Through Wolf's Eyes

Rating:
Summary: An Engrossing Read
Review: This book is one of those true 'I couldn't put it down' reads, full of excitement and adventure. The plot itself seems simple at first glance: a girl raised by wolves could be the next heir to a much coveted throne. But then into the mix goes scheming, magic, and war, with a fair dash of court intrigue thrown in as well. What really makes this book great is that it doesn't fall back on the same old romance story after running out of original ideas halfway through the book. It's simply not necessary, as the other elements of the story are enough to capture the attention and hold it.

Firekeeper provides a deep and interesting alternative as a main character of a novel. She's not flightly and flirty as so many tend to be, nor is she deep and mysterious, brooding over her resentments and plotting revenge for something or another. She's entirely original, providing an unusual view of the world that sometimes contrasts yet often paralells what many of us have been brought up to believe.

Rating:
Summary: What was this?!
Review: This book was not horribly written, but was worth just about three stars.

The basic storyline about Firekeeper coming from her wolf pack to live in the even more bloodthirsty society of human royalty was quaint and did manage to keep my interest through the first few (very) predicable chapters.

Then, as soon as our hero, Firekeeper, came into the castle she was pushed aside by the author and we were introduced to around thirty new characters in the space of about three or four chapters. I could feel my eyes glaze over as I read about which character had the most to succeed from a favorable choosing of the new royal heir, and how that character was related to every other one of the thirty characters in the book.

(Here's a tip, skip to the back where there is a character list detailing the origins of each character... it's a life saver!)

Anyway, I thought that this was supposed to be about how Firekeeper holds her own through the turmoil of human society. The book does attempt to show that... mostly through little fits and bursts here and there, but for the most part Firekeeper becomes a background character for the entire portion of the story except for the beginning and the end.

The meat of the book is dedicated to characters that sort of spring out of nowhere. A character is casually mentioned in one chapter, and then the next becomes the star of the show for a few minutes until another character pushes his way through and the cycle starts over again.

Again, the main character of the book doesn't have much to do with the plot at all except for the beginning and the end. Actually, it's a lot like the Great Gabspy (Sp), except poorly written.

The villain had his own say in the book, and I found myself wishing that the author had just kept him out of it except when absolutely needed, like what she did with Firekeeper.

The villain ended up running around, constructing plots in his head and manipulating people just like you would see from any bad guy on Days of Our Lives. It was boring and I ended up skipping past those parts towards the end. I know I saved myself a lot of eyestrain in doing so because the end of the book made perfect sense without the villain's help in explaining every stupid plot move he wanted to make.

The author ended up telling us in detail how everyone was related and how so-and-so stranded to gain from different unions and betrothals, but completely skipped over parts that did seem vitally important, such as Sapphire confronting her mother.

I hope that the rest of the books have more structure in them... or at least, contain the supposed heroin. It would be nice if the person chosen as the new queen were actually portrayed more in the book, as well! That was, after all, the whole point of the book, right?

Rating:
Summary: I want a sequel NOW!
Review: This is a great read. The only trouble with it is it ends. And the reader wants it to continue!

Ms. Lindskold is known for her scifi books. That audience may not find what it is looking for in this book which is a cross between mainstream fiction and fantasy. Fiction readers who wouldn't go near a scifi book should put prejudice aside and read this one. Historical fiction readers should love this book. And anyone interested in animals will learn a lot about wolves.

Ms. Lindskold's writing style is, as always, superb. Her characters are interesting and believable. I highly recommend Through Wolf's Eyes.

Rating:
Summary: Lindskold just keeps getting better !!!
Review: This is the third book I have read by this author, and while many authors let you down by the thid book, she is a definite exception. In this book you take an unflinching look through the eyes of a girl raised as a wolf. All through her introduction to society and nobility, Lindskold never lets you forget this girl does not have a human value system. An unforgettable book.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting and decently written coming-of-age fiction
Review: This series fits into the broad coming-of-age fantasy genre, but the concept is one that people have found intriguing for years: child raised by wolves. I didn't find it utterly captivating; Lindskjold is not quite mature as a writer, I don't think, and I am hoping to see better tale-telling in the future. But I definitely enjoyed the book, especially for the political element. There's a good deal of adventure, but the real heart of the concept is in the criticism of human behavior versus that of the "noble" or heightened animals (which are superior subspecies, in a way, of the familiar animals we know in our world). Lindskjold does a good job of carrying the reader's sympathy as "Firekeeper" deals with the difficulties of human interaction. The writer clearly has done her homework on the interaction and language of real wolves, and used this to create her world; one thing I enjoyed was the heroine's understanding of some types of conflict or manipulation, her lack of naivete in some areas. Basically, I'd recommend the series to anyone looking for a good fantasy adventure--most especially for young women and teens, or people interested in speculation about intelligent wildlife or intelligent Nature.

