Ylva was raised by wolves. That is the story her clan tells of their Wolf Queen. The truth is far more miraculous. Her Gift, bestowed by the Light, enables her to see deep inside the hearts of men.
Prince Rohan considers the Light mere superstition and only believes in what he can see with his own eyes.
But a great evil is infecting the Four Realms. The battle between the Light and the Darkness is no longer bound to human hearts, and words Ylva and Rohan thought were just legend are being whispered again. The dragon is rising.
Tabitha Caplinger gets way too emotionally invested in the lives of fictional characters, whether it’s obsessing over a book or tv show, or getting lost creating her own worlds. Tabitha is the author of The Chronicle of the Three Trilogy, a Christian urban fantasy, and a lover of good stories and helping others live chosen. When she’s not writing book words, she’s reheating her coffee, binging a new show or teaching God’s Word to students. Tabitha, her husband and two beautifully sassy daughters desire to be Jesus with skin on for those around them. They live to love others, and for Marvel movies.
The Wolf Queen is a truly captivating story that takes the reader on a heart-battle of light and darkness. By the end, I could hardly breathe! It builds to an finale that delivers on every level. Prepare to gasp, swoon, and wield a battle-axe. This was a layered quest with a dash of viking and an unforgettable test of faith.
This book is powerful. It took a direction I didn't expect. It made me sob at the end, but it also breathed hope into my heart.
And I needed it. Over the course of the days I read this, I struggled with a personal matter that caused intense fear (completely unrelated to the book). But reading Ylva's journey gave me strength (and comfort) to not cave into fear's pull. Into the doubts and worries. Ylva herself felt them, but the way she stood firm in her faith was so deeply encouraging. I am blessed to have read this story when I did. My heart feels comforted in a way I haven't recently with a story and my heart feels refreshed.
I highlighted quite a few passages and/or lines when reading and prayed to soak them in because this story is inspiring. I absolutely LOVE the messages woven in and truly feel this is a must read for YA fantasy readers, especially female readers. When I reached the end, I could not help but think how powerful it would have been to read a story like this when in high school and see the power of Ylva's choices. It was deeply inspiring and made me pray my little girl will be one day brave like that.
This is one of these stories that hits deep. Not just because of the great storytelling or the epic characters, but because of the messages that shine on the pages. They surround and ARE the heart of this story and have no doubt that it will lead readers to joyfully or painfully reflect (or both) on them.
The only thing I sometimes struggled with is that a scene would quickly move to another, where for a brief moment I got slightly confused. This is very minor (and was rare when it occurred) in light of the whole story.
Despite crying at the end, I feel peaceful and excited to have this book on my bookshelf when it releases.
Recommended to those who enjoy Viking-like world building, a touch of romance, and strong messages of hope.
*(I received an ARC from the publisher. All thoughts expressed are my own.)*
Thank you so much for giving some of your time to my story. I truly hope that it gave you a bit of hope, a bit of light. I poured so much of my heart into it, and I pray it encourages and offers possibly a little strength to your heart.
If it didn’t, that is okay. Not every book or story resonates with us all the same way. But whether you loved it or not, I truly appreciate you reading it.
May the Light lead you, and the Darkness fear you.
Oh my goodness! This book had my emotions up and down and left and right and everything in between! This book is stunningly allegorical. The fight of light vs darkness had me totally gripped! Vlka and Rohan were precious and their arcs were so good! I loved the side character of Trys and Elrand.
And the ending?! 🥹 Holy cannoli, did it ever have me tearing up. Tabitha Caplinger is a phenomenal author and I can’t wait to read more from her!
“Things are much easier when you begin to let go of who you thought you needed to be and become who you are.”
WOW. This book was so good. I am often searching for a good Christian fantasy novel because let’s face it - they are few and far between.
This was a great read. Bringing Christ’s love down to such a personal level within the relationship between Ylva and Elior, and even Ylva and Rohan - it felt truly powerful.
Speaking of Rohan - I LOVED him.
“Your heart is not for the winning, or for the giving, because you gave it away a long time ago. The Light owns your heart. The best I can hope for is that one day our two hearts will entangle as one.”
Um hello, I would love a warrior king like him immediately?!
All of the characters of this book were so well crafted, and I really enjoyed them. Tabitha’s way of alluding to good versus evil, hope, love, and sacrifice was absolutely beautiful. I loved everything about this book. I would definitely recommend it to everyone - no matter who you are or what you believe.
“May the Light lead us, and the Darkness fear us.” 🤍
I wasn't expecting how impactful these words would have on my soul. God chose to use this book to convey powerful messages He wanted to remind me of. Just when I was drying my tears, thinking the story was done making me cry, another scene hit my heart again. Both sadness and joy swelled within me, demanding release.
The writing is impeccable, the characters brilliant, and the pacing is perfect. An overall incredible experience I hope to return to when led.
"It is easy to believe what we can see and experience, but it is harder to bear faith in the things unseen."
I fell in love with The Wolf Queen the moment I dove into it's nordic, Viking-esque world. Ylva is a fierce yet gentle warrior pledged to protect her people. Yet, though she is a formidable warrior, she carries doubts and questions of who she really is. On the reverse side, Rohan is prince and knows who he is, but never thinks he will be good enough.
Caplinger weaves a beautiful story of these two confused and weary characters and how they find their true purpose by finding the Light.
The Wolf Queen is a powerful story on how we all face fear, but when we choose to focus on faith, our fear will vanish.
The Wolf Queen is an intriguing fantasy read. After an assassination attempt on her family, Ylva was rescued and mysteriously raised by wolves. She reappeared among the wolves in her village as a young girl to reclaim her rightful position as leader.
Many years later, a dormant ancient evil has reawakened. One of the tribes is nearly obliterated and the survivors seek Ylva’s assistance.
Ylva, other tribe leaders, and Prince Rohan work together to solve the problem and defeat the evil once and for all.
Meanwhile, Ylva is having dreams, suppressed memories from living among the wolves begin to resurface, shedding light on her mysterious upbringing, and her future purpose.
But Prince Rohan is battling personal demons, and slowly the darkness within begins to overtake him.
I don’t want to give away any spoilers. Let’s just say, the ending came as quite a shock. Unthinkable. And yet…wow. You just have to read it for yourself. And you might want to have some tissues on hand.
If you enjoy inspiring Viking-like stories with wolves (and a dragon), where truth is upheld but grace abounds and loves covers all with a twist at the end that will likely result in tears, you MUST read The Wolf Queen.
Ylva: If you love girls who can swing and axe and hold their own, you'll love Ylva. This girl isn't afraid of anything and is devoted to Lys (the Light). Plus she has wolf guardians and was raised by wolves which is SO cool!
Rohan: I loved how Rohan has realistic insecurities and doubts it makes him more real. I'm so happy with this (and Ylva's) ending and am happy he has come to Lys!
Elior: I'll be honest I wasn't sure about Elior when I first met him, but my doubts proved unfounded. He is AMAZING. And just wait til you know who he really is....no spoilers😏😊.
**
OVERVIEW "Ylva was raised by wolves. That is the story her clan tells of their Wolf Queen. The truth is far more miraculous. Her Gift, bestowed by the Light, enables her to see deep inside the hearts of men.
Prince Rohan considers the Light mere superstition and only believes in what he can see with his own eyes.
But a great evil is infecting the Four Realms. The battle between the Light and the Darkness is no longer bound to human hearts, and words Ylva and Rohan thought were just legend are being whispered again. The dragon is rising."
POSITIVE ELEMENTS Lots of good messages about love, fear and finding who you are. Messages about God!
SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS Lys (the Light) represents God. Myrkr (the Darkness) represents the devil. The Priestess preforms dark magic. Healing miracles happen. Prayers.
VIOLENCE Several fights. Death and pain described (not overly). People are injured. The Priestess feeds her dragon the hearts of her evil warriors. She also turns people evil (it's pretty creepy tho it didn't really bother me). To take down the dragon and Priestess, the dragon must eat a pure heart given willingly.
SEXUAL CONTENT Attraction between a boy and a girl. Kissing (not descriptive). Mentions of butterflies in one's stomach. Handholding and touching (not inappropriate).
LANGUAGE Clean.
DRUGS/ALCOHOL Wine is drunk.
OTHER NOTES A thrilling tale perfect if you live yourself a good Norse story!
**
"We are all just a phoenix rising from the ashes of darkness and shadow."
Wonderful! Highly recommend to anyone who loves Christian Fantasy!
I absolutely loved the protagonist of this book. She was intriguing and a little mysterious, but still easy to connect with.
There were lots of hold-your-breath moments and I absolutely stayed up too late to finish it. There was plenty of tension and just enough humor and romance to make it a fun read.
I've taken days thinking about the ending and trying to decide if I like it. No spoilers from me, but I'll just say that I still don't know! There are elements of the ending that I loved and some that got me in the feels and I can't decide if it's a me thing or a plot thing. However, I can't think of a way I'd "fix" the end, so it probably concluded just the way it should have.
I was sad to give this one only 2 stars but alas that is what I believe it should be.
Let me say though, this book had a strong foundation of a story! I loved what it stood for and it was great in a way that this story I felt needed to be told.
However, there was not depth. It needed more. WAY more character development, more transitions in scenes, more plot, more thought out writing.
2 stars it is, however I will always give props to authors who still write the stories God gives them because it is a talent and a courageous one at that!
🌒Dark fantasy 🐺 Wolves 💕Sweet romance 😇Good vs. Evil 🧛♀️Female villain
I loved the world building of The Wolf Queen. The viking-esque world was so fun to visit. Also, female villains for the win - Senka was so creepy. And Ylva and her wolves!!! However, three things detracted from my rating... 1. Lots, and I mean lots, of grammatical errors. 2. Unpronouncable names 3. A forced allegory at the end
Content: Much battle violence. Undead creatures. Hearts being ripped out and fed to a dragon. A character has their heart removed, semi-detailed. An unmarried couple shares a bed. They are fully clothed and nothing happens- they share the bed because they're comforting each other after some trauma. A few kisses.
The Wolf Queen is a beautiful, epic tale about the battle between light and dark and the importance of living a life of love and purity.
The book is obsession-worthy. Rohan and Ylva consume your thoughts from the moment you start until the moment you finish...even past that. I couldn't put it down, and I didn't want to.
This story is about a young woman raised by wolves, but she was meant for so much more. Rohan, the prince, is destined for more but he is uncertain in his abilities and purpose. Together, they learn what they're destined for and how love and light plays a huge part in their daily lives. Fighting the darkness has never been so hard. And sometimes, sacrifices must be made.
If you love a good epic battle, Vikings, and tales of good vs evil, this book is for you.
I feel like I've been waiting an eternity to read this book and I can't even begin to describe how much I loved it. Tabitha Caplinger has such a way with words and she always keeps me engaged and wanting more! I loved Ylva and her story and I found it impossible to stop turning the pages. The underlying message of hope is exactly what I needed to read at the start of a new year and after such a rough 2020. Trust me when I say, The Wolf Queen is a book that will instantly become a favorite from the very first page!
The emotional rollercoaster my heart went through with those last couple of chapters...
The writing style was a little different than the last couple of books I read and it took me some time to adjust but I loved the viking-ish vibes and the world-building.
The main character (s) were likable and I was fully invested in their arcs.
I loved the unique and fully immersive world-building that went into this book - from the fables, and folklore, to the meaningful names and wolf protectors! Ylva was such a strong and Wonderwoman like protagonist and I loved how she balanced Prince Rohan. There were shivers and wet eyes...always a good outcome!
The Wolf Queen, herself, is an axe-wielding shield maiden, accompanied by two loyal wolves and a half-remembered past that haunts her dreams. The author allows her characters' actions and dialogue to speak louder than expository words and carries the reader along on a cinematic tidal wave of action and emotion. I found myself staying up past my bedtime to read "just one more chapter..."
