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Iskryne World #1
A Companion to Wolves
A Companion to Wolves is the story of a young nobleman, Isolfr,Ìýwho is chosen to become a wolfcarl -- a warrior who is bonded to a fighting wolf. Isolfr is deeply drawn to the wolves, and though as his father's heir he can refuse the call, he chooses to go.Ìý
The people of this wintry land depend on the wolfcarls to protect them from the threat ofÌýtrolls andÌýwyverns, though theÌýsupernatural creatures have not come in force for many years.ÌýMen are growing too confident.ÌýThe wolfhealls are small, and the lords give them less respect than in former years.Ìý But the winter of Isolfr's bonding, the trolls come down from the north in far greater numbers than before, and the holding's complaisance gives way to terror in the dark.Ìý
Isolfr, now bonded to a queen wolf, Viradechtis, must learn where his honor lies, and discover the lengths to which he will to go when it, and love for his wolf, drive him.
The people of this wintry land depend on the wolfcarls to protect them from the threat ofÌýtrolls andÌýwyverns, though theÌýsupernatural creatures have not come in force for many years.ÌýMen are growing too confident.ÌýThe wolfhealls are small, and the lords give them less respect than in former years.Ìý But the winter of Isolfr's bonding, the trolls come down from the north in far greater numbers than before, and the holding's complaisance gives way to terror in the dark.Ìý
Isolfr, now bonded to a queen wolf, Viradechtis, must learn where his honor lies, and discover the lengths to which he will to go when it, and love for his wolf, drive him.
302 pages, Hardcover
First published October 16, 2007
80 people are currently reading
3,266 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Monette
89Ìýbooks971ÌýfollowersMy pseudonym is Katherine Addison. Katherine reviews nonfiction. Sarah reviews fiction. Fair warning: I read very little fiction these days.
I was born and raised in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, one of the secret cities of the Manhattan Project. I studied English and Classics in college, and have gone on to get my M.A. and Ph.D. in English Literature. My first four novels were published by Ace Books. I have written two collaborations with Elizabeth Bear for Tor: A Companion to Wolves and The Tempering of Men. My short stories have appeared in lots of different places, including Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, Weird Tales, and Strange Horizons; I've published two collections of short stories, Somewhere Beneath Those Waves and The Bone Key. I collect books, and my husband collects computer parts, so our living space is the constantly contested border between these two imperial ambitions.
I was born and raised in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, one of the secret cities of the Manhattan Project. I studied English and Classics in college, and have gone on to get my M.A. and Ph.D. in English Literature. My first four novels were published by Ace Books. I have written two collaborations with Elizabeth Bear for Tor: A Companion to Wolves and The Tempering of Men. My short stories have appeared in lots of different places, including Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, Weird Tales, and Strange Horizons; I've published two collections of short stories, Somewhere Beneath Those Waves and The Bone Key. I collect books, and my husband collects computer parts, so our living space is the constantly contested border between these two imperial ambitions.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 388 reviews
October 17, 2020
I hate to be this negative, but I’ll get right to the point, I simply did not enjoy this story. I feel as though the authors asked a whole lot of the reader in the way of suspending disbelief but gave very little pay-off for it. I felt that the sexual aspect was totally unnecessary and, as a gay reader, I felt that the homosexual element was insulting in a number of ways, chief among them being that it was never portrayed as something the main character actually desired. Sure it was generally consensual (emphasis on the “generally�) but he basically just feared and tolerated being buggered by men. He had a girlfriend at the beginning of the story before he left, he slept with countless women within the wolf camp, and he got a local village girl PREGNANT! (Why was all this even in a “gay-themed� piece of literature?) And in-between all of that he was basically getting rammed in the butt by his male peers, none of which encounters did he actually initiate or want (though it was easy for the authors to say that he got erect once it started happening, as though autonomic response truly equals desire). At one point he gets basically raped by about 7 or 8 men in rapid succession until he literally passes out, all for the good of his female wolf and their connection and so that she may get pregnant. I realized at that point that I no longer trusted that the authors really cared about what they were writing and as a result my heart was no longer in the story.
In the beginning the writing was nice because of the descriptions and the prose but I quickly realized that the authors were not going to be kind to a gay reader like myself. Please don’t misunderstand; I get what they were TRYING to do. The whole deep connection between a boy and his wolf thing, sacrificing himself for the good of his wolf, making his own definition of honor, upholding his duties, coming of age� It could have all been great. But honestly I just feel as though this story failed miserably. Also, the spelling of some of the names kept changing and that was confusing.
To sum it up, at the foundation of this story you have a young man of 16, with a girlfriend (whom he is already sexually active with), who gets taken away from his home (he is basically an heir in line to rule the land) and sent to a society of men and wolves who live together and fight trolls. There he gets bonded to a female wolf, is fawned over and courted by many of the men and boys in the camp (though he has no interest in them), allows these men to have sex with him and passively endures it simply because his wolf “is worth it�, fights some trolls, has sex with women, gets a girl pregnant, fights some more trolls, endures more sex with men, makes a name for himself, and that’s it. Seriously. Surely these writers had something better in mind. Who is the target audience for this story? I may have actually enjoyed it better if they had just left out all mention of sex and sexuality and talked about this world of man/wolf bonding in greater detail. I could actually see a greater story in that, something closer to a young adult story in the way of ‘Lord of the Flies� or something. As it stands, this ended up being a terrible story with lazy, insulting writing that tried to be deeper than what it was. Clearly someone somewhere did a lot of over-estimating about this story's appeal. In no universe should this be marketed as Gay/LGBT/MM Romance.
In the beginning the writing was nice because of the descriptions and the prose but I quickly realized that the authors were not going to be kind to a gay reader like myself. Please don’t misunderstand; I get what they were TRYING to do. The whole deep connection between a boy and his wolf thing, sacrificing himself for the good of his wolf, making his own definition of honor, upholding his duties, coming of age� It could have all been great. But honestly I just feel as though this story failed miserably. Also, the spelling of some of the names kept changing and that was confusing.
To sum it up, at the foundation of this story you have a young man of 16, with a girlfriend (whom he is already sexually active with), who gets taken away from his home (he is basically an heir in line to rule the land) and sent to a society of men and wolves who live together and fight trolls. There he gets bonded to a female wolf, is fawned over and courted by many of the men and boys in the camp (though he has no interest in them), allows these men to have sex with him and passively endures it simply because his wolf “is worth it�, fights some trolls, has sex with women, gets a girl pregnant, fights some more trolls, endures more sex with men, makes a name for himself, and that’s it. Seriously. Surely these writers had something better in mind. Who is the target audience for this story? I may have actually enjoyed it better if they had just left out all mention of sex and sexuality and talked about this world of man/wolf bonding in greater detail. I could actually see a greater story in that, something closer to a young adult story in the way of ‘Lord of the Flies� or something. As it stands, this ended up being a terrible story with lazy, insulting writing that tried to be deeper than what it was. Clearly someone somewhere did a lot of over-estimating about this story's appeal. In no universe should this be marketed as Gay/LGBT/MM Romance.
December 29, 2007
Fantasy. Men who love wolves who love wolves who love men who fight trolls. Okay, so you've got these guys who are basically vikings and they've got these extra huge wolves, and each wolf bonds with one man and then they're best friends forever and can hold secret ESP conversations with each other; when the wolves mate, the wolves' human companions also have sex, and when they're not having sex they all fight trolls together. This book also features an awful lot of fake Scandinavian words and dubious consent issues.
YET IT'S NOT BAD. I actually enjoyed it. I got used to the crazy fake language, too. Even though there was one word I insisted on reading as "wolfmaegthingamajiggy," it basically was a wolfmaegthingamajiggy, so it all worked out.
Four stars! Read this if you like: violence, borderline bestiality, hurt/comfort, gay vikings, trolls, giant wolves who can read your mind, daddy issues.
YET IT'S NOT BAD. I actually enjoyed it. I got used to the crazy fake language, too. Even though there was one word I insisted on reading as "wolfmaegthingamajiggy," it basically was a wolfmaegthingamajiggy, so it all worked out.
Four stars! Read this if you like: violence, borderline bestiality, hurt/comfort, gay vikings, trolls, giant wolves who can read your mind, daddy issues.
July 10, 2016
I think a lot of people have read this expecting something it really is not: comfortable LGBT fantasy romance. But while there are gay characters and themes, the main character is more straight than not, and the gay sex goes toward highlighting issues which previous work like Anne McCaffrey’s Pern books ignored. Instead of telepathic dragons and euphemistic sex scenes which turn out okay for everyone because of course the green dragons choose gay men, this explores the complications for gender identity and sexuality. To that end, there’s a lot of dubious consent here: the wolf-brothers� relationships mirror the wolves themselves. If that’s going to bother you, definitely don’t read this (or read it with caution), because it’s quite deliberately difficult for the main character to navigate and accept. If you’re reading this because you loved The Goblin Emperor � uh, don’t, at least not just for that reason.
However, since I didn’t go into this expecting sappy gay romance, since I’ve read part of Sarah Monette’s Mélusine, I was pretty prepared for this. Having noticed all those issues with the mating sequences in Pern when I reread the first book, it was interesting to see someone deal with it, and also to place it in a context that more or less forced the authors to deal with it. Of course, this is “Iskyrne�, not the Norse world, but it’s close enough, with similar gender politics and social issues to navigate.
The whole thing is an exploration of honour and how Isolfr has to adjust his ideas of honour � and how his father also has to adjust, since that theme runs from the start of the story. It’s not always comfortable and I don’t think there’s really a happy end for Isolfr. There’s just adjustment: everything is worth it for the sake of his wolf. That’s the real emotional core of the story: Isolfr’s relationship with Viradechtis.
The fantasy world is also interesting, although it’s somewhat typical: trolls and (essentially, though not described in this way) dwarves, magical wolves, etc. The set-up for the wolfhealls is essentially the same as for the Weyrs of Pern: protecting the world. The difference is essentially a) in the amount of ice, b) wolves can’t fly, and c) it actually deals with the issues of consent it raises.
I enjoyed it, even though it wasn’t always comfortable. I don’t think the brutality of parts of it are actually intended to be some kind of indictment of the lifestyle, as some reviewers have thought. There are gay couples in the story who have a meaningful and romantic relationship, just as there are characters who don’t have sex with men outside of the breeding cycles of the wolves. It reflects less of an obsession with sexuality, showing more fluidity, which is entirely possible in the society depicted in the wolfhealls.
