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Summary: The first tale of Regeane, the Silver Wolf of Rome
Review: Regeane is a beautiful young woman who is related by blood on her mother's side to Charlemagne, then putting together the first pieces of the Holy Roman Empire. But by her father's side Regeane is a shapeshifter, who turns into "The Silver Wolf" during the full moon or, as she discovers, when the situation demands. Mistreated by her coarse uncle Gundabald, the young woman discovers she is a pawn in a political game beyond her understanding. Alice Borchardt gets high marks for setting her tale in an interesting time a place, namely the decadent Rome of the Dark Ages. The other strong point is the characterization of the woman our heroine encounters, from Lucilla, the courtesan mistress of Pope Hadrian, to Elfgifa, the young Saxon girl brought to Rome as a captive, to Cecelia, the disfigure nun. Most of the men in the novel are despicable types, but there is the Pope and his brother Antonious, disfigured by leprosy, and Maniel, the rich Lord of a key pass who will forge a political alliance with Charlemagne by virtue of this arranged marriage to Regeane. My only real complains with this novel are that there are times when the language smacks too much of contemporary times and that the love life of the woman and the wolf come together a tad too conveniently at the end. However, this is more than made up for by the final comeuppance of Gundabald, which certainly provides a satisfying payback for his treatment of our heroine. "The Silver Wolf" manages to provide its characters with sufficient action in an unusual setting and begins to create a unique vision of the world of the werewolves that I will be interested in seeing explored further in Borchardt's other novels.
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Summary: sorry to have to rate low
Review: Im almost sorry to give this book a rating of three. It is dazzling and unique and very creative. I am glad i read it. The only fault i have with it is the plot. It really runs an irregular length with no real ending. The ending is an illusion, like borchard had to meet a deadline. She made up for the missing plot with fillings of detail and fasinations of all kinds. There also will be other books im sure to make up for what this one was missing. It is still an interesting read and Im glad to have had the expirience. This book is not for shallow people and in parts can be distastful to a more sheltered reader. Keep in mind that not all books paint pretty pictures, and if that is all you are looking for in life you will be very disapointed.
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Summary: A wonderful book
Review: I picked this book up on a whim because I liked the cover (I usually don't pick books that way) I am so glad I did though because this book has easily found it's place among my favorites. the story is unique and lively and I found it incredibly hard to put it down. you'll love this!
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Summary: Disappointing!
Review: I have to admit that I picked up this book because the author is the sister of one of my fave authors, Anne Rice. And, although their stories can feel similar at times (both work with historical ficiton mixed in with dark fantasy and/or horror), it often feels like Borchardt tries too hard to imitate her sister's unique, poetic style of writing.The Silver Wolf is a very frustrating read. Every time I felt the book was getting somewhere, every time the story started getting interesting, then the rug would be pulled from under my feet as the story would stall into place for twenty or thirty pages. The book is more than 450 pages long, but this story could have easily been told in less than 300 pages. Regeane is a woman/wolf who is promised for marriage to a warrior she does not know. She has a fear of men and her marriage, she is told, is the one thing which has the potential power of saving a crumbling Rome. Sure, that sounds like great stuff, but when Borchardt goes into historical detailing, she fails to remember that she is writing a story here. Too often, she forgets about the plot to tell us unnecessary stuff about Rome, stuff that she could have hinted at instead of blantantly displaying in her prose (on the other hand, Anne Rice is able to tell us a lot about a historical time through her prose and characters instead of through long, harduous and unnecessary paragraphs). Overall, I cannot recommend Silver Wolf. I found the book hihghly disappointing and not very interesting. Too bad, because I had a lot of hopes for this book. This just wasn't my cup of tea!
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Summary: A Triumphant Leap Into a Trilogy!
Review: Anyone with even a shred of romanticism and true loyalty to Anne Rice's magical literary style simply MUST share in her very talented sister's work. Alice Borchardt has made a solid name for her own with this outstanding trilogy of shapeshifters. This first of the three opens our hearts to Regeane and introduces Maeniel...this duo can be embraced by loyal Rice literary hearts just as much as Lestat and Louis. Different yet just as captivatingly enigmatic with the same supernatural magic that transcends reality but yet explores it at the same time, questioning humanity and opening our minds to the most basic realms that surround us. Alice Borchardt, you have certainly earned a special spot on my most treasured novels shelves!