A remarkable, intense, fantasy fiction novel... When I began this book, I was unsure about it. The chapters are short and punchy. Rohan and IIya, the main characters, were both sympathetic and complex. Yet, the descriptions of blood, death, and darkness made it difficult to read at times. Despite this, I was drawn into the story, and the more it developed, the more I could see the author's intention play out in a beautiful way. Ilya, one of the main characters, was lovely to read about. She can see into people's souls and is saddened by how many people are turning to darkness instead of light. Because she was "raised" by wolves, people see her and her gift with both respect and fear. Yet, her fierceness shines through as she bravely fights side-by-side with her men, her tribe, and people like her. Rohan, the male love interest and other main character, is a sheltered prince. Inexperienced and struggling with a sense of worthlessness, he first sees Ilya with a mixture of awe and envy. At first, this causes them to butt heads. But as he begins to understand her and himself, they fall in love, and come to a better understanding of their true identities. The plot intensifies as an evil witch and dragon starts turning people into zombie-like beings that are consumed by Darkness. Rohan and Ilya quickly realize these foes need to be defeated. But how? Their journey to discover that is one filled with heartbreak, distress, and ultimately, faith. Faith is exactly what won me over in this story. Even though you don't need to be a Christian to read this novel and enjoy it, I think this book speaks to both groups. As a Christian, I felt the helplessness of Ilya and Rohan, and how hard it is to keep praying and hoping for victory. There was also certain symbolism that I thought was very allegorical, but revealing it would be too much spoilers. So instead, I will say that those elements are what carried this story for me and made me want to continue until the epic finale. For those looking for a clean Viking-inspired fantasy romance, they'll find elements of that here. But for those like me that also enjoy a bit of depth, they'll find that carries the book. Content Warnings: Descriptions of blood, broken bones, tearing flesh, and other carnal things related to war. No cussing. No sexual content (beyond some semi-passionate, not that detailed kisses). Witchcraft (portrayed evil).
I have....so many emotions. This book was so much more than a story of good versus evil. At its core, it’s about what it means to be human and what defines our hearts. It’s about love that is meant to be celebrated and cherished and, above all, faith. Faith in oneself. Faith in the ability to be good. To be uninhibitedly true to oneself and find strength to fight against the trials and tribulations for one more day. I was so moved by how much I identified with this narrative that I could feel my heart warming. The Wolf Queen is a tribute to finding light in the darkness and hope when all seems to be lost. It is a reminder that even when it doesn’t feel like it, there is always a reason to fight, to do and to be better. And that is so important, especially given the situation today.
(This is more of an aside but with this being a standalone, the author did a marvelous job of creating a complex story with complex characters in what I thought wouldn’t be enough pages. The storytelling was atmospheric and fast paced, the prose evoking and breathing life into even the most minor of characters. A beautiful story from beginning to end, even with its moments of predictability and Deus Ex Machina)
The Wolf Queen is a Vikings adventure into magic and war. Ylva is a clan leader that keeps to her people. She is known as the Wolf Queen, mysteriously followed by her two wolves everywhere she goes. When clansmen from a neighboring tribe come to her for aid with word of the dragon rising, Ylva must ban together with the other clan leaders and the prince to stop the impending Darkness that is coming for them all. Will the Light be able to prevail?
I adored The Wolf Queen. The story was action-packed, engaging, and had a few twists I didn't expect. I really liked the characters, they were written very well and interesting, and I could picture the settings perfectly. I really liked the lore in the story as well, it was as much of a driving force that the characters themselves were, and the elements felt like they fell into place at the right times.
If you enjoy stories with underlying lore, vikings, some romance, and lots of action, you should definitely check out The Wolf Queen!
I am so in love! This was *exactly* what I needed to read to feel hopeful and inspired going into 2021, complete with memorable characters, sweet romance that involved strength and self-sacrifice, an epic showdown between light and darkness, an immersive Viking-esque culture, and just the right dash of snark and humor. Ylva was such a great example of self-control and righteousness without feeling stiff or holier-than-thou, and Rohan was so easy to relate to in his questions and lack of self-confidence. This was the kind of book that managed to entertain me and make me want to be a better, more courageous person all at the same time. The powerful themes of hope, faith, and love were beautifully intertwined with the story, and I finished with a happy sigh (and maybe a few tears...). Highly recommended!
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.*
OH MY GOSH. When I started reading this book I was enjoying it, but by chapter 5 or 6 I was HOOKED!! I haven't had a book keep me this interested and invested in a long time. But I absolutely LOVED THIS ONE!! It was so well written and I loved both the world and the characters. I was never quite sure what was going to happen next or how things would end. How many times can I say how much I loved this? the relationships, the humor, the wisdom... AGH!!! SO. DANG. GOOD. all the stars, all the stars. This book really spoke to my heart in a way I wasn’t expecting.
If you like vikings, strong female characters, snark, and a little bit of romance, you will enjoy this book!!
I really wanted to like this book. I love Norse mythology and the premise sounded amazing.
Unfortunately, I was so bored by Chapter 5 I would rather have watched paint dry. If the writing had been engaging, or grammatically correct, or even lyrically beautiful, I may have pushed through. But it wasn't.
This is a DNF for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A Beautiful Allegorical Love Story With a Viking Twist
Ylva, the so-called Wolf Queen and leader of a Viking clan, was raised by wolves. More wondrous still, she has a remarkable gift—she can see the light and darkness in the hearts of men. Rohan, prince and heir to the Four Realms, doesn’t believe in light and dark, in good and evil. But a threat is rising in the north. An evil priestess and a great dragon are raising an army of the undead and threatening to infect the land with darkness. Ylva and Rohan must join forces to defeat the great evil…and will fall in love on the way. But their victory will come at a steep price.
To start off, good things. The Viking setting is well-rendered, Ylva’s wolf buddies are awesome, and the fantasy elements—Light and Dark, the dragon, wolves with spiritual sight, clans and kingdoms—all feel coherent and well-developed. The in-world theology is fairly simple, but resonant, and makes sense within the story’s context.
I should also say…WOW, Tabitha Caplinger has deep insight into the spiritual importance of emotions, and personal relationship with Christ. The protagonist Ylva’s relationship with the novel’s obvious Christ-figure, Elior, is heartwarming, inspiring, and a beautiful portrait of what a close relationship with Jesus looks like. Ylva also demonstrates Christlike love and faith in her relationship with Rohan. And Caplinger, by training a youth pastor, has sprinkled her novel with on-point quotes about the Christian walk and “guarding one’s heart” that leave me wanting to attack the book with a highlighter and write things down for future study.
Now for the not-so-great things.
The Wolf Queen works very well as an allegory of spiritual warfare, the life of Jesus, and trusting one’s heart to God, but as a story, it honestly fell flat for me.
Ylva’s character is just a little too perfect, which is a good thing and a bad thing. A good thing because her purity of heart, and the thought process by which she puts to rest her doubts every time they come up, are a good role model for readers to follow. How I wish I could live my Christian life with as much self-control, purity, and joy as Ylva follows the Light! But it’s a bad thing in that it makes her character hard to relate to and robs the plot of urgency. Ylva doesn’t really grow. She doesn’t have to. Her doubts and struggles are never serious and are typically resolved within the paragraph they come up in. She’s admirable for sure, but not the kind of protagonist whose journey is going to keep me flipping the pages late into the night.
Rohan, who struggles with doubt and grows into faith by the novel’s end, is a somewhat more realistic character. But I have read more compelling characters who struggle with doubt (Stephen Howards’ characters come to mind), and even Rohan’s arc didn’t really grab me. Other characters felt rather flat as well. An exception was Elior, who was an absolute delight to read—gentle, patient, selfless, noble, not to mention funny! Caplinger clearly loves Jesus, and that love shines through the pages of the novel.
For such a short novel, it took a long time for me to read. It’s just not all that compelling and was a bit of a chore to get through to be brutally honest. Mostly this is the protagonist’s flat character arc, but some of it is the plot. For all the blackened zombie warriors, battle scenes, an evil immortal priestess, and a dragon (!)…I just didn’t feel as much urgency as I could have. The writing style isn’t fantastic, either. The prose is basic, and Caplinger does a lot of telling rather than showing, which does not help with the lack of connection to the characters. And the allegory is so obvious that it sometimes overwhelms the story.
But what a lovely allegory it is! The relationships between Ylva and Rohan, and especially Ylva and Elior, were beautiful, a fine example of Christlike love in action. And that ending…despite my complaints of not connecting to the characters, the novel’s finale, and the hard choices they had to make, had me all emotional. So…even though I didn’t love this novel as a story, I would definitely read it again for the rich spiritual insight it offers.
This author loves people and understands Who is love. She extends the invitation to meet the One who loved us first by creating a story that may help our finite minds grasps how deep that love is. Such a beautiful story and encouragement.
This follows Ylva as she and Prince Rohan have to deal with the evil that comes to over take the 4 realms. Ylva is also having these dreams about her past and how she is lived with the wolves. She never goes anywhere without her two wolf companions.
I loved seeing this story come about. It was great. It was great to see these two different people come together and fight for the light.
I loved seeing how Ylva was helping the light and the people.
This book was so great and I really enjoyed being with these characters and the wolves.
Overall I loved this book. Cant wait to read more from this author.
For fans of Sky in the Deep and The Ravenwood Saga, this story of The Wolf Queen is full of courage. The absolute best kind. I'll leave the long version for others, but this is what I see. The tender violence in the sacrifice of True Love. The humble conqueror. The worth of our souls. Good victorious over evil. This book will encourage you, this writer will uplift you. Thanks Tabitha for being brave enough to go deep.
I'm just coming out of a reading slump, and The Wolf Queen by Tabitha Caplinger was just what my soul needed. This is probably now my favorite book I've read so far this year - and it is definitely in my top favorite books of all time. It's an easy 5 stars from me!
The Wolf Queen follows two main characters: Ylva, the leader of the Ibharung clan, and Rohan, prince of Valjalil. Ylva, also known as the Wolf Queen where she was raised by wolves, can see below the surface of men - she can see the light and darkness within them because of a gift from Lys, the Light. Prince Rohan thinks stories of Lys are no more than myth. The two cross paths, and bump heads, when the evil of Myrkr, the Darkness, infects the Four Realms and words of mere legend come to life - the dragon is rising.
I'm blown away by this book, truly.
Sometimes a lot of action in books (or even movies) can bore me, but Caplinger does a phenomenal job balancing the action of battle with character development. The author does a wonderful, wonderful job with her characters - I can't begin to explain how much I connected with both Ylva and Rohan. I could feel what both characters felt, good and bad. And the inner struggles Rohan battles - I think everyone can relate to that.
To help showcase how awesome this Christian fantasy book is, I want to share some of my favorite quotes from the novel: - This is where it begins again. - We are all just a phoenix rising from the ashes of darkness and shadow. - Things are much easier when you begin to let go of who you thought you needed to be and become who you are. (To hear my thoughts on this, visit my blog at theunicornwriter[dot]com.)
This book will be loved by all fans of fantasy, especially those that enjoy axe-wielding shield maidens, lupine guardians, slow burn romance, the chosen one tropes, and themes of light versus darkness. As a Christian, I greatly connected with the lessons in this book, but it was far from "preachy." Yet, I feel stronger in my own faith; I feel more connected to God as I have reflected on my own inner light and darkness and taken the time to actively talk to God since reading this book.
I've read a lot of good books this year, but none that have impacted me quite like The Wolf Queen. I hope my future stories can impact other readers as this book has impacted me. I highly encourage you to pick up a copy today and read this amazing story for yourself.
"May the Light lead us, and the Darkness fear us."