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sllingky's review against another edition
5.0
While I am a relative newcomer to reading books set in pre-Norman Conquest England, I have made my way through several different authors, all of whom I would recommend. Paula Lofting's Sons of the Wolf is a worthy addition to the ever-growing offering.
The book follows the trials and fortunes of two families, one of these being the Godwinson family (whom history remembers mostly because of a little battle at Hastings in 1066). The very first pages introduce us to an event that happened in earlier days, an event which planted the seeds of contention for the Godwinsons. These are the seeds of contention which propel their motivations, causing more and more tensions to build through the story.
The other prominent plotline follows the family of the king’s thegn, Wulfhere of Horstede. Whenever I start reading a book, I actively look for a reason to care about the characters. I will take a skeletal plot filled with well-drawn characters over a superficial action/adventure with hollow characters any day. These characters can even take their sweet time to warm to me, but eventually they do have to come around. This was the case for Wulfhere. Initially I was indifferent to him, though with time and patience he grew on me.
Well-drawn does not mean perfect. In fact a perfect character quickly becomes tepid, because flaws make a more interesting life. Wulfhere succeeded for me because his life and choices wove a delightfully flawed tapestry with each failing. Again and again he proved this to be true with one emotion-induced tantrum after another, each step seemingly making his life and future more and more difficult. Yet in his mistakes, his humanity became readily recognizable. No matter how often he failed, I cheered for him to do better, to make right choices. The same could be said for the rest of Wulfhere's family -- his wife, sons, and daughters.
Because I know the history, I know what will become of the Godwinsons. As for Wulfhere and the sons of the wolf, I’m more uncertain. While this book leaves the reader hanging because of the unfinished business left for the characters, it is only the first book in a series, and the necessary ground will be covered in future books. I eagerly look forward to discover what is in store for these colorful, vividly drawn people. The Wolf Banner is due out in June, 2016. Undoubtedly Wulfhere’s children will take said banner and run!
The book follows the trials and fortunes of two families, one of these being the Godwinson family (whom history remembers mostly because of a little battle at Hastings in 1066). The very first pages introduce us to an event that happened in earlier days, an event which planted the seeds of contention for the Godwinsons. These are the seeds of contention which propel their motivations, causing more and more tensions to build through the story.
The other prominent plotline follows the family of the king’s thegn, Wulfhere of Horstede. Whenever I start reading a book, I actively look for a reason to care about the characters. I will take a skeletal plot filled with well-drawn characters over a superficial action/adventure with hollow characters any day. These characters can even take their sweet time to warm to me, but eventually they do have to come around. This was the case for Wulfhere. Initially I was indifferent to him, though with time and patience he grew on me.
Well-drawn does not mean perfect. In fact a perfect character quickly becomes tepid, because flaws make a more interesting life. Wulfhere succeeded for me because his life and choices wove a delightfully flawed tapestry with each failing. Again and again he proved this to be true with one emotion-induced tantrum after another, each step seemingly making his life and future more and more difficult. Yet in his mistakes, his humanity became readily recognizable. No matter how often he failed, I cheered for him to do better, to make right choices. The same could be said for the rest of Wulfhere's family -- his wife, sons, and daughters.
Because I know the history, I know what will become of the Godwinsons. As for Wulfhere and the sons of the wolf, I’m more uncertain. While this book leaves the reader hanging because of the unfinished business left for the characters, it is only the first book in a series, and the necessary ground will be covered in future books. I eagerly look forward to discover what is in store for these colorful, vividly drawn people. The Wolf Banner is due out in June, 2016. Undoubtedly Wulfhere’s children will take said banner and run!
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