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The Elric Saga #3
The White Wolf
From World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award–winner Michael Moorcock comes the final installment of the Elric of Melnibone series, brought to vivid new life with stunning illustrations.
In one of the most well-known and well-loved fantasy epics of the 20th century, Elric is the brooding, albino emperor of the dying Kingdom of Melnibone. After coming into an unnatural, devastating power that felled his enemy Yrkoon and destroyed an entire city, Elric is haunted by the many deaths he caused and sets out on a quest for redemption and renewed purpose.
The White Wolf is the final volume in Michael Moorcock’s incredible series, which created fantasy archetypes that have echoed through the genre for generations. Originally published in the 1970s, this book is brought to vivid new life with stunning illustrations from magnificent artists in the fantasy field.
Volume 3: The White Wolf
The Dreamthief’s Daughter
The Skrayling Tree
The White Wolf’s Son
In one of the most well-known and well-loved fantasy epics of the 20th century, Elric is the brooding, albino emperor of the dying Kingdom of Melnibone. After coming into an unnatural, devastating power that felled his enemy Yrkoon and destroyed an entire city, Elric is haunted by the many deaths he caused and sets out on a quest for redemption and renewed purpose.
The White Wolf is the final volume in Michael Moorcock’s incredible series, which created fantasy archetypes that have echoed through the genre for generations. Originally published in the 1970s, this book is brought to vivid new life with stunning illustrations from magnificent artists in the fantasy field.
Volume 3: The White Wolf
The Dreamthief’s Daughter
The Skrayling Tree
The White Wolf’s Son
624 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2022
103 people are currently reading
2398 people want to read
About the author
Michael Moorcock
1,205 books3,742 followersMichael John Moorcock is an English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 15, 2024
The three books that make up this volume were written in the early 2000s, some quarter century after the end of the Elric saga in Stormbringer. These three books take place in the middle of Stormbringer. I learned this by looking it up on Wikipedia. In that twenty-five-year span, Moorcock has become a better writer, but a long-winded one. Also, these are not Elric novels per se. They do not take place in his world, The Young Kingdoms. He has little screen time in all of them.
The first book, The Dreamthief’s Daughter, covers Ulick von Bek’s battle with Nazi Germany and Klosterheim. For a while Elric inhabits his consciousness.
The second book, The Skrayling Tree, covers Oona’s attempt to rescue Ulrik after he is kidnapped by pre-Columbian Indians and taken to North America before the Viking landings. She goes in quest of the city of the Kakatanawa. Elric arrives as well. The Skrayling Tree is all that is in the City. It represents the multiverse. It is dying and must be saved.
The third book, The White Wolf’s Son, follows the adventures and trials of Elric’s great-granddaughter as she tries to avoid capture Klosterheim and Gaynor. There is a great battle between Elric and Gaynor at the end with the Balance in jeopardy.
In a sense, Elric is not in these books. He is lashed to the mast of Jagreen Lern’s ship and is in a thousand-year dream quest to find Stormbringer.
The volume is lovely, with endpapers and a few drawings in the book. An introduction might have helped. The one provided is more a history of Moorcock as a writer.
I received this in a book giveaway in October 2022. Thank you, Saga Press! Sorry for the delayed review. I thought I could just drop into Elric’s world after a forty-five-year absence. I could not. I had to re-read all of the six original books, then I had to find copies of the two that Moorcock wrote in the 1980s. Fourteen months and eleven books later, I am finally done.
I do have a complaint about the length. The first six were less than 200 pages long, the next two were about 250 pages long. These three were each 300 pages long. Another complaint: the events in a world governed by supernatural forces, where some of the people have access to magical powers seem all too arbitrary. (For instance, in the third book, just as Oonaugh is about to get her throat cut, Elric appears.) I learned in re-reading Elric, my adolescent love of fantasy has disappeared. I guess that’s it.
The first book, The Dreamthief’s Daughter, covers Ulick von Bek’s battle with Nazi Germany and Klosterheim. For a while Elric inhabits his consciousness.
The second book, The Skrayling Tree, covers Oona’s attempt to rescue Ulrik after he is kidnapped by pre-Columbian Indians and taken to North America before the Viking landings. She goes in quest of the city of the Kakatanawa. Elric arrives as well. The Skrayling Tree is all that is in the City. It represents the multiverse. It is dying and must be saved.
The third book, The White Wolf’s Son, follows the adventures and trials of Elric’s great-granddaughter as she tries to avoid capture Klosterheim and Gaynor. There is a great battle between Elric and Gaynor at the end with the Balance in jeopardy.
In a sense, Elric is not in these books. He is lashed to the mast of Jagreen Lern’s ship and is in a thousand-year dream quest to find Stormbringer.
The volume is lovely, with endpapers and a few drawings in the book. An introduction might have helped. The one provided is more a history of Moorcock as a writer.
I received this in a book giveaway in October 2022. Thank you, Saga Press! Sorry for the delayed review. I thought I could just drop into Elric’s world after a forty-five-year absence. I could not. I had to re-read all of the six original books, then I had to find copies of the two that Moorcock wrote in the 1980s. Fourteen months and eleven books later, I am finally done.
I do have a complaint about the length. The first six were less than 200 pages long, the next two were about 250 pages long. These three were each 300 pages long. Another complaint: the events in a world governed by supernatural forces, where some of the people have access to magical powers seem all too arbitrary. (For instance, in the third book, just as Oonaugh is about to get her throat cut, Elric appears.) I learned in re-reading Elric, my adolescent love of fantasy has disappeared. I guess that’s it.
May 6, 2024
That is more than enough new wave for a good, long while. I didn't hate this but I was mad about it. I didn't want good people in the modern world. Boo.
Things I said while reading:
This takes "I'm my own grandpa" and just runs with it.
Is Elric ...in the room with us right now?
You ever have a roommate who gets obnoxiously high and holds forth about the pyramids and Pink Floyd?
I should have known when I saw who wrote the Foreword.
So. Many. Albino.
I hate The Fade.
He's got a thing about blindness, doesn't he?
I was NOT expecting Diet Dr. Pepper.
Things I said while reading:
This takes "I'm my own grandpa" and just runs with it.
Is Elric ...in the room with us right now?
You ever have a roommate who gets obnoxiously high and holds forth about the pyramids and Pink Floyd?
I should have known when I saw who wrote the Foreword.
So. Many. Albino.
I hate The Fade.
He's got a thing about blindness, doesn't he?
I was NOT expecting Diet Dr. Pepper.