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Summary: Werewolves and Popes!
Review: Anne Rice's sister has created her own unforgettable characters in the savvy werewoman Regeane and company. Set in post-Empire Rome, this first novel not only beguiles with infinite intrigues and marvelous characters such as Lucilla, courtesan to Pope Hadrian, and Antonius, the Pope's leper brother, but also is lavish in its rich depictions of this all-too-little known era. Borchardt, like her sister, wordpaints in broad strokes across a silken canvas with vivid and seductive colors. The amalgam which is Regeane, woman and werewolf, is handled deftly and what, in a lesser writer's pen, could be distractingly confusing, is lush and richly readable prose. Thank goodness this is just the first book!
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Summary: Overall a disappointment
Review: I bought this book with very high hopes, since the author is not afraid to tout the benefits of being sister to Anne Rice, one of my favorite writers. I have not read Alice Borchardt's other books, and have to say that after reading The Silver Wolf, would hesitate to do so. Although the book is set in ancient Rome, I found myself unable to get lost in the time period as I do with Anne Rice, as many of the thoughts and ideals, as well as dialogue, seemed far too contemporary to appear realistic. The vague connection to Charlemagne seemed more like name-dropping than a point of interest, and the villains of the story seemed more like characatures than characters. The story is interesting, about a female werewolf, a shape-shifter, and the struggle she faces with her human and wolf co-existence. However, it would probably have fared better set in modern times, as the detail of ancient Rome seemed half-realized at best. Since reading this book, there has been a sequel released, Night of the Wolf, centering on the love interest of Regeane, the main character of Silver Wolf, that apparently goes farther back in the history of Rome for its story. I sincerely hope Ms. Borchardt was better able to capture this lush and picturesque historical period with her second foray into it. For anyone more interested in a good wolf story than in authenticity of time period, this would make a good read. But for myself, a true lover of world history and ancient civilizations, this left me a bit flat.
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Summary: A Small Warning...
Review: I am an avid fan of the supernatural/horror genre of books and have read countless numbers of them, including those pertaining to werewolves. Although I think Borchardt's premise is fabulous (a young girl shapeshifter at the center of a web of intrigue in Rome of the Dark Ages)--indeed, it is what made me buy the book in the first place--I found that the book did not deliver. The romance that the description on the back hints at never fully materializes and the characters' dialogue and values seem as if they belong in the 1950s. A more serious concern is the portrayal of the "good guys" and "bad guys" in a starkly black and white manner. The creation of morally ambiguous characters is the lifeblood of this genre, and Borchardt's novel seems sadly lacking in this respect. I picked up this book with great enthusiasm, especially since I knew the author was the sister of Anne Rice. I finally gave up on it on page 278, which is over halfway. My disappointment in the book has prompted this review. If you are expecting complex characters, snappy dialogue, an engaging romance and an unpredictable plot, I would advise you to stick with Rice or Laurell K. Hamilton, or other similar authors.
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Summary: Brilliant!!
Review: "The Silver Wolf" is the first novel that I had read of Alice Borchardt's, and I am wonderfully amused that I picked it up. I thought 'well, let's see how the infamous Anne Rice's sister holds up...' At any rate, this story is beautifully written with descriptions so thorough that you can close your eyes and perhaps see yourself in Rome. Regeane, a daughter of royalty having to deal with poverty and family who are so dispicable they beat her and treat her cruely besides. In the mind of Gundubald, Regeane's uncle, and his son Hugo... the treatment of Regeane is justified... for they know a secret of hers. By night Regeane becomes the silver wolf, straining to be free, longing for the freedom of long ago. Throught this novel, the reader is taken through Rome, in its sewers, on the Compagna, etc. all with intensity. Throughout, Regeane learns of family secrets, marriage, and begins to learn the game of politics/religion. Thuroughly enjoyable, can't wait to begin "Night of the Wolf"...
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Summary: Hard Pressed to Find Better!
Review: I would like to strongly recommend 'The Silver Wolf.' I read this book about 4-5 months ago; I have not been able to stop thinking about it since then. Only when I bought the book for myself was my longing appeased. Besides the dealing with the supernatural, the scheming and plotting around the fall of the Roman Empire, the encounters with the dead, and the fight against evil, this novel is also a great romance. I am eagerly awaiting the third book of the series! More, please!
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