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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
This a terrific fantasy novel that isn't set in the typical fantasy universe on the British Isles. The characters are diverse, and come in a range of ages, and are really interesting, you care about them and want to read more about them. There are political machinations, and everyone's motivations are rational and understandable. Best of all this looks like the good guys are working towards installing a democracy, unlike most fantasy series where characters are fighting to put the good king on the throne, and everyone just has to hope that the kings son and grandson will also be virtuous.
Really hoping that the publisher changes their mind and publishes the sequel.
Really hoping that the publisher changes their mind and publishes the sequel.
dnf @ 10%. very old-school style of writing that i don't really like and am not going to make myself sit through 680 more pages of
Ahoy there mateys. This wonderful novel is set in the Hundred. It is a new trilogy that begins twenty-two years after where her previous Traitors' Gate (Crossroads) series ended. If you have not read the Crossroads series first, then I suggest you do because it sets up the political wrangling and world-building that then sets the stage for this novel. The series is damn good besides.
Ms. Elliott is a fabulous world builder in my opinion. Her novels have depth of place and character. The world is populated with people of all backgrounds, religions, races, sexual orientations etc. People make mistakes and change and have consequences to their actions. There are lots of strong female characters. Even some to despise. I absolutely love the characters in this book. While Kellas is always a favorite, I loved the addition of the women Sarai and Lifka in particular. Sarai is intelligent, snarky, and daring. Lifka is loyal, loving, and generous. I could say more but I want readers to unwrap the layers and delicious stories of these women on their own.
The Crossroads series showed a world changing and in conflict. This new book shows some of the consequences of the previous conflict and how it evolved after the original “peace.” I loved that this book shows how in several generations the culture of a society can change enough that history itself becomes blurred and rewritten. It is an epic-scale novel that is character driven and not overburdened by its scope. I would highly recommend this novel, her Crossroads series, and any of her other series. The only one I have missed is the Crown of Starts series, which is on my list of problems to be remedied.
If you liked this review see others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ms. Elliott is a fabulous world builder in my opinion. Her novels have depth of place and character. The world is populated with people of all backgrounds, religions, races, sexual orientations etc. People make mistakes and change and have consequences to their actions. There are lots of strong female characters. Even some to despise. I absolutely love the characters in this book. While Kellas is always a favorite, I loved the addition of the women Sarai and Lifka in particular. Sarai is intelligent, snarky, and daring. Lifka is loyal, loving, and generous. I could say more but I want readers to unwrap the layers and delicious stories of these women on their own.
The Crossroads series showed a world changing and in conflict. This new book shows some of the consequences of the previous conflict and how it evolved after the original “peace.” I loved that this book shows how in several generations the culture of a society can change enough that history itself becomes blurred and rewritten. It is an epic-scale novel that is character driven and not overburdened by its scope. I would highly recommend this novel, her Crossroads series, and any of her other series. The only one I have missed is the Crown of Starts series, which is on my list of problems to be remedied.
If you liked this review see others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
The Black Wolves blends a variety of cultures with political intrigues and a touch of magic in this world.
There were many times I thought I knew where the story was going just to be abruptly surprised when the direction swiftly changed and went a new direction altogether.
There are plenty of villains roaming around and the good guys aren’t just good, they are complex and depending on what side of the battle you are one might be described a little villainous as well. I did have a few favorite characters in Sarai, the bastard daughter of a clan that seems very middle eastern culturally speaking. She is strong since she has been an outcast in her clan all of her life. I love how smart and cunning she is. Lifka is also a strong female character, she should be a slave but was taken in by a family and raised as their own. Now bonded to an Eagle and enemy of the prince she will have to fight to save her family and keep her own skin.
There are a dozen great story arcs happing in the middle of the main arc and so the pacing of the story takes awhile to get going. One reason is that this starts with a set of characters and we read 7-8 chapters with them before time jumping 44 years into the future. I was really invested in the main characters in the beginning and when we return to the story not all of them are alive and things have really changed. It did take awhile for everything to pick back up again after that, but it did.
The worldbuiding is interesting, once upon a time the creatures now called Demons were called Guardians and acted as Judges seeking justice in the land. But time has changed and now they are considered evil and hunted to be killed. There is a subtle magic here. It is not overt but there are bonds between Eagles and people that allow them to have a partnership. There are also places called Demon Coils that are scattered across the land and seem to play a part in the roles of the Guardians and other who a considered demon touched. I liked this part of the world the most.
