Rating: 
Summary: Excellent tribute to Marie de France
Review: 'The Wolf Hunt' is a tribute to twelfth century poet Marie de France and based on her 'Lai de Bisclavret'. Author Gillian Bradshaw set her story in Brittany near the end of the eleventh century. The story itself has already been dealt with extensively by other reviewers so I'll refrain from that.I was overjoyed to have finally discovered an excellent werewolf tale after plowing through several very weak efforts in this genre. With the heroine Marie Ms. Bradshaw provides the reader with a feministic twist on the original 'Lai', and delves much deeper into the matter than Marie de France does. Medieval Breton society is very well researched and richly portrayed, characterization is excellent and deep. And Marie she's an eminently likeable, strong and intelligent heroine! Just the person to reveal the prejudices and fears regarding (were)wolves, which are thoroughly explored by the author. The hero Tiarnan eventually becomes a tragic character, but for him his secret is not a curse but a blessing. It is as essential for him as breathing! The author cleverly avoids all the pitfalls of the lycanthropic genre and brilliantly portrays Tiarnan's dual nature, thus creating an unforgettable hero. Fine supporting characters are to be found here as well, I was fond in particular of Tiher, Duchess Havoise and Duke Hoel. Gillian Bradshaw is right the 'Lais' by Marie de France deserve to be better known and 'The Wolf Hunt' is a wonderful tribute which you should, in my opinion, read!
Rating: 
Summary: The Wolf Hunt
Review: A crossgenre novel which works as historical fiction, romantic fiction and a werewolf story, The Wolf Hunt is a retelling of a medieval tale by Marie de France. The less-familiar Breton setting is pleasant here, and though the historical portrayal isn't deep or complex, it seems reasonably accurate. The magical elements work well. The identity of Isengrim isn't ever supposed to be a mystery or surprise -- the tension lies in how he can ever change himself back -- and it's nicely handled. Characters are mostly appealing, but I never really bought Alain and Eline as villains. They seem like young people in over their heads, and their apparently genuine affection for each other makes them endearing. In addition, the lack of any closure with Tiher, the heroine Marie's secondary suitor, disappointed me. (I really thought she should have married him, but this wasn't that kind of book.) The plot moves along well and never lost my interest.
Rating: 
Summary: Medieval Magic Realism
Review: A scrupulous and compelling work of historical fiction spiced with a dash of fairy tale, this wonderful Gillian Bradshaw novel is in a category of its own - medieval magic realism. Based on a 12th Century "lay" (or troubadour romance) by Marie de France, the story presents a fantastical premise within a gripping realistic conext and ponders the very human notions of honor, betrayal, identity and longing. The shapeshifting abilities of the hero, Breton huntsman-knight Tiarnan, is treated like any addiction; he does it for the rush, the thrill of heightened sensory awareness. And, like most addictions, he's tried and failed to stop. But his secret passion has unexpected consequences for his silly and scheming new bride, her ambitious former suitor and the fate of his entire estate and the people who love and respect him. There's also a sly nod to the "Beauty And The Beast" legend, although in this case, a beauty is responsible for transforming the hero into a beast, while a somewhat lesser beauty (but a much more valuable woman) restores him. Bradshaw ingeniously invents a character named Marie (in hommage to the poetess herself) to quietly assume the role of heroine, but in other respects sticks close to the plot of the original lay. Medieval court life is brought to vivid, robust life, while issues of betrayal, redemption and, yes, love, are beautifully handled. An irresistible story that makes for a delightful read.
Rating:
Summary: She's Done It Again
Review: Gillian Bradshaw has done it again. When I realized where the plot was going, I wondered, "Why is she doing this?" Later that sleepless night, as the tears streamed down my cheeks, I realized the reason. Because she can. Gillian Bradshaw can make me believe just about anything. She tackles outrageous themes with grace and skill. She never offends me (and that's an easy thing to do). My entire family saves Gillian Bradshaw books for special occasions. My brother enjoyed "The Bearkeeper's Daughter" while he had his heart catheterization. My Mom was kept entertained in her last days in the nursing home by "Imperial Purple." If you love Gillian's work, get a copy of this book. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A good hero and an even better heroine
Review: I like historical fiction, and so I decided to check this book out. The beginning almost made me disappointed, but the by the end I couldn't put it down. It is quite engrossing and kept me on edge, even though the ending was qutie predictable. But the tortures the characters went through sincerely moved me. I recommend this book for anyone who is quite bored and would like to find some entertainment for a couple of hours. The villains' inner thoughts are thoroughly explained, so that they become humans instead of just the "villains." The heroine was perhaps not as well in depth, and was quite pious, strong, and good. And the hero as well.
