🍂 ~ The Bronzed Beasts ~ 🍂 ➸ Book Review! [3/3]

[This book review is spoiler-free]

Can we just appreciate the book cover pic for a sec? Like do y'all understand how panicked I was when I realized it was golden hour, then proceeded to fight a fierce battle with time, to get the perfect picture before the sun went into hiding and the sky darkened? Anyway, I'm pretty happy with the cover picture for this, but I still think the one I took for the Gilded Wolves is superior <3 

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Hello! Welcome to the last and final book review in this series- for the Gilded Wolves trilogy! 

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We made it! This was the first series review that I've done here on my blog and my bookstagram, and though it was tiring- and took way too long- it was really really fun and rewarding! I'm very proud of the progress I've made with this trilogy, Roshani Chokshi's writing in this series is impossible to find elsewhere. 

I also wanted to take this post to thank everyone so much for all the love you've been giving me on my bookstagram! We hit 300 followers and I'm really grateful to be part of the booksta community <33 

As always, for more pictures like the one above, updates, and annotating content (I did quite a bit for this book), head over to my Insta! (@saphsbookblog)

Alright, let's jump into the review! 

[Blogger's Note: This book did make me slightly emotional (more than I'll ever admit) so I apologize if my writing sounds a wee bit dramatic.]

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I had a lot of high expectations going into The Bronzed Beasts, since it was the end of a trilogy- the end of an era. 

I think its safe to say that they were definitely fulfilled!

This book is the first book that I seriously put thought into annotating, but I feel like I might have overdone it a bit, because- like any Roshani Chokshi book- there were just so many impactful quotes to highlight. 

In fact, the perfect word to describe this book is impactful. Once I was finished it and read the breath-taking ending, I found myself thinking about the book for the entirety of my day, still pondering over how a single paragraph can take my breath away and leave a sense of satisfaction/curiosity at the same time. 

Roshani Chokshi steps it up and raises our standards with every book in this series. Just when you think her beautiful writing can't get any more heart wrenching- it does. The way she mixes politics and colonialism with fantasy and folklore and ties it together in one romantic plot is something to be admired. 

[Blogger's Note Pt.2: I think we all know about my withstanding affection towards Roshani Chokshi's writing, so I'm sure most of you aren't surprised. Is it really a Sincerely, Sapphire book review if I don't mention how great her work is at least once?] [That was a rhetorical question.]

An element in The Bronzed Beasts that was amplified in this novel is family. I loved how the characters came together and became family in the end, with emotional/personal bonds and affections towards each other stronger than they originally were. It was both sweet and beautiful to witness the exponential growth of these characters and their relationships, especially the "main" character- Severin. 

The way his character was written and portrayed blew me away, his growth was undeniably one of the most substantial compared to some of the other MC's. The positive changes in his character were showcased clearly for readers to understand, and I love how he became the generous, kind person he used to be.

Gorgeous Zofia art by @jadeddraws on instagram!

The plot played a big role in the growth of the characters, as their experiences are what shaped them. For the most part, I'd say the plot was pretty intriguing and kept me reading. I especially loved the plot twists we got in The Bronzed Beasts, more so than the ones in its predecessors. These plot twists were pretty rare throughout the book, making each one more impressive. 

The thing with the plot, though, was that the time frame/the space between each major event in the story seemed to get larger. Because of this- at some parts of the novel- it felt a bit bleary, like the story was dragging on to slowly make its way to the next major event/climax. There would be little blurbs of information (like for example, something the characters randomly remember about their childhood) that felt a lot like "fillers" to make the novel longer. 

I honestly didn't mind too much, but I would've preferred if the book went a bit faster nearing the climax. A clearer plot would also be ideal, since it was a bit confusing and complicated- but its part of the Gilded Wolves series so...when is it not? The ending was amazing though, making the wait and all that time reading worth it.

Another thing I really need to address about The Bronzed Beasts is the romance. Some of the romance in this book felt like a breath of fresh air, while the more major romance (between characters Laila and Severin) were very intense and tension filled. The romantic aspect of this book played a huge role in the novel, and it was definitely heart-wrenching at times. I mean, I think the words imprinted on the cover speak for themselves. 

So dramatic. I love it.

Now, onto the most popular part of this book that everyone's going crazy over- the ending.

Honestly, everyone's reactions are 100% justified because WOAH. That ending was painful and truly destroyed me, in like the best way possible.

(This meme is from Elena's review on Goodreads, I highly reccomend reading it if you've already read the book [because of spoilers] as she puts our emotions into words perfectly.)

After I finished reading that ending/the epilogue- I'm not even exaggerating- I closed the cover, took a deep breath, exhaled...and lost it.

WHAT WAS THAT FOR MRS.CHOKSHI??

Truly one of the most torturous endings I have ever read, and boy did I have questions. I definitely would have appreciated some more clear context in the falling action part of the storyline, about the whereabouts of a specific character. Other than that, that ending both intrigued me and ruined me at the same time. It would be really cool if there was like- a novella talking about the future of the characters, since that definitely piqued my curiosity. 

All in all, quite a haunting ending- and a haunting series.

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🌹--> I'm really happy that I stuck with this series till the end, because I really did enjoy the experience. I think it'll be a while before I do another consecutive review set for a series, since this was a lot more work than it looks like. 

🌹--> I enjoyed the photography aspect a lot! Huge shoutout/thank you to my mother for letting me use her many dresses as backdrops for all the pictures ;)

Thank you so much for sticking with me till the end of this series, and I'll see you next time!

<3 

Sincerely,

Sapphire