Set in 1889 Paris, THE GILDED WOLVES takes place in a fantasy version of history, where the Order of Babel oversees a network of Houses where people imbued with the power to Forge magical artifacts battle for power. A band of misfits hatches a plan to return a deposed rightful heir to his head of House.

I totally loved this book! Think SIX OF CROWS x THE BELLES and you get an idea of what we’re dealing with here.

This world has such a complex system of magic and mythology, drawing from ancient cultures and religions from around the world. And the characters! Each member of the central crew is flawed and deeply empathetic. I honestly could not pick a favorite. And best of all, it’s an effortlessly diverse group. There’s representation along race, sexuality, and neurological lines here. However, the story isn’t necessarily about their identities, not entirely, at least. It’s more of a wider angle view of colonization and the theft of culture, and how that impacts each character differently.

I did occasionally have trouble envisioning exactly how some of the fantasy elements looked and worked, though that may have just been a side effect of reading too quickly because I needed to know what happened next.

Lastly, I’ll just say I’ve never found the Fibonacci sequence to be so thrilling!