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A review by rebeccazh
Black Wolves by Kate Elliott
I don't know what possessed me, but I suddenly wanted to read this book, although I DNFed it months ago. But anyway, I'm glad to have picked it up again. Kate Elliott is one of my favorite fantasy writers, and this mammoth of a book does not disappoint. A rich fantasy world, a big cast of characters each with their own minds and own desires and own agendas, dramatic and revelatory secrets and plot twists, a brisk and action-filled pace... So fun to read. I devoured it. Now I'm so eager for the next book. I'm going to try my luck with the Court of Fives series while I wait.
I forgot to mention that I love Dannarah, although it's saddening to see how her personality and her beliefs are slowly setting her apart from the good guys (Kellas and Mai and gang). I'm not sure if she's going to become a semi-villain type of character who goes out in a blaze of glory, but I sure as hell hope not. I love that Elliott's books give me wonderful female characters.
The forty four year time skip is a bold move, but it allows a mix of old and young characters, and I love the interactions between the old and the young. I particularly like Gil. He's so fun to read about.
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This is possibly one of those on-hold-forever books. I stopped at 20%. I am just NOT a fan of big casts; I don't feel connected to stories where main cast is bigger than three or four. This book seems fascinating and very well-written, but the dizzying cast of main characters really put me off (the reason why I skimmed the second and third books of the author's Jaran series).
But despite the big cast, I really enjoyed what I'm reading so far. The culture and mythology is rich and fascinating, as expected from Kate Elliott. The thing that makes me happiest is the queer romance between Sarai and Elit. I was incredibly happy when I read it. I skipped ahead a bit and saw that they don't stay together which honestly sucks but Sarai seems to be bi which is great, and I don't think Elit is killed off, which is even better.
Anyway, I might delve back into this book because I quite like Dannarah. (I really loved how she was, especially with her brother, back in the first part of the book. I wish I had the chance to see her mature.)
I forgot to mention that I love Dannarah, although it's saddening to see how her personality and her beliefs are slowly setting her apart from the good guys (Kellas and Mai and gang). I'm not sure if she's going to become a semi-villain type of character who goes out in a blaze of glory, but I sure as hell hope not. I love that Elliott's books give me wonderful female characters.
The forty four year time skip is a bold move, but it allows a mix of old and young characters, and I love the interactions between the old and the young. I particularly like Gil. He's so fun to read about.
-----
This is possibly one of those on-hold-forever books. I stopped at 20%. I am just NOT a fan of big casts; I don't feel connected to stories where main cast is bigger than three or four. This book seems fascinating and very well-written, but the dizzying cast of main characters really put me off (the reason why I skimmed the second and third books of the author's Jaran series).
But despite the big cast, I really enjoyed what I'm reading so far. The culture and mythology is rich and fascinating, as expected from Kate Elliott. The thing that makes me happiest is the queer romance between Sarai and Elit. I was incredibly happy when I read it. I skipped ahead a bit and saw that they don't stay together which honestly sucks but Sarai seems to be bi which is great, and I don't think Elit is killed off, which is even better.
Anyway, I might delve back into this book because I quite like Dannarah. (I really loved how she was, especially with her brother, back in the first part of the book. I wish I had the chance to see her mature.)