Wolf of Winter, The [Paperback]

Paula Volsky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1994

Dedicating herself to bringing her brother Cerrov, the rightful heir, to the Wolf Throne of Rhazaulle, Shalindra is taken captive in the mountain stronghold of her uncle Varis, the master of the dead who hopes to usurp the crown. Reprint. K.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Using his research into forbidden lore, scholar-prince Varis schemes and murders his way to the Rhazaullean throne. In exile, a young woman and her brother, heirs to the throne, fight to regain their heritage and preserve their lives. Just as 18th-century France served as her model for Illusion ( LJ 11/15/92), tsarist Russia provides the parallel for Volsky's latest fantasy, a dark exploration of the powers of necromancy. Full of brooding atmosphere and ghostly presences, this skillfully executed quasihistorical fantasy belongs in most libraries.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Rhazauelle is a stark, wintry country governed by the Ulor, a ruthless ruler, and threatened by a powerful, underground tradition of necromancy. It's to this black magic that Prince Varis, the frail, tormented younger brother of the Ulor, turns to plot his revenge. With a potion stolen from an ancient sorcerer, Varis summons uneasy spirits and systematically kills the heirs who block his rise to the throne. Finally, only the children of his older brother, 13-year-old Cerrov and his younger sister Shalindra, stand in Varis' way. Before her death, the children's mother secreted them away to safety, and Varis rules unchallenged for 12 years. But now Cerrov and Shalindra have raised an army and are returning to claim their inheritance. Varis, backed by his ghostly army, is confident of his success, especially after he captures Shalindra and holds her hostage. But he has underestimated Cerrov and Shalindra's cleverness and determination. Volsky deftly juggles the complex plot and supernatural elements while preserving the humanness of the characters. Varis, in spite of being guilty of fratricide, infanticide, and general nastiness, is surprisingly sympathetic. From intriguing opening to satisfying conclusion, this is pure entertainment. Highly recommended for all fantasy collections. Candace Smith --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Spectra (December 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553568795
• ISBN-13: 978-0553568790
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,672,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shakespeare, anyone?, July 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Wolf of Winter, The (Paperback)

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm hooked on Paula Volsky. I'm also hooked on Richard III, which is one of the many reasons I love this book. Think Richard III in Russia with Necromancy. And once you've done that, realize that Volsky makes it work. It's an amazing read. Do you sympathize with Varis? Yes. Do you loathe him? Yes. Do you want him to win? Yes, kind of. Do you want him to be defeated? Not really... but he deserves it. Don't let the other reviews fool you, either. The ending is perfect. It may not be the reader's ideal ending, but it is the perfect result of the excesses of blood and power that the amazingly sympathetic yet bloody Varis deals in. No sequel or rewrite needed; Volsky hits it perfectly.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Wolf of Winter, February 25, 2005

By 

not4prophet (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wolf of Winter, The (Paperback)

"The Wolf of Winter" begins with Varis, a youngest of three brothers in the royal family, suffering from much mockery for his physical handicaps. Fleeing to a remote hideaway in the mountains, he soon gets tempted by the dark magic of necromancy. Without any doubt, this opening section is the high point of the novel. Varis does not want to be a necromancer. He knows that use of the magic, and of the various drugs needed to achieve spectral power, eventually drives users insane. He knows, but he can't stop. He becomes addicted to drugs, to magic, and to the power that it brings. The portrait of addiction here is strikingly realistic, and indeed for those expecting just a standard swords of sorcery outing this may catch you by surprise. As others have said, it makes Varis a unique villain. We get caught between our loathing for his actions and our sympathy for the way that fate seemed to trap him. These first few chapters are so deep and conflicted, it makes you wonder whether Volsky had some experience with addiction in a friend or family member that led her to create this character.

Regretably, the rest of the book doesn't maintain the same high level. First of all, the reader must suffer a long, boring midsection that keeps Varis offstage while instead focusing on the Prince and Princess in exile. And in contrast to the excellent characterization at the start, many of the minor characters are mere stick figures. For instance, the academics at Frule at are little more than a tedious punch line.

In the end, Volsky seems afraid to push this story to its full potential. At one point she briefly mentions that after coming to power, Varis actually passed a number of reforms that improved life dramatically for the ordinary people of his kingdom. This raises the question, should we support a ruler who murdered and schemed his way to the throne if he proves a good ruler? Raises the question, but never answers it. The entire subject is merely dropped in favor of a pyrotechnic ending.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Definite Richard the III parallel, February 7, 2003

By 

C. A Baker (Santa Rosa CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wolf of Winter, The (Paperback)

Like all of Paula Volsky's books she has taken a classic tale/historical event and added magic etc..
This retelling of Richard the III is fantastic full of disgust, pity and mesmerism!
Varis is as facinating as his historical counterpart and the tale is very engrossing.
The only reason I gave it 4 stars is it isn't quite as good as Illusion, not nearly as detailed or totaly hypnotizing.
But is well worth buying and on the list of all her other books this is definitly number 2 after Illusion, followed closly by her most recent novel The Grand Ellipse. Her other books are good but aren't nearly as good as these 3...