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Benighted
It is a world much like our own, with one deadly difference: ninety-nine percent of the population is lycanthropic. When the full moon rises, humans transform into lunes, bloodthirsty beasts who cannot be reasoned with or tamed. Those few born unable to change are disparagingly known as barebacks, and live as victims of prejudice and oppression. All too often, they are targets of savage mauling and death by lunes who break the law to roam free on full-moon nights.
Twenty something bareback Lola Galley is already a veteran of the Department for the Ongoing Regulation of Lycanthropic Activities. When her friend loses a hand to a marauding lune, then is murdered before the attacker is brought to trial, Lola is desperate to see justice prevail. But the truth is seldom simple-and Lola may not like the shocking answers she uncovers.
Twenty something bareback Lola Galley is already a veteran of the Department for the Ongoing Regulation of Lycanthropic Activities. When her friend loses a hand to a marauding lune, then is murdered before the attacker is brought to trial, Lola is desperate to see justice prevail. But the truth is seldom simple-and Lola may not like the shocking answers she uncovers.
532 pages, Paperback
First published August 3, 2006
35 people are currently reading
1093 people want to read
About the author
Kit Whitfield
13Ìýbooks58ÌýfollowersKit Whitfield grew up in London. In her time, she has trained as a chef and a masseur, as well as working as a website editor, quote hunter, toy shop assistant and publisher.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
August 7, 2009
Let's be honest, the urban/paranormal fantasy sub-genre is glutted at this point in time. Like all genres, UF has varying degrees or classes of writers (or books). You have books that are quick, fun reads, kinda guilty pleasures or "B" movies; such as the Kitty Norville books. You have books whose authors believe they are making some type of message, but really aren't; a "B" movie with pretensions. You have books that can rise above the "B" level with a little more something, like Dresden Files.
Then you have Benighted, an entirely different kettle of fish. It is either literature or it borders on literature. Where it stands, comes down to the reader’s liking of Whitfield’s style.
If you are expecting standard UF or PF fare, Benighted is not the book for you. It is nothing like Anita Blake, Women of the Otherworld, or The Hollows. It is a difficult and challenging book. It's not a light read. It is, however, a rewarding and thought provoking read.
Several weeks back, I read and reviewed and said I was tired of race being used simply in terms of romantic angst, and how females leads weren’t really different in terms of looks. This is not the case with Benighted. Whitfield’s set-up is quite simple. In a world where most of the population goes furry every month, the small minority that doesn’t is the agency that patrols the furry population when they hit their monthly. Whitfield’s main character, Lola, is a bareback (yes, I know there is a different meaning to that word) which means she is not a lune (werewolf). Because of this, she and the others like her, experience discrimination every single day.
This allows Whitfield to actually look at the effects of such discrimination on people. Too often in UF we get lip service to the idea of discrimination (or racism or sexism). If you look at the popular series, however, there is no in-depth analysis of it. Anita Blake, Elena, and Kitty are all non-human and are segregated out of the human society because of what they are, yet in their books we mostly see them functioning in a society where they are not the minority. Anita has (or had) one strict human friend, Elena had one human boyfriend, who she dumped, and Kitty has her family, but the werewolves and vampires get more play. The characters who are supposedly outsiders are actually part of the in-group of the novel. In those novels, in terms of characters, strict humans are the minority, and very rarely do central characters behave as if they have been effected by an -ism; they might have to hide, but outright discrimination doesn’t really seem to occur or should it, like in Kitty Takes a Holiday, it lacks depth. Benighted, Lola is part of the minority. It effects her whole life. It effects her outlook on life. It effects her relationships.
Benighted is in a basic sense a mystery. Lola wants to find a murderer. The book, however, transcends that. It transcends the basic werewolf or vampire plot. What the reader gets, and this is what makes the book an uncomfortable read, is the effect of discrimination on the minority and the majority. Whitfield asks and answers, what happens in a caste system. While the minority in the book is based on a lack of transformation, Lola could be any minority in today’s real world. On top of the theme of discrimination, Whitford examines the role of law and justice in such a society. Lola is not an angel; she is particularly unlikable. I do not even know how I feel about her. Lola is a real character and this means she is heavily flawed. What is important, and what makes the book though provoking, is that the reader is never shown which side is right, not really. Do Lola and her co-workers go too far? Do the lunes go too far? The book leaves the reader with a feeling of disquiet because of the questions about society, race, and social class that it raises.
Additionally, Whitfield has really thought about how her lunes would work and what the laws of society would be in terms of applying to them, at least in furry form. She is the only writer I have seen who takes a woman’s monthly cycle into account and how it would be affected by changing.
Benighted is not an easy book, and it is true that Whitfield’s prose could be tighter in places, but it is a worthy, thought provoking book.
Then you have Benighted, an entirely different kettle of fish. It is either literature or it borders on literature. Where it stands, comes down to the reader’s liking of Whitfield’s style.
If you are expecting standard UF or PF fare, Benighted is not the book for you. It is nothing like Anita Blake, Women of the Otherworld, or The Hollows. It is a difficult and challenging book. It's not a light read. It is, however, a rewarding and thought provoking read.
Several weeks back, I read and reviewed and said I was tired of race being used simply in terms of romantic angst, and how females leads weren’t really different in terms of looks. This is not the case with Benighted. Whitfield’s set-up is quite simple. In a world where most of the population goes furry every month, the small minority that doesn’t is the agency that patrols the furry population when they hit their monthly. Whitfield’s main character, Lola, is a bareback (yes, I know there is a different meaning to that word) which means she is not a lune (werewolf). Because of this, she and the others like her, experience discrimination every single day.
This allows Whitfield to actually look at the effects of such discrimination on people. Too often in UF we get lip service to the idea of discrimination (or racism or sexism). If you look at the popular series, however, there is no in-depth analysis of it. Anita Blake, Elena, and Kitty are all non-human and are segregated out of the human society because of what they are, yet in their books we mostly see them functioning in a society where they are not the minority. Anita has (or had) one strict human friend, Elena had one human boyfriend, who she dumped, and Kitty has her family, but the werewolves and vampires get more play. The characters who are supposedly outsiders are actually part of the in-group of the novel. In those novels, in terms of characters, strict humans are the minority, and very rarely do central characters behave as if they have been effected by an -ism; they might have to hide, but outright discrimination doesn’t really seem to occur or should it, like in Kitty Takes a Holiday, it lacks depth. Benighted, Lola is part of the minority. It effects her whole life. It effects her outlook on life. It effects her relationships.
Benighted is in a basic sense a mystery. Lola wants to find a murderer. The book, however, transcends that. It transcends the basic werewolf or vampire plot. What the reader gets, and this is what makes the book an uncomfortable read, is the effect of discrimination on the minority and the majority. Whitfield asks and answers, what happens in a caste system. While the minority in the book is based on a lack of transformation, Lola could be any minority in today’s real world. On top of the theme of discrimination, Whitford examines the role of law and justice in such a society. Lola is not an angel; she is particularly unlikable. I do not even know how I feel about her. Lola is a real character and this means she is heavily flawed. What is important, and what makes the book though provoking, is that the reader is never shown which side is right, not really. Do Lola and her co-workers go too far? Do the lunes go too far? The book leaves the reader with a feeling of disquiet because of the questions about society, race, and social class that it raises.
Additionally, Whitfield has really thought about how her lunes would work and what the laws of society would be in terms of applying to them, at least in furry form. She is the only writer I have seen who takes a woman’s monthly cycle into account and how it would be affected by changing.
Benighted is not an easy book, and it is true that Whitfield’s prose could be tighter in places, but it is a worthy, thought provoking book.
October 15, 2019
Lol, I have almost no recollection of this book, I've discovered it as a teenager and reread it countless times because I loved it. It's still on my favourites shelf but the rating makes me want to reread it to see what I'd think of this today.
June 5, 2008
This book supposes a world where more than 99% of the population are lycanthropes, who transform into wild, unthinking beasts for a single night every month. The tiny minority of non-lycanthropes are drafted into an organization that polices the rest of the population. The "nons" spend that night hunting down those who violate the law by not locking themselves safely away. The protagonist is a "non", and the book is not so much about werewolves as it is about her life experience as a member of this minority group.
It's a interesting premise, and I enjoyed the book, but it has some serious flaws. The police organization run by the "nons" seems illogical. They serve a critical function in this society, yet they're poorly paid, foolishly restricted in their methods and dangerously untrained. But incongruently, they have an amazing amount of power over any "lyco" who has broken the law, or who they even suspect to have broken the law. They're able and willing to imprison them indefinitely without legal advice while torturing them for information. It's a strange mix of oppression and power.
The writing is awkward in some places and quite good in others. At the fifty page mark I was underwhelmed, but the story improved when Paul the social worker was introduced, and it got downright riveting as the book progressed.
A little technical detail in the right places can really add to the realism of a book, and I think the author skimped on her research. Most of the discourse on what causes someone to be born a "non" is weak, as is the scene where the protagonist asks a friend to examine a car that she suspects has been sabotaged.
It's a interesting premise, and I enjoyed the book, but it has some serious flaws. The police organization run by the "nons" seems illogical. They serve a critical function in this society, yet they're poorly paid, foolishly restricted in their methods and dangerously untrained. But incongruently, they have an amazing amount of power over any "lyco" who has broken the law, or who they even suspect to have broken the law. They're able and willing to imprison them indefinitely without legal advice while torturing them for information. It's a strange mix of oppression and power.
The writing is awkward in some places and quite good in others. At the fifty page mark I was underwhelmed, but the story improved when Paul the social worker was introduced, and it got downright riveting as the book progressed.
A little technical detail in the right places can really add to the realism of a book, and I think the author skimped on her research. Most of the discourse on what causes someone to be born a "non" is weak, as is the scene where the protagonist asks a friend to examine a car that she suspects has been sabotaged.
November 23, 2017
What would you say are the chances of me liking a "paranormal realism" book about werewolves, where a major and important part of the plot is a (heterosexual) romance between our heroine who is a loner/misfit and a very attractive young werewolf.
Yeah I didn't think it would happen either! I guess I gave it a go because of the idea that it had something to say about prejudice and violence- something that I expected to be cringefully simplistic but I thought at least may be timely.
It turned out I much underestimated the author and her book. Lola's loner status and "difference" are well portrayed and believable. She is intelligent, gutsy and relateable- her flawedness is portrayed in a sympathetic (though at times horrifying) way. The love-interest, Paul is sensitive and open and easy to buy into liking along with her- their sex is portrayed as passionate and sensuous without the TMI stating the obvious type tropes.
I hated some of the stuff about sexual violence in the creches, and at first I was inclined to dismiss it as a sexist (and heterosexist) trope but it turned out to be more than that, it was addressed as a trope, questioned even. The thing is pretending violence like that never happens would be naive, but this book looks at the long and short term trauma of being a survivor of it (also the way individual acts of violence are socially constructed). I hated the inevitability of "us vs them" war-like ways of being and then the protagonist stopped and wondered the same thing with me.
There were chinks in things, the ending was exactly what it should have been and very restrained (neither too happy nor too tragic).
In short this book made me think, parts of the story had me on the edge of the seat desperate to read more (500+ pages seemed to turn themselves) and I liked many of the characters.
I recommend this book, I really do. I will be looking to see what else Kit Whitfield may have written.
Yeah I didn't think it would happen either! I guess I gave it a go because of the idea that it had something to say about prejudice and violence- something that I expected to be cringefully simplistic but I thought at least may be timely.
It turned out I much underestimated the author and her book. Lola's loner status and "difference" are well portrayed and believable. She is intelligent, gutsy and relateable- her flawedness is portrayed in a sympathetic (though at times horrifying) way. The love-interest, Paul is sensitive and open and easy to buy into liking along with her- their sex is portrayed as passionate and sensuous without the TMI stating the obvious type tropes.
I hated some of the stuff about sexual violence in the creches, and at first I was inclined to dismiss it as a sexist (and heterosexist) trope but it turned out to be more than that, it was addressed as a trope, questioned even. The thing is pretending violence like that never happens would be naive, but this book looks at the long and short term trauma of being a survivor of it (also the way individual acts of violence are socially constructed). I hated the inevitability of "us vs them" war-like ways of being and then the protagonist stopped and wondered the same thing with me.
There were chinks in things, the ending was exactly what it should have been and very restrained (neither too happy nor too tragic).
In short this book made me think, parts of the story had me on the edge of the seat desperate to read more (500+ pages seemed to turn themselves) and I liked many of the characters.
I recommend this book, I really do. I will be looking to see what else Kit Whitfield may have written.
March 10, 2014
The book was just not good at best and very irritating at worst.
The main character is completely unlikable. The victim of being a minority her entire life, she lashes out at anyone and everyone she can without reason. She has a personality that she's on the righteous side of everything because she is a victim when the legal system she uses is completely idiotic and makes no sense given the fact the population is 99% werewolves. Somehow her and her organization have the legal authority to lock up people and ask for confessions to crimes they won't describe with no evidence. Free to beat and pummel people without legal representation and without letting them notify the outside world? If there's supposed to be a message or parallel to injustice against minorities in our own history, it gets lost in the book when it's the minority doing all the messed up things.
The characters that drive the mystery of the story aren't explained at all and have next to no personality which makes it hard to care when things go bad for them.
There's a forced romance that makes next to no sense from the male perspective. She's allowed to lock him up, insult him, and treat him like crap and yet he still loves her? Then any man who isn't as wimpy as him is the sort that stands around waving his junk around to prove he's the real alpha male.
The entire system of the society is stupid too. Werewolves are expected to lock themselves up even though they are the vast majority? What's the issue with letting them run free and sticking the "barebacks" into lock down instead? Society has been like this for so long and they haven't learned how to lock down their own homes that they need to run into shelters instead? Short of tearing up their own cars or mattresses, there's no real explanation why the werewolves have to be locked up.
The main character remains unlikable the entire way through. From the beginning sitting by letting people beat up her client, to the middle when she's berating her boyfriend for no reason, to the end when she adopts a self-righteous attitude and performing self-satisfying displays of pointlessness.
An interesting trend I see is that the majority of the negative reviews are from men and the overwhelming majority of positive reviews are from women. Perhaps her insane ramblings and disturbingly strange panic attacks make sense to some. As somebody who loves Kim Harrison's, Carrie Vaughn's, and Laurel K Hamilton's lead characters (Well Anita Blake up until she became a porn star), I know it's not because of her gender that I found myself disliking Lola so much. It's because her personality was so flawed yet the author attempts to portray her as something she's not- a good person.
