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A review by morganish
Diplomacy of Wolves by Holly Lisle
4.0
I just really genuinely enjoyed this book. It's traditional fantasy, but with a few new ideas thrown in and swirled around: a female protagonist who is effectively a werewolf, political machinations that abandon the traditional vassal-state setting in favor of family-run city-states, long-forgotten secrets that include technology as well as magic... The world was fun and completely immersive, and while there were plenty of problems with depictions of women, the main character existing as a competent, intelligent, proactive protagonist really made this book stand out for me.
There definitely were plot missteps, though they all show up in the second half of the novel when the reader is already invested. Some twists are predictable, and there are a handful of moments where dialogue feels stilted and info-dump-y - surprising, because Lisle seems like an otherwise perfectly capable writer. Additionally, readers aren't always given important pieces of character or setting information until the exact moment they're necessary, which makes it seem like an afterthought or oversight.
The book falls afoul of some silly genre tropes, but the characters all have clear, compelling goals, and the plot moves forward quickly and with purpose. Despite some hints to the contrary and the direction the paranormal/werewolf genre has taken in recent years, this isn't a romance book, and Kait isn't a stereotype. She's proactive, driven, and not always a great person. And the other characters are equally unique and complicated (with a few notable evil exceptions).
Categorizing fantasy is especially difficult, but prospective readers should be warned that this has some seriously grimdark elements. The concept of slavery exists as a backdrop in this universe, and I cannot overemphasize how many times rape occurs or is referenced. It would be completely understandable if readers who don't enjoy brutality in their leisure reading choose to give this a hard pass.
But if you like fantasy with traditional tropes, with more complicated, human stories and an elaborately conceived world, I don't see any reason not to check this one out. There are far more fantasy books than anyone could hope to read in a lifetime, but, for me, this one comes closest to holding that most coveted of genre comparisons: The writing style, the depth of the world-building, dialogue, characterization... even how Lisle blends the political with the personal and sets it against a wider world-threatening magical backdrop... It all reminds me of ASoIaF.
There definitely were plot missteps, though they all show up in the second half of the novel when the reader is already invested. Some twists are predictable, and there are a handful of moments where dialogue feels stilted and info-dump-y - surprising, because Lisle seems like an otherwise perfectly capable writer. Additionally, readers aren't always given important pieces of character or setting information until the exact moment they're necessary, which makes it seem like an afterthought or oversight.
The book falls afoul of some silly genre tropes, but the characters all have clear, compelling goals, and the plot moves forward quickly and with purpose. Despite some hints to the contrary and the direction the paranormal/werewolf genre has taken in recent years, this isn't a romance book, and Kait isn't a stereotype. She's proactive, driven, and not always a great person. And the other characters are equally unique and complicated (with a few notable evil exceptions).
Categorizing fantasy is especially difficult, but prospective readers should be warned that this has some seriously grimdark elements. The concept of slavery exists as a backdrop in this universe, and I cannot overemphasize how many times rape occurs or is referenced. It would be completely understandable if readers who don't enjoy brutality in their leisure reading choose to give this a hard pass.
But if you like fantasy with traditional tropes, with more complicated, human stories and an elaborately conceived world, I don't see any reason not to check this one out. There are far more fantasy books than anyone could hope to read in a lifetime, but, for me, this one comes closest to holding that most coveted of genre comparisons: The writing style, the depth of the world-building, dialogue, characterization... even how Lisle blends the political with the personal and sets it against a wider world-threatening magical backdrop... It all reminds me of ASoIaF.