Rating:
Summary: Ancient Politicts, Sometimes Dull, Sometimes Entertaining
Review: This tale is about lost heirship, deciept, and mideval politicts... each can be boring or insightful depending on you love of details.

The young girl known as Firekeeper becomes the prime character in the struggle for the control of kingship over the nation. Firekeeper was once a child of a failed colony, but since King Tedric is ailing and now currently heirless, he must choose a new successor to his throne. Earl Kestrel manages to track down the girl, who is now a young adult and brings her back to civilization. Unfortunately for the civilized world, she believes she is a wolf since she was raised by them, and to complicate matters, she brings Blind Seer and Elation, a wolf and falcon, back with her. Soon she formulates the idea that if she manages to become Queen, perhaps she can attain her fondest desire... to be that of which she isn't; the wolf.

However, heirs are usually a dime a dozen, and there's question to wether or not Firekeeper/Lady Blysse is actually of the royal lineage. Who will succeed King Tedric? Who is worthy? And what exactly is wrong with the royal house?

This book downplays magic to be a power as like the majority of people view today. Like a mystical and fairy-tale product, but if Royal Wolves live, why not magic?

The book is a nice tapestry of politicts and innocense. In essence you see two stark views, the innocent one of a feral child trying to become a civilized being, and the royal family arranging dubious marrages and plotting to kill those they believe is in line for the throne.

So who actually manages to get the throne? Does Firekeeper get her wish? Does King Tedric kick the bucket? To know is to read... and this book, while bland at some parts on politicts can still be exciting if taken into context.

Rating:
Summary: A fair start, but overly long and tedious in places
Review: This was a reasonable debut, though it didn't blow me away. I enjoyed the premise of the female Mowgli, who is raised by wolves with the intention of returning to the human world, though obviously I think Kipling did it first, and better. There are also a few standard constructs that made me roll my eyes, and I found the text fatty and sloppy in places, where it would have been improved with a brutal edit. But overall the world and the system by which it operates is an interesting one, and the insight into the combination of woman and wolf, as opposed to the overdone wolfman, is fresh. I recommend it with a bit of a reservation. You might want to preview the library's copy first and see if the price tag is worth what you are seeing.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!!!!!
Review: Through Wolf's Eyes is a Wonderful book, and one that you wish could go on forever. It is about a girl who is brought up with Royal wolves; bigger, stronger and smarter than regular wolves. She is taken in by an Earl, and many people believe her to be the King's niece; daughter of the King's son. This is just the start of a marvelous adventure. If you like animals, some magic, and a fantastic heroine, this is a wonderful book to read.

Rating:
Summary: Fantasy Heaven!
Review: Through Wolf's Eyes is probably the most exciting fantasy I've ever read. King Tedric of Hawk Haven had disowned his son Prince Barden twelve years ago. Defying his father Prince Barden and a group of settlers set off into the wilds of a never before explored place. Contact had been lost between the settlers soon thereafter. Later, with all of his children and grandchildren dead, King Tedric must name an heir to the throne of Hawk Haven. Earl Kestrel, eager to get something out of the situation himself, sets out to find out what happened to Prince Barden. His search leads him to the ruins of a settlement where Barden and his group obviously died in a tragic fire. Then one night, a strange girl wanders in to the Earl's camp. At her waist hangs Barden's dagger. Raised by wolves, this young woman has lost all knowledge of speech and human ways. Since she is the right age to be Barden's daughter, Earl Kestrel names her Lady Blysse. Called by the wolves Firekeeper, she soon learns human speech enough to communicate with them. Derian, the young man that Firekeeper trusts more than others, is given the duty of teaching her human ways. Most of the nobles in court are against her, seeing her as a threat to their claims to the throne. In this intriguing fantasy, Firekeeper must learn to adapt to human ways while wishing she could become a wolf in body as well as in heart.

Rating:
Summary: A Feral Child in King Tedric's Court
Review: Through Wolf's Eyes is the first novel in the Firekeeper series. Earl Kestrel has crossed the mountains looking for Prince Barden's lost colony, gone for many years. The Royal wolves warn their fellows that strangers have come and the One Male calls for Firekeeper and sends the Little Two-Legs forth to meet the strangers. She joins Blind Seer, who has been scouting the strangers, and observes their camp at a distance. Elation, a peregrine falcon who has been following the group for days, joins them after daybreak and contributes her experience to the ongoing discussions. The wolf and peregrine are having fun observing the group and Firekeeper, still a little shy, encourages them to observe further.

As they are watching the strangers, Firekeeper and Blind Seer now and then tussle a little in play, making a great commotion and scaring the horses ... and the men. Earl Kestrel's men have found the burnt out colony and start retrieving bodies from the ruins. A day or so later, Derian Carter, the horse wrangler, goes for water and finds footprints of a small human and a very large wolf by the stream. This excites the others and they start looking for her. While everybody else is away, Firekeeper comes into the camp and inspects Derian at close quarters, while Ox stands back and observes. When the others start to return, Firekeeper disappears into the forest. The Earl is displeased that Derian has not stopped her from leaving, but Ox tells him that none could have detained her, for she is too quick.

The next day, while the others are again looking for her, Firekeeper returns to the camp and accepts a shirt from Derian to replace her smelly hides. This time, when the others return, she stays but leaves herself a line of retreat. Earl Kestrel decides that they should stop referring to her as "she" and, since he believes Firekeeper is probably Lady Blysse, Prince Barden's daughter, he suggests that they call her by that name. However, his cousin Jared recommends that they just call her Blysse, since her younger self would probably have been addressed as such.

After they have finished at the colony site, the group returns to Hawk Haven with Firekeeper and, unknown to them, Blind Seer. Since Earl Kestrel is convinced that Firekeeper is Blysse, she is taken to West Keep and introduced to civilized ways, with Derian as her trainer. The Earl hopes to introduce Firekeeper to the court as a possible claimant for the throne, but first she needs to learn some manners.

This novel is the story of a feral child brought back to live with humans. Unlike most feral children, however, Firekeeper has been raised among talking animals, so she has already acquired language skills and is fully capable of learning the human language. Moreover, she is a keen observer and, as an outsider, often sees things that are effectively invisible to humans, like water to fish. However, she will not fully understand human behavior for many years due to the many artificial distinctions recognized by her society. Many times she will wish that she had stayed with the Royal wolves.

Unlike most women in Hawk Haven society, Firekeeper has developed her own fighting skills. Moreover, Blind Seer is usually close at hand. On several occasions, these fighting skills and Blind Seer's protection keep her from malicious harm. Some in Hawk Haven do not see her as a young innocent thing, but more as an obstacle to their ambitions.

As with all animal stories, this tale includes an element of satire. However, it is also a different kind of coming of age story combined with an element of court intrigue. It lays a strong foundation for the upcoming sequels.

Legendary and mythic archetypes are common in most, if not all, of the author's works, especially in the Athanor series. Many such elements are found in the author's first novel, Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls, and some of these motifs are also found in this novel. The first common element is the Wolf Pack; although the group in the other novel is human, both novels are heavily influenced by the Jungle Book story of Mowgli, which is itself based on the archetypical motif of children -- e.g., Romulus and Remus -- raised by wolves. Other common factors are the communications problems of the heroines and the outsider role of the protagonists.

Note: the author does not use "Firekeeper Series" as the series name, but has not yet found an acceptable name for the series. "Firekeeper Series" is only used by myself as an interim name to differentiate it from her other series until such time as an official name is announced. The author is always right.

Highly recommended for Lindskold fans and anyone else who enjoys tales of talking animals and naive yet cunning young women in a strange society.