I couldn't help but laugh at the Q&A at the end of my copy (it was an advanced printing so I don't know if the regular book has it) that Whitfield says that racism was not the main point of why she began the book. Really? Almost the whole book is based on how the main character is persecuted for the fact.
I would have given two stars if the werewolves were described better but for being a werewolf book, it talked very little about them. When did it happen, how does it happen? All this time passes and nobody explains why they shift during the full moon even when they're locked away from it? What do they even look like? Incredibly weak.
The main character is completely unlikable. The victim of being a minority her entire life, she lashes out at anyone and everyone she can without reason. She has a personality that she's on the righteous side of everything because she is a victim when the legal system she uses is completely idiotic and makes no sense given the fact the population is 99% werewolves. Somehow her and her organization have the legal authority to lock up people and ask for confessions to crimes they won't describe with no evidence. Free to beat and pummel people without legal representation and without letting them notify the outside world? If there's supposed to be a message or parallel to injustice against minorities in our own history, it gets lost in the book when it's the minority doing all the messed up things.
The characters that drive the mystery of the story aren't explained at all and have next to no personality which makes it hard to care when things go bad for them.
There's a forced romance that makes next to no sense from the male perspective. She's allowed to lock him up, insult him, and treat him like crap and yet he still loves her? Then any man who isn't as wimpy as him is the sort that stands around waving his junk around to prove he's the real alpha male.
The entire system of the society is stupid too. Werewolves are expected to lock themselves up even though they are the vast majority? What's the issue with letting them run free and sticking the "barebacks" into lock down instead? Society has been like this for so long and they haven't learned how to lock down their own homes that they need to run into shelters instead? Short of tearing up their own cars or mattresses, there's no real explanation why the werewolves have to be locked up.
The main character remains unlikable the entire way through. From the beginning sitting by letting people beat up her client, to the middle when she's berating her boyfriend for no reason, to the end when she adopts a self-righteous attitude and performing self-satisfying displays of pointlessness.
An interesting trend I see is that the majority of the negative reviews are from men and the overwhelming majority of positive reviews are from women. Perhaps her insane ramblings and disturbingly strange panic attacks make sense to some. As somebody who loves Kim Harrison's, Carrie Vaughn's, and Laurel K Hamilton's lead characters (Well Anita Blake up until she became a porn star), I know it's not because of her gender that I found myself disliking Lola so much. It's because her personality was so flawed yet the author attempts to portray her as something she's not- a good person.
I couldn't help but laugh at the Q&A at the end of my copy (it was an advanced printing so I don't know if the regular book has it) that Whitfield says that racism was not the main point of why she began the book. Really? Almost the whole book is based on how the main character is persecuted for the fact.
I would have given two stars if the werewolves were described better but for being a werewolf book, it talked very little about them. When did it happen, how does it happen? All this time passes and nobody explains why they shift during the full moon even when they're locked away from it? What do they even look like? Incredibly weak.
January 6, 2009
Did Not Finish - Quit at page 130
90% of the population are werewolves, the other 10% are non's. The law requires werewolves to lock themselves inside on full moons to avoid prowling, maiming and murdering while under the moon influence.
The non's are required to belong to DORLA (Dept. for the Ongoing Regulation of Lycanthorpic Activities). DORLA teams in vans hunt on full moon nights to catch and jail those werewolves who are out. The "dogcatching" is extremely dangerous, as the human non's are ill equipped, not well trained, and strictly regulated as to tactics. Most non's have been maimed or seriously injured, but in this world, that's just the way it is, and there's nothing to be done about it.
The non's of DORLA also represent the werewolves who are caught (as quasi-attornies) and jail them. (Not sure if they're judges also.)
At first the book is intriguing and very different from anything I've read before. But the DORLA non's live such difficult lives with so few choices that for me the book quickly becames depressing.
90% of the population are werewolves, the other 10% are non's. The law requires werewolves to lock themselves inside on full moons to avoid prowling, maiming and murdering while under the moon influence.
The non's are required to belong to DORLA (Dept. for the Ongoing Regulation of Lycanthorpic Activities). DORLA teams in vans hunt on full moon nights to catch and jail those werewolves who are out. The "dogcatching" is extremely dangerous, as the human non's are ill equipped, not well trained, and strictly regulated as to tactics. Most non's have been maimed or seriously injured, but in this world, that's just the way it is, and there's nothing to be done about it.
The non's of DORLA also represent the werewolves who are caught (as quasi-attornies) and jail them. (Not sure if they're judges also.)
At first the book is intriguing and very different from anything I've read before. But the DORLA non's live such difficult lives with so few choices that for me the book quickly becames depressing.
June 7, 2009
Bareback Jade Farrar
Kit Whitfield
©2006
In the book Bareback the world is very similar to earth, except for one thing. Most of the population is Lyco (werewolves), who become horrible beasts underneath the full moon. And the other very small percentage of the population are called barebacks who are regular humans. The main character in this story is 28-year-old Lola Galley. In this world there are rules about the werewolves transformed roaming outside after their curfew. There are agents who take care of that, and they are all barebacks, and Lola is one of them. All these barebacks work for the Department for the On going Regulation of Lycanthropic Activities (DORLA). One night when Lola’s out on the job, her coworker/friend hand got bitten off by a werewolf, and shot a few days later. Then some time later a lyco gets shot too, the thing that is similar to these two shootings is that the victims were both shot with silver bullets which are only used by DORLA operatives. When DORLA thinks that they know who committed the crime, the think that Lola may be his next victim. Lola’s boss suggests for her to transfer, but Lola doesn’t want to. So her boss suggests for her to live somewhere else for a while. Lola goes to her sisters “flat�(home) to stay. When Lola tells her sister Becca the reason why, Becca sends her right out in fear of the safety of her child. Becca, then stays with her boyfriend Paul, who is a lyco. After a certain period of time passes, DORLA brings in Lycos who they feel are in cahoots with the killer. A couple days later her boyfriend Paul is arrested, because other DORLA agents think that he too is in cahoots with the killer. Lola is not sure if Paul is innocent or guilty. In the end it turns out that the real bad guy was someone who I didn’t suspect at all!
This story was not one of my favorites because a couple of times I had to reread thing to make sure what was going on. Also one thing that I didn’t like was that it was so long and there were parts in it that didn’t have to be in the book. Overall I think that plot and conflict was interesting, because I never read anything like it.
Kit Whitfield
©2006
In the book Bareback the world is very similar to earth, except for one thing. Most of the population is Lyco (werewolves), who become horrible beasts underneath the full moon. And the other very small percentage of the population are called barebacks who are regular humans. The main character in this story is 28-year-old Lola Galley. In this world there are rules about the werewolves transformed roaming outside after their curfew. There are agents who take care of that, and they are all barebacks, and Lola is one of them. All these barebacks work for the Department for the On going Regulation of Lycanthropic Activities (DORLA). One night when Lola’s out on the job, her coworker/friend hand got bitten off by a werewolf, and shot a few days later. Then some time later a lyco gets shot too, the thing that is similar to these two shootings is that the victims were both shot with silver bullets which are only used by DORLA operatives. When DORLA thinks that they know who committed the crime, the think that Lola may be his next victim. Lola’s boss suggests for her to transfer, but Lola doesn’t want to. So her boss suggests for her to live somewhere else for a while. Lola goes to her sisters “flat�(home) to stay. When Lola tells her sister Becca the reason why, Becca sends her right out in fear of the safety of her child. Becca, then stays with her boyfriend Paul, who is a lyco. After a certain period of time passes, DORLA brings in Lycos who they feel are in cahoots with the killer. A couple days later her boyfriend Paul is arrested, because other DORLA agents think that he too is in cahoots with the killer. Lola is not sure if Paul is innocent or guilty. In the end it turns out that the real bad guy was someone who I didn’t suspect at all!
