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lizshayne's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
So they absolutely Neal Stephensoned the ending, which I only realized because I looked down when I expected to see two hours left and discovered about twelve minutes remaining. I'm not too mad, though, as they did kind of earn a sudden people called Romanes, they go the house .
What remains interesting about this series is the sense that the world feels incredibly inhabited, as thought Monette and Bear could come back to another part of the world or story and have a whole nother narrative waiting. They are interested in different things than Guy Gavriel Kay, but the sense of historical/fantastical place has the same depth to it.
I made the mistake of reading other reviews (yes, yes, I know) and one of the most interesting takes that I see expressed but not interrogated is the sexual politics of the world which, yes, apparently began as a pastiche -
PSA to audiobook creators - PLEASE INCLUDE THE AUTHORS NOTES!
- but very swiftly became "what if we played this out and to the hilt". What I think gets ignored in the conversation about the dubiousness of the consent is 1) the way in which modern assumptions about what sex ought to be like are brought to a text that is trying to situate itself outside of modern mores and 2) the way that Isolfr in particular but brothers bonded to female wolves in general experience, well, marriage. Their bodies are bartered in order to create community and they range from being excited by it to dreading it. And, yes, it is more complex than this facile analogy, but marriage is also relatively more complex than it gets credit for being. And what strikes me as so interesting is that, especially by this book (but even in the first one with the smiths and mothers of the svartalfar), the authors are already thinking about the way that identity dictates destiny in a culture and what it looks like to break it.
So, like, yes, obviously, this book should not be taken as a blueprint for a healthy relationship and, also, what it is doing with animal companions and the way it thinks about the individual's place in community is so much more interesting.
What remains interesting about this series is the sense that the world feels incredibly inhabited, as thought Monette and Bear could come back to another part of the world or story and have a whole nother narrative waiting. They are interested in different things than Guy Gavriel Kay, but the sense of historical/fantastical place has the same depth to it.
I made the mistake of reading other reviews (yes, yes, I know) and one of the most interesting takes that I see expressed but not interrogated is the sexual politics of the world which, yes, apparently began as a pastiche -
PSA to audiobook creators - PLEASE INCLUDE THE AUTHORS NOTES!
- but very swiftly became "what if we played this out and to the hilt". What I think gets ignored in the conversation about the dubiousness of the consent is 1) the way in which modern assumptions about what sex ought to be like are brought to a text that is trying to situate itself outside of modern mores and 2) the way that Isolfr in particular but brothers bonded to female wolves in general experience, well, marriage. Their bodies are bartered in order to create community and they range from being excited by it to dreading it. And, yes, it is more complex than this facile analogy, but marriage is also relatively more complex than it gets credit for being. And what strikes me as so interesting is that, especially by this book (but even in the first one with the smiths and mothers of the svartalfar), the authors are already thinking about the way that identity dictates destiny in a culture and what it looks like to break it.
So, like, yes, obviously, this book should not be taken as a blueprint for a healthy relationship and, also, what it is doing with animal companions and the way it thinks about the individual's place in community is so much more interesting.
eclectictales's review against another edition
3.0
I was approved an ARC of this book by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2015/10/20/review-an-apprentice-of-elves/
The worldbuilding of this novel was definitely a highlight whilst reading, it was very interesting and rich with cultural detail, the groups’ way of living, their social structure, etc. I can see a lot of Viking and Nordic influences in the society, especially with the naming system. As the book blurb mentions, the culture forbits women to bond with wolves which main character Alfgyfa quells about but it doesn’t stop her from pursuing her desire to be amongst the wolves. She’s pretty tenacious and refuses to sit back and be denied something she wants.
Having said that, it was a rather slow and dry experience for me to read. I was almost halfway through the novel and I still couldn’t really see where the plot was heading. Yes, there was talk of war, but I didn’t feel the pressing nature of the conflict, no sense that danger was right around the corner and that everyone and everything was going to be affected by it. I felt there was too much show and not enough tell–or dialogue in the first half–to really get a sense of the characters and be compelled by their situation.
