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.

Together, they’ll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.

My review:

Severin is a wealthy hotelier in 1889 Paris. He seems to have it all but looks can be deceiving. Severin is a treasure hunter with an agenda. He wants his House reinstated back into the mysterious Order of Babel. He wants to be acknowledged as the blood heir to the house. The only way for that to happen is to hunt down and retrieve a ring stolen from the Matriarch of one of the two houses that are left. He also needs to prevent an ancient artifact from coming to life and destroying the world. It is not going to be easy. Severin needs the help of his team. Can Severin and his team hunt down the ring and prevent the artifact from coming to life? Or will they be too late?

The Gilded Wolves showed up on my radar a few months back. When I read the blurb, I had a “meh” reaction and almost didn’t accept the review request from the publisher. At the time, my reading/review schedule was busy. Even though the book was due to be published in January, I didn’t think I was going to be able to read it. Then I reread the blurb and my “meh” reaction turned into a “Hmmm“. Since I had a few books scheduled for review in January, I decided to accept the review request. Let me tell you, I am so glad that I did. This has to be one of the best books I have read this year.

This was a beautifully written book. The author took her time building up the characters backstories while progressing with the main storylines. Any other book would have me sitting here and complaining about it. But not here. It worked. The author separated the backstories by having them in italics. What I liked also is that there was no confusion when that happened either. That alone made this book an enjoyable read for me.

I liked that the main characters were fleshed out and they were diverse. Enrique was from the Philippines and was mixed race. He was Filipino/Spanish. Laila was from India. Zofia was Jewish and from Poland. Hypnos was White and Black. Severin was Middle Eastern and White.  I enjoyed reading how each culture was different and how everyone meshed together.

I also liked how the author chose to bring up sexuality in the book. The century that the book is set in wasn’t known for being tolerant of homosexuality or bisexuality. So to have Enrique be bisexual was awesome. His attraction to both Hypnos and Zofia was written beautifully. He wasn’t ashamed at being attracted to both men and women. Which was fantastic. 

I didn’t like Severin when he was first introduced in the book. He came across as cocky and careless. As the book went on, I did start to like him. All he wanted was to bring his House back and to be its Patriarch. Which is why I was surprised when he did what he did at the end of the book.

I liked Laila. She was the heart and soul of the group. The relationships that she forged with everyone was prevalent throughout the book. I was surprised and intrigued by her backstory. I am wondering what is going to happen to her when she turns 19. Her hidden ability was amazing.

Zofia was odd but I liked her. She was brilliant. Her nickname of “the phoenix” fit her. I wanted to cry when she was remembering her years at the university. The way she was treated by both her classmates and teachers was horrible. I don’t blame her for doing what she did (even though it was by accident).

Enrique was one of my favorite characters in the book. For the reasons, I stated above. Also because he told it like it was to Severin. He was also brilliant. The history he knew blew me away.

Tristan touched my heart. From the beginning of the book, I could tell there was something wrong. The abuse that he suffered by Wrath broke him. He reminded me of a small child at points in the book. Because of that, I thought he job as a poisoner was odd. But he was brilliant. He was also obsessed with spiders. He devotion to Goliath was touching. Creepy, but touching.

The plotline with Severin and his quest to get his House back was fascinating. I liked that Egyptian mythology was used in the book. At times, the book reminded me of an Indiana Jones movie. I love it when a plotline keeps me guessing and this one definitely did.

The secondary plotlines enriched the main plotline. They added more depth to the book that was needed.

The end of The Gilded Wolves surprised me. It also broke my heart. The author did a fantastic job at wrapping up some storylines and leaving other ones wide open. The cliffhanger at the end of the book did its job. I am going to have to read book 2 when it comes out. 

I gave The Gilded Wolves a 5-star rating. This is a beautifully written book. It has a diverse cast of characters and plotlines that kept me reading. 

I would give The Gilded Wolves an Older Teen rating. There is no sex (there is mention of sex and several kissing scenes). There is no language. There is violence. There are trigger warnings. They would be child abuse. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread The Gilded Wolves. I would also recommend it to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Gilded Wolves.

