What do you think?
Rate this book
Wolfbreed #1
Wolfbreed
In this captivating reinvention of the werewolf novel, S. A. Swann propels readers into the darkest days of the Middle Ages, weaving a rare blend of soaring romance, historical intrigue, paranormal thrills, and spiritual questioning to tell a story that forever changes those who hear it.
When a monk inadvertently discovers a lair of werewolf young, he unleashes what will become the Church’s most powerful—and secret—weapon. Clandestinely raised by the Teutonic Order, these lupine creatures serve as instruments of God against pagan unbelievers. Trained to slip into villages cloaked in human form, they are all but unstoppable. Only one, called Lilly, has cunningly fled her brutal master.
Uldolf is too young to remember the massacre eight years earlier that claimed his village, his arm, and his kin. But he knows the pain of loneliness. When he sees what appears to be a beautiful young woman, injured and cowering in the woods, he races to her aid. Uldolf and his adoptive family will do anything to protect the terrified girl, but the danger is greater than they can possibly imagine. For death is the only life Lilly has ever known—and if their humanity can’t pierce the darkness Lilly harbors in her soul, they’ll soon come to know it, too.
When a monk inadvertently discovers a lair of werewolf young, he unleashes what will become the Church’s most powerful—and secret—weapon. Clandestinely raised by the Teutonic Order, these lupine creatures serve as instruments of God against pagan unbelievers. Trained to slip into villages cloaked in human form, they are all but unstoppable. Only one, called Lilly, has cunningly fled her brutal master.
Uldolf is too young to remember the massacre eight years earlier that claimed his village, his arm, and his kin. But he knows the pain of loneliness. When he sees what appears to be a beautiful young woman, injured and cowering in the woods, he races to her aid. Uldolf and his adoptive family will do anything to protect the terrified girl, but the danger is greater than they can possibly imagine. For death is the only life Lilly has ever known—and if their humanity can’t pierce the darkness Lilly harbors in her soul, they’ll soon come to know it, too.
383 pages, Paperback
First published August 19, 2009
15 people are currently reading
961 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
September 9, 2009
The Medieval historical where the church is raising werewolves to scare the pagans into converting, and the last surviving one escapes and loses her memory and thinks she's an ordinary girl.
This had potential, but, my God, the way the story is told is terrible. From sentence to sentence there are insane amounts of background information, so that even scenes where a werewolf is devouring soldiers seem to drag on. Then the werewolf escapes, the young peasant finds her, you turn the page, and you get a section that begins, "Ten years before the bloodbath at Johannisburg Keep, before the keep existed and before the town bore the name of Johannisburg, Erhard von Stendal, a knight of the Order of the Hospital of St. Mary of the Germans in Jerusalem, had been elevated to the title of Landkomture, province commander of the Teutonic Order. Before then, he had been serving in the Holy Land as a simple knight of the Order. His elevation had been no common event. Normally, a brother arrived at a position of authority ..." And it goes on like that for thirty pages.
This had potential, but, my God, the way the story is told is terrible. From sentence to sentence there are insane amounts of background information, so that even scenes where a werewolf is devouring soldiers seem to drag on. Then the werewolf escapes, the young peasant finds her, you turn the page, and you get a section that begins, "Ten years before the bloodbath at Johannisburg Keep, before the keep existed and before the town bore the name of Johannisburg, Erhard von Stendal, a knight of the Order of the Hospital of St. Mary of the Germans in Jerusalem, had been elevated to the title of Landkomture, province commander of the Teutonic Order. Before then, he had been serving in the Holy Land as a simple knight of the Order. His elevation had been no common event. Normally, a brother arrived at a position of authority ..." And it goes on like that for thirty pages.
August 31, 2009
Lilly is one of a litter of werewolf children being raised by the Knights of the Teutonic Order in 13th century Prusa (later Prussia). The wolfbreed, as they are called, are subjected to horrifying abuses and trained to become brutal weapons of war. Their purpose: to help the Order massacre Prussia's remaining pagan strongholds.
A theological debate rages between the Order and the Church regarding the nature of the wolfbreed. Are they simply animals, soulless but trainable and possibly useful? Or, are they minions of Satan? The one possibility no one considers: human.
When Lilly escapes from her master in the town of Johnsburg, she is taken in by a farm family and treated as an ordinary young woman. Their kindness breaches Lilly's defenses, and she begins to look at herself through new eyes and to question her upbringing. Her peaceful time with them, however, is not to last. The Church and the Order are hunting her. The horrors within Lilly's mind may be even harder to escape. Can she forgive herself for the violence in her past, and would those who love her be able to forgive her if they knew everything she'd done?
This is a gritty, violent novel, yet there are themes of love and redemption that are often absent from the grittier sort of fantasy. S.A. Swann shows us the worst that humanity can do, but also the best. The surrounding horrors make the moments of beauty all the more effective.
The story is told through several alternating third-person points of view. The different point-of-view sections often overlap in time, allowing the reader to see the same event from different perspectives. This device works well in Wolfbreed, and all of the point-of-view characters have distinct voices.
I highly recommend this moving and tightly-plotted historical fantasy. It won't be for everyone; the gore, rape, and child abuse may be off-putting to some. I should also mention that many of the Christian characters are pretty unsavory, which also might not sit well with some readers. These aspects of the story didn't bother me personally — I felt that they were realistic in the gritty medieval setting — but your mileage may vary. As for me, I loved Wolfbreed. As soon as I finished it, I found myself recommending it to friends, and I'd say that's a pretty good sign!
Originally posted at FantasyLiterature.com
A theological debate rages between the Order and the Church regarding the nature of the wolfbreed. Are they simply animals, soulless but trainable and possibly useful? Or, are they minions of Satan? The one possibility no one considers: human.
When Lilly escapes from her master in the town of Johnsburg, she is taken in by a farm family and treated as an ordinary young woman. Their kindness breaches Lilly's defenses, and she begins to look at herself through new eyes and to question her upbringing. Her peaceful time with them, however, is not to last. The Church and the Order are hunting her. The horrors within Lilly's mind may be even harder to escape. Can she forgive herself for the violence in her past, and would those who love her be able to forgive her if they knew everything she'd done?
