Customer Reviews

Wolf's Blood

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

 

 

Wolf's Blood (2007) is the sixth fantasy novel in the Wolf series, following Wolf Hunting. In the previous volume, Firekeeper and Blind Seer foiled a group of Nexans attempting to open a gate to escape from the island. Afterward, those from the New World called a general meeting of the Nexans to decide their next move, giving them the choice of cooperation or exile. Meddler asked for a favor from Firekeeper, taking a kiss to allow him to manifest on Nexus.

In this novel, five months later, the conquerors of Nexus are stymied due to the dangers of querinalo -- the Fire Plague -- to any newcomers with magical abilities. Having no way of identifying those with magic, reinforcements cannot be brought in from the New World. Since Blind Seer caught the illness, they are even afraid to bring in more yarimaimalom.

Meddler interrupts Firekeeper's dreams to suggest that she search for the source of the illness. The Nexans start looking through their archives, but the ruling council also sends Firekeeper to the New World to ask for assistance from the maimalodalum. The combined searches indicate that querinalo is really a curse developed by a sorcerer named Virim. Firekeeper and Blind Seer set off to find Virim or his descendents.

Firekeeper and Blind Seer travel back to the New World through a gate terminating in New Kelvin. After exiting the gate, they discover Grateful Peace and Citrine waiting for them. Explaining their presence, they arrange for periodic contacts through the gate and resume their journey.

In this story, the Old World nations discover that the Nexus gates are blocked. King Bryessidan of Mires is one of the first to be informed and he calls a meeting of interested parties to discuss the situation. Six other nations send emissaries to the meeting in the Kingdom of the Mires.

The ambassadors, emissaries and Once Dead at the meeting conclude that the government of Nexus has changed hands. They decide to force the gates and invade Nexus. King Hurwin suggests a simultaneous sea invasion of the island. Planning and plotting begin immediately.

This story brings several plot threads to resolution, but not to any final conclusion. Magic seems to be destined to play a more prominent part in the expanded culture of the Old and New Worlds. The new plot elements really deserve a sequel.

Highly recommended for Lindskold fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magical powers, realpolitik and unusual relationships.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I just wanted to write to say how much I have truly loved this series. I find myself now at the end of it feeling that wolf society is perhaps a bit better than the human society I have so long clung too. I'm of course being silly, but I suppose what finally hit me in this last book was just how well written these books are in terms of Firekeeper being of a completley different society in that fundamental things that we just naturally expect in human society don't apply to her and I thought Lindskold did a great job in really seperating that out. I think it's quite challenging for an author to protray a culture that is so different, an animal culture as it were, and to be able to keep them distinctly and honestly different. I'm not sure if I'm being clear but at the end of this book it finally hit me how different firekeeper really is, how different she's always been, and now I just want to be able to read more and more about her.

I will say though that it's probably a good thing the series is coming to an end as I'd found both with this book and with Wolf Hunting that the beginnings of the books were becoming more strained or at least more difficult to get into. But thankfully once I did get into them I was utterly entranced.

Wolf's Blood isn't really what I expected. I couldn't wait to read the others in the series; but this one seems to have gotten off track some how. I read 3 other books while reading it. Kinda a let down.

I have enjoyed these stories from the first book. Although I'm not finished with this last one, I had to comment about the Kindle versions of Wolf Hunting and Wolf's Blood--the only two I've purchased for Kindle. These are two of the WORST electronic books I've tried to read. Although an occasional glitch in punctuation or capitalization is not uncommon in ebooks, I have encountered more of these than usual in the Wolf books. The most disconcerting error has occurred in Chapter 12 of Wolf's Blood. One "page 2" the narrative switched in mid-paragraph from what looks like one chapter to another...changed characters and topics all together! I have no idea how many pages are missing.

I feel like asking for a refund!