All opinions stated in this review of The Gilded Wolves are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read The Glided Wolves?

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Let me know!!!

Sadie by Courtney Summers

4.5 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Day of publication: September 4th, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find Sadie: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water. 

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.

My review:

I had seen reviews for Sadie on various blogs that I follow. All them good. I thought to myself “This book can’t be THAT good.” I had gotten Sadie as an ARC a few months back but due to school vacation, I fell behind on my reviews. So I went into reading this book with a fair amount of skepticism. Well, let me take back everything I thought to myself. Sadie was amazing. There are very few books that I will get completely immersed in and Sadie was one.

I loved the way it was written. It was split between being told as a podcast and from Sadie’s POV. Not only did I get to see the effect of Sadie’s leaving had on people. But I also got to read about what Sadie was thinking when she started off on her journey to find Keith.

I loved how the author dangled parts of the plotline. Instead of giving everything all at once, she broke things up into little pieces. You know that Mattie, Sadie’s younger sister, was killed. You know that Sadie didn’t deal with it well. It’s the underneath that the author takes her time revealing. It was drawn out. Sadie would reveal something then it would switch to McCray as he is doing this podcast. What was revealed was explained after the fact, by the people affected. It was interesting because not everything was told to McCray.

McCray was trying to do good with his podcast but it seemed like he was always 3 steps behind Sadie. At one point, I got mad because he kept running into dead ends. But, Sadie did make it easy for him to follow her. She left clues. I could see McCray getting more and more involved in this case the more time he spent on it. He went from an impersonal radio host to a human being trying his best to find a missing girl. It was interesting to see that transformation.

I should have seen what Keith did to Sadie coming. It wasn’t addressed until after Sadie found those pictures. Then, I understood while she was doing this for Mattie, she was also doing it for herself and the other girls that Keith victimized. If Keith had stayed away, Sadie would have gone on with her life, caring for Mattie. But he came back and bad things happened. That broke Sadie. So yes, I wasn’t surprised that she decided to go after him.

I was angry with Sadie’s mother. She was the catalyst for everything. Either she didn’t know or she turned a blind eye to what was going on. But, when he dared to attempt something on Mattie, she threw him out. Even with Mattie dead and Sadie gone, her mother mourned only for Mattie. I don’t think she had it in her to love Sadie (even though she said she did). May Beth, the surrogate grandmother, shed more tears for Sadie than her own mother. That showed how empty Sadie’s life was.

I couldn’t believe the ending. I tried to flip to the next page because I refused to believe that the author ended it that way. I might have shouted “Seriously!!!” Talking about frustrating. But genius of the author. Because it made you think. And, unfortunately, it ended as it would have in real life. With more questions than answers.

What I liked about Sadie:

A) Relatable characters

B) How it was written

C) Was able to get completely immersed in it.

What I disliked about Sadie:

A) Keith

B) Sadie’s mother

C) The ending

I gave Sadie a 4.5-star rating. I was completely immersed in this book from page 1. This was a fantastic book to read. The only downside to it was the ending. Other than that, a great book to read.

I gave Sadie an Older Teen rating. There are sex and sexual references. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Sadie. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Sadie

All opinions stated in this review of Sadie are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The Raging Ones (The Raging Ones: Book 1) by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Date of publication: August 14th, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Series: The Raging Ones

The Raging Ones – Book 1

Where you can find The Raging Ones: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

From New York Times bestselling authors Krista and Becca Ritchie, comes The Raging Ones, an edge of your seat sci-fi romance with twists and turns that you will never see coming!

In a freezing world, where everyone knows the day they will die, three teens break all odds. 

Franny Bluecastle, a tough city teen, dreams of dying in opulence, to see wealth she’s never known. Like the entire world, she believes it’s impossible to dodge a deathday. 

Until the day she does. 

Court Icecastle knows wealth. He also knows pain. Spending five years in Vorkter Prison, a fortress of ice and suffering, he dreams of life beyond the people who haunt him and the world that imprisoned him. 