This is a gritty, violent novel, yet there are themes of love and redemption that are often absent from the grittier sort of fantasy. S.A. Swann shows us the worst that humanity can do, but also the best. The surrounding horrors make the moments of beauty all the more effective.
The story is told through several alternating third-person points of view. The different point-of-view sections often overlap in time, allowing the reader to see the same event from different perspectives. This device works well in Wolfbreed, and all of the point-of-view characters have distinct voices.
I highly recommend this moving and tightly-plotted historical fantasy. It won't be for everyone; the gore, rape, and child abuse may be off-putting to some. I should also mention that many of the Christian characters are pretty unsavory, which also might not sit well with some readers. These aspects of the story didn't bother me personally — I felt that they were realistic in the gritty medieval setting — but your mileage may vary. As for me, I loved Wolfbreed. As soon as I finished it, I found myself recommending it to friends, and I'd say that's a pretty good sign!
Originally posted at FantasyLiterature.com
April 20, 2012
This is one of the more beautifully written books I have read in a very long time. From a commercial standpoint, I can see why it’s not a best seller. It’s not written for mass appeal. The story is raw and dark; it’s the kind of series that draws a certain type of reader. From a technical perspective, it’s woven tighter than Egyptian cotton. As I listened to the audio, I was seduced by the intelligence of the Swann’s delivery. Technical, yes but also selection and pacing were masterful in and of itself. The lull of Swann’s storytelling begs to be appreciated in the form of words on a page. The audio was well done so I didn’t feel slighted.
The story of the werewolfhas been spun just about every way it can be done. In Wolfbreed the philosophy is simple, what if they are born from a wolf but appear as human babies? How would a child such as this be treated in a time when Christianity was spreading in a very bloody way? Whatever the Pope didn’t pull to his bosom was of the devil. It was a dangerous time for people not bending the knee to Rome and accepting Baptism.
The synopsis states – “When a monk inadvertently discovers a lair of werewolf babies, he unleashes what will become the Church’s most powerful–and secret–weapon. Clandestinely raised by the Teutonic Order, these lupine creatures serve as instruments of God against pagan unbelievers."
What the synopsis did not tell me was how I would feel about it.
Lily survives being used by the church for horrible things that she really did not understand. She suffered every manner of abuse until she escaped. Naked and alone in a world she did not understand, Lily had no reason for hope and no home. A young man with one-arm named Uldolf stumbles upon her at the end of her strength, dying. He takes her home to his farm where his family takes her in out of kindness and basic humanity. They feed and clothe her. They accept her without having any idea she is not human. Uldolf becomes her hero without ever trying. He is just a good guy. It is sad reading as Lily attempts to communicate as a human. It wanted to scream for her. Her reaction to having clothing or eating with a spoon made me choke on a sigh. The spiritual growth this girl goes through in her short 18 years of life would crumple most into an unrecognizable form. Lily had no information only horrible experiences to measure her place in the world. The church raised her as an animal, a killer, and a tool of their justice. I can’t emphasis this enough -- the book is dark. There are a few touching moments when the S.A. Swann cuts Lily five minutes of slack but for the most part – angst. The emotional punch is similar to the Seven Waters series with a sprinkling of Farseer.
I highly recommend this book to those who love dark fantasy, political intrigue, and religious debate. There is a romance but it’s more a part of Lily learning about humanity than romance as a focus. I would say Lily’s journey is more spiritual. I will confess right now that I am not going to read or listen to the second book because it’s too dark for my taste. I am satisfied with Lily’s story and will be willing to read other works by Swann.
The story of the werewolfhas been spun just about every way it can be done. In Wolfbreed the philosophy is simple, what if they are born from a wolf but appear as human babies? How would a child such as this be treated in a time when Christianity was spreading in a very bloody way? Whatever the Pope didn’t pull to his bosom was of the devil. It was a dangerous time for people not bending the knee to Rome and accepting Baptism.
The synopsis states – “When a monk inadvertently discovers a lair of werewolf babies, he unleashes what will become the Church’s most powerful–and secret–weapon. Clandestinely raised by the Teutonic Order, these lupine creatures serve as instruments of God against pagan unbelievers."
What the synopsis did not tell me was how I would feel about it.
Lily survives being used by the church for horrible things that she really did not understand. She suffered every manner of abuse until she escaped. Naked and alone in a world she did not understand, Lily had no reason for hope and no home. A young man with one-arm named Uldolf stumbles upon her at the end of her strength, dying. He takes her home to his farm where his family takes her in out of kindness and basic humanity. They feed and clothe her. They accept her without having any idea she is not human. Uldolf becomes her hero without ever trying. He is just a good guy. It is sad reading as Lily attempts to communicate as a human. It wanted to scream for her. Her reaction to having clothing or eating with a spoon made me choke on a sigh. The spiritual growth this girl goes through in her short 18 years of life would crumple most into an unrecognizable form. Lily had no information only horrible experiences to measure her place in the world. The church raised her as an animal, a killer, and a tool of their justice. I can’t emphasis this enough -- the book is dark. There are a few touching moments when the S.A. Swann cuts Lily five minutes of slack but for the most part – angst. The emotional punch is similar to the Seven Waters series with a sprinkling of Farseer.
I highly recommend this book to those who love dark fantasy, political intrigue, and religious debate. There is a romance but it’s more a part of Lily learning about humanity than romance as a focus. I would say Lily’s journey is more spiritual. I will confess right now that I am not going to read or listen to the second book because it’s too dark for my taste. I am satisfied with Lily’s story and will be willing to read other works by Swann.
October 11, 2009
A girl barely out of her teens is found bloody and naked by Uldolf, a one-armed young man who has been hunting in the forest. He lives with his adopted parents and a sister who took him in when he was just a child after the massacre that left his biological family dead. Uldolf barely survived and refuses to remember what happened. The strange girl doesn’t seem to speak and is frightened. Uldolf won’t allow her to die and takes her home where her mother will care for her.
The abused girl is Lily, a werewolf who has been held captive for years under the Knights of the Teutonic Order. Her master, Johannsburg, Erhard von Stendal, a knight of this order has made her into a killing machine where he has brainwashed her to thinking she kills for the good of god. He has killed her family and used torture to keep her in line. Lily has killed many and while her master is away, she is able to escape. She is very sacred but goes with Uldolf because he seems so kind. What Uldolf doesn’t know is that Lily and he have met before when they were young children and that she is the reason he became an orphan.
As Lily recovers, Uldolf and his parents try to figure out what the best course of action with Lily. She is a very strange girl who doesn’t seem comfortable with people, but is willing to help with household chores and keep an eye on Hilde, Uldolf’s younger sister. Also Lily has become attached to Uldolf and wants to show him how much she has come to love him. Erhard is searching for Lily and will do whatever means necessary to find her.
Because Lily is being hunted, anyone she comes in contact with is in danger. Lily has no where to go and wants to stay with Uldolf. But when he finds out who Lily is and the terror she has brought back into his life, he must either forgive her or turn her over to her master who wants to destroy her once and for all.
Wolfbreed is a gritty and violent dark novel that deals with the aspects of religion in very scary ways. S.A. Swann has written a world in the thirteen century that is ruled by powerful and deranged men who use evil and torture to get what they want. No one is safe from these persecutions and so many innocent lives are lost. Lily, the poor half human, half shift changing wolf is so abused and scarred that she has two sides to her that cannot be controlled. One side is fragile and wants to be safe and loved. The other side is a vicious one that makes Lily lash out. This side tries to take over and it gets to a point where Lily can’t stop it.
Uldolf is a wonderful character full of life and optimism. Even though his childhood was destroyed, he is able to overcome because of the husband and wife who took him in and treat him as their own son. This family unit becomes so important to this tale as well as how they treat and protect Lily.
Wolfbreed is all about redemption and forgiveness. S.A. Swann shows the best and the worst in people and the paths those take to either fight for good or turn to darkness to achieve great power. This story is for anyone who enjoys paranormals with a touch of romance and an action packed plot where the end is very much a mystery.
The abused girl is Lily, a werewolf who has been held captive for years under the Knights of the Teutonic Order. Her master, Johannsburg, Erhard von Stendal, a knight of this order has made her into a killing machine where he has brainwashed her to thinking she kills for the good of god. He has killed her family and used torture to keep her in line. Lily has killed many and while her master is away, she is able to escape. She is very sacred but goes with Uldolf because he seems so kind. What Uldolf doesn’t know is that Lily and he have met before when they were young children and that she is the reason he became an orphan.
As Lily recovers, Uldolf and his parents try to figure out what the best course of action with Lily. She is a very strange girl who doesn’t seem comfortable with people, but is willing to help with household chores and keep an eye on Hilde, Uldolf’s younger sister. Also Lily has become attached to Uldolf and wants to show him how much she has come to love him. Erhard is searching for Lily and will do whatever means necessary to find her.
Because Lily is being hunted, anyone she comes in contact with is in danger. Lily has no where to go and wants to stay with Uldolf. But when he finds out who Lily is and the terror she has brought back into his life, he must either forgive her or turn her over to her master who wants to destroy her once and for all.
Wolfbreed is a gritty and violent dark novel that deals with the aspects of religion in very scary ways. S.A. Swann has written a world in the thirteen century that is ruled by powerful and deranged men who use evil and torture to get what they want. No one is safe from these persecutions and so many innocent lives are lost. Lily, the poor half human, half shift changing wolf is so abused and scarred that she has two sides to her that cannot be controlled. One side is fragile and wants to be safe and loved. The other side is a vicious one that makes Lily lash out. This side tries to take over and it gets to a point where Lily can’t stop it.
Uldolf is a wonderful character full of life and optimism. Even though his childhood was destroyed, he is able to overcome because of the husband and wife who took him in and treat him as their own son. This family unit becomes so important to this tale as well as how they treat and protect Lily.
Wolfbreed is all about redemption and forgiveness. S.A. Swann shows the best and the worst in people and the paths those take to either fight for good or turn to darkness to achieve great power. This story is for anyone who enjoys paranormals with a touch of romance and an action packed plot where the end is very much a mystery.
November 27, 2011
This had a lot of potential, but the weak writing got in the way of the story. There were way too many compound and run-on sentences during action scenes, which any Fiction 101 course will tell you slows the action down considerably. Shorter, simpler sentences are the rule here unless the author has an artistic reason for doing otherwise. Also, there were too many instances of unnecessary information being repeated. I think there was one paragraph where it's mentioned three times that Lilly is "naked" or "uncovered." Repeating that makes me think the author was getting more out of it than I was. Ditto for the repeated references to Lilly's regenerating hymen - it was at most an interesting factoid but not relevant to the story, and around the third time it was mentioned I started side-eyeing the author.
Two stars, because there was interesting story here and if there had been a little more focus on the actual mechanics of fiction-writing, I would have enjoyed reading it.
Two stars, because there was interesting story here and if there had been a little more focus on the actual mechanics of fiction-writing, I would have enjoyed reading it.
September 11, 2009
I'm not sure why I picked up this book; the cover looked kind of cheesy. But I was pleasantly surprised! It's a werewolf story, but instead of the usual urban fantasy it's set in 12th century Prussia. The author has a gift for making believable, flawed, but interesting and sympathetic characters. The one-armed hero (who needs help from the werewolf heroine) is strong and moral, but not rigid. The heroine is emotionally damaged from the abuse that she suffered in being trained from childhood to be a killing machine, but grows through the book. Much better than I expected, and I'll read the sequel.
November 4, 2015
alors j'ai totalement adoré cette histoire ♥
déjà parce que les loups-garous n'ont rien à voir avec ceux "romantisés" de la bit-lit, ici ils sont représentés des bêtes de cauchemar : disproportionnées entre l'humain et le loup, d'une force immense avec un fort penchant pour le déchiquetage xD. aussi, pendant une grande partie de l'histoire Lilly a 2 personnalités en conflit... et aussi parce que le contexte médiéval, ça change de l'urban fantasy ^^.
l'histoire commence avec un chevalier de l'Ordre qui après avoir tué un loup, découvre ses petits (sous forme humaine) dans une tanière, et comme il est pas net dedans sa tête, il comprend que Dieu a voulu qu'il récupère ses bébés monstres pour en faire des armes au service de l'Ordre contre les païens (youpiiii... xD).
18 ans plus tard, Lilly, dernière louve vivante de la portée, est une machine à tuer redoutable. elle s'enfuit de sa prison, ne pouvant plus supporter les souvenirs des massacres qu'elle commet depuis ses 9 ans. alors qu'elle erre dans la forêt, elle croise la route d'Udolf, un jeune paysan prusan manchot, pas forcément pote avec les chevaliers allemand qui occupent son village. Udolf n'hésite pas à secourir Lilly, il ne voit qu'une jeune fille blessée qui semble fuir la forteresse de l'Ordre.
le récit alterne entre la situation présente et des flashback de l'enfance de Lilly et d'Udolf. pour elle, on découvre son "dressage", pour lui les terribles événements qui ont conduit à l'amputation de son bras... on suit également certains chevaliers dans leur campagne de christianisation, mais surtout on suit Lilly, et le changement qui va s'opéré en elle au contact d'Udolf et sa famille, elle qui ne connaissait que la violence et le meurtre.
mais les chevaliers sont à le poursuite de Lilly et les ennuis ne font que commencer pour elle et Udolf...
déjà parce que les loups-garous n'ont rien à voir avec ceux "romantisés" de la bit-lit, ici ils sont représentés des bêtes de cauchemar : disproportionnées entre l'humain et le loup, d'une force immense avec un fort penchant pour le déchiquetage xD. aussi, pendant une grande partie de l'histoire Lilly a 2 personnalités en conflit... et aussi parce que le contexte médiéval, ça change de l'urban fantasy ^^.
l'histoire commence avec un chevalier de l'Ordre qui après avoir tué un loup, découvre ses petits (sous forme humaine) dans une tanière, et comme il est pas net dedans sa tête, il comprend que Dieu a voulu qu'il récupère ses bébés monstres pour en faire des armes au service de l'Ordre contre les païens (youpiiii... xD).
18 ans plus tard, Lilly, dernière louve vivante de la portée, est une machine à tuer redoutable. elle s'enfuit de sa prison, ne pouvant plus supporter les souvenirs des massacres qu'elle commet depuis ses 9 ans. alors qu'elle erre dans la forêt, elle croise la route d'Udolf, un jeune paysan prusan manchot, pas forcément pote avec les chevaliers allemand qui occupent son village. Udolf n'hésite pas à secourir Lilly, il ne voit qu'une jeune fille blessée qui semble fuir la forteresse de l'Ordre.
le récit alterne entre la situation présente et des flashback de l'enfance de Lilly et d'Udolf. pour elle, on découvre son "dressage", pour lui les terribles événements qui ont conduit à l'amputation de son bras... on suit également certains chevaliers dans leur campagne de christianisation, mais surtout on suit Lilly, et le changement qui va s'opéré en elle au contact d'Udolf et sa famille, elle qui ne connaissait que la violence et le meurtre.
mais les chevaliers sont à le poursuite de Lilly et les ennuis ne font que commencer pour elle et Udolf...
May 31, 2010
The premise was really intriguing but I thought this book was very poorly written. The author had very obviously done his research on the 13th century but most of the information he gives is irrelevant to the story and just bogs it down. The characters had great potential but they were never really fleshed out and the relationships were rather shallow. Overall, I was very disappointed with this book. I felt like it never really reached the level I was expecting.
March 21, 2024
I had this book in the shelf for years.
The plot isn't bad and the medieval setting not my usual choice, which means a few elements felt different enough to be captivating.
There is even a little bit of romance, but my issues were with the amount of information/pages spent on the villain's bad deeds and fights and the negative aspects of military campaigns added by religious power plays. A huge part of the story simply did not interest me nor was I eager to read about these themes.
Thankfully, the story is mostly action and that meant I could turn the pages quickly, especially when the fights were being described. I think a different type of narrative might have turned this story into something more appealing for me to read, for the base wasn't bad.
The plot isn't bad and the medieval setting not my usual choice, which means a few elements felt different enough to be captivating.
There is even a little bit of romance, but my issues were with the amount of information/pages spent on the villain's bad deeds and fights and the negative aspects of military campaigns added by religious power plays. A huge part of the story simply did not interest me nor was I eager to read about these themes.
Thankfully, the story is mostly action and that meant I could turn the pages quickly, especially when the fights were being described. I think a different type of narrative might have turned this story into something more appealing for me to read, for the base wasn't bad.
August 10, 2010
I am a werewolf aficionado. If there is media out there about werewolves, and I know about it, I’ve likely consumed it at some point. So this book is right up my alley.
That said, this book is definitely top of the heap as far as werewolf fiction goes. It’s got an excellent story, it is well written, the protagonists are sympathetic, and the antagonists are villainous but not completely evil.
It’s set in Medieval Germany when the Holy Roman Empire was colonizing/converting Prussia. And I thought the book did a wonderful job in dealing with that situation. I don’t know much about that particular history, but minus the werewolf element, I’m willing to buy this. The war, and the horrors humans commit during war/colonizing, are very believably presented.
I was a little wary at first because I was a bit afraid that the book was going to be an ‘anti-Christianity/Pagan religions were SO MUCH better’ book, but it wasn’t. It neatly sidestepped that issue altogether. And while the villains of the book are leaders in the church I never got the feeling that they spoke for the whole church or that the book itself was anti-religion. That being said, a reading like that is absolutely possible, it just isn’t how I read it.
A really strong point in the book is that its werewolf is female. A female werewolf main character feels like a rare occurrence and I think it bears mentioning. I love that only werewolf in the book is a girl. Plus Lily is kind of awesome. AND she rescues the boy.
The book does deal with abuse and rape. I think it does a decent job of it. And I really like that Lily’s split human/werewolf personality is not something natural that happens because she’s a werewolf, that is, that the wolf and human are two personalities living inside one body, but rather it’s a result of the abuse that she’s suffered. She developed the ferocious killer personality directly as result of the abuse she suffered. And later, Lily realizes that the wolf and human personalities are the same and she fuses them back together the way, in this world, they should be. However there are elements of the ‘magical healing cock’ in the book that annoyed me just a tad. Lily seemed to put her personalities back together awfully quick after she and Uldolf had sex, and there was nothing pre-sex that hinted she was going that way. Even directly before the sexual encounter she was still flipping back and forth between the two personalities.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading the next one.
That said, this book is definitely top of the heap as far as werewolf fiction goes. It’s got an excellent story, it is well written, the protagonists are sympathetic, and the antagonists are villainous but not completely evil.
It’s set in Medieval Germany when the Holy Roman Empire was colonizing/converting Prussia. And I thought the book did a wonderful job in dealing with that situation. I don’t know much about that particular history, but minus the werewolf element, I’m willing to buy this. The war, and the horrors humans commit during war/colonizing, are very believably presented.
I was a little wary at first because I was a bit afraid that the book was going to be an ‘anti-Christianity/Pagan religions were SO MUCH better’ book, but it wasn’t. It neatly sidestepped that issue altogether. And while the villains of the book are leaders in the church I never got the feeling that they spoke for the whole church or that the book itself was anti-religion. That being said, a reading like that is absolutely possible, it just isn’t how I read it.
A really strong point in the book is that its werewolf is female. A female werewolf main character feels like a rare occurrence and I think it bears mentioning. I love that only werewolf in the book is a girl. Plus Lily is kind of awesome. AND she rescues the boy.
The book does deal with abuse and rape. I think it does a decent job of it. And I really like that Lily’s split human/werewolf personality is not something natural that happens because she’s a werewolf, that is, that the wolf and human are two personalities living inside one body, but rather it’s a result of the abuse that she’s suffered. She developed the ferocious killer personality directly as result of the abuse she suffered. And later, Lily realizes that the wolf and human personalities are the same and she fuses them back together the way, in this world, they should be. However there are elements of the ‘magical healing cock’ in the book that annoyed me just a tad. Lily seemed to put her personalities back together awfully quick after she and Uldolf had sex, and there was nothing pre-sex that hinted she was going that way. Even directly before the sexual encounter she was still flipping back and forth between the two personalities.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2009
Being a fan of werewolf books, I thought this sounded interesting when I read the review in Publisher's Weekly. A while ago I had tried to read a werewolf novel with a historical setting (by Alice Borchardt, Anne Rice's sister, set around the fall of Rome) and couldn't get into it. I much preferred this tale set in medieval Germany.
Many years ago, a Christian order of knights converting pagan lands found a litter of werewolf children. Rather than condemn these children as Satanic creatures, the Order instead decided to use the "wolfbreed" as weapons of God. Years later, only one of the wolfbreed remains, and she has escaped.
In the Prusan countryside, a young one-armed man finds a red-haired woman naked and injured and brings her home to care for her. Little does he know that helping the girl, and falling in love with her, will put him and his entire family in danger...
The plotlines of this story wove together well, and kept a good pace throughout. While there is a romantic element, this is not a paranormal romance by any means. It reads more like a fantasy even than historical fiction, although there is certainly a historical aspect to it.
Many years ago, a Christian order of knights converting pagan lands found a litter of werewolf children. Rather than condemn these children as Satanic creatures, the Order instead decided to use the "wolfbreed" as weapons of God. Years later, only one of the wolfbreed remains, and she has escaped.
In the Prusan countryside, a young one-armed man finds a red-haired woman naked and injured and brings her home to care for her. Little does he know that helping the girl, and falling in love with her, will put him and his entire family in danger...
The plotlines of this story wove together well, and kept a good pace throughout. While there is a romantic element, this is not a paranormal romance by any means. It reads more like a fantasy even than historical fiction, although there is certainly a historical aspect to it.
February 5, 2017
I read a really different werewolf book called "Wolfbreed" It takes place in 1229 AD in Germany. There was a war so the Christians killed a bunch of pagan god believers and forced the survivors to convert. The monks have a "wolfbreed" who can change into a standing wolf creature that they use to fight the pagans.
The wolfbreed escapes and doesn't want to go back. A local family takes her in and protects her without knowing what she is. It was a really slow build romance and the heroine suffered a lot of torture and rape as the wolfbreed so that was difficult to read about.
I gave it 2 stars because it was well written but a very grim story.
The wolfbreed escapes and doesn't want to go back. A local family takes her in and protects her without knowing what she is. It was a really slow build romance and the heroine suffered a lot of torture and rape as the wolfbreed so that was difficult to read about.
I gave it 2 stars because it was well written but a very grim story.
December 15, 2009
I devoured this book. I really loved the middle ages setting and the unusual choice of the Northern Crusades. I was inspired to look up quite a bit of information about the time period just to get a sense of the larger picture while reading this book. The character attitudes were a bit too modern for the time period.. but I loved them anyway. I would have like to see this book fleshed out a little more but that's just the book nerd in me. I'm looking forward to the companion book to this.
December 14, 2011
A medieval take on werewolves and they are not sexy nice shifters. A good book. The author got the medieval details right. No idealized knights on white destriers here. The heroine is a werewolf who has been used as a killer since she was captured as a young girl. But she doesn't really want to live that life and escapes and tries to change. There is great romance here and suffering and sacrifice.
Very well written and highly recommended.
Very well written and highly recommended.
January 30, 2013
Surprisingly good. It was almost the traditional werewolf form, which left me wondering how good this novel would be, but don't let that fool you. This book has action, suspense, and romance. I finished it in 3 days, and am moving on to the next one. Gotta read as many as I can before University takes me away from my beloved hobby of reading, once again. : P
October 26, 2009
The idea behind the storyline was good, but the book was just not very well written. I think the author focused too much on little details that tended to draw you off on a tangent only to hurtle you back to the main point. It made for ponderous reading.
December 14, 2009
[to be reviewed for HNS Feb 2010:]
October 27, 2009
Really interesting twist on the werewolf story. I felt the love story weakened the ending, but still a great read.
January 9, 2010
Started reading this Friday night and stayed up til wee hours Saturday to finish this...couldn't put it down. Fascinating take on a werewolf story. Can't wait for the next installment. Loved it!
January 11, 2010
Surprisingly not bad. Actually, could be one of the better action-adventure-fantasy-historical-romance-political-intrigue books I've read in a while...
September 8, 2010
Overall, a great book filled with unique ideas and rich with well-researched history. Read my full review here:
http://bookwormblues.blogspot.com/201...
http://bookwormblues.blogspot.com/201...
March 27, 2016
Wat een prachtboek! Just love ! Deze wordt een re-read, na zoveel boeken gelezen te hebben !
#5stars
#5stars
June 24, 2021
I could definitely see this book as a movie.
December 26, 2017
Bon, ce ne sera pas le chef-d'oeuvre de la littérature fantasy, il est bourré de défauts, il n'a pas la profondeur d'un "L'Heure du loup", il frôle même parfois le gnangnan ou la praline, mais dans l'ensemble, si on ne fait pas la difficile, ça passe.
Ça est même bien passé puisqu'après avoir lu les 100 premières un jour, j'ai englouti les 378 le lendemain soir. Ne pas être en forme a du bon, niveau bouffage de pages.
Après un début tonitruant (non, ce n'est pas le petit nom d'un mafiosi), on se calme un peu lorsque Lilly, la louve-garoute (on dit loup-garou ?) rousse qui vient de s'évader se retrouve à poil devant le pauvre Udolf, 18 ans, un bras en moins, mais du coeur à revendre.
Nous sommes dans une région de la Prusia, en 1230, et quasi toute la région est sous la botte des Chevaliers Teutoniques et du très Saint Empire Germanique.
Ceci n'est pas divulgâcher la chose que de vous dire que l'histoire d'amour entre Lilly et Udolf est téléphonée et qu'on l'a voit venir de tellement loin qu'on se demande comment eux-mêmes ne s'en sont pas rendu compte plus vite. Y'a pas que ça que j'avais compris bien avant Udolf, moi.
Niveau écriture, on n'entrera pas à l'Académie, elle est d'un niveau accessible pour tous et toutes, sans poésie, sans belles tournures de phrases et le dictionnaire n'est pas nécessaire à la compréhension des mots alignés pour faire des phrases.
Les seuls qu'on a du mal à comprendre, ce sont les titres allemands des chevaliers Teutons ou autres chefs de fief ou comté. Là, on sent que l'auteur a potassé son "Petit chevalier sans peine".
Les personnages auraient mérités un peu plus de profondeur et un peu moins de dichotomie parce qu'ici, les Bons sont très gentils et les Méchants sont très méchants, carrément méchants, jamais contents ♫
Quant à Lilly, la loup-garou (l'Académie pourrait-elle me dire si on le féminise ou pas ?), elle a tout pour affoler le compteur Geiger spécial Mary-Sue ! Wiki étant mon ami, je t'ai mie le lien, cher lecteur, chère lectrice (l(écriture inclusive aux chiottes !), au cas où tu serais fatigué à l'idée de devoir taper le mot dans ta Sidebar de Google !
Donc, chers amis lecteurs et trices, vous l'aurez compris, le roman ne brille pas par son originalité, ni par ses personnages principaux, ses méchants ou ses envahisseurs.
La seule chose que je soulignerai, c'est le tacle de l'auteur vis-à-vis d'une certaine Église Chrétienne et sa propension à vouloir convertir tout le monde de force, dans le sang et les tripes, surtout les païens qui croyaient en plusieurs dieux.
L'auteur montre bien à un certain moment que les chrétiens convertis doivent toujours en faire plus pour prouver qu'ils sont bien chrétiens. C'est à la limite si on ne leur demande pas de se faire plus chrétien que le pape ou plus catholique que le Bon Dieu lui-même !
Quoiqu'ils fassent, ce n'est jamais assez, et s'ils se montrent trop zélés et arrivent au niveau de l'envahisseur, ça risque aussi de se retourner contre eux car l'Homme n'aime pas que ceux qu'ils pensent plus bas qu'eux se hissent à leur niveau.
Un peu comme on fait avec d'autres, que ce soit niveau religieux ou de l'intégration d'autres cultures. On leur demande des efforts et s'ils tendent à nous égaler, alors, ça ne va plus.
Un roman de fantasy qui aurait être plus profond, plus travaillé, avec un scénario moins éculé, moins téléphoné. Un roman qui, si on n'est pas trop regardant, peut vous faire passer quelques heures bienheureuses, dans une époque reculée où je n'aurais pas aimé vivre.
Ça est même bien passé puisqu'après avoir lu les 100 premières un jour, j'ai englouti les 378 le lendemain soir. Ne pas être en forme a du bon, niveau bouffage de pages.
Après un début tonitruant (non, ce n'est pas le petit nom d'un mafiosi), on se calme un peu lorsque Lilly, la louve-garoute (on dit loup-garou ?) rousse qui vient de s'évader se retrouve à poil devant le pauvre Udolf, 18 ans, un bras en moins, mais du coeur à revendre.
Nous sommes dans une région de la Prusia, en 1230, et quasi toute la région est sous la botte des Chevaliers Teutoniques et du très Saint Empire Germanique.
Ceci n'est pas divulgâcher la chose que de vous dire que l'histoire d'amour entre Lilly et Udolf est téléphonée et qu'on l'a voit venir de tellement loin qu'on se demande comment eux-mêmes ne s'en sont pas rendu compte plus vite. Y'a pas que ça que j'avais compris bien avant Udolf, moi.
Niveau écriture, on n'entrera pas à l'Académie, elle est d'un niveau accessible pour tous et toutes, sans poésie, sans belles tournures de phrases et le dictionnaire n'est pas nécessaire à la compréhension des mots alignés pour faire des phrases.
Les seuls qu'on a du mal à comprendre, ce sont les titres allemands des chevaliers Teutons ou autres chefs de fief ou comté. Là, on sent que l'auteur a potassé son "Petit chevalier sans peine".
Les personnages auraient mérités un peu plus de profondeur et un peu moins de dichotomie parce qu'ici, les Bons sont très gentils et les Méchants sont très méchants, carrément méchants, jamais contents ♫
Quant à Lilly, la loup-garou (l'Académie pourrait-elle me dire si on le féminise ou pas ?), elle a tout pour affoler le compteur Geiger spécial Mary-Sue ! Wiki étant mon ami, je t'ai mie le lien, cher lecteur, chère lectrice (l(écriture inclusive aux chiottes !), au cas où tu serais fatigué à l'idée de devoir taper le mot dans ta Sidebar de Google !
Donc, chers amis lecteurs et trices, vous l'aurez compris, le roman ne brille pas par son originalité, ni par ses personnages principaux, ses méchants ou ses envahisseurs.
La seule chose que je soulignerai, c'est le tacle de l'auteur vis-à-vis d'une certaine Église Chrétienne et sa propension à vouloir convertir tout le monde de force, dans le sang et les tripes, surtout les païens qui croyaient en plusieurs dieux.
L'auteur montre bien à un certain moment que les chrétiens convertis doivent toujours en faire plus pour prouver qu'ils sont bien chrétiens. C'est à la limite si on ne leur demande pas de se faire plus chrétien que le pape ou plus catholique que le Bon Dieu lui-même !
Quoiqu'ils fassent, ce n'est jamais assez, et s'ils se montrent trop zélés et arrivent au niveau de l'envahisseur, ça risque aussi de se retourner contre eux car l'Homme n'aime pas que ceux qu'ils pensent plus bas qu'eux se hissent à leur niveau.
Un peu comme on fait avec d'autres, que ce soit niveau religieux ou de l'intégration d'autres cultures. On leur demande des efforts et s'ils tendent à nous égaler, alors, ça ne va plus.
Un roman de fantasy qui aurait être plus profond, plus travaillé, avec un scénario moins éculé, moins téléphoné. Un roman qui, si on n'est pas trop regardant, peut vous faire passer quelques heures bienheureuses, dans une époque reculée où je n'aurais pas aimé vivre.
November 22, 2019
"- Jesteś stworem z piekła - warknął.
- W takim razie kim jest mój pan?"
Lubię zarówno historie o wilkołakach jak i opowieści osadzone w czasach średniowiecza, ale czy połączenie tych dwóch elementów to nie za dużo szczęścia na raz?
Okazuje się, że "Wilczy miot" to całkiem udana opowieść o rycerzach zakonu krzyżackiego, nawracaniu pogan i oczywiście wilkołakach, a wszystko to dzieje się w trzynastowiecznych Prusach.
Wykorzystywanie włochatych bestii w procesie chrystianizacji - to dość niekonwencjonalny pomysł.
Książka poza głównym tematem (chrystianizacja wilkołakami) nie jest zbyt zaskakująca, okładkę ma raczej fatalną, ale ma też sporo plusów. Po pierwsze - wilkołaki opisane są tak jak według mnie powinny - jako krwiożercze bestie. Krwi, wnętrzności i tym podobnych atrakcji w związku z tym faktem jest sporo. Wątek miłosny nie jest przesłodzony, przynajmniej nikt się nie świeci w świetle promieni słonecznych, ani nie posiada innych równie irytujących cech. Jest raczej mało romantycznie, momentami wręcz brutalnie i okrutnie, więc poszukującym ckliwych historii miłosnych rodem ze "Zmierzchu" książkę odradzam. Główna bohaterka może trochę zbyt idealna (młoda, piękna, inteligentna, silna i urocza), ale od czasu do czasu porasta futrem i lubi przegryźć surowy sarni (lepiej ludzki) udziec, więc przymknęłam na to oko ;)
Poza czystą rozrywką autor serwuje nam też trochę dylematów moralnych głównej bohaterki, zwraca uwagę na fałszywe i pełne pozorów postępowanie ludzi.
"Jeżeli ona miała spłonąć, jej panowie z zakonu krzyżackiego powinni upiec się w tym samym ogniu."
Książkę polecam wszystkim fanom opowieści o wilkołakach.
7/10
- W takim razie kim jest mój pan?"
Lubię zarówno historie o wilkołakach jak i opowieści osadzone w czasach średniowiecza, ale czy połączenie tych dwóch elementów to nie za dużo szczęścia na raz?
Okazuje się, że "Wilczy miot" to całkiem udana opowieść o rycerzach zakonu krzyżackiego, nawracaniu pogan i oczywiście wilkołakach, a wszystko to dzieje się w trzynastowiecznych Prusach.
Wykorzystywanie włochatych bestii w procesie chrystianizacji - to dość niekonwencjonalny pomysł.
Książka poza głównym tematem (chrystianizacja wilkołakami) nie jest zbyt zaskakująca, okładkę ma raczej fatalną, ale ma też sporo plusów. Po pierwsze - wilkołaki opisane są tak jak według mnie powinny - jako krwiożercze bestie. Krwi, wnętrzności i tym podobnych atrakcji w związku z tym faktem jest sporo. Wątek miłosny nie jest przesłodzony, przynajmniej nikt się nie świeci w świetle promieni słonecznych, ani nie posiada innych równie irytujących cech. Jest raczej mało romantycznie, momentami wręcz brutalnie i okrutnie, więc poszukującym ckliwych historii miłosnych rodem ze "Zmierzchu" książkę odradzam. Główna bohaterka może trochę zbyt idealna (młoda, piękna, inteligentna, silna i urocza), ale od czasu do czasu porasta futrem i lubi przegryźć surowy sarni (lepiej ludzki) udziec, więc przymknęłam na to oko ;)
Poza czystą rozrywką autor serwuje nam też trochę dylematów moralnych głównej bohaterki, zwraca uwagę na fałszywe i pełne pozorów postępowanie ludzi.
"Jeżeli ona miała spłonąć, jej panowie z zakonu krzyżackiego powinni upiec się w tym samym ogniu."
Książkę polecam wszystkim fanom opowieści o wilkołakach.
7/10
June 22, 2025
Because the title triggered me, and I find wolves fascinating animals, I bought this second-hand book.
After reading a lot of books from the fantasy genre during my puberty, i have eventually being saturated with them, and read them sporadically.
Now this one is a book to be one that stands out and is very worthwhile.
Well written with an eye for the historical background in which the story is written.
The story takes place around 1200, when the pagan city of Mejdan is Christianized and renamed Johannisburg.
That did not go without a fight, and a large part of the pagan population was killed.
Within the family of the young Udolf he is the only survivor, but he is taken in on the farm of his uncle and aunt where life continues.
Udolf does not want to think back to the night he lost his family.
In another place, 18-year-old Lily lives in captivity of her Christian masters. Lily is a werewolf girl who, as a child, was captured by Teutonic knights together with her brothers and sisters and trained to bring heretics into line.
On the one hand, Lily is an ordinary 18-year-old girl, on the other hand, she can transform into a killing machine in the form of a monstrous wolf, something the order takes full advantage of.
Lily has long since lost her own voice.
She must obey her masters.
Chained to silver chains that prevent her from taking on the form of a werewolf and attacking her masters, she leads a hard life.
Until one day she finally manages to break out.
But where can she go?
After reading a lot of books from the fantasy genre during my puberty, i have eventually being saturated with them, and read them sporadically.
Now this one is a book to be one that stands out and is very worthwhile.
Well written with an eye for the historical background in which the story is written.
The story takes place around 1200, when the pagan city of Mejdan is Christianized and renamed Johannisburg.
That did not go without a fight, and a large part of the pagan population was killed.
Within the family of the young Udolf he is the only survivor, but he is taken in on the farm of his uncle and aunt where life continues.
Udolf does not want to think back to the night he lost his family.
In another place, 18-year-old Lily lives in captivity of her Christian masters. Lily is a werewolf girl who, as a child, was captured by Teutonic knights together with her brothers and sisters and trained to bring heretics into line.
On the one hand, Lily is an ordinary 18-year-old girl, on the other hand, she can transform into a killing machine in the form of a monstrous wolf, something the order takes full advantage of.
Lily has long since lost her own voice.
She must obey her masters.
Chained to silver chains that prevent her from taking on the form of a werewolf and attacking her masters, she leads a hard life.
Until one day she finally manages to break out.
But where can she go?
August 18, 2022
read about 3/4 of this and had to DNF. i really liked the plot overall, but was surprised this was shelved as adult fiction when it reads so much like YA and the main characters are in their late teens and seem immature.
TW: sexual assault
i had to stop reading this book after some details were revealed about the female werewolves. Lilly, the main werewolf, is used as a weapon throughout the story by her masters. she is horrifically abused throughout her whole life, including sexual assault. overall i actually thought these scenes were handled fairly well. no horrific details but also very clear what was going on.
however.
i had to stop when it was explained that because werewolves have the power of healing, the females continually grow back their hymens, and this is why the men love to assault them so much. i couldn’t get past how creepy this was and why the author felt it was needed. they didn’t need a “reason” for abusing them; it was believable since it was 13th century europe and women were already abused.
TW: sexual assault
i had to stop reading this book after some details were revealed about the female werewolves. Lilly, the main werewolf, is used as a weapon throughout the story by her masters. she is horrifically abused throughout her whole life, including sexual assault. overall i actually thought these scenes were handled fairly well. no horrific details but also very clear what was going on.
however.
i had to stop when it was explained that because werewolves have the power of healing, the females continually grow back their hymens, and this is why the men love to assault them so much. i couldn’t get past how creepy this was and why the author felt it was needed. they didn’t need a “reason” for abusing them; it was believable since it was 13th century europe and women were already abused.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2021
When I first heard about this book I had just finished a Medieval Studies course on werewolves and this book seemed perfect- I even sent a link to the prof. I bought it shortly after the release and it's taken me about 12 years to actually read it. The concept is brilliant. I love the idea of the church using werewolves to infiltrate, kill, and convert pagans. Everything else about the book though... The cover is terrible. I found the book really easy to get into and I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the beginning. Then it got really boring. The writing is not good, the pacing was really off, and the love story was just pathetic. I think I cringed everytime Lilly says 'Ulfie'. I mean it's the pet name his little sister calls him and he actively states he doesn't like it and doesn't want to be called it. It infantilizes her character and it's gross that Uldolf does fall in love with this seemingly simple-minded injured woman who keeps throwing herself at him (naked).
June 24, 2022
4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Op vakantie in Andalucië lag dit boek in t hotel splinternieuw in de bibliotheek. Iemand had er dus geen zin in. Ik heb het omgeruild met een boek wat ik uithalen.
Op het strand in een aantal dagen uitgelezen. Heel mooi verhaal over Lilly en Udolf in een fantasieverhaal rondom Johannesburg en de kerk van de middeleeuwen.
Lilly wordt getraind door de kerk om in de gedaante van weerwolf alle heidenen uit te roeien. Dit wordt uiteindelijk tegen hen gebruikt als Lilly wordt opgevangen bij de familie van Udolf.
Ondanks dit thema is het een boek wat vanaf het begin tot het eind boeit, je leeft echt met Lilly mee.
En het fantasy dus wilde ik verder lezen. Dit zou zeker een verfilming waard zijn!
Op vakantie in Andalucië lag dit boek in t hotel splinternieuw in de bibliotheek. Iemand had er dus geen zin in. Ik heb het omgeruild met een boek wat ik uithalen.
Op het strand in een aantal dagen uitgelezen. Heel mooi verhaal over Lilly en Udolf in een fantasieverhaal rondom Johannesburg en de kerk van de middeleeuwen.
Lilly wordt getraind door de kerk om in de gedaante van weerwolf alle heidenen uit te roeien. Dit wordt uiteindelijk tegen hen gebruikt als Lilly wordt opgevangen bij de familie van Udolf.
Ondanks dit thema is het een boek wat vanaf het begin tot het eind boeit, je leeft echt met Lilly mee.
En het fantasy dus wilde ik verder lezen. Dit zou zeker een verfilming waard zijn!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews