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A Land Without Wolves: Irish Historical Fiction and Adventure
From the award-winning Irish poet and playwright, Daniel Wade, comes a historical fiction exploring the dark underworld of 18th century Ireland, set against the backdrop of the 1798 rebellion.A LAND WITHOUT WOLVESIn the midst of Rebellion are legends wrought, and Mogue Trench knows of a tale never told. What better time to relay it than as the rope awaits...The Highwayman Joseph Mac Tíre knows of hardship - at the hands of Redcoats and Republicans alike - so Ireland's political struggle has less appeal than mentoring an orphan in the ways of the underworld.Yet the world has a way of catching up to men whose hearts know only darkness - men who hunt, and kill, and howl in rage.But sooner or later, they howl no more.Visit templedarkbooks.com/alandwithoutwolves for the official book trailer, author interviews, and extracts.REVIEWS
"...vividly and poetically evokes the strange and contradictory world of late 18th-century Ireland...delving into a criminal underworld of thievery, brothels and secret societies alongside philosophical and political musings...a novel highly attuned to its historical context in both its sentences and its understanding of what was possible, ‘thinkable’, at the time.” Claire Hennessy, Author of That Girl“...instantly enjoyable...an immersive experience...[t]he phraseology is constantly beguiling...an extraordinary debut from a contemporary writer...” Peter O'Neill, Poet, Translator, Editor, & Critic“...a compelling way to present a period of Irish history filled with darkness and heartbreak; MacTíre [is] a constantly engaging persona...a character who refuses the call of both sides...” RF 5-Star ReviewFrom the Publisher's Daniel’s writing is poetry in motion, historical and socio-political introspection at play with adventure within and speculation on a somewhat esoteric (and often misrepresented) spatial and temporal landscape. This tale of a highwayman refusing to bend to the will of partisan political action and questioning the motivations of the players involved is perhaps relevant in many contemporary contexts. Amidst the unfolding tale are many points of reflection worth taking on board.
"...vividly and poetically evokes the strange and contradictory world of late 18th-century Ireland...delving into a criminal underworld of thievery, brothels and secret societies alongside philosophical and political musings...a novel highly attuned to its historical context in both its sentences and its understanding of what was possible, ‘thinkable’, at the time.” Claire Hennessy, Author of That Girl“...instantly enjoyable...an immersive experience...[t]he phraseology is constantly beguiling...an extraordinary debut from a contemporary writer...” Peter O'Neill, Poet, Translator, Editor, & Critic“...a compelling way to present a period of Irish history filled with darkness and heartbreak; MacTíre [is] a constantly engaging persona...a character who refuses the call of both sides...” RF 5-Star ReviewFrom the Publisher's Daniel’s writing is poetry in motion, historical and socio-political introspection at play with adventure within and speculation on a somewhat esoteric (and often misrepresented) spatial and temporal landscape. This tale of a highwayman refusing to bend to the will of partisan political action and questioning the motivations of the players involved is perhaps relevant in many contemporary contexts. Amidst the unfolding tale are many points of reflection worth taking on board.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 12, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 21, 2021
“A Land Without Wolves” has me reminiscing of the classics because Daniel Wade’s novel belongs on the shelves among them! I trust this novel will still be discussed many years from now, because of all it can teach us in both craft and history. Daniel Wade has created a deeply satisfying immersion in to a dark time in Ireland’s history. So very entertaining I hated when I had to put it down.
Sometimes there are words that are just written on paper and then there are times when the words feel as if they have been etched and carved so deliberately becoming more vibrant and beautiful and intimate. Daniel takes the English language and has the ability to wrap words around one another with such nuance it’s seems just as effortless as the ink flows from pen to paper. I am still absolutely blown away!
Daniel Wade’s delivery of this 18th century story will be treasured for years to come. I was taken back to Ireland, drifting back into history I now feel profoundly close to. From the first few sentences I was immediately captivated, but at the end of the first chapter I became Daniel’s captive! With one sentence, Daniel knocked the wind out of me and I had to know more. He knows how to grab your attention and make you care about his richly developed characters as if they were your own ancestors.
Daniel’s writing is so superb, I saw everything unfold in glorious rhythms. I could see old maps in my mind as we weaved through various escapades. I could sense the trees on either side of me, as if I was in tandem with the horses or along on a walk. I could absolutely feel the damp air touch my face as it turned to rain and fog. I was aroused to feelings of fear and danger just as the characters were. I love giving into a story, and “A Land without Wolves” is one that you will want to allow all of your senses to revel in.
Daniel Wade has a gift where each line and paragraph of his story feels intentionally written “just for me”. He has a way of making you feel like an elevated, proud reader. I feel smarter for having read his novel!
I’d like to think this story had to be written by candlelight with a quill pen, because the essence of the times is captured so flawlessly.
I am in such a wildly satisfying and exciting awe, I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
Sometimes there are words that are just written on paper and then there are times when the words feel as if they have been etched and carved so deliberately becoming more vibrant and beautiful and intimate. Daniel takes the English language and has the ability to wrap words around one another with such nuance it’s seems just as effortless as the ink flows from pen to paper. I am still absolutely blown away!
Daniel Wade’s delivery of this 18th century story will be treasured for years to come. I was taken back to Ireland, drifting back into history I now feel profoundly close to. From the first few sentences I was immediately captivated, but at the end of the first chapter I became Daniel’s captive! With one sentence, Daniel knocked the wind out of me and I had to know more. He knows how to grab your attention and make you care about his richly developed characters as if they were your own ancestors.
Daniel’s writing is so superb, I saw everything unfold in glorious rhythms. I could see old maps in my mind as we weaved through various escapades. I could sense the trees on either side of me, as if I was in tandem with the horses or along on a walk. I could absolutely feel the damp air touch my face as it turned to rain and fog. I was aroused to feelings of fear and danger just as the characters were. I love giving into a story, and “A Land without Wolves” is one that you will want to allow all of your senses to revel in.
Daniel Wade has a gift where each line and paragraph of his story feels intentionally written “just for me”. He has a way of making you feel like an elevated, proud reader. I feel smarter for having read his novel!
I’d like to think this story had to be written by candlelight with a quill pen, because the essence of the times is captured so flawlessly.
I am in such a wildly satisfying and exciting awe, I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
October 28, 2021
Wade's immersive, entertaining, and thought-provoking tale of life in late 1700's Ireland is an absolute joy to read. With dark characters for dark times inhabiting these pages, the inherent contradictions, challenges, and complexity of the times are writ large.
If you're looking for childhood tales of Dick Turpin or Ned Kelly you will be disappointed; neither of Wade's two protagonists are that narrow, simple ... or comfortable.
If you want to live and breathe the lives of deep, flawed characters that engender sympathy, revulsion, and attraction in equal (and sometimes simultaneous) measure, A Land Without Wolves is for you.
If you're looking for childhood tales of Dick Turpin or Ned Kelly you will be disappointed; neither of Wade's two protagonists are that narrow, simple ... or comfortable.
If you want to live and breathe the lives of deep, flawed characters that engender sympathy, revulsion, and attraction in equal (and sometimes simultaneous) measure, A Land Without Wolves is for you.
May 23, 2022
Be prepared for violence and darkness with this book, for Wade pulls no punches and burns away any romanticized views of Irish history you may entertain. As a lover of heroic fantasy and (some) historical fiction, I was immersed in this one. Also, my background in history of religion - and of being a 'Prod' raised amongst RC friends in Dublin - meant I was happy to see some objectivity in the mix when it came to religious persecution and the cynical abuses abound in old Ireland (some of which persist to this day).
Daniel Wade is well aware of the grey areas, and he explores them in this anti-hero adventure of a highwayman taking an orphan boy under his wing. Through Wade's obvious passion for the classics of literature and philosophy, he explores the political undertones of socially dangerous conversation, amidst an unfolding plot of stirring rebellion in late 18th century Ireland. There's even a glossary of the Irish (Gaeilge) terms he uses.
Historical figures pop up here and there, some incidental, some integral, and here Wade has done his homework. There's more info about them on the publishers' website (templedarkbooks), but he brings them alive nicely and has his morally ambivalent characters interact with them for a range of purposes.
The story is an unusual one, not content to follow orthodox hero tales, but we feel Joseph MacTíre's ire and frustration, his rejection of 'civilized' society, and his misanthrophy is almost infectious. Be careful you don't lose yourself in this one!
Daniel Wade is well aware of the grey areas, and he explores them in this anti-hero adventure of a highwayman taking an orphan boy under his wing. Through Wade's obvious passion for the classics of literature and philosophy, he explores the political undertones of socially dangerous conversation, amidst an unfolding plot of stirring rebellion in late 18th century Ireland. There's even a glossary of the Irish (Gaeilge) terms he uses.
Historical figures pop up here and there, some incidental, some integral, and here Wade has done his homework. There's more info about them on the publishers' website (templedarkbooks), but he brings them alive nicely and has his morally ambivalent characters interact with them for a range of purposes.
The story is an unusual one, not content to follow orthodox hero tales, but we feel Joseph MacTíre's ire and frustration, his rejection of 'civilized' society, and his misanthrophy is almost infectious. Be careful you don't lose yourself in this one!
August 19, 2022
If a book could brood on the dark contemplations and a struggle to survive amidst potential attacks from all factions and sides occupying Ireland in the late 18th century, then A Land Without Wolves would be spending its days doing exactly that. The masterfully wrought atmosphere of the time and place created by author Daniel Wade delves the reader into a visceral and brutish world of Mac Tíre, a highwayman and reluctant folk legend as he prowls and stalks the Wexford byways.
The characters are layered and richly nuanced in a way which was realistic and intriguing including the flaws in their personalities which explore the dichotomy of savagery and enlightenment contained within them.
The window into this slice of violent Irish history was such that I was encouraged to seek out and look up the real historical locations and historical figures which, I discovered afterward, were well researched and accurate.
Dark, thought-provoking, and immersive A Land Without Wolves was a thoroughly enjoyable (if not sometimes bloodstained) read.
The characters are layered and richly nuanced in a way which was realistic and intriguing including the flaws in their personalities which explore the dichotomy of savagery and enlightenment contained within them.
The window into this slice of violent Irish history was such that I was encouraged to seek out and look up the real historical locations and historical figures which, I discovered afterward, were well researched and accurate.
Dark, thought-provoking, and immersive A Land Without Wolves was a thoroughly enjoyable (if not sometimes bloodstained) read.
January 5, 2022
Loved this debut novel by an Irish writer. A very original story about the life of a Highwayman amid the upheaval of the 1798 Revolution in Ireland.
October 17, 2023
At first, I thought that this book was going to have a paranormal element to it and maybe have some werewolves but that was not the case. I was also mistaken when I read the back and saw that there would be “teachings of the underworld” because I thought this meant like demons and magic but it was referring to like the blark market underworld.
It was more of a journey that we take with the main character and it details their life and how they got to the point that they are at in the beginning of the book. We follow along with a highwayman (I think that is what you call them) and their apprentice. The apprentice is learning the art of thievery on the road and becoming an outlaw.
It did read a bit like a historical fiction which is not my favorite genre so it took me a while to get through it but I enjoyed the mentor trope in it and how it was set in medieval Ireland. There was also a big emphasis on literature in this book and how literature enriches your life.
One thing that bothered me (and this could be different for others) is that the page numbers were in roman numerals through the entire book so it was hard for me to keep track of what page I was on. Not really a critique of the book itself, more just how it was formatted.
If you want a book set in medieval ireland that explores the Irish countryside and the lives of a bandit/outlaw that robs the rich, then this might be the book for you.
It was more of a journey that we take with the main character and it details their life and how they got to the point that they are at in the beginning of the book. We follow along with a highwayman (I think that is what you call them) and their apprentice. The apprentice is learning the art of thievery on the road and becoming an outlaw.
It did read a bit like a historical fiction which is not my favorite genre so it took me a while to get through it but I enjoyed the mentor trope in it and how it was set in medieval Ireland. There was also a big emphasis on literature in this book and how literature enriches your life.
One thing that bothered me (and this could be different for others) is that the page numbers were in roman numerals through the entire book so it was hard for me to keep track of what page I was on. Not really a critique of the book itself, more just how it was formatted.
If you want a book set in medieval ireland that explores the Irish countryside and the lives of a bandit/outlaw that robs the rich, then this might be the book for you.
October 12, 2025
A Land without Wolves is an ambitious novel: part well-researched historical fiction set in Ireland in the decade leading up to the 1798 Irish rebellion; part bleak western (I'd bet the author took some inspiration from Blood Meridian); part love letter to classic literature with frequent quotations and thematic parallels with Milton's Paradise lost.
The story follows the violent lives of two highwaymen, MacTire and Mogue Trench, as they rob and murder their way through Wexford and reject any allegiance to either the British Empire or the movements to rebel against it - trying (and largely struggling) to define their own version of freedom, bereft of idealism. In this, they are metaphorically the last wolves in Ireland.
The prose is rather specific - Wade takes an approximation of the time's vernacular, if not the cadence and writes the entire book in this style. Does it always work? No. It can feel a little much at times, especially in some of the longer chapters, but when it does work it's great - though it admittedly might not be for everyone.
Ultimately, the prose speaks to how ambitious the novel is, and even when it doesn't land you have to admire where it tried to leap.
As an aside, it's great to see a small Irish Press realising books by Irish authors (it's always rubbed me the wrong way that much historical fiction set in Ireland is by north American authors but I digress). Kudos to the author and Temple Dark Books
The story follows the violent lives of two highwaymen, MacTire and Mogue Trench, as they rob and murder their way through Wexford and reject any allegiance to either the British Empire or the movements to rebel against it - trying (and largely struggling) to define their own version of freedom, bereft of idealism. In this, they are metaphorically the last wolves in Ireland.
The prose is rather specific - Wade takes an approximation of the time's vernacular, if not the cadence and writes the entire book in this style. Does it always work? No. It can feel a little much at times, especially in some of the longer chapters, but when it does work it's great - though it admittedly might not be for everyone.
Ultimately, the prose speaks to how ambitious the novel is, and even when it doesn't land you have to admire where it tried to leap.
As an aside, it's great to see a small Irish Press realising books by Irish authors (it's always rubbed me the wrong way that much historical fiction set in Ireland is by north American authors but I digress). Kudos to the author and Temple Dark Books
February 6, 2026
A Land Without Wolves belongs to the very best kind of historical fiction action adventures. Combining a compelling setting with a gripping biography, Daniel Wade has written one of the best novels about two outlaws and friends there is. It’s the sort of book that will get exchanged in schools and then be read instead of what is actually on the curriculum.
On a deeper level, the story works wonderfully although Mogue Trench hasn’t even got what it takes to be a typical good character. He’s an awful anti-hero — not only in the sense that he’s just a thief in the woods, but more importantly in the sense that his only conviction is to have no conviction at all. He rejects political agendas and ideologies, while choosing violence, survival, solitude. There’s little to no heroism in what he does and he’s well aware he lacks meaning all along his way. And that is precisely why this makes him absolutely perfect for the book, because Wexford and Dublin in the 1790s is a battleground of different fractures and ideologies. With Redcoats patrolling, gangs fighting, and the French Revolution almost on the brink of flooding over the Channel, it’s all a mesmerising mess…
An adventurous read. Perfect for long winter evenings.
On a deeper level, the story works wonderfully although Mogue Trench hasn’t even got what it takes to be a typical good character. He’s an awful anti-hero — not only in the sense that he’s just a thief in the woods, but more importantly in the sense that his only conviction is to have no conviction at all. He rejects political agendas and ideologies, while choosing violence, survival, solitude. There’s little to no heroism in what he does and he’s well aware he lacks meaning all along his way. And that is precisely why this makes him absolutely perfect for the book, because Wexford and Dublin in the 1790s is a battleground of different fractures and ideologies. With Redcoats patrolling, gangs fighting, and the French Revolution almost on the brink of flooding over the Channel, it’s all a mesmerising mess…
An adventurous read. Perfect for long winter evenings.
August 25, 2025
An unflinching and often violent slice of Ireland in the 18th century, and all the political, social, and religious tensions that afflicted it. That includes, for example, Catholics being deprived of formal education - national schools weren't set up until the 1830s - and a countryside riven with secret societies ostensibly to support local land tenants but, like with everything else, corruptible into excuses for wanton aggression and worse.
This is a good examination of what drives people who are pushed into desperate circumstances or are willing to do whatever it takes to no longer feel powerless.
It's not a romanticised heroes vs villains sort of tale (which doesn't mean you won't have sympathies with the protagonists), and I enjoyed the more gritty feel. The detail of the countryside, the sort of speech used, and depictions of 1790s society add a sort of colour you don't necessarily find in other novels set in the time period.
Anybody interested in really immersive reads will enjoy this.
This is a good examination of what drives people who are pushed into desperate circumstances or are willing to do whatever it takes to no longer feel powerless.
It's not a romanticised heroes vs villains sort of tale (which doesn't mean you won't have sympathies with the protagonists), and I enjoyed the more gritty feel. The detail of the countryside, the sort of speech used, and depictions of 1790s society add a sort of colour you don't necessarily find in other novels set in the time period.
Anybody interested in really immersive reads will enjoy this.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews