Eighteen-year-old Herric, youngest son of the Wolf King of Athgar, never wanted power, and certainly not his father's crown. But in a land threatened by invading barbarians, Herric believes he has no choice. With one brother already slain by barbarian axes and the other imprisoned for practicing forbidden magic, Herric abandons his dreams of scholarship and learns to be a warrior.
Wolf's Cub (The Hope of a Thousand Years Duet)
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In a fantastical land wracked by civil war and practitioners of the "Black Arts," the unwilling hero of Wood's first novel soldiers on to defend his father's land. After one of his brothers dies in battle, and another is "caught making blood sacrifice to the Forbidden powers," the bookish Prince Herric succeeds to the throne, abandoning his true love to make an advantageous match to the witchy beauty Elaine. Arthurian battles, rich with blood, longswords and whinnying roans, proliferate as the enemy multiplies and Herric comes to realize that his true nemesis is Master Worgan, shaper of spells. Though Wood spends more time on the political and military elements of her plot than some fantasy devotees might wish, she renders well the grim physical and psychological effects of war. Fantasy readers looking for a new voice, especially one more realistic than mystical, may find what they like here.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"Fantasy readers looking for a new voice, especially one more realistic than mystical, may find what they like here." -- Publishers Weekly, October 26, 1998
"Mackay Wood twists and turns her tale of fantasy to keep you riveted to the edge of your seat." -- Rita D. Longsdon, Eclectic Book Reviews, Vol. 6, Issue 2, January-April 1999
"Medievalists and fantasy quest enthusiasts should enjoy this engrossing debut." -- Library Journal, November 15, 1998
"Mackay Wood twists and turns her tale of fantasy to keep you riveted to the edge of your seat." -- Rita D. Longsdon, Eclectic Book Reviews, Vol. 6, Issue 2, January-April 1999
"Medievalists and fantasy quest enthusiasts should enjoy this engrossing debut." -- Library Journal, November 15, 1998
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great read and more than what's obvious!,
This review is from: Wolf's Cub: A Fantasy (Paperback)
At first glance Wolf's Cub is a typical "Sword 'n Sorcery" tale, with kings, princes and princesses, knights and warlords, much sword play, and evil magicians. However, a deeper look into this tale of the forced growth of a teen-aged prince into a powerful and beloved warrior king, and the prices he pays to reach this, reveals a detail of character and humanity and level of complexity uncommon to most "S'nS" books. The characters of Prince Herric, his arranged marriage bride, Princess Elaine, and the courtiers, lords and ministers, ladies in waiting, and even down to the churls in a hut where Herric takes shelter from the rain after battle, are sharply drawn, human, and ultimately can be identified with by any reader. One does regret that the characters of the "bad guys" are not so equally balanced and human. This is a story and saga that will suck you in to a story at first fanciful and escapist, but eventually as frustrating and real as life. The reader shares every blow in battle, every fatigue and disappointment in politics, every frustration with a willful and egocentric father, and every day's despair of the war-racked populace. Consequently, you are engrossed in the events of Herric's struggle. But there's another reason besides good writing and a great read, to buy this book. The reader will realize by book's end that he's also just read an allegory about many of the ills we live with today--acid rain, drought and flood, natural disasters, strange, unpredictable weather, and inexplicable enemies, for the world of high Athgar suffers from many of the same. Through the story a theme can be discerned, the theme of the Pattern of the World and its growing imbalance. Then the story becomes one of attempted reconciliation of two long-alienated parts of humanity, the human, practical, logical side, and the magickal, intuitive, psychic side. Then it becomes the story of the new millennium, and the attempts to put those two parts together again. In Wolf's Cub there are two magickal kingdoms: black magic Zalkyrth, and white magic Melgorna. But magic is found in Athgar, too, despite the cultural prejudice against it. So we have the A of Athgar set against the Z of Zalkyrth, with the M of Melgorna balanced between them in allegorical style, and the author's solution is not that one defeat the other, but that like long-separated siblings, they come together to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly recommended!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Wolf's Cub: A Fantasy (Paperback)
The blurb is right--I could not put WOLF'S CUB down. I found this medieval world completely believable, and I rapidly became attached to the characters, especially the hero, Herric. He is everything a fantasy hero should be, but deeply human, too. The climax is heart-pounding, moving, and real. This is the best kind of fantasy because, while it's an epic adventure, resonant with dangerous magic, subtle intrigue, and age-old prophecies, it reflects our world's joys and difficulties, and what it says feels true. I guess this is a small publishing house, and that's too bad, because WOLF'S CUB will get less attention that way, and it deserves a LOT. This is a fabulous read. Buy it. You'll be glad you did.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent debut novel,
By Carol Berg (Colorado) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Wolf's Cub: A Fantasy (Paperback)
I am a sucker for heroes, especially those who grow and change, who discover that adventures can be terrible and costly, and yet go on. Mackay Wood has created a fine hero in young Herric, the bookish prince who would rather do anything than follow the destiny fate offers. His adventures are real and credible, and his growth as a man well drawn.
In addition, the world building in Wolf's Cub is spectacular, believable and sharply drawn, including some of the finest battle scenes in any fantasy I've read. Highly recommended. I look forward to more from this author.
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