Reviews with content warning for Violence - Empire of Wild

I quite enjoyed this book. I loved reading about the Rogarou and the depiction of this tale from a Metis perspective. I loved the fact that the author didn't explain exactly what the traditional tale was: it kept some sort of mystery, while making me feel part of the community by assuming I knew.
The social commentary embedded in the story is particularly enlightening.
That being said, the writing style was sometimes a little slow, and I was thrown off by the points of views switching from one character to the next.
I am still processing the ending, I applaud its audacity, but maybe it's a little too abrupt ? The jury is still out on this one.

Overall, I think I would recommend this book, it's an easy read, quite gripping sometimes, albeit a little unequal. Great book to get acquainted with traditional folklore and current social issues in indigenous communities. Some violent and/or frightening passages that may make it unsuitable to all audiences (especially at night...). Be sure to check out the trigger warning list before embarking on the journey.

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pdestrienne's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

A story about a fierce, obsessive love that feels believable. I see the comparisons to Gaiman and the feel of the story as far as having a scrim of unreality over the real world, with a battle against something malevolent and supposedly Christian but also ancient was reminiscent of Stephen King, but Dimaline is doing her own thing within that type of horror. The thing that was the hook for me and that held the whole thing together was the community and family aspect - it's not a sanitized version of the perfect happy community; these are people who are just themselves and hurt each other and fight and have what may be described as "earthy" senses of humor, and they know that life is awful sometimes and that familial and romantic love is complicated, and they show up for each other. Their rituals work because they believe and trust in their ancestral knowledge, and to see it reduced in the revival tent as "praying to animals", preached by someone whose soul has been compromised and kidnapped, was very chilling. The pacing is tense and stressful, even though I was immersed in the story I would avoid picking up the book because I was afraid of what would happen to the characters, because Dimaline guarantees no safety for anyone (and in fact the ending bears this out... will there be another book in this world?). I do think that the portions written from the perspective of Heiser and Celine feel much more hollow and stereotyped but I also think that this is because their lives are hollow and following a stereotype?

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caseythereader's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

- EMPIRE OF WILD on one level reads as a wild mystery adventure, but look a little closer and it's actually a tale of the horrors of colonization.
- This book is full of messy characters (some of whom I thought could have stood to have a little more page time) and you're rooting for Joan the whole way. I was turning pages as fast as I could, and the final showdown had me gripped.
- The ending seems to have people split, and I can see why - if you read this book, come talk to me about what you think happens!

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shaunashares's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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lilcoppertop's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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mikki_9's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

While this isn't a genre I normally read, I was intrigued by the premise. Plus, Cherie Dimaline is a fantastic writer. This is infused with myth and darkness. At times, it feels like there are too many characters to follow, even though Joan grounds the entire story. And that ending! Dimaline wasn't afraid to end on a bold note.

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