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Claidi Journals #1-3
The Claidi Collection
Chronicles the adventures of sixteen-year-old slave Claidi, who helps a stranger escape from prison, thereby beginning her struggle to find freedom, marry her true love, and uncover her past.
704 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2003
14 people are currently reading
377 people want to read
About the author
Tanith Lee
615 books1,964 followersTanith Lee was a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She was the author of 77 novels, 14 collections, and almost 300 short stories. She also wrote four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and two scripts for the UK, science fiction, cult television series "Blake's 7."
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.
Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.
Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.
Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.
Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.
Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.
Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.
Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.
Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.
Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.
Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
August 20, 2010
Just over six years ago I walked into this little bookstore called Books of Wonder for the first time in my life. And on the front end cap, directly facing the revolving door, on the middle shelf, was a thick book with a purple cover and a gold spine entitled THE CLAIDI JOURNALS. I had heard of Tanith Lee before, but never read any of her books, and I had her sorted in my mind as a dark fantasy/horror writer. As I picked up the hefty volume and examined it, it appeared it was actually an omnibus collection of three novels: Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, and Wolf Queen. A fourth and final installment--Wolf Wing--was subsequently published. I usually prefer to start with the original volumes themselves and then invest in an omnibus edition if I like them and if it's a particularly attractive edition. In this case, however, something about the collection grabbed me. DH and I were stopping off in New York to visit my sister-in-law and her family on our way to Italy to visit my parents, and I was in need of some good trip reading to take with me. Then I made the mistake of opening the book and reading the first few lines.
That right there sealed the deal. I loved how she sounded both defiant and utterly lost at the same time and I simply had to know who she was, what was in that book she stole, and why things had gone so badly for her for so long. So, like Claidi, I made up my mind to take the book with me. Only I decided to go ahead and pay for it first.
Claidi is a servant and has been her entire life. In the House of Lady Jade Leaf, she spends her days and nights forced to wait on the ridiculous princess hand and foot. Tempers are short and punishments abundant in the House and Claidi chafes against the ties that bind her, physically and emotionally. One day she comes across an empty book and decides--despite the no doubt painful consequences--that she will take it. It turns into a journal of sorts for the lonely young woman, in which she records her thoughts, and later her adventures. For soon after she discovers the book, a stranger walks inside the walls of the House. A stranger from beyond the desert, with golden hair, and an escape route in his hands. And before she knows it, Claidi is off with the enigmatic Argul on the adventure of a lifetime. Trouble is, she's never quite sure where they are headed or who might be after them. It's a rough and tumble journey, full of misdirection, aborted weddings, and not a little abduction. There are palaces whose rooms refuse to stay put, monstrous creatures, and princes who look too much like people they are not. And all of it leads to the mysterious Wolf Tower, which seems to hold in it the secret of who she is and who she might become. Claidi spends much of the time confused and near panic, but she is a resourceful young woman, and her frequent journal entries chronicle the unfolding story in engaging detail.
These books are a wild ride. Claidi has something of the Tamora Pierce heroine about her. Adventure seems to be in her blood, though she's not quite as devil-may-care in her approach to it as some of Pierce's girls. She is thrust forcefully into the outside world after living an extremely sheltered, though awful, life and having the story told in her own words in journal format brings her quickly into the reader's affections. Her growing relationship with Argul is quite sweet and a bright spot among all the subterfuge. This is another case of people not always being exactly who you think they are and, over the course of the four books, there were several times I came perilously close to washing my hands of most of them. All but Claidi, really. But at the same time it served to cement my loyalty to the main character and remember to question each new character that arrived, which is really not so bad a thing after all. Each book expands on the world they live in and these revelations come as just as much a shock to Claidi as they do to the reader. At times, it can be a bit frustrating to be so in the dark. But the world Lee paints is so foreign, so innately other that I found myself awfully intrigued to find out what particularly rabbit she would pull out of the hat next. There is definitely a strong thread of science fiction running through the fantasy and I found the blend unusual and refreshing. All in all, a highly entertaining series featuring a heroine I never tired of and who becomes much more than she would otherwise have been because she stole a book and took a chance on a stranger. Recommended for fans of Garth Nix and Sherwood Smith.
Reading Order: Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, Wolf Queen, and Wolf Wing
Yes.
I stole this. This book.
I don't know why. It looked . . . nice, I suppose, and nothing has been nice for years.
That right there sealed the deal. I loved how she sounded both defiant and utterly lost at the same time and I simply had to know who she was, what was in that book she stole, and why things had gone so badly for her for so long. So, like Claidi, I made up my mind to take the book with me. Only I decided to go ahead and pay for it first.
Claidi is a servant and has been her entire life. In the House of Lady Jade Leaf, she spends her days and nights forced to wait on the ridiculous princess hand and foot. Tempers are short and punishments abundant in the House and Claidi chafes against the ties that bind her, physically and emotionally. One day she comes across an empty book and decides--despite the no doubt painful consequences--that she will take it. It turns into a journal of sorts for the lonely young woman, in which she records her thoughts, and later her adventures. For soon after she discovers the book, a stranger walks inside the walls of the House. A stranger from beyond the desert, with golden hair, and an escape route in his hands. And before she knows it, Claidi is off with the enigmatic Argul on the adventure of a lifetime. Trouble is, she's never quite sure where they are headed or who might be after them. It's a rough and tumble journey, full of misdirection, aborted weddings, and not a little abduction. There are palaces whose rooms refuse to stay put, monstrous creatures, and princes who look too much like people they are not. And all of it leads to the mysterious Wolf Tower, which seems to hold in it the secret of who she is and who she might become. Claidi spends much of the time confused and near panic, but she is a resourceful young woman, and her frequent journal entries chronicle the unfolding story in engaging detail.
These books are a wild ride. Claidi has something of the Tamora Pierce heroine about her. Adventure seems to be in her blood, though she's not quite as devil-may-care in her approach to it as some of Pierce's girls. She is thrust forcefully into the outside world after living an extremely sheltered, though awful, life and having the story told in her own words in journal format brings her quickly into the reader's affections. Her growing relationship with Argul is quite sweet and a bright spot among all the subterfuge. This is another case of people not always being exactly who you think they are and, over the course of the four books, there were several times I came perilously close to washing my hands of most of them. All but Claidi, really. But at the same time it served to cement my loyalty to the main character and remember to question each new character that arrived, which is really not so bad a thing after all. Each book expands on the world they live in and these revelations come as just as much a shock to Claidi as they do to the reader. At times, it can be a bit frustrating to be so in the dark. But the world Lee paints is so foreign, so innately other that I found myself awfully intrigued to find out what particularly rabbit she would pull out of the hat next. There is definitely a strong thread of science fiction running through the fantasy and I found the blend unusual and refreshing. All in all, a highly entertaining series featuring a heroine I never tired of and who becomes much more than she would otherwise have been because she stole a book and took a chance on a stranger. Recommended for fans of Garth Nix and Sherwood Smith.
Reading Order: Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, Wolf Queen, and Wolf Wing
June 28, 2018
I started to describe this as weirdly--even badly paced--but I think it would be more accurately to say it's paced in an early modern way. I don't have a picaresque genre shelf, but if I did, this would be right there alongside Lazarillo de Tormes. Claidi wanders with little in the way of long-term goals, pushed and pulled by the machinations of others and a general lack of sense of direction. But if you're willing to let go of your need for structure, for plot, there's a genuine sense of wonder buried in the rambling travelogue.
Also, this passage made me laugh a lot:
“’You had a tantrum earlier,’ they said, more or less as one. ‘Throwing things and screaming. We guest-prisoners do get upset. We understand. And that one was before dinner. But now it’s long after midnight.’
‘Yes, I see. I should have thought. No tantrums after midnight.’
