Wolfbreed [Paperback]

S. A. Swann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 25, 2009

In this captivating reinvention of the werewolf novel, S. A. Swann propels readers into the darkest days of the Middle Ages, weaving a rare blend of soaring romance, historical intrigue, paranormal thrills, and spiritual questioning to tell a story that forever changes those who hear it.

When a monk inadvertently discovers a lair of werewolf young, he unleashes what will become the Church’s most powerful–and secret–weapon. Clandestinely raised by the Teutonic Order, these lupine creatures serve as instruments of God against pagan unbelievers. Trained to slip into villages cloaked in human form, they are all but unstoppable. Only one, called Lilly, has cunningly fled her brutal master.

Uldolf is too young to remember the massacre eight years earlier that claimed his village, his arm, and his kin. But he knows the pain of loneliness. When he sees what appears to be a beautiful young woman, injured and cowering in the woods, he races to her aid. Uldolf and his adoptive family will do anything to protect the terrified girl, but the danger is greater than they can possibly imagine. For death is the only life Lilly has ever known–and if their humanity can’t pierce the darkness Lilly harbors in her soul, they’ll soon come to know it, too.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Religion and political intrigue turn an adolescent werewolf into a killing machine in this compelling novel of 13th-century Northern Europe. Eighteen-year-old Lilly is superhumanly strong, vulnerable only to silver and trained to help Christians subdue unrepentant pagans. When she slaughters a dozen Christian soldiers and flees into the wilderness, Uldolf, the son of Johnsburg's last pagan chieftain, takes her in. As they come to terms with their histories, the knight Erhard von Stendal comes to hunt Lilly down. Lilly's struggle to reconcile her split personalities—cold assassin and lonely girl—becomes a quest for redemption and love as she endures rape, amnesia and the knowledge of her own terrible actions in the church's service. Swann (Prophets) turns opposing viewpoints into sympathetic perspectives, clearly painting the complex political and religious dynamics of the time. (Sept.)
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Review

“Vivid and visceral, dark and delicious, this one kept me turning pages from start to finish.” —George R. R. Martin, author of A Feast for Crows

“Mesmerizing . . . an exciting, nonstop action-adventure . . . I adored this book.”—Mary Balogh, author of First Comes Love

“A thrilling, deeply moving journey that I never wanted to end.”—Robert Masello, author of Blood and Ice

“Swann’s exquisite werewolf historical brings the era vividly to life as the perfect setting for his conflicted, multidimensional characters. This may be the werewolf book of the year, for, filled with action, romance, gore, and political intrigue, it’s a fresh, page-turning take on werewolf tropes that is not to be missed.”—Booklist

“Religion and political intrigue turn an adolescent werewolf into a killing machine in this compelling novel of 13th-century Northern Europe...Lilly’s struggle to reconcile her split personalities–cold assassin and lonely girl–becomes a quest for redemption and love as she endures rape, amnesia and the knowledge of her own terrible actions in the church’s service. Swann turns opposing viewpoints into sympathetic perspectives, clearly painting the complex political and religious dynamics of the time.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Spectra; Original edition (August 25, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553807382
• ISBN-13: 978-0553807387
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #482,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

S. A. Swann is the pen name of Steven Swiniarski. He's married and lives in the Greater Cleveland area where he has lived all of his adult life. He has a background in mechanical engineering and --besides writing-- works as a Database Manager for one of the largest private child services agencies in the Cleveland area. He has published 18 novels over the past 15 years, which include science fiction, fantasy, and horror. See the author's website for more information: www.sandrewswann.com and also www.wolfbreednovels.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving and tightly-plotted historical fantasy, August 31, 2009

By 

Kelly (Fantasy Literature) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Wolfbreed (Paperback)

Lilly is one of a litter of werewolf children being raised by the Knights of the Teutonic Order in 13th century Prusa (later Prussia). The wolfbreed, as they are called, are subjected to horrifying abuses and trained to become brutal weapons of war. Their purpose: to help the Order massacre Prussia's remaining pagan strongholds.

A theological debate rages between the Order and the Church regarding the nature of the wolfbreed. Are they simply animals, soulless but trainable and possibly useful? Or, are they minions of Satan? The one possibility no one considers: human.

When Lilly escapes from her master in the town of Johnsburg, she is taken in by a farm family and treated as an ordinary young woman. Their kindness breaches Lilly's defenses, and she begins to look at herself through new eyes and to question her upbringing. Her peaceful time with them, however, is not to last. The Church and the Order are hunting her. The horrors within Lilly's mind may be even harder to escape. Can she forgive herself for the violence in her past, and would those who love her be able to forgive her if they knew everything she'd done?

This is a gritty, violent novel, yet there are themes of love and redemption that are often absent from the grittier sort of fantasy. S.A. Swann shows us the worst that humanity can do, but also the best. The surrounding horrors make the moments of beauty all the more effective.

The story is told through several alternating third-person points of view. The different point-of-view sections often overlap in time, allowing the reader to see the same event from different perspectives. This device works well in Wolfbreed, and all of the point-of-view characters have distinct voices.

I highly recommend this moving and tightly-plotted historical fantasy. It won't be for everyone; the gore, rape, and child abuse may be off-putting to some. I should also mention that many of the Christian characters are pretty unsavory, which also might not sit well with some readers. These aspects of the story didn't bother me personally -- I felt that they were realistic in the gritty medieval setting -- but your mileage may vary. As for me, I loved Wolfbreed. As soon as I finished it, I found myself recommending it to friends, and I'd say that's a pretty good sign!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, September 3, 2009

By 

H. rudd (pittsburgh, pa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wolfbreed (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book. You know when a book makes you tear up it is great. I usually read books based on what I read in reviews by romantic times. Luckily I hadn't read the reviews in the scifi section or this one would have been looked over (i only read 4 and above reviews generally). I saw this book in the sci-fi section yesterday, and read it last night. There is no way this is a 3 star book. It is very well written, has a different type of plot and characters from most werewolf books and very real moral and ethical conundrums despite the fantastic setting. This is well worth the cover price and I highly recommend it. 5 stars.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Knock-off, October 11, 2009

By 

Martin J. Thornal "Yandere-Sama" (Moncks Corner) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wolfbreed (Paperback)

First off, I've got to say this. S.A. Swann has delivered one white knuckle of a werewolf novel, full of intense emotion, violence, romance and drama. His concept for werewolves, while not groundbreaking, are extremely well handled. The novel is rich in detail and is obviously a labor of love. I enjoyed it. However, there's something I would like to point out. The author said he was heavily influenced by the anime and manga Elfen Lied in the acknowledgments section

Both Elfen Lied and Wolfbreed feature main female characters who are under lock and key and the beginning and who are capable of great graphic violence against humans.

Both feature a male main character whose traumatic past is linked with the main female character.

There are a number of other similarities, but even as a knock-off, Wolfbreed is a fun fast paced read and I will be waiting for the sequel.