The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi
If you finished The Silvered Serpents you were undoubtedly frustrated at the ending and craving more answers! The third and final chapter of the Gilded Wolves trilogy The Bronzed Beasts ties together loose ends and finally brings about a sense of peace. I promise, this trilogy is worth it.
“All this time, she had tried not to think of Severin, but that foolish daydream had summoned his face to her thoughts. Now she knew for certain that he was the one person she could never hold.”
Laila - Pg. 95
Synopsis: (Inside front cover)
“After Severin’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 Severin.
Meanwhile, Severin 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, deadly masquerades, unearthly songs, and the shining steps of a temple whose powers may offer divinity itself… but the price of godhood could cost them everything they hold dear.”
Review:
This book was the most heartbreaking of the series, minus the apparent ending of The Silvered Serpents. Everyone’s life was at its breaking point, each reaching their own limits and being tested by their own emotions. To see this all played out and come to life was difficult, but made for an amazing ending to this trilogy.
There was significantly less catching up about the world of Forging and the Houses with The Bronzed Beasts. I personally enjoyed that because I was reading these close together, but if you have taken time between book 2 and book 3 you might need a recap.
For most of this novel, Severin is separated from the rest of the crew. Because of this change in perspective, his character’s voice again takes on an important role in explaining more of what is going on in the story. He was much quieter in The Silvered Serpents than he was in The Gilded Wolves, but he grew so much in those two books to shape who he is in the third. I enjoyed seeing his development and how his past actions and betrayals helped shape his decisions in this installment.
The amount of action and story that was put into this book is amazing. It has so many moving parts and so many loose ends to tie up that I was worried it wouldn’t come together in a satisfying way. But, Chokshi quenched my fears and did a great job ending this trilogy. I am still left wanting more because of how the characters grew on me and how this book ended, but I am satisfied with what I got.
Even a few weeks after finishing this trilogy I have not stopped thinking about how much I enjoyed these books. I am looking forward to rereading these adventures in the future.
The Bronzed Beasts is a tale of love and friendship and forgiveness that is mixed with Forging and trickery to create an amazing finale to this adventure.
Teacher Recommendation:
Odds are good that if your students have read the first two books of this trilogy, that they will continue to the third. I give them my wholehearted recommendation. If nothing else, encourage your students to finish the trilogy and see it through to the end. This will not only build stamina but will help them see how stories are crafted in threes.
Happy reading!