A Companion to Wolves
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4.2 • 32 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A Companion to Wolves is the story of a young nobleman, Isolfr, who is chosen to become a wolfcarl -- a warrior who is bonded to a fighting wolf.
Isolfr is deeply drawn to the wolves, and though as his father's heir he can refuse the call, he chooses to go. The people of this wintry land depend on the wolfcarls to protect them from the threat of trolls and wyverns, though the supernatural creatures have not come in force for many years. Men are growing too confident. The wolfhealls are small, and the lords give them less respect than in former years.
But the winter of Isolfr's bonding, the trolls come down from the north in far greater numbers than before, and the holding's complaisance gives way to terror in the dark. Isolfr, now bonded to a queen wolf, Viradechtis, must learn where his honor lies, and discover the lengths to which he will to go when it, and love for his wolf, drive him.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Rising fantasy stars Monette (M lusine) and Bear (Whiskey & Water) subvert the telepathic animal companion subgenre so thoroughly that it may never be the same. The inhabitants of a cold and perilous world grounded in Norse/Germanic mythology depend upon the brutally violent wolfcarls, men who bond telepathically with huge fighting trellwolves, to protect them from monstrous trolls and wyverns from further north. When the northern threat suddenly intensifies, Isolfr, a young wolfcarl, and his wolf-sister, Viradechtis, a Queen wolf destined to rule her own pack, are thrust into key roles in their civilization's desperate fight to survive. The meticulously crafted setting and powerful, often moving rendition of characters and relationships human and nonhuman alike result in a brutal and beautiful novel about the meaning of honor. Never blushing as they consider the ultimate sociological, sexual and moral underpinnings of a "what-if" often treated as coy wish-fulfillment fantasy, the authors have boldly created a fascinating world that begs further exploration.
Customer Reviews
Interesting thought experiment
This is a really interesting thought experiment
It is disturbing
And also not
It’s the youth having sex with older which I find distasteful.
I would feel similarly about young women in this situation
But in reality and in story, the young women are disregarded and are for sex.
Lolita
As one of many examples.
And in this one, it’s men.
In that vein, if you are going to flip perspective on its head, don’t continue the paradigm of denigrating women which is the root of the problem in the first place.
The end was a bit confusing: no more sex between partners?
And on a technical note: the story is engrossing and well-written in the main. Seems perhaps the editor got tired at the end—there are instances of lack of consistency in the narrative actions.
Great, but...
I was a bit turned off by some of the 'requirements' when bonded to a wolf. It was a good story nevertheless.
Difficult read
The insight and imagination in this book are deep and clear but getting to them is an extraordinary battle.
I almost feel as if I were eavesdropping on a conversation between the authors who are speaking a foreign language.
Characters are often introduced by name only (quite a few of which are unpronounceable in English) with the reader left to determine the sex and species via context. A very good memory is required to keep all the identities straight, especially because many of the names change in the course of the story. Added to that, the titles and descriptive nouns are made up of derivative syllables in a vaguely Nordic or Germanic way. Navigating the ambiguous identities reminds me of the first time I tried to read 100 Years of Solitude. Maybe it is the authors' intention that the book be reread or maybe the reader is meant to be disoriented, but the result is not an engaging experience unless one is looking for a challenge.