When an envoy arrives from the secretive Russian werewolf pack, Roanoke alphas Silver and Andrew Dare are instantly suspicious. Tatiana claims she has been sent to locate an heirloom, lost by immigrants centuries ago, but she and the alphas both suspect that Russia fears the strength of the newly-united, continent-spanning Roanoke pack.
What Tatiana doesn't realize is that her pack is willing to sacrifice even their own trained spy for their goals. The drugged wine they’ve given her is too strong, and instead of rendering Silver and Andrew biddable, it nearly kills her and traps the alphas in dreams that could destroy them. The alphas must fight to wake and Tatiana must fight to help them—because with the furious Roanoke pack howling for her blood, her life could depend on it.
Rhiannon Held writes urban fantasy, along with space opera and weird western (as R.Z. Held). She lives in Seattle, where she works as an archaeologist for an environmental compliance firm. At work, she mostly uses her degree for copy-editing technical reports; in writing, she uses it for cultural world-building; in public, she'll probably use it to check the mold seams on the wine bottle at dinner.
Wolfsbane is book four in the Silver series and Rhiannon Held has turned to self-publishing for this installment after her publisher decided not to continue with the series. I have to say that I am so glad Ms. Held decided to put this book out on her own and didn't let her publisher derail her. Silver is a wonderful series that is very different from most other werewolf urban fantasies out there and Silver herself is a truly unique and inspiring character.
Unlike the previous Silver books, Wolfsbane focuses on a new character, Tatiana the Russian envoy. The Russian packs are starting to get spooked now that Silver and Dare have begun uniting so many North American packs under the Roanoke banner. Tatiana is part diplomat, part spy, and part collateral damage. She's deployed to visit Silver and Dare under the pretense of retrieving a missing heirloom, but is really instructed to learn as much about them as she can while also trying to convince them that the Roanoke pack is not a good idea. She's the knife hidden behind Russia's back, sent in first to try to avoid a war.
Tatiana wasn't the most likable character, but she was relatively sympathetic. Of course we are going to side with our protagonists, but the more that we learn about Tatiana and her life in Russia, the easier it is to cut her some slack. She makes some huge mistakes, but it's not for a lack of meddling from her home pack. We come to learn that Tatiana has had a rough go of it recently with her pack and, due to those recent events, has become persona non grata to her alpha. He's sneaky about it though; he doesn't tell Tatiana anything to her face but, when she finds herself in hot water with the North American pack, he does little to try and pull her out. There is a phone call scene between Dare and the Russian alpha that just drives home how hard Tatiana had it back in Russia and how different the European wolves are from the North American pack. It was hard to see such a strong character come to the realization that she was basically a pawn, but it led to some interesting character development for Tatiana.
The title of this book, Wolfsbane, refers to Tatiana's biggest mistake. She has a wine specially brewed with wolfsbane. The Russian packs use it quite a bit as a ceremonial wine, but neither Silver nor Dare was familiar with it. Tatiana shares it with them, intending to use it to make their minds more pliable and open to suggestion. Unfortunately, the wine has been tampered with and has higher than normal amounts of wolfsbane. This puts Silver and Dare into a deep sleep and almost kills Tatiana. While Silver and Dare are sleeping, the reader finds themselves treated to each of their dreams and we actually learn a lot about both characters, much more than I would have expected from a fourth book in a series. Both Silver and Dare dream of each other, but in alternate realities where they are not together. They both dream of what may have happened if Silver's original pack wasn't attacked and she wasn't changed by the silver. Dare's dream reality also has him still as a second to his previous alpha and not leading the Roanoke pack on his own. In Silver's dream, Dare's wife was never murdered and they are still together with two children. It was hard to read a story where our two leads were separated -- their relationship is my favorite part of this series -- but it was great to see how strong and alpha they were on their own, no matter the world they find themselves in.
I really enjoyed Wolfsbane and found it to be exactly the kind of quality story I expected from Rhiannon Held. The editing was still wonderful and it had a beautiful cover. The perspectives intertwined seamlessly from character to character and the issues with the Russian pack have created a very interesting direction for the Silver series to follow. I hope that Ms. Held has plenty of ideas and time to write more books because I am in no way ready for this series to be over!
As I mentioned before, this is the first Silver book that Rhiannon Held has self-published. If you think this sounds like a story you might be interested in, please support the author by purchasing it at Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, or any of your favorite retailers.
Thank you to Rhiannon Held for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is an interesting book. Andrew and Silver are absolutely correct to be concerned about this envoy as they fall prey to an unusual form of attack and while they lie comatose, fighting for their lives, they find themselves in vivid dreams or visions where an alternative timeline prevails.
It isn’t necessarily the same timeline and there is some confusion/crossover where Andrew, in particular, knows that he isn’t really a brutalised enforcer at the mercy of an inept alpha he actually took care of years ago. And that lands him in a shedload of trouble, just at a time when he doesn’t need it. However, it is Silver’s timeline which is probably the most heart-rending. In her alternate timeline, she has escaped the devastating effects of being injected with silver, so she no longer struggles with a paralysed arm or is unable to Change. So you’d think she would be capering for joy – except the consequences for her pack having not been the one hit is catastrophic. She is whole and her family are still alive, but cost is terrible…
Meanwhile the Russian envoy, the cause of incapacitating these two high-profile alphas, is having to cope with some hard truths of her own. Expecting to be torn to pieces for attacking Andrew and Silver, she is shaken at the response, having been raised so very differently. While I would recommend you read the series in order, this book would make a good entry point with the flashbacks and as we follow Tatiana as she copes with the difference in customs between the Russian and US packs, we learn a fair amount about the politics in this complex, intriguing world that Held has constructed. I was also pleased to meet up with John and Susan again – they are solid favourites of mine, particularly Susan. It’s refreshing to read an urban fantasy werewolf series where the strong characters aren’t necessarily the largest and shaggiest with the sharpest teeth.
Knowing how Held can take a story and produce unexpected twists, the pages flew by as I was engrossed in this story right up to the end. I don’t think this is her best book – the visions/dreams did slightly remove that edge of danger that generally permeates these adventures. However, there was more character development and it was lovely to get back to this enjoyable, complex world. I’m very much looking forward to reading more books in this quality series. 8/10
I really liked the first in this modern werewolf series, Silver. Not angsty/steamy werewolf, but more thoughtful world-building with concentration on pack dynamics. A character study more than plot/action.
In this the fourth installment (and I believe this is the author's first indie published installment of this series), we still get a tight focus on pack and pack politics now that Silver and Andrew are the alphas of Roanoke (super big pack in the USA), but now a member of a Russian/European pack is being sent to test their mettle.
We get Tatiana's POV mixed in with Silver and Andrew. All three end up under the influence of crazy visions of alternate realties mixed in with memories. While there's some nice character development that results, it was ....confusing to say the least.
It had been a while since book three, and when you have a pack of werewolves, I understand the need for an ensemble cast, but then you're adding Tatiana, some previous unknown Russian wolves, trying to remember Silver/Andrew's backstory and immediate pack, and then we get alternate versions of those people in the visions...it was too much.
Silver goes thru an alternate vision where she isn't scarred. Andrew goes thru an alternate vision where his first wife doesn't die...and there are versions of Silver and Andrew in each of the visions that conflict with the books "real" present day versions. So with the intertwining POVs, we have to keep two different realities straight from the actual book reality, plus learn all about Tatiana.
Silver and Andrew are still great psychological studies, although we didn't get as much of Silver/Death's relationship (which is the highlight of the previous books) due to her being for most of the book in a vision where she doesn't have Death following her around. I was disappointed. I can't help feeling that this book could have used a more brutal round of editing to clarify some of the fuzzy parts.
There is a smidge of fade-to-black steam in the visions as Andrew explores his bisexual nature more than we are used to in the first three books.
I’m hoping book 5 is better! This was the first not so great book in the series.
Things I liked: •The introduction of the Russian pack •Getting to know Sacramento alpha Allison better
Things I didn’t like: •Most of the book took place in dreams/visions - many scenes were rehashing or reworking past events. It was repetitive and boring. •The Russian Were Tatiana was an assassin, but didn’t really act like an assassin.
Still mulling it over. I like the story and I will read anything that Rhiannon Held writes. The struggle that the characters had to overcome in this book was more ethereal than practical so it felt a little light.
The intrigue grows more intense - the packs are circling, the Russians are lurking, Dare and Silver and thrust into a crazy vision-dream. Really great world building. Loving Silver and the cast and crew.
I didn't like that most of the book was what was going on in each of their dreams. The book jumped from one character to the next to the point you had no idea who was narrating at the time. It was confusing. I liked this book the least out of the series so far.
Firstly, this series is by far the best of its genre, to the point where it easily transcends genre and becomes literature. So, my rating is for a strong work of fiction.
Normally, I don't like plots in which anything takes place in dreams or visions. It's a mark of what a good author Held is that she kept me reading even though a great deal of this book takes place in visions. Three characters are drugged without their knowledge and fall into stupors in which they have visions/dreams so strong that they feel like the real world. Each vision is of an alternate history - if X had occurred instead of Y four years ago (when this series started), what would you and your life be like now?
This is very much a middle novel, bridging the past story arc (the first three novels) and what is clearly coming up next. The visions work well for this, because everyone looks back at where they came from, how the triumph of the last story arc's conclusion was Not Inevitable, and who they are at their deepest roots. (The amnesia plot in book 8 of Naomi Novik's Temeraire's series works in a somewhat similar fashion.) Also, the story introduces and examines a new foe, the Russians, without devolving directly into conflict. We know a war is coming, but we can take our time getting there.
Most interesting to me: many of the lead characters re-examine or re-learn what it is to be an alpha/leader. How much is inevitable/nature and how much is learned as opportunities and pressures work on you through life? I don't know any other paranormal writer who ever examines this, so this alone is worth applause.
Plus, happily, many of the main characters are women. Men don't get short shifted, nor are they treated as just romantic objects. They are all full human beings. But the main focus is on women. We meet Dare's first wife; a Russian former assassin; a damaged girl/child who is the daughter of the former Roanoke, etc. We also see how Dare's adult daughter's dramatic temper manifests as an adult. And how Allison, the head of a Californian pack is coming along. And, we learn how the beta Selene differed from the alpha Silver who she ultimately evolved into in past books.
The character who really stood out for me this time was John's human wife Laura. She only has a moderate role in this ensemble play, but she is very much the break out star. Her role is also infuriating, perhaps especially to readers who have struggled with glass ceilings. She is an absolutely fantastic natural Alpha. Her husband is a just ok Beta. Since he's a changer though, he's the only one officially allowed to have power in his pack - any power she has derives from him. She's the power behind the throne, the whispering advisor, the true leader. I really hope her story continues in future books in a big way. Silver's story has already proven you don't need to be a big bad physical wolf to take on leadership. What can Laura's role be but an extension of that story?
Leadership's not about brawn. It's about skills, native talent, determination, caring, cleverness, etc.
So, I guess this is really at its heart a feminist novel.
The world of Rhiannon Held's Silver series is seen through its characters, the shift of point of view is what paints mythology and plot. This means the story has to do more than follow our Urban Fantasy heroine, and Silver shares the stage with various likable and unlikable characters.
While I have always had issues when the POV changes from Silver to some of my less favorite characters, WOLFSBANE adds a new twist to the usual intertwining perspectives. The main story is split into several concurrent dreams, each following an alternate timeline. So not only does the story shift from character to character, but multiple "versions" of the characters exist in the dreams. As per usual, it is Silver's perspective that I wanted to read the most, with Dare a distant second, making each shift between narrative threads an annoyance at first. WOLFSBANE also firmly establishes bisexuality as a prevalent and accepted part of werewolf culture, even if their mating practices vary from pack to pack.
The Silver series contains many familiar Urban Fantasy tropes, but always with a twist. Rather than putting a spotlight on Silver's unique, magical snowflake life the narrative follows a full palette of characters, each with strengths and weaknesses that kept me guessing. Though this writing style can be bumpy for me, this series is one I'll always be excited to return to.
Sexual content: References to sex and non-explicit sex scenes
As with it's predecessors, WOLFSBANE doesn't have world building so much as various narrative views intertwining. This can be frustrating, as information can feel awkward as it is shared, or the narrative follows a less than likable character. Unlike it's predecessors, WOLFSBANE includes several concurrent dreams that show alternate timelines. So not only does the story shift from character to character, but multiple "versions" of the characters exist in the dreams. While the story itself was good, there were enough annoyances (Sacramento, I'm looking at you) to knock a star off my rating. I didn't like feeling pulled from a story I was getting invested in (spoiler alert, it's always Silver's POV that I hate to leave).
Full review to follow
Sexual content: References to sex and non-explicit sec scenes.
The author did a good job handling 3 different timelines in 1 book. It wasn't as confusing as I thought it would be. As interesting as it was reading about what could have happened, I felt very sorry for Andrew and Silver. I'm sure some part of them would have wanted that life so badly, to gain back what they had lost. The author also introduced another Were pack dynamic, along with the new character. However, the book ended a little too abruptly for me and seemed like a rushed ending. I hope there is a sequel where Silver maybe finds her wild self!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Once again, I love the relationships in the Silver books. I love being shown the characters' detailed thought processes as they analyse each situation and decide on a course of action. This book in particular was fascinating because we see a new Were in the form of an envoy from Russia, and watch the way the cultural differences between her and the North American Were play out in their behaviour toward each other, and the assumptions they make. I also found it interesting to see Silver and Dare experience what I saw as their alter-egos during the "Dream Sequence." Very cool.
Fast read. Dare and Silver, alphas of the North American packs, are suspicious when Russia sends an envoy--and rightly so. Silver and Dare are given wolfsbane, a drug which can be deadly or give visions from the Lady. Point of view is divided between Silver and Dare in their separate visions and Tatiana, the Russian envoy, in the reality. I found the differences in the Russian wolves culture fascinating and the ending felt satisfying.
I really, really like this series. The characters are interesting, and well developed. The werewolf community she presents feel real to me, and I want to meet them :-). Hope another is in the works!