The Wolf's Torment [Paperback]

S Cardin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 14, 2007

In the mid-1800s, Moldavia is a dark, mysterious country near the Baltic Sea, steeped in mythical legends of vampires, werewolves, and witches. At a young age, Crown Prince Mihai Sigmaringen realizes the legacy of his country when he witnesses his mother’s gruesome murder at the hands of a vengeful witch.

When he comes of age, Mihai goes to England for his education, intent on modernizing his country and ridding it of its dark reputation. His father recalls him to Moldavia to resume his royal duties and find a wife. Mihai reluctantly returns, but his life takes a stunning turn when a werewolf bites his best friend, Viktor.

Despite his distaste for the supernatural, Mihai allows Viktor to stay in Moldavia and watches as Viktor struggles to maintain his humanity. But faced with demons and other paranormal beings, Mihai’s loyalty to his friend may very well plunge his country into chaos.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

S. G. Cardin was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. She received a BS in political science from California Baptist University in 1995 and served in the U.S. Army from 1986–1997. Cardin enjoys exploring European history and the supernatural. She lives in California and works for the LAPD’s communications division.

Product Details

• Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (June 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595417337
• ISBN-13: 978-0595417339
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,653,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephanie Burkhart was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. She received a B.S. in Political Science from California Baptist University in 1995. She served in U.S. Army from 1986-1997 as an MP, and visited the Berlin Wall in 1988, right before it fell. Her interests include exploring European history and watching Dancing with the Stars. Stephanie lives in California and works for LAPD's Communications Division. She writes under a pen name, SG Cardin. She belongs to RWA (Romance Writers of America) EPIC (Electronic Published Internet Content), and is a Moderator on Writing.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Howling Soap Bubbles, April 6, 2008

By 

Floyd M. Orr "Nonfiction in a Fictional Style" (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wolf's Torment (Paperback)

This is Stephanie Cardin's fifth book, and it is the only one of the five that is even a close cousin to the horror genre. Ms. Cardin is generally enamored with television soap operas, romance, and historical fiction, and all these elements come together with a pack of gothic horror critters to create a fine blend in The Wolf's Torment. The story begins slowly and methodically, building into a crescendo of deceit, emotional disturbance, and twisted realities. It's a strange juxtaposition of One Life to Live and The Howling.

The Wolf's Torment is a kind of twisted fairytale in which the handsome young prince marries the princess to whom he has long been betrothed. She is from the neighboring kingdom and their two royal fathers have pledged to unite the two regions in the traditional manner, but the ubiquitous triviality of the story ends there. Many of these characters have been born royal witches; the crown prince's dad is dying of syphilis that he contracted through years of the Bill Clinton Syndrome; and a dope-smoking wolf pack has been tracking the royal family's activities for years! As in most soap operas, there is plenty of lust, jealousy, sex, and backstabbing to keep the reader surprised and entertained, and the author leaves the reader with the impression that the tumultuous saga will continue.

The only reason The Wolf's Torment has not earned a howling five stars is that the compositional style is a little amateurish, the dialog is simplistic and stilted, and there are a few too many proofreading errors scattered throughout the book. This multipart complaint sounds much worse than it is, however. Once you begin clawing your way through the convoluted plot, picking up speed as you run with the pack, you will see exactly how the critical elements rub a little of the sparkle from the text, but the storyline and its mature development are first class. Legendary screenwriter John Sayles had to leave extensive claw marks on the screenplay version of Gary Brandner's seminal but simplistic novel, The Howling. If Ms. Cardin's book were to be made into a movie, Mr. Sayles' talents would not be necessary because The Wolf's Torment is a truly innovative and complete werewolf story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Personal Stake, August 12, 2008

By 

LK Hunsaker "Mainstream Romance Novelist" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wolf's Torment (Paperback)

Let me start by saying I'm not generally a paranormal reader. In fact, this was the first paranormal I can remember reading. I do like historicals and romantic stories, however, so I stretched my wings an extent and gave "The Wolf's Torment" a try. The combination of historical paranormal romance was intriguing.

Cardin has put extensive research into the development of the story and interweaves it easily into the narrative. We get brief bits of history here and there when appropriate, enough to flavor the book and add to our knowledge of Romania. It's enough to lead us to our own research if we decide, but not enough to distract from the storytelling.

Other than minor things such as some extra repetition and a certain word used more often than necessary, at least for my own taste, Cardin has done a nice job with weaving meticulous detail into a romantic story in which we feel we have a personal stake. I would like to have seen more of Viktor before the event that causes his change of paths, as he is the most interesting character in the novel and I think he had much more to tell us. I didn't make much of a connection with Mihai or Theresa as they were both playing parts - but then, maybe that was the point.

What I did really enjoy was considering the struggle between Mihai holding his personal values and trying to bend to adjust to loved ones. The story lets us make our own decision about which he should do even while it is unfolding. Also, we are led to consider what is meant by strength and weakness, and what is love and what is only the disguise of love. There is much to ponder and I found myself thinking of the story even when not reading it. The end is not an end, but a pause, letting us know there is more to this tale in the making. I'm interested in knowing where it will go.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Read, June 29, 2007

By 

C. Rice "Judilynn" (Lost in GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wolf's Torment (Paperback)

The Wolf's Torment is definitely a page turner. You do not want to put it down. It is one of those stories that is written with the skill that will pull you in. S.G. Cardin draws you into the surroundings and to the characters lives. She spins an excellent tale that leaves you feeling like you are actually in the 1800s in Moldavia. Definitely a good read. It is a book that I highly recommend.