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Wolf of the North #1
The Wolf of the North
It has been generations since the Northlands have seen a hero worthy of the title. Many have made the claim, but few have lived to defend it. Timid, weak, and bullied, Wulfric is as unlikely a candidate as there could be.
A chance encounter with an ancient and mysterious object awakens a latent gift, and Wulfric’s life changes course. Against a backdrop of war, tragedy, and an enemy whose hatred for him knows no bounds, Wulfric will be forged from a young boy, into the Wolf of the North. This is his tale.
A chance encounter with an ancient and mysterious object awakens a latent gift, and Wulfric’s life changes course. Against a backdrop of war, tragedy, and an enemy whose hatred for him knows no bounds, Wulfric will be forged from a young boy, into the Wolf of the North. This is his tale.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2016
3368 people are currently reading
5196 people want to read
About the author
Duncan M. Hamilton
26 books1,093 followersHi, thanks for visiting my page. I’m Duncan, a fantasy and science fiction author from Ireland. I love to blend my passion for Medieval and Renaissance history with the freedom of fantasy environments to create fast paced heroic fantasy adventures with compelling characters and high stakes—exactly the types of stories that I love to read, so I hope you’ll like them too.
You can find more of my online hangouts and my work at the links below. Don’t forget to sign up for my news letter if you want to keep up to date on all my news and new releases!
I’m delighted to announce my most recent trilogy with Tor, Dragonslayer - a heroic fantasy tale about redemption, revenge, and megalomania. Oh, and dragons. Plenty of dragons! The entire trilogy - Dragonslayer, Knight of the Silver Circle, and Servant of the Crown - is now out in the wild, and available to purchase. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
My next trilogy is already well under way, and I've a couple of new projects that occur in different worlds (and genres!) that I'm very excited about, and hope to start releasing this coming Spring 2021.If that’s too long to wait, then please check out my other books, all of which are currently available!
Society of the Sword
The Tattered Banner was one of Buzzfeed's 12 Greatest Fantasy Books of 2013!
In a world where magic is outlawed, ability with a sword is prized above all else. For Soren this means the chance to live out his dreams.
Plucked from a life of poverty, he is given a coveted place at Ostenheim's Academy of Swordsmanship, an opportunity beyond belief.
Opportunity is not always what it seems however, and gifts rarely come without conditions. Soren becomes an unwitting pawn in a game of intrigue and treachery that could cost him not just his dreams, but also his life.
Wolf of the North
It has been generations since the Northlands have seen a hero worthy of the title. Many have made the claim, but few have lived to defend it. Timid, weak, and bullied, Wulfric is as unlikely a candidate as there could be.
A chance encounter with an ancient and mysterious object awakens a latent gift, and Wulfric’s life changes course. Against a backdrop of war, tragedy, and an enemy whose hatred for him knows no bounds, Wulfric will be forged from a young boy, into the Wolf of the North. This is his tale.
If that’s not enough, I’ve a standalone novel, and some shorter work to give you a taste of what I write. You can get a free digital copy of the Marcher Lord if you sign up for my news letter!
You can find more of my online hangouts and my work at the links below. Don’t forget to sign up for my news letter if you want to keep up to date on all my news and new releases!
I’m delighted to announce my most recent trilogy with Tor, Dragonslayer - a heroic fantasy tale about redemption, revenge, and megalomania. Oh, and dragons. Plenty of dragons! The entire trilogy - Dragonslayer, Knight of the Silver Circle, and Servant of the Crown - is now out in the wild, and available to purchase. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
My next trilogy is already well under way, and I've a couple of new projects that occur in different worlds (and genres!) that I'm very excited about, and hope to start releasing this coming Spring 2021.If that’s too long to wait, then please check out my other books, all of which are currently available!
Society of the Sword
The Tattered Banner was one of Buzzfeed's 12 Greatest Fantasy Books of 2013!
In a world where magic is outlawed, ability with a sword is prized above all else. For Soren this means the chance to live out his dreams.
Plucked from a life of poverty, he is given a coveted place at Ostenheim's Academy of Swordsmanship, an opportunity beyond belief.
Opportunity is not always what it seems however, and gifts rarely come without conditions. Soren becomes an unwitting pawn in a game of intrigue and treachery that could cost him not just his dreams, but also his life.
Wolf of the North
It has been generations since the Northlands have seen a hero worthy of the title. Many have made the claim, but few have lived to defend it. Timid, weak, and bullied, Wulfric is as unlikely a candidate as there could be.
A chance encounter with an ancient and mysterious object awakens a latent gift, and Wulfric’s life changes course. Against a backdrop of war, tragedy, and an enemy whose hatred for him knows no bounds, Wulfric will be forged from a young boy, into the Wolf of the North. This is his tale.
If that’s not enough, I’ve a standalone novel, and some shorter work to give you a taste of what I write. You can get a free digital copy of the Marcher Lord if you sign up for my news letter!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews
July 14, 2017
Admittedly, I had only bought this audiobook because of how short it was. I wanted something I could get through before the end of work tonight, but not something that I couldn't finish (I only listen to audiobooks at work so I would've had to wait til Monday to continue). Man am I glad I chose this book! It was so much better than I had expected.
The premis is actually pretty typical of a fantasy novel: the coming of age tale of a great warrior. Wulfric is the son of the First Warrior in their little village. His dad is fierce and the greatest warrior of their village. While Wulfric is a bit timid, overweight and is picked on by the mean kids who take advantage of his weaknesses. Until one day when one of the kids says something wrong about the girl he likes, Adalhaid. After that day, Wulfric makes his life better and much worse in the days to come. This book has a very Viking-esque feel to it. A lot has to do with the names and the setting. Since I'm pretty obsessed with Vikings, this was a huge bonus.
While not much really happens in this book, and the writing is pretty basic, I still found myself enjoying it quite a bit. I might have to chalk this up to how spectacular the narrator was. But I still really liked the character development we got. Again, it's pretty typical for the type of story we get, but each character has their own little special something to make them feel unique enough to get some enjoyment from it.
