The Wolf of Dorian Gray: A Werewolf Spawned by the Evil of Man

The Wolf of Dorian Gray #1

by Brian S. Ference

“Sage tried to ignore the flash of blood, as the image of the giant grey wolf rushed back into her mind. During one of her nightly gatherings in Epping Forest, she was astounded to come across the animal—which was thought to have been hunted to extinction in England well over two centuries ago.”


So begins The Wolf of Dorian Gray. This expanded edition of the classic philosophical fiction by Oscar Wilde, features all-new scenes in a compelling tale of love, lust, and the werewolf spawned by the evil of man. The story, set in late 1800’s England, follows the life of Dorian Gray, who through ancient Romani magic’s and the skills of an astonishing artist, has had his fate and soul irrevocably linked, with the last remaining wolf in the forests of England. Dorian revels in the experiences of first love, delights in the art and beauty of the world, relishes the freedom of his youth, and is awakened to the many pleasures of life. His friend and mentor, Lady Helena provides a guiding hand, as he struggles with his conscience and the purpose of living. Meanwhile, the wolf begins to grow and change into a hideous monster, that is ravaging the countryside. What will happen when the wolf comes to London? Can Dorian save his soul? Or will the beast consume it and his life, along with those of his friends and loved ones? Complete with adventurous romance, harrowing escapes, hell-bent revenge, and a werewolf terrorizing the gentry; The Wolf of Dorian Gray transcends this classic work of literature, into a compelling and most delicious read. Read more at www.thewolfofdoriangray.com

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Ebooks, Retellings, Paranormal, Fiction, Werewolves

214 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 23, 2016

About the author

“In order to be happy you must create something meaningful in this world and not just be a consumer of life. It is also important to share your love freely with friends and family. I believe in confronting your fears and experiencing new things, places, and people. Lastly, everyone needs something to believe in whether it be religion, a cause, or even themselves.” – Brian S. Ference

Brian S. Ference lives in Cave Creek, Arizona with his wife Rachel and three children Nathan, Lena, and Victoria. He has always had a passion for reading and writing from a young age. Brian loves new experiences, which has included operating his own company, traveling the world, working as a project manager, diving with sharks, and anything creative or fun. He is always up for a new adventure such as writing or other artistic pursuits.

Read more at http://brianference.com

Reviews

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of The Wolf of Dorian Grey in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are sincere and honest; of course, my own. This is a period-piece, werewolf, horror novel set in Victorian England. There are some graphic kills and gore (the way you should expect of a werewolf novel, although he doesn’t go overboard describing the eviscerations.) Some of the story beats are reminiscent of Oscar Wilde’s classic the Picture of Dorian Grey, but it is not the same story although Ference is clearly riffing on the classic character. Dorian Grey is a man who is self-obsessed. He helps to rescue a wolf cub while going into the forest for a walk with his friend, Sage. Sage is a gypsy naturist painter who has gone into the forest to gather herbs to create her own paints. While she mixes the paints, she utters ancient words to make her colors more vivid. While painting a portrait of Dorian with the cub she imbues the portrait, the cub, and Dorian with occult powers. This is not a typical werewolf story, but it is IMHO bordering on great.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The wolf of Dorian Gray is Brian Ference's rendition of Oscar Wilde's famous classic (The Picture of Dorian Gray) With a dark and paranormal twist. Although I've never read the original, (I know, I know! I need to step up my classic's game!) I was still able to enjoy this book. You don't have to know the original story to enjoy this retelling but, obviously, I cannot compare the two.

This book is slow paced. I enjoyed taking my time to understand the story line, especially since I've never read the original. There were a few parts that dragged a bit for me but, fortunately, it didn't take long for my interest to spark back up. Good world building and all the main characters were developed well. I do wish there was more written about Sage, she's my favorite.

Just a warning: there are some graphic scenes in this (murder, sex, drug/alcohol use, etc). But not too many or anything too crazy IMO.

Overall, I think this is a pretty neat adult paranormal retelling. I'm interested to see if Dorian is ever able to save his soul and really change his ways or if he'll continue down his dark path and stay the monster that he's become.


*** I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Booktasters for introducing me to this author, and that you to Brian Terence for sending me an eBook copy of his work. ***

[Nerdish Mum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

It's been years since I read The Picture Of Dorian Gray but I do remember the basic story and The Wolf Of Dorian Gray seems to follow the original with some gender bending of characters and the obvious introduction of the Werewolf.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up and I thought it would either be really good or really bad. I was pleased that it turned out to be the former. The original story is great anyway but the new scenes and changes have been done very sympathetically and so you the two authors work fits together seamlessly.