Even with a few of the pacing issues I really got into the story and with how it ended I’ll be excited to see what happens to all the characters in the next book of the series. The good news was there are a lot of strong women characters to root for and a few men that I really liked as well. But the characters I hated I really hated, they were so awful that I just wanted someone to kill them soon. While I got my wish on a few of them there are still plenty left for the next book out in 2020. I’ll be back to this world then.
“Dannarah, never forget that a king wields many weapons, and some of them are men. The soldiers I command are sometimes kinsmen but most, however valuable, are expendable in the service of victory. Do not deploy them lightly, or incompetently. Do not waste them, because the best ones take far more time to train than they do to die. But never mistake them for something they are not. Do you understand me?”
There were many times I thought I knew where the story was going just to be abruptly surprised when the direction swiftly changed and went a new direction altogether.
There are plenty of villains roaming around and the good guys aren’t just good, they are complex and depending on what side of the battle you are one might be described a little villainous as well. I did have a few favorite characters in Sarai, the bastard daughter of a clan that seems very middle eastern culturally speaking. She is strong since she has been an outcast in her clan all of her life. I love how smart and cunning she is. Lifka is also a strong female character, she should be a slave but was taken in by a family and raised as their own. Now bonded to an Eagle and enemy of the prince she will have to fight to save her family and keep her own skin.
There are a dozen great story arcs happing in the middle of the main arc and so the pacing of the story takes awhile to get going. One reason is that this starts with a set of characters and we read 7-8 chapters with them before time jumping 44 years into the future. I was really invested in the main characters in the beginning and when we return to the story not all of them are alive and things have really changed. It did take awhile for everything to pick back up again after that, but it did.
The worldbuiding is interesting, once upon a time the creatures now called Demons were called Guardians and acted as Judges seeking justice in the land. But time has changed and now they are considered evil and hunted to be killed. There is a subtle magic here. It is not overt but there are bonds between Eagles and people that allow them to have a partnership. There are also places called Demon Coils that are scattered across the land and seem to play a part in the roles of the Guardians and other who a considered demon touched. I liked this part of the world the most.
“To become one of the nine Guardians, those whom your father also called demons, you must die in the pursuit of justice. Then the land restores you in the form of a Guardian with cloak and horse so you can continue to seek justice as a judge in the land.”
Even with a few of the pacing issues I really got into the story and with how it ended I’ll be excited to see what happens to all the characters in the next book of the series. The good news was there are a lot of strong women characters to root for and a few men that I really liked as well. But the characters I hated I really hated, they were so awful that I just wanted someone to kill them soon. While I got my wish on a few of them there are still plenty left for the next book out in 2020. I’ll be back to this world then.
2.5 stars.
Well… This book was disappointing, to say the least. I’ve been wanting to read something by Kate Elliott since ever, because, you know, she writes high fantasy without it being dudebro-ish high fantasy, and I hate dudebro-ish high fantasy. So you can say my expectations were really, really high.
And, unfortunately, Black Wolves didn’t meet them.
Full review on my blog.
Well… This book was disappointing, to say the least. I’ve been wanting to read something by Kate Elliott since ever, because, you know, she writes high fantasy without it being dudebro-ish high fantasy, and I hate dudebro-ish high fantasy. So you can say my expectations were really, really high.
And, unfortunately, Black Wolves didn’t meet them.
Full review on my blog.
Review from The Speculative Herald: http://www.speculativeherald.com/2015/11/23/review-black-wolves-by-kate-elliott/
Black Wolves may be a daunting read as it is a massive book and I know sometimes readers are deterred by that. The thing is, though, it is also a massively impressive book. Scaling it down would be a disservice to the story and quite honestly the story deserves to be read. I have not formulated my ‘best of the year’ list, but I can tell you this book will appear on it as it is easily one of the best epic fantasies I have read recently.
I have not read any books by Kate Elliott before. This is evidently placed in the same world as some of her other series, but features a completely new set of characters. So for anyone wondering if you need to read her previous books prior to this, I would tell you I felt great about reading experience despite having read none of the other books set in this world.