The first four Firekeeper books are fantastic. I liked the multiple POVs, the politics, the application of wolf pack logic to human society, the supporting characters, the way the two main wolves have each other's back, the unpredictability of the romances, the mistakes made by the protagonists, the lack of character bloat, and the view of human values and customs by an outsider. But I didn't like books five and six (this book is six) as much, primarily since their main new character - the Meddler - smacked of a convenient and unnecessary Deus ex machina at times. And to be more honest, he annoyed the s**t out of me. Still, I appreciate the amount of space Lindskold gives to wrapping up loose strands at the end. I am very glad I read this series, even if the last two books were sometimes a slog. And don't get me wrong - this book still has Firekeeper's wry comments on humanity.

"True enough," Elise said. "Ah, that's good . .."
This last was addressed to baby Elexa, who had spit milk up all over the cloth Elise had spread over her shoulder. Firekeeper, who had done a little watching of human children. but never of an infant this small, found the entire procedure mystifying.
Was this some sort of offering from baby to mother? Wolves regurgitated their food, but that was at the pup's demand...

Come to think of it, there weren't enough bits like this - perhaps that's what I missed the most after the first four books. In any case, you'll need to read at least book five to understand this book. But if this is the first time you've heard of this series, go read the first four books and only read the last two if you're up to it.

Enjoyed the story and the complications and the major plot twists. It's a fun world and the characters are entertaining.

A couple things I didn't like:

--Still belabored Firekeeper's lack of vocabulary and reading ability. It's okay, WE GET IT ALREADY. (Though, quite frankly, given how smart Firekeeper is, I don't see the point in this character choice except to make her have some flaws, which is rather shallow.)

--Still Tended toward catch-up flashbacks for people who haven't read the first books. A line or two is fine at the beginning, but they should read the previous books if they want the full story.

I'm a bit nit-picky, but there you go. I hope this helps.

If you've read the other books in the series, be warned this is the last story that Lindskold will tell of Firekeeper, and Blind Seer. It all ends with the final page of this novel.

At last you will see the choice our beloved character will make: Is she a human-wolf, or a human-woman?

*Possible Spoilers from 'Wolf's Blood' ~ For myself personally, I was moved by the words Firekeeper uses to explain her feelings for Blind Seer. Most fans wanted this "resolved" through magic, and felt the ending in the book "wasn't enough", but I found it to be true to the world that the author created. I felt satisfied by the end if the novel. When you try it out for yourself re-read Firekeeper's speech at the end before making any hasty opinions.

I will not post any stronger spoiler's for this book, (I don't want to ruin the novel for anybody!) but I will give a brief synopsis:

*Spoilers From: 'Wolf Hunting' a few hints & possible additional Spoilers from 'Wolf's Blood'* In the last novel: Derian, Harjeedian, Wise-Jaguire Truth, Wise-Horse Eshinarvash, Wise-Ravens Lovable & Bitter, Maimalodalum Plik, Firekeeper and Blind Seer travel to the Southern City-States to locate two humans who may have been tricked by a mysterious Voice to follow the ways of Old World Magic.

They discover something so frightening that they all choose exile from their own country(s) to protect those they love back home from death, and invasion.

The Fire Plague still exists, and both Derian & Truth are forever physically changed by the fires of Querinalo {kin-er-en-alo}. Although Querinalo appears to strike only those who journey to the Old World, the Nexus Islands are located in the Old World, and our main characters worry about infecting their homelands with the disease.

In this latest novel the reader will 'travel' to the Old World, and discover along with our favorite characters how the Plague originated, and how they must to stop it from ever stiking again.

But will it be too late to prevent an invasion from the Old World?

This is a wonderful series. I myself have read the series several times because it is truely a story you can become "part of" or "lost in"...whatever you are looking for. Great Author, and I will definetly read more from her...:)

According to the author this is the last book in the series. I have enjoyed all the books in this collection, some more than others. This is one of the 'more than others' books. The author has done a good job of tying up many loose ends, although I wish more time could have been spend with some of the characters, I guess there is only so much room in a book.
To really appreciate this book a reader should be familiar with the story line. I would recommend reading the earlier books in the series.
I also can't help but wonder, given the ending of the book, if the author hasn't left a bit of room for another book.

Jane Lindskold turns Firekeeper's search for the nature of the plague into a journey of the heart... Firekeeper and her friends learn the true meaning of love.