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Timberwolf
TO SURVIVE, FIRST YOU MUST BETRAY
In Stassia, loyalty to the Party means survival. And Axel Geist – rogue, self-styled ladies’ man and accidental political prisoner – is determined to survive. Even if it means selling his soul to the Old God Bassarus, Lord of Deceit and Duke of Hell.
When Bassarus orders Axel to volunteer for Stassia’s warrior elite, the black-uniformed Timberwolves, he joins a labyrinthine security state. A traitor, deep inside the regime. A world of play or be played, kill or be killed… Stassia’s destiny turns on Axel’s treachery and lies.
Timberwolf – a dark fantasy of espionage, love, war and betrayal set in a world similar to, but entirely different from, our own.
In Stassia, loyalty to the Party means survival. And Axel Geist – rogue, self-styled ladies’ man and accidental political prisoner – is determined to survive. Even if it means selling his soul to the Old God Bassarus, Lord of Deceit and Duke of Hell.
When Bassarus orders Axel to volunteer for Stassia’s warrior elite, the black-uniformed Timberwolves, he joins a labyrinthine security state. A traitor, deep inside the regime. A world of play or be played, kill or be killed… Stassia’s destiny turns on Axel’s treachery and lies.
Timberwolf – a dark fantasy of espionage, love, war and betrayal set in a world similar to, but entirely different from, our own.
488 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 2019
8 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Dominic Adler
13 books20 followersHi.
I'm inspired by writers like Jack Higgins and Len Deighton, Mark Timlin and Philip Kerr. The stuff of hard-boiled thrillers and Sunday afternoon war movies, full of action, suspense and dark humour. Later, I decided to write fantasy too. My reading habits had always been an even split between thrillers and speculative fiction, from Michael Moorcock to Robert E. Howard. Then I became a fan of writers like Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence.
My latest book, 'Timberwolf', mashes up my love of thrillers and war movies with fantasy and science-fiction. It even made the semi-finals of a competition (SPFBO)!
Please check out my blog and Instagram for other stuff I'm interested in: I collect watches, I'm intrigued by para-politics, gaming, movies, pop culture and I suffer from an unhealthy obsession with tanks. You can usually find me on Facebook if you like dad jokes and otters.
I'm inspired by writers like Jack Higgins and Len Deighton, Mark Timlin and Philip Kerr. The stuff of hard-boiled thrillers and Sunday afternoon war movies, full of action, suspense and dark humour. Later, I decided to write fantasy too. My reading habits had always been an even split between thrillers and speculative fiction, from Michael Moorcock to Robert E. Howard. Then I became a fan of writers like Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence.
My latest book, 'Timberwolf', mashes up my love of thrillers and war movies with fantasy and science-fiction. It even made the semi-finals of a competition (SPFBO)!
Please check out my blog and Instagram for other stuff I'm interested in: I collect watches, I'm intrigued by para-politics, gaming, movies, pop culture and I suffer from an unhealthy obsession with tanks. You can usually find me on Facebook if you like dad jokes and otters.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 4, 2021
Stasijas valstī pie varas ir Līderis un viņa Partija. Partija kontrolē visu, un kas nepakļaujas partijai, nokļūst ieslodzījuma nometnēs, vai tiek nogalināts uzreiz. Axels Geists nejauši pārdod dvēseli vienam no Vecajiem Dieviem – Basarusam, tāpēc viņš nokļūst Partijas armijas elites vienībā – Timberwolf, lai grautu Partiju un gāztu Līderi.... Karš, ķeskas, humors, nodevības, maģija, viltīgi burvji, zombiji un daudz kas cits jūs sagaida šajā stāstā. Iesaku!
August 6, 2020
This story is bananas. I’ve never read anything like it. I’ve never even heard of anything like it, so right off the bat it gets monster points for originality. The closest I can come to describing it is a ‘late 1930’s pseudo-German/early Holocaust military fantasy.’ Yeah, one of those.
