Wolf Who Rules [Hardcover]

Wen Spencer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2006

The popular fantasy novel "Tinker" introduced the inventor-heroine of the same name, who lives in a near-future Pittsburgh, which shares an interdimensional border with the land of the elves. In this sequel, "Wolf Who Rules", the elven noble whose destiny is intertwined with Tinker, finds himself besieged from all sides.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The sequel to Tinker (2003) continues the adventures of salvage-yard owner and intuitive mechanic Tinker and Wolf Who Rules Wind, an elflord whose domain now includes most of early-twenty-first-century Pittsburgh, which was transported to Elfhome through a gate. Tinker is now genetically an elf, and she and Wolf are married. Their honeymoon consists, however, of trying to coordinate the mind-sets of humans and elfkind, both between one another and as lord and lady of Wolf's realm. And they also must stave off the attempts of the oni (Japanese demons) to conquer the realm, fight intrigue that includes assassination plots, and build a gate to return those Pittsburghers who wish to return. All of that keeps them busy and the reader turning pages. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

The 2003 John Campbell Award Winner, Wen Spencer spent twenty years living in Pittsburgh, so its only natural that she sets her stories there. Currently she's living outside of Boston with her husband and son. She's a fan of Japanese anime and manga, and it flavors her writing. Tinker, prequel to Wolf Who Rules, won the 2003 Sapphire Award and was nominated for the Romantic Times Review Choice Award for Best Fantasy. Anne McCaffery has listed Wen on her website as one of two recommended authors. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Baen (April 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416520554
• ISBN-13: 978-1416520559
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #942,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Give it time..., April 22, 2006

By 

lwd (California) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Wolf Who Rules (Hardcover)

I actually had to read this one twice before I liked it. I'm going to blame myself for that. I loved Tinker, and was jazzed when Wolf Who Rules was finally released, so I read it very quickly the first time, and almost immediately lost the plot. I was so disappointed, I re-read Tinker, just to remind myself how really great it was, then forced myself to go slowly, and read Wolf Who Rules again. The second time, everything fell into place.

The elves look human but their culture is so very alien, the shocks and surprises in this book happen without warning. The story takes place only days after the first book ends, and Tinker is having to get used to her new body and her emotional reactions after being finally saved from the Oni. The good guys are not always good, the bad guys are not always bad, and the wacky dreams Tinker is having are adding to the confusion.

It is a wonderful book, but not an easy one. Read it slowly, give yourself time to enjoy it, you won't be disappointed.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wolf Rocks, August 10, 2006

By 

B. Newsom "knyghtmareru" (Shreveport, LA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wolf Who Rules (Hardcover)

I went into this novel expecting it to be centered on the Title Character. I wasn't far wrong, however the execution of this theory was unique. It certainly gave us a much deeper insight into Wolf Who Rules (aka Windwolf) psyche. But not by following his character the way Tinker (the novel) followed Tinker (the character.) Tinker, herself, was still the main vehicle of the novel as she is plunged into the mystical world of elven life. life tended to get in the way of the physics as she had to learn to understand the complex relationships between the castes and kin of the elves and to a bewildering extent the tengu as well, in addition to her own newly discovered familial (or perhaps I should say genetic) relations. Struggling to absorb the different aspects of her life and new physiology (expecially her new magical/mystical vulnerabilities through her transformed elven genetics), Tinker takes us on a organic ramble through the elven country-side of Pittsburg instead of the scientific race that we gasped through in the first novel.
All in all WWR's was a highly interesting look into Windwolf's life (the life of a domi on elfholme) through Tinker's eyes. Different in flavor from the novel "Tinker" but a solid and highly enjoyable sequel.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wishing I was Tinker...., December 13, 2006

By 

Jenine Wilson "Lover of fantasy" (Western, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wolf Who Rules (Hardcover)

Tinker is the genius human turned elf who is just realizing the repercussions of her plan to stop the Oni from invading both Earth and Elfhome by the smashing of the interdimensional gates which tie the worlds together. Unfortunately her plan, while having been moderately successful, has stranded the city of Pittsburgh on the world of Elfhome. More than that Tinker has discovered a large discontinuity, an area which seems to be in flux between the three (or more) worlds.

Wolf Who Rules, also known as Windwolf, is the elf viceroy who has fallen in love with Tinker, changed her to elf so as not to lose her to her human frailties, and has made her his Domi. All too aware of his responsibilities Windwolf finds himself constantly deserting his new wife while she is still trying to adapt to her new world and is trying to put right the world altering damage she has caused.

Wolf Who Rules is a delightful follow-up to the story Tinker. In fact, I believe I may like this sequel even better than its predecessor. Windwolf and Tinker are constantly torn apart by their respective duties and obligations but even without knowing they seem to be in tune and foraging towards a common goal. Tinker is also confused by her feelings for her sekasha, Pony, although the other elves do not understand her very humanlike discomfort in these feelings.

Filled with action, adventure, science, fantasy and romance, Wolf Who Rules has it all. My only complaints is that in the rare parts where Windwolf and Tinker are actually together it seems like the emotions are carefully glossed over, as though the author was consciously trying to keep the emotional depth to as bare a minimum as possible. In contrast the scenes betweeen Pony and Tinker resonate with more emotional depth. I would definately recommend Wolf Who Rules to anybody with a taste to fantasy/sci-fi mixes.