Journeys to the Heartland

This was, by far, one of the worst-- if not the worst, novel I have ever read. The premise is decent, but the characters are flat and imaginary. The description is laughable and the attempts at sly dialogue and humor come off dry and forgettable. This is a piece of work in all the negative ways possible.

Study this if you want to learn how NOT to write.

Utter trite trash.

William Horwood's work can be tough going at times, however his words bring a sadness and poignancy. The story follows a diverse set of wolves from across Europe, each grieving for loss of love, relations or times past. They hope to form a pack and regain lost territory: The Heartland. The story meanders somewhat, although pulls together at enough points throughout to ensure you keep reading. It feels at times padded, and if you can make it through those chapters, then you'll be content at a well wrapped up conclusion, and probably pick up the second book if you're out of first choice material.

The beginning is very slow going, but once you get through this, it's an interesting story. Not great, but pretty good. I wanted to know what happened and finished all 600+ pages. But I won't pick up the next volume.