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Sennenwolf #3
White Night
“…A series worth committing to. Very highly recommend.”
-Readers’ Favorite
“Here it is—you’re lost, you’re broken, and you have a hard journey ahead of you. But if I could find my way out of the darkness, so can you. Here’s a hint, my sweet wolf… follow the glowing horns.”
When Samson 714 Afador arrives in Bellator with his pack, he has one overthrow Clearbold 554 Leofsige and take control of Velm. But when his plans go spectacularly awry, Samson is forced to flee his capital with only his demigod and a long-lost relative at his side.
With its Kulapsifang on the run and rumors of strange wielders throughout the territory, Velm descends into a period of violent unrest. The only viable way forward is for Samson to find the shrouded island of Pit, rescue Imperatriz 713 Afador, and then retake Velm with her at his side.
And the only way to get there is with the magical aid of a certain red witch.
As Samson and Helisent set out to reach Pit once and for all, doubt begins to whirl in the future Alpha. Even if he manages to bring the long-lost Kulapsifang home, will it be enough? Or has a vision of Vieira overtaken his mind—and soul—for good?
In Book 3 of the Sennenwolf Series, one brooding boy-wolf and his little bird embark on yet another impossible journey—one that paves the way for a future whose origin lies deep in the past.
-Readers’ Favorite
“Here it is—you’re lost, you’re broken, and you have a hard journey ahead of you. But if I could find my way out of the darkness, so can you. Here’s a hint, my sweet wolf… follow the glowing horns.”
When Samson 714 Afador arrives in Bellator with his pack, he has one overthrow Clearbold 554 Leofsige and take control of Velm. But when his plans go spectacularly awry, Samson is forced to flee his capital with only his demigod and a long-lost relative at his side.
With its Kulapsifang on the run and rumors of strange wielders throughout the territory, Velm descends into a period of violent unrest. The only viable way forward is for Samson to find the shrouded island of Pit, rescue Imperatriz 713 Afador, and then retake Velm with her at his side.
And the only way to get there is with the magical aid of a certain red witch.
As Samson and Helisent set out to reach Pit once and for all, doubt begins to whirl in the future Alpha. Even if he manages to bring the long-lost Kulapsifang home, will it be enough? Or has a vision of Vieira overtaken his mind—and soul—for good?
In Book 3 of the Sennenwolf Series, one brooding boy-wolf and his little bird embark on yet another impossible journey—one that paves the way for a future whose origin lies deep in the past.
- GenresFantasy
520 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 22, 2024
1 person is currently reading
786 people want to read
About the author
Capes
10 books52 followersCapes likes romance, fantasy, things with metaphysical ends, nature, the color red, and slow fashion. She writes to make sense of the world; she reads to forget it. She’s very happy you’ve found her work. Please, indulge yourself!
Capes’s stand-alone fantasy, The Unburied Queen, was shortlisted for the 2022 Foreword INDIES.
The first book in the Sennenwolf Series, West of Jaws, has also been shortlisted for the 2023 Foreword INDIES. It was part of LoveReading's January 2024 Indies We Love list.
Capes’s stand-alone fantasy, The Unburied Queen, was shortlisted for the 2022 Foreword INDIES.
The first book in the Sennenwolf Series, West of Jaws, has also been shortlisted for the 2023 Foreword INDIES. It was part of LoveReading's January 2024 Indies We Love list.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 4, 2024
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
White Night, the third book in Capes' Sennenwolf Series, continues to wow with its mix of fantasy, adventure, and great characters. As a fan of Capes' work, this book really hit the mark.
The story follows Samson 714 Afador as he tries to reclaim Velm after his plans fall apart. With Helisent and a red witch by his side, Samson’s journey is packed with twists that keep you hooked. The plot is fresh, intricate and exciting, blending myth and magic in a way that feels both new and timeless.
The character development is great, especially with Samson and Helisent. Their emotional and psychological growth adds a lot of depth, and I find myself falling more and more in love with both characters. While the unconventional names can be a bit tricky to remember, the recap at the start of the book helps a lot.
Even though White Night is a long read, Capes does a fantastic job keeping the pace just right, so it never feels boring. Each chapter brings something new, keeping the excitement high.
