Night of the Wolf

I have to say though that I was NOT happy with how this begun. Silver Wolf started off in a mysterious but coherent way - all the essential knowledge was revealed quickly enough, but for this one, the beginning was just confusing. The tale of Maeniel itself is interesting, as it shows how he became what he is and his learning how to be human, but compared to TSW, this book was lacking. Some of the characters were interesting, but the story itself felt rather disjointed, with various characters popping up and then dying or the like. There were a lot of questions left unanswered (and more questions raised that were then left unanswered!). If you liked the Silver Wolf, you might like this, just don't expect the same amount of quality that show more was in TSW. And if you didn't read The Silver Wolf, then read it first because otherwise this story will feel even more disjointed than it already is. show less

While I recall the first of this series thrilling me with its Roman historicity and intrigue, I am left wondering if I enjoyed it so much because it was several years ago and my reading tastes were not nearly as refined, nor my sense of literary excellence so sharply honed. Borchardt really shares quite a lot with her sister Anne Rice in regards to style, meaning she tends toward the overwrought and over done. I wanted more from her characters, was rather bored with the usage of Caesar as a character and the plotting surrounding him, and felt like the historical detailing of food distracted from the flow of the novel - especially as I flipped through my unabridged Oxford dictionary to find out what piece of a pig's lower intestine they show more were consuming.

The wolfish perspective provided by Maeniel, the dark gray eyes of innocence who transitions from wolf to man, was the most fascinating part of the novel, something I enjoyed because urban fantasy written now is almost entirely built upon humans becoming wolves and not the other way around, something I've always felt was lacking. The potential for using that perspective as a commentary on our world is vast, but unfortunately, Borchardt did so only shallowly. show less

Blame it on watching Manimal as a child but I wanted to like this book. I love well-written stories about men who become animals, especially if that animal is a wolf or a dog. But this book has more problem than a junkyard dog has fleas.

According to the book’s biopic, Alice Borchardt is interested in “little known” eras and is the in the sister of Anne Rice. However, in this book, Alice Borchardt writes about one of the most well-known periods in history, the struggle of Gaul against the Roman Empire just before the death of Gaius Julius Caesar.

The point of view skips between a person who is not quite a wolf or a man and but has the body of either at will, a Celtic warrior queen, and a Roman nobleman who was recently injured in show more Gaul. Several other viewpoints are presented at random intervals and as flashbacks with an overabundant use of pronouns rather than proper names. The result is a problematic and cumbersome read.

Characters are flat and unrealistic for protagonist and especially antagonists. Perhaps Alice has a better time of it in other books but in this book, Alice has obviously forgotten that everyone (especially the bad guys) is the hero of their own story. The evil characters have no redeeming qualities. There is no light to balance their dark. The good characters are emotionless and dry

The characters are not the only things in the book that are emotionless and dry: The sex scenes suffer the same problem. Further, there are just as many bad sex scenes in the book as there are bad transitions in points of view. Normally, I like it when an author adds an occasional sex scene to a book. If done right it, it not only adds that “cheap” vicarious thrill, it also adds depths and complications that can easily turn what would be an ordinary book into a page-turner-that-cannot-be-put-down-until-finished.

The plot of the book was simple enough: “Go to Rome and kill Caesar”. But instead of the characters acting to get their goals accomplished, they were dragged unwillingly then willingly to the eventual outcome.

If you have the opportunity to spend money on this book: Pass. If you happen to pick it up anyway, don’t endanger friendships by loaning it out unless you both want something at which to laugh. The book, like the wolf within it, bites. show less

Having liked the first book in this series I really did want to like this one but it just didn't work for me. I found it quite hard to finish reading it.

I mean, this story should have been perfect for me, a story of werewolves in classical Rome with fun intrigue and paranormal elements. It ambled to the story and just seemed to need some serious editing to be a good story.

Second book in the series. I thought it should have been first. Maeniel a wolf that shape shifts into a man finds love in the arms of Imona. But when she is killed he seeks revenge and is hunted by a warrior woman named Dryas. She binds him from transforming back into a wolf by wearing an enchanted necklace around her neck and teaches him to be human. Dryas' mission is to assassinate Caesar, who's tyranny has lead to the slavery and downfall of many people including hers. When Dryas is captured by Fulvia a woman who wants her to fight in her arena o please Caesar. Dryas thinks this might be her best chance to get close enough to Caesar to kill him. Before she is taken she throws the necklace into the fire releasing Maeniel. Maeniel show more follows her o Rome, where with the help of others they plan to assassinate Caesar. They get a copy of Caesar's death list and give it to Caesar's senate(many of whose names are on the list) Caesar is assassinated by the senate, Dryas finds love with Lucias(Fulvia's brother) and Maeniel story is to be continued. show less

Wow. This book is a stinker. Poorly written, with confusing changes of view point, it seems like the sole goal of this book was to cash in on the Anne Rice and/or Furry market. I picked it up for 50 cents at a local library booksale, and wish I hadn't. It is not often that I put a book down 50 pages in and decide not to read the rest, but this is so bad I did just that.

It wasn't too bad as a story, but most of the characters were unpleasant and when some books came along I wanted to read more I dumped it without finishing it.