Wolfking [Hardcover]

Bridget Wood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 1991

Wolfking is a fairy tale for adults with echoes of the Brothers Grimm; it tells of nature red in tooth and claw, and a time of epic adventures.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Life in Ireland after nuclear war is hard and colorless, governed by laws designed to curb the excesses that led to the Earth's near destruction. Among the war's legacies are eerily glowing patches of ground that, for unknown reasons, have become taboo. One such patch lies on the farm of Michael O'Connor, whose son Flynn dreams of Ireland's mythical past and yearns for Joanna Grady, who returns his longing. When Joanna is betrothed by her father to a pig farmer, she escapes into the Glowing Lands, followed by Flynn, who knows the truth--that the patches are gateways to the past. The fantasy that unfolds holds few surprises: it soon becomes clear that the two will succeed in returning the medieval Wolfking to his rightful throne. The pace, especially at first, is plodding. When Wolfking's enemies--the hideous Three Sisters of Muileann and the evil Erl-King--make appearances, the action picks up a bit, but some scenes are overly graphic, particularly one involving the cannibalization of live victims. This lengthy first novel finally winds down with a pat ending to a rather lackluster love triangle.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In post-Holocaust Ireland, the glow of irradiated lands conceals doorways to the distant past. Fleeing a forced marriage, a young woman enters the mysterious realm of Celtic myth and becomes enmeshed in an ancient struggle for the throne of Tara. This first novel captures the feel of the Irish age of heroes. Wood's characters are both larger than life and supremely human in their loves and passions. Libraries with a demand for historical fantasy should consider this title.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Headline Book Publishing (March 7, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747202907
• ISBN-13: 978-0747202905
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,976,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for those of questionable fantasies, August 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Wolfking (Mass Market Paperback)

I thought this was an excellent book. Not for the youngeraudience, to be sure, but I found it erotic and captivating. I onlywish I could find a copy for purchase. Some would judge it slow, but Ms Wood took the time to develop the characters so that the reader became part of the story, not just an observer. Excellent work.

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely riveting celtic fantasy., December 18, 2006

By 

Anniina Jokinen (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wolfking (Mass Market Paperback)

One of the best Celtic fantasy novels I've ever read. Not easy to find now, but worth it if you do.

Premise: A nuclear war has occurred and the world has reverted to an almost medieval order, both socially and technologically. There are fields one is not allowed to enter, called "the glowing lands" because they glow with radiation at night. The heroine must hide there, and finds that the borders between present and ancient Ireland have thinned, and she finds herself in the age of mythology, where the Wolfking still rules and myths like the Erlking walk the lands. Riveting. Superb. Get this, you won't regret it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wolfking, December 18, 2006

By 

C. Thurber "Bibliophile" (VA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wolfking (Mass Market Paperback)

I have no idea how I came to own this book, but I was bored one day and was searching for something to read when I found it. I had passed over it several times because I thought that the plot would be rather dull--sort of Conan-esque. I read the back, then read it again. "Wait a minute," I thought. Did it really say it was post-Apocalyptic with time travel and a wolfman lover? I read the back again and I could not believe that I had missed this!

The premise turned out to be fascinating. I am interested in end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it books, as well as Celtic lore and mythical (and sometimes horrifying) beasts. Ms. Wood managed to combine these unlikely elements in a book that left me begging for more of her work. In the (not so far off future) of post-Apocalyptic Ireland, people have unfortunately returned to the days when men were superior and marriages were decided on by the parents. This didn't make the feminist in me too happy, but as it is entirely possible, given what I know about history and anthropology, I let it pass as being part of a different culture.

I forgot about my previous grumbles about the quirks of the society as I quickly became passionately invested in the characters. I alternated between shouting at them and cheering them on. All of the characters seemed fleshed out, with frailities and fears, but the reader is treated to a marvelous coming-of-age story as the young Joanna discovers strengths that she did not know she had.

The more I read, the more I NEEDED to know what would happen next. The plot twists had me re-reading a few times to be sure I grasped what had just happened, but I didn't mind reading fine prose again. The dialogue was snappy and believable, and while some parts of the book had a dark surrealistic theme, everything made sense within the context of ancient (to us) lore.

There are some heart-breaking scenes, as well as some grotesque and some erotic. The ending left me in tears, but I knew that in terms of literature, it had to happen like that.

I am telling you, neither the cover nor the back desciption can do justice to this work. My own paltry words can not express the greatness of this work. I began Wolfking with low expectations, but before I had read six pages, I was enthralled with this world.

This is an unusual book, in an unusual genre. If you are looking for something different, then I encourage you to find a copy of Wolfking at once.