Rating:
Summary: A good hero and an even better heroine
Review: I like historical fiction, and so I decided to check this book out. The beginning almost made me disappointed, but the by the end I couldn't put it down. It is quite engrossing and kept me on edge, even though the ending was qutie predictable. But the tortures the characters went through sincerely moved me. I recommend this book for anyone who is quite bored and would like to find some entertainment for a couple of hours. The villains' inner thoughts are thoroughly explained, so that they become humans instead of just the "villains." The heroine was perhaps not as well in depth, and was quite pious, strong, and good. And the hero as well.
Rating:
Summary: Satisfying Medieval Fantasy
Review: I tried to think of another book this one was like, but the nearest
comparison that came to mind was the movie Ladyhawk. Wolf Hunt
combines a medieval setting and characters with Breton fantasy to
create a very satisfying read. Based on the Lai de Bisclavret by the 12th century poet Marie de
France, Ms. Bradshaw takes the theme of the shape changer and
populates the story with interesting characters. The heroine, Marie
Penthieve of Chalandrey, is the inmate of a convent when she hears
that her brother is dead. This means that she is the heir to
Chalandrey, a rich manor in a strategic area between Brittany and
Normady. Her father's overlord is Duke Robert of Normandy. but she
is tricked away from her convent by the men of Duke Hoel of Brittany. Fleeing from her captures she falls into the hands of outlaws and is
rescued by Tiarnan, Duke Hoel's best loved knight. Marie is
captivated by Tiarnan, but he is affianced to the beautiful Lady
Eline. Shortly after his marriage though, Tiarnan disappears and Lady Eline
comforts herself for her loss by marrying a penniless knight named
Alain. Meanwhile there appears in the village a wolf with more than
natural abilities, a wolf that Alain is determined to hunt down and
destroy. Marie, in the meantime, is trying to think of a way to prevent
herself from becoming a bone of contention between Duke Robert and
Duke Hoel, mourning Tiarnan and keeping at bay the attentions of Alain's older and more honorable cousin. Then Alain sends to Duke Hoel and suggests that he might enjoy
hunting the extraordinary wolf that is stalking Tiarnan's former
lands. This is a book that can keep a reader up all night. The harshness of
Medieval life is not overplayed, but it is also not downplayed. The
character of Marie who is both intelligent and forceful contrasts
with the character of Eline whose unthinking, selfish actions set in
motion the events leading to her own downfall.
Rating:
Summary: Satisfying Medieval Fantasy
Review: I tried to think of another book this one was like, but the nearest
comparison that came to mind was the movie Ladyhawk. Wolf Hunt
combines a medieval setting and characters with Breton fantasy to
create a very satisfying read. Based on the Lai de Bisclavret by the 12th century poet Marie de
France, Ms. Bradshaw takes the theme of the shape changer and
populates the story with interesting characters. The heroine, Marie
Penthieve of Chalandrey, is the inmate of a convent when she hears
that her brother is dead. This means that she is the heir to
Chalandrey, a rich manor in a strategic area between Brittany and
Normady. Her father's overlord is Duke Robert of Normandy. but she
is tricked away from her convent by the men of Duke Hoel of Brittany. Fleeing from her captures she falls into the hands of outlaws and is
rescued by Tiarnan, Duke Hoel's best loved knight. Marie is
captivated by Tiarnan, but he is affianced to the beautiful Lady
Eline. Shortly after his marriage though, Tiarnan disappears and Lady Eline
comforts herself for her loss by marrying a penniless knight named
Alain. Meanwhile there appears in the village a wolf with more than
natural abilities, a wolf that Alain is determined to hunt down and
destroy. Marie, in the meantime, is trying to think of a way to prevent
herself from becoming a bone of contention between Duke Robert and
Duke Hoel, mourning Tiarnan and keeping at bay the attentions of Alain's older and more honorable cousin. Then Alain sends to Duke Hoel and suggests that he might enjoy
hunting the extraordinary wolf that is stalking Tiarnan's former
lands. This is a book that can keep a reader up all night. The harshness of
Medieval life is not overplayed, but it is also not downplayed. The
character of Marie who is both intelligent and forceful contrasts
with the character of Eline whose unthinking, selfish actions set in
motion the events leading to her own downfall.