I really enjoyed the character of Dorian Gray and I enjoyed watching his descent into depravity and perversity culminating in one particularly horrendous crime. It was fascinating the corresponding effect his crimes and behaviour had on the wolf and the painting. I thought it was really well thought out how the wolf became more of a wolf/monster/human hybrid as time went out, it was actually quite terrifying how it was described and the attacks it was committing with an incredible intelligence.

The story shows how meeting just one person can change the course of your destiny for good or in this case for the bad.

I would have liked to have seen more of both Sage and Lady Helena as they are both interesting characters in their own right and in extremely different ways. I really enjoyed that they were changed from the original male characters into female as I thought their friendships with Dorian took on another dimension.

The only thing that didn't sit right with me is probably a problem with me rather than the writing, but I didn't like the use of measurements when describing things. Instead of saying someone was six foot tall, the height would be given in centimetres etc and I found it awkward to read.

The Wolf Of Dorian Gray can be read as a stand alone, but the author has left an epilogue which totally whets your appetite for the second book which I believe might be out later this year.

Overall a really enjoyable read and I am looking forward to re-reading the original at some point in the near future.

[Nikka Maurice · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry if I'm being too blunt, but I honestly didn't like this book at all and I actually struggled to finish it. I couldn't say it's because of the genre because I do like fantasy and paranormal.

I found out that it's some sort of retelling of the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. I personally haven't read that book yet but some say it's quite similar except for the werewolf thing and some gender reverals. Perhaps if I've read The Picture of Dorian Gray prior, I could appreciate this book more.

Anyway, Dorian is the kind of main character who is villainous and despicable. I couldn't stop hating him from the moment he broke Sibyl's heart. I felt that his reason for leaving her was too shallow. In fact, I think Dorian is too shallow himself. As the title suggests, he's basically evil and immoral. His self-respect and dignity start to disintegrate as the story progresses and near the end, he's become too inhuman.

Another character I couldn't quite like is Lady Helena. In my opinion, she is the very root and cause of Dorian's downfall.

I was also a bit disappointed that Sage didn't have a lot of scenes in the book because I initially thought of her as the main character. I kept waiting for the moment when Dorian would have a sudden realization that he loved Sage, but that didn't happen. Instead, we're given the sad injustice of her murder.

Also, the transition between each period of the timeline was poor. One moment I was reading about a 30-year-old Dorian and then without so much as a little heads-up, he's become 40. I could say the same for the transition between the character viewpoints. It really was quite disorienting for me in some parts.

Now for the werewolf, I couldn't care less about its hunting scenes. I know it adds a bit of spice for the book but it's just not as interesting for me. Its scenes are too bloody and brutal for my taste.

Cover-wise, I think it needs great improvement because it's quite tacky. I don't know about other readers, but I usually like books with attractive covers - ones I'd be proud to display on my shelf.

On the bright side, the writing is quite fast paced and enough to pique my interest. I kept reading on, curious to find out what would happen next. Also, I think it's great that we're given full backstories for some of the characters. I'm curious enough to find out what would become of Dorian. Will he be able to overcome his worldy desires? Or will he fall back to the evil?

***The author sent me a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

[Wulfwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not certain what I was expecting from this book. I selected it because of Dorian Gray. If you haven't read The Picture of Dorian Gray, I do recommend it, (unless you are offended easily or prefer clean reads). Is this book like the classic? It did remind me of it but...no. However, the tale the author told was just as cautionary and fascinating. I started it on what turned out to be a bad day for me. I ended up interrupted too often to get into it. I picked it up last night intending to read for an hour or so before bed. It turned into or so as I stayed up all night reading. This is one of those books that you will keep telling yourself, "one more chapter," without realizing the one more chapter you seek is the final chapter. Choose your reading time carefully. This book has a bit of just about everything in it. It has mystery, romance, debauchery, revenge, action, murder, horror and faithful servitude that leads to a challenge of leadership. It crosses in and out genres like a lovers dance. This book is one of my favorites from the year. I can hardly wait for “The Wolf of Dorian Gray: Purgatory of the Werewolf” I recommend this book, especially to those who like a good werewolf story. It is entertaining and a bit different from the werewolf fare of late.
I reviewed this book through BookTasters. The author provided an electronic copy for review consideration. Opinions expressed are honest and my own. Though at about 3am I did wake up my friend when I was shocked by an event. I then went into detail on why I was dying. Once they knew I was reading I was left to my tears, (I was assured I was still loved by my dog though who remained by my side until I completed it. She was compensated with a dog biscuit. I, however, received no compensation.).

[Julie janvier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has explicit scenes and if you find «nature of the beast» disgusting , then this book isn't for you because it has sometimes (not a lot of times) scenes that the author puts details on how the wolf kills his victims.

At first, I wasn't really into the book because I didn't understand the meaning of the title with the story but the beauty of reading the book is that the more you read it, the more you actually understand the meaning of the title.

So this book is about Dorian Gray and his friends. In the beginning of the book, you see that Dorian is the most gentle man than any other men that you can find, but the more he takes his time with Lady Helena, he becomes someone that can be mean and cruel towards women. The wolf in the story is also Dorian Gray (Sage -one of Dorian's friend- called him that), so the more the man becomes mean, the wolf becomes more of a wolf (a violent one that enjoys hunting and killing preys). Sometimes it make me think of the Beauty and the Beast (I know I know it isn't the same but still).

The way that Dorian (the human) knows that the wolf becomes more mean is because of a portrait that Sage did of both of them. The image of the wolf changes everytimes they become meaner to the people.

Dorian (the human) is the alpha because he rescued the little wolf when his mother died so he is the alpha and the leader of the pack. Little do we know is that the wolf seems to be able to know when to kill humans for his «leader».

I don't want to spoil anything but let me tell you that the end is terrific (in a good way). It has a plot and honestly, I can't wait for the next book because I want to know more about what is happening to Dorian Gray!

I give this book a 5/5! You should really read it !

[Chiara Mars · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was kindly given a free copy of this book, by the author, in exchange for an honest review.

I will start by saying that werewolves aren't my cup of tea but what the author did with this retelling of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is actually pretty neat.

Personally, i liked the story but I wasn't too crazy about it since, like I said previously, werewolves aren't usually "my thing".

What I DID like was the writing itself. It was so beautiful and detailed that I decided to raise my initial rating because of it. I will definitely check out more of this author's work in the future.

Should you read this book? If you enjoy retellings that are mixed with fantasy/paranormal elements then you should totally pick this book up!

[Mark Johnshon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this story is so beautifully written! Like wow, I'm so blown away. And the whole idea of her painting with blood...just brilliant. Very interesting twist at end, don't want to give too much away.

[Nikita Mittu · Rating 3 out of 5]

“…fear can be an important sign that you are doing the right thing. It is far more fun to do something, than to be constantly afraid of it”
Let me start by saying that I haven't read Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and this book being a rendition of the famous classic has drawn a lot of comparison between the two! I read a few detailed reviews of the classic and I don't feel the need to read Wilde's story in order to understand this book better.
The beginning of the book was enthralling and promising. I liked the story development around Sage, Dorian and the wolf. The struggle of Dorian and the hunt of the wolf gave me all the feels. I was very curious as to the character of Sage which was not identified as much as I wanted it to. However there was a little development to it in the later part of the book. Dorian and the Wolf being the protagonists of the story were very well written and I loved the storytelling from the wolf's perspective.



I did lose interest in the book somewhere in the middle due to the lack of any important occurrence. The vanity and shallowness of Dorian seemed really pushed to me. I also felt that the switching of characters could have been better defined. However I did gain back interest in the last 50 pages of the book where I was hoping for so many things to happen and not having enough pages to read made me crave for more. The EPILOGUE was amazing and remarkably written! I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

RATING : 3/ 5 STARS :)

*I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from the author. Thank you Brian Ference.*

[dearrivarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very interesting take on the immortality of Dorian Gray and definitely something I'd be interested in keeping up with in the future - full review to come.

[Chanel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon my reading of Ference's rendition of Wilde's story, the immediate differences I recognized were that Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton were exchanged for female characters though retained their same personalities from Wilde's original version. It was unclear why Ference chose to make these character changes which didn't feel as if they added anything of substance to his work. Many of the remaining characters retained their original names - Dorian Gray, Sybil Vane, James Vane, etc. - which made the change the opening two characters even more confusing. It seemed that, in the beginning of the writing process, Ference intended to change the characters, then went in a different direction for the duration of the novel.

One aspect of Ference's work that I favored over Wilde's original was its brevity. While Ference retained much of the classical style of Wilde's writing, much of the philosophical dialogue, the incorporation of Victorian and romantic elements, and many of Wilde's same themes about vanity and the consequences of unbridled hedonism, Ference did so in a way that I enjoyed much more as a reader. Unlike with Wilde's work, I did not find myself checking out or skimming over parts of Ference's story in the same way. Ference was able to incorporate the style, imagery, and dialogue in the essence of Wilde without the tangential and seemingly interminable passages that Wilde's original work employs. As such, from a cognitive standpoint, Ference's work kept me more engaged throughout.

WARNING: SLIGHT SPOILERS: Another clear addition to Ference's novel that did his work justice was the Gothic incorporation of the titular wolf. Instead of just a portrait of Dorian painted by the artist, the portrait also contains an abandoned wolf cub that Dorian Gray rescued from the wilderness. As such, throughout the progression of Ference's novel, it is the wolf who becomes more and more evil and grotesque both in the painting and in the reality of the novel. It is also the wolf who commits many of the heinous acts that Gray originally commits himself in Wilde's story, causing Gray to question his actions not based on his own vanity, but rather out of his care for the good of society that the growing wolf continues to terrorize. As a fan of the horror genre and of supernatural elements incorporated into surreal settings, I could appreciate the addition of the werewolf-esque creature into Ference's retelling of Wilde's story.
Author Brian S. Ference shared with me a copy of his debut novel The Wolf of Dorian Gray in exchange for an honest review. Obviously, his work is derived from Oscar Wilde's classic The Picture of Dorian Gray. Despite having earned a B.A. in English and pursuing a career teaching English literature and composition at the secondary level, I never read Wilde's original tale. Despite knowing the basic premise of Wilde's original story, I felt it was only fair to go back and read the classic work of literature in order to write a thorough and accurate review of Ference's work.

I was somewhat disappointed to see how closely it followed Wilde's original. There were points at which I felt like I was re-reading the same story almost word-for-word. The few digressions from the original that Ference chose in his own title did not change the heart of story in any way, which made his work feel somewhat unoriginal at many points throughout.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed Ference's work. His writing style was much more readable for me and the incorporation of even more paranormality into Wilde's already Gothic tale made it all the more enjoyable. My only qualm remains that the story feels a bit too mirrored at times to Wilde's original, and, as such, lacks some of the intended creativity. Ference's story does have a sequel, though, and I hope this second book emphasizes more of his own innovation in the story line while maintaining all the traits of this first piece that one can appreciate as a reader.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book itself is a 3.5 to 4 out of 5 – the reason why I leaned more towards the rating of 4 was because of the style of writing, the supernatural element that was twisted on the story itself (& you do not need to read the original classic to follow along with this take) and the overall story line.

The introduction of the wolf was a lot latter than I expected but it was not a put off. I enjoyed the build up to where the title itself comes into play – it was a necessary to build up the story but of course I just couldn't wait to get into the thick of things. When I was first approached with reading and reviewing this book – I had a completely different idea in mind (especially when compared to game of thrones, expected it to be more gruesome. But I loved the level of detail put into the gory sections. They weren’t too much to make me put the book down) and I honestly liked how Brian took the story and played his own twist.

Normally not one for this genre, I found the book overall a wonderful re-telling, & could not help but favour the character Sage. However, there were some aspects of the book I did not like – but that is based on the genre itself and other subjects like drugs and sex scenes. I would recommend this book to those who liked the original tale and looking for a more – if I can call it modern – take, supernatural fans that enjoy a good werewolf telling, and those who like horror/thriller books that is similar to that of Frankenstein.

[Ilana Eisenhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was requested to read this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. I didn't know what to expect from this book going in. I am always willing to try something new when it comes to reading books. When I first saw the cover I was a little hesitant because I thought I would be reading a cheesy horror novel, but I was pleasantly surprised when the book turned out to be a mostly faithful retelling of the classic tale with the exception of the addition of the wolf and some character gender changes.

Dorian Gray accompanies his artist friend Sage into the woods so she can collect herbs and leaves for her homemade paints. They come across a wolf pup who is orphaned when his mother dies in an animal trap. Dorian tries to open the trap to release the mother wolf but injures his hand and the wolf also has some injuries. Sage cleans both of them with rags from her art studio. When she mixes her paints she decides to mix in some of the blood from both Dorian and the wolf which she then uses to paint a portrait of Dorian with the wolf pup. This is how the magic of of Dorian's eternal portrait is created and where all of Dorian's problems and those of his social circle begins.
Dorian is vain and shallow and goes through life without much care for the feelings of others. As the death toll rises around him, it is the wolf pup's image that changes and contorts into a vicious creature and Dorian's image stays the same. Dorian doesn't age even though his image stays the same in the portrait. This is where this story and the original start to diverge. All of the corruption goes into the wolf pup's image, turning the wolf cub into an almost human creature. The parts dedicated to the werewolf I skimmed through because I preferred the human story line more than reading about an animal on the hunt. I also found it a little too gory for my taste.

I enjoyed the book for the most part. I liked the traditional part of the story. The writing was very good and easy to read and follow.

[curleduptoes · Rating 5 out of 5]

We may call this a somewhat modern version of the original i.e The Picture of Dorian Gray. The only new addition is the wolf. And though the original cannot be compared with any of its kinds, this version may give it a tough competition. It’s a lovely book.