Overall, White Night is a great addition to the series. Capes' writing and storytelling shine through, making it a must-read for both fans and new readers. I can't wait to see where the story goes next in the Sennenwolf saga.
White Night, the third book in Capes' Sennenwolf Series, continues to wow with its mix of fantasy, adventure, and great characters. As a fan of Capes' work, this book really hit the mark.
The story follows Samson 714 Afador as he tries to reclaim Velm after his plans fall apart. With Helisent and a red witch by his side, Samson’s journey is packed with twists that keep you hooked. The plot is fresh, intricate and exciting, blending myth and magic in a way that feels both new and timeless.
The character development is great, especially with Samson and Helisent. Their emotional and psychological growth adds a lot of depth, and I find myself falling more and more in love with both characters. While the unconventional names can be a bit tricky to remember, the recap at the start of the book helps a lot.
Even though White Night is a long read, Capes does a fantastic job keeping the pace just right, so it never feels boring. Each chapter brings something new, keeping the excitement high.
Overall, White Night is a great addition to the series. Capes' writing and storytelling shine through, making it a must-read for both fans and new readers. I can't wait to see where the story goes next in the Sennenwolf saga.
July 17, 2024
Thanks to Booksirens and the author for an ARC of this book. If I could give this series more than five stars, I would. I know, I give a lot of five-star reviews. I feel so limited by five. Give me a scale of one to ten, and I can fine-tune my reviews to more accurately reflect my opinions. Some of my five-star reviews might be closer to eight or nine. Not this one, though. This one goes to eleven. You'll have to excuse my excessively long review; I can't help gushing.
Note: Before beginning, I highly recommend jumping ahead to the Glossary & World section of the book (and subsequent sections), which is at the end, to review the characters, places, and so forth. You can also use it as a resource as you read.
The world-building, the character development, the plot, the emotions—this series has everything. And it uses one of my favorite Shakespeare themes, Romeo and Juliet. Here, Samson and Helisent are kept apart not only by his family but also by society. A wolf and a wielder are absolutely unacceptable. Children of these matches usually end up “pith,” meaning they have no powers; they can’t shift, and they can’t wield magic. There’s also the fact that Samson is married to Brutatalika, who won the waricon to become female alpha, and wolves believe in monogamy (not something witches concern themselves with). But what’s a boy-wolf to do when his heart keeps leading him back to Helisent? And what can “honey” do when he’s the only one she wants? Their love is deep and lasting. They share whatever moments they can while spending most of their time missing each other.
There were some fun moments in the story. Tragedy always needs comic relief. This, when Helisent carries Samson as she flies, made me laugh. Samson is clearly nervous, having been programmed since a child to fear magic, and Helisent says, “I didn’t realize you were this afraid of heights.” His response is, “It’s not the heights—it’s the fall.” Another funny moment was when a map was on the wall and it looked “like the ravings of an octopus given eight pieces of chalk.” And I loved this statement from Esclamonde, “Mother says only wild animals give birth more than once.”
The complicated, intense relationship between Samson and Helisent is the backbone of the story. Samson has been taken from Helisent by his duty to his pack, which required he marry Brutatalika. Although he has grown to love Brutatalika, the love he feels for Helisent is all-encompassing, and he misses her every day.
This description of the pain he feels when everything is ripped away from him is so visceral. To Samson, this is literally happening; he’s not embellishing anything. “Heat explodes across me, wheedling into me from my toes to my ears. Flames consume my body, sending my skin into gooey piles of wax, burning my hair and my scalp, curdling my fingernails. Fire lashes inside my lungs, deep enough that the breath I scream out is thick with steam. My eyes boil in their sockets, bubbling like goo.” This happens in the perfectly-titled chapter, “This Isn’t the End (But I Wish It Was).” It takes a miracle for him to survive, but since this is only chapter one, we know that he will.
When Samson has lost almost everything important to him, he finds Helisent again. She welcomes him and helps him to heal, knowing he must go back to his wife when he has recovered. However, he’s not out of danger yet. With Samson’s mother Imperatriz still missing, his father Clearbold has launched a bloody coup against Samson’s Afador line of succession. Samson is traumatized, and Helisent promises she will never leave him. When he reflects on her statement, he comes to a realization:
‘I will never leave.’
It clicks suddenly—a wolf or nymph would say, ‘I will stay forever.’
But witches prefer to avoid the type of vulnerability that comes from obvious statements.
‘I will never leave.’
She says never… but I think she means forever.
Clearbold aligns himself with wielders from Ezit who employ powerful, malevolent magic. Samson warns him against such an allegiance, but naturally, he’s ignored. Later, when he sees Clearbold, he notices his feet. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen his feet before. I don’t know why—I can’t get over that. That this is the first moment I’ve seen his soles. I pause to tell them, “I f@cking told you.” I love that he talks to his father’s feet!
By now, Imperatriz has finally returned to Velm, and Samson begins to wonder if he can truly trust the mother he’s longed to find for eighteen years. We find out that Imperatriz and Andromeda, Helisent’s deceased mother, were “friends.” When Helisent communicates with her mother, with the help of her necromancer friend Butter, she learns the relationship was viewed a bit differently from Andromeda’s POV. In fact, she learns some disturbing details that she’s hesitant to share with Samson, even though she knows, eventually, she must.
There’s a statement earlier in the book when Helisent feels betrayed by Samson. He has only just admitted to her the presence of a room in Velm Castle that holds the horns of all the red witches from her family line who were killed by wolves. She can’t decide whether she hates him, and thinks, “The blow keeps landing, then healing, then landing again.” Immediately after, they visit a place from Helisent’s past in the hopes of finding clues to the present and Helisent observes: “For a long while, memories replay in my mind. In the apartment. It’s like stepping into the distant past and finding out that the past isn’t silent. It’s yearning; these memories are alive, these memories dwell in the place, these memories will always connect me to this place. Here is the shape of pain…” She goes on to describe the physical layout and smell of the space, as well as the presence of her new lover Samson, who has also betrayed her trust.
Naturally, she forgives him, but some clues they’ve discovered lead them to separate briefly. Helisent shares her Vex-magic wand with Samson, to protect him while they’re apart, only to discover her Vex-magic responds to him and allows him to wield magic. She begins to suspect it has something to do with what her mother revealed because, to her knowledge, nothing like this has ever happened. When she confesses it to Samson, it tests the strength of their love for one another.
Although this is a love story about the protagonists’ fight to be together, it’s also a story of good versus evil. The two plots are inextricably linked because, as Samson and Helisent experience emotional ups and downs, the physical fight is just as intense. Clearbold and his “allies” (I use that term very loosely) and those loyal to the Afador line face a bloody battle for dominance. Battles are described in vivid detail without becoming gory or gratuitous; it’s just enough to build tension and excite the reader. Stolen moments between Samson and Helisent are emotional and poignant; the pain they each experience again when separated is heartbreaking.
Since this is book three and there’re going to be, at least, four books, this is what I’d call an epic love story. Although we care about the fate of other characters, it’s Samson and Helisent who cause us to cheer and to cry. When will they ever get their happy ending?!
Note: Before beginning, I highly recommend jumping ahead to the Glossary & World section of the book (and subsequent sections), which is at the end, to review the characters, places, and so forth. You can also use it as a resource as you read.
The world-building, the character development, the plot, the emotions—this series has everything. And it uses one of my favorite Shakespeare themes, Romeo and Juliet. Here, Samson and Helisent are kept apart not only by his family but also by society. A wolf and a wielder are absolutely unacceptable. Children of these matches usually end up “pith,” meaning they have no powers; they can’t shift, and they can’t wield magic. There’s also the fact that Samson is married to Brutatalika, who won the waricon to become female alpha, and wolves believe in monogamy (not something witches concern themselves with). But what’s a boy-wolf to do when his heart keeps leading him back to Helisent? And what can “honey” do when he’s the only one she wants? Their love is deep and lasting. They share whatever moments they can while spending most of their time missing each other.
There were some fun moments in the story. Tragedy always needs comic relief. This, when Helisent carries Samson as she flies, made me laugh. Samson is clearly nervous, having been programmed since a child to fear magic, and Helisent says, “I didn’t realize you were this afraid of heights.” His response is, “It’s not the heights—it’s the fall.” Another funny moment was when a map was on the wall and it looked “like the ravings of an octopus given eight pieces of chalk.” And I loved this statement from Esclamonde, “Mother says only wild animals give birth more than once.”
The complicated, intense relationship between Samson and Helisent is the backbone of the story. Samson has been taken from Helisent by his duty to his pack, which required he marry Brutatalika. Although he has grown to love Brutatalika, the love he feels for Helisent is all-encompassing, and he misses her every day.
This description of the pain he feels when everything is ripped away from him is so visceral. To Samson, this is literally happening; he’s not embellishing anything. “Heat explodes across me, wheedling into me from my toes to my ears. Flames consume my body, sending my skin into gooey piles of wax, burning my hair and my scalp, curdling my fingernails. Fire lashes inside my lungs, deep enough that the breath I scream out is thick with steam. My eyes boil in their sockets, bubbling like goo.” This happens in the perfectly-titled chapter, “This Isn’t the End (But I Wish It Was).” It takes a miracle for him to survive, but since this is only chapter one, we know that he will.
When Samson has lost almost everything important to him, he finds Helisent again. She welcomes him and helps him to heal, knowing he must go back to his wife when he has recovered. However, he’s not out of danger yet. With Samson’s mother Imperatriz still missing, his father Clearbold has launched a bloody coup against Samson’s Afador line of succession. Samson is traumatized, and Helisent promises she will never leave him. When he reflects on her statement, he comes to a realization:
‘I will never leave.’
It clicks suddenly—a wolf or nymph would say, ‘I will stay forever.’
But witches prefer to avoid the type of vulnerability that comes from obvious statements.
‘I will never leave.’
She says never… but I think she means forever.
Clearbold aligns himself with wielders from Ezit who employ powerful, malevolent magic. Samson warns him against such an allegiance, but naturally, he’s ignored. Later, when he sees Clearbold, he notices his feet. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen his feet before. I don’t know why—I can’t get over that. That this is the first moment I’ve seen his soles. I pause to tell them, “I f@cking told you.” I love that he talks to his father’s feet!
By now, Imperatriz has finally returned to Velm, and Samson begins to wonder if he can truly trust the mother he’s longed to find for eighteen years. We find out that Imperatriz and Andromeda, Helisent’s deceased mother, were “friends.” When Helisent communicates with her mother, with the help of her necromancer friend Butter, she learns the relationship was viewed a bit differently from Andromeda’s POV. In fact, she learns some disturbing details that she’s hesitant to share with Samson, even though she knows, eventually, she must.
There’s a statement earlier in the book when Helisent feels betrayed by Samson. He has only just admitted to her the presence of a room in Velm Castle that holds the horns of all the red witches from her family line who were killed by wolves. She can’t decide whether she hates him, and thinks, “The blow keeps landing, then healing, then landing again.” Immediately after, they visit a place from Helisent’s past in the hopes of finding clues to the present and Helisent observes: “For a long while, memories replay in my mind. In the apartment. It’s like stepping into the distant past and finding out that the past isn’t silent. It’s yearning; these memories are alive, these memories dwell in the place, these memories will always connect me to this place. Here is the shape of pain…” She goes on to describe the physical layout and smell of the space, as well as the presence of her new lover Samson, who has also betrayed her trust.
Naturally, she forgives him, but some clues they’ve discovered lead them to separate briefly. Helisent shares her Vex-magic wand with Samson, to protect him while they’re apart, only to discover her Vex-magic responds to him and allows him to wield magic. She begins to suspect it has something to do with what her mother revealed because, to her knowledge, nothing like this has ever happened. When she confesses it to Samson, it tests the strength of their love for one another.
Although this is a love story about the protagonists’ fight to be together, it’s also a story of good versus evil. The two plots are inextricably linked because, as Samson and Helisent experience emotional ups and downs, the physical fight is just as intense. Clearbold and his “allies” (I use that term very loosely) and those loyal to the Afador line face a bloody battle for dominance. Battles are described in vivid detail without becoming gory or gratuitous; it’s just enough to build tension and excite the reader. Stolen moments between Samson and Helisent are emotional and poignant; the pain they each experience again when separated is heartbreaking.
Since this is book three and there’re going to be, at least, four books, this is what I’d call an epic love story. Although we care about the fate of other characters, it’s Samson and Helisent who cause us to cheer and to cry. When will they ever get their happy ending?!
September 28, 2024
Here are some things I know about myself as a reader: I love a good romance (across all genres), especially one that isn't easily attained, or that contains elements outside the common boxes. I'm okay with getting my heart broken (+ mended + even broken again) by characters + their story arcs. And I love it when a writer has a grasp of complex emotions, + the sometimes complex paths their characters follow (whether its through choice or coercion) to get to where they need to go. Also, give me all the LGBTQIA2S+ couplings, thruplings, whatever.
Okay, on to WHITE NIGHT, the 3rd book in Capes' Sennenwolf Series. This fantasy/romantasy/romantic fantasy is deep, it is complex, it is funny... and I really do NOT want to put anything remotely spoiler-ish in this review.
So, behold the word salad I came up with when I was barely 50 pages into the book: loneliness, isolation, grief; revenge, vengeance, retribution, justice, getting even/payback; responsibility to self, to lovers, to family, to friends, to clan, to warren, to society; abandonment (perceptions of); solving mysteries; perceptions and memories that aren't always true; the tragedies that shape us; the secrets we keep, the secrets we reveal, and all the attendant consequences; the development of a relationship that isn't supposed to be possible; politics; allies.
Read West of Jaws, and Seed of Vex first. Then settle in for a riveting read. Bring snacks + drinks.
Okay, on to WHITE NIGHT, the 3rd book in Capes' Sennenwolf Series. This fantasy/romantasy/romantic fantasy is deep, it is complex, it is funny... and I really do NOT want to put anything remotely spoiler-ish in this review.
So, behold the word salad I came up with when I was barely 50 pages into the book: loneliness, isolation, grief; revenge, vengeance, retribution, justice, getting even/payback; responsibility to self, to lovers, to family, to friends, to clan, to warren, to society; abandonment (perceptions of); solving mysteries; perceptions and memories that aren't always true; the tragedies that shape us; the secrets we keep, the secrets we reveal, and all the attendant consequences; the development of a relationship that isn't supposed to be possible; politics; allies.
Read West of Jaws, and Seed of Vex first. Then settle in for a riveting read. Bring snacks + drinks.
August 23, 2024
thanks to booksirens for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
this was on my short list of most anticipated releases of 2024, and i was so excited to be chosen to be one of the people to be able to review it early. i love this series, these characters, this world. this installment had almost no disappointments. a lot of this book was worldbuilding by way of political maneuvering, but it always felt earned and propelling the story forward because of the author's writing style. i feel like the tide has turned on samson this book (but don't worry, helisent still has plenty of cool stuff to do) and samson is staring up at that mountain he has to climb that his character arc has been building toward. the payoff is phenomenal.
i can't believe i have to wait until 2025 for book four (fingers crossed i get to read that one early too!)
this was on my short list of most anticipated releases of 2024, and i was so excited to be chosen to be one of the people to be able to review it early. i love this series, these characters, this world. this installment had almost no disappointments. a lot of this book was worldbuilding by way of political maneuvering, but it always felt earned and propelling the story forward because of the author's writing style. i feel like the tide has turned on samson this book (but don't worry, helisent still has plenty of cool stuff to do) and samson is staring up at that mountain he has to climb that his character arc has been building toward. the payoff is phenomenal.
i can't believe i have to wait until 2025 for book four (fingers crossed i get to read that one early too!)
October 19, 2024
Are y’all tired of me raving about this series? Well that’s too dang bad!
This series just keeps getting better and better, truly an epic love story. The emotional rollercoaster that this book had me on was too good to end, I absolutely can’t wait until book 4! The pace is perfect, the storytelling is exquisite and the fact that the character progression CONTINUES is amazing. The characters of Samson and Hellisent keep getting better and better, even with all the other characters we come across-they’re learning something on every adventure and battle they go through. I’ve not been let down yet!
Thanks, Capes!
This series just keeps getting better and better, truly an epic love story. The emotional rollercoaster that this book had me on was too good to end, I absolutely can’t wait until book 4! The pace is perfect, the storytelling is exquisite and the fact that the character progression CONTINUES is amazing. The characters of Samson and Hellisent keep getting better and better, even with all the other characters we come across-they’re learning something on every adventure and battle they go through. I’ve not been let down yet!
Thanks, Capes!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews