Imperium Lupi II: Prelude

by Adam Browne, Mike Nash (Illustrator)

When a rich industrialist turns up dead in Lupa’s Eisbrand Quarter, Starshina Petra Donskoy and Politzi diver Nikkos Maru are called upon. Just another sting deal gone bad, some say; forget it. Delving deeper, Petra uncovers not only an illegal operation disturbingly similar to the THORN plot two years prior, but a familial link to the very Howler celebrated for foiling it – Linus Bloodfang Mills.

Setting aside pack rivalries, Petra and Linus embark on an investigation that leads them from the doors of the enigmatic Greystones to the deadly, crime-ridden Bloc and beyond. Aided by new friends and stalked by an ancient enemy, they tread the cobbled streets of Lupa and plumb its murky depths, exposing not only a dark criminal enterprise, but a black past some would prefer remained buried forever.

Following on from Imperium Lupi, the long-awaited Imperium Lupi II pulls us deeper into Lupa and the world of Erde beyond, introducing new faces, races and places, whilst retaining the memorable beasts we’ve come to love… and loathe.

For the Republic Lupi!

Kindle Edition

Published March 15, 2025

Reviews

[Harmonics Rioter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: If I could, I would give the book 3.5/5 stars, but since there are no half stars I rounded it up.

I loved the original Imperium Lupi back in 2018. When I realized that the sequel (in two parts) was out, I was ecstatic. I reread the original just to make sure I wouldn't miss a thing, and bought the first part right away.

Despite the writing style not being that much up my alley (more personal taste than anything), the original book still holds up damn well: complex characters, gripping plot, and good worldbuilding that doesn't overshadow the story.

So why didn't I enjoy 'Prelude' nearly as much?

The main problem isn't that this book is missing things, rather the opposite: it's too big. I know that Adam Browne's books aren't exactly short (the original Lupi was nearly 700 pages and if I remember correctly Dogs of Mars was nearly that long), but the original Lupi had a plot that chugged along at a pretty nice fast pace with quieter moments for character development and a writing that shows the world of Erde. It never felt dull.

In 'Prelude', Browne aims for more. More characters, more storylines, more nations, more races, etc. But more isn't always better, and in this case it often made the book feel bloated. Basically all the characters from the original novel are back, with quite some new faces added in. This is the first big problem of the book: there's too many characters. This might sound like a feature more than a bug, but when paired with a dialogue-heavy writing style that aims to show absolutely everything, even things that aren't that necessary, we end up with a plot that moves awfully slowly for the type of story it's trying to tell. It's like taking pictures of the same statue from eight different angles when two would've been enough and having to look at all of them. Sure, there's more to see, but is that really necessary, or are we spending too much for too little?

One would think that the slower pace would mean more character development, but passages of the book often felt redundant. Are that many flashback chapters really necessary, when we're already being told basically everything important from those flashbacks in the main story? Nikkos' aegis shield gets basically a full description every time he pulls it out. The fact that Howler masks can filter out most poisons from the air gets mentioned twice in one of the first chapters. The colors and outfits of the packs (most of which are already shown in the first book) get described again and again. The story is often paused so the author can give you a reminder of something that happened in the original Lupi and that is important now. It's a bit insulting to the reader and feels like handholding, as if the author doesn't trust you'll be smart enough to remember how the characters look or the main details of the first book. This would be understandable if 'Prelude' were a stand-alone or a spin-off, but it's a sequel. Safe to say everyone who's buying it will have read the original Lupi first. Individually, these aren't so bad. But throughout the book they really add up to make the reading way more tedious than it should've been. In summary: this book needed a lot more editing, preferably by someone who wasn't the author and was therefore willing to get rid of the parts the author held too dearly.

I have mixed feelings about seeing all the original characters coming back, especially when most of them already got satisfying conclusions. Spoilers up ahead.

Most of the characters are basically the same. No growth, no downfall, no change in personality. Yes, this is consistent with the first novel, but it also makes them less interesting and dynamic. Even when we find new things about them, like Uther's past with Mo, or Ivan's relationship with the Imago, it doesn't fundamentally change who they are. Except Janoah.

Janoah Valerio was my favorite character of the original lupi. There, she was cruel, strong, smart, manipulative, cold-hearted, calculating and determined. One of the best examples of a morally-grey anti-hero that could've become a full-blown villain if she had to. In 'Prelude', she is declawed. I was especially surprised and disappointed when she used Duncan as her boytoy in her office. It undermines the iron-willed wolfess we saw seven years ago. And the fact that she trusted Vladimir's life to Boris, who she clearly distrusted in the beginning, is the kind of stupid mistake that is unforgivable in a character like her, who's supposed to be more cunning than everyone. Then she gets blown up by a booby trap. What happened here? The only thing I can think of is the author trying to show us that she's flawed, but we already knew that from the moment she kidnapped Bruno.


The new characters are decent. Petra has a cool backstory and an interesting mindset, even if she often appears very proud and a little spoiled. I was waiting for her to learn a lesson in humility and teamwork, which still hasn't happened. Hopefully we will see that in Redemption. Nikkos is clearly the author's fantasies in lutrine form. I get it. I, too, like handsome furries. But I swear his broad chest and black fur get described at least ten times throughout the novel. As cool as he is, the schtick becomes tiresome after a while. The author clearly has something for handsome muscular dumb kind males, and that is Kody's entire character. Bodovar is cool.

One surprising character who did get a lot of development was Flaid. I loved how the question of his involvement in the Hummelton Plot was resolved, as well as his relationship with Vernon.

The final issue with this book, which is arguably an issue of the first book as well, is the fact that Mr. Browne has a hard time killing his darlings. Nobody important ever dies in these books. When I realized this halfway through 'Prelude', most of the suspense was lost. Sure, Mo and the Malkov Den Father end up dying (which actually felt refreshing), but they really weren't that important compared to the main crew. When Casimir, one of my favorite characters, was shot by Darragh I felt nothing, because I knew that even if it made no sense, he would survive. Lo and behold, Vladimir arrives and he's basically fine. I actually groaned when it was shown that Nurka and Themba are still alive. If too many characters survive too many things for too long, the suspension of disbelief gets broken and the plot armor becomes visible. That point has been reached and surpassed.

My final grievance: Emily. Her betrayal came out of the blue. It was probably meant to come off as a shocking revelation, but it just left me confused, especially since there were no hints that she was plotting something. I will admit that it's debatable how good of a twist that was. Maybe it's all on me. We'll have to wait and see how Noss' daughter survives, because she will.

So, after writing all of that, do I think that 'Prelude' is a bad book?

Absolutely not.

Mr. Browne's strengths are still visible: great dialogue, strong worldbuilding, and the concept of Imperium are enough for the book to be at the very least interesting. There are some amazing moments. The ending of the book was great and works well to set up the situation for 'Redemption'. The fight between Rafe and Vernon was maybe the best part of the novel. Olivia's character is way more interesting here. And Rufus, for better and worse, is still Rufus. Overall, this book works for what it's trying to be: a way to give readers more of these characters and more of this world. Despite everything I wrote, I'm looking forward to reading Redemption, just to see what ends up happening to these characters.

[Blaze Draconian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book ive ever read gets a sequel, and its even better.

I cant tell you how excited ive been to hear something more from Adam Browne, who's gigantic bricks always leaves me a crying mess. Well the brick is even bigger this time and split in two, Prelude and Redemption (Which Browne himself has said to consider as a singular novel)

There has been a time jump since Amael's atempted dictatorial takeover, and now Linus, -who had to weather most of the glory for stopping Thorn- is a captain over Riddle Den.

Meanwhile new players enter the field that i think most readers are going to love. Starshina Petra Donskoy of the Eisbrands, and her strange family of Otters.
She and Linus run into the same case involving a dead hog and a certain Eisenwolf, quickly spiraling into a gigantic game of intirgue, action and adventure where the strongly written characters not just carry the book. They throw it up into the atmosphere.

As with all other books written by Browne. I HAVE NO IDEA WHO TO ROOT FOR!! Its amazing.
Imperium Lupi jumps between so many perspectives and so many clashing ideals, building up reader sympathies for all of them, while making it impossible for all of them to coexist. Absolutely nothing is black and white here, and its fantasically done. Brown handles moral greyness so well that i wonder why he doesnt have more recognition. Its criminal how few have read his books.

Linus and Kody are glorious. Dont let anything bad happen to them xD

5/5. Incredible first half of Lupi 2

[Darxandri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say, it’s been a long time since I enjoyed a book this much.
The worldbuilding, the characters, and everything around it were just stellar.
I’m especially glad I found out about the release of the sequel only one month after it dropped on Etsy.
I can’t recommend this enough.
The fact that I was able to chat with the author and that he was super nice was just the cherry on top.
Thanks, Adam, for this amazing story.