The story, set in 1800s, takes us through the life of Dorian Gray, whose fate is irrevocably linked with that of a pack of wolves, due to the ancient herbal-magical skills performed upon his picture. As he gets in touch with Sage’s friend Lady Helena, he experiences the many appetizing moments of his life that continue to grow him as a person but lower the quality of his soul, just like the wolf, that starts getting bigger in size, as well as his attacks. The hunger is like, never easing and very consuming, in spite of Dorian’s awareness, that his inner being is morphing into something more sinister, day by day.

What follows is a series of deaths and heart breaks, but Gray, who is well into himself cannot fathom what, in actuality, is going around. Taking no notice of the events and the consequences, leaving behind his valuable friendships, Dorian keeps indulging himself, until he gets fed up of the nagging guilt and decides to kill the wolf, now knowing that he was the one who fed him up to the brim and the very wolf can be dangerous to himself.

The story is very well said and engaging. The writing is very clear. I have supreme respect for Lady Helena, and at the same time, cant stop wondering that how can a single person’s words influence ones’ whole life. The book has everything, action, romance, horror, thrill, complete entertainment. The climax was totally unpredictable, which is another point that I love about this tale.

I would recommend this to all those who love historical fiction and wolves.

[Dahlia Amr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book I was not expecting that I will like it so much. this book is about a man called Dorian Grey and his friends Sage and leady Helena ,in the beginning of the book Dorian Grey is really the "prince charming " but the more he became friend with lady Helena he starts to lose more of himself. he became a person with no manners or morals. but then u find my self feeling so bad for lady Helena because she has gone into a very bad experience which changed her a lot and had broken her heart . so she is not that bad . then we have the wolf dorian grey it has the same name of dorian . this wolf was the mirror that reflects the soul of dorian and how it changed, that was so good it literally described the way dorian felt toward anything he was dealing with . I wanted to read more about Sage actually I was shocked when she died , I liked her character I wanted to know more about her and see her character develop through the book more . I don't want to spoil anything but the book is terribly amazing, can't wait for the next book .

[Lariza Agius Mashevskaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked to review this book and so I am

This book is sooo good ! I haven't read anything like this that made me continue reading its the kind of book where you just say 1 more chapter until you finish it . This book containes romance , horror , murder and alot of action ! I actually felt bad for james when he died at the prologue.

Lady helena is a fantastic name , but I felt like she was a bit pushy, Sage was a favorite character of mine I enjoyed her she is soft spoken she is gentle. As for Dorian I started disliking him at first because he acted like a big jerk I must say and always like rethinking and finding his horrible ways
I enjoyed reading about Dorian's and the wolf's connection I found it very intresting .

This book is more for adults since it does contain sexual nature in some scenes , overall I enjoyed the book it was very compelling and fun exciting read , I love the author's writing and I can't wait for more!

[Ipeh Alena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I haven't read "The Picture of Dorian Gray" yet, when Brian contacted me and ask me to review his first book, I just couldn't refuse. Of course, I knew it from my friend that 'it' has near the originality story of Wilde's works. The prologue intrigued me, leave me, with many questions in my head. But, this is a new side - wholly - of Dorian Gray.

To be honest, I like reading this ebook, because of the good writing style of Brian. And also this story has a good plot and moves slowly. The big plus is 'added scene' of Dorian's, when he became the killer.

*I received an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review*

[Threasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written book by Mr. Ference. Dorian Gray isn't a very likable character, but it is good to see both sides of him, good and evil. The book makes me want to go back and read Dorian Gray again. I won this book on goodreads, and I am very glad I received it and got to read it. There is romance, intrigue, and of course, the werewolf. A good read.

[Rachel M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly intriguing story with a great twist. It has something for everyone with action, romance, and mystery. Love the powerful Lady Helena. Can't wait for the second book.

[Jacques Coulardeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising re-writing of Oscar Wilde

We all know “The picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. A denunciation of complete perversion in the elite of Victorian society, both brought up by the evil mind, soul or whatever of one aristocrat and nurtured by the tremendously hypocritical and perverse morality of that age governed by a widow for decades, a widow that owed nothing to Shakespeare and his “Merry Wives of Windsor.” We all know the role of the painting that takes all the evil of Dorian Gray while Dorian Gray remains as pure and young as he was when he sat for the portrait. We all know that when he dies in front of his portrait his body takes all his age and villainy back and the portrait returns to its youthful original semblance, because it was only a semblance covering up the ugliness of the character in this unchanged and unchanging portrait, at least after Dorian Gray’s death.

Brian Ference twists the story slightly and the artist, a female painter comes across a dead female wolf in the forest that died one leg bitten by a wolf trap. Next to her a wolf pup was still alive. She decides to pick the pup and her friend Dorian Gray approves and becomes its godfather of sorts by giving it his own name. The painter paints Dorian Gray with the pup and that’s the strange transformation of the story. The Dorian Gray on the portrait remains youthful and pure, but the wolf transforms itself with age. The pup had become an adult wolf and as such had left the painter’s home and escaped to the forest; This wolf will become the monster Dorian Gray is in his life and every crime of poor Dorian Gray will make the wolf even worse.

The wolf reenacts the Jack the Ripper saga in London and it raids all animals possible in the countryside, creating a real panic both in the countryside and in London. But this monster appears to be the faithful follower of its master, Dorian Gray himself. Strangely enough at the end he will attack and kill the artist when she is shown what her painting has produced and when she rejects her affiliation to this horror. The wolf takes care of the body. Sometime later, Dorian Gray in front of his portrait, wants to destroy it and to destroy the beast. So he summons it and tries to kill it but fails. Instead the beast devours its dead master after killing him.

And there you have what you knew all along. This final devouring session occurs on a full moon night and the wolf escapes to the forest but on the following day in the wolf’s lair Dorian Gray is alive, unharmed, naked and covered with blood. He manages to go out of the forest and find the artist’s country home, deserted of course since she is dead. He cleans himself and finds some clothing and decides to live a new life. Indeed. The life of a werewolf.

Oscar Wilde’s story is a tremendous denunciation of the ugliness of 19th century life in Great Britain. This aspect disappears here completely because of the tone and also of the fact that we know it does not come from that time. There is no distance and thus the story is just a story told to us in modern time. It becomes then a tale of imagination. Werewolves are both famous and infamous. They have been slightly used by Stephen King in the traditional way in his “Cycle of the Werewolf” and then the werewolf is the local preacher and thus Stephen King targets the hypocrisy of Christian religion in America. The whole myth was transformed by Anne Rice, the same way she transformed vampires, in her recent, though short, series. Her werewolves only attack criminals, just like her vampires, and they have to take care of those from the past who do not want to behave like that, and thus they are a way to sanitize modern society. Under this vision there is the belief that criminals cannot be reformed, no matter what the crime may be. It is a very dubious and pessimistic vision of society that is in a way extremely American. Nothing to do with the British series “Being Human.”

Brian Ference goes back to the tradition and the resuscitated Dorian Gray at the end is so cruelly naïve, since he does not know he is a werewolf and, even worse, he does not know he will not be able to escape his fate every full moon night. He swears he is going to lead a normal peaceful and moral life, but that is a full lie.

The story is interesting in many ways and the next episode will probably re-assess the picture, or the portrait since we have to find out what happened to it. Is the wolf still a monster there or has it gone back to his old form as a pup?

Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU

[Tex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dorian and the Wolf.......my, my, my.

By Tex on July 5, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
WARNING CONTAINS SPOILERS I was somewhat apprehensive when I received the book. However, once you start reading you fall into a complex infrastructure supporting what is the book. I have to admire an author for creating such a structure that allowed me while reading, to see as the people saw, to hear the conversations, and feel the emotions with each word chosen. It also allowed for me to understand the characters such as Helena and Sage, but it also provided perspective. The simultaneous writing of both Dorian Gray and the Wolf Dorian Gray was meticulously written. While strolling in the woods, Dorian with a friend, Sage, found a wolf cub in need of rescuing. While doing so, Dorian suffered a wound. Although Sage clearly differed with his doing so, Dorian allowed the Cub to lick all the blood off himself. The Cub enjoyed. That act of sharing blood created a wolf-pack mentality bond between Dorion, Pack-leader, and the Cub. For the duration, Sage cared for the Cub. He was developing skills and hearing and reacting to Dorian's emotions and thoughts. He also developed thinking skills, language skills, decision-making skills and the like. As the Cub grew to Werewolf he became bipedal. Eventually though, Sage had to Kick Dorian Gray Werewolf out of her house because he became his own person. The two entities live side-by-side lives until Dorian determines he must eradicate the Werewolf to start a new life. Instead, the Werewolf eats Dorian. The Epilogue is allegorically brilliant. Dorian is born again from the werewolf Dorian Gray. As he stumbles out of the cave moving forward learning to use his legs, he sees Sage’s Estate. Dorian enters for clothes, bath, and food. While he gathers items he looks around and remarks about Sage’s disappearance.
(I was asked to review this book in exchange for my honest feedback)

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book and have voluntarily reviewed it.

The Wolf of Dorian Gray by Brian S. Ference is the first in a dark fantasy series based on Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Except for a few changes and the addition of a werewolf this story is very much like the original. It felt like a really long introduction for the next book which I assume will have an original plot. EDIT: I have now read the second book and can say that it is definitely better than the first, and well worth reading.

