Customer Reviews

Sons of the Wolf

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of Michaels's finest, in my opinion, tied with _Black Rainbow_ for my favorite among her gothics. If you prefer her contemporary romantic suspense novels like _The Dancing Floor_, this is probably not for you. If, however, you love _Jane Eyre_ and books in the true gothic tradition--a sympathetic, adventurous heroine; a sinister villain; a bleak nineteenth-century setting; and increasing suspense and danger--this is a must-read. Michaels also offers her trademark enhancements of the formula in the shape of an engaging, humorous, and genuinely likeable hero (no brooding churl!) and welcome touches of humor. I find the heroine especially enjoyable, unlike Michaels's more recent heroines, who are more abrasive, defensive, and unsympathetic. This is perfect rainy-day or winter reading. If you listen, you can hear the howling of the wolves...

I have read this book numerous times, and each time it gets better. I even bought a hardcover copy because my paperback version is dog-eared and bent in several places because of how many times I have read it. The heroine in this book is especially likeable as is the hero. Even the villian is somewhat likeable because of the talent of the author. This book is in my opinion Barbara Michaels finest work and I have read all her books. Other books I would recommend by this author are "Here I Stay" and "Vanish with the Rose". Also by her other pseudonym Elizabeth Peters, I would recommend the Vicky Bliss mysteries.

Sons of the Wolf has to be Barbara Michaels greatest novel yet. This novel is full of myster and drama.

The novel begins with two sisters Harriet and Ada who have just become orphaned by their grandmother, and are forced to live with a distant cousin. In it they discover two bothers who are total oppostes and who have secrets themselves. Yet the main question circulating throughout the novel is, who is the true wolf trying to devour the innocent sheep like sisters. If you love mystery and dramam I highly recommend you read this novel.

I agree the book was slow at first, but then I could not put it down. I thought the ending was just as it should have been. The writing was superb and kept you wanting to turn the next page. If anyone didn't like the book it was because they must not have liked the fact that she wrote it as a journal. I guess it must be a woman thing.

This novel lacks the sophistication of many of Barbara Michaels' other works, but it offers a good read just the same. You have to get into the gothic spirit of the thing to enjoy it. Sure, it's silly and the wolves aren't that scary - and there are limited possibilities as to who the villain could turn out to be. But if you're a fan of that "windswept moor" kind of suspense novel, complete with carriages, heiresses, castles, and crumbling ruins by moonlight, then you will probably enjoy it. It's certainly not a bad specimen of the genre, and I found it fun to read. But if you're looking for a suspense novel like the author's Stitches in Time or Houses of Stone, you won't find it here. Sons of the Wolf just doesn't have that kind of intellectual breadth and it won't absorb you the same way.

Sons of the Wolf by Barbara Michaels (also known as Elizabeth Peters) is a gothic romance set in the mid 1800s.

The narrative takes the form of a semi-regular journal kept by Harriet Barton. Harriet and her cousin Ada have recently lost their grandmother, who was also their guardian. Having run out of closer living relatives, they are sent to live with Mr. Wolfson, their very distant cousin, and his son Julian. Julian is pleasant, if not particularly bright, and assiduously courts the beautiful Ada. Mr. Wolfson is confined to a wheelchair, and his two wolf-like dogs follow him wherever he goes. Just as Harriet finds herself adjusting to their new home, she encounters a disturbance in the form of Francis Wolfson, the older, previously undisclosed son. The villagers and servants try to warn her about the Wolfson family, but she dismisses their concern as superstition, and determines to hold to her own judgments.

Francis, unlike his brother, seems uninterested in either girl, and finds his joy in stirring up trouble and turning the members of the house against one another. A band of gypsies and a handsome stable boy add complications when Ada is attacked on one of her daily rides, and the two dogs are a constant threatening presence. However, in good Barbara Michaels tradition, things are never as they seem, people's motives are clouded, and Harriet soon discovers a dastardly plot to deprive both girls of their fortune and freedom.

The book is not long, but the plot doesn't come across as worn or trite. Harriet's character is very believable, and the story flows naturally from her eyewitness account. I found it a very pleasant for whiling away a few hours with a cup of tea. I rate it appropriate for 14 and older on the Aardvark scale due to frightening situations and violence.

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This is a beautiful tale of intrigue, romance and suspense. The perfect gothic novel. It was uniquely written as it is in the format of a diary and I found it quite impossible to put down.
Barbara Michaels creates the perfect atmosphere in which you can simply lose yourself in the story. I will most likely read this one again sometime.

This novel starts out slow, but builds to a rather fast ending. The story is written as pages in a diary. Which makes for an interesting story.

Barbara Michaels is my all-time favorite writer. SONS OF THE WOLF was the first book of hers I ever read, and though it is not my complete favorite I enjoyed it, and it's a great story to get started with. The characters are fascinating and the overall effect is spooky and page-turning. Definetly a good read.

I loved the entire story. The characters, the mystery, and the settling give just makes you want to read it over and over again and still be intrigue. When I saw the book for the first time, I looked at its cover first because it seemed promising along with the title that there was a mystery behind it so I bought it and I love. Trust me, if you are a fan of Barbara Michaels and you have not read this yet then read it. It is worth your time trust me.