The Wolf King [Import] [Unbound]

Alice Borchardt (Author)

Product Details

• Unbound
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (March 2002)
• ISBN-10: 0345455541
• ISBN-13: 978-0345455543
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Regeane and Maeniel help Charlemange vs. the Lombards, August 16, 2001

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Wolf King (Hardcover)

When I started reading the third novel in Alice Borchardt's werewolf series I assumed "The Wolf King" was a reference to Maeniel, the gray wolf, but by the end of the story I had concluded it really meant Charlemagne, the Frankish monarch who is in the early stages of creating the Holy Roman Empire. If "The Silver Wolf" was about Regeane and "Night of the Wolf" was about Maeniel, then "The Wolf King" is not simply about both characters but each of them in turn, along with several others. The narrative begins with a Saxon rescuing Regeane's body from a snowbank only to take refuge in an abbey where they have a deadly encounter with the "bear" spirit she crossed paths with in "The Silver Wolf." However, by the end of the story this conflict has not only ended in a totally unexpected way, but has given way to other concerns. The army of Charles is on the march to bring down the King of Lombardy and when Maeniel does reconnaissance he is captured and condemned to death, not only for being a spy but also a shapeshifter as well. But in the end it is the rush to rescue Lucilla that provides the final conclusion. But while "The Wolf King" ends up being somewhat episodic because of this approach, it remains a compelling story and the fact that no one character assumes the main role as in the previous pair of novels matters little.

I was happy to see the series return to the time of Charlemagne, mainly because it is a time period you do not usually come across in either historical or fantasy novels. My only complaint is that the details peculiar to that time are rather sparse. I do not like to get bogged down in historical minutiae, but I find that every time Borchardt brings out a little tidbit regarding dress or weaponry it fits nicely into the narrative and I would just like to see more of the same. Matrona, Dulcinia, Antonious and even Hugo are back from the first novel while Chiara, Ludolf, Lavinia, Remingus and the Saxon are added to the growing roster of bold characters who flesh out Borchardt's fascinating world. Again Borchardt is telling of the time when Western Civilization was rising up out of the Dark Ages to finally turn its back on its barbaric past. There is a wonderful little scene where you can argue we are witnessing the birth of the modern democratic spirit. "The Wolf King" is a rich tapestry that weaves history and fantasy into a seamless whole. Now that I am all caught up I look forward to the next volume in the series.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good read but..., March 4, 2001

By 

caledon murray (anywhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wolf King (Hardcover)

"The Wolf King" is a good read but a little disappointing. It is more plot-driven than character-driven as compared with "The Silver Wolf" and "Night of the Wolf." I was hoping that Maeniel would have a more prominent role because he's one of the main characters; he almost just faded away near the end. Like the previous books, this one has loose ends -- a lot of situations by many minor characters are left unresolved. Hopefully, there's gonna be a 4th in the series.

Anyway, the story is exciting -- though it could do with a lot more interaction between Maeniel and Regeane. This book's also very light on the sex scenes..

And hey, what's with the title? Who is the Wolf King? Maeniel didn't really seem like a king here; he's more like Charlemagne's minion.

But overall, it's OK; could have been better, though, or maybe it's just me and my high expectations. But I still like the book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very intriguing, descriptive read, April 11, 2004

By 

vampyredaemon "Laura" (Westminster, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wolf King (Legends of the Wolves, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

I first read The Silver Wolf a while ago, and while the writing was expressive and wonderfully executed, the storyline was alright. I think Maeniel wasn't in enough of the scenes.

I picked up The Wolf King, third in the series, and finally decided to read it last week. Alice Borchardt's writing is, in my opinion, the type of writing you'd always be interested in because it's descriptive but far from boring. Although there are some mature, questionable scenes, her portrayal of the historical setting and characteristics of the time period is very accurate (almost to a fault because it gets quite graphic). That is why I enjoyed read The Wolf King so much, more than I thought I would.

While The Silver Wolf is good, The Wolf King is slightly better. I like how the story focused on other key characters as well (Hugo, Chiara, Hugo's guest, Lucilla, the Saxon) and interwove their stories to the main plotline. On the negative side, I really didin't like the ending...it just felt abrupt and a little vague. Overall though, the story was great with elements of fantasy and the supernatural. For any readers who liked The Silver Wolf, The Wolf King will not be a disappointment.