Overall, An Apprentice to Elves was an interesting if rather slow read. I don’t know if it would have helped to have read the first two novels; I didn’t feel completely lost reading it as the narrative did set up a very good explanation to Alfgyfa’s world and the people she is surrounded with. I felt it could’ve used more immediate tension to keep my attention and empathy on the story and the characters’ plights, but the worldbuilding was fantastic and definitely a highlight.
The worldbuilding of this novel was definitely a highlight whilst reading, it was very interesting and rich with cultural detail, the groups’ way of living, their social structure, etc. I can see a lot of Viking and Nordic influences in the society, especially with the naming system. As the book blurb mentions, the culture forbits women to bond with wolves which main character Alfgyfa quells about but it doesn’t stop her from pursuing her desire to be amongst the wolves. She’s pretty tenacious and refuses to sit back and be denied something she wants.
Having said that, it was a rather slow and dry experience for me to read. I was almost halfway through the novel and I still couldn’t really see where the plot was heading. Yes, there was talk of war, but I didn’t feel the pressing nature of the conflict, no sense that danger was right around the corner and that everyone and everything was going to be affected by it. I felt there was too much show and not enough tell–or dialogue in the first half–to really get a sense of the characters and be compelled by their situation.
Overall, An Apprentice to Elves was an interesting if rather slow read. I don’t know if it would have helped to have read the first two novels; I didn’t feel completely lost reading it as the narrative did set up a very good explanation to Alfgyfa’s world and the people she is surrounded with. I felt it could’ve used more immediate tension to keep my attention and empathy on the story and the characters’ plights, but the worldbuilding was fantastic and definitely a highlight.
powder_and_page's review against another edition
4.0
Cave dwelling elves, Viking and Roman inspired warriors, and telepathic wolves- this is not a recipe for a dull book. Apprentice to Elves was sent to me for review by Tor (how exciting!!!) and it’s the first hardcopy of a book that I’ve received from a publisher (double exciting!). I was initially hesitant to accept the offer because this is the third book in a series, but much of its focus is on a character not in the first two books so reading those before is not necessary. I enjoyed the book despite being a newcomer that jumped in the middle of the series.
The story focuses largely on Alfgyfa, the daughter of Isolfr, the character that the first two books centered around. She is apprenticed to an elven Mastersmith as a gesture of goodwill and alliance between the humans and the svartalfs (the elves), which has become strained since the close of the Trell wars roughly fifteen years past. Alfgyfa, whose name translates as elf gift, is young at fifteen or so years for much of the book, though the story introduces her when she’s just arrived with the elves and is around seven years of age. She is troublesome and rebellious by alf standards, her smithing is innovative and she’s tall and pale, where the alfs honor tradition and are hunched and dark.
The other center of focus is on her father Isolfr and the peoples south of the Iskryne as they face the looming threat of the Rheans. The Rheans are an invading people from the south, much akin to the Roman legions, ever conquering in order to feed and keep the empire’s center in riches. It is here that I was able to learn about the wolves and their telepathic connection to their human brethren. The wolves are cunning and clever and the humans fierce fighters due to the nature of their mental links. At times I was unclear if the names mentioned belonged to wolves or humans because they blended together so well. Eventually Alfgyfa’s and Isolfr’s storylines converge and the grand finale commences, which was quite impressive.
Overall, I enjoyed the book but will probably not continue the series, as I didn’t feel particularly connected to what was happening. Alfgyfa was definitely my favorite and I liked the alfs, who were unique among all the other elven-kind I’ve read about. The number of unusual words, titles, and terminology was somewhat of a stumbling block for me- it would have been great to have a glossary with a pronunciation guide in the back. A genealogy or a chart of the societal relationships would also have been a big help in understanding the sociology and politics happening.