Axel Geist is your first-person POV throughout the story. He narrates a brief chapter summarizing his youth, but by the end of chapter one, he’s a political prisoner at a Party-run concentration camp, sectioned off with other anti-Party groups such as homosexuals, free thinkers, and intellects. This country is a fascist state, and the mask the separates it from the rising superpower of 1930’s Nazi Germany is paper thin. The name are German, and the soldiers respond with “Jawohl!” It’s not a subtle book.
We follow Geist through years of forced labor, and eventually, the horrors of the military. The Party is hell-bent on invading everything around them, and the prisoner-soldiers from the labor camps are the first to the field. Anyone who runs gets mowed down by their own sergeant.
The war scenes itself are gritty and difficult, with panzer tanks, automatic weapons, munitions, and all the death and gore that comes along with it. It’s almost easy to forget that you’re reading fantasy until the moment that Geist’s team breaks through a gate, and instead of finding more enemy troops, they run into a warlock and his monstrous creation. Imagine facing that on the beaches of Normandy. Once the fantastical is introduced—and it does take a decent chunk of the book until we get there—Geist somehow ends up getting involved with some ancient gods of this world, and must now stifle his own code of ethics to do what he abhors for the good of his people. It’s messy, and complicated, and James Bond-esque, and an incredible amount of fun.
This story takes some commitment. There are so many events packed into this one novel, and they keep coming without much of a break. Now that I can reflect on all the major events of the story, it feels like one long James Bond/Mission Impossible mashup film mixed with a Wolfenstein video game with the Titanomachy to seal it all together.
I came across a couple of aspects with the story that didn’t sit right with me. First and foremost were the female characters. Nearly every single woman in the book either needed to be saved, or ended up being in love with Geist, or in most cases, both. It got a bit eye-rolly by the time I got to the end. Also, there’s a bit of a lull in the second arc of the story, around a quarter to halfway through. The world-building is appreciated, but at times I felt like I was reading an entirely different book. I also didn’t love the writing in the final arc of the book, but I won’t go into details, and most of that is subjective opinion anyway.
In summary, Timberwolf is a book you’ll have to read to believe. This is a hefty book with a lot to say, a ton of style, and Alex Geist’s narrative voice is one you won’t soon forget. If you have any inkling for an action-packed military fantasy-thriller rife with political allegory and increasingly mad set pieces, then Dominic Adler’s Timberwolf is a must-read.
Axel Geist is your first-person POV throughout the story. He narrates a brief chapter summarizing his youth, but by the end of chapter one, he’s a political prisoner at a Party-run concentration camp, sectioned off with other anti-Party groups such as homosexuals, free thinkers, and intellects. This country is a fascist state, and the mask the separates it from the rising superpower of 1930’s Nazi Germany is paper thin. The name are German, and the soldiers respond with “Jawohl!” It’s not a subtle book.
We follow Geist through years of forced labor, and eventually, the horrors of the military. The Party is hell-bent on invading everything around them, and the prisoner-soldiers from the labor camps are the first to the field. Anyone who runs gets mowed down by their own sergeant.
The war scenes itself are gritty and difficult, with panzer tanks, automatic weapons, munitions, and all the death and gore that comes along with it. It’s almost easy to forget that you’re reading fantasy until the moment that Geist’s team breaks through a gate, and instead of finding more enemy troops, they run into a warlock and his monstrous creation. Imagine facing that on the beaches of Normandy. Once the fantastical is introduced—and it does take a decent chunk of the book until we get there—Geist somehow ends up getting involved with some ancient gods of this world, and must now stifle his own code of ethics to do what he abhors for the good of his people. It’s messy, and complicated, and James Bond-esque, and an incredible amount of fun.
This story takes some commitment. There are so many events packed into this one novel, and they keep coming without much of a break. Now that I can reflect on all the major events of the story, it feels like one long James Bond/Mission Impossible mashup film mixed with a Wolfenstein video game with the Titanomachy to seal it all together.
I came across a couple of aspects with the story that didn’t sit right with me. First and foremost were the female characters. Nearly every single woman in the book either needed to be saved, or ended up being in love with Geist, or in most cases, both. It got a bit eye-rolly by the time I got to the end. Also, there’s a bit of a lull in the second arc of the story, around a quarter to halfway through. The world-building is appreciated, but at times I felt like I was reading an entirely different book. I also didn’t love the writing in the final arc of the book, but I won’t go into details, and most of that is subjective opinion anyway.
In summary, Timberwolf is a book you’ll have to read to believe. This is a hefty book with a lot to say, a ton of style, and Alex Geist’s narrative voice is one you won’t soon forget. If you have any inkling for an action-packed military fantasy-thriller rife with political allegory and increasingly mad set pieces, then Dominic Adler’s Timberwolf is a must-read.
October 2, 2019
This is a beast of a book. A meticulously crafted alternate reality, populated with a fully-fledged society and acres of exhaustive backstory. Think American Gods meets Bernie Gunther with overtones of Orwell, a collision between myriad strands of mythology and the hard-bitten cynicism of an under-dog who struggles to survive the grinding oppression of a fascist state.
Ruthless totalitarian states are at each other’s throats and humanity is trampled under the brutal jackboots of the military elite. The old-fashioned gentleman’s army has been sidelined by the state secret police, intent on developing mystical superweapons to wage genocidal war.
Our hero is Axel Geist – a wily rogue condemned as a political prisoner, sent to a gulag and thence into a penal battalion for frontline action. Axel is every bit as witty and world-weary as German Bernie, and equally conflicted. He takes the only option to escape the battlefield and signs on as a herald of the old god, Bassarus, a deity of deceit. From then on, things get complicated...
The first quarter of the book is a little bit of a slog – inevitably, because you have to learn the world and its complex mix of semi-familiar history, industrial alchemy and a pantheon of possible gods. It really gets going around a third of the way in, when Axel is melded into a new man by the forces at play. His survival depends on taking greater risks, wading deeper into murky moral quagmires.
While the action sequences are extremely intense, there’s also depth and subtlety in Axel’s ethical and emotional conflicts. He hates wearing the uniform of the oppressor, but part of him also enjoys the influence it brings and his new stature. Axel’s evolution perfectly demonstrates that old axiom about power and corruption.
Don’t get the impression that this is heavy going – in fact the action bounces from one battle to the next, from moments of high-wire tension to acerbic humour.
If you enjoyed the Demi-Monde series, then dive right in...
9/10
There's more detail about this book - and stacks of other thrillers - over at http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net
Ruthless totalitarian states are at each other’s throats and humanity is trampled under the brutal jackboots of the military elite. The old-fashioned gentleman’s army has been sidelined by the state secret police, intent on developing mystical superweapons to wage genocidal war.
Our hero is Axel Geist – a wily rogue condemned as a political prisoner, sent to a gulag and thence into a penal battalion for frontline action. Axel is every bit as witty and world-weary as German Bernie, and equally conflicted. He takes the only option to escape the battlefield and signs on as a herald of the old god, Bassarus, a deity of deceit. From then on, things get complicated...
The first quarter of the book is a little bit of a slog – inevitably, because you have to learn the world and its complex mix of semi-familiar history, industrial alchemy and a pantheon of possible gods. It really gets going around a third of the way in, when Axel is melded into a new man by the forces at play. His survival depends on taking greater risks, wading deeper into murky moral quagmires.
While the action sequences are extremely intense, there’s also depth and subtlety in Axel’s ethical and emotional conflicts. He hates wearing the uniform of the oppressor, but part of him also enjoys the influence it brings and his new stature. Axel’s evolution perfectly demonstrates that old axiom about power and corruption.
Don’t get the impression that this is heavy going – in fact the action bounces from one battle to the next, from moments of high-wire tension to acerbic humour.
If you enjoyed the Demi-Monde series, then dive right in...
9/10
There's more detail about this book - and stacks of other thrillers - over at http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net
February 24, 2023
"Later people asked me of the camps and the Party’s brutality—didn’t people know? Of course, they did. Their excuse for turning a blind eye? Take your pick—Honour War reparations, fear of the secret police, homosexual cabals, hatred of the Dominion and the Triptych powers. If anything was going on, then wasn’t that the reason why? Bullshit."