The pacing of the story was decent. Again, it was pretty typical of what to expect from what feels like a trilogy. He sets some things up that will be really cool once we get to them in the later installments. The best part had to have been his journey to gain his status as warrior. We get some pretty cool fight scenes out of it. I really enjoyed some of the things the ending set up. But once again, it'll be something we'll have to wait to reap the rewards from in later novels.
I think the best way to describe this book would be that it's laying the foundation for the rest of the story. Some may like that, others may hate it. But he does give us just enough action and character development to make this a pretty entertaining novel. You're not going to be blown away by this book, but if you go into it expecting a set-up novel, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with it. I can definitely recommend this as a really great audiobook to fill in any downtime you may have. Other than that, proceed at your own risk. I mean that in a good way, of course.
The premis is actually pretty typical of a fantasy novel: the coming of age tale of a great warrior. Wulfric is the son of the First Warrior in their little village. His dad is fierce and the greatest warrior of their village. While Wulfric is a bit timid, overweight and is picked on by the mean kids who take advantage of his weaknesses. Until one day when one of the kids says something wrong about the girl he likes, Adalhaid. After that day, Wulfric makes his life better and much worse in the days to come. This book has a very Viking-esque feel to it. A lot has to do with the names and the setting. Since I'm pretty obsessed with Vikings, this was a huge bonus.
While not much really happens in this book, and the writing is pretty basic, I still found myself enjoying it quite a bit. I might have to chalk this up to how spectacular the narrator was. But I still really liked the character development we got. Again, it's pretty typical for the type of story we get, but each character has their own little special something to make them feel unique enough to get some enjoyment from it.
The pacing of the story was decent. Again, it was pretty typical of what to expect from what feels like a trilogy. He sets some things up that will be really cool once we get to them in the later installments. The best part had to have been his journey to gain his status as warrior. We get some pretty cool fight scenes out of it. I really enjoyed some of the things the ending set up. But once again, it'll be something we'll have to wait to reap the rewards from in later novels.
I think the best way to describe this book would be that it's laying the foundation for the rest of the story. Some may like that, others may hate it. But he does give us just enough action and character development to make this a pretty entertaining novel. You're not going to be blown away by this book, but if you go into it expecting a set-up novel, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with it. I can definitely recommend this as a really great audiobook to fill in any downtime you may have. Other than that, proceed at your own risk. I mean that in a good way, of course.
September 2, 2017
I really liked the way this story was told, it was a lot like King Killer Chronicles in that one of the characters in the book is narrating a story. In this case it's an older man who's profession seems to be story telling.
It was a really quick read, the fact that the story was being narrated by someone else helped speed the story along because the author was able to put in non-awkward time gaps.Sometimes time gaps can be awkward or jolting, but before each time gap you get an interlude with the story teller, and then he just says "and we'll continue with the story 3 years later" go over some random plot points from those three years and you pick up to where you need to be to reasonably progress the character. In this way, you don't get this hero going from novice to badass in a matter of chapters and have it seem forced and fake.
Plot:
This series so far has been about warring clans/towns who have been partly manipulated into war through politics and happenstance. A mix of bad timing for certain crimes to be committed on top of old hatreds between the clans make warfare pretty common. I like the fact that this is "medium stakes". It's not mundane in a slice of life kind of way, but this isn't world ending kind of thing either. The characters are normal townsfolk and some town leaders called First Warriors and that's about it so far - I've started the second book but haven't finished yet.
Characters:
Although this is being told sort of like King Killer, it differs in that it hops around POV's, it's mostly about a young man named Wulfric but you get to see a bunch of minor POV's as well. I like the main character, he's fairly easy to relate to, not much angst for a teenage character, a light romance interest that grows slowly in importance which was nice - I don't like when you're hit over the head with a love at first sight infatuation kind of thing.
Some minor POV's include some boys in the same general age bracket as the main POV, his love interest, his mother and father, the town Priest who works as a healer/educator and some other older male tribe/townspeople. In the second book we get a more developed female POV, but in the first book it's mostly about the main character.
Tone:
I'm going to use "adventurous" as a tone again. It's not dark, it's not light or funny - there's a fair amount of action in the book whether it's skirmishes, battles, or fighting wild animals.
Pacing:
There's a good amount of background politics going on and action scenes and character development scenes. So the pace ebbs and flows nicely for me, it's not a whirlwind book that's all battles, but it's not a book that's mostly dialogue either.
Audience:
This book will appeal to people who enjoy:
Multi POV
light magic
coming of age
series vs stand alone
swords
beast fights
It was a really quick read, the fact that the story was being narrated by someone else helped speed the story along because the author was able to put in non-awkward time gaps.Sometimes time gaps can be awkward or jolting, but before each time gap you get an interlude with the story teller, and then he just says "and we'll continue with the story 3 years later" go over some random plot points from those three years and you pick up to where you need to be to reasonably progress the character. In this way, you don't get this hero going from novice to badass in a matter of chapters and have it seem forced and fake.
Plot:
This series so far has been about warring clans/towns who have been partly manipulated into war through politics and happenstance. A mix of bad timing for certain crimes to be committed on top of old hatreds between the clans make warfare pretty common. I like the fact that this is "medium stakes". It's not mundane in a slice of life kind of way, but this isn't world ending kind of thing either. The characters are normal townsfolk and some town leaders called First Warriors and that's about it so far - I've started the second book but haven't finished yet.
Characters:
Although this is being told sort of like King Killer, it differs in that it hops around POV's, it's mostly about a young man named Wulfric but you get to see a bunch of minor POV's as well. I like the main character, he's fairly easy to relate to, not much angst for a teenage character, a light romance interest that grows slowly in importance which was nice - I don't like when you're hit over the head with a love at first sight infatuation kind of thing.
Some minor POV's include some boys in the same general age bracket as the main POV, his love interest, his mother and father, the town Priest who works as a healer/educator and some other older male tribe/townspeople. In the second book we get a more developed female POV, but in the first book it's mostly about the main character.
Tone:
I'm going to use "adventurous" as a tone again. It's not dark, it's not light or funny - there's a fair amount of action in the book whether it's skirmishes, battles, or fighting wild animals.
Pacing:
There's a good amount of background politics going on and action scenes and character development scenes. So the pace ebbs and flows nicely for me, it's not a whirlwind book that's all battles, but it's not a book that's mostly dialogue either.
Audience:
This book will appeal to people who enjoy:
Multi POV
light magic
coming of age
series vs stand alone
swords
beast fights
December 4, 2017
Solid two star book.
This book wasn't terrible but it wasn't great either. The story was mildly interesting despite the sheer number of poorly executed fantasy tropes.
The main problem with this book was the pacing. The plot seemed to be sprinting towards the climax and then the climax never came. POVs shifted at a jarring pace and this combined with the overly quick pacing made for a confusing read.
This book may have benefited from a few hundred extra pages, a slower pace and more division between POVs. Instead the book cliff hung me with a bunch of characters I barely cared about.
RECOMMENDATION: Meh.
This book wasn't terrible but it wasn't great either. The story was mildly interesting despite the sheer number of poorly executed fantasy tropes.
The main problem with this book was the pacing. The plot seemed to be sprinting towards the climax and then the climax never came. POVs shifted at a jarring pace and this combined with the overly quick pacing made for a confusing read.
This book may have benefited from a few hundred extra pages, a slower pace and more division between POVs. Instead the book cliff hung me with a bunch of characters I barely cared about.
RECOMMENDATION: Meh.
October 16, 2017
I picked up 'The Wolf Of The North' based upon a couple things: Firstly, it's generally positive reviews. Secondly, it was recommended on Audible, and narrated by the brilliant Simon Vance. Thirdly, it was only ~10 hours, and one thing I LOVE is bite-sized fantasy.
The novel is a pretty straightforward mashup of quite a few stories we've all read already. It begins with an 'expert storyteller' in a tavern, getting coerced into telling the tale of Wulfric, the Wolf of the North. The story within the story is a coming-of-age tale of Wulfric, the son of the First Warrior (forgive me if that wasn't the actual title, I am reviewing this a week after finishing) of his clan of Northerners. Wulfric is timid and leans more towards books rather than taking after his father as a warrior, who are by far the power in this community. Tiring of being bullied, Wulfric one day snaps and fights back against his bully, leaving him with a ruined eye and a lost chance at being a warrior. Wulfric continues to grow as a warrior, eventually realizing he has a bloodlust type thing which is almost to a tee the berserker rage of lore (see: David Gemmell, etc). Wulfric then finds himself in a pivotal point where his village is being attacked by their lifelong enemy village, as well as a lesser invasion from within, as the father of the bully he beat up maneuvers for his own personal gain, bringing the southerners in to take over the northern lands.
This is essentially your typical "northern part is cold and inhospitable and full of warrior types, the south is warm and nice and full of rich people and luxury, etc". Wulfric is a typical coming-of-age kid, who is nothing before finding innate ability, going through a training montage, and ending up as a powerful warrior. Which leads to the crux of my complaints about the story - EVERYTHING in the novel screams of 'been-there-done-that', an almost cookie-cutter fantasy that seems like it assembled by a computer program going through all the human-centered fantasy stories in history and picking out the most common or popular pieces. There's even an arbitrary ye-olde-evil-kreature that serves no purpose other than to give an abnormal enemy for Wulfric to kill. There are even what are essentially maesters - wizened churchy old men who live in each city/village, provide guidance and medical assistance, while technically being 'neutral' towards the cities.
I certainly can be quick to forgive some use of tropes - it's hard, at this point, to have a truly original anything in a novel, so I can't fault folks for having some aspects that feel familiar. However, in Wolf Of The North, *everything* feels familiar, everything feels similar to something else recently done, everything comes across as a repetition of past books. And it's sad, because frankly the novel itself *isn't that bad* - it's a quick read, it's rather enjoyable to blast through, with a decent coming of age story, a decent romance subplot that is never invasive, and the characters are fairly vibrant, realistically motivated, and well-handled. I enjoyed a handful of the dialogue, while at other times it feels a bit mechanical and forced.
To give an unblemished positive, the ending of the novel was very well done, exciting, heart-wrenching, etc, and really left me almost wanting to read the second novel, though not quite enough to get me to actually do it. I think the Wolf of the North will end up as another "read the first book in the series, but never quite moved on from it" for me. Hamilton shows writing chops at times during the story, but it suffers greatly from it's derivative nature. It not only doesn't stand out from the crowd, but rather is so stereotypical that it blends in completely.
Rating: 3 / 5
The novel is a pretty straightforward mashup of quite a few stories we've all read already. It begins with an 'expert storyteller' in a tavern, getting coerced into telling the tale of Wulfric, the Wolf of the North. The story within the story is a coming-of-age tale of Wulfric, the son of the First Warrior (forgive me if that wasn't the actual title, I am reviewing this a week after finishing) of his clan of Northerners. Wulfric is timid and leans more towards books rather than taking after his father as a warrior, who are by far the power in this community. Tiring of being bullied, Wulfric one day snaps and fights back against his bully, leaving him with a ruined eye and a lost chance at being a warrior. Wulfric continues to grow as a warrior, eventually realizing he has a bloodlust type thing which is almost to a tee the berserker rage of lore (see: David Gemmell, etc). Wulfric then finds himself in a pivotal point where his village is being attacked by their lifelong enemy village, as well as a lesser invasion from within, as the father of the bully he beat up maneuvers for his own personal gain, bringing the southerners in to take over the northern lands.