Mykal Kickfall fights for those he loves. The rugged Hinterlander shares a frustrating yet unbreakable connection with Court—which only grows more lawless and chaotic as their senses and emotions connect with Franny. 

With the threat of people learning they’ve dodged their deathdays, they must flee their planet to survive. But to do so, all three will have to hide their shared bond as they vie for a highly sought-after spot in the newest mission to space. Against thousands of people far smarter, who’ll live longer, and never fear death the way that they do.

My review:

My interest in The Raging Ones was caught when I read the blurb. I could see the potential in a plotline based on a society that knew when they were going to die. Then I read the book and man, I can’t even begin to describe what it was like reading this book. The best way I can describe it is like unwrapping a Christmas gift. You don’t know what you are going to get and you are eager to get it open to see it. That is how I felt about The Raging Ones.

The Raging Ones follows 3 teenagers who have dodged their deathdays. In doing that, they have bonded with each other. Desperate to keep their secrets, the trio decides that their best bet is to enter a competition that will send them into space. A competition that will test their bonds and their alliances with each other. But what awaits them in space?

Franny is the first character that we are introduced to in the book. She is a brass, crass Fast Tracker. Fast Trackers are people who are destined to die in their teens/early adulthood. They are known for partying like it is the last day of their life…every single day. I felt bad for Franny because all she wanted was her money so she could die knowing what it would be like to be rich. I liked her. She was the more open of the trio. The more impulsive one. I liked her. She did get the short end of the stick with her new tattoos. That artist did not like her.

Mykal was introduced with Court. Mykal was a Babe. Babes are children whose death dates happen before the age of 8. When he didn’t die, he removed himself from his Hinterland village, supporting himself alone until he found Court half-frozen. While Mykal came across as a country bumpkin but he was anything but. I loved his character. He had a way of looking at things that were refreshing.

Court was the mysterious one. He was an Influential. Influentials are people whose deathdays happen far in the future. Court was very stingy in giving information about himself. That drove me nuts but also kept reading. Court cared about Franny and Mykal but didn’t want to get too close to them. He was also the driving force behind the 3 of them getting into the space program. I liked his character but came to love him.

The bond that Mykal and Court had were intense. As was their attraction to each other. But they didn’t act on it. You could cut the sexual tension with a knife, it was that heavy. I was surprised that nothing happened between them sooner in the book. I did think that there was going to be a love triangle with Franny but nothing ever came from it. Which I liked. A love triangle would have taken away from the storyline.

I do wish that more had been spent on explaining why death dates were needed and how they were discovered. It was explained very briefly but not in detail. I also wish that more time had been given to explained Mykal, Court and Franny’s connection. Why they had it and why they didn’t die.

I liked the science fiction aspect of the book but I did feel that it went on for a tad bit too long. It felt that there was some unneeded luggage with that plotline that could have been trimmed. Mainly the part of the storyline with the cheating. It added nothing to the storyline and bored me.

The end of the book was fantastic. The author had a huge plot twist that I didn’t see coming. There were no hints or anything leading up to it. I was shocked. The author ended the book on that note. Brilliant move on their part. Because now I have to read the next book to see what is going to happen. Also, the author didn’t wrap up the main storyline or any of the storylines added late in the book. So I am curious to see how they will be resolved in book 2.

What I liked about The Raging Ones: 

A) How diverse the characters were

B) The bond that connected Mykal, Court, and Franny

C) No love triangle

What I disliked about The Raging Ones:

A) No explanation on why death dates were needed/discovered

B) No explanation about Franny, Court, and Mykal’s connection

C) Science fiction part of the book went on a little too long for my taste

I gave The Raging Ones a 4-star rating. I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed reading it. I do think that there was too little information given about death dates and Mykal, Franny, and Court’s connection. Other than that, I enjoyed the book.

I would give The Raging Ones an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is mild violence. There is mild language. I would suggest that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread The Raging Ones. I would also recommend it to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Raging Ones.

All opinions stated in this review of The Raging Ones are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**