‘Do your screaming by day,’ said the more curled lady. ‘Perhaps you’d care to join us when we do it. Poppy,’ she nudged the other lady, ‘has even found some breakable plates. And she’s an excellent screamer. My knack is tearing pillows with my teeth.’”
Also, this passage made me laugh a lot:
“’You had a tantrum earlier,’ they said, more or less as one. ‘Throwing things and screaming. We guest-prisoners do get upset. We understand. And that one was before dinner. But now it’s long after midnight.’
‘Yes, I see. I should have thought. No tantrums after midnight.’
‘Do your screaming by day,’ said the more curled lady. ‘Perhaps you’d care to join us when we do it. Poppy,’ she nudged the other lady, ‘has even found some breakable plates. And she’s an excellent screamer. My knack is tearing pillows with my teeth.’”
Read
November 1, 2016I love Tanith Lee, but sometimes I read her books and start thinking things like: parents, building stars that abduct people (whether or not they're grown-up versions of your kids and their fiancees) is maybe a sufficiently problematic idea that don't do it in the first place?
Of course, the book being by Tanith Lee and being filled with wild and wonderful ideas is how you know it's awesome!
Of course, the book being by Tanith Lee and being filled with wild and wonderful ideas is how you know it's awesome!
May 25, 2010
In The Claidi Collection, there are three books in the series, Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, and Wolf Queen. Each is a story of one ordinary girl caught up in a whirlwind of adventure- adventure she didn't ask for. In the first book, she is deemed a servant in what is called "The House," and works for Lady Jade Leaf, a snotty and prissy woman in The House. One day a man, Nemian comes from what is called "The Waste," forbidden to all who live in The House. One of the ladies of The House helps Claidi escape with Nemian, therein exposing her to all The Waste has to offer. She learns new languages, is almost killed several times, and falls in love with Nemian as Argul (a gypsie) falls in love with her. She leaves with Nemian to go to his city only to find that he is married, and she must uphold an evil law. She destroys the law, and Argul finds her and they escape together. The second book, The Wolf Star, is of Claidi's journey back to the Hulta (the gypsies) and she is to marry Argul. Instead she is taken away by those from Nemian's city and arrives at a moving house in the middle of no where, with a strange star. There are many servants that are not human, helping Claidi and she has yet to meet a real human at the house with the moving rooms. She then meets Prince Venn, who is not socially savvy. She escapes from the house with his help, eager to find Argul and the Hulta. She escapes on the star that's actually a ship. In the third book, Claidi eventually finds her Hulta, but is not accepted by them because she left and they believed she worked for Nemian's city. Argul is no longer their leader because he went to look for Claidi, but she does not know that. She leaves the Hulta, not knowing where she is going to go. She meets several crucial characters along the way and through many more adventures, she is reunited with Argul.
Personally, these books are my favorite to read when I want to take a step out of reality and go into a world that's impossible to go to. There are many things in this book that enjoy reading about- adventure, love, and the character's sarcasm. I can relate to the main character, and I love that.
Personally, these books are my favorite to read when I want to take a step out of reality and go into a world that's impossible to go to. There are many things in this book that enjoy reading about- adventure, love, and the character's sarcasm. I can relate to the main character, and I love that.
August 4, 2017
Another Tanith Lee novel full of viscous mothers. I know some mothers are like that, I was reared by a narcissistic mother myself. But geez, not all of them are!
May 16, 2019
Loved this book as a kid!!
November 30, 2018
A confusing, odd yet oddly satisfying book. The letter/journal format is interesting which continues throughout the whole book, but it only really bothered me in the beginning and where it got choppy and Claidi just said there wasn't much to write about.
This is the story of an adventure in a world that is so full of itself and so wrong. There are people in power who have rules and laws that they abide by so strictly and there is Claidi. Claidi is different. Claidi breaks the rules and that is why you like her. She might not know what is going on half the time, but neither does the reader so you're both thrown clueless at every turn. I honestly had no idea what would happen next, this book had so many ideas that I'd never come across in other books.