This is essentially your typical "northern part is cold and inhospitable and full of warrior types, the south is warm and nice and full of rich people and luxury, etc". Wulfric is a typical coming-of-age kid, who is nothing before finding innate ability, going through a training montage, and ending up as a powerful warrior. Which leads to the crux of my complaints about the story - EVERYTHING in the novel screams of 'been-there-done-that', an almost cookie-cutter fantasy that seems like it assembled by a computer program going through all the human-centered fantasy stories in history and picking out the most common or popular pieces. There's even an arbitrary ye-olde-evil-kreature that serves no purpose other than to give an abnormal enemy for Wulfric to kill. There are even what are essentially maesters - wizened churchy old men who live in each city/village, provide guidance and medical assistance, while technically being 'neutral' towards the cities.
I certainly can be quick to forgive some use of tropes - it's hard, at this point, to have a truly original anything in a novel, so I can't fault folks for having some aspects that feel familiar. However, in Wolf Of The North, *everything* feels familiar, everything feels similar to something else recently done, everything comes across as a repetition of past books. And it's sad, because frankly the novel itself *isn't that bad* - it's a quick read, it's rather enjoyable to blast through, with a decent coming of age story, a decent romance subplot that is never invasive, and the characters are fairly vibrant, realistically motivated, and well-handled. I enjoyed a handful of the dialogue, while at other times it feels a bit mechanical and forced.
To give an unblemished positive, the ending of the novel was very well done, exciting, heart-wrenching, etc, and really left me almost wanting to read the second novel, though not quite enough to get me to actually do it. I think the Wolf of the North will end up as another "read the first book in the series, but never quite moved on from it" for me. Hamilton shows writing chops at times during the story, but it suffers greatly from it's derivative nature. It not only doesn't stand out from the crowd, but rather is so stereotypical that it blends in completely.
Rating: 3 / 5
July 5, 2017
The Wolf of the North is outstanding to start to what looks to be a great fantasy trilogy! I listened to the audio book and, as always, Simon Vance brings the story and characters to life. These books are currently reasonably priced on Amazon.
The title interested me in looking into this book. I like the Viking type stories. There are flavors of Norse mysticism in the book but the story is not heavily reliant on that genre. This is a multilayered epic fantasy story. Wulfric starts out as kind of a nerdy kid who gets is picked on by bullies and lives in a small village in the "north" near the "high places," the craggy peaks of the mountains. His best friend is the red headed girl Adalhaid. There has always been a natural attraction between Wulfric and Adalhaid. She doesn't care about the bullies. The village social hierarchy is based on a warrior-type society and Wulfric's dad is the First Warrior, the leader of the village. Wulfric is betrothed to another warrior's daughter more suitable to his rank. These two rarely speak to each other. Wulfric seems an unlikely candidate to be a warrior until his father takes him hunting where Wulfric manages to kill a wild boar that threatens to gore him with its tusks. His dad decides he should take the test to become a warrior's apprentice...
The characters and storyline are nicely written. I was able to get into the story almost immediately. This is a foundation book for the other two books to come so the beginning starts slow but I never found it to be bogged down or dragging. Of course, the talent of Simon Vance as a storyteller cannot be ignored. He does a superb job! Book 2 of the series does not have an audio version yet so I'll be reading that on Kindle. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep up the same level of enthusiasm.
The title interested me in looking into this book. I like the Viking type stories. There are flavors of Norse mysticism in the book but the story is not heavily reliant on that genre. This is a multilayered epic fantasy story. Wulfric starts out as kind of a nerdy kid who gets is picked on by bullies and lives in a small village in the "north" near the "high places," the craggy peaks of the mountains. His best friend is the red headed girl Adalhaid. There has always been a natural attraction between Wulfric and Adalhaid. She doesn't care about the bullies. The village social hierarchy is based on a warrior-type society and Wulfric's dad is the First Warrior, the leader of the village. Wulfric is betrothed to another warrior's daughter more suitable to his rank. These two rarely speak to each other. Wulfric seems an unlikely candidate to be a warrior until his father takes him hunting where Wulfric manages to kill a wild boar that threatens to gore him with its tusks. His dad decides he should take the test to become a warrior's apprentice...
The characters and storyline are nicely written. I was able to get into the story almost immediately. This is a foundation book for the other two books to come so the beginning starts slow but I never found it to be bogged down or dragging. Of course, the talent of Simon Vance as a storyteller cannot be ignored. He does a superb job! Book 2 of the series does not have an audio version yet so I'll be reading that on Kindle. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep up the same level of enthusiasm.
February 8, 2017
Well written, but unremittingly sad.
I found the story compelling 3/4ths of the way through. Then I began to suspect NOTHING encouraging or positive was ever going to happen to our hero. That's when I began to skim. I finished the book, but won't be continuing the series.
If I wanted to be sad, I would watch the nightly news.
I found the story compelling 3/4ths of the way through. Then I began to suspect NOTHING encouraging or positive was ever going to happen to our hero. That's when I began to skim. I finished the book, but won't be continuing the series.
If I wanted to be sad, I would watch the nightly news.
November 11, 2017
A competent, exciting, traditional epic fantasy. Not as good as Anthony Ryan's Blood Song (with which it shares more than one similarity), but still good all the way through. I'll definitely be continuing the series.
November 14, 2016
Basic but not great!
I liked the book but the author has a basic writing style without much energy and excitement! The book was free for me since I have Kindle Unlimited, I will read the next book because I can't start a series and not finish it!
I liked the book but the author has a basic writing style without much energy and excitement! The book was free for me since I have Kindle Unlimited, I will read the next book because I can't start a series and not finish it!
December 28, 2020
Enjoyable beginning to a trilogy, with some usual fantasy tropes, and type characters.
will see where the author will take the magic system, characters and setting.
will see where the author will take the magic system, characters and setting.