To put it frankly, Timberwolf is a complete marvel of a genre mash up that I have never seen before in my life. That's... pretty darn rare if I do say so myself. I'd say it certainly starts as an alternative World War II historical thriller with 1984 undertones and slight fantastical elements. But as the novel opens up, it the fantasy elements become far more central to the plot with a pantheon of Gods all with their own agenda, fantastical magical creatures used as weapons and warlocks intent on summoning what could be the end of the world. It's a strange combination of history, myth, science and magic and it works exceptionally well.
"It was a gentle introduction to what spies call ‘tradecraft’, which is spook-language for ‘buggering about on government time’. Not that there’s anything wrong with that—governments offer tiny salaries, and you tend to get what you pay for."
The reader follows the protagonist, Axel Geist as he goes from political prisoner, to forced soldier to Herald of the Gods and member of one of the most militant sects of Stassia's armed forces. The fantasy elements come in gradually, meaning you first have to come to terms with Axel's often precarious position and the way he props up a regime he detests in the name of survival. Axel is not a perfect rebel. He may hate the uniform, but he also takes advantage of the power and prestige it brings him. This is a powerful and hard-hitting look at some of the deepest evils in the world, and yet along with the mercurial Gods creating havoc in their own special ways and Axel's less than patriotic leanings there is a dry, dark humour running through all of this that had me snorting tea at points.
"Evil is a rope made of many threads, so fuck the Stassian people and their excuses—each clutches their own strand of guilt. Every anonymous call to the SSK—“Kellerman next door is a pansy”, or “Frau Schmidt is sympathetic to the Popular Front”. And, in the case of Camp 000, “my neighbour says a prayer to the Old Gods”. That particular thread led straight to the Zaubererlager. A prison for sorcerers."
As alternate histories go, Timberwolf captures the horror and the paranoia of Nazi Germany. It's dark, gritty and really draws you into the horror of the absolute police state, using real life historical elements such as discrimination against homosexuals and concentration camps for everything from common criminals to intellectuals, 'sexual deviants' and political detractors. The depictions of the camps and the war scenes with battle tanks and suicide charges are vivid, and it's often easy to forget you're reading fantasy until a wendigo appears on the scene and all hell breaks loose. It starts off slow, immersing you in the semi-familiar historical elements, yet by the end it's a complex battle of Gods, magic and humans stuck in the middle.
"That’s the problem with power. Real power. You don’t need to be decent. You don’t need to wait. You can snap your fingers and end someone’s life. It turns a mild-mannered knife-thrower’s son into a complete dick."
Timberwolf is unlike anything I have read before. I've read World War II novels and alternate histories of course, but never a novel that combines the horrors of the totalitarian regime with Gods, magic and sorcery, let alone so effortlessly. It's dark and an uncomfortable read at points, it's action packed yet stops to consider the ethical and moral quandaries of a man torn between multiple puppet masters, and it's oddly funny at points. You don't always like Axel much, but he is certainly the lesser of two evils and there are costs to staying alive in a state like Stassia. I would firmly recommend this to anyone looking for a very different fantasy; one that will challenge you as well as entertain you.
To put it frankly, Timberwolf is a complete marvel of a genre mash up that I have never seen before in my life. That's... pretty darn rare if I do say so myself. I'd say it certainly starts as an alternative World War II historical thriller with 1984 undertones and slight fantastical elements. But as the novel opens up, it the fantasy elements become far more central to the plot with a pantheon of Gods all with their own agenda, fantastical magical creatures used as weapons and warlocks intent on summoning what could be the end of the world. It's a strange combination of history, myth, science and magic and it works exceptionally well.
"It was a gentle introduction to what spies call ‘tradecraft’, which is spook-language for ‘buggering about on government time’. Not that there’s anything wrong with that—governments offer tiny salaries, and you tend to get what you pay for."
The reader follows the protagonist, Axel Geist as he goes from political prisoner, to forced soldier to Herald of the Gods and member of one of the most militant sects of Stassia's armed forces. The fantasy elements come in gradually, meaning you first have to come to terms with Axel's often precarious position and the way he props up a regime he detests in the name of survival. Axel is not a perfect rebel. He may hate the uniform, but he also takes advantage of the power and prestige it brings him. This is a powerful and hard-hitting look at some of the deepest evils in the world, and yet along with the mercurial Gods creating havoc in their own special ways and Axel's less than patriotic leanings there is a dry, dark humour running through all of this that had me snorting tea at points.
"Evil is a rope made of many threads, so fuck the Stassian people and their excuses—each clutches their own strand of guilt. Every anonymous call to the SSK—“Kellerman next door is a pansy”, or “Frau Schmidt is sympathetic to the Popular Front”. And, in the case of Camp 000, “my neighbour says a prayer to the Old Gods”. That particular thread led straight to the Zaubererlager. A prison for sorcerers."
As alternate histories go, Timberwolf captures the horror and the paranoia of Nazi Germany. It's dark, gritty and really draws you into the horror of the absolute police state, using real life historical elements such as discrimination against homosexuals and concentration camps for everything from common criminals to intellectuals, 'sexual deviants' and political detractors. The depictions of the camps and the war scenes with battle tanks and suicide charges are vivid, and it's often easy to forget you're reading fantasy until a wendigo appears on the scene and all hell breaks loose. It starts off slow, immersing you in the semi-familiar historical elements, yet by the end it's a complex battle of Gods, magic and humans stuck in the middle.
"That’s the problem with power. Real power. You don’t need to be decent. You don’t need to wait. You can snap your fingers and end someone’s life. It turns a mild-mannered knife-thrower’s son into a complete dick."
Timberwolf is unlike anything I have read before. I've read World War II novels and alternate histories of course, but never a novel that combines the horrors of the totalitarian regime with Gods, magic and sorcery, let alone so effortlessly. It's dark and an uncomfortable read at points, it's action packed yet stops to consider the ethical and moral quandaries of a man torn between multiple puppet masters, and it's oddly funny at points. You don't always like Axel much, but he is certainly the lesser of two evils and there are costs to staying alive in a state like Stassia. I would firmly recommend this to anyone looking for a very different fantasy; one that will challenge you as well as entertain you.
September 9, 2020
4.5/5
Awesome stuff. I'll try to write a longer review.
Awesome stuff. I'll try to write a longer review.
October 12, 2022
Timberwolf doesn't fit into any recognised genre, but it deserves one of its own: Blitzpunk perhaps? The setting is a meticulously crafted, fractured version of WWII Germany, but in an alternative universe with a healthy dose of magic and monsters.
It follows the trajectory of a young and callow fellow who finds himself inadvertently rising up the military ranks of a brutal and fascistic state whose ideals he does not share, but which offers power and glory.
The approach it takes can be split into two halves. Initially the tale is character driven and, to an extent, intellectual - a cross between Istvan Szabo's 'Mephisto' (or CP Taylor's 'Good') and American Gods, with a bit of A Farewell to Arms thrown in for good measure. The scale of the story is fundamentally personal, and the questions being asked difficult moral ones. For my taste, that first half was perfection: some of the best genre writing I've encountered in years, and exactly to my taste.
The second shifts markedly in tone, becoming seriously epic: a relentless and kaleidoscopic mix of action scenes, surprise new elements to the story and plot reveals, almost every one of which ups the pace, the scale and the ante. The ending is conclusive, but leaves room for a sequel.
Overall, in terms of inventiveness, originality and quality, Timberwolf is easily a five star book. The prose is clear and articulate: simple in execution, but sophisticated in outcome. The premise is fascinating. It was a really interesting entry into the 2020 SFPBO, and one I think was deserving of at least a position in the finals. The switch towards epic action in the second half wasn't to my taste, but I think I'll be in a minority in that regard: it reminded me very much of Senlin Ascends and Paternus, both of which went on to become SPFBO break-out successes.
Well worth a look for fans of military history, epic action and excellent writing.
It follows the trajectory of a young and callow fellow who finds himself inadvertently rising up the military ranks of a brutal and fascistic state whose ideals he does not share, but which offers power and glory.
