Rating: 
Summary: Old Yeller....someone shoot this dog.
Review: We can give Ms. Rice's sister credit for two things. A book deal and the ability to string together sentences, plot and development to a conclusive end. What exactly those sentences are about, what the plot of this book was or what its developing into.....well.....shhhhh! Only Alice knows. And she's keeping it a tight secret. It would be nice to be let in on it because there are so many things going on in this book that there was the possibility for a good story.
Does she have an editor? Someone to create a cohesive thought from this? The book has about 15 major characters who talk and talk and talk about a war, loyalty to a King and at various points are either werewolves or marauding spirits. I often accuse books of being simplistic in their writing style therefore dumbing down the content of the plot but in truth this book suffers from the opposite. A writer who is capable with words but not plot and characters. The whole fantasy/gothic market seems to be hot and a werewolf trilogy seems logical---which is probably what Anne said to Alice one day. God save us from nepotism!
However there should at the very least be structure and control to writing. This lacks that and therefore meanders and weaves and delves without exploring or truly opening up anything. I found it difficult to read in just form. Can't recommend it. Thank God it was from the library and not a purchase, then this review would've been truly upset.
Rating: 
Summary: Regeane and Maeniel help Charlemange vs. the Lombards
Review: When I started reading the third novel in Alice Borchardt's werewolf series I assumed "The Wolf King" was a reference to Maeniel, the gray wolf, but by the end of the story I had concluded it really meant Charlemagne, the Frankish monarch who is in the early stages of creating the Holy Roman Empire. If "The Silver Wolf" was about Regeane and "Night of the Wolf" was about Maeniel, then "The Wolf King" is not simply about both characters but each of them in turn, along with several others. The narrative begins with a Saxon rescuing Regeane's body from a snowbank only to take refuge in an abbey where they have a deadly encounter with the "bear" spirit she crossed paths with in "The Silver Wolf." However, by the end of the story this conflict has not only ended in a totally unexpected way, but has given way to other concerns. The army of Charles is on the march to bring down the King of Lombardy and when Maeniel does reconnaissance he is captured and condemned to death, not only for being a spy but also a shapeshifter as well. But in the end it is the rush to rescue Lucilla that provides the final conclusion. But while "The Wolf King" ends up being somewhat episodic because of this approach, it remains a compelling story and the fact that no one character assumes the main role as in the previous pair of novels matters little. I was happy to see the series return to the time of Charlemagne, mainly because it is a time period you do not usually come across in either historical or fantasy novels. My only complaint is that the details peculiar to that time are rather sparse. I do not like to get bogged down in historical minutiae, but I find that every time Borchardt brings out a little tidbit regarding dress or weaponry it fits nicely into the narrative and I would just like to see more of the same. Matrona, Dulcinia, Antonious and even Hugo are back from the first novel while Chiara, Ludolf, Lavinia, Remingus and the Saxon are added to the growing roster of bold characters who flesh out Borchardt's fascinating world. Again Borchardt is telling of the time when Western Civilization was rising up out of the Dark Ages to finally turn its back on its barbaric past. There is a wonderful little scene where you can argue we are witnessing the birth of the modern democratic spirit. "The Wolf King" is a rich tapestry that weaves history and fantasy into a seamless whole. Now that I am all caught up I look forward to the next volume in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Regeane and Maeniel help Charlemange vs. the Lombards
Review: When I started reading the third novel in Alice Borchardt's werewolf series I assumed "The Wolf King" was a reference to Maeniel, the gray wolf, but by the end of the story I had concluded it really meant Charlemagne, the Frankish monarch who is in the early stages of creating the Holy Roman Empire. If "The Silver Wolf" was about Regeane and "Night of the Wolf" was about Maeniel, then "The Wolf King" is not simply about both characters but each of them in turn, along with several others. The narrative begins with a Saxon rescuing Regeane's body from a snowbank only to take refuge in an abbey where they have a deadly encounter with the "bear" spirit she crossed paths with in "The Silver Wolf." However, by the end of the story this conflict has not only ended in a totally unexpected way, but has given way to other concerns. The army of Charles is on the march to bring down the King of Lombardy and when Maeniel does reconnaissance he is captured and condemned to death, not only for being a spy but also a shapeshifter as well. But in the end it is the rush to rescue Lucilla that provides the final conclusion. But while "The Wolf King" ends up being somewhat episodic because of this approach, it remains a compelling story and the fact that no one character assumes the main role as in the previous pair of novels matters little. I was happy to see the series return to the time of Charlemagne, mainly because it is a time period you do not usually come across in either historical or fantasy novels. My only complaint is that the details peculiar to that time are rather sparse. I do not like to get bogged down in historical minutiae, but I find that every time Borchardt brings out a little tidbit regarding dress or weaponry it fits nicely into the narrative and I would just like to see more of the same. Matrona, Dulcinia, Antonious and even Hugo are back from the first novel while Chiara, Ludolf, Lavinia, Remingus and the Saxon are added to the growing roster of bold characters who flesh out Borchardt's fascinating world. Again Borchardt is telling of the time when Western Civilization was rising up out of the Dark Ages to finally turn its back on its barbaric past. There is a wonderful little scene where you can argue we are witnessing the birth of the modern democratic spirit. "The Wolf King" is a rich tapestry that weaves history and fantasy into a seamless whole. Now that I am all caught up I look forward to the next volume in the series.
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