October 28, 2016
Thoroughly Enjoyable
I found this to be an excellent, well-written, engaging story. Fast paced but not lacking in details, I felt most of the characters came to life for me. I've become very picky in my sci-fi/fantasy choices because I'm probably not the usual target audience. Most seem to be in the young adult age group, which is fine and you can find some very good stories in the YA. But this felt firmly an adult recounting of events though the main character was young. I'm so glad I stumbled onto this story and this author. I will be reading more and look forward to the next part of this story.
I found this to be an excellent, well-written, engaging story. Fast paced but not lacking in details, I felt most of the characters came to life for me. I've become very picky in my sci-fi/fantasy choices because I'm probably not the usual target audience. Most seem to be in the young adult age group, which is fine and you can find some very good stories in the YA. But this felt firmly an adult recounting of events though the main character was young. I'm so glad I stumbled onto this story and this author. I will be reading more and look forward to the next part of this story.
July 29, 2018
To be completely honest, this was originally a cover buy. While I was waiting for this to arrive, I looked at the synopsis and it sounded like something I would love! Then, when it finally arrived, I was a little disappointed because it was only around 300 pages or so, which for me is a pretty small book. But let me tell you, I am so happy that I gave this a chance because I enjoyed it immensely!
This sounds like your stereotypical fantasy novel - the coming of age of a famous and great warrior. And that is definitely the case, but there was just something about this book that really drew me in and kept me interested! There isn’t really too much that happens throughout this book as it is the first in a series, but the character growth was enjoyable and the narrator was fantastic!
Wulfric is our main character, and he is the timid and overweight son of the First Warrior of their village. He is constantly bullied by the apprentice warriors in the village and Wulfric just lets it happen until his main bully says some very inappropriate things to Adalhaid, who is Wulfric’s friend/crush, and Wulfric pretty much beats his bully to a pulp. From that day on, he decides he doesn’t want to be pushed around and starts training in secret in order to become an apprentice warrior. From there, we follow Wulfric’s journey to become a warrior and all of his struggles and triumphs. I should also mention that we know from pretty much page one that Wulfric no longer goes by his birth name and is now a legendary warrior.
I loved Wulfric’s character so much! His character development was pretty great and when he became this big bad warrior, he was still a kindhearted person underneath it all. Throughout the book I was constantly feeling bad for him because he just couldn’t catch a break! Everything that could go wrong for him did go wrong.
This felt like it really pulled a lot of inspiration from Vikings, which I am a huge fan of so that was a huge plus for me. It also was a little reminiscent of Game of Thrones, in the sense that none of the characters are safe and anything can happen.
This is definitely setting us up for the next books in the series and I think it did a pretty good job of setting up Wulfric’s journey. I do wish we would’ve gotten a little more on the other countries, but based on the ending of this book, I think that they will probably get more description throughout the next books.
I do wish that there was a little bit more of an indication that the POV was changing, as for pretty much the first half was almost exclusively in Wulfric’s POV then we started adding in a ton other POV’s to further the plot. The writing was pretty basic, but in this case I think that it worked for this book because of how short it was.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m fairly interested in continuing to see what happens to Wulfric as he is probably my favorite part of this entire book. If you like fantasy and are looking for something easier, or if you are new to fantasy, this may be a good book for you!
This sounds like your stereotypical fantasy novel - the coming of age of a famous and great warrior. And that is definitely the case, but there was just something about this book that really drew me in and kept me interested! There isn’t really too much that happens throughout this book as it is the first in a series, but the character growth was enjoyable and the narrator was fantastic!
Wulfric is our main character, and he is the timid and overweight son of the First Warrior of their village. He is constantly bullied by the apprentice warriors in the village and Wulfric just lets it happen until his main bully says some very inappropriate things to Adalhaid, who is Wulfric’s friend/crush, and Wulfric pretty much beats his bully to a pulp. From that day on, he decides he doesn’t want to be pushed around and starts training in secret in order to become an apprentice warrior. From there, we follow Wulfric’s journey to become a warrior and all of his struggles and triumphs. I should also mention that we know from pretty much page one that Wulfric no longer goes by his birth name and is now a legendary warrior.
I loved Wulfric’s character so much! His character development was pretty great and when he became this big bad warrior, he was still a kindhearted person underneath it all. Throughout the book I was constantly feeling bad for him because he just couldn’t catch a break! Everything that could go wrong for him did go wrong.
This felt like it really pulled a lot of inspiration from Vikings, which I am a huge fan of so that was a huge plus for me. It also was a little reminiscent of Game of Thrones, in the sense that none of the characters are safe and anything can happen.
This is definitely setting us up for the next books in the series and I think it did a pretty good job of setting up Wulfric’s journey. I do wish we would’ve gotten a little more on the other countries, but based on the ending of this book, I think that they will probably get more description throughout the next books.
I do wish that there was a little bit more of an indication that the POV was changing, as for pretty much the first half was almost exclusively in Wulfric’s POV then we started adding in a ton other POV’s to further the plot. The writing was pretty basic, but in this case I think that it worked for this book because of how short it was.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m fairly interested in continuing to see what happens to Wulfric as he is probably my favorite part of this entire book. If you like fantasy and are looking for something easier, or if you are new to fantasy, this may be a good book for you!
February 12, 2018
This book is tough to rate. Honestly it could go anywhere from 3 to 5 depending on what you are looking for in a book. Since you all are paying me (or not) for my opinion I would give it a strong 4. There were parts of the story that were great, the pace fast, with a good amount of action and gritty battles. I also like how the story is told similarly to say Anthony Ryans Blood song or as you have a narrator in present day recounting a story, yet you know the end of the story will be after the events of the present day. This had a similar theme to Malice where you had a few Bully characters out for power that will do anything to obtain it. I just really don't understand the main bad guy though. They seem to hate for no reason and cause tons of people to die...and yet their plan seems dumb overall and not the most likely plan to obtain power, if that is what they really sought. Which is why I rated the book as 4 instead of a 5. Mainly because I really didn't get or relate to the bad guys at all. The rest of the book is worth a 5 star, other than faulty bad guys. Then again maybe I just hate bullies, and bad guys that I don't get.
January 16, 2018
I love a good story teller. I love when a book portrays a story teller giving you the story that will unfold. It reminds me of my Grand Father or my Father. I guess it is the nostalgic way of viewing things.
"The Wolf of the North" is a great story. As always its about a boy and a girl. Can the boy get the girl. But this one has a twist like every good one does.
The similarities with Vikings in this story will put you at ease. The beliefs of the characters are very much in line with them. But it also reminded me to King Killer Chronicles or "Blood Song" by Anthony Ryan.
The main characters are Wulfric the boy, son of the First Warrior of his village. Adalhaid the girl of his dreams. Around them the village and the priest are of consequence. But its the two of them.
The religion, all the Northmen pray to Jorundyr an all powerful god that they feel will choose them and protect them. The passing to manhood for Wulfric is to get the blessing of Jorundyr.
The struggles of the village are also part of the story that unfolds around the two of them. You just can't have the boy make it easily to the girl.
I am loving the way the series has unfolded. Highly recommended.
"The Wolf of the North" is a great story. As always its about a boy and a girl. Can the boy get the girl. But this one has a twist like every good one does.
The similarities with Vikings in this story will put you at ease. The beliefs of the characters are very much in line with them. But it also reminded me to King Killer Chronicles or "Blood Song" by Anthony Ryan.
The main characters are Wulfric the boy, son of the First Warrior of his village. Adalhaid the girl of his dreams. Around them the village and the priest are of consequence. But its the two of them.
The religion, all the Northmen pray to Jorundyr an all powerful god that they feel will choose them and protect them. The passing to manhood for Wulfric is to get the blessing of Jorundyr.
The struggles of the village are also part of the story that unfolds around the two of them. You just can't have the boy make it easily to the girl.
I am loving the way the series has unfolded. Highly recommended.
March 11, 2017
Outstanding fantasy in which the strengths are the immersive quality of the writing and the collision of cultures. The lead characters are good and engaging, others not so much. Unsurprisingly the setting, while not specific, is reminiscent of Norse fantasy. The plot is excellent, leading to disappointment at the abrupt and quite unresolved ending. The pace was very good. I'll be looking for the next volume. Please.
April 14, 2019
I had high hopes for this book series but disappointment with the first one will keep me from reading any more. This is such a basic coming of age story it just had no life or vivacity to it at all. I've read this same story much too often and there wasn't even the smallest spark to keep me interested. The story is told by a traveling storyteller who keeps everyone entranced in the local gathering place as he drinks the ale people keep buying him and recounting the early life of the local folk legend/hero. This fantasy world gave me nothing of interest in it, even the small amount of magic didn't feel like it was really magic. The hero starts off being the object of bullying and takes a very long time to meet the circumstances that change him into someone who performs heroic deeds to protect his family and villagers. I kept hoping it would get better, but it didn't.
September 16, 2023
3.5 🌟 definitely a setup book, the best are the last 7 chapters. .. looking forward too book two!!!
May 10, 2020
Rating 2.0 stars
I feel bad about that rating. That is the rating for how I felt but not what I think. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Simon Vance who I think is awesome. On an intellectual level this was probably a 4 star book. If it wasn't for the fact that I thought about cutting my wrists at the end of the story (no, not really) I would have rated it higher. Seriously this story was super depressing. Tragedy indeed. I can't understand why anyone would want to spend so many hours reading something that makes them feel bad. I don't mind when there is tragedy in a book, but this one had one bad thing after another happen. I think the genre's listed are misleading as well. This is not an epic fantasy, this is not high fantasy. At best this is low fantasy. There is magic in the book but very little.
The story follows the life of Wulfric as he grows from a boy into manhood. He is the son of the first warrior in a north village where warriors are the pinnacle of society. Wulfric starts off as somewhat of a weak overweight character. His only friend is Adalhaid. She is the only one that doesn't look down on him. Over time, Wulfric comes out of his shell and begins his journey to become a warrior. This might have been influenced by a magic rock the he touched in the priests home. Wulfric has to deal with his share of issues. First is learning how to fight and getting the chance to make it as a warrior. Then when he starts doing well, he has to deal with the idea of being betrothed to the second swords daughter, despite her wanting nothing to do with him for most of his life. His feelings for Adalhaid have grown but he doesn't know how to deal with it.
This was not the story for me. I like good guys winning. I like bad guys getting what is coming to them. This was listening to 3 hours of anguish, loneliness and depression followed by 20 minutes of happiness before 3 more hours of unfairness. Wulfric would win every battle but lose every war (figuratively). I can't say I cared for Adalhaid either. All she ever did was leave and then to never write or anything doesn't sound like the actions of someone who is in love. The bad guys in the story get away with everything, everything seems to just work out in their favor. I don't care if the bad guys get theirs in the end, if the journey was torturous.
As I said this above this story might be a good one, it is just not one I want to read.
I feel bad about that rating. That is the rating for how I felt but not what I think. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Simon Vance who I think is awesome. On an intellectual level this was probably a 4 star book. If it wasn't for the fact that I thought about cutting my wrists at the end of the story (no, not really) I would have rated it higher. Seriously this story was super depressing. Tragedy indeed. I can't understand why anyone would want to spend so many hours reading something that makes them feel bad. I don't mind when there is tragedy in a book, but this one had one bad thing after another happen. I think the genre's listed are misleading as well. This is not an epic fantasy, this is not high fantasy. At best this is low fantasy. There is magic in the book but very little.
The story follows the life of Wulfric as he grows from a boy into manhood. He is the son of the first warrior in a north village where warriors are the pinnacle of society. Wulfric starts off as somewhat of a weak overweight character. His only friend is Adalhaid. She is the only one that doesn't look down on him. Over time, Wulfric comes out of his shell and begins his journey to become a warrior. This might have been influenced by a magic rock the he touched in the priests home. Wulfric has to deal with his share of issues. First is learning how to fight and getting the chance to make it as a warrior. Then when he starts doing well, he has to deal with the idea of being betrothed to the second swords daughter, despite her wanting nothing to do with him for most of his life. His feelings for Adalhaid have grown but he doesn't know how to deal with it.
This was not the story for me. I like good guys winning. I like bad guys getting what is coming to them. This was listening to 3 hours of anguish, loneliness and depression followed by 20 minutes of happiness before 3 more hours of unfairness. Wulfric would win every battle but lose every war (figuratively). I can't say I cared for Adalhaid either. All she ever did was leave and then to never write or anything doesn't sound like the actions of someone who is in love. The bad guys in the story get away with everything, everything seems to just work out in their favor. I don't care if the bad guys get theirs in the end, if the journey was torturous.
As I said this above this story might be a good one, it is just not one I want to read.
October 8, 2022
I did enjoy much of this saga, the first of a trilogy. I did not like it enough to continue on to the next two books.
Kindle Unlimited available for all three books at this time.
Kindle Unlimited available for all three books at this time.
June 10, 2017
This is the first book I have read by Duncan Hamilton and impressed by the many 5 star reviews I read it. For me it just didn't work though I did complete the book. I won't be buying the second in the series though even though the book ended on a 'cliff hanger' as so many books in a series do. I found it distinctly average and struggled for it to hold my interest. There is a hint of magic (a stone) which is never really explained except to imply it endows anyone who touches it with some useful powers but neither the reader or the characters seem to know how.
A storyteller begins the book by gathering a crowd to tell the tale of the protagonist. It is the familiar theme of a young overweight and timid boy not really warrior material who is often bullied by the antagonist and his cronies. The boy somehow goes through a transformation at the coming of age ceremonies successfully but with the hint of help from the magic element. His strength gradually appears to be more than would normally be expected.
There are lots of battles and skirmishes between neighbouring villages, various schemes of skulduggery and a forbidden love interestto add spice. The overall story to personally appeared plodding and predictable. It just seemed to go on and on and on and I found myself skipping here and there - always an indication I am not enjoying a book. I found it joyless and just not the best read for me though I am obviously in the minority.
Apparently the style reminds readers of David Gemmell's books. I never really got into his books either though again he was hailed as a top class writer.
As it is book one.. the ending on a critical point was so frustrating. It left me with few answers as to how our hero would overcome the last blows overwhelming him... on an intensely personal level, involving his love and his apparently triumphant hated antagonist. Obviously this is common practice to encourage readers to purchase the next book in the series. I don't really want to know the outcome enough to go for book two though; not when there are so many better reads on my BTR pile.
A storyteller begins the book by gathering a crowd to tell the tale of the protagonist. It is the familiar theme of a young overweight and timid boy not really warrior material who is often bullied by the antagonist and his cronies. The boy somehow goes through a transformation at the coming of age ceremonies successfully but with the hint of help from the magic element. His strength gradually appears to be more than would normally be expected.
There are lots of battles and skirmishes between neighbouring villages, various schemes of skulduggery and a forbidden love interestto add spice. The overall story to personally appeared plodding and predictable. It just seemed to go on and on and on and I found myself skipping here and there - always an indication I am not enjoying a book. I found it joyless and just not the best read for me though I am obviously in the minority.
Apparently the style reminds readers of David Gemmell's books. I never really got into his books either though again he was hailed as a top class writer.
As it is book one.. the ending on a critical point was so frustrating. It left me with few answers as to how our hero would overcome the last blows overwhelming him... on an intensely personal level, involving his love and his apparently triumphant hated antagonist. Obviously this is common practice to encourage readers to purchase the next book in the series. I don't really want to know the outcome enough to go for book two though; not when there are so many better reads on my BTR pile.
November 27, 2017
Read the full review at my site Digital Amrit
People want an exotic hero, someone who stands apart from them. No one wants to hear about the man from two fields over who becomes a great hero. That only makes them feel bad for not doing it themselves.
Introduction
The “Wolf of the North” trilogy is written by Duncan M. Hamilton, author of the excellent “Society of the Sword” series. The trilogy is at it’s a core a heroic fantasy – it is the story of Wulfric Wolframson who braves all odds for love and revenge.
This trilogy is basically one long story broken into three books. The Wolf of the North is a coming of age story where Wulfric becomes a warrior. Jorundyr’s Path is the story of how he matures as a warrior. The Blood Debt tells the story of his revenge. This story of Wulfric is told from multiple points of view, thought there is a nominal narrator.
Recommendation
I thoroughly enjoyed the series and would give a strong recommend to readers interested in fantasy specifically, heroic fantasy.
I am sucker for heroic fantasy. Stories which have mortal men who struggle against all odds by sheer blood and guts appeals to me like no other. Pop psychology might say it is because I have grown up on Indian mythology which typically has larger than life heroes. But that is neither here not there. What is relevant is the fact that Duncan M. Hamilton has written something brilliant here. His writing reminds me of David Gemmell’s in a lot of ways – the violence, the characters, the plot etc. Wulfric is Druss and Waylander and any of the other heroes.
Read the full review at my site Digital Amrit
People want an exotic hero, someone who stands apart from them. No one wants to hear about the man from two fields over who becomes a great hero. That only makes them feel bad for not doing it themselves.
Introduction
The “Wolf of the North” trilogy is written by Duncan M. Hamilton, author of the excellent “Society of the Sword” series. The trilogy is at it’s a core a heroic fantasy – it is the story of Wulfric Wolframson who braves all odds for love and revenge.
This trilogy is basically one long story broken into three books. The Wolf of the North is a coming of age story where Wulfric becomes a warrior. Jorundyr’s Path is the story of how he matures as a warrior. The Blood Debt tells the story of his revenge. This story of Wulfric is told from multiple points of view, thought there is a nominal narrator.
Recommendation
I thoroughly enjoyed the series and would give a strong recommend to readers interested in fantasy specifically, heroic fantasy.
