Customer Reviews

The Wolf King

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

"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.

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.

Excellent continuation to the Silver Wolf. We get to see a deeper view of the life that Reagene has found and formed with her new husband. Also included is a good look into the changing Roman world and the politics behind it. A good adult fictional read, just enough real information to hold interest with just enough supernatural to keep it exciting.

This novel is set in the time of Charlemagne (Charles the Great). In particular, it is during his invasion and conquest of Lombardy in the later 8th century. His grandfather, Charles Martel ("the Hammer"), had defeated the Saracens near Poitiers in 732, and again near Narbonne in 737. Charlemagne set out to create a Christian empire. The novel skips back and forth between characters and locations as various subplots run in parallel. It includes shape changers (wolf to man), spirits, church politics, petty kings and robber barons, and fratricide. Sexual content and violence give the novel a PG-13 rating.

Charles Martel's son, Pepin the Short, himself descended from Clovis I, had married Big Footed Bertha, daughter of the Count of Laon, also a descendent from Clovis I. He seized the throne from Childeric and formed an alliance between the Franks and the Pope. He was survived by two sons, Carloman II and Charlemagne. It was common practice during that time period to murder nephews in order to prevent rival claims on the throne (an alternative was to have them castrated or mutilated). When Carloman died, his widow fled to Lombardy with her two young sons to protect them from their uncle, and that becomes one of the sub-plots. History does not record what actually happened to the nephews other than the fact that they fell into Charlemagne's hands. It is known that he later forced his oldest son, Pepin the Hunchback, to take vows and become a monk.

On an historical note, Charlemagne had at least 20 children by various wives and mistresses. It is known that Charlemagne's son Louis the Pious, King of France, later deposed his nephew Bernard, at that time King of the Lombards, and had Bernard's eyes burned out.

Night of the Wolf was a bit disappointing, but Ms. Borchardt made up for it with this book, which is really a continuation of the Silver Wolf as it covers Regeane and Maeniel's married life and the intricacies that come with Dark Age (Charlemagne-era) politics. It certainly is different from today's politics. For the most part, Regeane is happily married, but of course trouble is stirring, and this lovely wolf couple have to deal with it.

I was happy to see the reappearance of a few familiar faces (Lucilla and Hugo, for example) and overall I found this novel to be quite satisfying with a bloody but exciting ending. It's a really great look into Dark Ages politics and philosophy (I'm glad I didn't live in this time, at least. It's so barbaric compared to our own!) Whether on its own or as part of the Silver wolf trilogy, this book was a definitely solid and enjoyable read, and educational since there's not that many novels set during the Dark Ages. Two thumbs up!

I loved this story. The whole trilogy was fabulous. The way the author wove in the colorful, grandeur, and beautifully detailed history of Rome in the dark ages with the ancient folklore of shapeshifters was enchanting and mesmerizing. A complete story filled with full action, drama, suspense,(warning***some sexual content and obscene language), and of course a beautiful love story. Alice Borchardt's writing is captivating and prose-like at times, and yet, at others very true to the times and crass when appropriate. I felt like I was there witnessing the events in person. Borchardt took me to another people, place and time and I love it when a book can accomplish that. A very great read!

Alice Borchardt shared a childhood of storytelling with her sister, the best selling novelist Anne Rice, in New Orleans. A professional nurse, she has also nurtured a profound interest in little-known periods of history. She published her debut novel, 'Devoted', in 1995.

This is the third book in the trilogy of the legends of the Wolves. They have all been extremely well detailed with really good storylines, something you do not always get with fantasy fiction. I found all three books well worth reading and I am sorry that this is the last book.

Regeane has been forced to leave her life Maeniel in his stronghold high in the mountains. She is drawn back to the land of her father. Her Saxon roots telling her to defend their lands, their way of life and their very soulds from Charlemagne. Regeane feels in her heart that she has no choice but to try to put a stop to the persecution of her shape shifter kin for ever . . .

Maeniel has brought his mate Regeane and his pack into dealings with humans. They are the alphas of the pack. The setting is at the end of the glory of Rome and chaos abounds. Maeniel is a powerful and very wealthy lord now and his fortress is in a very important location. His cooperation with Rome is needed. There is more focus and background on the secondary characters than in the other two wolf pack novels, but they never shadow Regeane and Maeniel. Too bad this is the last novel about them and their pack to date.

This starts with Regeane's being rescued after an avalanche by a Saxon only to find herself and her rescuer in the clutches of a most evil group of beings. Here, we're first introduced to the Bear entity which at first appears purely malignant and evil, but is developed most interestingly as the story develops. As in the earlier book, we become involved in the political intrigues of the historical period.

There's more humor, grisly though it sometimes is, in this book as the bear spirit encounters and then possesses Hugo. This humor is welcome, because the number of characters with their various intrigues does become a bit much, especially with a couple of inordinately long chapters that leave no convenient breaking points.

There's less emphasis on the relationship between the woman Regeane and her wolf identity, and I miss that.

However, fans of the original book should welcome this one.