The story focuses largely on Alfgyfa, the daughter of Isolfr, the character that the first two books centered around. She is apprenticed to an elven Mastersmith as a gesture of goodwill and alliance between the humans and the svartalfs (the elves), which has become strained since the close of the Trell wars roughly fifteen years past. Alfgyfa, whose name translates as elf gift, is young at fifteen or so years for much of the book, though the story introduces her when she’s just arrived with the elves and is around seven years of age. She is troublesome and rebellious by alf standards, her smithing is innovative and she’s tall and pale, where the alfs honor tradition and are hunched and dark.
The other center of focus is on her father Isolfr and the peoples south of the Iskryne as they face the looming threat of the Rheans. The Rheans are an invading people from the south, much akin to the Roman legions, ever conquering in order to feed and keep the empire’s center in riches. It is here that I was able to learn about the wolves and their telepathic connection to their human brethren. The wolves are cunning and clever and the humans fierce fighters due to the nature of their mental links. At times I was unclear if the names mentioned belonged to wolves or humans because they blended together so well. Eventually Alfgyfa’s and Isolfr’s storylines converge and the grand finale commences, which was quite impressive.
Overall, I enjoyed the book but will probably not continue the series, as I didn’t feel particularly connected to what was happening. Alfgyfa was definitely my favorite and I liked the alfs, who were unique among all the other elven-kind I’ve read about. The number of unusual words, titles, and terminology was somewhat of a stumbling block for me- it would have been great to have a glossary with a pronunciation guide in the back. A genealogy or a chart of the societal relationships would also have been a big help in understanding the sociology and politics happening.
caramm's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ohmidmid's review against another edition
3.0
1. I wish we got to spend more time reading about Alfgyfa's life and training during her apprenticeship with Tin, instead of just having seven years basically go by from one sentence to another.
2. I wish the ending wasn't so damn rushed. It felt like all the threadplots from 300+ pages got resolved in a single short paragraph or something. Felt unsatisfying, like the authors just wanted to just get this book over with.
jlaney's review against another edition
3.0
When I started reading this book, I was so disappointed that there was very little Isolfr, Skjaldwulf, and Vethulf (this spoiler mentions the final relationship results from the end of the previous book) I was elated and excited to see more of them but they were wholly missing from the majority of the time. Alfgyfa and the elves didn't intrigue me as much as the men and wolves in the beginning, but I still couldn't put it down and continued to read.
While I loved this series and the writing is great, the ending to this last book seemed rather rushed. For the entire last third, I kept wondering how everything was going to be wrapped up in time. (I kept expecting Alfgyfa to which eventually sort've happened a little? But not nearly as early as I was expecting and that too felt rushed and last minute.) While it was wrapped up well enough, it felt like it came to a very abrupt ending, because (this spoiler contains why it feels abrupt, but no details as to what actually happens to anyone) Don't get me wrong, though. It's still a good read and I still recommend it~
Spoiler
especially since Skjaldwulf and Vethulf finally found each other at the end of the last book.While I loved this series and the writing is great, the ending to this last book seemed rather rushed. For the entire last third, I kept wondering how everything was going to be wrapped up in time. (I kept expecting Alfgyfa to
Spoiler
become bonded with a wolfSpoiler
the last, what I thought to be one of the most important battles is cut off at the beginning and skipped over. It is viewed in hindsight in the epilogue.theravenflight's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
curgoth's review against another edition
4.0
I love this world, and I live these characters. Alfgyfa is, I think, a stronger protagonist that Isolfr was in the first two books.
I loved getting the depth of information about the elves.
And the wolves. I want there to be trellwolf memes on the Internet.
I liked this a lot more than book two, and wish that there could be more in this world.
I also really wish there were audiobooks for the series.
I love me some gay Viking werewolves (which they aren't, really).
The only reason this doesn't get 5 stars is that it didn't blow my mind and leave me reeling. I loved it and will read it again.
I loved getting the depth of information about the elves.
And the wolves. I want there to be trellwolf memes on the Internet.
I liked this a lot more than book two, and wish that there could be more in this world.
I also really wish there were audiobooks for the series.
I love me some gay Viking werewolves (which they aren't, really).
The only reason this doesn't get 5 stars is that it didn't blow my mind and leave me reeling. I loved it and will read it again.