Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating!
Review: This book was given to me as a birthday gift on my 12th birthday from a fellow writer, and close friend. If I still knew her today, I don't think I could thank her enough.I was immediately drawn into Kait's world, and fell in love with the characters. Holly Lisle's words really come to life on the pages, and in the reader's mind. You could find me walking through the school, my nose buried in the pages of the book. I find all of Holly Lisle's work to be spectacular, but this one, being the first book by her I'd read, is definitely my favourite. It's got a little bit of everything, and it's the kind of book that I read for myself, lent to my brother, and we both enjoyed it, despite different tastes. Finishing the book was disappointing - I didn't want to be drawn out of the story! It's still just as interesting today, over four years later, despite my reading it several times. Buy the book - you won't be disappointed, until you hit the end.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is the first book I've read by this author, but it's spectacular. I don't know about other readers, but I can't stop hopeing that Ry Sabir wins Kait. I don't know why, but I really don't like Ian.
Rating: 
Summary: A good beginning falls shallow
Review: Though Diplomacy of Wolves explores new territory with its intriguing ideas of magic and more contemporary world, it lacks the depth and drive that is so needed to make a good story. For shallow plotting and flat characters hinder the book's progress shortly after its promising start, and jumbled writing and a dull climax bring its end. Though Holly Lisle does present some interesting new thoughts, the lackluster storyline overshadows the book's few merits and weighs the book down. DoW has a promising start with an opening into a world that hints of the plotting and intrigue between noble Houses. Our protagonist, young Kait Galweigh, seems interesting with her shapeshifter-like qualities, despite that fact that she screams stereotype as a young, feisty do-gooder who's intelligent and attractive and has a strong sense of justice. The story's world, Matrin, has a refreshingly different natural landscape. Unlike the northern-European countryside type lands of general fantasy, Matrin seems a bit more tropical and Mediterranean. Prominent families rule the land, and new concepts like diplomats between Families and air-travel are very interesting. And Lisle's new idea of magic, a dark, outlawed secret that horribly disfigures its users gives the book a fascinating new twist that pushes to less explored areas in the fantasy genre. However, the worthy start soon begins to slow and the plot becomes thin. The House intrigue soon fades into nothingness as Galweigh House falls rather quietly to the ground. Though Kait's escapades are detailed, her storyline is unexciting and tiresome, and soon becomes uneventful. The other characters, Hasmal, Ian, Ry, and Dughall, are all flat and so too are their storylines. They all lack depth and it makes it hard to enjoy or understand what is happening. A lack of background to the story or its characters brings a lack of emotion and just causes the story to run slower. And in the process of trying to pack in pieces of storyline, Lisle makes the writing jumbled and it doesn't flow. The main problem with this story is that it is so short. The House politics that send Kait to find her magic talisman are not long, yet they encompass half the book. And the second half of the story is absolutely uneventful and leads itself to an almost anti-climax where Kait easily finds her talisman and the story ends. I believe that Lisle should have written one book that encompasses Diplomacy of Wolves and its two sequels, instead of separating them into three short books. The latter impedes the story from growth and more depth in its characters and plot. Until I read the two sequels to this story, I will not really be able to comment fully. However, for those of you who are thinking of reading this book, I would say to buy the two sequels along with it for Diplomacy of Wolves cannot at all stand on its own.
Rating:
Summary: amazing beyond words
Review: Wow! I loved this book so much I took it to school with me. The whole plot is just twisting and turning throughout the entire book. The character interactions fit in perfectly and Kait is just one amazing heroine. I suggest you don't plan on reading the first one and then waiting a while before reading the 2nd, unless you like being left with cliff-hangers! As soon as I dropped the 1st I grabbed up the second, not able to wait for more. An exciting fantasy with a great mix of magic, romance, and adventure!
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