I have to be honest, I was skeptical going into this book. Lately, I've read too many YA fantasy novels that fell far too short of my expectations. The Gilded Wolves is by far one of the best YA fantasy novels I've read in the last few years.
I always struggle when rating books. How do you give the same rating (5 stars) to a classic novel that has withstood the test of time (e.g. Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment) and a YA fantasy book that you know might not be remembered 20 or 30 years from now? Well, for me, a YA fantasy deserves a 5 star rating if (a) it is engaging and unpredictable; (b) has interesting characters; (c) has some inkling of an angsty romance; and (d) is well written. The Gilded Wolves checks all of these items. I was completely swept away by the world. The writing is exquisite. The world is interesting and unique, and the characters are as complex as they are varied. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait for the sequel.
I do think it is best going into this book blind. But if you have to know anything, know this: it is set in the 1880s Paris. There is magic and interesting mythology. There is a crew of misfits that is trying to pull of a major heist. The book has lots of action and twists and turns, reads very quickly, and the author is skilled with metaphors and descriptions.
5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend this to all YA fantasy fans.
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