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Kalix MacRinnalch #1
Lonely Werewolf Girl
While teenage werewolf Kalix MacRinnalch is being pursued through the streets of London by murderous hunters, her sister, the Werewolf Enchantress, is busy designing clothes for the Fire Queen. Meanwhile, in the Scottish Highlands, the MacRinnalch Clan is plotting and feuding after the head of the clan suddenly dies intestate. As the court intrigue threatens to blow up into all-out civil war, the competing factions determine that Kalix is the swing vote necessary to assume leadership of the clan. Unfortunately, Kalix isn’t really into clan politics — laudanum’s more her thing. Even more unfortunately, Kalix is the reason the head of the clan ended up dead, which is why she’s now on the lam in London. . . This expansive tale of werewolves in the modern world — friendly werewolves, fashionista werewolves, troubled teenage werewolves, cross-dressing werewolves, werewolves of every sort — is hard-edged, hilarious, and utterly believable.
561 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2007
96 people are currently reading
2453 people want to read
About the author
Martin Millar
50 books514 followersMartin Millar is a critically acclaimed Scottish writer from Glasgow, now resident in London. He also writes the Thraxas series of fantasy novels under the pseudonym Martin Scott.
The novels he writes as Martin Millar dwell on urban decay and British sub-cultures, and the impact this has on a range of characters, both realistic and supernatural. There are elements of magical realism, and the feeling that the boundary between real life and the supernatural is not very thick. Most of them are set in Brixton, Millar's one-time place of residence. Many are at least semi-autobiographical, and Love and Peace with Melody Paradise and Suzy, Led Zeppelin and Me both feature Millar himself as a character.
As Martin Scott his Thraxas novels are a fusion of traditional high fantasy and pulp noir thrillers.
In 2000, he won the World Fantasy Award for best novel for Thraxas.
The novels he writes as Martin Millar dwell on urban decay and British sub-cultures, and the impact this has on a range of characters, both realistic and supernatural. There are elements of magical realism, and the feeling that the boundary between real life and the supernatural is not very thick. Most of them are set in Brixton, Millar's one-time place of residence. Many are at least semi-autobiographical, and Love and Peace with Melody Paradise and Suzy, Led Zeppelin and Me both feature Millar himself as a character.
As Martin Scott his Thraxas novels are a fusion of traditional high fantasy and pulp noir thrillers.
In 2000, he won the World Fantasy Award for best novel for Thraxas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 488 reviews
August 16, 2009
The thing is, this was actually a good story ~ I liked the ideas, the history, and some of the characters. Had this story been written better and perhaps organized a little differenlty, it could have easily been a captivating series of two or three books. But the writing was awful!!! Really, really, awful. It's a shame.
Before starting Lonely Werewolf Girl, I read a few reviews on Goodreads and found it curious that so many people said this book read like a first draft, or that it needed a better editor. I mean, how can you tell? But the more I read, the more I understood. As many people have pointed out, this book is insanely redundant. So much time is wasted describing scenes, emotions, actions that have already described. Towards the end, I skimmed much more than I actually read.
In addition to the poor writing,the pacing was off. Many of the chapters are incredibly short (only a page or two) and end on a cliffhanger. At first it did inspire me to read on... but after 500+ really long pages that technique grew old fast. The more engrossed the reader becomes in a story, the author should reward the reader with longer passages, right? Instead, even at the climax of the story the reader is forced to suffer action that jumps back and forth between multiple story lines and points of view. Bad, bad, bad. Really bad.
As many others have mentioned, the characters are not likeable or even easy to sympathize with. In the hands of a better writer, this wouldn't be as much of an issue. But to read a poorly written book with unlikeable characters ~ I just feel like I was cheated twice. We don't know anyone's true motivation for feelings, thoughts, or actions. All of the characters are very two dimensional. There is very little growth or self-reflection; the bad guys remain bad guys throughout and the good guys always make the right choices. We always know what each character feels because Millar tells us what that character is feeling. Which is a pet peeve of mine. Shouldn't a talented writer be able to let the reader know how the character is feeling though that character's thoughts, words and actions? If Kalix wears old, torn black clothes, starves herself, cuts herself, and takes enough drugs/alcohol to pass out every time she is stressed... do I really need Millar to mention how depressed and hopeless she feels? No. And I really don't need him to tell me over and over again.
It took me about 3 weeks to get through this mess. Most books I finish in a few days at most. Ugh. Millar may be endorsed my Neil Gaiman, but I will never waste time on any crap he spews ever again.
Before starting Lonely Werewolf Girl, I read a few reviews on Goodreads and found it curious that so many people said this book read like a first draft, or that it needed a better editor. I mean, how can you tell? But the more I read, the more I understood. As many people have pointed out, this book is insanely redundant. So much time is wasted describing scenes, emotions, actions that have already described. Towards the end, I skimmed much more than I actually read.
In addition to the poor writing,the pacing was off. Many of the chapters are incredibly short (only a page or two) and end on a cliffhanger. At first it did inspire me to read on... but after 500+ really long pages that technique grew old fast. The more engrossed the reader becomes in a story, the author should reward the reader with longer passages, right? Instead, even at the climax of the story the reader is forced to suffer action that jumps back and forth between multiple story lines and points of view. Bad, bad, bad. Really bad.
As many others have mentioned, the characters are not likeable or even easy to sympathize with. In the hands of a better writer, this wouldn't be as much of an issue. But to read a poorly written book with unlikeable characters ~ I just feel like I was cheated twice. We don't know anyone's true motivation for feelings, thoughts, or actions. All of the characters are very two dimensional. There is very little growth or self-reflection; the bad guys remain bad guys throughout and the good guys always make the right choices. We always know what each character feels because Millar tells us what that character is feeling. Which is a pet peeve of mine. Shouldn't a talented writer be able to let the reader know how the character is feeling though that character's thoughts, words and actions? If Kalix wears old, torn black clothes, starves herself, cuts herself, and takes enough drugs/alcohol to pass out every time she is stressed... do I really need Millar to mention how depressed and hopeless she feels? No. And I really don't need him to tell me over and over again.
It took me about 3 weeks to get through this mess. Most books I finish in a few days at most. Ugh. Millar may be endorsed my Neil Gaiman, but I will never waste time on any crap he spews ever again.
May 15, 2008
Neil Gaiman loves this guy. Need I say more?
Perhaps not but I will anyway. I must admit that when I walked into Elliot Bay I was drawn initially to the cover of the book and then I realized it was an author I'd previously enjoyed.
I loved Millar's "The Good Fairies of New York" for its irreverent take on the fair folk. "Lonely Werewolf Girl" doesn't disappoint. It was good balm for my psyche after getting sucked into the world of "Twilight."
A couple things to keep in mind:
1. It's laugh out loud funny- beware of planes or other enclosed public spaces.
2. It's anything but predictable.
3. It turns many werewolf stereotypes on their heads.
Perhaps not but I will anyway. I must admit that when I walked into Elliot Bay I was drawn initially to the cover of the book and then I realized it was an author I'd previously enjoyed.
I loved Millar's "The Good Fairies of New York" for its irreverent take on the fair folk. "Lonely Werewolf Girl" doesn't disappoint. It was good balm for my psyche after getting sucked into the world of "Twilight."