However, since I didn’t go into this expecting sappy gay romance, since I’ve read part of Sarah Monette’s Mélusine, I was pretty prepared for this. Having noticed all those issues with the mating sequences in Pern when I reread the first book, it was interesting to see someone deal with it, and also to place it in a context that more or less forced the authors to deal with it. Of course, this is “Iskyrne�, not the Norse world, but it’s close enough, with similar gender politics and social issues to navigate.
The whole thing is an exploration of honour and how Isolfr has to adjust his ideas of honour � and how his father also has to adjust, since that theme runs from the start of the story. It’s not always comfortable and I don’t think there’s really a happy end for Isolfr. There’s just adjustment: everything is worth it for the sake of his wolf. That’s the real emotional core of the story: Isolfr’s relationship with Viradechtis.
The fantasy world is also interesting, although it’s somewhat typical: trolls and (essentially, though not described in this way) dwarves, magical wolves, etc. The set-up for the wolfhealls is essentially the same as for the Weyrs of Pern: protecting the world. The difference is essentially a) in the amount of ice, b) wolves can’t fly, and c) it actually deals with the issues of consent it raises.
I enjoyed it, even though it wasn’t always comfortable. I don’t think the brutality of parts of it are actually intended to be some kind of indictment of the lifestyle, as some reviewers have thought. There are gay couples in the story who have a meaningful and romantic relationship, just as there are characters who don’t have sex with men outside of the breeding cycles of the wolves. It reflects less of an obsession with sexuality, showing more fluidity, which is entirely possible in the society depicted in the wolfhealls.
December 14, 2015
It's difficult to collect my thoughts and feelings on this book, as complicated as this book itself is, but I know I have to write something -anything- down before I lose thoughts and feelings.
The world is stunning, quite simply. A beautiful and stark piece and an epic journey, of both the story itself and the feelings that result from it. It's hard to rate or review this book and I'm floundering awkwardly trying to do it, honestly. It feels wrong to place this under the umbrella M/M Romance, because it's so much more than that. The gorgeous story telling brings about this detached, almost ethereal atmosphere, likening to that of a fairy tale.
Winter is long, and the nights are cold. There was a time when men maintained mere dogs to guard their cattle, when there were no wolfheallan and no wolfcarls, when trellwolves were troth-enemies of true-men. When fell trolls, terrible tyrants, walked in winter as they willed it, and our forefathers shuddered in shallow scrapes. This was the time of Thorsbaer Thorvaldson, who first knew a konigenwolf and swore to serve her for salvation.
The atmosphere of this book was never really happy chappy at any point. Even in the calm moments, it always felt like there was the shadow of something looming over my head, as much as they had the shadow of trolls over their's.
One of the things that really hit the hardest was the sheer and desperate instinct to survive. The brutal war with man and wolf against trolls is confronting at times, because we're reminded constantly that both sides are just trying to survive. There's this twist in your gut as men slaughter troll kits, and trolls slaughter wolf cubs and there's this endless vicious cycle of survival which culminates to this tragic scene and it was brutal relief I felt when the scene ended the way it did, leaving me with a certain (though mostly unfounded) hope.
And the characters-- they were vivid, solid beings, ones which I couldn't understand frequently, time and circumstance an uncrossable rift which made me flinch at decisions and traditions. Yet I rooted for them, mourned with them and felt like I almost stood with them. There was a lot of loss. People died, wolves died and I mourned for them all. And when the authors decided to make us empathise with the death of the trolls-- Fuck, really?
In regards romance elements of this section (though really, the word romance has never seemed so small and constrictive than in this moment), it is there, with a different taste and smell (figuratively, of course). And I say this because honestly, I was rather dubious about the whole romance aspect of this book, and although I hesitate to call it that, it is there and product is satisfying. It's not the type of flirty, eye-winking, bantering, groin rubbing romance that you may find more commonly in gaymance, but it has a somewhat different taste to it, one which suits the setting extremely well. And the note the book ended on left a lot of room for the characters and their relationship to change and grow (which I am definitely looking forward to).
One of the major problems I had this the book was the insane mental strain of learning a huge range of names and terms (wolfcarls, heallbred, wolfheallan, wolfspechend; just to name a mere speck, ya know). I had to flip back and forth (figure of speech of course, since I read it on kindle) so many times and honestly, this really isn't sickbed material. You have to hunker down and think. And not to mention the wolf politics, which made learning names and relations all the more important. (Flips desk). Thankfully, it really was worth it.
A Companion to Wolves is very much a labour of love from both authors and I really do commend them. The writing is lyrical in a sense, and the world brutal and stark in beauty. I couldn't stop reading; this fascination, this drive to know more, to read more and immerse myself in the world fuelled me into the AMs (which, of course, was detrimental to my recovery).
I adore this book and right now, I'm still wallowing in the feelings and wistful afterglow of reading. I might change my rating in a month, a year or maybe never, but right now it's a solid, glorious five for me. Read it or don't, I honestly don't care. Afterglow makes it hard for me to care about anything. However, if anything, read it for the world, the endless stretch of harsh white and the smell of wolf names on the wind.
The world is stunning, quite simply. A beautiful and stark piece and an epic journey, of both the story itself and the feelings that result from it. It's hard to rate or review this book and I'm floundering awkwardly trying to do it, honestly. It feels wrong to place this under the umbrella M/M Romance, because it's so much more than that. The gorgeous story telling brings about this detached, almost ethereal atmosphere, likening to that of a fairy tale.
Winter is long, and the nights are cold. There was a time when men maintained mere dogs to guard their cattle, when there were no wolfheallan and no wolfcarls, when trellwolves were troth-enemies of true-men. When fell trolls, terrible tyrants, walked in winter as they willed it, and our forefathers shuddered in shallow scrapes. This was the time of Thorsbaer Thorvaldson, who first knew a konigenwolf and swore to serve her for salvation.
The atmosphere of this book was never really happy chappy at any point. Even in the calm moments, it always felt like there was the shadow of something looming over my head, as much as they had the shadow of trolls over their's.
One of the things that really hit the hardest was the sheer and desperate instinct to survive. The brutal war with man and wolf against trolls is confronting at times, because we're reminded constantly that both sides are just trying to survive. There's this twist in your gut as men slaughter troll kits, and trolls slaughter wolf cubs and there's this endless vicious cycle of survival which culminates to this tragic scene and it was brutal relief I felt when the scene ended the way it did, leaving me with a certain (though mostly unfounded) hope.
And the characters-- they were vivid, solid beings, ones which I couldn't understand frequently, time and circumstance an uncrossable rift which made me flinch at decisions and traditions. Yet I rooted for them, mourned with them and felt like I almost stood with them. There was a lot of loss. People died, wolves died and I mourned for them all. And when the authors decided to make us empathise with the death of the trolls-- Fuck, really?
In regards romance elements of this section (though really, the word romance has never seemed so small and constrictive than in this moment), it is there, with a different taste and smell (figuratively, of course). And I say this because honestly, I was rather dubious about the whole romance aspect of this book, and although I hesitate to call it that, it is there and product is satisfying. It's not the type of flirty, eye-winking, bantering, groin rubbing romance that you may find more commonly in gaymance, but it has a somewhat different taste to it, one which suits the setting extremely well. And the note the book ended on left a lot of room for the characters and their relationship to change and grow (which I am definitely looking forward to).
One of the major problems I had this the book was the insane mental strain of learning a huge range of names and terms (wolfcarls, heallbred, wolfheallan, wolfspechend; just to name a mere speck, ya know). I had to flip back and forth (figure of speech of course, since I read it on kindle) so many times and honestly, this really isn't sickbed material. You have to hunker down and think. And not to mention the wolf politics, which made learning names and relations all the more important. (Flips desk). Thankfully, it really was worth it.
A Companion to Wolves is very much a labour of love from both authors and I really do commend them. The writing is lyrical in a sense, and the world brutal and stark in beauty. I couldn't stop reading; this fascination, this drive to know more, to read more and immerse myself in the world fuelled me into the AMs (which, of course, was detrimental to my recovery).
I adore this book and right now, I'm still wallowing in the feelings and wistful afterglow of reading. I might change my rating in a month, a year or maybe never, but right now it's a solid, glorious five for me. Read it or don't, I honestly don't care. Afterglow makes it hard for me to care about anything. However, if anything, read it for the world, the endless stretch of harsh white and the smell of wolf names on the wind.
December 10, 2011
I must admit, I bought this book, inspired by some hilarious reviews here on GR. Unfortunately, those reviews mislead me about the seriousness of this book - or better yet how seriously it takes itself. That is portrayed mainly in the main character's "values" and views on the world he is in and his personal duties. And so I shall start with the BAD things about this book:
- (non-graphic) SPOILERS -
1) Serious issues with sexual consent. The protagonist is, for a lack of better description - straight. He isn't even bisexual , he is straight. He, personally, does not wish to have sex with men, doesn't find them particularly attractive etc. If for a moment the reader wonders about a spark between him and a secondary character in the book, all hope is crushed soon enough due to conflict or just lack of interest on the protagonist's part. And yet, since he is mated to the "alpha" bitch wolf of the pack, he gets mounted whenever she gets mounted because it is his "duty". Even if I was fully aware that the authors were aiming for some sort of appeal in the sex scenes, I saw none. It just wasn't clear how being sexually used like a bitch for his wolf's benefit was "honour" for the straight main character. One scene of what I can only describe as a 'gang-bang' was particularly difficult for me to swallow and this is coming from a dub-con fan.
2) No M/M romance. Naturally, this links to the protagonist's sexual orientation. This isn't a book about two men falling in love, it's about one hetero man forcing himself to bend over for a bunch of guys. I do not enjoy.
3) The names of most of the characters were difficult to distinguish due to their similarity. If that's not enough, the names of their wolf companions are thrown in as well and half the time I was left wondering who the hell the authors were referring to and if it was a human or a wolf.
4) Character development. Many of the characters simply weren't developed enough. They got brought in, some seeming very promising too, and then just mentioned again after a whole bunch of pages without actual detail.
5) The reasoning. I honestly feel that the authors could have been more successful about why the main characters do what they do. "My wolf companion is worth sacrifices and I shall give them because it's my duty." is not enough of an explanation even if it is repeated about 100 times using different words/expressions. Where was the depth? The inspiration? The opportunity for the reader to think "I can relate."??
What was GOOD about this book, and it was enough to salvage the situation and get a third star:
1) The writing. Aside from the names issue, I have no complaints with the writing. It flows, it makes sense etc.
2) The main idea. I love the idea about bonding to an animal , having a telepathic connection with it, fighting side by side with it. It's a special kind of bond that I've wished I had many times.
3) The other fantasy elements. Now, I may not be a fan of trolls, but it was neat reading about people hunting and fighting them, even if some scenes dragged on for quite a bit.
Anyway, sorry if this review is too long and if it disappointed future readers. Keep in mind that this is my personal opinion and even though I didn't particularly enjoy this book (and will not be reading its sequel) you still might find more stuff appealing.
-M
- (non-graphic) SPOILERS -
1) Serious issues with sexual consent. The protagonist is, for a lack of better description - straight. He isn't even bisexual , he is straight. He, personally, does not wish to have sex with men, doesn't find them particularly attractive etc. If for a moment the reader wonders about a spark between him and a secondary character in the book, all hope is crushed soon enough due to conflict or just lack of interest on the protagonist's part. And yet, since he is mated to the "alpha" bitch wolf of the pack, he gets mounted whenever she gets mounted because it is his "duty". Even if I was fully aware that the authors were aiming for some sort of appeal in the sex scenes, I saw none. It just wasn't clear how being sexually used like a bitch for his wolf's benefit was "honour" for the straight main character. One scene of what I can only describe as a 'gang-bang' was particularly difficult for me to swallow and this is coming from a dub-con fan.
2) No M/M romance. Naturally, this links to the protagonist's sexual orientation. This isn't a book about two men falling in love, it's about one hetero man forcing himself to bend over for a bunch of guys. I do not enjoy.
3) The names of most of the characters were difficult to distinguish due to their similarity. If that's not enough, the names of their wolf companions are thrown in as well and half the time I was left wondering who the hell the authors were referring to and if it was a human or a wolf.
4) Character development. Many of the characters simply weren't developed enough. They got brought in, some seeming very promising too, and then just mentioned again after a whole bunch of pages without actual detail.
5) The reasoning. I honestly feel that the authors could have been more successful about why the main characters do what they do. "My wolf companion is worth sacrifices and I shall give them because it's my duty." is not enough of an explanation even if it is repeated about 100 times using different words/expressions. Where was the depth? The inspiration? The opportunity for the reader to think "I can relate."??
What was GOOD about this book, and it was enough to salvage the situation and get a third star:
1) The writing. Aside from the names issue, I have no complaints with the writing. It flows, it makes sense etc.
2) The main idea. I love the idea about bonding to an animal , having a telepathic connection with it, fighting side by side with it. It's a special kind of bond that I've wished I had many times.
3) The other fantasy elements. Now, I may not be a fan of trolls, but it was neat reading about people hunting and fighting them, even if some scenes dragged on for quite a bit.
Anyway, sorry if this review is too long and if it disappointed future readers. Keep in mind that this is my personal opinion and even though I didn't particularly enjoy this book (and will not be reading its sequel) you still might find more stuff appealing.
-M
December 14, 2008
A really riveting, well-thought-out book with a Nordic basic, in which boys (teens) in the culture are tithed to the wolf-brothers when there is a new litter. They vie for the pups and become their human brothers or sisters, members of a hard-fighting cult that protects human lands against the incursions of the trolls.
I'm not going into much more detail than that, because the culture of the great wolves and their brothers is complex. The names for the relationships, for the offices in the wolf halls, and for the human holdings, are all Norse, which can get all little hard to keep track of, but I found this book, which goes beyond the grit of day to day life, to be well worth the trouble. One note of warning. There is some raw, completely justified in terms of the culture, sex. This is definitely for mature teens and adults, not middle readers!
I'm not going into much more detail than that, because the culture of the great wolves and their brothers is complex. The names for the relationships, for the offices in the wolf halls, and for the human holdings, are all Norse, which can get all little hard to keep track of, but I found this book, which goes beyond the grit of day to day life, to be well worth the trouble. One note of warning. There is some raw, completely justified in terms of the culture, sex. This is definitely for mature teens and adults, not middle readers!
September 8, 2011
Imagine a world very alike to old Iceland, populated with trolls and wyvern snakes, giant fighting wolves and humans who resemble the vikings of old. There are Earls, and villagers, and there are the wolfcarls, warriors who are mythically bonded to giant wolves. They defend the humans against the trolls, beings so powerful only the united forces of men and wolves can defeat them.
Njall, eldest son of an earl, is drawn to the wolves, but he is also his father's heir. When the wolfjarl, the head of the wolfcarls, claims him as part of the thrall, Njall's father objects. But Njall wants to go.
So he bonds with his wolf sister, Viradechtis, and becomes Isolfr. But there's the catch to being a wolfcarl: there are only male humans, but some of them are bonded to female wolves. And when the wolves mate, the humans do also, making Isolfr the one who will be taken by the human brothers of the male wolves who mate with his wolf sister.
Isolfr almost breaks up with the necessity to give himself to other men. But then the trolls start to come, and the whole world as Isolfr knows it threatens to be destroyed. Isolfr realizes his place in the world and his worthiness as a man has nothing to do with whom he surrenders to, but everything with the reasons why he does it.
This book was different for many reasons, and I can see why some may find it difficult. Particularly the sex might be bothering people. Without being outrightly raped, Isolfr isn't entirely consensual when it comes to having sex with other men. But the world he lives in is violent and cruel, not only to Isolfr, but in general, and the forced matings fit the setting. The way Isolfr grows into his role and finds his place in this very different and complicated world is part of the magic of this book. Not one single time did Isolfr act out of character; he was entirely plausible and so were the other men - and the wolves who are personalities in their own rights. Significant for the author's skills, the wolves are just "human" enough to make it plausible for them to bond with men, but they are still animals. No pathetic fallacy, the wolves are cruel and single minded and living in the moment like true animals.
The worldbuilding was fantastic, totally transporting the reader into it. The story itself, with the deadly threat of the trolls forging an unlikely alliance out of men, wolves and mountain smiths (elf-like creatures of great power), was solid, well crafted fantasy, nothing new but original enough to be exciting.
There were some minor issues, of course. For once, the names appeared totally random. Also, most of them suddenly changed after one third of the book; there were a lot of names. The name and character list on the first page was actually very necessary. Then, there was this fake "nordic" language which lead to tongue twisting word monsters like wolfmaeghtthing. Not really necessary, some readers might find this disturbing (I didn't mind, but I'm a linguist, so my opinion in this doesn't exactly count)
Third, the story felt open ended, particularly on Isolfr's part. Then again, maybe he can't entirely find his peace with his place in life. It was still satisfying to see both Isolfr and Viradechtis mated in the end.
This one is a favourite, a great, suspenseful book, recommended for everyone who loves good, well - crafted fantasy with character growth and original creatures and doesn't mind non-consensual man-on-man sex.
Updated review at
Njall, eldest son of an earl, is drawn to the wolves, but he is also his father's heir. When the wolfjarl, the head of the wolfcarls, claims him as part of the thrall, Njall's father objects. But Njall wants to go.
So he bonds with his wolf sister, Viradechtis, and becomes Isolfr. But there's the catch to being a wolfcarl: there are only male humans, but some of them are bonded to female wolves. And when the wolves mate, the humans do also, making Isolfr the one who will be taken by the human brothers of the male wolves who mate with his wolf sister.
Isolfr almost breaks up with the necessity to give himself to other men. But then the trolls start to come, and the whole world as Isolfr knows it threatens to be destroyed. Isolfr realizes his place in the world and his worthiness as a man has nothing to do with whom he surrenders to, but everything with the reasons why he does it.
This book was different for many reasons, and I can see why some may find it difficult. Particularly the sex might be bothering people. Without being outrightly raped, Isolfr isn't entirely consensual when it comes to having sex with other men. But the world he lives in is violent and cruel, not only to Isolfr, but in general, and the forced matings fit the setting. The way Isolfr grows into his role and finds his place in this very different and complicated world is part of the magic of this book. Not one single time did Isolfr act out of character; he was entirely plausible and so were the other men - and the wolves who are personalities in their own rights. Significant for the author's skills, the wolves are just "human" enough to make it plausible for them to bond with men, but they are still animals. No pathetic fallacy, the wolves are cruel and single minded and living in the moment like true animals.
The worldbuilding was fantastic, totally transporting the reader into it. The story itself, with the deadly threat of the trolls forging an unlikely alliance out of men, wolves and mountain smiths (elf-like creatures of great power), was solid, well crafted fantasy, nothing new but original enough to be exciting.
There were some minor issues, of course. For once, the names appeared totally random. Also, most of them suddenly changed after one third of the book; there were a lot of names. The name and character list on the first page was actually very necessary. Then, there was this fake "nordic" language which lead to tongue twisting word monsters like wolfmaeghtthing. Not really necessary, some readers might find this disturbing (I didn't mind, but I'm a linguist, so my opinion in this doesn't exactly count)
Third, the story felt open ended, particularly on Isolfr's part. Then again, maybe he can't entirely find his peace with his place in life. It was still satisfying to see both Isolfr and Viradechtis mated in the end.
This one is a favourite, a great, suspenseful book, recommended for everyone who loves good, well - crafted fantasy with character growth and original creatures and doesn't mind non-consensual man-on-man sex.
Updated review at
September 4, 2010
At first I really loved this book. I loved the premise of a group of men who, in order to protect human villages from trolls, have formed a fighting society in which each becomes in essence, a soul-mate to a wolf. The pack includes not only a strong brotherhood, which is appealing, but also a certain amount of sacrifice, i.e. having to mate with each other when the alpha she-wolf mates with the other male wolves. (Sacrifice for the main character; others in the group seem to enjoy it.) The culture and language of such a society is well thought out and rather brutal in its reality. But after a while the world-building lost its charm and I wondered what the story was really about, since the central character, Isolfr, who bonds with the pup who becomes the dominant she-wolf of the pack, doesn't seem to want or need anything except the regard of his father, which he can't have because his father is horrified by the idea of the m/m sex that goes on. Towards the end of the book Isolfr is described as "cold" and that seems to be the case as he doesn't seem to bond with his human brothers, not in the same way that he's bonded with his beloved wolf. So, I felt the story lacked a central focus. All the battles with the trolls left me cold as I didn't feel that the outcome was in doubt. In addition, there are an awful lot of characters and names to learn here and, aside from the main character and his family, most of the pack characters seemed to blend together. I found the same thing true of the Melusine series, by one of the authors here, Sarah Monette, that in the end, there is much, albeit well-written, ado about nothing.
November 19, 2010
This is an impressive piece of fiction. From what I’ve read elsewhere, I understand that the authors conceived the book as a tongue-in-cheek, farcical look at the companion animal genre, forcing it to its logical, absurd conclusions. In addition, the story is replete with nearly-unpronounceable made-up words, also typical of the genre. Finally, the authors included a great big dose of slashy guy-on-guy action to delight (and mock) the fan girls.
In the hands of lesser authors, this story would be a cringe-fest. However, Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette are consummate storytellers, and they transcend their own farce. This is brilliant world-building, and the “logical conclusion� of the companion animal concept yields a more interesting story than the wish-fulfillment fantasy so often portrayed. The characters are believable and well-rendered, their sexuality complicated and also believable. The language system of the book is so expertly designed that the barrage of foreign words quickly sorts itself out. Even when presented with a new unknown word, the reader can often guess its meaning. The Norse sounds and syllables continue to roll around in your head long after you’re done with the book. The authors never break the third wall, never explain anything. They do not pander to the reader for even an instant. They drop you into the story, and you have to swim. It’s highly immersive, and there's more going on in this story than the average reader will even catch.
Finally, in spite of the variety of gay and straight relationships in the story, the central relationship is always that of the wolf and the boy. The authors never lose sight of this. The most touching scene in the story is the scene where the wolf struggles (with her limited skills and vocabulary) to apologize to her “brother� for what happens to him when she comes into heat.
_A Companion to Wolves_ is an engaging story, expertly told. It seems obvious that no one is sure how to market it. However, if you think you’ll like it after reading this review (whether you're male, female, gay or straight), then you will.
In the hands of lesser authors, this story would be a cringe-fest. However, Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette are consummate storytellers, and they transcend their own farce. This is brilliant world-building, and the “logical conclusion� of the companion animal concept yields a more interesting story than the wish-fulfillment fantasy so often portrayed. The characters are believable and well-rendered, their sexuality complicated and also believable. The language system of the book is so expertly designed that the barrage of foreign words quickly sorts itself out. Even when presented with a new unknown word, the reader can often guess its meaning. The Norse sounds and syllables continue to roll around in your head long after you’re done with the book. The authors never break the third wall, never explain anything. They do not pander to the reader for even an instant. They drop you into the story, and you have to swim. It’s highly immersive, and there's more going on in this story than the average reader will even catch.
Finally, in spite of the variety of gay and straight relationships in the story, the central relationship is always that of the wolf and the boy. The authors never lose sight of this. The most touching scene in the story is the scene where the wolf struggles (with her limited skills and vocabulary) to apologize to her “brother� for what happens to him when she comes into heat.
_A Companion to Wolves_ is an engaging story, expertly told. It seems obvious that no one is sure how to market it. However, if you think you’ll like it after reading this review (whether you're male, female, gay or straight), then you will.
February 27, 2024
2.5
Apparently this is supposed to be something like the grittier wolf version of Anne McCaffrey's Pern series, which makes a lot of sense, in retrospect. But I figure if you were going to write a book that challenges gender and sexuality paradigms, you might as well include actual female characters and issues to complete the circuit. I mean, Tin (and the svartalfs' idea of gender) was awesome. Tin was the single engaging thing throughout the novel, but she lacked the follow-through that could have made the book less all-over-the-place.
I'm not even sure this properly counts as LGBTQ fiction since Isolfr isn't even gay, he's just coerced into a homoerotic lifestyle. Any consent he gives seems dubious at best, which is... really skeevy in ways I don't think the authors intended.
Apparently this is supposed to be something like the grittier wolf version of Anne McCaffrey's Pern series, which makes a lot of sense, in retrospect. But I figure if you were going to write a book that challenges gender and sexuality paradigms, you might as well include actual female characters and issues to complete the circuit. I mean, Tin (and the svartalfs' idea of gender) was awesome. Tin was the single engaging thing throughout the novel, but she lacked the follow-through that could have made the book less all-over-the-place.
I'm not even sure this properly counts as LGBTQ fiction since Isolfr isn't even gay, he's just coerced into a homoerotic lifestyle. Any consent he gives seems dubious at best, which is... really skeevy in ways I don't think the authors intended.
November 17, 2009
I read this fantasy because of my friends' positive reviews and because I thought the concept of humans bonding with wolves in order to fight the trolls was interesting. However, I found the book very difficult to read for several reasons. One, it had a boat load of Viking names that were nearly impossible to follow. Also, most importantly, I was very disturbed by the violence and rapes in the book.
In addition, as a wolf lover, I know that wolves mate and pair up for life. They might live with the pack, but an alpha female does not mate with a whole pack of males, only the alpha male. I understand this might be fantasy universe, but it found it incredibly unsettling that an author would write about a young man being forced to be virtually gang banged while his wolf mates with a five or more wolves.
I would love to read a gay fantasy where the sex was loving and not something that bordered on brutal bestiality.
I would not recommend this book for the weak-hearted.
In addition, as a wolf lover, I know that wolves mate and pair up for life. They might live with the pack, but an alpha female does not mate with a whole pack of males, only the alpha male. I understand this might be fantasy universe, but it found it incredibly unsettling that an author would write about a young man being forced to be virtually gang banged while his wolf mates with a five or more wolves.
I would love to read a gay fantasy where the sex was loving and not something that bordered on brutal bestiality.
I would not recommend this book for the weak-hearted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2008
It's like the Lessa books from the Pern series, except with wolves instead of dragons, with all the creepy aspects of soul-bonded mating fully fleshed out, and with all the women removed!
That sounds harsh, but honestly I enjoyed the read. Yes, I have a few quibbles - really dodgy gender politics that are brushed aside for most of the book, the tragically beautiful yet remote heroine, the feeling like the plot is merely a background to world description - but I had a thoroughly good time while reading the book, both in spite of and because of some of the weirdness. I can handle the weirdness when I'm pretty sure that it's done deliberately by the authors, even when the weird is not fully acknowledged by the characters in the book.
I don't know. I'm just a sucker for a good animal soul bond story, and this one's pretty good.
That sounds harsh, but honestly I enjoyed the read. Yes, I have a few quibbles - really dodgy gender politics that are brushed aside for most of the book, the tragically beautiful yet remote hero
I don't know. I'm just a sucker for a good animal soul bond story, and this one's pretty good.
October 1, 2013
Holy shit! This story was so complex and just dripping with history and mythology. I would call this intelligent fantasy. The story is woven so powerfully, so uniquely that I hung on every word. I savored it because it is rare to find a story so richly told.
January 16, 2015
I only recently found out this book exists, when I went looking for Sarah Monette's backlist. Then, from the description and reviews, I had significant doubts about A Companion to Wolves, but with these two authors? I had to try it.
What sounded great: the meticulously crafted setting and the powerful, moving relationships.
What sounded iffy: telepathic animal companions. I think of that as the My Pretty Pony trope, and it takes a lot to make me accept it these days. Telepathic animal companions are so rarely real animal companions, instead being written as twee pets with no personality and an infinite desire to please their human master. On the other hand, Cherryh got away from that in her Cloud’s Rider world, so I knew it could be done.
What else sounded iffy: the implication that the story was thinly-disguised fantasy slash erotica. I'm not into erotica of any kind.
What made me try the book anyway: The authors. I could hardly believe they'd write a bad book, regardless of the reviews that are all over the place.
Plus, Kristen at Fantasy Book Café gave , which matters to me, since we often have similar taste.
How the actual story turned out: Really good! I wound up taking two whole days in which I should have been revising my own manuscripts to read the first book and then immediately the second.
Okay, to be honest, the names were indeed problematic. Ulfbjorn, Ulffred, Ulfgeirr, Ulfmaer, Ulfrikr, really? There was a list of names in the front of the book, but this wasn’t helpful. What would have been helpful? Well, how about a list of names with brief descriptions, like
Sokkolfr, first named _______, brother to ________ who is a littermate of ________; belongs first to the ________ wolfheall and later joins the ________ wolfheall.
That sort of thing would have helped A LOT to keep the many confusingly named characters straight. As it was, I constantly flipped back and forth in the paper copy of the first book to figure out who a character was. By the second book I had at least the important characters more or less straight, though.
Other than the names, the words were fine. I like having terms like wolfsprechend in the story, because hey, cool word. Mind you, a glossary would indeed be a good idea, but for me the specialized terms did not pose the same problem that the names did. They are clear enough from context, distinctive enough, and few enough in number that they add to the story rather than otherwise. Mind you, although I do subvocalize when I read, difficult-to-pronounce words don’t bother me a bit: I read over them with an approximate, simplified pronunciation and don’t worry about them.
Moving on: plenty of the reviews and comments I read before getting the first book put a lot of emphasis on the sexual relationships between the characters, which as I said is one reason I was hesitant to try the book. But in fact, this emphasis deflects attention from what the authors were actually doing with the story, which was a whole lot more interesting and subtle than I think some commenters realize.
Bonding with wolves changes both the wolves and the men. High-drive or high-emotion moments are shared more intensely between bonded wolves and men. This leads to various complications, as you might imagine.
In particular, after bonding with his “sister� wolf, Viradichtis, Njall � now Isolfr � is compelled, for a short time every year or two, into various sexual relationships that are consensual, but not something he would choose freely without the wolf bond. This is the part that leaps out at a lot of readers, judging from the comments.
But what Monette and Bear have clearly done is to set up � consciously, I’m sure � a society where a) sex roles are very clearly defined, and women are clearly defined as profoundly inferior to men; and b) a young, well-born, intelligent, introspective, heterosexual male is placed in a situation where he must in some ways take the woman’s role. Three or four times during the first book, Isolfr compares his situation to that of a young woman in an arranged marriage. Once he explicitly compares himself to his younger sister Kathlin, who is in fact shortly due to be sent off to a much older man in an arranged marriage.
More than that, Isolfr, because he has bonded with a queen wolf, knows that eventually he will take on the (socially important and respected) role of the wolfsprechend. He explicitly realizes that the social role of the wolfsprechend compared to the wolfjarl is similar to the role that a wife plays in her husband’s household.
More even than that, as we go through the story, Isolfr is repeatedly confronted with situations that make him question the sex roles mandated by his culture � a woman who is “as good a smith� as her husband, but who is not considered a smith, and is that fair? Wolf bitches that dominate the dog wolves. Svartalfar females who are socially superior to the males of their species. Right at the end of the story, Isolfr makes a decision regarding his own daughter that shows how profoundly he has begun to question the role of women in his own culture.
Let me add that this whole theme of subverting gender roles in the Iskryner (Norse) culture looks likely to continue through the whole trilogy, probably gaining steam in the third book. It is certainly an important them in the second book, The Tempering of Men, where we meet a woman who is a sworn-son (an honorary male), and Otter, a Brython (British) woman who is currently a slave of the Rheans (Romans) who serves to give not only the reader but the Iskryner characters an independent view of Iskryner culture.
We don’t meet either the Brythons or the Romans until the second book, which differs from the first in using multiple points of view to more fully show the world, so the story doesn’t feel nearly as intimate. Isolfr is not even a pov character in the second book, and while it was nice to get an outside perspective, I don’t think the second book was as compelling as the first. But it sets up an interesting situation � several interesting situations � which will plainly get resolved in the third book. So the first book is self-contained, but the second is definitely not. I'm definitely looking forward to the third, which is coming out this fall.
What sounded great: the meticulously crafted setting and the powerful, moving relationships.
What sounded iffy: telepathic animal companions. I think of that as the My Pretty Pony trope, and it takes a lot to make me accept it these days. Telepathic animal companions are so rarely real animal companions, instead being written as twee pets with no personality and an infinite desire to please their human master. On the other hand, Cherryh got away from that in her Cloud’s Rider world, so I knew it could be done.
What else sounded iffy: the implication that the story was thinly-disguised fantasy slash erotica. I'm not into erotica of any kind.
What made me try the book anyway: The authors. I could hardly believe they'd write a bad book, regardless of the reviews that are all over the place.
Plus, Kristen at Fantasy Book Café gave , which matters to me, since we often have similar taste.
How the actual story turned out: Really good! I wound up taking two whole days in which I should have been revising my own manuscripts to read the first book and then immediately the second.
Okay, to be honest, the names were indeed problematic. Ulfbjorn, Ulffred, Ulfgeirr, Ulfmaer, Ulfrikr, really? There was a list of names in the front of the book, but this wasn’t helpful. What would have been helpful? Well, how about a list of names with brief descriptions, like
Sokkolfr, first named _______, brother to ________ who is a littermate of ________; belongs first to the ________ wolfheall and later joins the ________ wolfheall.
That sort of thing would have helped A LOT to keep the many confusingly named characters straight. As it was, I constantly flipped back and forth in the paper copy of the first book to figure out who a character was. By the second book I had at least the important characters more or less straight, though.
Other than the names, the words were fine. I like having terms like wolfsprechend in the story, because hey, cool word. Mind you, a glossary would indeed be a good idea, but for me the specialized terms did not pose the same problem that the names did. They are clear enough from context, distinctive enough, and few enough in number that they add to the story rather than otherwise. Mind you, although I do subvocalize when I read, difficult-to-pronounce words don’t bother me a bit: I read over them with an approximate, simplified pronunciation and don’t worry about them.
Moving on: plenty of the reviews and comments I read before getting the first book put a lot of emphasis on the sexual relationships between the characters, which as I said is one reason I was hesitant to try the book. But in fact, this emphasis deflects attention from what the authors were actually doing with the story, which was a whole lot more interesting and subtle than I think some commenters realize.
Bonding with wolves changes both the wolves and the men. High-drive or high-emotion moments are shared more intensely between bonded wolves and men. This leads to various complications, as you might imagine.
In particular, after bonding with his “sister� wolf, Viradichtis, Njall � now Isolfr � is compelled, for a short time every year or two, into various sexual relationships that are consensual, but not something he would choose freely without the wolf bond. This is the part that leaps out at a lot of readers, judging from the comments.
But what Monette and Bear have clearly done is to set up � consciously, I’m sure � a society where a) sex roles are very clearly defined, and women are clearly defined as profoundly inferior to men; and b) a young, well-born, intelligent, introspective, heterosexual male is placed in a situation where he must in some ways take the woman’s role. Three or four times during the first book, Isolfr compares his situation to that of a young woman in an arranged marriage. Once he explicitly compares himself to his younger sister Kathlin, who is in fact shortly due to be sent off to a much older man in an arranged marriage.
More than that, Isolfr, because he has bonded with a queen wolf, knows that eventually he will take on the (socially important and respected) role of the wolfsprechend. He explicitly realizes that the social role of the wolfsprechend compared to the wolfjarl is similar to the role that a wife plays in her husband’s household.
More even than that, as we go through the story, Isolfr is repeatedly confronted with situations that make him question the sex roles mandated by his culture � a woman who is “as good a smith� as her husband, but who is not considered a smith, and is that fair? Wolf bitches that dominate the dog wolves. Svartalfar females who are socially superior to the males of their species. Right at the end of the story, Isolfr makes a decision regarding his own daughter that shows how profoundly he has begun to question the role of women in his own culture.
Let me add that this whole theme of subverting gender roles in the Iskryner (Norse) culture looks likely to continue through the whole trilogy, probably gaining steam in the third book. It is certainly an important them in the second book, The Tempering of Men, where we meet a woman who is a sworn-son (an honorary male), and Otter, a Brython (British) woman who is currently a slave of the Rheans (Romans) who serves to give not only the reader but the Iskryner characters an independent view of Iskryner culture.
We don’t meet either the Brythons or the Romans until the second book, which differs from the first in using multiple points of view to more fully show the world, so the story doesn’t feel nearly as intimate. Isolfr is not even a pov character in the second book, and while it was nice to get an outside perspective, I don’t think the second book was as compelling as the first. But it sets up an interesting situation � several interesting situations � which will plainly get resolved in the third book. So the first book is self-contained, but the second is definitely not. I'm definitely looking forward to the third, which is coming out this fall.
November 27, 2007
This is a fantasy book that really plays with the idea of gender, societal norms and sexuality that doesn't smack of a similar sort of gratuity that I tend to dislike in most books with extended mentions of sex. In a society where the warrior men bonded to the wolves reenact and share in the wolves' very non-human (and why should they be human?) mating cycles -- whether willingly or not -- the sex scenes felt necessary to the plot and the portrayal of the very real differences between animals and humans and what happens when one is forced to deal intimately with the other.
It's well written, with a strong grasp of interplay between groups, and what happens when one cannot see the other as being either intelligent or "sentient"-- when, in war time, and even not in war time, the culture really blinds you to the idea that your enemy might have a reason for doing what they are doing. My main issue has to do with the many, many characters that shuffled on, off and back on again-- some appearing only for a couple scenes and never to be seen again. I had some difficulty keeping track of everyone.
Good points: (1)The bond wolves aren't teenage girl fantasy trope soul bonded animals. They are wolves, they aren't human and the reader is expected not to think of them as such. (2)real warrior men that is appropriate for the setting and story. Gay or just stoically taking it for the team, all the men involved read as warriors to me. Even the 'pretty boy' hero has a beard and enough muscle mass to toss around a battle axe. (3) Gender issues that sort of slid in lightly and then punched you in the face by the end without feeling as if the authors were on a pulpit somewhere.
I read a review somewhere wondering why the wolves never bonded with human women, only the men. Reading the book, I realized that there was actually a very clear answer to that which I don't believe was ever outright stated... but, that I took as one of the side themes to the story.
Interesting. I don't think it's for everyone, due to its sexual themes and one particularly brutal scene, but definitely interesting.
It's well written, with a strong grasp of interplay between groups, and what happens when one cannot see the other as being either intelligent or "sentient"-- when, in war time, and even not in war time, the culture really blinds you to the idea that your enemy might have a reason for doing what they are doing. My main issue has to do with the many, many characters that shuffled on, off and back on again-- some appearing only for a couple scenes and never to be seen again. I had some difficulty keeping track of everyone.
Good points: (1)The bond wolves aren't teenage girl fantasy trope soul bonded animals. They are wolves, they aren't human and the reader is expected not to think of them as such. (2)real warrior men that is appropriate for the setting and story. Gay or just stoically taking it for the team, all the men involved read as warriors to me. Even the 'pretty boy' hero has a beard and enough muscle mass to toss around a battle axe. (3) Gender issues that sort of slid in lightly and then punched you in the face by the end without feeling as if the authors were on a pulpit somewhere.
I read a review somewhere wondering why the wolves never bonded with human women, only the men. Reading the book, I realized that there was actually a very clear answer to that which I don't believe was ever outright stated... but, that I took as one of the side themes to the story.
Interesting. I don't think it's for everyone, due to its sexual themes and one particularly brutal scene, but definitely interesting.
May 25, 2010
Oh good, I am no longer seethingly annoyed by the mere presence of Elizabeth Bear’s name. Time does fade all things, including deeply enraging internet behavior. And this book is far less indulgent than the last few things of hers I read.
Nota bien: “Indulgent� is a book review sneaky code word for “interested in things I don’t care about, as opposed to things I do.�
This is a book about a young Viking…ish man who is taken from his family’s home and bonded with an empathic wolf, and then they fight monsters and there’s lots of wolf mating/dubiously consensual empathic gay gangbang shenanigans. So as advertised, then.
Ha, okay. This book does the extremely difficult thing of critiquing and problematizing companion animal fantasies, particularly the sex, while also being a really satisfying companion animal fantasy. This book made me want to go back and reread large swaths of Pern because it is getting right to the heart of *gestures* that thing, except I know Pern would just be particularly painful now. This is a book written in a deceptively simple style, telling a story, and doing some nice � if not incredibly deep � work on subjects/objects and duty and sex and gender.
Actually, I should mention my one overarching critique, which is that it’s one of those books about gender where it’s all about masculine assumption of feminine roles without actually being about, um, any women at all. You know what I mean.
But my main point is that I was reading along, mildly interested, whatever, and then suddenly after the halfway point I was all, “but, but. Who will be his wolfy consorts? Tell me more!�
Nota bien: “Indulgent� is a book review sneaky code word for “interested in things I don’t care about, as opposed to things I do.�
This is a book about a young Viking…ish man who is taken from his family’s home and bonded with an empathic wolf, and then they fight monsters and there’s lots of wolf mating/dubiously consensual empathic gay gangbang shenanigans. So as advertised, then.
Ha, okay. This book does the extremely difficult thing of critiquing and problematizing companion animal fantasies, particularly the sex, while also being a really satisfying companion animal fantasy. This book made me want to go back and reread large swaths of Pern because it is getting right to the heart of *gestures* that thing, except I know Pern would just be particularly painful now. This is a book written in a deceptively simple style, telling a story, and doing some nice � if not incredibly deep � work on subjects/objects and duty and sex and gender.
Actually, I should mention my one overarching critique, which is that it’s one of those books about gender where it’s all about masculine assumption of feminine roles without actually being about, um, any women at all. You know what I mean.
But my main point is that I was reading along, mildly interested, whatever, and then suddenly after the halfway point I was all, “but, but. Who will be his wolfy consorts? Tell me more!�
May 8, 2012
What this book is not: This book is not a male/male romance. This is not a bad thing. On the contrary, I think I was more relieved by the fact that it was not a romance than anything else that happened in the plot-line of the book.
What this book is: This book is a well-written fantasy novel that seemed to just get better as I read, instead of falling apart from an interesting premise as is so often the case. And, yes, there was some homosexual activity within the main story, but the variety of emotional love between men represented in this novel was refreshing. Rather than the book being all about the grand, sweeping romantic love that almost every book in the world features as the main driving force of every character to some degree, this book concentrates instead of a kind of bond between humans -- in this case men -- that is just as deep, just as important, and just as vital, even if the romantic aspect is either not present at all or buried under a lot more intense connections that supersede romantic love. There was the bond between the men and the wolves, the bond between the wolves themselves, the bond between human members of the 'pack', the deep abiding love of men who have given up everything in their prior lives to be in the situation they've chosen, and to fight alongside each other in a war. The fact that there was sex thrown into that mix for *reasons* (it made sense within the world of the book) -- sex that while at times had dubious consent, or at least a lack of enthusiasm, ended up being pleasurable with the 'right' partners.
I almost hate to focus on the sex because while I found it titillating (hooray!) in the end it seemed to be one of the least important things about the novel (though admittedly one of the things that got me into the novel in the first place, because hooray for intriguing, unconventional sexual situations in books!), but given how the sex is represented in some of the comments, I feel like I want to address it. I think any reader of BDSM novels will recognize some elements within the story. Man is equal to the wolf (in good BDSM the sub is of the same or greater value than the dom), but in the matter or situations driven by pack instinct, such as mating, then the man must not fight the choices of the wolf. "It's her choice," was mentioned more than once, and reminded me of BDSM scenes in which the sub allows the dom to choose a partner (or partners) for him/her to have sex with, and in which the sub allows the dom to choose what happens to him/her during a scene of any type. It's pretty clear in actual BDSM research I've done, while less clear in romanticised BDSM novels, that there are times the sub does not sweepingly love the choices of the dom, or even entirely *enjoy* them all. I suppose that is the kind of mindset I had while reading those scenes, and I did not find them troubling or difficult to swallow. However, if that kind of reading (or in my case research for writing) isn't part of your personal history, then the lack of swelling romantic feeling during the sex scenes might be off-putting; this might be complicated for a reader by not going into the book understanding point one above: this is not a romance novel.
Being who I am, of course, I did start to develop an attachment to various other men that I wished Isolfr would fall for, but in the end I was happy that was not the way the book went.
This book reminded me of a more enjoyable, more interesting, fantasy version of The Sagas of the Icelanders by Jane Smiley. Only better. Because that novel nearly made me cry tears of boredom. (Sorry, Jane Smiley!) It was not written for the purpose of anything more than telling a sweeping tale of an unlikely, almost unwilling hero, and his wolfsister and pack-brothers. I was encouraged and relieved to find such a book existed in the world. Not every book featuring m/m relationships, or m/m sex, needs to be romance.
In other words, I loved this book for all that it actually was and didn't hold it against it for all that it wasn't. In fact, I rejoice in what it wasn't.
What this book is: This book is a well-written fantasy novel that seemed to just get better as I read, instead of falling apart from an interesting premise as is so often the case. And, yes, there was some homosexual activity within the main story, but the variety of emotional love between men represented in this novel was refreshing. Rather than the book being all about the grand, sweeping romantic love that almost every book in the world features as the main driving force of every character to some degree, this book concentrates instead of a kind of bond between humans -- in this case men -- that is just as deep, just as important, and just as vital, even if the romantic aspect is either not present at all or buried under a lot more intense connections that supersede romantic love. There was the bond between the men and the wolves, the bond between the wolves themselves, the bond between human members of the 'pack', the deep abiding love of men who have given up everything in their prior lives to be in the situation they've chosen, and to fight alongside each other in a war. The fact that there was sex thrown into that mix for *reasons* (it made sense within the world of the book) -- sex that while at times had dubious consent, or at least a lack of enthusiasm, ended up being pleasurable with the 'right' partners.
I almost hate to focus on the sex because while I found it titillating (hooray!) in the end it seemed to be one of the least important things about the novel (though admittedly one of the things that got me into the novel in the first place, because hooray for intriguing, unconventional sexual situations in books!), but given how the sex is represented in some of the comments, I feel like I want to address it. I think any reader of BDSM novels will recognize some elements within the story. Man is equal to the wolf (in good BDSM the sub is of the same or greater value than the dom), but in the matter or situations driven by pack instinct, such as mating, then the man must not fight the choices of the wolf. "It's her choice," was mentioned more than once, and reminded me of BDSM scenes in which the sub allows the dom to choose a partner (or partners) for him/her to have sex with, and in which the sub allows the dom to choose what happens to him/her during a scene of any type. It's pretty clear in actual BDSM research I've done, while less clear in romanticised BDSM novels, that there are times the sub does not sweepingly love the choices of the dom, or even entirely *enjoy* them all. I suppose that is the kind of mindset I had while reading those scenes, and I did not find them troubling or difficult to swallow. However, if that kind of reading (or in my case research for writing) isn't part of your personal history, then the lack of swelling romantic feeling during the sex scenes might be off-putting; this might be complicated for a reader by not going into the book understanding point one above: this is not a romance novel.
Being who I am, of course, I did start to develop an attachment to various other men that I wished Isolfr would fall for, but in the end I was happy that was not the way the book went.
This book reminded me of a more enjoyable, more interesting, fantasy version of The Sagas of the Icelanders by Jane Smiley. Only better. Because that novel nearly made me cry tears of boredom. (Sorry, Jane Smiley!) It was not written for the purpose of anything more than telling a sweeping tale of an unlikely, almost unwilling hero, and his wolfsister and pack-brothers. I was encouraged and relieved to find such a book existed in the world. Not every book featuring m/m relationships, or m/m sex, needs to be romance.
In other words, I loved this book for all that it actually was and didn't hold it against it for all that it wasn't. In fact, I rejoice in what it wasn't.
January 5, 2009
Much less rape-ful than I was expecting!
I know, not a strong recommendation, but via the informal SF grapevine, I had heard that this book was essentially Pern with the rape taken seriously, and while this is true, it takes place in the context of a society that recognizes rape when it happens and disapproves of it. That said, I cannot say that it might not be triggerful. A major theme of the book is consent, and the varying degrees to which it can be free.
As someone else said, this book is horrible for names. About half of the characters have the phoneme "ulf" or an allomorph somewhere in their name, many of them at the beginning, many of the characters change their name at some point during the book, and there are tonnes of characters to keep track of. Adding insult to injury, for me, the authors acknowledge in a note at the beginning that they have chosen to use Norse names, more or less rubbing in the fact that they could have used names I might have been able to tell apart, but chose not to.
Having said that, I love this book. It made me cry, it gave me heroes, and it gave me wolves who were wolflike, so I can't ask for much more.
I know, not a strong recommendation, but via the informal SF grapevine, I had heard that this book was essentially Pern with the rape taken seriously, and while this is true, it takes place in the context of a society that recognizes rape when it happens and disapproves of it. That said, I cannot say that it might not be triggerful. A major theme of the book is consent, and the varying degrees to which it can be free.
As someone else said, this book is horrible for names. About half of the characters have the phoneme "ulf" or an allomorph somewhere in their name, many of them at the beginning, many of the characters change their name at some point during the book, and there are tonnes of characters to keep track of. Adding insult to injury, for me, the authors acknowledge in a note at the beginning that they have chosen to use Norse names, more or less rubbing in the fact that they could have used names I might have been able to tell apart, but chose not to.
Having said that, I love this book. It made me cry, it gave me heroes, and it gave me wolves who were wolflike, so I can't ask for much more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2020
I absolutely love this book. This is one of those books that makes me want to go back and erase most of my previous 5 star ratings, becasue they don't measure up.
It is an original world with a fascinating culture. Love the world-building. Love the storyline. Love the characters. Love that it's one of those stories that can touch your heart and your head. As the Publisher's Weekly review says on the back cover, "a brutal and beautiful novel about the meaning of honor".
Do you remember "The Neverending Story" and the discussion of safe books? I read a lot of safe books. You know who will survive. And, with romances, you know it will be an HEA. This isn't a safe book. You don't know till the last page if the characters you love the most will survive the war.
Why does it take a fantasy world to be the most real?
Medieval culture (based on the ancient Norse) where villages and towns are protected by a community of men who have psychically bonded with wolves. Most of the men gain their wolves as boys (late teens). The wolf cubs choose their brothers.
The human-wolf bond is so deep that when the female wolves go into heat, their male brothers do as well. And the men and wolves couple as pairs. Man to man, wolf to wolf.
Slight warning for hard to pronounce names. But they grow on you as the story progresses.
It is an original world with a fascinating culture. Love the world-building. Love the storyline. Love the characters. Love that it's one of those stories that can touch your heart and your head. As the Publisher's Weekly review says on the back cover, "a brutal and beautiful novel about the meaning of honor".
Do you remember "The Neverending Story" and the discussion of safe books? I read a lot of safe books. You know who will survive. And, with romances, you know it will be an HEA. This isn't a safe book. You don't know till the last page if the characters you love the most will survive the war.
Why does it take a fantasy world to be the most real?
Medieval culture (based on the ancient Norse) where villages and towns are protected by a community of men who have psychically bonded with wolves. Most of the men gain their wolves as boys (late teens). The wolf cubs choose their brothers.
The human-wolf bond is so deep that when the female wolves go into heat, their male brothers do as well. And the men and wolves couple as pairs. Man to man, wolf to wolf.
Slight warning for hard to pronounce names. But they grow on you as the story progresses.
September 8, 2010
I really have no words.
From the description I read when I requested this from the library, I expected a Norse-ish version of Pern, but with trolls thrown in. Could have been cool, right?
And then it got weird.
And by weird I mean full of rape. Rape that the authors seemed to be attempting to portray as okay and even kind of romantic, even though the main character was clearly straight and this was very m/m noncon. More than a little sickening. And the way they made this poor boy feel like he had no choice in the matter.
Ergh. Just. No.
From the description I read when I requested this from the library, I expected a Norse-ish version of Pern, but with trolls thrown in. Could have been cool, right?
And then it got weird.
And by weird I mean full of rape. Rape that the authors seemed to be attempting to portray as okay and even kind of romantic, even though the main character was clearly straight and this was very m/m noncon. More than a little sickening. And the way they made this poor boy feel like he had no choice in the matter.
Ergh. Just. No.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
March 1, 2015When I read, I try to read myself into the main character. See through their eyes, want what they want. To follow along. I don't think I can do that with this one. It is just too distressing (death, and family repudiation, and consent issues), and too far different from my life. (I do not hunt trolls.)
BUT I can follow along like the main character is a friend. A friend with a life I don't want, but I want to know what's going on.
All of this to say I eagerly await the next books in fear and trembling.
BUT I can follow along like the main character is a friend. A friend with a life I don't want, but I want to know what's going on.
All of this to say I eagerly await the next books in fear and trembling.
August 14, 2010
If you are a woman who enjoys sexual fantasies about bisexual Norsemen, then this book is for you.
Not the best work from either Monette or Bear, and at times the characters do get hard to tell apart, but if this is your thing, it's definitely enjoyable.
Not the best work from either Monette or Bear, and at times the characters do get hard to tell apart, but if this is your thing, it's definitely enjoyable.
March 10, 2016
I picked this up because I loved so much. And I have the same complaint with that book that I have with this one.
Dear Sarah Monette/Katherine Addison:
I am neither a lazy nor a bad reader. But your character names are really difficult: too similar, too long, too hard to pronounce, and when characters change their names part way through the book, it adds another layer of confusion. It annoys me to have to search each character name when it comes up so I can be reminded of who it is. (Made worse by the sheer number of characters in this book, most of them male.) I'm not the only reader to feel this way either, I noticed.
Okay, now that the annoyance is out of the way! I actually liked this book more than I thought I would, and it wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting M/M fantasy romance--light on the fantasy, heavy on the romance. But instead, the book was about detailed fantasy world building, politics, a war against trolls, and what life's like when you're bonded to a wolf. The setting was fascinating and a lot deeper than I expected. And there was practically zero romance.
Though there was sex. As others have noted, it's pretty violent. But it was definitely thought provoking:
But what I loved best about this book was the main character's growing realization about the limited role of women in his society--and his active steps to change it. Such a pleasant surprise in this male-centric novel. I can't wait to read the next two books in this series.
The writing was excellent; Sarah Monette is becoming one of my favorites, and I'm going to check out more of Bear's books as well.
Dear Sarah Monette/Katherine Addison:
I am neither a lazy nor a bad reader. But your character names are really difficult: too similar, too long, too hard to pronounce, and when characters change their names part way through the book, it adds another layer of confusion. It annoys me to have to search each character name when it comes up so I can be reminded of who it is. (Made worse by the sheer number of characters in this book, most of them male.) I'm not the only reader to feel this way either, I noticed.
Okay, now that the annoyance is out of the way! I actually liked this book more than I thought I would, and it wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting M/M fantasy romance--light on the fantasy, heavy on the romance. But instead, the book was about detailed fantasy world building, politics, a war against trolls, and what life's like when you're bonded to a wolf. The setting was fascinating and a lot deeper than I expected. And there was practically zero romance.
Though there was sex. As others have noted, it's pretty violent. But it was definitely thought provoking:
But what I loved best about this book was the main character's growing realization about the limited role of women in his society--and his active steps to change it. Such a pleasant surprise in this male-centric novel. I can't wait to read the next two books in this series.
The writing was excellent; Sarah Monette is becoming one of my favorites, and I'm going to check out more of Bear's books as well.
May 1, 2013
In a frigid northern land suffused with Norse-like mythology, men live and fight in concert with wolves to hold back the threat of troll invasion. Njall is a young nobleman, raised separate from this war--until his intense bond with his sister wolf draws him into its heart. A Companion to Wolves is a world of its own, and thus difficult to summarize and supremely immersive: the harsh wintery setting, the seductive premise of telepathically bonded wolves, and the dual battles that surround Njall in the intense social politics of pack dynamics and the brutal fight against trolls. It throws up some hurdles--primarily a long list of similar-sounding names--but succeeds as a book to get lost in. But it's escapism with weight and purpose: the world is grim and suffused with sexism and rape. These problematic topics are handled with more grace than not. The sexism isn't just historical grittiness, but impetus to character growth and an argument against gender-based limitations--which can be simplistic, but works on the whole. The central role of sex and rape within the book is a trickier subject: it feels almost too convincing in-universe but remains problematic; still, it prompts an intense and complex emotional climax (one with drove me to tears--few books have done that).
Like the accomplished voice, it's beneficial density. The book is id-driven but intelligent, captivating but stubbornly unvarnished. There are weaknesses in both writing and content--problematic justification of rape, a too-special protagonist who overshadows a fascinating world--but despite my quibbles I loved every word. I read A Companion to Wolves in a dizzying day, seduced and totally enraptured. At its best, telepathic animal companions are this: they incite heartbreaking longing, but they're not fluff or idealization; rather, they are twice the number of, and a new facet to, intense emotional bonds--the connections which aid us in our journey through a harsh world, and such a harsh world is this one. I loved this book, and yearn to own and reread it. There are caveats, but I recommend it with enthusiasm.
Like the accomplished voice, it's beneficial density. The book is id-driven but intelligent, captivating but stubbornly unvarnished. There are weaknesses in both writing and content--problematic justification of rape, a too-special protagonist who overshadows a fascinating world--but despite my quibbles I loved every word. I read A Companion to Wolves in a dizzying day, seduced and totally enraptured. At its best, telepathic animal companions are this: they incite heartbreaking longing, but they're not fluff or idealization; rather, they are twice the number of, and a new facet to, intense emotional bonds--the connections which aid us in our journey through a harsh world, and such a harsh world is this one. I loved this book, and yearn to own and reread it. There are caveats, but I recommend it with enthusiasm.
February 12, 2008
Njall is the teenage son of a jarl when he is inducted into the world of the wolfcarls--warriors who have psychically bonded with trellwolves in order to fight the encroaching trolls. The transition is hard for Njall, because wolfcarls are completely devoted to the fight. They do not own land, they do not marry or raid for glory--and when their wolves mate with other wolves, their wolfcarls mate with each other. Njall has to adapt from being in control of his own life, choices and sexuality, to being an object of lust and subject to the needs of the wolfthret. It takes him the entire book to come to terms with this, and I appreciated that he stumbled several times while trying to maintain both his honor and his sanity.
I was less impressed with the wolfthret and the generations-long war with the trolls. There are far too many characters, and Monette and Bear don't write compelling battles. The trolls crush the wolves and humans throughout, razing their villages and forcing them to retreat at every turn, but I never really got the feeling of approaching doom. The writing and plot are a bit uneven; I wish the authors had focused a little more, either on the ramifications of becoming part of the wolfthret or on the war.
I was less impressed with the wolfthret and the generations-long war with the trolls. There are far too many characters, and Monette and Bear don't write compelling battles. The trolls crush the wolves and humans throughout, razing their villages and forcing them to retreat at every turn, but I never really got the feeling of approaching doom. The writing and plot are a bit uneven; I wish the authors had focused a little more, either on the ramifications of becoming part of the wolfthret or on the war.
December 17, 2015
4.5/5
I'm impressed. The cover definitely doesn't do this book justice. Just looking at it lowered my expectations of this book by half, at least. I figured the sex would only take up a third of the book, and the main character's doomed love affair would only take up three quarters. At best.
So I didn't expect to find a superbly crafted realm and culture that delved skillfully into Norse mythology and language alike. Of course, there was lots of sex and whatnot. But that was almost an afterthought, and one of the first things the author established about the sex is that when wolves bonded to men are involved sex is often a really scary and violent thing. So. If you want a gratuitous porn fest, this isn't your book.
However, if you're looking for a well-thought out fantastical world filled with amazing characters both human and otherwise engaging in heart-pounding action as well as heartfelt interactions, this is your book. There was also the added bonus of the main character having decent amounts of empathy when it came to the less well-regarded members of both his society and the world at large. I can't wait to read the sequel to see how that last bit plays out.
I'm impressed. The cover definitely doesn't do this book justice. Just looking at it lowered my expectations of this book by half, at least. I figured the sex would only take up a third of the book, and the main character's doomed love affair would only take up three quarters. At best.
So I didn't expect to find a superbly crafted realm and culture that delved skillfully into Norse mythology and language alike. Of course, there was lots of sex and whatnot. But that was almost an afterthought, and one of the first things the author established about the sex is that when wolves bonded to men are involved sex is often a really scary and violent thing. So. If you want a gratuitous porn fest, this isn't your book.
However, if you're looking for a well-thought out fantastical world filled with amazing characters both human and otherwise engaging in heart-pounding action as well as heartfelt interactions, this is your book. There was also the added bonus of the main character having decent amounts of empathy when it came to the less well-regarded members of both his society and the world at large. I can't wait to read the sequel to see how that last bit plays out.
April 20, 2009
Apparently, this started as a snarky conversation between the two authors-- how many books had this psychic bonding between humans and animals (specifically wolves) but never portrayed actual wolf behavior as having any influence on the characters. It turned into a serious attempt at creating a world where wolves and humans do bond, serving as border guards-- makes sense, as arctic wolves would be very comfortable in woods and harsh winters. What takes this book beyond the "typical" fantasy realm is that these very men get sucked into wolf customs and heirarchy (in ways that are rather uncomfortable for some of them and, sometimes, the readers). For instance, when your soldiers are all men, but they bond with female and male wolves, how do you deal with mating? How do you deal with struggles for alpha positions? This sure ain't the civilized bond that Companions and Heralds have in the Mercedes Lackey books, that's for sure.
March 25, 2009
The premise is interesting and fun: A young man bonds to a wolf and becomes part of a human/wolf pack. The man and wolf have a psychic bond, but it is not all sparkly rainbows.
The execution is disappointing. The writing tries for a literary style but ends up confusing and ugly. For example, this quote from the first paragraph: "Njall was sixteen, almost a man even if he was hoping for just one more spurt of growth, but her head was as broad as the span of his palm between her eyes."
Whut?
The novel is full of complicated names that closely resemble each other, change frequently, and are introduced then dropped. I had a hard time keeping track of characters.
The book includes a lot of graphic non-consensual sex (I would certainly consider it non-consensual), but I felt the ramifications of it were not explored well.
In short: GREAT ideas, bad execution.
The execution is disappointing. The writing tries for a literary style but ends up confusing and ugly. For example, this quote from the first paragraph: "Njall was sixteen, almost a man even if he was hoping for just one more spurt of growth, but her head was as broad as the span of his palm between her eyes."
Whut?
The novel is full of complicated names that closely resemble each other, change frequently, and are introduced then dropped. I had a hard time keeping track of characters.
The book includes a lot of graphic non-consensual sex (I would certainly consider it non-consensual), but I felt the ramifications of it were not explored well.
In short: GREAT ideas, bad execution.
December 11, 2015
incredible.
never thought i would enjoy a book about dog sex but here we are.
this book is great because it's like reading a trashy fanfic but without having to deal an obnoxious fandom.
never thought i would enjoy a book about dog sex but here we are.
this book is great because it's like reading a trashy fanfic but without having to deal an obnoxious fandom.
July 17, 2012
Review posted at .
I have wanted to read this book, the first of a trilogy, for quite a while and I'm really happy that I finally sat myself down to read it. I don't think that it is without some problems, but overall I was very pleased and wrapped up in the story.
The first 25% of this book is a little daunting to read. Right away you're plunged into a world with a large cast of characters whose names, for most of us, are hard to pronounce and keep track of*. So I'll give a little rundown of the setup:
Njall is the first son of Gunnar, the jarl of the settlement of Nithogsfjoll, who has recently not been tithing boys to the Wolfheall. Though Njall has been entranced with the wolves his whole life, his father has some deep rooted hatred towards the group of men and wolves that fight to keep the wild trolls and wyverns away from the settlements. It is a precarious arrangement, both rely on one another to keep their people safe, but Gunnar would not have his heir given to the men for what he considerings unnatural purposes. Still, at 16 years of age Njall can make his own choice, and he chooses to become a wolfcarl, never marry, fight for the safety of the people, and bond with a wolf.
I first noticed this book as continually shelved on GoodReads as m/m or gay, and I think that may be a bit of a disservice to the book and to readers. Though probably only for their own purposes, I think that readers of m/m romance or gay fantasy might not entirely know what to expect with this world, where concentrating on any definition of the sexual acts within is beside the point. This is something that Isolfr (previously named Njall) deals with throughout the story, biased by his father's perception of him. The culture of the Wolfheallan is based on the bond between the men and wolves. Isolfr frequently remarks in the first part of the story that he's thinking as a wolfless man, because most of the time, the wolf is the dominant part of the pair. He has to completely restructure his way of thinking as he is immersed in a world that is governed by animal behavior. The men are no longer quite men, just as the wolves are no longer quite wolves.
This is the basis for understanding the sex and mating in the story**. The political structure is complex and is the basis of the story, even most of the story (sans trolls), especially in the beginning. This wasn't difficult for me, but then I also knew, going into reading this, that this wasn't really m/m (but maybe a little gay -- more on that later). I actually liked the beginning and middle more than I did the end of this story, perhaps because I liked that political maneuvering that Isolfr has to find his way through, bonded to Viradechtis, a konigenwolf, a queen wolf of a queen wolf meant to rule her own Wolfheall. I had heard from some readers that the dub-con sex bothered them, but this was the key for me understanding why the social structure is the way it is, and therefore I didn't have any problem with it.
I'll leave the rest of the story up to each reader's individual interpretation, without, spoiling it. I did feel as if the story wasn't quite complete. It has the feeling of a book that was meant to be a standalone story but wasn't quite finished. It is now a trilogy, with the last book to be released sometime next year (hopefully!) and my understanding of that might change with the second book. Still, while I felt completely spelled by the creation of the world, I can't say that I felt the same way with the war against the trolls. I feel like it is a wonderful setup for more, but something about the events in this book, which seem complete and whole, felt disjointed and a bit unfocused for me. I think my feelings of discontent may come from the pacing, which is very stop-start (short scenes of action with longer passages of narration), or the disconnect between the social worldbuilding of men and wolves that seems to take primary place, then the war with the trolls, which could have been a bit more interwoven for me to feel as if they were peaking at a simultaneous pace.
I think I'm perhaps most looking forward to reading the sequel, The Tempering of Men, because of the relationships between the men and wolves near the end of the book, which really seemed to be going places. Now that many of the original relationships have been cemented, there's room for a lot more growth. Likewise, Isolfr, who is named after his icy nature (something I wasn't quite sure I agreed with, honestly) is changing and growing in ways that are further removing him from the other men and wolves, and I'm very interested to see his progression throughout the series.
I honestly feel like my criticism of this book is really nitpicky. I still loved it and couldn't stop reading. There's a really high level of craft with these two authors. While this is the first book that I've read by either of them, it won't be the last, and I already have two more books (one by each) lined up to review here in the next few weeks. First though, I don't think I'll be able to hold off and wait to read the sequel in this series until the last book is released. So look for the review of The Tempering of Men to come soon!
*There's a Dramatis Personae in the back of the ebook for those of you, like me, with that format. It wasn't until I was totally confused that I thought to look for it.
**I will warn some readers though that it is pretty rough. I understood it, but others might not.
I have wanted to read this book, the first of a trilogy, for quite a while and I'm really happy that I finally sat myself down to read it. I don't think that it is without some problems, but overall I was very pleased and wrapped up in the story.
The first 25% of this book is a little daunting to read. Right away you're plunged into a world with a large cast of characters whose names, for most of us, are hard to pronounce and keep track of*. So I'll give a little rundown of the setup:
Njall is the first son of Gunnar, the jarl of the settlement of Nithogsfjoll, who has recently not been tithing boys to the Wolfheall. Though Njall has been entranced with the wolves his whole life, his father has some deep rooted hatred towards the group of men and wolves that fight to keep the wild trolls and wyverns away from the settlements. It is a precarious arrangement, both rely on one another to keep their people safe, but Gunnar would not have his heir given to the men for what he considerings unnatural purposes. Still, at 16 years of age Njall can make his own choice, and he chooses to become a wolfcarl, never marry, fight for the safety of the people, and bond with a wolf.
I first noticed this book as continually shelved on GoodReads as m/m or gay, and I think that may be a bit of a disservice to the book and to readers. Though probably only for their own purposes, I think that readers of m/m romance or gay fantasy might not entirely know what to expect with this world, where concentrating on any definition of the sexual acts within is beside the point. This is something that Isolfr (previously named Njall) deals with throughout the story, biased by his father's perception of him. The culture of the Wolfheallan is based on the bond between the men and wolves. Isolfr frequently remarks in the first part of the story that he's thinking as a wolfless man, because most of the time, the wolf is the dominant part of the pair. He has to completely restructure his way of thinking as he is immersed in a world that is governed by animal behavior. The men are no longer quite men, just as the wolves are no longer quite wolves.
This is the basis for understanding the sex and mating in the story**. The political structure is complex and is the basis of the story, even most of the story (sans trolls), especially in the beginning. This wasn't difficult for me, but then I also knew, going into reading this, that this wasn't really m/m (but maybe a little gay -- more on that later). I actually liked the beginning and middle more than I did the end of this story, perhaps because I liked that political maneuvering that Isolfr has to find his way through, bonded to Viradechtis, a konigenwolf, a queen wolf of a queen wolf meant to rule her own Wolfheall. I had heard from some readers that the dub-con sex bothered them, but this was the key for me understanding why the social structure is the way it is, and therefore I didn't have any problem with it.
I'll leave the rest of the story up to each reader's individual interpretation, without, spoiling it. I did feel as if the story wasn't quite complete. It has the feeling of a book that was meant to be a standalone story but wasn't quite finished. It is now a trilogy, with the last book to be released sometime next year (hopefully!) and my understanding of that might change with the second book. Still, while I felt completely spelled by the creation of the world, I can't say that I felt the same way with the war against the trolls. I feel like it is a wonderful setup for more, but something about the events in this book, which seem complete and whole, felt disjointed and a bit unfocused for me. I think my feelings of discontent may come from the pacing, which is very stop-start (short scenes of action with longer passages of narration), or the disconnect between the social worldbuilding of men and wolves that seems to take primary place, then the war with the trolls, which could have been a bit more interwoven for me to feel as if they were peaking at a simultaneous pace.
I think I'm perhaps most looking forward to reading the sequel, The Tempering of Men, because of the relationships between the men and wolves near the end of the book, which really seemed to be going places. Now that many of the original relationships have been cemented, there's room for a lot more growth. Likewise, Isolfr, who is named after his icy nature (something I wasn't quite sure I agreed with, honestly) is changing and growing in ways that are further removing him from the other men and wolves, and I'm very interested to see his progression throughout the series.
I honestly feel like my criticism of this book is really nitpicky. I still loved it and couldn't stop reading. There's a really high level of craft with these two authors. While this is the first book that I've read by either of them, it won't be the last, and I already have two more books (one by each) lined up to review here in the next few weeks. First though, I don't think I'll be able to hold off and wait to read the sequel in this series until the last book is released. So look for the review of The Tempering of Men to come soon!
*There's a Dramatis Personae in the back of the ebook for those of you, like me, with that format. It wasn't until I was totally confused that I thought to look for it.
**I will warn some readers though that it is pretty rough. I understood it, but others might not.
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