I am sucker for heroic fantasy. Stories which have mortal men who struggle against all odds by sheer blood and guts appeals to me like no other. Pop psychology might say it is because I have grown up on Indian mythology which typically has larger than life heroes. But that is neither here not there. What is relevant is the fact that Duncan M. Hamilton has written something brilliant here. His writing reminds me of David Gemmell’s in a lot of ways – the violence, the characters, the plot etc. Wulfric is Druss and Waylander and any of the other heroes.
Read the full review at my site Digital Amrit
January 8, 2024
3.5 Stars
For the full review: https://medium.com/hooked-on-books/bo...
What's the story about: The Wolf of the North is a tale told in retrospect of how a warrior becomes someone of great renown from humble origins as an outcast. A very typical fantasy coming of age story that is told in the vein of The Name of the Wind but with a lot of heroic fantasy influences of vengeance, responsibility, and audacious deeds.
The Wolf of the North is not a complicated story, nor is it overly trite or without purpose. The author's voice narrates the tale with no flowery language, but does the job well enough. It's a simple premise, with likeable characters, and read easy, like a comfort book should. The third act does spoil a little of the journey taken, but the book is still likeable enough to get through. Don't expect to be blown away by anything, but when you just sit back and enjoy, there is enough here to appreciate.
For the full review: https://medium.com/hooked-on-books/bo...
What's the story about: The Wolf of the North is a tale told in retrospect of how a warrior becomes someone of great renown from humble origins as an outcast. A very typical fantasy coming of age story that is told in the vein of The Name of the Wind but with a lot of heroic fantasy influences of vengeance, responsibility, and audacious deeds.
The Wolf of the North is not a complicated story, nor is it overly trite or without purpose. The author's voice narrates the tale with no flowery language, but does the job well enough. It's a simple premise, with likeable characters, and read easy, like a comfort book should. The third act does spoil a little of the journey taken, but the book is still likeable enough to get through. Don't expect to be blown away by anything, but when you just sit back and enjoy, there is enough here to appreciate.
December 15, 2016
A basic story, told in a basic manner, basically.
Short story, of a time proven plot; a young boy growing to manhood, the finest warrior of his particular region and beset by misfortune and dastardly villains. Oh and the obligatory childhood sweetheart for a love interest.
As the title suggests a tad predictable and I doubt I'll be back to catch the next episode.
Short story, of a time proven plot; a young boy growing to manhood, the finest warrior of his particular region and beset by misfortune and dastardly villains. Oh and the obligatory childhood sweetheart for a love interest.
As the title suggests a tad predictable and I doubt I'll be back to catch the next episode.
August 5, 2024
A solid tale, reminding me a lot of Malice from the Faithful and the Fallen. Young boy grows into a warrior. Fairly intimate to his story, only hints at a wider tale. Overall, I enjoyed it. Good action, good story, good characters. Just needs that last bit to be a 5 star book for me.
December 22, 2017
Duncan M. Hamilton has a strong voice and I was immediately drawn into this story. It reminded me of the Kingkiller Chronicles with the use of the narrator (and those parts were particularly well done). Because it's a coming of age, it reads more like a ya fantasy. The scenes are short, sometimes a little too short and skipping some detail I would have enjoyed reading. This book seems to be laying the foundation for the rest of the series. It was a quick read, despite a few slow spots and the momentum that slowed towards the end. The series shows a lot of promise and I definitely be picking up the next!
February 4, 2017
The Wolf of the North is a story about an epic hero named Wulfric's life journey.
This first book is the beginning of his journey from a fat bullied victim who daydreaming to become the village's first warrior like his father to young warrior apprentice finding his path to an angry warrior. I have to admitted that he his journey is so rough and bumpy I want to scream.
The writing is solid and suit with the tales and while the book's steady rhythm tends to keep the excitement at bay the story is still engaging and fun.
This first book is the beginning of his journey from a fat bullied victim who daydreaming to become the village's first warrior like his father to young warrior apprentice finding his path to an angry warrior. I have to admitted that he his journey is so rough and bumpy I want to scream.
The writing is solid and suit with the tales and while the book's steady rhythm tends to keep the excitement at bay the story is still engaging and fun.
April 24, 2018
Fanstastic beginning to an even more amazing series. I can’t say enough about how well written this is. Great world building (kind of Game of Thrones meets The Vikings but better). And the character development & writing are superb.
If you like your Protagonists smart & badazz & villains that aren’t cardboard or cartoonish then snap this series up. And unlike game of thrones this is a complete journey in only 3 books and they are already written.
I liked this series so much I went out and found all his other books & they were equally great. Highly recommended!
If you like your Protagonists smart & badazz & villains that aren’t cardboard or cartoonish then snap this series up. And unlike game of thrones this is a complete journey in only 3 books and they are already written.
I liked this series so much I went out and found all his other books & they were equally great. Highly recommended!
June 17, 2017
Good start to the series.
It was interesting read and I didn't rate 5 stars because for some reason the story and it's leading events kept me down. So far really liking the the main character as per others I am not sure.
I am not ready go through next book right away so probably will pick it up later.
It was interesting read and I didn't rate 5 stars because for some reason the story and it's leading events kept me down. So far really liking the the main character as per others I am not sure.
I am not ready go through next book right away so probably will pick it up later.
November 26, 2017
Good story with a decently interesting protagonist. I was a bit disappointed with the simplistic style of writing that the author has used. The switch from character perspectives often seemed a bit random and disjointed and was the biggest negative to me. I will continue to read the series though, as it is interesting and an easy read.
December 21, 2017
I'm really enjoying this story so far. I do sometimes wish there was more character development, and that the author took a little more time with the story, but that's me and my desire for complete and total immersion. It's well written, and the pace is quick but not rushed. I started book 2 tonight, and it looks to be a beautiful continuation.
January 9, 2017
Nothing special. I was surprised I finished the book!
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