Rating: 
Summary: read the other titles and it sums it all up
Review: I absolutely ADORED the Seven Waters Trilogy... but not so much the same reaction for Wolfskin.
For a little background into the story, there's a young stoutly honorable fellow by the name of Eyvind who is our protagonist for this evening. The setting is back in Norway in the time of free-range Norsemen. Eyvind has but one goal in his life - to become a wolfskin which is an uber elite killer/beserker type of person. He's also one of the people you have a lot of trouble rooting for because he's so oblivious to EVERYTHING that I was to the point of hoping that he just might accidentally fall off a cliff or something and a new protagonist would appear in his place and not be so idiotic. But, anyways, Eyvind also has a good chum by the name of Somerled who would put most sadists to shame because they cared too much. So these two become blood brothers, and in the begginning of this tale, there's a story told about two blood brothers and one of the fellows asked him friend to help get revenge on this one family and kill 'em all, but as it so happens, the friend was in love with one of the people in that very same family... but ended up killing 'em all anyways... cuz they were blood brothers. ANd basically, to some it all up, Somerled asks Eyvind to do something bad and hence the dilemma.
I just didn't like any of the characters. I'm one of those people who needs to care about the main people otherwise, no matter how well written and how engrossing the plot, I can't really like the book. The only reason I'm not giving this book 3 stars is because Juliet Marillier wrote this and I really like her style... but she should definitely stick to the more folk lore type story plots and stronger, more likable, LESS DUMB characters.
Rating: 
Summary: Another masterpiece
Review: I can't wait for book 2. I found this Sunday at my local Barnes and Noble...took it to my favourite pub, and was so engrossed I let my beer get warm *lol*. Before I knew it I was halfway through and finished it last night. Evyi and Nessa made for fine hero's in the tale. Somerled, while twisted and devious, had a certian spark that you can't help but hope he comes around. Once again Marillier has struck gold.....
Rating:
Summary: satisfactory
Review: I loved the Sevenwaters Trilogy and when I found out Marillier had written another book I ran to get it. I started reading it but it did not grip me the way Sevenwaters did. It took me quite awhile to finish it and I just was not left with the urge to read more. It is a good book and I'm glas I read it but there is something lacking.
Rating: 
Summary: Tolerable
Review: I read and enjoyed Marillier's Sevenwaters Trilogy, but found Wolfskin to be an unsatisfactory follow-up. The language itself is beautiful, but sometimes I just got lost in it and had to surface for air. Anything that draws my eyes out of the book is not a good thing.
I liked Eyvind, although he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but, unlike some other reviewers here, I found Somerled to be completely unbelievable. He was straightforward evil. Boring. Marillier tries to make him conflicted, but she never showed me more than one act of kindness on his part in the entire novel. This doesn't make me feel that there is good inherent in him. I felt cheated. I felt like the other vikings were much too easily swayed to follow him.
Also, I felt like she missed opportunities to truly show me people's reactions. With so many pages, there was ample opportunity, but her tendency to tell rather than show distances me as a reader.
Overall, it had a good premise, but it fell short of expectations. On the positive side, I did finish the thing. If I really can't stand it, I just can't make myself plow through to the end.
Rating:
Summary: A good read!
Review: I was not disappointed with this offering from Marillier. Although I admit, I do prefer the Sevenwaters trilogy offerings, Wolfskin was an exciting and interesting tale of Viking and Scottish lore. I wish more background had been given on the Somerland character as he was a very dark and interesting character but overall, I was satisfied with the mystery left surrounding him. Definitely worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: Hmmm?
Review: Marillier is a very talented writer, and anything she has written would be a good experence. Although, I didn't care for the characters in this particular novel. The viking hero was just too dumb. It made the story a bit unbelievable. The beginning and ending are slow. Marillier takes a lot of time setting up the character and wrapping things up. I simply scanned at these points. The rest of the book was interesting and I wouldn't mind reading a second if Marillier decided to make this into a series. I know I didn't make this novel out to be worth anyones time, but I like to repeat, Marillier is a good writer. My suggestion is to read her trilogy (Child of the Prophesy, etc.)