Rarely have I read a book where the timing and execution of flashback scenes has worked so well with tension/suspense. The integration of these scenes was incredibly well executed. Initially, we are introduced to Kellas, a daring young man who has just completed and unclimable climb without assistance. Actually, it was an impulsive act of defiance and self indulgence as he rather recklessly decided to ignore the laws and climb the mountain, just because he was sure he could. And he did. That decision and the resulting fallout completely changes Kellas’ life. While he is being tried by the King, we also get a glimpse of a young Dannarah, the King’s daughter.
The King decides to show mercy and rather than sentence Kellas to death, as is the known punishment for the climb, he sees an opportunity to use Kellas’ skills and drive for his own benefit by placing him in an elite military group. Dannarah is a spirited girl that you can quickly tell would thrive best outside of her expected role as a princess (which would usually be the role of marrying off for a political alliance). The story spans decades of these characters’ lives and we can see how they grow as people, yet still possess that spirit that we glimpsed in their youth.
I quickly was enamored by both of these characters and so I have to confess to a moment of disappointment when the story takes a 40 year jump in time. I was just invested and attached to these young people and hence I was a bit reluctant to switch gears. However, it did not take long at all before I was just as caught up in events unfolding in the new time period. I also think I felt a stronger connection to both Kellas and Dannarah, who are now aged past their prime, than I would have without that initial opening. It’s not that I wouldn’t be capable of enjoying them as much, I just feel that what we read in the opening gives such a clear and definitive picture of them in their youth and sets their characters up for their path down the road.
In relation to the time jumps, I can be very sensitive to spoilers, feeling they can remove some level of suspense. I always want to get the story how the author decides to tell it. That is the point, after all. But often I think flashbacks don’t work for me because of the knowledge I have about the future (similar to spoilers you may run across from other readers). But in this I craved the details for that skipped over time despite knowing information on “the future”. There are many critical events that take place 20 years after our initial introduction, 20 years prior to the current time after the timeline jump. I loved getting to piece together that part of the story as we went. And how this pieces together turns out to be quite relevant in the current timeline as well.
Characters are so important, and I know there are complaints about the lack of solid female characters in epic fantasy. This book gives us several. In addition to Dannarah, we also are introduced to Sarai in the newer timeline. A bold, impulsive decision forever changes the course of her life, and I have to confess to having a serious soft spot for her. There are also some characters that play a lesser role in the novel, but are incredibly strong, interesting and fun women. To be honest, I hope to see more of at least one of them in the future books.
My chief complaint is really that I have to wait for the next one to be published. Hands down one of my favorite fantasy books of the year and makes me feel perhaps I should explore more of Kate Elliott’s books.
Black Wolves may be a daunting read as it is a massive book and I know sometimes readers are deterred by that. The thing is, though, it is also a massively impressive book. Scaling it down would be a disservice to the story and quite honestly the story deserves to be read. I have not formulated my ‘best of the year’ list, but I can tell you this book will appear on it as it is easily one of the best epic fantasies I have read recently.
I have not read any books by Kate Elliott before. This is evidently placed in the same world as some of her other series, but features a completely new set of characters. So for anyone wondering if you need to read her previous books prior to this, I would tell you I felt great about reading experience despite having read none of the other books set in this world.
Rarely have I read a book where the timing and execution of flashback scenes has worked so well with tension/suspense. The integration of these scenes was incredibly well executed. Initially, we are introduced to Kellas, a daring young man who has just completed and unclimable climb without assistance. Actually, it was an impulsive act of defiance and self indulgence as he rather recklessly decided to ignore the laws and climb the mountain, just because he was sure he could. And he did. That decision and the resulting fallout completely changes Kellas’ life. While he is being tried by the King, we also get a glimpse of a young Dannarah, the King’s daughter.
The King decides to show mercy and rather than sentence Kellas to death, as is the known punishment for the climb, he sees an opportunity to use Kellas’ skills and drive for his own benefit by placing him in an elite military group. Dannarah is a spirited girl that you can quickly tell would thrive best outside of her expected role as a princess (which would usually be the role of marrying off for a political alliance). The story spans decades of these characters’ lives and we can see how they grow as people, yet still possess that spirit that we glimpsed in their youth.
I quickly was enamored by both of these characters and so I have to confess to a moment of disappointment when the story takes a 40 year jump in time. I was just invested and attached to these young people and hence I was a bit reluctant to switch gears. However, it did not take long at all before I was just as caught up in events unfolding in the new time period. I also think I felt a stronger connection to both Kellas and Dannarah, who are now aged past their prime, than I would have without that initial opening. It’s not that I wouldn’t be capable of enjoying them as much, I just feel that what we read in the opening gives such a clear and definitive picture of them in their youth and sets their characters up for their path down the road.