The approach it takes can be split into two halves. Initially the tale is character driven and, to an extent, intellectual - a cross between Istvan Szabo's 'Mephisto' (or CP Taylor's 'Good') and American Gods, with a bit of A Farewell to Arms thrown in for good measure. The scale of the story is fundamentally personal, and the questions being asked difficult moral ones. For my taste, that first half was perfection: some of the best genre writing I've encountered in years, and exactly to my taste.
The second shifts markedly in tone, becoming seriously epic: a relentless and kaleidoscopic mix of action scenes, surprise new elements to the story and plot reveals, almost every one of which ups the pace, the scale and the ante. The ending is conclusive, but leaves room for a sequel.
Overall, in terms of inventiveness, originality and quality, Timberwolf is easily a five star book. The prose is clear and articulate: simple in execution, but sophisticated in outcome. The premise is fascinating. It was a really interesting entry into the 2020 SFPBO, and one I think was deserving of at least a position in the finals. The switch towards epic action in the second half wasn't to my taste, but I think I'll be in a minority in that regard: it reminded me very much of Senlin Ascends and Paternus, both of which went on to become SPFBO break-out successes.
Well worth a look for fans of military history, epic action and excellent writing.
December 30, 2020
Axel just wants to live his best life, but he is declared an enemy of the state, sent to labor camp, then to penal military unit, then he becomes a herald of the Old God, then he gets into an elite and brainwashed military unit and sets out to carry out his revenge. Is your head spinning? Good.
This was great fun. You are shuffled from one set of circumstances to another together with the protagonist, whose ability to plan is very poor. Luckily, he can lie his way out of any situation, all the while being completely overcome by his real emotions - really fitting in this year. Yes, I hate everything and want to die, but I will trudge on and survive to live another day (and laugh in the face of my enemies).
As for the downsides, this wild ride filled with much death, vomit, and other bodily fluids does get a bit repetitive, one of the "episodes" (it really could be neatly divided in arcs) added nothing to the character motivations and/or themes, and our character's view of the world remains pretty narrow which is a shame in the world this rich and interesting. Also, it is self published so expect some typos and weird sentences.
I usually really dislike war themes so that is really the greatest testament to this book I can give.
Dominic Adler, welcome on my watchlist. SFPBO, thanks for putting this on my radar.
This was great fun. You are shuffled from one set of circumstances to another together with the protagonist, whose ability to plan is very poor. Luckily, he can lie his way out of any situation, all the while being completely overcome by his real emotions - really fitting in this year. Yes, I hate everything and want to die, but I will trudge on and survive to live another day (and laugh in the face of my enemies).
As for the downsides, this wild ride filled with much death, vomit, and other bodily fluids does get a bit repetitive, one of the "episodes" (it really could be neatly divided in arcs) added nothing to the character motivations and/or themes, and our character's view of the world remains pretty narrow which is a shame in the world this rich and interesting. Also, it is self published so expect some typos and weird sentences.
I usually really dislike war themes so that is really the greatest testament to this book I can give.
Dominic Adler, welcome on my watchlist. SFPBO, thanks for putting this on my radar.
September 27, 2019
Another belter from Dominic Adler
Another page - turner that has you gripped from the first page to the last. Unlike the Cal Winter fantastic modern military trilogy this is a clever juxtaposition between 1940s detective novel and a Game of Thronesish futuristic adventure. Adlers' vivid prose and flawed hero again had me totally absorbed, my minds eye switching from black and white to full technicolor as I read. If you have enjoyed his other books you'll love this one.
Now looking forward to the next one.
Another page - turner that has you gripped from the first page to the last. Unlike the Cal Winter fantastic modern military trilogy this is a clever juxtaposition between 1940s detective novel and a Game of Thronesish futuristic adventure. Adlers' vivid prose and flawed hero again had me totally absorbed, my minds eye switching from black and white to full technicolor as I read. If you have enjoyed his other books you'll love this one.
Now looking forward to the next one.
November 10, 2020
Amazing alt fantasy
This book reads like a espionage thriller with fantasy.one of the surprise reads of the year and never a dull moment . Although this is self contained story definitely second book should be coming out soon as events from the first book are yet to be resolved.
