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bookycnidaria's review against another edition
1.0
CliffsNotes
The psychic wolves could have been an interesting premise if they hadn't been bundled into a 302-page excuse to write gay rape scenes. Romance is complicated. Sexuality is complicated. That still doesn't excuse the gang rapes (yes, plural) described in the book. Despite rampant troll-killing and some vague rambling about courage and honor, the book has one very specific purpose, which is unnecessary non-consensual sex between muscly men. I don't know much about these authors so I couldn't tell you if it's Serious Business or heavy-handed satire, but whatever the case it's pretty lame.
TL;DR
A Companion to Wolves focuses in semi-epic length on the trials and tribulations of a teenaged boy named Njall, who lives in an ill-defined region that the authors have decided to call the “world of the Iskryne.” This is not, they tell us, actually Earth, but a rather lazy amalgamation of several Earth cultures. In practice what this means is that the characters are running around a world that is like Earth, but is supposed to be some weird kind of fantasy land where men can talk to wolves and gang rape is a socially acceptable activity.
In the beginning, Njall is an impetuous 16-year-old who wants to be treated like an adult. This doesn’t really change throughout the book, but he does manage to impress Vigdis, a dominant female wolf (“konigenwolf”) from the local “wolfheall” (a walled compound that houses a number of men and their wolves), and is taken away from his family to learn the ways of the wolf-men. While there, he partners with a young konigenwolf-to-be named Viradechtis, starts training to become a pack leader despite having zero leadership skills, changes his name to Isolfr, and has unwilling sex with men. Throughout the book, it’s explained that the wolves and their men are connected by a “pack sense”: they can't exactly read each other's minds, but they can share information and tap into each other's emotions. Thus, because of the pack sense and the lust shared by a wolf and his/her human partner, the wolf-men are compelled to have sex with each other at the exact same time that their respective wolves are mating. The trouble is that this adds nothing to the plot, and it's inconsistent with the rest of the pack sense. Even when their wolves are in a blinding rage, the men are generally able to keep their own tempers under control; the wolves, for their part, are completely unaffected when the men carry on romantic affairs. They don’t live or die in sync, so why are they so inseparable in this one particular aspect? Isolfr often gets compared to a woman: is this supposed to be some kind of a message, a role-reversal? If so, it gets blurred out by the porn.
In complete fairness, this isn't the worst thing I've ever read; that dubious honor belongs to an even trashier book that didn't have cute wolves. A Companion to Wolves wasn’t quite as bad as it could have been, but, while I'm not in a hurry to light it on fire, I’d rather not waste my time on a series whose first installment can be summed up in four words: I’d rather read Twilight.
The psychic wolves could have been an interesting premise if they hadn't been bundled into a 302-page excuse to write gay rape scenes. Romance is complicated. Sexuality is complicated. That still doesn't excuse the gang rapes (yes, plural) described in the book. Despite rampant troll-killing and some vague rambling about courage and honor, the book has one very specific purpose, which is unnecessary non-consensual sex between muscly men. I don't know much about these authors so I couldn't tell you if it's Serious Business or heavy-handed satire, but whatever the case it's pretty lame.
TL;DR
A Companion to Wolves focuses in semi-epic length on the trials and tribulations of a teenaged boy named Njall, who lives in an ill-defined region that the authors have decided to call the “world of the Iskryne.” This is not, they tell us, actually Earth, but a rather lazy amalgamation of several Earth cultures. In practice what this means is that the characters are running around a world that is like Earth, but is supposed to be some weird kind of fantasy land where men can talk to wolves and gang rape is a socially acceptable activity.
In the beginning, Njall is an impetuous 16-year-old who wants to be treated like an adult. This doesn’t really change throughout the book, but he does manage to impress Vigdis, a dominant female wolf (“konigenwolf”) from the local “wolfheall” (a walled compound that houses a number of men and their wolves), and is taken away from his family to learn the ways of the wolf-men. While there, he partners with a young konigenwolf-to-be named Viradechtis, starts training to become a pack leader despite having zero leadership skills, changes his name to Isolfr, and has unwilling sex with men. Throughout the book, it’s explained that the wolves and their men are connected by a “pack sense”: they can't exactly read each other's minds, but they can share information and tap into each other's emotions. Thus, because of the pack sense and the lust shared by a wolf and his/her human partner, the wolf-men are compelled to have sex with each other at the exact same time that their respective wolves are mating. The trouble is that this adds nothing to the plot, and it's inconsistent with the rest of the pack sense. Even when their wolves are in a blinding rage, the men are generally able to keep their own tempers under control; the wolves, for their part, are completely unaffected when the men carry on romantic affairs. They don’t live or die in sync, so why are they so inseparable in this one particular aspect? Isolfr often gets compared to a woman: is this supposed to be some kind of a message, a role-reversal? If so, it gets blurred out by the porn.