Suppose I should mention that this is a collection, so technically three books in one, but very easy to read. I got through it in one night and a morning so it is quick.
This is the story of an adventure in a world that is so full of itself and so wrong. There are people in power who have rules and laws that they abide by so strictly and there is Claidi. Claidi is different. Claidi breaks the rules and that is why you like her. She might not know what is going on half the time, but neither does the reader so you're both thrown clueless at every turn. I honestly had no idea what would happen next, this book had so many ideas that I'd never come across in other books.
Suppose I should mention that this is a collection, so technically three books in one, but very easy to read. I got through it in one night and a morning so it is quick.
January 30, 2018
The series was amazing, but the third book is the one that made me like it even more. Each book just keeps getting better and better.
It doesn't get boring and
I think this is the kind of series that everyone would enjoy not only a certain age group: 100% recommend.
Now I only need to go for the next book.
It doesn't get boring and
I think this is the kind of series that everyone would enjoy not only a certain age group: 100% recommend.
Now I only need to go for the next book.
May 23, 2018
I found this book when I moved into a new apartment. The previous occupants had left this book and me being the bookworm I am, I started reading it. Nonetheless....I don't regret reading this book at all. I loved this series and despite the slight disappointment from Claidi and Argul not going back to the Hulta, I still loved reading this.
February 24, 2020
I loved Claidi and the journey she had discovering herself and her place in her world. This is a very rich universe with fascinating characters.
August 27, 2022
Fantastic series that I first read when I was much younger. I love the story and the characters
December 10, 2024
This series went some places I did not expect it to.
December 24, 2024
three books in one so i only got through half🫠
November 4, 2010
I really enjoyed reading this series in one big book. The journalesque feel of the writing was extremely real for me. Sometimes "journal" or "diary" books don't always work for me because they don't really feel REAL. However, The Claidi Journals really pulled it off.
My only beef was that it felt like three installments to one book. I didn't feel like I was really reading three books. Part of that is probably because of how I read the books, but I'm not sure I would have enjoyed these books otherwise.
I really did enjoy the series as a whole. The books left me very happy and that is always a good thing.
My only beef was that it felt like three installments to one book. I didn't feel like I was really reading three books. Part of that is probably because of how I read the books, but I'm not sure I would have enjoyed these books otherwise.
I really did enjoy the series as a whole. The books left me very happy and that is always a good thing.
July 24, 2015
I started Reading this book because I had just moved to my new apartment and I was not going to have no internet for about 3 weeks. Since I was on a very strict budget I went to a thrift store. I saw many books there but this one in caught my eye due to it being a collection of 3 books in 1. I started reading it and personally that was the best decision I could have ever made. This book was filled with intrigue and it was very suspenseful. it started somewhat slow, but then it picked up. it was very different than any other book. The setting of the story was very interesting to me. It was a mix between like desert with deep forest and Antarctica all in one. they even mention a place that is kinda like the "capitol" in the hunger games. all in all I am glad I read it.
August 27, 2007
Fairly standard fantasy setup (slave/servant with a somewhat murky past and dead/missing parents is sent off on a mysterious adventure) that leads into inventive plotting and imaginitive, non-standard scenery and characters.
Claidi is a lovely, mixed up, well-constructed teenage girl character. She's smart, scared, resourceful, and a little boy-crazy.
The Claidi Collection consists of three books: Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, and Wolf Queen. I'd recommend getting the Collection over the individual titles, since it's a quick read. I'm hoping there are more.
Reminiscent of Tamora Pierce's books but not derivative.
Utterly and completely enjoyable summer porch reading.
Claidi is a lovely, mixed up, well-constructed teenage girl character. She's smart, scared, resourceful, and a little boy-crazy.
The Claidi Collection consists of three books: Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, and Wolf Queen. I'd recommend getting the Collection over the individual titles, since it's a quick read. I'm hoping there are more.
Reminiscent of Tamora Pierce's books but not derivative.
