The Gilded Wolves #3
In love they breathed. In destiny they believed. In the end, will divinity be their demise?
After Séverin’s seeming betrayal, the crew is fractured. Armed with only a handful of hints, Enrique, Laila, Hypnos and Zofia must find their way through the snarled, haunted waterways of Venice, Italy to locate Séverin.
Meanwhile, Séverin must balance the deranged whims of the Patriarch of the Fallen House and discover the location of a temple beneath a plague island where the Divine Lyre can be played and all that he desires will come to pass.
With only ten days until Laila expires, the crew will face plague pits and deadly masquerades, unearthly songs and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself… but at a price they may not be willing to pay.
Returning to the dark and glamorous 19th century world of her New York Times instant bestseller, The Gilded Wolves, Roshani Chokshi dazzles us with the final riveting tale as full of mystery and danger as ever.
Another trilogy ends! This time, it’s The Gilded Wolves series. Although long anticipated, this ending was a bit of an unexpected one. Andge and I both agree that it was neither terrible nor bad, yet perhaps was something neither of us was expecting. Overall, I’d say that I enjoyed the many themes that were present and the way that the book played out and wrapped up the series was satisfying enough. Whether it was the ending I wanted, or whether I know what I would have preferred to see, I can’t say with certainty.
The Bronzed Beasts is the final book in The Gilded Wolves trilogy. For one last time, the story revolves around Séverin and his fractured team, taking place after his big display of betrayal in the Sleeping Palace. The journey is once again presented in multiple POVs, and as everything build up to a climactic finish with divinity hanging as a trophy, it is difficult to see what will happen and who will be left behind.
Once again, the themes of mythology, ancient Romans and Greeks, and the Bible are recurring motifs. As a reader with knowledge of all these themes, I felt that this particularly spoke to me. The weaving in of these themes were always quite seamless (or maybe I just enjoyed them) so I felt that this was one of the strong points of the book.
The characters are also a strong point in this book (and really, the series), as I felt they were quite consistent in their characters, in strengths and flaws. This made all of them feel quite human, making stubborn choices where we might, or making mistakes of human error. This was important, of course, as the ultimate goal in this last leg of the journey was the ascension to godhood. Character development was also good over the series and I felt that this last book was no different.
I think the main thing that I can’t quite put my finger on is just where the story headed and how it ended. While it was nothing I could fault, I am just not sure if I totally agree(?) with the direction it took. But then again, I am also not sure which way I would have wanted it to go anyway. While it was overall still meaningful and satisfying enough, I almost feel like there could have been a different way to take the story. I accept the way it was done by the author though, not much to be done about that I think.
Andge also mentioned that the story was quite slow, and I’d have to agree. Although it was far from boring, and I still zoomed through the book quite quickly, I felt that the pacing was overall not as exciting. I did have a curiosity for how it would all end, but in terms of action or changes in tense moments, it wasn’t as dramatic as I thought it would be, despite being so close to the end. Whether this is good or bad is personal choice, but it’s just something that I noticed.
Overall, I’d say it’s still a decent ending to the trilogy, and I wouldn’t say, “Don’t read it,” and leave yourself hanging on the second book’s cliffhanger. Additionally, if you enjoy the ancient themes and the plenty of history that is woven in, I think it’s quite an enjoyable book as a whole.
If you’ve read it, what did you think about the ending? Let us know in the comment below!
Overall Recommendations
The Bronzed Beasts is the third and final book in The Gilded Wolves trilogy. The story takes us through the journey of Séverin and the remains of his “team” to the final place where godhood might be attained. With so many enemies in his way, he must fight through it all using all of his wits and resources, which are dwindling at this journey’s end. Full of memorable characters and many allusions to history and mythology, you are sure to enjoy this final run of the story and wrap up to this trilogy. Don’t leave yourself hanging from the second book – finish this one and find out how it all ends!
Down the Rabbit Hole 