Customer Reviews

The Wolf's Torment

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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.

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.

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.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/07)


"The Wolf's Torment" takes you into Moldavia in the 1800s. Crown Prince Mihai Sigmaringen is engaged to wed Theresa, a woman of royal blood, whom he has never met. He has also just discovered that his lover is pregnant. When he learns that she has been deceiving him about her feelings for him, he tries to shut his emotions off. Returning home to Moldavia, and trying to do the right thing, he takes her with him to live near the castle. He also brings his trusted friend Viktor with him.

When he meets his future bride, he realizes that she is a true treasure. Neither he nor his bride is aware that she comes from a lineage of witches. Still she seems to have some magical talents. This disturbs Mihai, because his mother was killed by a witch. When Viktor is bitten by a werewolf, he turns to Mihai for help. Viktor complicates matters by having feelings for Theresa. At times he finds himself unable to control the animal in him. He also begins losing his humanity. He is no longer someone to be trusted.

S.G. Cardin has created a wonderful werewolf story. She also involves witches and vampires. In this book, werewolves have special and complicated ties to vampires and witches. Moldavia is rich in supernatural lore. Placing this story here, adds to the mysteriousness of the country. The plot involves intriguing elements that include deception, greed, lust, and betrayal. The key characters Mihai and Theresa are honorable and have good hearts. What makes the story really interesting is how the people around them commit heinous acts to try to deceive them. They catch themselves falling into traps set for them. Sometimes it is too late.

I really enjoyed "The Wolf's Torment." It is refreshing to read a novel that is different from the standard supernatural tales. Taking away the supernatural elements, the underlying story is still really interesting. Cardin puts you inside the heads of her characters and makes you feel their torment. I look forward to the sequel. Do not miss this one.

Book received free of charge.