In relation to the time jumps, I can be very sensitive to spoilers, feeling they can remove some level of suspense. I always want to get the story how the author decides to tell it. That is the point, after all. But often I think flashbacks don’t work for me because of the knowledge I have about the future (similar to spoilers you may run across from other readers). But in this I craved the details for that skipped over time despite knowing information on “the future”. There are many critical events that take place 20 years after our initial introduction, 20 years prior to the current time after the timeline jump. I loved getting to piece together that part of the story as we went. And how this pieces together turns out to be quite relevant in the current timeline as well.
Characters are so important, and I know there are complaints about the lack of solid female characters in epic fantasy. This book gives us several. In addition to Dannarah, we also are introduced to Sarai in the newer timeline. A bold, impulsive decision forever changes the course of her life, and I have to confess to having a serious soft spot for her. There are also some characters that play a lesser role in the novel, but are incredibly strong, interesting and fun women. To be honest, I hope to see more of at least one of them in the future books.
My chief complaint is really that I have to wait for the next one to be published. Hands down one of my favorite fantasy books of the year and makes me feel perhaps I should explore more of Kate Elliott’s books.
Massive, and oh so good. An epic fantasy with two older protagonists and interesting women. A story that starts, gets you invested in the characters, then jumps forward forty four years later with several new characters to meet. And complex, political maneuvering and treachery and giant eagles!! And did I mention the older characters, both of whom are active participants in moving the story forward, while the women, one of whom is significantly older than typically seen in speculative fiction, are interesting, intelligent, opinionated and unwilling to let events or characters push them around. The women are wonderful in this book, and are very important to the action, and did I mention there are giant eagles!
3.5 stars. Here's the deal: if you are the mood for super epic fantasy with ladies and ladies who love ladies and men and badass ladies and POC and yes, yes, flying warriors then mannnn this is the book for you! But! It is definitely high fantasy with all that entails, and sometimes the elements of like hey let me talk for a couple paragraphs about our history and culture and stuff like that just drags a bit for me. This is the same issue I had with her cold fire series, and it's not really an issue with her writing as it is with the genre. So much of this genre relies on infodumps and long complicated histories and sometimes that's just not my jam. So! I will probably pick up the second one, maybe when I'm more of a slow read place. If you want an epic game of thrones fantasy type thing then hell yes check this out. If you're in the mood for lighter fantasy, maybe not. Your mileage will vary.
It can be rough reading in spots where the the plot twists and tangles upon itself because it makes great leaps forward and backward in time. Sometimes it is just in the character's mind but it does it right off the bat when you finish Part One which is only 6 Chapters and a total of 87 pages. You start Part Two 44 years later and is 256 pages long. Thankfully, Part Three doesn't make such a huge leap and is 429 pages long. It does leave you ready and waiting impatiently for book two in the trilogy that hasn't been written yet. There is no teaser at the end of the next book. Instead, it has chapters from other authors' books.
The story starts with the events that led to the death of a king, then skips over twenty-two years, where the kingdom is still dealing with the effects. Many people are contained within this story from kings, princes, and lords, all the way to rebels, criminals, and slaves--but there are a few who are especially important. Kellas was the captain of the Black Wolves, guards to the king, who lost his king and his honor, position, and the Wolves were disbanded. And then Reeve Marshal Dannarah, the dead king's sister, comes to ask him to help the current king. Rejoining the kingdom's politics will have sweeping consequences, as people scheme, steal, and murder to win power.
The storypacks a lot into its 700 pages. There are many characters, but a fair degree of pages are spent on the more important ones, so it feels crowded, but not confusing. Heavily into politics, this is a story of degrees of 'good,' with many people making poor decisions, doing terrible things with good intentions, or doing horrible things for indecipherable reasons. This is the first book in a series, so it's a little grim--there's background, setting up conflict, and more conflict--with a few little rays of hope for the future.
The storypacks a lot into its 700 pages. There are many characters, but a fair degree of pages are spent on the more important ones, so it feels crowded, but not confusing. Heavily into politics, this is a story of degrees of 'good,' with many people making poor decisions, doing terrible things with good intentions, or doing horrible things for indecipherable reasons. This is the first book in a series, so it's a little grim--there's background, setting up conflict, and more conflict--with a few little rays of hope for the future.