Rating:
Summary: nice, but not brilliant
Review: Overall I really enjoyed reading this book. The writing is beautiful, though not brilliant, and the story flows nicely with enough of a balance between action and character development. Probably the main reason why I wouldn't give this book five stars is because I feel that it doesn't quite live up to its potential. Marillier has plenty of wonderful ideas for plot and and characters, but at times I felt a little cheated, as though she had taken the 'easy way out'. For instance, I immediately liked the main character Eynvind and his introduction to an elite warrior society known as the Wolfskins. The fact that Eynvind's brother is already an extremely successful member of this group makes for an interesting situation, I thought (younger brother, wants to prove himself, has to live up to his older brother's example, etc.). Although there are trials to overcome for Eynvind, however, he moves through them relatively quickly and without major problems, becoming one of the leading warrior himself very soon. The ending is similarly promising, and similarly disappointing. Marillier sets up a numbers of problems and obstacles for Eynvind to overcome, and he indeed struggles for a while, but in the end all the problems seem to disappear rather too easily, without a sufficient explanation. It almost feels as if she had gotten bored or run out of steam and just wanted to finish the book as quickly as possible. As I said, I truly enjoyed this book overall and would recommend reading it, but I was not 100% satisfied.
Rating:
Summary: This is still a great read!
Review: Reading through all the other reviews a second time I understand that this great book cannot compare to Daughter of the Forrest. But compared to all the other books I have read this one is still an excellent read. I was compelled to write this review in order to urge people to read this book and not be put off (like I was) by some of the bad reviews. I was also angered to find after finishing the book that the 'dumb' hero never turned up through-out it, like I was told he would. Eyvind was not smart - he was wise. If you fail to see that then you are merely being drawn in by Somerled's words. Somerled - a man who is not at all wise, although he is wily and clever with words. Euvi had a dream to be a warrior - why is that so stupid? To believe in a God of war and to actually have a dream, which is more than some people, is amazing. Infact thats what he and Somerled shared - a dream. The fact that many people scorn those whose dreams are deemed 'stupid' shows how narrow-minded and cruel these people are. Any dream is great in itself. This story is not as good as Marillier's other series but it is still a delight to read. There are common plots and themes throught these two series but the mere fact of a different setting and race (like Vikings) make Wolfskin enjoyable. I look forward to reading Foxmask, the second book that follows, which is also not unlike the Sevenwaters trilogy in its link between children to continue the story.
Rating:
Summary: very good
Review: This book surprised me. People told me that, yeah, it was decent, but nothing to the Sevenwaters trilogy. I walked around it at the book store for nearly a year, thinking, I'll get it in paperback. I mean, I don't *really* want to read it. Finally, I gave in, got it. I've been reading some crappy books, lately. I was not expecting much here, either. Stupid, stupid me. I re-read the Sevenwaters books every few month, at least in pieces. It shocks me now that I could have expected anything but excellence from Wolfskin. The story is set in Norway and in Orkney, in the days of Vikings. The main character is, in fact, one of these northern warriors - the very best. He is a very simple man, is Eyvind. All he wants is to be a brave warrior for three, maybe five glorious years, and then to die a brave and glorious death. He is, for lack of a better word, wholesome. Despite the fact that he basically kills people for a living.šš When Eyvind is a boy, his brother brings home another boy child - Somerled - and asks Eyvind to teach this boy to be a man. Somerled is as complicated a person as Eyvind is simple; as unhappy as Eyvind is content; as brilliant as Eyvind is strong; as strong as Eyvind is brilliant - which is to say, not much. Nobody likes Somerled. Spending time with him loses Eyvind all his friends for the few months each year when Somerled is visiting. And yet... They become brothers, in more ways than one.šš Eventually, they grow up. Eyvind is the warrior he intended to be. Somerled seems to have a brilliant future at court. Everything seems right and just as it should be, except for some things that Somerled does - some things that are less than humane, less than conscionable - some things that are beyond Eyvind's ability to believe of his friend. Eyvind genuinely believes in the goodness of people and certainly in the goodness of his friend. He refuses to follow his suspicions to their logical conclusion. He refused to see the clues.