This book reads like a espionage thriller with fantasy.one of the surprise reads of the year and never a dull moment . Although this is self contained story definitely second book should be coming out soon as events from the first book are yet to be resolved.
September 26, 2019
I don't do spoilers, so I think at 52% done as of today, I can safely say that this is by far Dominic Adler's best work yet... It's gritty, adventurous, exciting, dark, mystical, full of action and with Dominic's famously dry, yet superbly witty humour running through it, I have chuckled aloud many times, with my imagination bringing Adler's words to life in my head.
I am thoroughly enjoying this and can see this in my mind's eye, make it to film/iconic status!
Absolutely the best read by a long shot this year and I can't wait to find out what happens in the second half of the book!
Please, please, more like this! Well done Mr Adler!
I am thoroughly enjoying this and can see this in my mind's eye, make it to film/iconic status!
Absolutely the best read by a long shot this year and I can't wait to find out what happens in the second half of the book!
Please, please, more like this! Well done Mr Adler!
October 27, 2020
While not one of my favorite reads this year, Timberwolf was a surprisingly entertaining journey throughout. 3.5/5
January 27, 2020
A deep dark rollicking ride
This book is a hell of a ride. The character of Axel Giest endured a horrifically terrifying war quickly moving up from penal cannon-fodder to the feared Timberwolf shock soldiers. His indifference to politics, combined with incredible luck, quickly propels him through the ranks of these feared troopers.
Drawn from myth, magic and history, the story combines hardscrabble world war two styled quasi-Nazis in a complex, funny, brooding, and ingenious affair. As our hero makes more and more dangerous bargains to survive - some with unscrupulous party leaders and military bosses and others with living Gods, he descends into the kind of monster he had originally disdained so strongly.
This book is a rollicking good time. It’s complexity may throw off the casual reader but those that love yarns like the Lord of the rings will love all of this. The author is extremely talented in the way he keeps complex myth and story intertwined with a constantly shifting cast of colorful characters. As the war grinds the story loses some of its initial joy and the sarcastic tone does give way to more brutal and desperate circumstance. As double, triple, and quadruple crosses pile up, the story finds itself in dire territory and becomes slightly less fun.
A visual banquet and a set-piece treat, this is overall a very high recommend. Step into this alternate reality and expect to be immersed in to Teutonic folklore, rich characters, exciting action and razor sharp humor.
This book is a hell of a ride. The character of Axel Giest endured a horrifically terrifying war quickly moving up from penal cannon-fodder to the feared Timberwolf shock soldiers. His indifference to politics, combined with incredible luck, quickly propels him through the ranks of these feared troopers.
Drawn from myth, magic and history, the story combines hardscrabble world war two styled quasi-Nazis in a complex, funny, brooding, and ingenious affair. As our hero makes more and more dangerous bargains to survive - some with unscrupulous party leaders and military bosses and others with living Gods, he descends into the kind of monster he had originally disdained so strongly.
This book is a rollicking good time. It’s complexity may throw off the casual reader but those that love yarns like the Lord of the rings will love all of this. The author is extremely talented in the way he keeps complex myth and story intertwined with a constantly shifting cast of colorful characters. As the war grinds the story loses some of its initial joy and the sarcastic tone does give way to more brutal and desperate circumstance. As double, triple, and quadruple crosses pile up, the story finds itself in dire territory and becomes slightly less fun.
A visual banquet and a set-piece treat, this is overall a very high recommend. Step into this alternate reality and expect to be immersed in to Teutonic folklore, rich characters, exciting action and razor sharp humor.
June 28, 2022
Wow, I enjoyed this book immensely, but boy do I have trouble putting it in words. And especially give an idea what people can expect from this book, because Timberwolf is so unlike anything else I have read so far.
If the story took place on our world, I'd say at least the beginning could be described as alternative history. But since it is on another world, it's a very heavily WW2-influenced fantastic spy-thriller. Which most likely still does not help you to know what to expect here.
Enter main protagonist Axel Geist, who lives in Stassia - a fascist state that can only be described as very similiar to the Nazi-regime. He is rather indifferent to politics in the beginning and definitely a lot more interested in women. Unfortunately for him, he falls in love with a regime critic. After a while, they get caught and while his girlfriend is executed (her last wish for Axel being "Survive"), Axel is sent to a concentration camp at the war-front. By pure chance and a lot of luck he not only survives his forced recruitment into the penal legion, but becomes somewhat of a war-hero and is offered to join the Timberwolves, a special force very much like the German Schutzstaffel. During one of their missions, Axel comes across a warlock and thus comes into contact with gods and magic - which makes surviving not easier.
So what starts out as a military story at some point turns around and becomes almost urban fantasy (or however you want to label it). Towards the end the story becomes darker, bleaker and more brutal.
Timberwolf is such a wild mix, very well written with lots of interesting characters. It's action-packed and fast-paced, but also makes you think about actions and their consequences, about sacrifices, even about politics.
The reference to the Nazi-regime is very obvious: Same system, same institutions, even German names and titles and inbetween little sprinkles of German vocabulary (which is usually spot on). Some people might get annoyed through this, for me it was part of the atmosphere and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.
Whoever is open for something different, do yourself a favour and read Timberwolf.
If the story took place on our world, I'd say at least the beginning could be described as alternative history. But since it is on another world, it's a very heavily WW2-influenced fantastic spy-thriller. Which most likely still does not help you to know what to expect here.
Enter main protagonist Axel Geist, who lives in Stassia - a fascist state that can only be described as very similiar to the Nazi-regime. He is rather indifferent to politics in the beginning and definitely a lot more interested in women. Unfortunately for him, he falls in love with a regime critic. After a while, they get caught and while his girlfriend is executed (her last wish for Axel being "Survive"), Axel is sent to a concentration camp at the war-front. By pure chance and a lot of luck he not only survives his forced recruitment into the penal legion, but becomes somewhat of a war-hero and is offered to join the Timberwolves, a special force very much like the German Schutzstaffel. During one of their missions, Axel comes across a warlock and thus comes into contact with gods and magic - which makes surviving not easier.
So what starts out as a military story at some point turns around and becomes almost urban fantasy (or however you want to label it). Towards the end the story becomes darker, bleaker and more brutal.
Timberwolf is such a wild mix, very well written with lots of interesting characters. It's action-packed and fast-paced, but also makes you think about actions and their consequences, about sacrifices, even about politics.
The reference to the Nazi-regime is very obvious: Same system, same institutions, even German names and titles and inbetween little sprinkles of German vocabulary (which is usually spot on). Some people might get annoyed through this, for me it was part of the atmosphere and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.
Whoever is open for something different, do yourself a favour and read Timberwolf.
December 3, 2019
Hands down, the best book I've read this year; maybe even in the last few years. This is not the first of Adler's I've read, but this book takes the author to a whole new level of writing and storytelling. To call 'Timberwolf' simply creative would be egregiously criminal and a monumental understatement. There is so much going on that I don't know where to start. Venture into Stassia to meet Axel Geist, the unlikely hero in the tale; unlikely because he's a coward at heart, but uses charm, deceit and a bit of luck to survive. Although an unorthodox Anti-Hero, Geist is indeed one nonetheless, and those are my favorite kind of protagonists. But he's not the only character you'll like; there are easily a half dozen others you'll attach yourselves to. A slow start, as Adler builds this magical world, is easily overcome, and it's off to the races. The ending hints at the possibility of a follow-on; I hope that's the case. I'll be telling everyone about this book. Highly, highly recommended.
September 24, 2019
This is such a fun read. I know it's a cliche but I really couldn't put it down. The author has created an amazing world, which feels familiar in part, but then completely not. I was on the main character's side but felt I shouldn't be.
November 6, 2022
Excellent political thriller with a bit of fantasy thrown in! I loved this book!
September 13, 2023
Absolutely horrible mix of bad Nazi Stalin mix. I kept reading to see if it gets better but it just seemed to take bits out of certain ww2 and Cold War topics
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