Customer Reviews

Wolfsbane Winter

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

 

 

Is it a romance? Is it an action adventure novel? It seemed that the author couldn't quite make up her mind, and the book suffers for it.

Wolfsbane Winter starts promisingly, grabbing the reader's attention with the untested Deryn's first taste of combat (and sex). But after the first situation is resolved, the action stalls.

Enter protagonist #2 - Alana, a woman with uncontrollable psychic abilities. Although we know from the amount of time devoted to her story that she's Deryn's eventual love interest, the two characters don't even meet until the second half of the novel. The author spent too much time detailing the characters' back stories and too little time allowing the characters to develop a relationship. Unfortunately, the back stories weren't that adventurous, and the romance was too little, too late.

The characters finally face danger together, but the climax of the story seems a little flat. I just didn't develop enough of a connection to the characters to feel a sense of urgency about their predicament.

I haven't read any other novels by Ms. Fletcher, although I know she is a popular author. Perhaps this is not her best work. Or perhaps I just prefer action adventure novels to contain lots of action, and romance novels to contain lots of romance.

Jane Fletcher does an amazing job creating worlds, her Celaeno Series is top notch. With Wolfsbane Winter, she has started a new series with a brand new and inventive world. I love it. She provides such detailed environments for the characters to live in it's like another character entirely in the book. This was a great book to read, I enjoyed the adventure and the suspense. It's got a little bit of everything, a little magic with a little bit of the ranger spirit from her Celaeno series thrown in. Nice combination of the two together. I would highly recommend this book to any Fletcher fan and anyone else who is looking for an andventure with a side of love thrown in. It's another great read from a fantastic author.

Another great read by one of my favorite authors. This wasn't the werewolf novel I'd expected (wrong assumption on my part!!) but what I hope to be the first in a series about a new world (or new beginning to an old world?) and it's inhabitants. I felt like I understood the characters and the motivations behind their actions. I also really enjoyed the interaction between Deryl and Alana, as well as the supporting characters. Jane Fletcher knows how to tell great stories, and Wolfsbane Winter is yet another good example of this.

Wolfsbane Winter is about two women who end up in a place they don't want to be, dealing with situations they didn't create and falling into a relationship that neither is sure she wants.

Deryn has dreamed most of her life of joining the Iron Wolf mercenaries and working on the Misery Trail guarding travelers. A profound tragedy early in her life has convinced her that it's best not to have any ties to anyone or stay in one place too long. Sometimes she makes unwise decisions and one of them results in her agreeing to work in a settlement in the middle of nowhere. Alana comes from a noble family and is discovered to have a magical ability that results in her being exiled to the same community. There she becomes a healer and vet and tries to hide her family ties since they could get her killed. Each of the women tries to protect the community in the way she knows best and they find themselves often working together. As they confront marauders, magic and legends from the Time of Chaos, Deryn and Alana develop a deeper relationship which threatens the lives that both of them would prefer to live. Each has to decide if she wants to continue an empty life that suits her needs or take a chance on something that offers more, including the possibility of being hurt.

Jane Fletcher is known for her fantasy stories that take place in a world that could almost be real, but not quite. Her books seem like an alternative version of history and contain rich atmospheres of magic, legends, sorcerers and other worldly characters mixed in with ordinary people. The way she writes is so realistic that it is easy to believe that these places and people really exist. Wolfsbane Winter fits that mold perfectly. It draws the reader in and leads her through the story. There is enough excitement that this is a book that is hard to put down and begs for a sequel. Very enjoyable.

This is a wonderful book with an actual plot and nail biting as to whether a good or bad ending will come at the end of the book. I am very pleased and will buy more Jane Fletcher's books. That is high praise, by the way.

I really enjoyed the altered reality of our future that this author portrayed throughout this book. It's pretty unique as opposed to some other science fiction types where we all end up on different planets. I love that she doesn't just give it all away as to what type of world their living in at the beginning of the book. I could not get enough of the sexual tension that builds up between the two main characters through out the whole book basically until the end. This was such a great book to me that i read it over and over again which is unusual for me because i normally only read books once. I would love to see a continuance of this story in a sequel.

"I love fantasy fiction but my special favourite within that genre is epic or `high' fantasy. With its classic modes of good versus evil, questing for rare items or revenge for fallen comrades, although not on a grandiose scale, `Wolfsbane Winter' contains of a measure of each, with the precious `gem' which might be attained: love's fulfilment.

At times the plotting of the story seemed a trifle forced to me, especially regarding the development of Alana's early story line. At first, this made Alana seem unworthy of my sympathy because her actions didn't seem reasonable to my observation. Thankfully, her character gained more definition and gumption as the pages passed, which perhaps was exactly as the author intended.

In contrast, Deryn's character was much more defined, as were the description of her emotions, actions and surroundings. Witty terms and humour incorporated into the narrative amplified Deryn's strong character into a full-fleshed, thoughtful and very `real' person who was enchantingly both lonely and self-sufficient.

I felt `Wolfsbane Winter' was carefully crafted and built, yet this in no way inhibited flow and pace. Instead, when certain scenes were eventually played out after being hinted at previously or needs expressed by characters were later fulfilled, it was particularly satisfying. When an author has the ability to make me say, "Aha!", that's always a good thing. Also, I particularly enjoyed the writer's contrasting descriptive phrases which helped me not simply visual a scene, but think and build upon it further in my mind creating greater depth in the narrative.

I know some lovers of fantasy still prefer not to read GLBT specific fantasy fiction, but in the case of this novel, they are doing themselves an enormous disservice. `Wolfsbane Winter' is one of those stories where the author does so very many things well the few minor issues I had were easily dismissed as they truly took nothing away from the entertaining qualities of the whole work of fiction. For lovers of adventurous fantasy with a romance that never feels overdone and characters which make each other better, I recommend this highly enjoyable tale of fantasy."

From the review/interview site Flying With Red Haircrow, originally posted at Queer Magazine Online [...]

I've read all of Jane Fletcher's books and though the others were good, I believe this one to be her best so far. I guess this has to do with me being a sucker for good character development.
And even though this book has only 264 pages the author does a pretty good job in that area.
Deryn and Alana are characters you like to get to know. Both are down to earth, grown up women. Which is more than most lesfic books I read this year presented me with.
Also, I liked the plot. The book has a good mixture of both romance and fantasy.
For all those looking for a good read - go for it. You won't regret buying this book.
And it doesn't hurt that this one feels like the start of a new series.

I am a great fan of all Jane Fletchers books but I didn't like Wolfbanes Winter as much as the books she wrote before. The setting and the caracters are promising enough but the story isn't up to the high standards she set with her previous books. I expect that this is the first book of a new series and I sincerely hope that with the next instalment Jane Fletcher will be back as the fantastic writer I came to love.

I really like Fletchers books. I was rather hoping for more Celaeno books. But this is a good read, more of a beginning, an introduction than the real story. This book leaves me wanting more; more answers, more adventures, more dilemmas.