The story was rather slow, and because I'm familiar with the original a bit boring. I didn't care what happened to the characters, not even the most sympathetic of them (Sage and Sibyl). I didn't connect with any of them, most of them being horrible people, and the ones who weren't, were either not in it long enough for me to care about them yet or a bit irritating like Sage. Sage never stood up for herself, she had despicable friends and it just annoyed me.

There is also a lot of gore and gruesome deaths of both animals and people (mostly women). I felt Sibyl's murder was just gratuitous, we already knew how she had died and then we were forced to read about it.

Overall I would recommend this to those who enjoy dark fantasy, aren't bothered by gore, and are aware a lot of this story is a drama (in fact, except for the prelude the werewolf doesn't show up until at least half the book is finished).

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was contacted by Brian Ference to review his book with my honest opinion and in return I received a free ebook copy of his book. I was in no way influenced by this arrangement.

The Wolf of Dorian Gray is Mr. Ference's parody of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. While I have not yet read the classic work, I don't feel like you necessarily need to read it in order to enjoy this book. I felt I knew enough about the classic tale that I could enjoy the similarities between the two books.

This book takes place in the late 1800s in England. Throughout the majority of the book you follow the life of Dorian Gray. Dorian is friends with a prominent artist named Sage, who is in love with our protagonist. She loves painting portraits and decides to paint one of Dorian and a tiny wolf cub Sage names after Dorian. The wolf cub is the last wolf of England and, in hopes of releasing the cub back into the wild one day, the two decide to raise the wolf cub (well, mostly Sage. Dorian is more of that one uncle who comes to play with your kid for an hour and then leave). One day Dorian comes over to visit with Sage and the wolf cub and meets with Lady Helena, with who he begins a love affair with despite her being married. Through different points of view, we follow Dorian Gray's life. He falls in love for the first time and is seemingly love-struck, but then starts spiraling downhill. It's only when Dorian starts exhibiting his own bloodlust that he realizes something is off with himself. Perhaps it is connected to the portrait Sage paints for Dorian, perhaps it is his deep connection with the wolf cub, who grows up to roam the countryside as an unusually strong and intelligent animal with a thirst for blood.

I will say that after I became accustomed to the writing style I found the story to be interesting and unique in the field of "werewolf" themed stories. I thought this would be a typical werewolf story, but it was intriguing how the author incorporated the portrait and the downward spiral of Dorian in connection with the once playful wolf. However, I did feel the story was rushed. I think the author could have easily slowed the story down, expanded on Dorian's relationship with Sage before she used the wolf's blood on the portrait, and expanded on the incidents listed towards the end of the book. I won't go into details because I don't want to spoil the story completely, but I was literally thinking "Wait what?! I want to know more about these incidents!" I felt if the story was expanded that Dorian wouldn't have come to the conclusion about the portrait being the source of evil so easily. I also generally didn't like Dorian and Lady Helena. I felt if the author had expanded on pre-portrait Dorian that maybe I would have liked the character better because I didn't sympathize with him at all. Dorian seemed to be selfish, vain, and shallow, which are not very redeeming qualities for me, but if I had a back-story on Dorian where I could feel sympathy for him or if I could more easily discern his behavior in the book is due to the portrait, I feel like I would have cared about the character. I'm not sure what could have been done about Lady Helena because I feel like she was supposed to be the bad influence. Another criticism of the story I have is part of Sage's back-story when her parents and her are talking to each other. I know the author was trying to do a Mark Twain style of writing dialect, but I couldn't understand the characters at all. That's mostly a critique in general for me because I also had issues with Mark Twain when he would write in that fashion. The last criticisms I have are that the back-stories of the characters seemed to be placed in the story awkwardly. I felt if part of Sage's story came in the beginning of the book in her chapter and Lady Helena's was introduced with Sage's, then the individual chapters revolving around the characters wouldn't have been so awkward, but I did enjoy all the chapters surrounding the wolf and I wanted more chapters like that. The epilogue of the book and the last 50ish pages were wonderful and thrilling. These are all just my own personal opinions. I would love to read the next book.

Overall I felt the book was enjoyable and thought provoking. It is also an interesting take on classic werewolf tales. I would also like to say that this book did contain explicit sex scenes and the POV of the wolf was very brutal to read. It was very "nature of the beast" and if you don't enjoy that then I would not suggest this book to you. To those of you who are not turned off by that, I would suggest this book to you.

[Lunabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The wolf of Dorian Gray is a dark but extraordinary book, with a lot of detail and amazingly developed characters. Dorian Gray, the main character starts out the book as a “Prince Charming”, but his friend Sage paints a painting of him that starts to change Gray’s life. The novel is an enthralling journey of a man in the 1800s, who discovers the pleasures, horrors and experiences that life brings for a handsome rich gentleman with influential friends. Meanwhile, the wolf cub that he has raised is feeding on the enemies and friends of Gray. The novel is compelling and has a great plot, with an interesting ending that leaves you wanting more and wondering what will happen next to the changed man, Dorian Gray. Although The Wolf of Dorian Gray had some quite graphic scenes and quite a bit of unnecessary detail, Mr Ference has produced a very well written book, I would definitely recommend it.
(I was contacted by the author to review this boo)

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book free for an honest review and I will reveal no spoilers! I hope. I finished reading this book in two hours.This is a book I would normally pass by but the title and the book cover drew my attention. The hint of a classic Oscar Wild title came to mind, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ference writing in this book shows the parallels between the two books. The character's are well developed. There are a few graphic scenes in the book (sex scenes) that did not need to be so graphic. You can passover them quickly if you need to. It had No bad language which was a major plus. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading the next one. Yes, I would recommend this book for a lazy afternoon read.

[Lise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note to self: Do not read 'mash ups' too close to reading the classics they're based on. Give it a year or two.

Having said that, this book started off annoying me very badly. One of the author's decisions in particular (gender flipping two legs of the homoerotic triangle) immediately struck me as cowardly and a bit cheesy. It's still my least favorite aspect of the story.

Once I got over that, and began to appreciate the story as it's own thing I was able to enjoy it. It's not at all Victorian in setting (Lady Helen's behavior would cause scandals in modern London, but nobody bats an eyelash). There is nothing subtle about the story.

It is, however, a fun take on the werewolf trope, and a quick and easy read.

[Lalaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy for Brian in return for an honest review.

This was such an intense read. It was different from the other books I usually read.

To be honest, it took me some time to grasp what it was about for I didn't have any clue that it was a retelling from of the book The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, and I have never even read that book.

But this book didn't dissapoint me. I can't wait for the next book and what will happen to Dorian Gray. So many unexpected things happened in thos book, so many twists that got me like 'What the hell?!" and "OMG NOOOO!"

I recommend this book!

Thank you Brian for this amazing book!

[One · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The overall concept of this novel is intriguing and the twist Ference has plotted is ingenious! I had high hopes for this one.

Unfortunately the execution fell flat for me and I was disappointed. I gave it two stars because it was just okay.

To see my full review, visit: https://thefictionlane.wordpress.com/...

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a curious take on "The Picture of Dorian Gray". I have mixed feelings about this book.

The prolog was very engaging. It was exciting, somewhat scary, and very confusing. I was hoping that the same level of excitement would be kept throughout the entire story which is not that long.

Oscar Wilde's original characters have undergone peculiar changes. While Dorian Gray is still Dorian Gray, without many particular changes, the other important main characters, namely the painter and the aristocrat, become women. While the change itself was interesting, I found that it was not exploited as much as it could have. Both of them still act very much like the original male counterparts. There were also moments where I found the new gender problematic for certain scenes, specifically for all the visits of the aristocrat to Dorian Gray. As the story is still set in Victorian England, the single man and the married woman seem to be spending a lot of time together unsupervised and nobody thinks twice of it. And more importantly, nothing happens. They still act very much like the two male friends in the original. While the author does give them a new, R-rated, scene, not present in the original, the scene is not between the two of them and is meant to show the further deterioration of Gray that his portait will show. As for the painter, there doesn't seem to be a particular reason for her to be female...

As it is evident from the title, this retelling involves a new character, a werewolf. And I found the scenes with him the most interesting to read, most likely because they were truly original. They were the ones that provided an interesting twist on some of the events from the original story, such as the death of the young actress with whom Gray falls in love in the beginning. But those scenes that concentrated on Gray himself, unfortunately, read like a high-school summary of Oscar Wilde's book. There were very few connections between the werewolf and Gray for most of the book.

That is, until the very end. The story remains true to the original ending, but then there is one more chapter after that. And I thought that that last chapter was by far the best one in the book. It was truly original and creative and it finally provided a glimpse into the connection between the wolf and the man. I wish that the author had finished the original Dorian Gray sooner and then developed this one chapter into a new and original story.

[Ruth Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely interesting take on a classic tale

If you have ever read the story of Dorian Gray and his portrait, this variation will interest you. Dorian is still a vapid and vain hedonist, but the extra supernatural element added in addition to the portrait's magic makes the story just enough different to make it worth reading. I have it only 4 stars because of some editing mistakes with word choice. I can't hear had grammar and wrong word use! Those make me cringe.