This story was not one of my favorites because a couple of times I had to reread thing to make sure what was going on. Also one thing that I didn’t like was that it was so long and there were parts in it that didn’t have to be in the book. Overall I think that plot and conflict was interesting, because I never read anything like it.
September 12, 2011
Benighted is not a book to start with false expectations. If you are looking for a story which focuses on the fantasy elements and worldbuilding, or a supernatural drama, this is not the book for you. Benighted is depressing as all get out, and that needs to be understood going in.
Its protagonist and narrator is Lola Galley, a "bareback" in a world filled with lycanthropes. "Barebacks" (a derogatory term for non-lycanthropes), or nons, are conscripted at a young age into DORLA, the organization which runs the world during the full moon, and which handles crimes committed by people while they are transformed. DORLA is generally disliked by the public because of the power they wield, and, since all nons are by default DORLA employees, this results a good deal of friction between the tiny non population and the rest of the world. All of this is important, but it's not the heart of the story.
What makes this book worth reading is its complete emotional realism. Lola, despite being only in her twenties, is run down and older than she should be. She's paid very little money for doing a very dangerous job and has no real prospects for improving her situation. She distrusts everyone outside of DORLA and they distrust her in kind. The book is, along with being an engaging mystery, a chronicle of her experience as both a perpetual outsider and a member of a highly insular organization of dubious ethical standards. She lives through things that are less than palatable, and over the course of the story herself does some things which are arguably worse.
The psychology is fascinating and drives a thoroughly engrossing plot. If you can stomach the depression, absolutely worth reading.
Its protagonist and narrator is Lola Galley, a "bareback" in a world filled with lycanthropes. "Barebacks" (a derogatory term for non-lycanthropes), or nons, are conscripted at a young age into DORLA, the organization which runs the world during the full moon, and which handles crimes committed by people while they are transformed. DORLA is generally disliked by the public because of the power they wield, and, since all nons are by default DORLA employees, this results a good deal of friction between the tiny non population and the rest of the world. All of this is important, but it's not the heart of the story.
What makes this book worth reading is its complete emotional realism. Lola, despite being only in her twenties, is run down and older than she should be. She's paid very little money for doing a very dangerous job and has no real prospects for improving her situation. She distrusts everyone outside of DORLA and they distrust her in kind. The book is, along with being an engaging mystery, a chronicle of her experience as both a perpetual outsider and a member of a highly insular organization of dubious ethical standards. She lives through things that are less than palatable, and over the course of the story herself does some things which are arguably worse.
The psychology is fascinating and drives a thoroughly engrossing plot. If you can stomach the depression, absolutely worth reading.
November 6, 2008
In a world where werewolves - or lycos as they are called in this debut novel - are the norm and barebacks or ‘nons� (in other words people that do not turn at the full moon) are considered disabled or crippled, born with a birth defect that means they come out headfirst and different, Lola May is a social outcast. As a non, she is forced to work as a dog-catcher for DORLA, the organisation responsible for policing the activity of lunes (lycos during full moon) for the two days of the month that they become wild animals who will attack and kill anything. For the rest of the month, she is a lawyer dealing with, for the most part, tramps and homeless people who have not managed to get themselves locked away in time before changing.
This all sounds very sci-fi, very Buffy the Vampire Slayer but this book is so much more than that. By turning the werewolf tale on its head, we are put into the shoes of the persecuted, the outcasts - a place where I, as a white, middle-class girl, am not usually placed. It is well written, exciting, interesting, thrilling and you really care what happens. It is intriguing and I would highly recommend it.
This all sounds very sci-fi, very Buffy the Vampire Slayer but this book is so much more than that. By turning the werewolf tale on its head, we are put into the shoes of the persecuted, the outcasts - a place where I, as a white, middle-class girl, am not usually placed. It is well written, exciting, interesting, thrilling and you really care what happens. It is intriguing and I would highly recommend it.
July 26, 2019
Can’t get into
March 29, 2019
Ideen er virkelig original�
September 12, 2008
Benighted takes place in a world not unlike our own, except for one fundamental difference: over 99% of the population are lycanthropes, and the remaining minority work with the Department for the Ongoing Regulation of Lycanthropic Activity, capturing and prosecuting lunes that break full-moon curfews. Lola Galley is a DORLA veteran, but the events of two bad moon nights leads her to investigate a new type of lycanthrope crime: lycos capable of thought in wolf form and murder in human form. Benighted is uniquely conceived and features a complex plot and a cast of realistic, faulted characters. Unfortunately, it suffers from inconsistent pacing and the conclusion comes out of left field, seemingly unrelated to the rest of the book. I recommend it as a unique, intelligent deviation from the werewolf genre, but I hope that Whitfield's later novels are more consistent.
Benighted is Kit Whitfield's first novel, and it reads like one—a very promising first novel, introducing an author with with new ideas and realistic characters, but a first novel nonetheless. The author's inexperience shows: Inconsistent pacing, where some events pass swiftly but some linger in lengthy backstory and character introspection, makes the book feel even longer than its 500 pages. The plot builds in layers of increasing complexity, but the conclusion is an unwelcome departure from this careful scripting—it seems to come from nowhere, resting on plot points which don't appear until the very end of the story.
Despite these weaknesses, Benighted has a lot to offer. The premise is ingenious: rather than an exception, werewolves are the rule—and non-transforming humans are a pitied and discriminated minority group, charged with policing the behavior of lycos in their wild transformed state. This creates a dark and gritty setting peopled by characters with shadowed pasts and circumspect motivation. It also raises a number of delicate political and social issues, including the most difficult question of all: if you could join the majority group, would you? These issues could benefit from more analysis and more open-minded conclusions, the characters are identifiable but not always likable, and the conclusion is decidedly bittersweet. Gritty and depressing as these aspects may be, they are still a welcome and intelligent deviation from the standard tropes of the werewolf genre.
I look forward to future novels from Whitfield, to see if she writes more consistently now that she has some experience. But for all its faults, I enjoyed Benighted. It reminds me somewhat of the film Perfect Creature, with the same gritty aesthetic and social divide. The premise is an ingenious deviation from standard werewolf tropes and the horror genre, and Whitfield has an incredible grasp on the complexities and darkness of human motivation. The book is compelling and engrossing, despite the length and sometimes slow pacing. I have some reservations, but I recommend Benighted. Werewolf and horror fans will appreciate it, but the complex characters, crime drama aspects, and social issues open it to an even wider audience of readers.
Benighted is Kit Whitfield's first novel, and it reads like one—a very promising first novel, introducing an author with with new ideas and realistic characters, but a first novel nonetheless. The author's inexperience shows: Inconsistent pacing, where some events pass swiftly but some linger in lengthy backstory and character introspection, makes the book feel even longer than its 500 pages. The plot builds in layers of increasing complexity, but the conclusion is an unwelcome departure from this careful scripting—it seems to come from nowhere, resting on plot points which don't appear until the very end of the story.
Despite these weaknesses, Benighted has a lot to offer. The premise is ingenious: rather than an exception, werewolves are the rule—and non-transforming humans are a pitied and discriminated minority group, charged with policing the behavior of lycos in their wild transformed state. This creates a dark and gritty setting peopled by characters with shadowed pasts and circumspect motivation. It also raises a number of delicate political and social issues, including the most difficult question of all: if you could join the majority group, would you? These issues could benefit from more analysis and more open-minded conclusions, the characters are identifiable but not always likable, and the conclusion is decidedly bittersweet. Gritty and depressing as these aspects may be, they are still a welcome and intelligent deviation from the standard tropes of the werewolf genre.
I look forward to future novels from Whitfield, to see if she writes more consistently now that she has some experience. But for all its faults, I enjoyed Benighted. It reminds me somewhat of the film Perfect Creature, with the same gritty aesthetic and social divide. The premise is an ingenious deviation from standard werewolf tropes and the horror genre, and Whitfield has an incredible grasp on the complexities and darkness of human motivation. The book is compelling and engrossing, despite the length and sometimes slow pacing. I have some reservations, but I recommend Benighted. Werewolf and horror fans will appreciate it, but the complex characters, crime drama aspects, and social issues open it to an even wider audience of readers.
July 13, 2012
Lola Galley non è un licantropo. In un mondo in cui i lica sono la razza dominante lei fa parte della ristretta cerchia dei senzapelo. I senzapelo non hanno diritto ad una vita privilegiata, né ad un istruzione. Vengono prelevati da piccoli e cresciuti in appositi nidi, dove solo i più forti sopravvivono per essere poi addestrati a fare la ronda nelle notti di luna piena. Lola è quanto di più vicino ci sia tra la sua gente ad un avvocato. Ha una sorella lica ed un amante lica. Ma questo non è un problema. Il problema sembra essere una strana tendenza dei lica ad aggredire gli agenti Dorla, un corpo speciale di poliziotti che sorveglia le notti di plenilunio. Lola stessa ne fa parte, anche se la cosa comincia a crearle qualche problema. L’indagine viene affidata a lei, e contemporaneamente le viene affidata la difesa di uno dei sospetti. Le cosa sembrano complicarsi ancora di più quando un suo diretto collaboratore viene ucciso. Lola si trova al centro del conflitto, a fare da bersaglio a causa delle pressioni sociali sempre più forti tra i lica ed i senzapelo. E quello che scoprirà alla fine la lascerà senza speranza, in un mondo in cui quelli come lei sembrano in estinzione. O forse è lei ad augurarsi che lo siano�
L’atmosfera noir è il punto forte di questo romanzo, che potrebbe essere un normale racconto d’indagine poliziesca, non fosse per il tocco fantasy dato dalla presenza dei licantropi nella struttura sociale in un mondo, per altri versi assai simile al nostro. Lola vive il disincanto ed il cinismo che intere generazioni di detective noir hanno respirato da che esiste il genere. E tutto questo senza che per un attimo si avverta il peso del già noto. I suoi superiori sono come ci si immagina debbano essere i capi di una struttura poliziesca in un mondo dominato da persone privilegiate. Corruzione e disperazione sembrano la regola. Incomunicabilità ed odio sono alla base dei rapporti sociali. Lola scivola lentamente da un idealismo puro in una sorta di cinico disincanto, seguendo la spirale di ambiguità che la circonda e minaccia costantemente la sua sopravvivenza. E il modo che sceglierà per uscirne è il solo possibile in un mondo che sembra radicato nel suo voler difendere a tutti i costi i privilegi di pochi a totale discapito di un’intera popolazione sottomessa.
Anna Maria Pelella
L’atmosfera noir è il punto forte di questo romanzo, che potrebbe essere un normale racconto d’indagine poliziesca, non fosse per il tocco fantasy dato dalla presenza dei licantropi nella struttura sociale in un mondo, per altri versi assai simile al nostro. Lola vive il disincanto ed il cinismo che intere generazioni di detective noir hanno respirato da che esiste il genere. E tutto questo senza che per un attimo si avverta il peso del già noto. I suoi superiori sono come ci si immagina debbano essere i capi di una struttura poliziesca in un mondo dominato da persone privilegiate. Corruzione e disperazione sembrano la regola. Incomunicabilità ed odio sono alla base dei rapporti sociali. Lola scivola lentamente da un idealismo puro in una sorta di cinico disincanto, seguendo la spirale di ambiguità che la circonda e minaccia costantemente la sua sopravvivenza. E il modo che sceglierà per uscirne è il solo possibile in un mondo che sembra radicato nel suo voler difendere a tutti i costi i privilegi di pochi a totale discapito di un’intera popolazione sottomessa.
Anna Maria Pelella
January 10, 2020
Well. That was... interesting.
Honestly I didn’t really enjoy the writing style. Too many commas for me and it felt rambley a lot.
I also felt like the world building needed more work. I only truly understood things towards the end of the book, but even then I didn’t really think it made enough sense.
The whole thing was a bit of a headache to get through.
It definitely had potential, but fell way short of what I was hoping for.
Spoilery thoughts below!!!!!
Honestly I didn’t really enjoy the writing style. Too many commas for me and it felt rambley a lot.
I also felt like the world building needed more work. I only truly understood things towards the end of the book, but even then I didn’t really think it made enough sense.
The whole thing was a bit of a headache to get through.
It definitely had potential, but fell way short of what I was hoping for.
Spoilery thoughts below!!!!!
April 7, 2011
Benighted is a hard book to review: for starters, it's almost impossible to explain without spoilers. It includes lycanthropes (werewolves), but no magic and few action scenes, and delves deeper into moral and psychological issues than any urban fantasy I've ever read. It portrays a dystopia of sorts, but the point still seems to be the story, not some political message. There's a murder mystery or two involved, before the plot veers off in a direction you've probably never seen in a simple mystery novel. And then there's a bit of romance and family drama... naturally, they go in unexpected directions too. In short... in the UK, this book is simply classified as "literary," and I can see why.
I found this to be an incredible book, and not at all what I was expecting. Many people dislike the protagonist, so for the record, I really liked her... she struck me as a basically nice person with some issues (PTSD, maybe?), and a more realistic and well-developed character than I'd seen in quite awhile. Other reviewers have called it "dark," and in a way it is, but not in the way you'd expect for a book that includes crime and werewolves. This isn't a book about gruesome murders or intense humans-vs-werewolves fights... it's about people ("werewolf" seems like an inappropriate word to describe most of the lyco characters, and we see very few of them actually in their animal form). How far people will go when given impunity. To what extent a minority group will close ranks when faced with a hostile world--but wait--just how hostile is that world, really? Along with an original writing style, the lingering questions are probably what makes this book so intelligent and so worthwhile. And of course, it's also a good, entertaining story.
I found this to be an incredible book, and not at all what I was expecting. Many people dislike the protagonist, so for the record, I really liked her... she struck me as a basically nice person with some issues (PTSD, maybe?), and a more realistic and well-developed character than I'd seen in quite awhile. Other reviewers have called it "dark," and in a way it is, but not in the way you'd expect for a book that includes crime and werewolves. This isn't a book about gruesome murders or intense humans-vs-werewolves fights... it's about people ("werewolf" seems like an inappropriate word to describe most of the lyco characters, and we see very few of them actually in their animal form). How far people will go when given impunity. To what extent a minority group will close ranks when faced with a hostile world--but wait--just how hostile is that world, really? Along with an original writing style, the lingering questions are probably what makes this book so intelligent and so worthwhile. And of course, it's also a good, entertaining story.
August 4, 2010
An interesting premise let down by poor writing/world building decisions. It's a world where most of the population is made up of werewolves. Those who aren't are conscripted into an agency (DORLA) who watches over the lycanthropic population on the nights they change over.
But why does this agency exist? There are references in the book to show that the werewolves are able to pack together without slaughtering each other while they're in their turned state. So if 99.4% of the population would be OK even during the full moon if the wolves run free, why not have the non-werewolves go to the shelters the book describes, and everyone can go about their business? And at any rate, the crimes that DORLA is responsible for punishing the werewolves for all seem to be acts done to the agents who are sent to catch them. And it makes the climax of the book seem that much more unnecessary.
There are a few good moments here, but far too much sloppy writing and plotting, especially for a book that crosses the 500 page mark.
But why does this agency exist? There are references in the book to show that the werewolves are able to pack together without slaughtering each other while they're in their turned state. So if 99.4% of the population would be OK even during the full moon if the wolves run free, why not have the non-werewolves go to the shelters the book describes, and everyone can go about their business? And at any rate, the crimes that DORLA is responsible for punishing the werewolves for all seem to be acts done to the agents who are sent to catch them. And it makes the climax of the book seem that much more unnecessary.
There are a few good moments here, but far too much sloppy writing and plotting, especially for a book that crosses the 500 page mark.
June 28, 2009
So, when I picked this book up from the library, it was a spontaneous choice and I completely thought it would be kind of cracktastic. Well... I was completely and wonderfully wrong. The set up is pretty decent - a world of werewolves where being non-were was a birth defect/disability, and the nons ran a government agency to help deal with weres who caused trouble and were a minority treated as a lower caste of people. The set up was good, the story was pretty well thought out, and a lot of the emotional arcs and movements of the storyline felt real to me.
There's some really gorgeous moments in it as well, and that just made it better.
There's some really gorgeous moments in it as well, and that just made it better.
February 3, 2020
2020 My Year of the brief Reviews ...and I mean it!!
Review: A book about Lola's life: Shitty beginning...shitty middle and less shitty end. Loved every miserable bit, could do with another.
Review: A book about Lola's life: Shitty beginning...shitty middle and less shitty end. Loved every miserable bit, could do with another.
Read
October 27, 2009I quit. Not my cup of tea. Interesting, but the premise of the universe just does not make me suspend disbelief, and nothing in plot of characters makes me want to actually finish the book.
November 5, 2024
2.5â� Het einde was het beste! Misschien 3â� als ik het in het engels had gelezen.
July 27, 2024
4.5 estrellas
Uno de los comentarios que aparecen en la contraportada del libro dice asÃ: “Muy de vez en cuando aparece un libro que te transporta, de manera forzosa y hasta el final, a otro mundo. Éste es uno de ellos. Un libro que sostiene un espejo de feria ante la naturaleza para mostrar al lector un universo alternativo, aterradoramente distinto del nuestroâ€�.
Considero que asà ha sido. Los crÃmenes de la luna llena me ha subyugado desde el principio hasta el final. DifÃcilmente he podido apartarme de él. La historia de Lola May no es una que nos haga reÃr, por el contrario, nos duele, y deseamos saber si en algún momento recibirá un trocito de felicidad.
Kit Whitfield nos presenta a esta mujer, abogada, perteneciente a una minorÃa en un mundo donde el 90% de la población son licántropos. Ella pertenece al 10% que no lo son. Este pequeño grupo es despreciado, insultado, discriminado y, a pesar de ello, debe servir a los licántropos, cazándolos cuando merodean durante la luna llena. Existen reglas que rigen sus vidas, y los no licántropos, los tullidos, deben velar por que se cumplan.
En el libro se nos enseña múltiples contrastes entre ambas especies, y nos damos cuenta de las injusticias que se cometen. Conocemos a Lola y a los tullidos que trabajan en DORLA ―el aparato gubernamental que controla la actividad licantrópica� asà como también su pasado en el orfanato.
La vida de Lola es dura. Nuestra protagonista debe luchar dÃa a dÃa por salir adelante, haciendo oÃdos sordos a los insultos, esquivando ataques de hombres lobos, y tratando de hallar su lugar en una sociedad que no acepta a los tullidos, pero que los tolera porque los necesita.
Nuestra pobre Lola, además, tiene relaciones bastante complicadas. Primero, su hermana, Becca, con quien no sabe ni siquiera cómo hablar. Embarazada y recién divorciada, Becca no parece ser una aliada de Lola. Pero en DORLA encontramos a Bride, la antigua tutora de Lola, lo más parecido a una amiga que tiene. Marty es su pupilo, un joven con ansias de aprender que resulta atacado en una de las cacerÃas nocturnas. Ally, un antiguo compañero en el orfanato, de quien no tiene muy buenos recuerdos. Y Hugo, su jefe directo, alguien bastante inexpresivo, pero que parece tener cierta fe en ella.
Además, no es una santurrona. No. Cuando Lola tiene que hacer su trabajo, no duda en emplear recursos poco éticos ―aunque éstos pueden ser considerados comunes en DORLA�, e incluso coger armas y disparar a quien se ponga en su camino.
El comienzo se hace un pelÃn pesado, pero no tardamos en sumergirnos en la historia. A veces nos encontramos con reflexiones profundas, asà que hay que respirar y leer un poco más lento para no perdernos de nada. La narración en tiempo presente ayuda bastante.
DORLA resulta ser una institución espeluznante. A veces hallamos reminiscencias a la Inquisición, si bien se nos aclara que son la evolución de ésta, asà que al final de la historia ya no nos sorprende nada. Es raro, pues a veces sentÃa que me ponÃa de lado de los licántropos, pero durante toda la novela apoyaba a los tullidos, a pesar de sus desagradables métodos.
Puedo añadir que el final me pilló desprevenida, pues no se aclara bien qué será de la historia amorosa entre Lola y otro personaje, aunque se puede entrever cierto final feliz. Al menos en lo que se refiere a la paz mental de nuestra protagonista.
Resumiendo, Los crÃmenes de la luna llena es un relato fascinante, como comenta Sherrilyn Kenyon, “sobre una realidad alternativa en la que ser humano es un obstáculoâ€�. Kit Whitfield acierta al presentarnos una historia donde la normalidad es lo fantástico, contrario a lo que ocurre comúnmente, donde el vampiro, fantasma, hombre lobo o zombie son los entes extraños y sobrenaturales.
Además, Lola es un personaje redondo, con muchas cualidades y defectos que obligan al lector a conocerla. No nos sentimos indiferentes ante ella. Ya sea que la amemos o la odiemos, es un gran personaje, sabe ganarse su lugar.
Crudo, adictivo, desolador y conmovedor, Los crÃmenes de la luna llena es recomendable para todos aquellos que disfrutan cuando no pueden abandonar un libro, y que lamentan llegar a la última página.
Uno de los comentarios que aparecen en la contraportada del libro dice asÃ: “Muy de vez en cuando aparece un libro que te transporta, de manera forzosa y hasta el final, a otro mundo. Éste es uno de ellos. Un libro que sostiene un espejo de feria ante la naturaleza para mostrar al lector un universo alternativo, aterradoramente distinto del nuestroâ€�.
Considero que asà ha sido. Los crÃmenes de la luna llena me ha subyugado desde el principio hasta el final. DifÃcilmente he podido apartarme de él. La historia de Lola May no es una que nos haga reÃr, por el contrario, nos duele, y deseamos saber si en algún momento recibirá un trocito de felicidad.
Kit Whitfield nos presenta a esta mujer, abogada, perteneciente a una minorÃa en un mundo donde el 90% de la población son licántropos. Ella pertenece al 10% que no lo son. Este pequeño grupo es despreciado, insultado, discriminado y, a pesar de ello, debe servir a los licántropos, cazándolos cuando merodean durante la luna llena. Existen reglas que rigen sus vidas, y los no licántropos, los tullidos, deben velar por que se cumplan.
En el libro se nos enseña múltiples contrastes entre ambas especies, y nos damos cuenta de las injusticias que se cometen. Conocemos a Lola y a los tullidos que trabajan en DORLA ―el aparato gubernamental que controla la actividad licantrópica� asà como también su pasado en el orfanato.
La vida de Lola es dura. Nuestra protagonista debe luchar dÃa a dÃa por salir adelante, haciendo oÃdos sordos a los insultos, esquivando ataques de hombres lobos, y tratando de hallar su lugar en una sociedad que no acepta a los tullidos, pero que los tolera porque los necesita.
Nuestra pobre Lola, además, tiene relaciones bastante complicadas. Primero, su hermana, Becca, con quien no sabe ni siquiera cómo hablar. Embarazada y recién divorciada, Becca no parece ser una aliada de Lola. Pero en DORLA encontramos a Bride, la antigua tutora de Lola, lo más parecido a una amiga que tiene. Marty es su pupilo, un joven con ansias de aprender que resulta atacado en una de las cacerÃas nocturnas. Ally, un antiguo compañero en el orfanato, de quien no tiene muy buenos recuerdos. Y Hugo, su jefe directo, alguien bastante inexpresivo, pero que parece tener cierta fe en ella.
Además, no es una santurrona. No. Cuando Lola tiene que hacer su trabajo, no duda en emplear recursos poco éticos ―aunque éstos pueden ser considerados comunes en DORLA�, e incluso coger armas y disparar a quien se ponga en su camino.
El comienzo se hace un pelÃn pesado, pero no tardamos en sumergirnos en la historia. A veces nos encontramos con reflexiones profundas, asà que hay que respirar y leer un poco más lento para no perdernos de nada. La narración en tiempo presente ayuda bastante.
DORLA resulta ser una institución espeluznante. A veces hallamos reminiscencias a la Inquisición, si bien se nos aclara que son la evolución de ésta, asà que al final de la historia ya no nos sorprende nada. Es raro, pues a veces sentÃa que me ponÃa de lado de los licántropos, pero durante toda la novela apoyaba a los tullidos, a pesar de sus desagradables métodos.
Puedo añadir que el final me pilló desprevenida, pues no se aclara bien qué será de la historia amorosa entre Lola y otro personaje, aunque se puede entrever cierto final feliz. Al menos en lo que se refiere a la paz mental de nuestra protagonista.
Resumiendo, Los crÃmenes de la luna llena es un relato fascinante, como comenta Sherrilyn Kenyon, “sobre una realidad alternativa en la que ser humano es un obstáculoâ€�. Kit Whitfield acierta al presentarnos una historia donde la normalidad es lo fantástico, contrario a lo que ocurre comúnmente, donde el vampiro, fantasma, hombre lobo o zombie son los entes extraños y sobrenaturales.
Además, Lola es un personaje redondo, con muchas cualidades y defectos que obligan al lector a conocerla. No nos sentimos indiferentes ante ella. Ya sea que la amemos o la odiemos, es un gran personaje, sabe ganarse su lugar.
Crudo, adictivo, desolador y conmovedor, Los crÃmenes de la luna llena es recomendable para todos aquellos que disfrutan cuando no pueden abandonar un libro, y que lamentan llegar a la última página.
September 19, 2018
La mia biblioteca lo classificava come un horror. Beh, non lo è, ma è difficile incanalarlo. È un thriller, un noir, uno strano genere che ho visto chiamare "realistico paranormale". Qualcosa di davvero bizzarro, ma lo ha pubblicato Einaudi, ed io mi fido dei suoi esperimenti.
La stragrande maggioranza della popolazione mondiale è composta da licantropi. Nelle notti di luna piena, gli uomini diventano lupi. Lola Gallay, la protagonista, fa parte di una ristrettissima minoranza "I senzapelo", che non muta. Quelli come lei sono costretti ad arruolarsi nel DORLA, l'organizzazione che mantiene l'ordine durante le notti di metamorfosi, e sono disprezzati, discriminati, tenuti ai margini. Aggredditi, poi, ogni notte di luna: ciascuno di loro ha sul corpo cicatrici provocate dai morsi. Ma non sono solo vittime. Il DORLA stesso è marcio fino al midollo, corrotto e violento. Lola si trova divisa fra questi due mondi, sotto attacco, e rischia di rimanerne ferita non solo sulla pelle.
È una grande allegoria della violenza, della lotta per la sopravvivenza, una riflessione sul controllo del corpo. Il ritmo, però, è troppo lento, per me, la storia d'amore, anche se necessaria allo sviluppo di Lola, occupa troppo spazio. Ma se l'ho finito ieri ed oggi ancora non sono riuscita ad aprire un altro romanzo, qualcosa significa.
La stragrande maggioranza della popolazione mondiale è composta da licantropi. Nelle notti di luna piena, gli uomini diventano lupi. Lola Gallay, la protagonista, fa parte di una ristrettissima minoranza "I senzapelo", che non muta. Quelli come lei sono costretti ad arruolarsi nel DORLA, l'organizzazione che mantiene l'ordine durante le notti di metamorfosi, e sono disprezzati, discriminati, tenuti ai margini. Aggredditi, poi, ogni notte di luna: ciascuno di loro ha sul corpo cicatrici provocate dai morsi. Ma non sono solo vittime. Il DORLA stesso è marcio fino al midollo, corrotto e violento. Lola si trova divisa fra questi due mondi, sotto attacco, e rischia di rimanerne ferita non solo sulla pelle.
È una grande allegoria della violenza, della lotta per la sopravvivenza, una riflessione sul controllo del corpo. Il ritmo, però, è troppo lento, per me, la storia d'amore, anche se necessaria allo sviluppo di Lola, occupa troppo spazio. Ma se l'ho finito ieri ed oggi ancora non sono riuscita ad aprire un altro romanzo, qualcosa significa.
January 2, 2020
Not the read I was expecting, but what I got was so much more powerful than if it had been the standard UF read I thought it was going to be.