A couple things to keep in mind:
1. It's laugh out loud funny- beware of planes or other enclosed public spaces.
2. It's anything but predictable.
3. It turns many werewolf stereotypes on their heads.
February 21, 2008
I really need to reread this, because I wanted to takes some notes while I was going through it, possibly make a paper or something out of it, because these are these are the kinds of books I like to keep my critical teeth sharp on. Anytime you have characters who most people would think unlikely to be interested in fashion, that is typically where you will find me writing critical analysis.
So fashion-obsessed fire elementals practically pull the harbrace handbook off the shelf while the cross-dressing second in line for the werewolf throne helps to ruin the spine on Metaphors We Live By.
Unfortunately, the book was just too damn engrossing the first time I read through it, and my attempts to note and log were foiled by the sheer speed of page turning trying to keep track of just how this fellow manages to make such violence seem endearing. If Martin McDonagh wanted to adapt a script of this, I would see that play (or now movie) the day it opened.
My literary determinations did bear some fruit as I'm going to brag for some time to come that I had the very great pleasure of proofreading this for the American release, and I hope I did a good job, because I think I did a good job, but more to the point because it was such a wonderful book and I'd like to do Mr Millar proud. I bought a copy directly from Martin via his website months back and happened to be in the right place at the right time with an email saying hey, I'll proofread this if it needs. Bully for me.
So fashion-obsessed fire elementals practically pull the harbrace handbook off the shelf while the cross-dressing second in line for the werewolf throne helps to ruin the spine on Metaphors We Live By.
Unfortunately, the book was just too damn engrossing the first time I read through it, and my attempts to note and log were foiled by the sheer speed of page turning trying to keep track of just how this fellow manages to make such violence seem endearing. If Martin McDonagh wanted to adapt a script of this, I would see that play (or now movie) the day it opened.
My literary determinations did bear some fruit as I'm going to brag for some time to come that I had the very great pleasure of proofreading this for the American release, and I hope I did a good job, because I think I did a good job, but more to the point because it was such a wonderful book and I'd like to do Mr Millar proud. I bought a copy directly from Martin via his website months back and happened to be in the right place at the right time with an email saying hey, I'll proofread this if it needs. Bully for me.
June 21, 2008
I've never read any Millar before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Neil Gaiman gives him the highest praise, but then he also praised Jody Scott, whose
I, Vampire
left me almost completely cold. But not to worry! Lonely Werewolf Girl is brilliant, disjointed, hilarious, convoluted and whimsical. The characters are all a little crazy, the overlapping love triangles are somewhat labyrinthine and the family relations are dysfunctional, but it all makes for a very good read, the kind that kept me up until long past my bedtime to finish it this morning. Now I need to hunt down Millar's other writing and devour it whole.
July 11, 2011
Beautiful anorexic depressed teenage runaway werewolf drug addict self-cutter. Do you even need a verb to sell a concept like that?
Despite being 558 pages, this was a quick read. It was fun, but I expected a lot more given the praise lavished on the author from the likes of Neil Gaiman and the Guardian. The plot was its greatest strength, quite entertaining. The premise: werewolves exist, and while there are numerous "lone wolves" spread across the world (set in the present), most belong to clans that ladder up to a royal family of werewolves in Scotland. The royal werewolves are also the most powerful fighters and can control their transformation regardless of the state of the moon. Our main character, Kalix, who was a rebellious teenager of the royal family, had sex (frequently) with a non-royal werewolf at the age of 14, which lead to her lover being banished and a subsequent fight with her father, the top dog. And by fight, I mean a physical dog fight. Kalix, being insanely vicious in battle, nearly killed him and ran off before she could be captured for the crime. The rest of the story involves Shakespearean intrigue to become head of the royal clan, numerous battles between werewolves and with the society of werewolf hunters, werewolf alienation, depression, anxiety, trust issues, communication issues, suicide attempts, laudanum use, elementals from other realms, magic, and high fashion. That’s right, high fashion. One of Kalix’s sisters is the head of a design firm in London and her best friend is a Fire Elemental who conquered her plane of existence and so instead of fighting wars, obsesses over showing up at Elemental Balls as the most fashionable mage.
Probably the most interesting element thematically was the struggle between the more traditional werewolves of the clan and those who modernize and want to assimilate with modern society.
Sounds fun, right? Why only three stars?
1. I found the language to be slightly juvenile. At first, I thought this might be a YA novel, particularly because as Millar develops the characters he often repeatedly mentions certain attributes or characteristics in different scenes. This redundancy dumbs it down. However, the drug use, sex, and violence contradict the YA language.
2. All the werewolves are just. so. gorgeous. It’s hard to keep track of the hierarchy of beauty because each one seems more beautiful than the next. Oh, as well as the Fire Elemental. Bohhhh-ring.
3. One main character, Daniel, a non-werewolf college student, who is supposed to be both a partial love interest and comic relief, is a bit of a whiny bitch. It’s not obvious why anyone likes him.
4. The humor of the fashion obsessed Fire Elemental wears a bit thin. It’s a rather shallow joke. Overall, the funny was just not as funny as it seemed to want to be. At times, it tonally reminded me of Christopher Moore but lacked the meaty payoffs.
5. Typos! I marked fifteen typos, which is inexcusable from now corporate press Soft Skull.
When I bought this, I didn’t realize it was part of a series. So the question is, will I read the sequel? The answer is, yes, I probably will. Despite the weaknesses, it was fun, and it made me curious to find out what happens to the main characters next.
Despite being 558 pages, this was a quick read. It was fun, but I expected a lot more given the praise lavished on the author from the likes of Neil Gaiman and the Guardian. The plot was its greatest strength, quite entertaining. The premise: werewolves exist, and while there are numerous "lone wolves" spread across the world (set in the present), most belong to clans that ladder up to a royal family of werewolves in Scotland. The royal werewolves are also the most powerful fighters and can control their transformation regardless of the state of the moon. Our main character, Kalix, who was a rebellious teenager of the royal family, had sex (frequently) with a non-royal werewolf at the age of 14, which lead to her lover being banished and a subsequent fight with her father, the top dog. And by fight, I mean a physical dog fight. Kalix, being insanely vicious in battle, nearly killed him and ran off before she could be captured for the crime. The rest of the story involves Shakespearean intrigue to become head of the royal clan, numerous battles between werewolves and with the society of werewolf hunters, werewolf alienation, depression, anxiety, trust issues, communication issues, suicide attempts, laudanum use, elementals from other realms, magic, and high fashion. That’s right, high fashion. One of Kalix’s sisters is the head of a design firm in London and her best friend is a Fire Elemental who conquered her plane of existence and so instead of fighting wars, obsesses over showing up at Elemental Balls as the most fashionable mage.
Probably the most interesting element thematically was the struggle between the more traditional werewolves of the clan and those who modernize and want to assimilate with modern society.
Sounds fun, right? Why only three stars?
1. I found the language to be slightly juvenile. At first, I thought this might be a YA novel, particularly because as Millar develops the characters he often repeatedly mentions certain attributes or characteristics in different scenes. This redundancy dumbs it down. However, the drug use, sex, and violence contradict the YA language.
2. All the werewolves are just. so. gorgeous. It’s hard to keep track of the hierarchy of beauty because each one seems more beautiful than the next. Oh, as well as the Fire Elemental. Bohhhh-ring.
3. One main character, Daniel, a non-werewolf college student, who is supposed to be both a partial love interest and comic relief, is a bit of a whiny bitch. It’s not obvious why anyone likes him.
4. The humor of the fashion obsessed Fire Elemental wears a bit thin. It’s a rather shallow joke. Overall, the funny was just not as funny as it seemed to want to be. At times, it tonally reminded me of Christopher Moore but lacked the meaty payoffs.
5. Typos! I marked fifteen typos, which is inexcusable from now corporate press Soft Skull.
When I bought this, I didn’t realize it was part of a series. So the question is, will I read the sequel? The answer is, yes, I probably will. Despite the weaknesses, it was fun, and it made me curious to find out what happens to the main characters next.
April 25, 2010
The sad thing is that this has a very well-developed world, a large cast of interesting, believable characters, and a refreshing take on the werewolf mythos.
But the actual prose is just appallingly bad. There's stylistic choices, and there's times where you just need to fire your copy editor; this would be one of the latter. I almost get the impression that this was a movie or comic book script that got turned into a novel--one of Millar's favorite tricks is to describe a scene or relate a piece of plot information, and then immediately have a character's dialogue repeat it near-verbatim, just in case we missed it the first time--but as the book is 560 pages, I shudder to think how long the intended product would have been.
But the actual prose is just appallingly bad. There's stylistic choices, and there's times where you just need to fire your copy editor; this would be one of the latter. I almost get the impression that this was a movie or comic book script that got turned into a novel--one of Millar's favorite tricks is to describe a scene or relate a piece of plot information, and then immediately have a character's dialogue repeat it near-verbatim, just in case we missed it the first time--but as the book is 560 pages, I shudder to think how long the intended product would have been.
May 21, 2013
Kalix MacRinnalch is a 17 year old runaway (who happens to LOVE the Runaways and wishes Joan Jett were her mom). She's clinically depressed, she's addicted to opiates (laudanum, really), she cuts herself...and she's a werewolf princess.
Really, Martin Millar's Lonely Werewolf Girl shouldn't work. It has an unwieldy cast numbering in the dozens (with almost as many PoVs), the main character is sort of an emo-Mary Sue - she's got this long gorgeous hair, when she's not starving herself everyone notices how beautiful she is, she's the daughter of the Thane [think werewolf king], she was born in wolf form on the night of the full moon while her mother was in wolf form which has given her more-than-average-wolf-strength...you kind of hate her, but can't help loving her at the same time.
Millar pulled off the cast of eleventy billion quite well in Good Fairies of New York , but I think it's done even better here. You don't get a chance to miss anyone because as soon as you think of them, it's time for them to have another turn. The chapters are short. Ridiculously short (this book is ~500 pages and has over 200 chapters), but having such short chapters causes the book to move incredibly quickly. Think of it as a Guy Ritchie film with werewolves, and you'll understand what I mean.
[Reading that last sentence, I realize that maybe it won't make sense to some of you. A typical feature of Guy Ritchie films would be several points of view, all of which move at a very fast pace but leave you scratching your head as to how they're all connected until the very end.]
Lonely Werewolf Girl is one of those books that I fall into and end up reading slowly because I just don't want it to be over. I spent almost a week with this one (which is really slow for me, okay?), and I turned the last page sad that it was over, but happy knowing there was another book waiting for me. I'm reading that one slowly as well, because...
Well, because Millar's world of Scottish werewolves, fashion espionage, political treason and college relationship drama - all of which are subjects I'd normally avoid like the plague - is so well drawn that it just feels real.
I shouldn't care about wannabe goth Moonglow and her romantic entanglements.
I shouldn't care about whether Malveria, Queen of the Hiyasta, will succeed in her quest of being the most fashionable woman in the entire Fire Elemental realm, or if her nemesis Princess Kabachetka will prove successful at stealing Thrix's (Kalix's sister - a sorceress and up and coming fashion designer) designs.
I shouldn't care what will happen between Sarapen (Kalix's oldest brother, first in line for Thaneship) and Markus (the younger of the elder MacRinnalch brothers, incredibly handsome werewolf crossdresser).
I shouldn't care whether Dominil will manage to get Butix and Delix (aka Beauty and Delicious) and their band on stage.
But I do.
I can see myself coming back to Lonely Werewolf Girl again and again. Dipping in and taking small sips when I need to laugh or to cry. I can read a few pages and come away with my thirst quenched. A book like this is rare.
For me, anyway.
I hope it'll be the same for you.
Really, Martin Millar's Lonely Werewolf Girl shouldn't work. It has an unwieldy cast numbering in the dozens (with almost as many PoVs), the main character is sort of an emo-Mary Sue - she's got this long gorgeous hair, when she's not starving herself everyone notices how beautiful she is, she's the daughter of the Thane [think werewolf king], she was born in wolf form on the night of the full moon while her mother was in wolf form which has given her more-than-average-wolf-strength...you kind of hate her, but can't help loving her at the same time.
Millar pulled off the cast of eleventy billion quite well in Good Fairies of New York , but I think it's done even better here. You don't get a chance to miss anyone because as soon as you think of them, it's time for them to have another turn. The chapters are short. Ridiculously short (this book is ~500 pages and has over 200 chapters), but having such short chapters causes the book to move incredibly quickly. Think of it as a Guy Ritchie film with werewolves, and you'll understand what I mean.
[Reading that last sentence, I realize that maybe it won't make sense to some of you. A typical feature of Guy Ritchie films would be several points of view, all of which move at a very fast pace but leave you scratching your head as to how they're all connected until the very end.]
Lonely Werewolf Girl is one of those books that I fall into and end up reading slowly because I just don't want it to be over. I spent almost a week with this one (which is really slow for me, okay?), and I turned the last page sad that it was over, but happy knowing there was another book waiting for me. I'm reading that one slowly as well, because...
Well, because Millar's world of Scottish werewolves, fashion espionage, political treason and college relationship drama - all of which are subjects I'd normally avoid like the plague - is so well drawn that it just feels real.
I shouldn't care about wannabe goth Moonglow and her romantic entanglements.
I shouldn't care about whether Malveria, Queen of the Hiyasta, will succeed in her quest of being the most fashionable woman in the entire Fire Elemental realm, or if her nemesis Princess Kabachetka will prove successful at stealing Thrix's (Kalix's sister - a sorceress and up and coming fashion designer) designs.
I shouldn't care what will happen between Sarapen (Kalix's oldest brother, first in line for Thaneship) and Markus (the younger of the elder MacRinnalch brothers, incredibly handsome werewolf crossdresser).
I shouldn't care whether Dominil will manage to get Butix and Delix (aka Beauty and Delicious) and their band on stage.
But I do.
I can see myself coming back to Lonely Werewolf Girl again and again. Dipping in and taking small sips when I need to laugh or to cry. I can read a few pages and come away with my thirst quenched. A book like this is rare.
For me, anyway.
I hope it'll be the same for you.
April 20, 2015
This. Book. Is. Terrible.
Here, for illustration, is a brief excerpt that does a good job at exemplifying what made this book sound like fan-fiction written by a 13 year-old:
[Daniel is explaining to his roommate Moonglow that he doesn't want to pursue a werewolf.]
"'Moonglow. Does it mean anything to you that I don't want to be chopped up with a machete or eaten by a werewolf?'
'Of course. I don't want you to be chopped up or eaten. I'd miss you terribly.'
"Really? You'd miss me terribly?'
'Of course.'
Daniel was pleased to hear Moonglow say he'd miss him. Not wanting to spoil her good opinion of him, he found himself agreeing to the plan, against his better judgment. Just then one of Moonglow's friends, a girl called Alicia, appeared at their side.
'What are you looking at?' she asked, seeing the MacBook."
Ridiculous dialogue, poor punctuation, redundancy, a blatant mistake in pronouns (yes, Moonglow is female), product placement, and unbelievable character motivation.
The friends I have who recommended this book all claim the story is too good to let such things spoil it. I disagree. Werewolf clan politics could have been interesting, but all the focus was on the ho-hum teenager subplots. Bleh.
Here, for illustration, is a brief excerpt that does a good job at exemplifying what made this book sound like fan-fiction written by a 13 year-old:
[Daniel is explaining to his roommate Moonglow that he doesn't want to pursue a werewolf.]
"'Moonglow. Does it mean anything to you that I don't want to be chopped up with a machete or eaten by a werewolf?'
'Of course. I don't want you to be chopped up or eaten. I'd miss you terribly.'
"Really? You'd miss me terribly?'
'Of course.'
Daniel was pleased to hear Moonglow say he'd miss him. Not wanting to spoil her good opinion of him, he found himself agreeing to the plan, against his better judgment. Just then one of Moonglow's friends, a girl called Alicia, appeared at their side.
'What are you looking at?' she asked, seeing the MacBook."
Ridiculous dialogue, poor punctuation, redundancy, a blatant mistake in pronouns (yes, Moonglow is female), product placement, and unbelievable character motivation.
The friends I have who recommended this book all claim the story is too good to let such things spoil it. I disagree. Werewolf clan politics could have been interesting, but all the focus was on the ho-hum teenager subplots. Bleh.
June 19, 2016
Weird, tripy even. Witty enough. Supposedly fun and funny.
Somehow not what I was expecting. But I liked it well enough. Though I'll admit it, the three stars are for the cover.
Last Words, support indie writers better, more fiercely, then you wouldn't have to read misplaced stuff like this one. The reason I brought that up is the excellent Only Human I just finished.
November 18, 2012
Reviewed by Candace Cunard for TeensReadToo.com
The first thing that hit me about this book was the richness of backstory and the sheer size of the cast of characters.
Although the plot centers around the titular lonely teen werewolf, Kalix MacRinnalch, she lives in a rich world populated with numerous other characters whose actions interfere with or drive important developments in the story. Fifteen-year-old Kalix is the youngest daughter of the Thane of the MacRinnalch Clan of werewolves. She's strong and she knows it, and she doesn't get along well with others--she escapes from the clan stronghold in Scotland and makes her way to London after almost killing her father in a fight. Addicted to laudanum and in poor shape, she is set upon by members of her own Clan who think she should pay for what she did to her father. Her older sister and London-based fashion designer, Thrix, helps her as best she can, but when Kalix sells the protective amulet Thrix gave her, she's easily discovered by other werewolves trying to hunt her down.
Kalix's attempts to escape the members of her clan who are trying to kill her lands her squarely in the path of Daniel, a normal university student in London who's never thought about anything like werewolves before. He and his roommate, Moonglow, do their best to protect Kalix and convince her that there are things worth living for, but outside forces intervene and place Kalix directly in the middle of MacRinnalch Clan politics.
This sprawling narrative can be unwieldy at times, and the large numbers of characters and situations initially may seem disjointed, but when the plots begin to intertwine and work together, the many different storylines coalesce into a whole that is better than the sum of its parts.
The beginning of the novel works to set up all of the information necessary for the reader to understand the world that Kalix and her friends and enemies move in, preparing the reader for the meatier middle scenes. The occasional rapid-fire scene shifts and point of view shifts were initially difficult, but these problems ironed themselves out as the ook progressed.
I was really impressed by the different characters portrayed throughout. Kalix is by no means the only one with depth; some of the other werewolves, paranormal creatures, and humans that she runs into are equally well-drawn, with their little quirks and amusing habits. Thrix, Kalix's older sister, is the werewolf enchantress, and yet she enjoys designing clothing, some of which appeals to buyers from alternate dimensions. Malveria, one of these customers, begins as what appears to be a comic character but ends up having a real impact on the plot later on. The politics of the MacRinnalch Clan are carried out by a large array of characters, each with their own distinct motivations and machinations.
LONELY WEREWOLF GIRL is not a simple read, but the complexity is part of the pleasure of reading this book.
The first thing that hit me about this book was the richness of backstory and the sheer size of the cast of characters.
Although the plot centers around the titular lonely teen werewolf, Kalix MacRinnalch, she lives in a rich world populated with numerous other characters whose actions interfere with or drive important developments in the story. Fifteen-year-old Kalix is the youngest daughter of the Thane of the MacRinnalch Clan of werewolves. She's strong and she knows it, and she doesn't get along well with others--she escapes from the clan stronghold in Scotland and makes her way to London after almost killing her father in a fight. Addicted to laudanum and in poor shape, she is set upon by members of her own Clan who think she should pay for what she did to her father. Her older sister and London-based fashion designer, Thrix, helps her as best she can, but when Kalix sells the protective amulet Thrix gave her, she's easily discovered by other werewolves trying to hunt her down.
Kalix's attempts to escape the members of her clan who are trying to kill her lands her squarely in the path of Daniel, a normal university student in London who's never thought about anything like werewolves before. He and his roommate, Moonglow, do their best to protect Kalix and convince her that there are things worth living for, but outside forces intervene and place Kalix directly in the middle of MacRinnalch Clan politics.
This sprawling narrative can be unwieldy at times, and the large numbers of characters and situations initially may seem disjointed, but when the plots begin to intertwine and work together, the many different storylines coalesce into a whole that is better than the sum of its parts.
The beginning of the novel works to set up all of the information necessary for the reader to understand the world that Kalix and her friends and enemies move in, preparing the reader for the meatier middle scenes. The occasional rapid-fire scene shifts and point of view shifts were initially difficult, but these problems ironed themselves out as the ook progressed.
I was really impressed by the different characters portrayed throughout. Kalix is by no means the only one with depth; some of the other werewolves, paranormal creatures, and humans that she runs into are equally well-drawn, with their little quirks and amusing habits. Thrix, Kalix's older sister, is the werewolf enchantress, and yet she enjoys designing clothing, some of which appeals to buyers from alternate dimensions. Malveria, one of these customers, begins as what appears to be a comic character but ends up having a real impact on the plot later on. The politics of the MacRinnalch Clan are carried out by a large array of characters, each with their own distinct motivations and machinations.
LONELY WEREWOLF GIRL is not a simple read, but the complexity is part of the pleasure of reading this book.
November 1, 2024
Wow. Whatever I was expecting when I picked this book up, it was not this.
From first glance, I thought it looked like a typical YA paranormal novel, admittedly I didn't really read the blurb properly. What it actually is, however, is a witty, paranormal YA novel filled with black humour and pop culture references, that cleverly and effectively weaves the supernatural into our world. I mean, what's not to like about the idea of a family of aristocratic Scottish werewolves sat around in a draughty castle in Scotland, having family meetings in drawing rooms in their werewolf forms? Whilst nursing glasses of fine whiskey, I hasten to add.
The McRinnalchs are a beautifully dysfunctional family. Kalix has been exiled for attacking her father, the Thane, her sister owns a fashion house in London and designs for the queen of the fire elementals, one brother is hell bent on revenge and becoming the next Thane, and the other harbours a secret desire to dress in women's clothing. Their mother schemes and seems to care little for her children. You would think this would make them a rather despicable family, but no. There was also a rather interesting section on the background of the family's history.
I especially thought I would dislike Kalix. She is a very troubled character, who relies on laudanum, alcohol and self-harm to get her through the day. She mopes and sulks, but I just couldn't help but feel sorry for her. The more you read, the more you realise that Kalix is so innocent (despite, you know, the whole werewolf attacking people thing...) and shy, and is practically still a child, despite being on the edge of adulthood. She was never taught how to read properly, and when she learns - through a computer program designed for children, that involves rescuing animals - I honestly just found it so cute. The way she was written, I could immediately sense how empty and lonely her life was, which immediately made me warm to her.
Millar really got some humourous moments in, including Thrix, the fashion designer werewolf, contemplating on how awkward it is to type with werewolf paws. For me however, the best character and frequent comic relief, was Malveria, the queen of the fire elementals. I actually can't describe how much I loved her! One sentence states how proud she is after mastering the art of ringing the doorbell - because of course she is unused to human ways - and like Kalix, she is another childish character, but in a different way. Instead of innocence, she has inquisitiveness. She constantly appears in Thrix's office, insulting her and saying that Thrix has ruined her, but is easily distracted by shiny new dresses or accessories, like a little puppy. She also develops a love for pop-tarts. Moonglow and Daniel, the two students who become entwined in the lives of the McRinnalch clan (or more accurately, the other way round), also add comic relief, and a touch of reality to the story. They are perhaps a little too over-stereotyped, the goth and the metalhead, but are pretty genuine characters all the same.
Overall, I enjoyed the book so much more than expected, it was a real surprise. Millar has created a rich collection of characters, who despite their 'typical' YA character traits (in some cases) are surprisingly refreshing. It was also nice to read a werewolf story with no vampires involved (although there are also fire elementals and fairies). I did notice a couple of typos in the final printed version, but there weren't too many, nor were they too major.
I would recommend this to any fan of paranormal fiction, be it YA or adult - the paranormal themes and dark humour make a fantastic mix that should appeal to many. Apparently book two was published in 2010, which makes me wonder if that's it or if there'll be any more - I will be looking out for the second one!
Originally posted on my former blog, Rinn Reads.
From first glance, I thought it looked like a typical YA paranormal novel, admittedly I didn't really read the blurb properly. What it actually is, however, is a witty, paranormal YA novel filled with black humour and pop culture references, that cleverly and effectively weaves the supernatural into our world. I mean, what's not to like about the idea of a family of aristocratic Scottish werewolves sat around in a draughty castle in Scotland, having family meetings in drawing rooms in their werewolf forms? Whilst nursing glasses of fine whiskey, I hasten to add.
The McRinnalchs are a beautifully dysfunctional family. Kalix has been exiled for attacking her father, the Thane, her sister owns a fashion house in London and designs for the queen of the fire elementals, one brother is hell bent on revenge and becoming the next Thane, and the other harbours a secret desire to dress in women's clothing. Their mother schemes and seems to care little for her children. You would think this would make them a rather despicable family, but no. There was also a rather interesting section on the background of the family's history.
I especially thought I would dislike Kalix. She is a very troubled character, who relies on laudanum, alcohol and self-harm to get her through the day. She mopes and sulks, but I just couldn't help but feel sorry for her. The more you read, the more you realise that Kalix is so innocent (despite, you know, the whole werewolf attacking people thing...) and shy, and is practically still a child, despite being on the edge of adulthood. She was never taught how to read properly, and when she learns - through a computer program designed for children, that involves rescuing animals - I honestly just found it so cute. The way she was written, I could immediately sense how empty and lonely her life was, which immediately made me warm to her.
Millar really got some humourous moments in, including Thrix, the fashion designer werewolf, contemplating on how awkward it is to type with werewolf paws. For me however, the best character and frequent comic relief, was Malveria, the queen of the fire elementals. I actually can't describe how much I loved her! One sentence states how proud she is after mastering the art of ringing the doorbell - because of course she is unused to human ways - and like Kalix, she is another childish character, but in a different way. Instead of innocence, she has inquisitiveness. She constantly appears in Thrix's office, insulting her and saying that Thrix has ruined her, but is easily distracted by shiny new dresses or accessories, like a little puppy. She also develops a love for pop-tarts. Moonglow and Daniel, the two students who become entwined in the lives of the McRinnalch clan (or more accurately, the other way round), also add comic relief, and a touch of reality to the story. They are perhaps a little too over-stereotyped, the goth and the metalhead, but are pretty genuine characters all the same.
Overall, I enjoyed the book so much more than expected, it was a real surprise. Millar has created a rich collection of characters, who despite their 'typical' YA character traits (in some cases) are surprisingly refreshing. It was also nice to read a werewolf story with no vampires involved (although there are also fire elementals and fairies). I did notice a couple of typos in the final printed version, but there weren't too many, nor were they too major.
I would recommend this to any fan of paranormal fiction, be it YA or adult - the paranormal themes and dark humour make a fantastic mix that should appeal to many. Apparently book two was published in 2010, which makes me wonder if that's it or if there'll be any more - I will be looking out for the second one!
Originally posted on my former blog, Rinn Reads.
August 18, 2025
Ragazze forti, bellissime e problematiche.
Guerre intestine tra licantropi per il potere.
Cacciatori di licantropi disposti a tutto per eliminare questa piaga dal mondo.
Mercanti interdimensionali che contrabbandano opere d'arte, droghe, incantesimi e antichi artefatti.
Spionaggio industriale nell'alta moda londinese, guerre di eleganza nella dimensione degli spiriti del fuoco, storie d'amore andate male, crisi adolescenziali... Tutto mescolato insieme e versato sulla scozia dei clan e su Londra.
Meglio di quanto non ricordassi.
E poi abbiamo Malveria, che quando parla con la nipote Vex sembra zio Paperone che interagisce con Paperino... mi incuriosirebbe sapere come fossero quei dialoghi in originale, a questo punto.
Comunque, rilettura necessaria dopo così tanti anni, visto che finalmente sono riuscito a mettere le mani sul seguito...
---------------
Di solito preferisco i libri con capitoli lunghi, mentre questo libro è tutto sommato veloce, poco descrittivo, con capitoli brevi.
Ma Le ragazze lupo mi ha catturato l'attenzione, malgrado non sia certo un capolavoro.
Mescola benissimo la storia principale, con lo scontro all'interno dell'antico clan di licantropi per stabilire il nuovo capoclan tra tradimenti, congiure e attentati, con la storia di un gruppo di ragazzi, sia dotati di poteri.
E parimenti si alternano momenti seri e tragici a momenti comici e leggeri, senza mai scadere nel drammatico o nell'assurdamente ridicolo.
Un bel libro, che si lascia leggere velocemente.
Guerre intestine tra licantropi per il potere.
Cacciatori di licantropi disposti a tutto per eliminare questa piaga dal mondo.
Mercanti interdimensionali che contrabbandano opere d'arte, droghe, incantesimi e antichi artefatti.
Spionaggio industriale nell'alta moda londinese, guerre di eleganza nella dimensione degli spiriti del fuoco, storie d'amore andate male, crisi adolescenziali... Tutto mescolato insieme e versato sulla scozia dei clan e su Londra.
Meglio di quanto non ricordassi.
E poi abbiamo Malveria, che quando parla con la nipote Vex sembra zio Paperone che interagisce con Paperino... mi incuriosirebbe sapere come fossero quei dialoghi in originale, a questo punto.
Comunque, rilettura necessaria dopo così tanti anni, visto che finalmente sono riuscito a mettere le mani sul seguito...
---------------
Di solito preferisco i libri con capitoli lunghi, mentre questo libro è tutto sommato veloce, poco descrittivo, con capitoli brevi.
Ma Le ragazze lupo mi ha catturato l'attenzione, malgrado non sia certo un capolavoro.
Mescola benissimo la storia principale, con lo scontro all'interno dell'antico clan di licantropi per stabilire il nuovo capoclan tra tradimenti, congiure e attentati, con la storia di un gruppo di ragazzi, sia dotati di poteri.
E parimenti si alternano momenti seri e tragici a momenti comici e leggeri, senza mai scadere nel drammatico o nell'assurdamente ridicolo.
Un bel libro, che si lascia leggere velocemente.
May 28, 2008
I picked up this book after seeing a bit of praise from Neil Gaiman about the author.
The story focuses on Kalix, an addict, a teenager, and an outcast, hunted member of werewolf royalty. First and foremost, Kalix is a teenager. She's emo; she cuts (although this is not a major theme in the book, it does occur for those wishing to avoid anything triggery). She whines and complains.
She also can't read or write particularly well, wishes Joan Jett was her mother, and thinks Sabrina, the Teenaged Witch is the best show on television.
Despite the depressing and pained life Kalix leads, the book isn't a self-indulgent wallow in teenage angst. It's much more of an amusing, ironic romp through teenage angst with side helpings of bargains with the Queen of the Hiyasta, the downside of college romance, high fashion, rock and roll, and a werewolf civil war. If you can't imagine it happening, it happens in this book. Yet, somehow, reality just sits happily on the side and everything makes perfect sense.
While the book does not have the same point perfect prose as Gaiman, Millar has his own style that lends itself well to this story. Similar to Gaiman, I wasn't able to plow through the book in under an hour. The writing and the chapters lend itself well to multiple sittings over a few days. And honestly, it's worth taking the time to actually digest the book (unlike most of my travel reading).
The story focuses on Kalix, an addict, a teenager, and an outcast, hunted member of werewolf royalty. First and foremost, Kalix is a teenager. She's emo; she cuts (although this is not a major theme in the book, it does occur for those wishing to avoid anything triggery). She whines and complains.
She also can't read or write particularly well, wishes Joan Jett was her mother, and thinks Sabrina, the Teenaged Witch is the best show on television.
Despite the depressing and pained life Kalix leads, the book isn't a self-indulgent wallow in teenage angst. It's much more of an amusing, ironic romp through teenage angst with side helpings of bargains with the Queen of the Hiyasta, the downside of college romance, high fashion, rock and roll, and a werewolf civil war. If you can't imagine it happening, it happens in this book. Yet, somehow, reality just sits happily on the side and everything makes perfect sense.
While the book does not have the same point perfect prose as Gaiman, Millar has his own style that lends itself well to this story. Similar to Gaiman, I wasn't able to plow through the book in under an hour. The writing and the chapters lend itself well to multiple sittings over a few days. And honestly, it's worth taking the time to actually digest the book (unlike most of my travel reading).
April 21, 2015
I'm very glad to have finished this. I'm pretty ambivalent about it as the story was good but the writing was dreadful.
Not only was it written in tabloid journalism style of very short sentences for the quasi-illiterate; it told us everything and showed nothing. It also employed that horrific device of explaing again with a "which means that ..." on a very regular basis, just in case we were too thick to get it the first time. I find that excruciatingly frustrating.
All of that said, the story was good, involving political intrigue, mental illness and cross dressing amongst the werewolf clan involved, and a fashion obsessed other-realmly Queen with an entertainingly sharp attitude besides. However there was no depth to it.
I'm glad it was loaned to me rather than one I bought. I might read the next one to catch up with the characters but I warn anyone contemplating reading it that I found it a serious chore.
Not only was it written in tabloid journalism style of very short sentences for the quasi-illiterate; it told us everything and showed nothing. It also employed that horrific device of explaing again with a "which means that ..." on a very regular basis, just in case we were too thick to get it the first time. I find that excruciatingly frustrating.
All of that said, the story was good, involving political intrigue, mental illness and cross dressing amongst the werewolf clan involved, and a fashion obsessed other-realmly Queen with an entertainingly sharp attitude besides. However there was no depth to it.
I'm glad it was loaned to me rather than one I bought. I might read the next one to catch up with the characters but I warn anyone contemplating reading it that I found it a serious chore.
July 21, 2008
This is an odd book. None of the characters are truly likable (for any character, pick two or more of the following: crazy, violent, criminal, pathetic, annoying, stupid, or heartless). And yet they and their story captivated me.
Lonely Werewolf Girl is also well-written from a literary standpoint. Characters are hardly described at all; all the characterization stems from other sources (action or dialogue). An incredible number of characters and plot threads are woven together in a seamless and perfectly comprehensible manner, so that I never felt lost.
And Neil Gaiman wrote the introduction. What's not to like?
Lonely Werewolf Girl is also well-written from a literary standpoint. Characters are hardly described at all; all the characterization stems from other sources (action or dialogue). An incredible number of characters and plot threads are woven together in a seamless and perfectly comprehensible manner, so that I never felt lost.
And Neil Gaiman wrote the introduction. What's not to like?
September 18, 2017
It was the worst of books it was the best of books?
Lonely Werewolf Girl was honestly an odd one and I am not certain exactly what I thought of it. I read it with one of the Goodreads groups and am looking forward to discussing it. My quickly written review follows...
The editing was just plain bad...some think that is someone's besides the author's responsibility. Not sure about that, if it's the author's work is he not at least somewhat responsible?
Repeating of words and actions was annoying at the least. I'm not considering this an editing issue. It must be the way this author writes. I might read another of his highly acclaimed writings just to see if this repeating is his style.
Other world characters were a bit much. I liked these elementals and understood their over the top personalities, but it felt too forced and pushed. I got it, The Fire Queen likes fashion.
On the bright side the author certainly has an active imagination!! From a fire elemental to a punk rock band and a meticulous student to a somewhat lazy one all revolving around an old powerful clan of werewolves...or were the werewolves revolving around the others? Not sure.
Additionally this book was a fast easy read even with the 560 pages. I appreciated the short chapters as I always felt I was moving faster than I was.
I'm glad I read this book, but I do not plan on reading more in the series.
Not recommended, sorry
Lonely Werewolf Girl was honestly an odd one and I am not certain exactly what I thought of it. I read it with one of the Goodreads groups and am looking forward to discussing it. My quickly written review follows...
The editing was just plain bad...some think that is someone's besides the author's responsibility. Not sure about that, if it's the author's work is he not at least somewhat responsible?
Repeating of words and actions was annoying at the least. I'm not considering this an editing issue. It must be the way this author writes. I might read another of his highly acclaimed writings just to see if this repeating is his style.
Other world characters were a bit much. I liked these elementals and understood their over the top personalities, but it felt too forced and pushed. I got it, The Fire Queen likes fashion.
On the bright side the author certainly has an active imagination!! From a fire elemental to a punk rock band and a meticulous student to a somewhat lazy one all revolving around an old powerful clan of werewolves...or were the werewolves revolving around the others? Not sure.
Additionally this book was a fast easy read even with the 560 pages. I appreciated the short chapters as I always felt I was moving faster than I was.
I'm glad I read this book, but I do not plan on reading more in the series.
Not recommended, sorry
January 22, 2013
My brother gifted me this book, because he know I like werewolves and Neil Gaiman. I read it all hoping desperately to find any redeeming quality, but it was a moot quest. This book is horrible. The characters are all completely unlikeable or two-dimensional caricatures. Everybody is really-really-ridicolously good looking, and the plot is a tangled mess. Kalix is clearly interchangeable with Enoby Dementia Dark'ness Ravenway (or Felice Fawn for that matter, *cough cough*) and the prose is what I expect for a 13 year old girl who've just discovered fanfiction, not a grown man.
In the end this is the worst book I've read since Twilight and I'm glad my bro bought it second hand, so that we haven't supported the author financially.
If you want British werewolves read Soulless instead.
In the end this is the worst book I've read since Twilight and I'm glad my bro bought it second hand, so that we haven't supported the author financially.
If you want British werewolves read Soulless instead.
June 30, 2019
This is a fun book that stays with you long after it's finished.
For the first few chapters I wondered what exactly I'd bought. Millar's writing style is hard to tag and initially I found it distracting but as I let myself listen to the rhythm, I realised that the occasional jerkiness of the text was deliberate.It gives this book a sort of Punk energy that kept me slightly off-centre but always engaged. It's the writer's equivalent of shooting a movie with a hand-held camera, the result is less smooth than using a dolly but it gains a kind of credibility, a sense of really being there, that the fixed camera can't match.
"Lonely Werewolf Girl" is a big book with a large character list and rich back-story. It is filled with humour even though the themes are dark and it rattles along, urging you to keep turning the pages even though you know you should have been asleep an hour ago.
Initially I thought that the lonely werewolf girl of the title was Kalix MacRinnalch, a vulnerable, violent, self-abusive and anti-social young girl who is also brave, passionate and wonderfully unable to understand the world around her.
By the end of book I understood that all of the MacRinnalch women qualify as lonely werewolf girls.
The world that Martin Millar builds is energetic, vivid, quirky and addictive. Thankfully there are two more books in the series.
For the first few chapters I wondered what exactly I'd bought. Millar's writing style is hard to tag and initially I found it distracting but as I let myself listen to the rhythm, I realised that the occasional jerkiness of the text was deliberate.It gives this book a sort of Punk energy that kept me slightly off-centre but always engaged. It's the writer's equivalent of shooting a movie with a hand-held camera, the result is less smooth than using a dolly but it gains a kind of credibility, a sense of really being there, that the fixed camera can't match.
"Lonely Werewolf Girl" is a big book with a large character list and rich back-story. It is filled with humour even though the themes are dark and it rattles along, urging you to keep turning the pages even though you know you should have been asleep an hour ago.
Initially I thought that the lonely werewolf girl of the title was Kalix MacRinnalch, a vulnerable, violent, self-abusive and anti-social young girl who is also brave, passionate and wonderfully unable to understand the world around her.
By the end of book I understood that all of the MacRinnalch women qualify as lonely werewolf girls.
The world that Martin Millar builds is energetic, vivid, quirky and addictive. Thankfully there are two more books in the series.
August 7, 2013
Usually urban fantasy isn't my thing.This book changed my mind.A lot of things impressed me about this book.First of all the protagonist is a teenage girl werewolf with a lot of issues.She is depressed has panic attacks and when she feels too bad she cuts herself because that makes her feel better.Most importantly she is a fierce werewolf because she was born under the full moon in a werewolf form.She attacked the chief of the most ancient werewolf clan who happens to be her father (the Thane).After her trial and condemnation she escaped the castle and now she is wanted.When the Thane dies all the action begins.Another thing that impressed me was the way humor (which really is beyond awesome) is balanced against the gruesome atmosphere and the bloody encounters between werewolfs.The characters are great and I liked the fact that the author mingled all these supernatural creatures with two humans.The fire queen and her relationship with Vex was hillarious.The scene where Vex pats Sarapen on the head when he appears to fight was so unique.Haha! The battles were great especially the last one and the book in the whole was so refreshing and easy to read.I want to read more Martin Millar.Go Scotland!!!
The most entertaining book I've read all year!
The most entertaining book I've read all year!
March 20, 2021
DNF@ page 70
Lonely Werewolf Girl is not for me. I hate the writing style. It manages to be at once flat and melodramatic. We're disconnected from the characters through a particularly detached third person narration which is not helped by us switching between numerous characters at each chapter change. It's worth mentioning that, when I gave up on page 70, I was on chapter thirty two. The characters are two dimensional and broadly revolting. The narrative, as far as I can tell, seems to have been designed to be as repulsive as possible. And it may be too early to tell, but I worried that Kalix and her issues - eating disorder, depression, self-harm, etc - were being fetishised. It's all very heroin chic.
Lonely Werewolf Girl is not for me. I hate the writing style. It manages to be at once flat and melodramatic. We're disconnected from the characters through a particularly detached third person narration which is not helped by us switching between numerous characters at each chapter change. It's worth mentioning that, when I gave up on page 70, I was on chapter thirty two. The characters are two dimensional and broadly revolting. The narrative, as far as I can tell, seems to have been designed to be as repulsive as possible. And it may be too early to tell, but I worried that Kalix and her issues - eating disorder, depression, self-harm, etc - were being fetishised. It's all very heroin chic.
October 8, 2024
To-be-donated.
That's it. That's the review.
(Well, no okay. Let's just say that this book didn't age well. The characters are bad, the storyline is kinda ridiculous, the dialogues are good if you like sitcoms vibes, otherwise they're cringey as heck. Kudos for the [little] diversity that was included, given that this is a 2007 release it's still a major thing in my opinion. But a big nope for me!)
That's it. That's the review.
(Well, no okay. Let's just say that this book didn't age well. The characters are bad, the storyline is kinda ridiculous, the dialogues are good if you like sitcoms vibes, otherwise they're cringey as heck. Kudos for the [little] diversity that was included, given that this is a 2007 release it's still a major thing in my opinion. But a big nope for me!)
October 22, 2008
The sad thing is that this has a very well-developed world, a large cast of interesting, believable characters, and a refreshing take on the werewolf mythos.
But the actual prose is just appallingly bad. There's stylistic choices, and there's times where you just need to fire your copy editor; this would be one of the latter. I almost get the impression that this was a movie or comic book script that got turned into a novel--one of Millar's favorite tricks is to describe a scene or relate a piece of plot information, and then immediately have a character's dialogue repeat it near-verbatim, just in case we missed it the first time--but as the book is 560 pages, I shudder to think how long the intended product would have been.
But the actual prose is just appallingly bad. There's stylistic choices, and there's times where you just need to fire your copy editor; this would be one of the latter. I almost get the impression that this was a movie or comic book script that got turned into a novel--one of Millar's favorite tricks is to describe a scene or relate a piece of plot information, and then immediately have a character's dialogue repeat it near-verbatim, just in case we missed it the first time--but as the book is 560 pages, I shudder to think how long the intended product would have been.
August 9, 2008
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The idea was entertaining and I liked the pacing and off beat feel of it. BUT I got really annoyed with the whole Thrix/fashionista sub-plot mostly because I didn't give a damn and got really bored with the constant repetition of Malveria or whatever her name was throwing the exact same fit over and over again. Also, the constant reiteration of how thin all the main females were got pretty old. I understand that in some contexts it was some form of mockery, but come on. Also, whoever proofread this book needs to be fired. There were so many mistakes in the second half of the book that I was actually a bit distracted.
Read
August 2, 2019Six hundred pages later, and I can't decide whether I actually liked this, or was infuriated by it.
Millar apparently heard somewhere that short sentences add impact to one's writing. However, he didn't stick around to hear the bit where they're supposed to be sprinkled through longer ones to achieve that impact. Add this to a dreadful habit of ignoring the "show, don't tell" rule of writing, and you get... a very odd read, since more than enough of his stupidly huge cast of characters were sufficiently well-drawn that I actually cared about what happened to them (even if I could've wished for a bit more backstory in many cases).
Millar apparently heard somewhere that short sentences add impact to one's writing. However, he didn't stick around to hear the bit where they're supposed to be sprinkled through longer ones to achieve that impact. Add this to a dreadful habit of ignoring the "show, don't tell" rule of writing, and you get... a very odd read, since more than enough of his stupidly huge cast of characters were sufficiently well-drawn that I actually cared about what happened to them (even if I could've wished for a bit more backstory in many cases).
June 6, 2019
As with "The Good Fairies of New York," I found this to be an engaging story, full of humor, but not all that well-written. With both, it felt like he had a great idea, dashed off a solid first draft, and left it at that. In both, I found numerous instances of the wrong tense being used, as if the only editing had been done by spell check. That being said, I did always look forward to the moments I could sit and read this one, and stayed up way too late at night because I couldn't just put it down and go to sleep. I will most likely look for the other books in this series.
May 26, 2008
This was a meh kind of read. I was expecting more when I got it. I don't think it was intended to be a book for a young adults but that was how the writing came off some of the time. The character development was interesting but the dialogue kind of made you cringe at times. In a who-the-hell-says-that? kind of way. And the ending was not kind exactly what I was expecting so that was refreshing. A good read by the pool with an en duble margarita.
August 8, 2020
I loved this werewolf book. All of the characters, their complicated relationships, their varied abilities and motivations, and the well-thought-out plot engaged me. Even the humor got several laughs out loud from me, and lots of smiles. I look forward to reading more Martin Millar.
November 10, 2025
I forgot how much joy this book brings me!
January 6, 2019
An irresistibly silly urban fantasy. Kalix MacRannalch is a 15-year-old outcast werewolf princess suffering from a broken heart who is really good at fighting. Also, she drinks laudanum (tincture of opium), has an eating disorder and cuts herself sometimes. (This part is actually very sad but it's so over the top it seems less real than the werewolf stuff.) Kalix has been exiled from the family castle in Scotland for trying to kill her father who really kind of deserved it. Apparently the worst part of having 850-year-old werewolf parents is that they don't understand about therapists. Kalix has run away to London to live on the the streets, but when two human college students are kind to her and take her in, her luck starts to change. She discovers Sabrina the Teenage Witch on TV, the internet, pizza (with extra meat on it, of course--she's a werewolf, right?) When Kalix has trouble with the internet she wants to bite the computer. We've all had that feeling, haven't we? Most of the action centers on a succession fight between Kalix's brothers and there's a fashion-obsessed fairy queen and her very silly niece who also move things along. It was 560 pages of this madness and I've already ordered the sequel.
October 22, 2017
Valutare questo libro per me è davvero difficile.
Appena iniziato, ho subito notato un livello di scrittura piuttosto basso. L'autore non descrive mai nulla, se non l'aspetto dei personaggi (e comunque solo per farci sapere che sono tutti bellissimi e affascinanti), non sembra conoscere la famosa regola "show, don't tell" e il libro è pieno di momenti ripetitivi di cui si poteva benissimo fare a meno.
Eppure, ho apprezzato tantissimo il suo umorismo, l'assurdità dei suoi personaggi, che, sebbene non fossero di certo dotati di una complessa psicologia, ho imparato ad apprezzare andando avanti. Quasi mi ci sono affezionata. L'ho letto sinceramente con piacere e in fondo mi ha divertita un sacco. E sono anche abbastanza sicura di leggere il seguito, prima o poi.
Tuttavia, mi sono limitata a dargli due stelline perché, nonostante il mio divertimento, non me la sono proprio sentita di ignorare tutti i suoi grandi difetti. Un vero peccato, perché se fosse stato scritto in maniera diversa sarebbe potuto essere davvero un colpo di genio.
Appena iniziato, ho subito notato un livello di scrittura piuttosto basso. L'autore non descrive mai nulla, se non l'aspetto dei personaggi (e comunque solo per farci sapere che sono tutti bellissimi e affascinanti), non sembra conoscere la famosa regola "show, don't tell" e il libro è pieno di momenti ripetitivi di cui si poteva benissimo fare a meno.
Eppure, ho apprezzato tantissimo il suo umorismo, l'assurdità dei suoi personaggi, che, sebbene non fossero di certo dotati di una complessa psicologia, ho imparato ad apprezzare andando avanti. Quasi mi ci sono affezionata. L'ho letto sinceramente con piacere e in fondo mi ha divertita un sacco. E sono anche abbastanza sicura di leggere il seguito, prima o poi.
Tuttavia, mi sono limitata a dargli due stelline perché, nonostante il mio divertimento, non me la sono proprio sentita di ignorare tutti i suoi grandi difetti. Un vero peccato, perché se fosse stato scritto in maniera diversa sarebbe potuto essere davvero un colpo di genio.
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