Rating: 
Summary: Great!! Can't wait for book II.
Review: I found the book hard to put down. There are so many facets to the story. I was frustrated that the second book in the series is not yet available. Kait is a strong character and I look forward to reading about her further adventures.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: I had never read a book by Holly Lisle except what she had done with Marion Zimmer Bradley. But I read this book and loved it. I just can't stand that I don't know the ending. What a cliffhanger it is! I am going out to buy more of her books.
Rating:
Summary: Original Fantasy at Last!
Review: I have been an avid reader of Science Fiction and Fantasy since the early 1960s, starting with the works of Robert E. Howard, Poul Anderson, Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein. I have found that most Fantasy written over the years is placed in the same Medieval setting, with an honored class of powerful Wizards controlling the forces of magic, ruled by a class of nobles with mostly noble intentions. Good and evil is very well differentiated in most of these novels, and the battle between them is a straightforward affair at best, with maybe a betrayal here or there for the element of surprise. Holly Lisle turned her back on these conventions and breaks new ground in her Diplomacy of Wolves, the first in a trilogy. The time line and technology level of the book is somewhere between the late Rennaisance and early industrial age. The base of habitation is a tropical region, unlike the Northern European based settings of most Fantasy. The political structure is closest to that of Medieval to Rennaisance Italy, with powerful Families controlling the world. Good and evil resides in all of the families, and the aquisition of power is the goal of all. Holly Lisle develops this fascinating world in great detail. Blood is not always thicker than Gold, as the plot twists around multiple betrayals between and within families. Magic (and there are several different systems involved) is both forbidden and well practiced, and the use of harmful magic comes at a terrible price. In the hands of Lisle, an accomplished author who has gotten better with time, this world comes to life with powerful imagery and wonderful prose. The characters are very well developed, with human foibles aplenty, even in the most inhuman of characters. Kait Galweigh, the protagonist, is an especially strong character whose world collapses around her in the struggle between her family and the magically powerful Sabirs. I found this novel to be one of the best Fantasy pieces I have ever read, and definitely the best I have seen in quite some time. I recommend this book to any lover of Fantasy who is tired of the same old characters in the same old settings. And even those who still enjoy the old settings of classical fantasy will find much to like in this book.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: I have read and liked several other books ths author has written. After re-reading this one (in prep for the next one) I am struck by how I remebered liking the story even as I was re-reading it. I was surprised. I admit to being bit afraid that this would be another book exploiting animal/human bonds, etc... I read a number of books every year, but I had NO trouble remembering this one. I really hope that Ms. Lisle starts to get more recognition, as if she keep writing this will....it will only be a matter of time before she is classed with writers such as Lackey, Norton, etc.... If you have wondered about reading some of Ms. Lisle try this book, odds are you will find it fascinating, fun, and exciting.
Rating: 
Summary: Disgusting and dull
Review: I have twice attempted to make it through the first 85 pages of this novel (not liking to leave any book unread), and I have twice been unsuccessful. This time, I decided to just call it quits. After 85 pages, I have absolutely no interest in finding out what happens to the characters. Kait is the sort of character who seems really cool when one is inventing her, but it is very hard for a reader to relate to someone who seems to have every possible talent and charm invented in Matrin. I completely agree with a previous reviewer's label of "Mary-Sue." My main objection, however, was the excessive pointless violence. In the first 85 pages, there were two graphic rape scenes, a near rape, and a few beatings. This wasn't unbearable; I have read and watched violence before. (I have, in fact, happily watched Gladiator upwards of 18 times. The difference, I suppose, is that I actually care what happens to Maximus.) However, the level of violence did nothing either to enhance the realism or to further the plot. It was as if Lisle felt she had a quota of graphic violence to meet so the book would qualify as hard-core fantasy. Maybe I'm just too squeamish for the majority of fantasy. Along the same lines, I found the idea of magic fueled by blood to be disgusting, as well. It made it difficult for me to condone the actions even of the "good" (are they really?) magic users when I had this eerie feeling that they were actually quite evil. Again, this is probably just because I don't read a lot of fantasy. Many reviewers have applauded the contemporary feel of the world. This is certainly a personal thing, but I prefer fantasy to have a certain immediacy, but with a definite sense of the past. This objection, of course, has more to do with my personal expectations of fantasy than with the book itself. On the whole, I understand that fantasy worlds cannot be perfect and remain realistic, but I have to agree with other reviewers that Lisle focuses far more on the negative, ugly aspects of the world. In this writing characteristic, she is probably just picking up on a trend in the genre, but I have to disapprove. While keeping the world realistic (and realistically bad), the writer need to give me some reason to think it's an interesting world so I will find it worth my while to direct my imagination there. I don't see myself mentally frolicking in Matrin anytime soon. Now, this book, of course, was not completely terrible--hence the two star rating. Lisle's worldbuilding skills are certainly thorough, and the map would be really neat if it had been printed properly. (I'm even thinking of looking up spoilers online to find out what caused the circles.) A great deal of detail is evident in Matrin, and I also give Lisle a THOROUGH round of applause for creating a fantasy world that bears no resemblance whatsoever to Middle Earth, medieval Europe, or even Norse or Celtic mythology. (At the same time, however, I can't help but wonder if a greater connection to real world history and mythology might have made the book more compelling.) The prose is by no means bad. Lisle isn't Faulkner, by any means, but she's a notch above many fantasy writers--like Terry Goodkind and (in my opinion) even the much-lauded Robert Jordan--in her prose style. In conclusion, I can't give many absolute judgments against this book. If you want to read fantasy, you can certainly find FAR worse books out there (Goodkind's WIZARD'S FIRST RULE would be a good start). At the same time, DIPLOMACY OF WOLVES utterly failed to appeal to me personally. I should also note that if you are more of a seasoned pro in the fantasy genre, you will probably have a different opinion from me. I like Tolkien, Lewis, and even J.K. Rowling, but I do not like Robert Jordan. As far as Jordan goes, however, I didn't realize how good he actually is until I compared him to Terry Goodkind. I digress intentionally in order for you to know if my opinion is likely to be the same as yours. If you're a fan of Jordan or Goodkind, you just might think DIPLOMACY OF WOLVES is the best book you have ever read. If you haven't read anything but Jordan or Goodkind, you probably will.
Rating:
Summary: Disgusting and dull
Review: I have twice attempted to make it through the first 85 pages of this novel (not liking to leave any book unread), and I have twice been unsuccessful. This time, I decided to just call it quits. After 85 pages, I have absolutely no interest in finding out what happens to the characters. Kait is the sort of character who seems really cool when one is inventing her, but it is very hard for a reader to relate to someone who seems to have every possible talent and charm invented in Matrin. I completely agree with a previous reviewer's label of "Mary-Sue." My main objection, however, was the excessive pointless violence. In the first 85 pages, there were two graphic rape scenes, a near rape, and a few beatings. This wasn't unbearable; I have read and watched violence before. (I have, in fact, happily watched Gladiator upwards of 18 times. The difference, I suppose, is that I actually care what happens to Maximus.) However, the level of violence did nothing either to enhance the realism or to further the plot. It was as if Lisle felt she had a quota of graphic violence to meet so the book would qualify as hard-core fantasy. Maybe