Rating:
Summary: The Wolf Hunt
Review: I've run the gauntlet on werewolf fiction, and picked up the novel on that angle rather than on the historical richness of it. I'm overly familiar with the "snowbound castle with monster unleashed" or "pitchfork bearing peasants chase down monster" tales done, redone, and done again. With the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series rolling along in general popularity, werewolves have taken another turn, such as they have in the novel Bitten. It's not a turn that this reader, specifically, is fond of. Wolf Hunt has very strong characters in the sense that they are both believable, different, entertaining, and hold fast to their own morals and ideals. Anita and Bitten tend to be more trendy and modern, but also lean into being more than a little promiscuous, leading into sex scenes which come across as more of a dark fantasy put on paper. Wolf Hunt, on the other hand, is a tale very well spun, and although it lacks the white knuckle-page turning of Anita or Bitten, it has much more credibility and more solid characters. I wasn't aware of the poem it was based on, but there is also a folklore story which tells much the same, tragic tale which was expanded upon in this book. This lends to the feel of history I got from it. You get a very real, enjoyable sense of history through Wolf Hunt, and as mentioned, being in on the secret in no way spoils the fun. This book is one I would recommend to friends, both male and female alike. It is, simply put, a very good and enthralling story which will stick with me and be reread. While this is a love story, it is not a romance novel. By romance, I think someone like Krinard with her werewolf romance novels such as Prince of Shadows. While there is an element of love here, it isn't the usual template of a romance novel (we've all seen them, the sorts with the male portion of the story looking dashing and often shirtless, or perhaps a beautiful lady in a swoon over him on the cover.) Here, you have a generally solid feel for the love, love betrayed, and other mirrors of the every day, human condition. The love story does move on somewhat quickly, and the lead female character does fall in love in a hurry, but it doesn't go too far out on a limb to become utterly unbelievable. I also throughly enjoyed the feel for what life may very well have been like in medieval Europe, and the day to day lives which are glossed over in dry accounts of history found in actual history textbooks. This gave a sense of what family, social, and day to day living might have been. This is, by far, a better read in my opinion than the newer trends in werewolf fiction out there. You have more solidity to character and story, sense of history, a tale which holds itself together better, and don't have frivolous sex scenes used as garnish to sell the book.
Rating:
Summary: Love Story, Not a Romance Story
Review: I've run the gauntlet on werewolf fiction, and picked up the novel on that angle rather than on the historical richness of it. I'm overly familiar with the "snowbound castle with monster unleashed" or "pitchfork bearing peasants chase down monster" tales done, redone, and done again. With the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series rolling along in general popularity, werewolves have taken another turn, such as they have in the novel Bitten. It's not a turn that this reader, specifically, is fond of. Wolf Hunt has very strong characters in the sense that they are both believable, different, entertaining, and hold fast to their own morals and ideals. Anita and Bitten tend to be more trendy and modern, but also lean into being more than a little promiscuous, leading into sex scenes which come across as more of a dark fantasy put on paper. Wolf Hunt, on the other hand, is a tale very well spun, and although it lacks the white knuckle-page turning of Anita or Bitten, it has much more credibility and more solid characters. I wasn't aware of the poem it was based on, but there is also a folklore story which tells much the same, tragic tale which was expanded upon in this book. This lends to the feel of history I got from it. You get a very real, enjoyable sense of history through Wolf Hunt, and as mentioned, being in on the secret in no way spoils the fun. This book is one I would recommend to friends, both male and female alike. It is, simply put, a very good and enthralling story which will stick with me and be reread. While this is a love story, it is not a romance novel. By romance, I think someone like Krinard with her werewolf romance novels such as Prince of Shadows. While there is an element of love here, it isn't the usual template of a romance novel (we've all seen them, the sorts with the male portion of the story looking dashing and often shirtless, or perhaps a beautiful lady in a swoon over him on the cover.) Here, you have a generally solid feel for the love, love betrayed, and other mirrors of the every day, human condition. The love story does move on somewhat quickly, and the lead female character does fall in love in a hurry, but it doesn't go too far out on a limb to become utterly unbelievable. I also throughly enjoyed the feel for what life may very well have been like in medieval Europe, and the day to day lives which are glossed over in dry accounts of history found in actual history textbooks. This gave a sense of what family, social, and day to day living might have been. This is, by far, a better read in my opinion than the newer trends in werewolf fiction out there. You have more solidity to character and story, sense of history, a tale which holds itself together better, and don't have frivolous sex scenes used as garnish to sell the book.
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