I read for pleasure, and often stay away from the more serious, penetrating books. Which is why I was surprised to be half way through this book and knee deep in questions about morality, faith, justice and power. Questions which arise subtly enough, that it doesn't overpower the story being told. Rather I found them to be in balance. If you read this book just for the story line and fantasy aspects it will fall short of other books out there in the genre.
If you're looking for a deep introspection about society and humanity, this too could probably be found in another, better book. But if you're open to both elements of fantasy and thoughtful provocation. If you're like me and empathise with characters, the book is elevated above the UF genre and becomes a good, albeit somewhat depressing, read.
I read for pleasure, and often stay away from the more serious, penetrating books. Which is why I was surprised to be half way through this book and knee deep in questions about morality, faith, justice and power. Questions which arise subtly enough, that it doesn't overpower the story being told. Rather I found them to be in balance. If you read this book just for the story line and fantasy aspects it will fall short of other books out there in the genre.
If you're looking for a deep introspection about society and humanity, this too could probably be found in another, better book. But if you're open to both elements of fantasy and thoughtful provocation. If you're like me and empathise with characters, the book is elevated above the UF genre and becomes a good, albeit somewhat depressing, read.
January 27, 2020
Read this as part of my book club. I really want to love it. The premise seemed interesting enough. However, it was a slow read. I often wondered which part of the plot I was supposed to be most interested in hearing about next? What was the biggest mystery to solve? What were the key plot points? This didn't really even become clear to me until about page 350.
Then there is the issue of the lycos vs nons. The back of the book leads you to believe that the lycos (werewolves) are oppressing the non-lycos and there is no abusive going the other way. And we are supposed to feel for Lola. However, when you actually read the book, the author often writes from Lola's perspective of how abusive everyone at DORLA is towards lycos. I never felt like I was on a clear "side" throughout the book. Maybe that was the point, but if so, then the description of the book should be completely different.
Then there is the issue of the lycos vs nons. The back of the book leads you to believe that the lycos (werewolves) are oppressing the non-lycos and there is no abusive going the other way. And we are supposed to feel for Lola. However, when you actually read the book, the author often writes from Lola's perspective of how abusive everyone at DORLA is towards lycos. I never felt like I was on a clear "side" throughout the book. Maybe that was the point, but if so, then the description of the book should be completely different.
January 30, 2020
This is not so much a book about werewolves, as it is a book about prejudice with werewolves as a setting/plot device.
It was easy to consume, and despite the book being about 500+ pages, it was an easy read. The overall mystery that runs in the background was decent, had twists and turns, and tied nicely in a bow at the end.
Overall I would say I enjoyed this book, and it is an interesting break from your typical monster book, because its focus is more on exploring a singular issue. However, there were a few things that made me want to put this book down a few times.
The main character (understandably) sometimes swings between extremes. And despite the obvious and understandable reasons why she acts the way she does, there are points where her self victimization get a little hard to read. In addition to which, the mood of the entire first 1/2 of the book is pretty sad. So much so, that I felt bad reading it.
It was easy to consume, and despite the book being about 500+ pages, it was an easy read. The overall mystery that runs in the background was decent, had twists and turns, and tied nicely in a bow at the end.
Overall I would say I enjoyed this book, and it is an interesting break from your typical monster book, because its focus is more on exploring a singular issue. However, there were a few things that made me want to put this book down a few times.
The main character (understandably) sometimes swings between extremes. And despite the obvious and understandable reasons why she acts the way she does, there are points where her self victimization get a little hard to read. In addition to which, the mood of the entire first 1/2 of the book is pretty sad. So much so, that I felt bad reading it.
July 1, 2023
the premise was so interesting and the first hundred pages made me believe that this was going to be a five star read. unfortunately, it wasn't quite that.
with that said; "benighted" isn't a horrible book. far from it. but it would've been better off as a series, with a bit more to the plot. a thing i sincerely hated, though, was the ending. it was not in my liking at all, but maybe that's a personal preference? somehow nothing happened at all, but all of it still felt rushed? i can't even put words on it to describe how i feel.
the main character, lola galley, was a badass, interesting and complex main character but sadly she got butchered by the author in the last fifty pages or so. am i bitter? yes i am. she will forever be iconic for stepping into that apartment and shooting Seligmann in the leg without remorse though.
with that said; "benighted" isn't a horrible book. far from it. but it would've been better off as a series, with a bit more to the plot. a thing i sincerely hated, though, was the ending. it was not in my liking at all, but maybe that's a personal preference? somehow nothing happened at all, but all of it still felt rushed? i can't even put words on it to describe how i feel.
the main character, lola galley, was a badass, interesting and complex main character but sadly she got butchered by the author in the last fifty pages or so. am i bitter? yes i am. she will forever be iconic for stepping into that apartment and shooting Seligmann in the leg without remorse though.
January 22, 2019
Didn't work for me at all. I kept suspending my disbelief, with increasing difficulty, and giving it a few more pages, because Whitfield can write and the idea of a werewolf novel that isn't just (you should forgive the term) fluff is very appealing. But I never bought into the set up, which I thought was the wrong kind of implausible mess--not the kind that messed-up human beings and their messed-up governments create because they can't help it, but the kind that is a big world-building FAIL in fiction. Also I loathed the protagonist. The fact that she--like all the barebacks--has a very rough life isn't enough excuse for what a cow she is. One of the incidentals of not buying into the set up is I couldn't understand why her nice boyfriend wanted anything to do with her.
March 14, 2019
DNF- Read as part of a reading challenge where you are meant to read books that you have on your shelf in a bid to cut down on how many unread books you own.
Had a crack at this for March's prompt which was "the book you've owned the longest". Having owned this one since 2009 I figured it was time to give it a shot. Upon digging it out and reading the blurb I began to wonder why I even bought it in the first place as it really doesn't sound like something I would enjoy - even in my Twilight obsessed late teens it was paranormal romance I loved....
Read about 50 pages and decided this book simply wasn't for me.
Had a crack at this for March's prompt which was "the book you've owned the longest". Having owned this one since 2009 I figured it was time to give it a shot. Upon digging it out and reading the blurb I began to wonder why I even bought it in the first place as it really doesn't sound like something I would enjoy - even in my Twilight obsessed late teens it was paranormal romance I loved....
Read about 50 pages and decided this book simply wasn't for me.
January 14, 2020
Ich habe vorher noch nie ein Buch gelesen, bei dem mich der Hauptcharakter so sehr genervt hat. Sie hat einen furchtbaren und merkwürdig verdrehten Charakter, ist total verstört und nur am meckern. Man möchte diese geniale Story-Idee geniessen, aber dank des Hauptcharakters macht einen das Buch nur depressiv und man möchte gar nicht wissen, was sie als nächstes anstellt. Diese Charakter muss ja gewollt so geschrieben sein, aber frage ich mich ... warum? Ich kann es trotz der eigentlich genialen Story-Idee nicht empfehlen.
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March 20, 2024DNF @ 50%.
Dense and slow paced, introduction of a love interest seemed too quick, main character’s quick attachment to new nephew seems wrong and it feels like i missed something early on that would have made the book more interesting or compelling me to continue reading. Overall, it’s best if I move on to other books.
Dense and slow paced, introduction of a love interest seemed too quick, main character’s quick attachment to new nephew seems wrong and it feels like i missed something early on that would have made the book more interesting or compelling me to continue reading. Overall, it’s best if I move on to other books.
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