I'm just too squeamish for the majority of fantasy. Along the same lines, I found the idea of magic fueled by blood to be disgusting, as well. It made it difficult for me to condone the actions even of the "good" (are they really?) magic users when I had this eerie feeling that they were actually quite evil. Again, this is probably just because I don't read a lot of fantasy. Many reviewers have applauded the contemporary feel of the world. This is certainly a personal thing, but I prefer fantasy to have a certain immediacy, but with a definite sense of the past. This objection, of course, has more to do with my personal expectations of fantasy than with the book itself. On the whole, I understand that fantasy worlds cannot be perfect and remain realistic, but I have to agree with other reviewers that Lisle focuses far more on the negative, ugly aspects of the world. In this writing characteristic, she is probably just picking up on a trend in the genre, but I have to disapprove. While keeping the world realistic (and realistically bad), the writer need to give me some reason to think it's an interesting world so I will find it worth my while to direct my imagination there. I don't see myself mentally frolicking in Matrin anytime soon. Now, this book, of course, was not completely terrible--hence the two star rating. Lisle's worldbuilding skills are certainly thorough, and the map would be really neat if it had been printed properly. (I'm even thinking of looking up spoilers online to find out what caused the circles.) A great deal of detail is evident in Matrin, and I also give Lisle a THOROUGH round of applause for creating a fantasy world that bears no resemblance whatsoever to Middle Earth, medieval Europe, or even Norse or Celtic mythology. (At the same time, however, I can't help but wonder if a greater connection to real world history and mythology might have made the book more compelling.) The prose is by no means bad. Lisle isn't Faulkner, by any means, but she's a notch above many fantasy writers--like Terry Goodkind and (in my opinion) even the much-lauded Robert Jordan--in her prose style. In conclusion, I can't give many absolute judgments against this book. If you want to read fantasy, you can certainly find FAR worse books out there (Goodkind's WIZARD'S FIRST RULE would be a good start). At the same time, DIPLOMACY OF WOLVES utterly failed to appeal to me personally. I should also note that if you are more of a seasoned pro in the fantasy genre, you will probably have a different opinion from me. I like Tolkien, Lewis, and even J.K. Rowling, but I do not like Robert Jordan. As far as Jordan goes, however, I didn't realize how good he actually is until I compared him to Terry Goodkind. I digress intentionally in order for you to know if my opinion is likely to be the same as yours. If you're a fan of Jordan or Goodkind, you just might think DIPLOMACY OF WOLVES is the best book you have ever read. If you haven't read anything but Jordan or Goodkind, you probably will.
Rating: 
Summary: Absorbing, entertaining read
Review: I highly recommend this book. Main character Kait Galweigh and her struggles to, at first, avenge her family from the enemy Sabir Family and, later, save the world from the return of the body-stealing and soul-devouring Dragons both personal and epic in scope. I found myself constantly turning the page, eventually setting aside time to read the book end to end. You can just imagine how hard that is in our world of fast-read comic books and magazines, mind-numbing television, absorbing video games, and now the info-overloading Internet and its trapping WWW. But Diplomacy of Wolves grabbed me by the allegorical wolf's jaw and never let up as it thrashed from one breath-taking scene to the next. I found the story moved at a brisk pace, each scene moving the story forward without feeling rushed. At the same time, details on the characters, their stories, and the world of Matrin built a staggeringly complex and non-stereotypical world of fantasy that I haven't seen matched since Tolkein's Lord of the Rings or Donaldson's Thomas Covenant's series.
Rating:
Summary: Once it got going the story was great!
Review: I love Holly Lisle and feel she is developing into a major talent. This series has the potential to be her leap into the top ten but...the story really didn't grab me until chapter 5. I only stuck with it because I know and love the author's work. When it finally started living up to my expectations it was hard to put down; a 'read 'til you can't keep your eyes open anymore' spellbinder. Hopefully the next book in this series will have that power from start to finish.
Rating:
Summary: Coolness...
Review: I really liked this book. It was very different from what I usually read, and was just different. I can't wait to get the rest of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking!!
Review: I thought that this book was great. It had everything that a person could hope for in a fantasy. I always find myself looking for a book to keep me reading. I found this one and I couldn't put it down. Kait is such a believable character-I felt like I was sharing her adventures, wishing that I was Karnee(can change into a wolf). I really recammend this, and the rest of the books in this series. You will not regret it.
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