šš An expedition mounts to sail across unknown waters, to find a place of rumors - a beautiful place, that promises advantages beyond count. Both men find themselves on the ships. Then, both men find themselves on the Light Isles, which are everything they could have expected or imagined. Here is a new place - a place for new beginnings, a place for opportunities, a place where a man like Somerled - weak, but brilliant - can have a worthy place. The only problem is that a place this beautiful has not been sitting unoccupied in the ocean all these years. It has a people and a long, deep history. There is a girl here, as beautiful as her land - Nessa. She sees in Eyvind more than he thinks of himself. And, soon enough, Eyvind begins to see things more clearly - all sorts of things, including his friend. And what he sees scared Eyvind, though he be a great, fearless warrior. It scares him and his bonds of brotherhood with Somerled begin to chafe. Unbearably.šš This is not an easy story to fit into your heart. It examines the worth of loyalty, the pain of betrayal, the necessity of denying love, and the strength required to do what is right. Nothing is over-exaggerated. Nothing is melodramatic. Nothing is predictable or obvious. Marillier has an extraordinary ability to capture life - the way it never seems to promise more than is already there, and the way things can change in the blink of an eye despite all expectations.šš Truly, I highly recommend this book. I can't wait for the second one, called Foxmask.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Beatiful Book
Review: This book surprised me. People told me that, yeah, it was decent, but nothing to the Sevenwaters trilogy. I walked around it at the book store for nearly a year, thinking, I'll get it in paperback. I mean, I don't *really* want to read it. Finally, I gave in, got it. I've been reading some crappy books, lately. I was not expecting much here, either. Stupid, stupid me. I re-read the Sevenwaters books every few month, at least in pieces. It shocks me now that I could have expected anything but excellence from Wolfskin. The story is set in Norway and in Orkney, in the days of Vikings. The main character is, in fact, one of these northern warriors - the very best. He is a very simple man, is Eyvind. All he wants is to be a brave warrior for three, maybe five glorious years, and then to die a brave and glorious death. He is, for lack of a better word, wholesome. Despite the fact that he basically kills people for a living.šš When Eyvind is a boy, his brother brings home another boy child - Somerled - and asks Eyvind to teach this boy to be a man. Somerled is as complicated a person as Eyvind is simple; as unhappy as Eyvind is content; as brilliant as Eyvind is strong; as strong as Eyvind is brilliant - which is to say, not much. Nobody likes Somerled. Spending time with him loses Eyvind all his friends for the few months each year when Somerled is visiting. And yet... They become brothers, in more ways than one.šš Eventually, they grow up. Eyvind is the warrior he intended to be. Somerled seems to have a brilliant future at court. Everything seems right and just as it should be, except for some things that Somerled does - some things that are less than humane, less than conscionable - some things that are beyond Eyvind's ability to believe of his friend. Eyvind genuinely believes in the goodness of people and certainly in the goodness of his friend. He refuses to follow his suspicions to their logical conclusion. He refused to see the clues.šš An expedition mounts to sail across unknown waters, to find a place of rumors - a beautiful place, that promises advantages beyond count. Both men find themselves on the ships. Then, both men find themselves on the Light Isles, which are everything they could have expected or imagined. Here is a new place - a place for new beginnings, a place for opportunities, a place where a man like Somerled - weak, but brilliant - can have a worthy place. The only problem is that a place this beautiful has not been sitting unoccupied in the ocean all these years. It has a people and a long, deep history. There is a girl here, as beautiful as her land - Nessa. She sees in Eyvind more than he thinks of himself. And, soon enough, Eyvind begins to see things more clearly - all sorts of things, including his friend. And what he sees scared Eyvind, though he be a great, fearless warrior. It scares him and his bonds of brotherhood with Somerled begin to chafe. Unbearably.šš This is not an easy story to fit into your heart. It examines the worth of loyalty, the pain of betrayal, the necessity of denying love, and the strength required to do what is right. Nothing is over-exaggerated. Nothing is melodramatic. Nothing is predictable or obvious. Marillier has an extraordinary ability to capture life - the way it never seems to promise more than is already there, and the way things can change in the blink of an eye despite all expectations.šš Truly, I highly recommend this book. I can't wait for the second one, called Foxmask.
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