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heartbrekker 's review for:
The Silvered Serpents
by Roshani Chokshi
Originally, I read this book back during the last few days of 2019, and it was the perfect book to end my 2019 year. I absolutely adored it! Roshani definitely put the pedal to the metal and drove this story into favoriteville for me.
Now let's start with my favorite parts to this story. As all Roshani books do, the atmospheres are pure magic and enchantment. Plot twist but not really if you know me- I'm forever going to be a sucker for Russian themed/ influenced novels, and while Russia is definitely not the main location for this book, the groups entrance into this new environment left me screaming like a fangirl banshee after drinking too many Root beer floats. The mood in this new landscape was EVERYTHING. Roshani even adds some references to history and their impacts via the characters, pogroms specifically, and it was interesting to see how history threaded together with Roshani's world building. It made for a stronger setting than Paris at times because I felt as if I was living through these scenes. The Sleeping Palace plot was definitely a 11/10 for me!
Moreover, this installment for Roshani's writing felt different to me. I haven't read A Crown of Wishes to be fair, but this story felt grittier, darker, and more emotional. So many characters are revealing their truths, fears, and desires to the readers, and my heart aches at all of them. I felt more connected to them than I ever did in TGW, which is a comment I'm glad to make because at times I was not feeling all of them in TGW.
One of my favorite parts is actually going to be annoyingly alluded to in this review. At certain points Roshani adds this unique POV to the book that shows us a past experience of a certain character, and it made me scream every single time. They became my favorite part to this story because they are so small at first glance (cause I just want to read about the present haha), but each one holds this importance that you sometimes don't realize until it is too late.
Anyway, Zofia is still without a doubt my favorite character. I loved that she got more chapters in this story (it seemed like it to me at least idk if I'm correct) and was also able to put down a few more boundaries. She, like all the other characters, has A LOT, to worry about both through their group and personal reasons. Her development was by far amazing.
THEN Laila and Séverin have their own issues to deal with after the ending of TGW, and I wanted to just hug them both. Séverin definitely deserves a smack upside the head at times because COMMUNICATION, but I understand why he puts himself down this path due to pain, grief, and fear for others.
Enrique was a character in TGW that I felt “meh” for. I just don’t remember him leaving a mark on me through the first installment, but like Zofia he really steps it up in the book, especially in terms of his torn opinions on matters. He suffers in a very different way in this sequel, and I definitely fell to his side when the revelation is revealed. He deserves the world and happiness. I’m hoping he can find it by the end of this series.
TSS is a great representation in my opinion on differing forms of grief because each character handles it differently. The grief doesn't even refer to death or one experience for all of them because each have their own things going on, which only intensifies the stakes the team has for this heist/ job. They have different motivations, and their broken relationships only intensify this reality and danger. I was on the edge of my seat. Truly there are some terrifying scenes that sent alllll the shivers down my spine towards the middle and end of the book.
Lastly, I want to say that Roshani does a fantastic job at simultaneously creating and revealings clues from this book and the first. It shows all of the thought and hard work she's put into creating this dynamic world, and I have to give her credit. I really want to do a TGW reread sometime before TSS releases in the fall because it will definitely give me some clarity again. I highly recommend reading these books back to back once it is possible.
Now let's start with my favorite parts to this story. As all Roshani books do, the atmospheres are pure magic and enchantment. Plot twist but not really if you know me- I'm forever going to be a sucker for Russian themed/ influenced novels, and while Russia is definitely not the main location for this book, the groups entrance into this new environment left me screaming like a fangirl banshee after drinking too many Root beer floats. The mood in this new landscape was EVERYTHING. Roshani even adds some references to history and their impacts via the characters, pogroms specifically, and it was interesting to see how history threaded together with Roshani's world building. It made for a stronger setting than Paris at times because I felt as if I was living through these scenes. The Sleeping Palace plot was definitely a 11/10 for me!
Moreover, this installment for Roshani's writing felt different to me. I haven't read A Crown of Wishes to be fair, but this story felt grittier, darker, and more emotional. So many characters are revealing their truths, fears, and desires to the readers, and my heart aches at all of them. I felt more connected to them than I ever did in TGW, which is a comment I'm glad to make because at times I was not feeling all of them in TGW.
One of my favorite parts is actually going to be annoyingly alluded to in this review. At certain points Roshani adds this unique POV to the book that shows us a past experience of a certain character, and it made me scream every single time. They became my favorite part to this story because they are so small at first glance (cause I just want to read about the present haha), but each one holds this importance that you sometimes don't realize until it is too late.
Anyway, Zofia is still without a doubt my favorite character. I loved that she got more chapters in this story (it seemed like it to me at least idk if I'm correct) and was also able to put down a few more boundaries. She, like all the other characters, has A LOT, to worry about both through their group and personal reasons. Her development was by far amazing.
THEN Laila and Séverin have their own issues to deal with after the ending of TGW, and I wanted to just hug them both. Séverin definitely deserves a smack upside the head at times because COMMUNICATION, but I understand why he puts himself down this path due to pain, grief, and fear for others.
Enrique was a character in TGW that I felt “meh” for. I just don’t remember him leaving a mark on me through the first installment, but like Zofia he really steps it up in the book, especially in terms of his torn opinions on matters. He suffers in a very different way in this sequel, and I definitely fell to his side when the revelation is revealed. He deserves the world and happiness. I’m hoping he can find it by the end of this series.
TSS is a great representation in my opinion on differing forms of grief because each character handles it differently. The grief doesn't even refer to death or one experience for all of them because each have their own things going on, which only intensifies the stakes the team has for this heist/ job. They have different motivations, and their broken relationships only intensify this reality and danger. I was on the edge of my seat. Truly there are some terrifying scenes that sent alllll the shivers down my spine towards the middle and end of the book.
Lastly, I want to say that Roshani does a fantastic job at simultaneously creating and revealings clues from this book and the first. It shows all of the thought and hard work she's put into creating this dynamic world, and I have to give her credit. I really want to do a TGW reread sometime before TSS releases in the fall because it will definitely give me some clarity again. I highly recommend reading these books back to back once it is possible.