In complete fairness, this isn't the worst thing I've ever read; that dubious honor belongs to an even trashier book that didn't have cute wolves. A Companion to Wolves wasn’t quite as bad as it could have been, but, while I'm not in a hurry to light it on fire, I’d rather not waste my time on a series whose first installment can be summed up in four words: I’d rather read Twilight.
littlepanda's review against another edition
2.0
I really tried to read more than the three first chapters but the plot and characters were confusing and the writing style not that good.... But I still think it would be an interesting plot, if explained better.
wetdryvac's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent writing, unexpected - but well executed - explicit maybe non-consent/maybe dubious consent content, and a lovely story.
siria's review against another edition
2.0
This is pretty much every slash fanfic cliché ever, all written into one cracktastic book, complete with telepathic wolves and gay Vikings. I think it's best enjoyed if you want to wallow in those tropes—the prose is competent, but not astounding, the characterisation not particularly engaging, and the world-building rather bland. I get that it was supposed to be a response to the companion-animal tropes and resultant gender issues that crop up in a lot of fantasy fiction; not having read much in that line, though, I was lacking most of that context, and was instead frustrated that modern Western conceptions of sexuality had been mapped onto an early medieval world with no thought given to how different societal needs might have changed thoughts about sexual relations/recognised social partnerships. They did hint at some interesting explorations of masculinities, but I thought the novel was too brief to sustain the framework of what they were attempting.
There were hints of things that I would like to have seen explored in much more depth—the worlds of the trolls and the svartalfr—but they were very much at the periphery of a rather stock faux-medieval world. The introduction didn't help; the authors stated that their use of 'Norse' words and names (and my god, were there ever a lot of names, and there are canonical name changes, which made it even more difficult) were an amalgam designed to create a period feel, and it showed.
Basically: if you want to read a book about buff gay Vikings in which psychic-wolves-made-them-do-it, this is the book for you. If not, I wouldn't really recommend it.
There were hints of things that I would like to have seen explored in much more depth—the worlds of the trolls and the svartalfr—but they were very much at the periphery of a rather stock faux-medieval world. The introduction didn't help; the authors stated that their use of 'Norse' words and names (and my god, were there ever a lot of names, and there are canonical name changes, which made it even more difficult) were an amalgam designed to create a period feel, and it showed.
Basically: if you want to read a book about buff gay Vikings in which psychic-wolves-made-them-do-it, this is the book for you. If not, I wouldn't really recommend it.
m_is_for_awesome's review against another edition
3.0
Excellent world building and character growth. Exploration of gender role vs sex vs sexuality core to story as well as rousing war against monsters.
tkat's review against another edition
2.0
First off, loved the premise of the story. In depth, creative, and beautiful. The story of a boy who joins the wolfcarls -men who form emotional and psychological bonds with wolves- and is bonded to a young female wolf and fights to defend the towns and villages around his homestead from trolls and wyverns.
However it is highly confusing in the fact that the names are old Norwegian contraptions like Njall and Isolfr so you need to take your time reading it in order to get the names right.
Also, the names fly at you so fast and there are very little differentiating descriptions so you have a hard time telling human from wolf and vice versa.
***WARNING! what will be said next may be considered a spoiler or Too Much Information (TMI)***
The final straw however was the graphic and overtly long sex scenes when the men take on each other as lovers. I personally do not have a problem with these kinds of scenes popping up once or twice for a paragraph or two before moving along with the storyline. My problem is that this book is classified as fantasy, but wow....there are several three page long, highly descriptive scenes in here that make it fit in just as well with the erotica crowd.
Don't pick this one up for anyone under 16...
However it is highly confusing in the fact that the names are old Norwegian contraptions like Njall and Isolfr so you need to take your time reading it in order to get the names right.
Also, the names fly at you so fast and there are very little differentiating descriptions so you have a hard time telling human from wolf and vice versa.
***WARNING! what will be said next may be considered a spoiler or Too Much Information (TMI)***
The final straw however was the graphic and overtly long sex scenes when the men take on each other as lovers. I personally do not have a problem with these kinds of scenes popping up once or twice for a paragraph or two before moving along with the storyline. My problem is that this book is classified as fantasy, but wow....there are several three page long, highly descriptive scenes in here that make it fit in just as well with the erotica crowd.
Don't pick this one up for anyone under 16...
bennysbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
Not sure how I would rate this. I think the world-building was fantastic and immersive, and the writing was good. But the plot progressed slowly, and then things would happen in random bursts or off page. Coupled with the slow pace this made it quite boring at times. The characters weren't very well fleshed out either. I will say, I don't think this is a romance, although I wouldn't count it as erotica either. It's really just a dark fantasy book where sex is weaved into the world-building. Definitely check content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual violence
snazel's review
When I read, I try to read myself into the main character. See through their eyes, want what they want. To follow along. I don't think I can do that with this one. It is just too distressing (death, and family repudiation, and consent issues), and too far different from my life. (I do not hunt trolls.)
BUT I can follow along like the main character is a friend. A friend with a life I don't want, but I want to know what's going on.
All of this to say I eagerly await the next books in fear and trembling.
BUT I can follow along like the main character is a friend. A friend with a life I don't want, but I want to know what's going on.
All of this to say I eagerly await the next books in fear and trembling.
kiiouex's review against another edition
4.0
Yep, hello; this book is very good. Love the writing. Love how you can see the philosophy that goes on to show in the Goblin Emperor coming through here (there were a few particular scenes that reminded me explicitly that this is the voice that went on to create Maia). I liked the plot and the war and the fighting a little better than most of the character drama (most of the characters felt just too thin), and it definitely, uh, embraced the sex stuff without being a book About that. The audience for this book is probably Me, but that's great too. Will read again, for sure.