December 4, 2022
The latest trilogy of the Elric Saga … of which I am definitely a fan from childhood. Unfortunately the slow pace and the “Alice in Wonderland” style head trip didn’t work that well for me this time. The chaotic prose was so confusing it was difficult to follow that it was hard to tell what the plot actually was apart from an apparent never ending quest …
Book 1: The Dreamthief’s Daughter ***
I generally have difficulty with dreamscape stories and the Nazi trope was a little over done (if it were not for the publication date of 2001, I would have thought it a satire of our current political state in the US); however, it was still a fairly classic story albeit with Elric playing more of a supporting role (PoV was Ulric of Bek … a dream twin to Elric with his own rune sword and familial/cousin antagonist. Aside from the dream motif, the pace was on the slow side and a bit disappointing, especially the build up highlighting the evil Nazis (it was a decent historical commentary though). Things don’t go weird until Elrik shows up. The broad strokes will be familiar even if the details very from the classic story of the eternal champion.
Book 2: The Skrayling Tree **
Although the ending from The Dreamthief’s Daughter wrapped up and seemed to conclude the story of Ulric Von Bek, this book reopens that saga amongst a Native Americans Mythos that collides in a time warp with Viking explorers and retcons of few details across the entire corpus (justified by the 1,000 year dream). In that, I find it somewhat disappointing. Beyond that, the eternal conflict continues and Cousin Gaynor is apparently back with a vengeance. The story is told in three (3) acts/pov(s), starting with Oona, then Elric (still my fave) and finally back to Ulric to wrap it up one more time. Unfortunately the surreal dreamscape seems to provide the author with an opportunity pontificate and otherwise preach on a wide variety of social issues that really don’t add much to the story. In short … I found the story very slow and somewhat repetitive.
Book 3: The White Wolf’s Son ***
This story opens with Oonagh, the granddaughter of Ulric Von Bek and Oona (Part One) with the perennial companions and villains searching once again for the Holy Grail (or Staff because … you know, it’s an artifact that can take many forms). So I am going to come right out as say it … the names and foreign terms used throughout this trilogy are a bit too weird for my taste these days and serious detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story (especially when combined with the continuing dreamscape theme which by definition is even weirder). This all made the book a tough slog where I could only read 1 or 2 chapters at a time where I am used to reading nearly half or more at a sitting with my favorites. As usual, Elrik himself is introduced into the “dream” in part two … it is nominally his [dream] story after all … still trying to regain the legendary Stormbringer before his thousand year dream ends. Strange that the title character is barely in the story here.
I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#TheWhiteWolf #NetGalley.
Book 1: The Dreamthief’s Daughter ***
I generally have difficulty with dreamscape stories and the Nazi trope was a little over done (if it were not for the publication date of 2001, I would have thought it a satire of our current political state in the US); however, it was still a fairly classic story albeit with Elric playing more of a supporting role (PoV was Ulric of Bek … a dream twin to Elric with his own rune sword and familial/cousin antagonist. Aside from the dream motif, the pace was on the slow side and a bit disappointing, especially the build up highlighting the evil Nazis (it was a decent historical commentary though). Things don’t go weird until Elrik shows up. The broad strokes will be familiar even if the details very from the classic story of the eternal champion.
Book 2: The Skrayling Tree **
Although the ending from The Dreamthief’s Daughter wrapped up and seemed to conclude the story of Ulric Von Bek, this book reopens that saga amongst a Native Americans Mythos that collides in a time warp with Viking explorers and retcons of few details across the entire corpus (justified by the 1,000 year dream). In that, I find it somewhat disappointing. Beyond that, the eternal conflict continues and Cousin Gaynor is apparently back with a vengeance. The story is told in three (3) acts/pov(s), starting with Oona, then Elric (still my fave) and finally back to Ulric to wrap it up one more time. Unfortunately the surreal dreamscape seems to provide the author with an opportunity pontificate and otherwise preach on a wide variety of social issues that really don’t add much to the story. In short … I found the story very slow and somewhat repetitive.
Book 3: The White Wolf’s Son ***
This story opens with Oonagh, the granddaughter of Ulric Von Bek and Oona (Part One) with the perennial companions and villains searching once again for the Holy Grail (or Staff because … you know, it’s an artifact that can take many forms). So I am going to come right out as say it … the names and foreign terms used throughout this trilogy are a bit too weird for my taste these days and serious detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story (especially when combined with the continuing dreamscape theme which by definition is even weirder). This all made the book a tough slog where I could only read 1 or 2 chapters at a time where I am used to reading nearly half or more at a sitting with my favorites. As usual, Elrik himself is introduced into the “dream” in part two … it is nominally his [dream] story after all … still trying to regain the legendary Stormbringer before his thousand year dream ends. Strange that the title character is barely in the story here.
I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#TheWhiteWolf #NetGalley.
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February 27, 2023I don't rate DNFs, and typically, I don't say a lot about them, but...this is freakin' ELRIC!
I loved the first two books in this saga, but this third one? It's just...awful.
There's three complete novels here, each with only glancing nods to Elric himself. There's basically a bunch of Elric avatars, and Moorcock gleefully dives into this dreamworld (major strike one for me), and then mixes up, over the three stories, a gumbo of Nazis, Indigenous people, Melniboneans, and god knows what else. He appeared to be riffing on Alice in Wonderland a bit in the third novel before I abandoned the entire enterprise.
Look, I get that Elric pops up all over the place, and he has avatars up the yinyang, but this stuff? It seems to be more of a platform for Moorcock to pontificate on various things, or tie himself in knots trying to create some logic out of this bent up multiverse he keeps growing.
I love Elric, he's likely my favourite fantasy character ever. But dammit, it feels sometimes like Moorcock's just intent on hammering him into the ground.
My advice? Pick up the first two in this Elric Saga, then somehow convince yourself this third one doesn't exist.
Trust me, you'll die happier.
I loved the first two books in this saga, but this third one? It's just...awful.
There's three complete novels here, each with only glancing nods to Elric himself. There's basically a bunch of Elric avatars, and Moorcock gleefully dives into this dreamworld (major strike one for me), and then mixes up, over the three stories, a gumbo of Nazis, Indigenous people, Melniboneans, and god knows what else. He appeared to be riffing on Alice in Wonderland a bit in the third novel before I abandoned the entire enterprise.
Look, I get that Elric pops up all over the place, and he has avatars up the yinyang, but this stuff? It seems to be more of a platform for Moorcock to pontificate on various things, or tie himself in knots trying to create some logic out of this bent up multiverse he keeps growing.
I love Elric, he's likely my favourite fantasy character ever. But dammit, it feels sometimes like Moorcock's just intent on hammering him into the ground.