Utterly and completely enjoyable summer porch reading.
April 15, 2014
I really liked all three of the books in "The Claidi Collection." It's very well written and I like the journal-style set-up of the story. You can definitely see character progression for the main character, Claidi, throughout the entire story. The writing was a bit younger than I tend to like, which I didn't realize until after I'd started. However, the story had me hooked even with the fact that it's a bit young, so I don't mind all that much. Apparently, there is a fourth book in the series that wasn't a part of this collection, so I'm going to read that as soon as I can manage to get my hands on it. There's a lot of action, adventure, and twists that you don't expect. I like it a lot!
February 26, 2009
I enjoyed these books. The first book was a bit slow-going and I am not sure whether I would have bothered searching out the second one if it had not been a combined volume. By the end of the first one it starts to get interesting and midway through the second I was hooked. An interesting read for adults and a great one for younger teens/young adults. There is romance but it's clean and deals with the difference between real love and appearance/obsession very well. I liked how one "error" I found ended up being planned. Pretty cool for a picky reader like me.
October 23, 2012
Regardless of the genre, it is often difficult for me to get into the books I read. The Claidi Collection was an exception. Tanith's stunning literary imagery, imaginative characters and the world they live in, took me away. I think my favorite aspect about the series was the world itself. From the kinds of people in it, to the way life and love and politics work within it was fantastical, whimsical, awesome and fearsome. A great story that keeps you guessing until the very end of Claidi's journey.
Wonderful.
4/5 Stars.
Wonderful.
4/5 Stars.
June 11, 2011
F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.
The description of the foreign world left enough to the imagination while giving a concrete insite to the observations of Claidi. The gives a perfect insite to the mind of someone of her age; it may very well have actually been someone's diary, except for the fact it was too interesting. The Diary of Anne Frank, while realistic, is nothing compared to this series. In my opinion, of course.
The description of the foreign world left enough to the imagination while giving a concrete insite to the observations of Claidi. The gives a perfect insite to the mind of someone of her age; it may very well have actually been someone's diary, except for the fact it was too interesting. The Diary of Anne Frank, while realistic, is nothing compared to this series. In my opinion, of course.
September 3, 2007
Claidi is a cranky young woman who escapes a life of servitude by falling for the wrong man. Strange and fantastic adventures full of shifty characters and a few moments of wonder. It's all told in her voice, journal style. There's one more book after the trilogy within this volume and it's on my list... (November 28, 2004)
July 31, 2012
I bought this when it first came out... just in time to realize that there was a fourth book in the Claidi Journals. It has the first three books in the series (Wolf Tower, Star, and Queen). I think it's a beautiful collection but I would have liked it to have been the complete series not the Claidi Collection+Wolf Wing.
June 21, 2015
Lee has a fantastic imagination. When I read these books for the first time in middle school they blew me away with their creativity. Reading them now, they actually hold up pretty well. Better than most of the fantasy I read at that age. And of course, for me, the Claidi Journals will always be tinged with the rosy glow of nostalgia.
January 8, 2008
This is such a good book (series)! It's easy to read, the voice is refreshing, the protagonist clearly evolves, and the universe it's set in is fascinating. I read the three books in this collection over the weekend. I would definitely recommend it.
August 8, 2008
Another good set of books. The second book can get a little tedious, but the characters are loveable and deep. The world is so real in these books you really get a sense of the entire are by the end of it!
August 23, 2020
Oh, how I enjoyed this book. I know it's supposed to be for middle schoolers but as a woman in her 70s, I found it a compelling read. I've always loved Tanith Lee's books and I'm glad to add this to my collection.
October 24, 2007
best books i've ever read. claidi was portrayed really well, i was able to believe her feelings and feel what she felt. storyline was original and unpredictable, the book was difficult to put down.
July 25, 2016
Young Adult fantasy -- recommended by my sister :)Interesting story line.
Want to read
February 22, 2008To read
December 4, 2009
They were fun to read, but nothing spectacular.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews