The Silver Wolf

Borchardt's storytelling is lush and detailed, and the writing and characters sucked me into this book immediately. Bringing together what felt like more contemporary treatments of fantasy with the Roman Empire was a masterful move that made for a compelling story, and I couldn't help but be fascinated. The one fault of the novel, perhaps, is that it tries to do so very much--ranging from more paranormal suspense to historical and political intrigue on to paranormal romance and historical fantasy. I think it's as a result of this ambition that some pieces of the book do lag, depending on the aspects of the story you're most engaged in. For me, the political intrigue took over the book at a certain point, and to its detriment--I wish the show more book had been a little bit less ambitious, actually, or that the story here had been spread over a few books in order to give all of the aspects adequate attention on an ongoing basis.

In the end, I didn't end up enjoying it nearly as much as I thought I would based on the first hundred pages or so, but I'm glad to have stumbled upon it. I'd certainly read more of Borchardt's work, as well, should the story catch my interest. show less

I found Alice Borchardt's The Silver Wolf during a library search on NoveList - it was recommended to me based on other books I have read and enjoyed. I was expecting a light, paranormal romance type novel, easily read and enjoyed, and just as easily forgotten. What I got from reading The Silver Wolf however, was so much more...

Hidden within the pages of The Silver Wolf is an expertly crafted work of historical fiction. Borchardt has created a world of political intrigue and deadly suspense with a splash of the paranormal thrown in for color. The "woman-used-as-a-tool-to-make-men-more-powerful" motif, which is ever present in works of historical fiction, becomes painstakingly real for the reader as she makes her way through the novel. I show more had to catch my breath more than once as Regeane was moved around on the proverbial chess board of life, without free-will and choice.

The Silver Wolf is a beautifully descriptive piece of fiction with a fascinating story and captivating heroine at its heart. I had no idea when I picked it up that it would end up being one of the best books I've read this year. I read it almost straight through in two days time, and now I wish I has slowed myself down a bit. I will definitely be picking up other Alice Brochardt novels in the future. She certainly was as gifted a writer as her sister, Anne Rice. show less

Sadly, Alice Borchardt, the sister of Anne Rice, passed away in 2007. I just finished her first book, The Silver Wolf. Most books on the market currently place werewolves in today's society, or a world much like this one with a few concessions in order to support a supernatural populace. Borchardt, however, takes us back to the Dark Ages of Rome, where poor men spend their time wallowing in brothels, and rich men spend their time reclining on chaises while gorging themselves on stuffed game birds. Poor Regeane, young, single, and with a terrible secret to hide is at her uncle's mercy, chained every night in order to keep her wolf from escaping and terrorizing the countryside. As the distant relative of Charlemagne, Regeane is worth her show more weight in gold, and her uncle's intent is to marry her off and exploit the wealth. But Regeane is only determined to learn how to be a wolf and a woman both, in a land where the accusation of witchcraft means certain death and torture. She has no reason to trust men, and spends her freetime plotting the death of her soon-to-be husband, who she has never met.

Borchardt spares nothing in letting you feel the dirt underneath Regeane's fingernails, letting you smell the urine and stale liquor on her cousin. Ripe with sensual and scentual images, the reader is thrust back into this time where nothing is fair, and everyone can be your enemy. Yet, Regeane finds friendship among the danger - her closest friend ends up being one of the most fascinating characters - Rome's most esteemed courtsean, the beguiling Lucilla.

Does Regeane find happiness? Is she able to sate the wolf, and yet live as a noblewoman? If you have a love of werewolves, but are looking for something different than urban fantasy, let Borchardt take you back into the days of Rome where you will run along with Regeane under the full moon and feel the thrill of freedom. And if you enjoy this one, there are two more to come. show less

To be honest, I wasn't excited to read this book UNTIL; I read another review on goodreads... I LOVED this book. Alice Borchardt is simply, a great story teller. With this novel, she weaves the foundation of a mythology (that we start to learn along with the heroine of the novel) with the time of a falling/fallen Rome and the rise of a new empire to the North. I found myself wanting to read, yet slowing down to make it last longer...(sounds masochistic, but if you are an avid reader- you know what I'm talking about) I do think it's a shame she didn't write more, but she left a fantastic foundation that anyone would be proud to have their name upon.

I chanced upon this book years ago at the library when I was looking for a different author. This is the first Alice Borchardt book I ever read, and it was a very good read. It's so rare to find books set in Dark Age Europe, since it was so... well, for lack of a better word, dark. Rome has fallen, and the glory of the Middle Ages is a long way off, but the people living in the remnants of Rome certainly made do.

The book starts off really well - always a good sign for a book - and left me intrigued as I read on to learn more of Regeane and what had happened to her, and just how she had ended up with her uncle. Overall it was a good book with a interesting array of characters like Lucilla and Antonius, but I especially liked Maeniel. show more Personally, this is my favorite book out of the Silver Wolf trilogy. show less

Regane is a werewolf and a relative of Charlemane and there is a wedding planned for her. Being a werewolf could have her burnt at the stake and she dreads what her husband will do when he finds out.
To add to her misery the person who is her guardian is her depraved uncle who is trying to get her to kill her husband so he can inherit her money.
I really liked this one and would like to read sequels. I liked the detail and the blurring of the lines between Regeane and her inner wolf, and how she is a better person than many of those around her because of the wolf.

A delightful, intriguing and enchanting mix of sci/fi fantasy, myth, history and romance, I started reading this book in escape of a book I was reading which was boring me to annoyance and I opened this book and was immediately enraptured.

Maybe I'm a little bias but my favorite character is Regeane I love the way her character developed and her strength came out, My second Favorite is Elfgifa her character was beautifully written honesty, and comic relief at its best. I also really loved Maniel although we were fooled in the beginning into thinking him weak and unimportant, so I was pleasantly surprised at the turn of events. I was surprised to find how truly vain and cruel Antonius is he seemed to become a different man once his show more ailment had been healed although I don't like the change I must say it was executed wonderfully and did not seem an unnatural or forced progression for his character on the contrary the nature of his mother and sister seemed to make it much easier to take and less shocking although it was a shock to find his character practical near to the point of being cruel and emotionless even though he still retained many of his empathic qualities which surface time to time it is very clear Antonius is his surely as much his mothers son as Augusta is her daughter

I enjoyed this book so much I can't even aptly describe my feelings I'm waiting to get book 2 & 3 now so I can be further pleasured by this authors literary creations. show less