My advice? Pick up the first two in this Elric Saga, then somehow convince yourself this third one doesn't exist.
Trust me, you'll die happier.
May 15, 2025
And so I’ve finished my journey with Elric, it still excites me when I was reading it. And the three books are very enjoyable even when Moorcock gets lost in his own multiverse. The Dreamthief’s Daughter is very good, and the pulpiest of the three, it’s clear that Moorcock had a lot of fun writing it, it’s the closest to the previous Elric books and the most to one of his adventures. The Skayling Tree for me it’s the weakest of three even when there are some fun interesting bits, specially in the first and second parts of the book, but it gets lost with the multiverse part and kind of looses the plot. The last book, The White Wolf’s Son is a strong contender for being the best in this volume, I found very enjoyable and even fun, I believe haven’t read more of Moorcock helped to make things exciting for me, there is just one plot element I’m still trying to get my head around. Overall it’s obviously the most concise of the three volumes because it’s was actually written to be a trilogy and one follows the other, and the characters introduced here, or at least I first read them here are great and villains are deliciously evil. I’m sad that my Elric journey has ended, but I can always retrace it and obviously explore the vast and mad Moorcock universe, I got my eyes on you Corum.
November 21, 2024
It's a bit of a shaggy dog story in this third volume of the Elric Saga. Elric is a secondary character in these novels. The primary characters are multi-verse versions of Elric and his children. The multi-verse takes Elric and company to Nazi Germany, pre-colonial America, and other worlds. Surprisingly, it works. While reading this collection, there was a feeling that Moorcock wasn't taking himself too seriously but rather was having fun building his multi-verse.
January 29, 2023
While there are lots of good bits in this collection, these three stories feature Elric as a side character and star much less interesting people and so aren't as good as the main Elric stories. My least favorite story of the bunch is the last one, which feels far too YA for my tastes.
June 9, 2023
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
This third volume in the Elric of Melniboné saga takes on a very different tenor than the previous seven books (compiled as collections, Elric of Melniboné: The Saga Vol 1 and Stormbringer: The Saga Vol 2). At the end of the previous collection Elric has died, so how do his adventures continue? This is high fantasy, so that’s an easy obstacle to overcome. Elric is currently tied to a mast of a ship but is ‘essence’ or ‘soul’ or whatever you want to call his incorporeal self is able to travel through the Multiverse (different realities or planes of existence) and then even inhabit another body.
I found this to be a very uneven collection, containing one of the best Elric books and one of the worst. (Reviews below.)
The collection opens with an introduction (an essay) from Alan Moore. It’s a combination of history/biography of Moorcock and his work and a bit of expression on how he (Moore) discovered Elric.
The end of the book contains some helpful references … helpful to the Elric devotee. First is “The Elric Saga: A Reader’s Guide” by John Davey which, as Davey notes “attempts to provide a title-by-title breakdown of the novels together with omnibuses in which each appeared, all in a chronological format, listing omnibuses as individual titles rather than including them within the main books’ descriptions.” This is no small feat.
Then there is the “First Editions and First Appearances” and finally “Minutiae” which, as the title suggests, pulls together some small items of interest to the Elric/Moorcock fan, including a bit of information about Moorcock’s work as a musician and songwriter (I had no idea Moorcock wrote an Elric-related song for Blue Öyster Cult).
Reviews for the three Elric books in this collection below.
Looking for a good book? The White Wolf by Michael Moorcock is the third volume in the Elric saga and includes some of the more unusual tales of Elric – Elric facing off against WWII Nazis and Elric in America, Elric with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow as another multiverse traveler. The books are a mixed bag but Elric fans will certainly want to read this volume.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through both Edelweiss and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
3-1/2 stars
* * * * * *
The White Wolf
author: Michael Moorcock
series: The Elric Saga #3
publisher: Gallery / Saga Press
ISBN: 9781534445741
hardcover, 944 pages
THE DREAMTHIEF’S DAUGHTER
There’s no doubt in my mind that I never read this Elric novel prior to this. I definitely would have remembered Elric and dragons and magic fighting World War II Germans!
Given that Elric and all he held dear – his city and its people – were destroyed at the end of his last series of books, it was hard to imagine how we would get new stories. Prequels? Stories to squeeze in between some of the others? Oh, no … Moorcock is too creative for this. Instead, we get an Elric existing in a 1000 year ‘dream state’ or ‘astral state’ (think Doctor Strange from the Marvel Cinematic Universe) where each months-long (maybe years-long?) adventure takes barely a moment in his reality. This provides a nearly limitless number of opportunities for adventures. And what adventures!
This story begins with Count Ulric von Bek, of Nazi Germany. Ulric sees the rising threat of Hitler’s Germany and does not want to be a part of it. Ulric’s cousin, Gaynor, on the other hand has ambitions of climbing up the Nazi ranks and believes that he can do it with the help of a family heirloom … a sword known as ‘Ravenbrand.’
Enter Elric … literally. Elric’s astral self, or his soul, enters Ulric and the two share one body. For awhile at least. And this sharing gives Ulric access to Elric’s knowledge, which Ulric finds more than a bit stunning.
Keeping the runesword, Ravenbrand, out of the Nazi hands is more than just preventing an easier rise to power for the Nazis, but it is part of the battle between Chaos and Law, which is what brings Elric, as the Eternal Champion (that’s some complicated history there), into the story.
In fact, this is nearly two very separate stories. We get more than a fair amount of Count von Bek before we ever see Elric. In fact, at one point I stopped and did some Googling to see if this was really an Elric story as I had thought, or if I had remembered it incorrectly. But once Elric arrives, we get that sweeping fantasy that we expect, with a little less brooding and in a situation that it sometimes easier for us to imagine.
And that title …? Oh yeah, there’s a woman here, Oona, the dreamthief’s daughter. She doesn’t play nearly as large a role as you might imagine, given her titular place. She helps Elric/Ulric with some plotting and guides him to a few things. A bit disappointing, this.
Given Elric’s ability to call upon the gods for help is sometimes a deus ex machina means of getting out of trouble, but it’s never a sweeping plague or easy solution. In this case, Elric gets some help from dragons. Yes, dragons. And it’s a lot of fun having the Third Reich face off against the fire-breathing lizards!
I really liked this book. Bringing Elric into this time period was quite clever and I wonder what the other books are going to be like.
Looking for a good book? The Dreamthief’s Daughter by Michael Moorcock is an Elric story, combining the high fantasy of Elric with the historic setting of Nazi Germany. It’s intense energy – a great read.
Rating: 4-1/2
THE SKRAYLING TREE
Elric in America? Heck yeah! This should be good!
We learned in the previous book in this trilogy (The Dreamquest Trilogy) that Elric has become a non-corporeal being and can inhabit other planes of the Multiverse (if this sentence is already too strange for you, then this book is definitely not for you). Let’s see if I can possibly sum this up.
The book starts with the narrative from Oona’s point of view. Oona (Elric’s daughter) and her husband Ulric von Bek are vacationing in Canada after saving the world(s) from the Nazis and World War II when Ulric is kidnapped. His captors are First Nation warriors from a different plane in the multiverse.
Because Oona has the power to walk on the moonbeam roads between universes, she goes in search of er husband and encounters Ayanawatta – a First Nations women who claims to have been the model/inspiration for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s ‘Hiawatha.’ Ayanawatta and Longfellow (who is also a moonbeam traveler) will help Oona search for Ulric.
Elric … how do I say this … Elric’s body is tied to a mast of a sailing vessel while his non-physical body is searching for his sword Stormbringer. He’s currently wielding Stormbringer’s twin, Ravenbrand, which, while powerful, doesn’t provide what Elric needs. His search brings him to a crew of Viking reavers (berserkers?), their leader the new incarnation of an old foe and Elric knows he’s up to no good and must be defeated.
Ulric, it turns out, was taken away by an old friend of Elric’s and told about an up-coming battle to end all battles. A Ragnarok of Melnibonean proportions. If Ulric wants to save his dear Oona, he needs to arrive at the Skrayling Tree, where the battle will take place, ahead of Oona and Elric in order to fulfil his role in this pre-destined (?) battle, and so Ulric heads out with a faithful friend at his side.
And there is a farting mastodon.
Ooof. This was tough.
I like Elric and the Elric books. I really do. I like his brooding and over-thinking things. I like the strange physics of his worlds. But this was one of the most rambling, strange, and disjointed on all the Elric books I’ve read. And that’s saying something.
It was odd not to see Elric make an appearance until so late in this book, and odder, perhaps to have the first section of the book told from Oona’s point of view. Has there ever been a woman’s POV in the Elric stories before this? I don’t think so.
The combination of Longfellow, the Vikings, and an old, faithful, farting mastodon was just extraordinarily odd, with separating our three main characters so that they could each have their own adventure which would bring them together again.
I really struggled with this book, and if it didn’t feature Elric and wasn’t part of a series I was trying to go through, I suspect I would have DNF’d this
I don’t recommend this unless you are truly a massive Elric or Moorcock fan. Read the reviews, read a summary, but jump ahead to the next book. Please.
Looking for a good book? The Skrayling Tree by Michael Moorcock doesn’t fit with the style and substance of the other 10 (?) Elric books. Read it if you feel you have to read the complete series, but you’ll save yourself a headache if you just jump to the next book.
Rating: 2.0
THE WHITE WOLF’S SON
It’s another era – closer now to our own time – and we’re introduced to Oonagh, the grand-daughter of Oona and Ulric. She’s enjoying her holiday in her grandparents’ home when she’s visited by a number of strangers. First it’s Klosterheim and Gaynor von Minct – a pair likely up to no good. Then it’s the mysterious Monsieur Zodiac with associates Oswald Bastable, the Chevalier St. Odhran, Lt. Fromental and Prince Lobkowitz who are looking to stop Klosterheim and von Minct.
After an unnatural earthquake, Oonagh finds herself using the Multiverse to try to hide from Klosterheim and von Minct, hiding from Zodiac and his associates who are looking to help her. She is not alone, however – she’s aided by a talking fox (Lord Reynard, of course).
One one plane of existence, Oonagh meets a blind, albino boy by the name of Onric (who turns out to be the son of Elric and the Dreamthief Oone.
All parties ultimately converge on one plane – where Hawkmoon struggles against the Dark Empire. Chaos appears to be winning the battle, but Zodiac will use the distraction of the chaos to face off against Klostersheim and the Dark Empire.
Despite the chaotic summing of the story, I actually enjoyed this book. It was certainly much more direct in the narrative (despite my attempt to explain it). And this was narrower in point of view as well, which made it easier to follow.
You may have noticed that there’s little mention of Elric – he’s here, but in disguise. Why? Yeah … that’s a good question. I did wonder if the introduction of Oonagh was intended as a way to keep the Elric stories going but with a new main character, a descendent of the albino prince. In this sense, it worked for me, and I would read more books staring this granddaughter.
I had a small problem while reading regarding the character of Oswald Bastable. I’ve greatly enjoyed the classic children’s books by Edith Nesbit, including The Treasure Seekers, which features the Bastable Children – one of them being Oswald Bastable. Every time he appears in this book I wonder if it’s supposed to be the same person now grown. Certainly Moorcock is familiar with this classic British series as well.
This is easily better than the previous book (that shouldn’t be difficult) but it’s not nearly as good as the first book in this Dreamquest trilogy.
Something I’ve only touched on through the now ten-plus books reviewed in the Elric saga, is the concept of the Eternal Champion. In a nutshell, Moorcock has created a number of other heroes and his conceit is that they are all, at their core, the same person on different planes or realities. There was an instance, many books ago, when Elric gathered with a number of different heroes (at least one who had met Elric already but in Elric’s future) – these heroes were alternate versions of himself – each an Eternal Champion.
We get that again here with Hawkmoon … Dorian Hawkmoon is another of Moorcock’s heroes whom I read back in the 70’s (and I seriously hope that this publisher will continue to reprint Moorcock’s books and look to some of the other Eternal Champions.
If you’ve been on the Elric journey this far, of course you should read this book as well. I wouldn’t recommend starting here (at the end) and if Moorcock’s metaphysical shenanigans don’t sit well with you, then perhaps you’d be better off without this volume.
Looking for a good book? The White Wolf’s Son by Michael Moorcock finishes the The Dreamquest Trilogy, which has been a coda on the end of the Elric series. The introduction of his granddaughter, Oonagh is somewhat promising, for those of us who hope there will continue to be adventures in the Moorcock multiverse.
Rated: 3 1/2
This third volume in the Elric of Melniboné saga takes on a very different tenor than the previous seven books (compiled as collections, Elric of Melniboné: The Saga Vol 1 and Stormbringer: The Saga Vol 2). At the end of the previous collection Elric has died, so how do his adventures continue? This is high fantasy, so that’s an easy obstacle to overcome. Elric is currently tied to a mast of a ship but is ‘essence’ or ‘soul’ or whatever you want to call his incorporeal self is able to travel through the Multiverse (different realities or planes of existence) and then even inhabit another body.
I found this to be a very uneven collection, containing one of the best Elric books and one of the worst. (Reviews below.)
The collection opens with an introduction (an essay) from Alan Moore. It’s a combination of history/biography of Moorcock and his work and a bit of expression on how he (Moore) discovered Elric.
The end of the book contains some helpful references … helpful to the Elric devotee. First is “The Elric Saga: A Reader’s Guide” by John Davey which, as Davey notes “attempts to provide a title-by-title breakdown of the novels together with omnibuses in which each appeared, all in a chronological format, listing omnibuses as individual titles rather than including them within the main books’ descriptions.” This is no small feat.
Then there is the “First Editions and First Appearances” and finally “Minutiae” which, as the title suggests, pulls together some small items of interest to the Elric/Moorcock fan, including a bit of information about Moorcock’s work as a musician and songwriter (I had no idea Moorcock wrote an Elric-related song for Blue Öyster Cult).
Reviews for the three Elric books in this collection below.
Looking for a good book? The White Wolf by Michael Moorcock is the third volume in the Elric saga and includes some of the more unusual tales of Elric – Elric facing off against WWII Nazis and Elric in America, Elric with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow as another multiverse traveler. The books are a mixed bag but Elric fans will certainly want to read this volume.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through both Edelweiss and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
3-1/2 stars
* * * * * *
The White Wolf
author: Michael Moorcock
series: The Elric Saga #3
publisher: Gallery / Saga Press
ISBN: 9781534445741
hardcover, 944 pages
THE DREAMTHIEF’S DAUGHTER
There’s no doubt in my mind that I never read this Elric novel prior to this. I definitely would have remembered Elric and dragons and magic fighting World War II Germans!
Given that Elric and all he held dear – his city and its people – were destroyed at the end of his last series of books, it was hard to imagine how we would get new stories. Prequels? Stories to squeeze in between some of the others? Oh, no … Moorcock is too creative for this. Instead, we get an Elric existing in a 1000 year ‘dream state’ or ‘astral state’ (think Doctor Strange from the Marvel Cinematic Universe) where each months-long (maybe years-long?) adventure takes barely a moment in his reality. This provides a nearly limitless number of opportunities for adventures. And what adventures!
This story begins with Count Ulric von Bek, of Nazi Germany. Ulric sees the rising threat of Hitler’s Germany and does not want to be a part of it. Ulric’s cousin, Gaynor, on the other hand has ambitions of climbing up the Nazi ranks and believes that he can do it with the help of a family heirloom … a sword known as ‘Ravenbrand.’
Enter Elric … literally. Elric’s astral self, or his soul, enters Ulric and the two share one body. For awhile at least. And this sharing gives Ulric access to Elric’s knowledge, which Ulric finds more than a bit stunning.
Keeping the runesword, Ravenbrand, out of the Nazi hands is more than just preventing an easier rise to power for the Nazis, but it is part of the battle between Chaos and Law, which is what brings Elric, as the Eternal Champion (that’s some complicated history there), into the story.
In fact, this is nearly two very separate stories. We get more than a fair amount of Count von Bek before we ever see Elric. In fact, at one point I stopped and did some Googling to see if this was really an Elric story as I had thought, or if I had remembered it incorrectly. But once Elric arrives, we get that sweeping fantasy that we expect, with a little less brooding and in a situation that it sometimes easier for us to imagine.
And that title …? Oh yeah, there’s a woman here, Oona, the dreamthief’s daughter. She doesn’t play nearly as large a role as you might imagine, given her titular place. She helps Elric/Ulric with some plotting and guides him to a few things. A bit disappointing, this.
Given Elric’s ability to call upon the gods for help is sometimes a deus ex machina means of getting out of trouble, but it’s never a sweeping plague or easy solution. In this case, Elric gets some help from dragons. Yes, dragons. And it’s a lot of fun having the Third Reich face off against the fire-breathing lizards!
I really liked this book. Bringing Elric into this time period was quite clever and I wonder what the other books are going to be like.
Looking for a good book? The Dreamthief’s Daughter by Michael Moorcock is an Elric story, combining the high fantasy of Elric with the historic setting of Nazi Germany. It’s intense energy – a great read.
Rating: 4-1/2
THE SKRAYLING TREE
Elric in America? Heck yeah! This should be good!
We learned in the previous book in this trilogy (The Dreamquest Trilogy) that Elric has become a non-corporeal being and can inhabit other planes of the Multiverse (if this sentence is already too strange for you, then this book is definitely not for you). Let’s see if I can possibly sum this up.
The book starts with the narrative from Oona’s point of view. Oona (Elric’s daughter) and her husband Ulric von Bek are vacationing in Canada after saving the world(s) from the Nazis and World War II when Ulric is kidnapped. His captors are First Nation warriors from a different plane in the multiverse.
Because Oona has the power to walk on the moonbeam roads between universes, she goes in search of er husband and encounters Ayanawatta – a First Nations women who claims to have been the model/inspiration for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s ‘Hiawatha.’ Ayanawatta and Longfellow (who is also a moonbeam traveler) will help Oona search for Ulric.
Elric … how do I say this … Elric’s body is tied to a mast of a sailing vessel while his non-physical body is searching for his sword Stormbringer. He’s currently wielding Stormbringer’s twin, Ravenbrand, which, while powerful, doesn’t provide what Elric needs. His search brings him to a crew of Viking reavers (berserkers?), their leader the new incarnation of an old foe and Elric knows he’s up to no good and must be defeated.
Ulric, it turns out, was taken away by an old friend of Elric’s and told about an up-coming battle to end all battles. A Ragnarok of Melnibonean proportions. If Ulric wants to save his dear Oona, he needs to arrive at the Skrayling Tree, where the battle will take place, ahead of Oona and Elric in order to fulfil his role in this pre-destined (?) battle, and so Ulric heads out with a faithful friend at his side.
And there is a farting mastodon.
Ooof. This was tough.
I like Elric and the Elric books. I really do. I like his brooding and over-thinking things. I like the strange physics of his worlds. But this was one of the most rambling, strange, and disjointed on all the Elric books I’ve read. And that’s saying something.
It was odd not to see Elric make an appearance until so late in this book, and odder, perhaps to have the first section of the book told from Oona’s point of view. Has there ever been a woman’s POV in the Elric stories before this? I don’t think so.
The combination of Longfellow, the Vikings, and an old, faithful, farting mastodon was just extraordinarily odd, with separating our three main characters so that they could each have their own adventure which would bring them together again.
I really struggled with this book, and if it didn’t feature Elric and wasn’t part of a series I was trying to go through, I suspect I would have DNF’d this
I don’t recommend this unless you are truly a massive Elric or Moorcock fan. Read the reviews, read a summary, but jump ahead to the next book. Please.
Looking for a good book? The Skrayling Tree by Michael Moorcock doesn’t fit with the style and substance of the other 10 (?) Elric books. Read it if you feel you have to read the complete series, but you’ll save yourself a headache if you just jump to the next book.
Rating: 2.0
THE WHITE WOLF’S SON
It’s another era – closer now to our own time – and we’re introduced to Oonagh, the grand-daughter of Oona and Ulric. She’s enjoying her holiday in her grandparents’ home when she’s visited by a number of strangers. First it’s Klosterheim and Gaynor von Minct – a pair likely up to no good. Then it’s the mysterious Monsieur Zodiac with associates Oswald Bastable, the Chevalier St. Odhran, Lt. Fromental and Prince Lobkowitz who are looking to stop Klosterheim and von Minct.
After an unnatural earthquake, Oonagh finds herself using the Multiverse to try to hide from Klosterheim and von Minct, hiding from Zodiac and his associates who are looking to help her. She is not alone, however – she’s aided by a talking fox (Lord Reynard, of course).
One one plane of existence, Oonagh meets a blind, albino boy by the name of Onric (who turns out to be the son of Elric and the Dreamthief Oone.
All parties ultimately converge on one plane – where Hawkmoon struggles against the Dark Empire. Chaos appears to be winning the battle, but Zodiac will use the distraction of the chaos to face off against Klostersheim and the Dark Empire.
Despite the chaotic summing of the story, I actually enjoyed this book. It was certainly much more direct in the narrative (despite my attempt to explain it). And this was narrower in point of view as well, which made it easier to follow.
You may have noticed that there’s little mention of Elric – he’s here, but in disguise. Why? Yeah … that’s a good question. I did wonder if the introduction of Oonagh was intended as a way to keep the Elric stories going but with a new main character, a descendent of the albino prince. In this sense, it worked for me, and I would read more books staring this granddaughter.
I had a small problem while reading regarding the character of Oswald Bastable. I’ve greatly enjoyed the classic children’s books by Edith Nesbit, including The Treasure Seekers, which features the Bastable Children – one of them being Oswald Bastable. Every time he appears in this book I wonder if it’s supposed to be the same person now grown. Certainly Moorcock is familiar with this classic British series as well.
This is easily better than the previous book (that shouldn’t be difficult) but it’s not nearly as good as the first book in this Dreamquest trilogy.
Something I’ve only touched on through the now ten-plus books reviewed in the Elric saga, is the concept of the Eternal Champion. In a nutshell, Moorcock has created a number of other heroes and his conceit is that they are all, at their core, the same person on different planes or realities. There was an instance, many books ago, when Elric gathered with a number of different heroes (at least one who had met Elric already but in Elric’s future) – these heroes were alternate versions of himself – each an Eternal Champion.
We get that again here with Hawkmoon … Dorian Hawkmoon is another of Moorcock’s heroes whom I read back in the 70’s (and I seriously hope that this publisher will continue to reprint Moorcock’s books and look to some of the other Eternal Champions.
If you’ve been on the Elric journey this far, of course you should read this book as well. I wouldn’t recommend starting here (at the end) and if Moorcock’s metaphysical shenanigans don’t sit well with you, then perhaps you’d be better off without this volume.
Looking for a good book? The White Wolf’s Son by Michael Moorcock finishes the The Dreamquest Trilogy, which has been a coda on the end of the Elric series. The introduction of his granddaughter, Oonagh is somewhat promising, for those of us who hope there will continue to be adventures in the Moorcock multiverse.
Rated: 3 1/2
January 6, 2024
Οκ, είναι το χειρότερο από όλες τις ιστορίες του Λευκού Λύκου. Είναι χαοτικές και οι 3 ιστορίες και όσο πάνε γίνονται και χειρότερες. αλλά και πάλι, μόνο που διάβαζα για τον Έλρικ με έπιανε τρέμουλο και ζούσα ξανά την λαχτάρα όταν διάβαζα για τον ασθενικό αντιήρωα για πρώτη φορά. Δε θα ήταν το πρώτο βιβλίο του Μούρκοκ που θα πρότεινα σε κάποιον, αλλά οι φίλοι του πρέπει να το διαβάσουν.
January 5, 2023
It pains me to rate this book low, but if I'm honest, it just doesn't compare with the other Elric books. This is third volume in the "Saga" reissues, and contains three novels that are apart from the main Elric storyline. They're Elric books in the sense that he appears in them, often in large parts, but they're not about him. The main characters are related to Elric, either by blood or by multiverse connection. There are parts of the books that are quite fun, but overall they feel lackluster, without the spark that makes reading about Elric so enjoyable. And at times, particularly during the beginning of the first novel, "The Dreamthief's Daughter", the story stalls while Moorcock shares his political or philosophical views with the reader by way of the main character. While connecting Nazi Germany with the battle of Law vs Chaos works well, spending too many pages reading about it instead of getting the story moving doesn't. As a longtime Elric fan I'm glad to have read this volume, but I couldn't really recommend it to anyone, unfortunately.
November 17, 2023
The Third Entry in the Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock is a bit of a weird one. During the first of the three books, I was convinced that Elric was trying to reach out from wherever Stormbringer left him after consuming his soul. Nope, turns out this wasn't really a sequel, but rather an extra story added in the middle of Elric's journey.
There was some interesting bits in the battle against the Nazis, but it felt weak, and at times it was more than a little boring. Count von Beck was an okay character, as was the Dreamthief's daughter, but there was a bit of absurdity at work with regards to a man with a magic sword facing off against machine guns. Not to mention the ending is almost completely rewritten by the next entry in the collected volume, which had a more interesting framing device of following each of the three main characters. The gimmick couldn't completely sell the story to me though because of how absurdly high the stakes became, and a rather weird bit of revision centered around Elric going on a dream quest while he was still a boy to historical and mythological north america.
The last entry was arguably the strongest. It was a strange tale with the focus changing to Elric's adopted great granddaughter. It was a bit of Pan's Labyrinth and Alice in Wonderland, of which Alice received a name drop, only set in Elric's multiverse. The adversary being a dark and twisted Britain that had conquered Europe was initially a bit weird to me, but it grew on me with time - especially the creepy and oddly interesting characters that made up its crooked elite. Naturally, most of them were dealt with in the background after so much buildup with almost careless abandon. Still, while other books took me a long time to work through, the last one I finished in just a handful of days.
For what it is, I suppose its a nice way to end the story of Elric of Melnibone, but I would have preferred it if there was something, some of the vaguest of hints about what happened to him after he was killed. Here Ganar comes back again and again and again and again and again, but what of Elric?
There's one last entry in the series. A shorter work. But it is also a prequel. I'll probably give it a go, maybe next month or early next year, but I'm not entirely sure I really think this series is all that good anymore.
For all this collection is centered on dreams, including Elric's prominent thousand year dream which is the primary justification for his presence in the later two books, the plot's sense of causality almost seems entirely dream-like and contemplative into topics that appear deep, but only in so far as a mirage appears tangible.
There was some interesting bits in the battle against the Nazis, but it felt weak, and at times it was more than a little boring. Count von Beck was an okay character, as was the Dreamthief's daughter, but there was a bit of absurdity at work with regards to a man with a magic sword facing off against machine guns. Not to mention the ending is almost completely rewritten by the next entry in the collected volume, which had a more interesting framing device of following each of the three main characters. The gimmick couldn't completely sell the story to me though because of how absurdly high the stakes became, and a rather weird bit of revision centered around Elric going on a dream quest while he was still a boy to historical and mythological north america.
The last entry was arguably the strongest. It was a strange tale with the focus changing to Elric's adopted great granddaughter. It was a bit of Pan's Labyrinth and Alice in Wonderland, of which Alice received a name drop, only set in Elric's multiverse. The adversary being a dark and twisted Britain that had conquered Europe was initially a bit weird to me, but it grew on me with time - especially the creepy and oddly interesting characters that made up its crooked elite. Naturally, most of them were dealt with in the background after so much buildup with almost careless abandon. Still, while other books took me a long time to work through, the last one I finished in just a handful of days.
For what it is, I suppose its a nice way to end the story of Elric of Melnibone, but I would have preferred it if there was something, some of the vaguest of hints about what happened to him after he was killed. Here Ganar comes back again and again and again and again and again, but what of Elric?
There's one last entry in the series. A shorter work. But it is also a prequel. I'll probably give it a go, maybe next month or early next year, but I'm not entirely sure I really think this series is all that good anymore.
For all this collection is centered on dreams, including Elric's prominent thousand year dream which is the primary justification for his presence in the later two books, the plot's sense of causality almost seems entirely dream-like and contemplative into topics that appear deep, but only in so far as a mirage appears tangible.
November 21, 2022
Luckily you don’t need to read the other two volumes of the Elric Saga to enjoy Moorcock’s multiverse, a multitude of parallel universes that exist at different rates of time. The Eternal Champion, Elric of Melnibone, an albino near immortal, seeks to maintain the balance between Law and Chaos in the multiverse, often with his magical sword, Stormbreaker.
In the first book of this volume, "The Dreamthief’s Daughter," Elric’s mortal relation, Count Ulric von Bek is trying to safeguard the family’s mystical black sword, Ravenbrand from his Nazi cousin Prince Gaynor and his ally, Klosterheim. Gaynor seeks the sword and the Holy Grail for the Nazis to gain power over the multiverse. The Dreamthief’s daughter Oona joins Elric into the adventure to stop him and save Ulric and the sword.
In "The Skraylng Tree," Ulric is kidnapped, and his wife Oona searches for him. Again, Gaynor wants the Holy Grail. Through his and Klosterheim’s efforts the core of multiverse, the Skrayling Tree is failing. Gaynor would kill it and all the worlds. Again Ulric, Oona, and Elric come together with others to save the multiverse.
"The White Wolf’s Son" begins with Oona and Ulric’s granddaughter being taken. Gaynor wants to combine the Holy grail, the mystical swords, and now the blood of two innocent children to destroy the multiverse and remake it in his image. But many work to keep the balance.
While the multiverse can be confusing and the talk of the balance between Law and Chaos a bit philosophical the characters are intriguing like Lord Reynard a six-foot fox dress in 18th century finery and walks upright. Add a fast-paced adventure and it’s a rich mixture to enjoy.
Whether you’re revisiting or delving in for the first time into the Elric saga, the reader’s guide in this volume that outlines the sixty years of these stories and books is very helpful. Besides the two illustrations in the book and a beautiful cover, there is the bonus of a poster on the inside of the cover of four versions of Elric. A great book.
In the first book of this volume, "The Dreamthief’s Daughter," Elric’s mortal relation, Count Ulric von Bek is trying to safeguard the family’s mystical black sword, Ravenbrand from his Nazi cousin Prince Gaynor and his ally, Klosterheim. Gaynor seeks the sword and the Holy Grail for the Nazis to gain power over the multiverse. The Dreamthief’s daughter Oona joins Elric into the adventure to stop him and save Ulric and the sword.
In "The Skraylng Tree," Ulric is kidnapped, and his wife Oona searches for him. Again, Gaynor wants the Holy Grail. Through his and Klosterheim’s efforts the core of multiverse, the Skrayling Tree is failing. Gaynor would kill it and all the worlds. Again Ulric, Oona, and Elric come together with others to save the multiverse.
"The White Wolf’s Son" begins with Oona and Ulric’s granddaughter being taken. Gaynor wants to combine the Holy grail, the mystical swords, and now the blood of two innocent children to destroy the multiverse and remake it in his image. But many work to keep the balance.
While the multiverse can be confusing and the talk of the balance between Law and Chaos a bit philosophical the characters are intriguing like Lord Reynard a six-foot fox dress in 18th century finery and walks upright. Add a fast-paced adventure and it’s a rich mixture to enjoy.
Whether you’re revisiting or delving in for the first time into the Elric saga, the reader’s guide in this volume that outlines the sixty years of these stories and books is very helpful. Besides the two illustrations in the book and a beautiful cover, there is the bonus of a poster on the inside of the cover of four versions of Elric. A great book.
August 14, 2025
Another collection of 3 books of the Elric saga. While Elric is not the main focus of the stories he's there in some way, shape of form, mostly inhabiting the mind of the protagonist of each story to help them progress.
The first book "the dreamthief's daughter" is very well written from start to finish with clear start mid and ending points and many moments of high stress that make the reader wonder where things will go next. It's also set during ww2, a setting much differen than previous stories. Side characters kind of hollow like most Elric stories
Book 2 "The skrayling tree" started out pretty well, with a very interesting plot and had you thinking it will be a story with more indigenous hints and focus. As it went on though, the protagonist changed, the progress was predictable (we all know the fate of Elric and anyone related to himby reaching this point in the saga) and the plot became too much to handle and full of everything. It also seemed a lot less motivated and justified than book 1 of this collection and the ending left me disappointed.
Book 3, let's pretend it isn't there
The first book "the dreamthief's daughter" is very well written from start to finish with clear start mid and ending points and many moments of high stress that make the reader wonder where things will go next. It's also set during ww2, a setting much differen than previous stories. Side characters kind of hollow like most Elric stories
Book 2 "The skrayling tree" started out pretty well, with a very interesting plot and had you thinking it will be a story with more indigenous hints and focus. As it went on though, the protagonist changed, the progress was predictable (we all know the fate of Elric and anyone related to himby reaching this point in the saga) and the plot became too much to handle and full of everything. It also seemed a lot less motivated and justified than book 1 of this collection and the ending left me disappointed.
Book 3, let's pretend it isn't there
July 6, 2024
You know what doesn't go out of style? Stabbing nazis with a soul devouring sword or using dragons to decimate their airforce. "The White Wolf" by Michael Moorcock is a collection of three Elric stories after the events that really seemed conclusive.
Reasons to read:
-How the hell is there still more after the universe ended?
-Again, dealing with nazis with big sword and dragons
-Old characters we haven't seen in a bit show up again
-Further context for the multiverse and the Eternal Champions
-Oddly relevant statements to current things that made me wildly uncomfortable
Cons:
-Again, dealing with nazis with dragon fire was a big high and things after that had a lot to live up to
Reasons to read:
-How the hell is there still more after the universe ended?
-Again, dealing with nazis with big sword and dragons
-Old characters we haven't seen in a bit show up again
-Further context for the multiverse and the Eternal Champions
-Oddly relevant statements to current things that made me wildly uncomfortable
Cons:
-Again, dealing with nazis with dragon fire was a big high and things after that had a lot to live up to
March 6, 2024
Let me steal this quote
"Elric is far and away the coolest, grimmest, moodiest, most elegant, degenerate, drug addicted, cursed, twisted, and emotionally weird mass murderer of them all"
And I agree with that statement, but in this volume in particular its not Elric that is the main star but his offspring. The book is definitely different from the previous ones, but that's not a bad thing. However, I would recommend slow intake, because the mountain of new information and courses of action can be confusing. Other than that this is another masterpiece of Moorcock.
4.5/5
"Elric is far and away the coolest, grimmest, moodiest, most elegant, degenerate, drug addicted, cursed, twisted, and emotionally weird mass murderer of them all"
And I agree with that statement, but in this volume in particular its not Elric that is the main star but his offspring. The book is definitely different from the previous ones, but that's not a bad thing. However, I would recommend slow intake, because the mountain of new information and courses of action can be confusing. Other than that this is another masterpiece of Moorcock.
4.5/5
October 20, 2025
This volume is an interesting departure from the previous 2. The novels contained in The While Wolf, while still featuring Elric, focus on Ulrich Von Beck (another incarnation of the Eternal Champion and take place in the UK and Europe during the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and early 21st century. There are notes of American frontier fiction (think James Fennemore Cooper) along with steampunk, and WWII action drama. While it's not what I'd expected, I enjoyed it and found it more accessible that some of the other Elric novels. Definitely a rewarding read for Moorcock fans.
November 15, 2022
I forgot how much I loved the Elric Saga and this entry of the saga was as fantastic as the first. Moorcock is one of my favorite fantasy authors and reading this saga left me with the pleasant nostalgia of the fantasy from earlier years. The characters are well thought-out and the worldbuilding is sublime. I highly recommend this to fans of fantasy.
ARC was provided by NetGalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.
ARC was provided by NetGalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2023
The novels in this volume are not part of the direct sequence presented in the previous two volumes. Rather, these novels occur during a 1000-year dream of Elric's and all take place in different eras and settings of the wider multiverse of the Eternal Champion. They are engaging stories— though the tone of each novel is different from the other two AND different from the main sequence of Elric's life and adventures. Michael Moorcock is truly a genius writer.
January 2, 2025
These are all new semi-Elric stories set in different time periods. Not part of the Elric Saga really in my opinion. Usually they have part of the book from his point of view and part from someone else's point of view and they cross paths to save the world, multiverse, or an individual. Basically Elric time traveling through dimensions, times and places to interact with people from other ages or worlds.
November 17, 2022
I'm going to leave this at three stars for now, down the road I'll have to read it a second time and see if my mind has changed.
This is a beautiful book and am so happy to have it as part of my collection, thanks so much for the giveaway.
This is a beautiful book and am so happy to have it as part of my collection, thanks so much for the giveaway.
July 3, 2023
I've been a fan of the Elric Saga since childhood, but this latest trilogy didn't meet my expectations. The slow pace and weird writing made it really hard to follow the plot, which seemed like an endless quest. I ended up DNFing it.
September 16, 2024
Set during Elric’s 1000 year dream, which occurs near the end of the Stormbringer book. This was an interesting take on the multiverse and the Grail lore. This collection is a set of three novels. There do not rank among favorite Elric stories but they were a fun. 3.5 stars.
November 27, 2025
I came into this book with the wrong impression that it was taking place after the events of Stormbringer it wasn't it takes place mostly in-between volume 2 of the saga. While I did enjoy this 3 part collection I didn't think it was as good as the first 2 volumes. If I was to recommend reading this I'd recommend looking online at the additional Michael Moorcock books you'll need to brush up on to fully understand what is happening.
When I come round to rereading this I think I'll have to A read the supporting material to understand these new characters and world. B read this book in-between volume 1 and 2 as I find the ending of volume 2 to be such a good ending.
When I come round to rereading this I think I'll have to A read the supporting material to understand these new characters and world. B read this book in-between volume 1 and 2 as I find the ending of volume 2 to be such a good ending.
Want to read
October 26, 2022I am so excited to receive, read and review The White Wolf! I am writing this as a holding place for my future honest review. Thank you Goodreads Giveaways for picking me to receive a copy. Cheers!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2023
Classic Moorcock...is it the end...or merely a beginning?
June 30, 2025
The Dreamthief’s Daughter - 4/5
The Skrayling Tree - 2.5/5
The White Wolf’s Son - 2/5
The Skrayling Tree - 2.5/5
The White Wolf’s Son - 2/5
August 16, 2025
Is Elric in the room with us right now?
November 28, 2022
The third volume of the Elric Saga, the White Wolf collects three Elric novels from the 21st century - The Dreamthief's Daughter, The Skrayling Tree, and The White Wolf's Son. Ranging from WW II Germany to lost Hollow-Earth realms underground to Pre-Columbian America to other adventures throughout the multiverse, this story adds a new panel of rich, tapestried stories to the saga of Elric. Really cool stuff! Highly recommended, as all of Moorcock's work is . . . .
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