Wolf of Withervale

I have complex feelings on this read. It truly is epic in scope. There is much to like. There is also a large cast of characters – most with unusual names and some with multiple names. And lots of places with unusual names – sometimes multiple names. And events with unusual names. As our characters wander through this epic landscape, at times I felt like I was wandering through an epic list of vocabulary that was often difficult to remember. Cumulatively it became a bit wearisome and I struggled to care after a bit.

At the outset of Chapter 62 I decided to switch from listening to reading. And that helped a lot. Being visually able to see the words spelled out assisted my ability to track the names. The maps helped a great deal as well. Even so, it still is a lot to absorb. When Banook spent a couple pages describing the eighteen Nu’irgesh beings – each with their human and animal manifestations, and the masks (each with their own name) associated with the tribes and geographical areas they were to be found in, I found my eyes glazing over and I started to skim pages looking for something to move the story forward, then I’d go back because I assume that I’ll need to know who Skugge and ust Okri are. And where Fuuriseth lives? It just gets to be a lot.

But that said, the characters’ circumstances are sympathetic. The villains are very villainous and do really awful things… which of course increases the sense of danger for our heroes. Lago (who acquires a secondary name part-way through the book) is partial to really curvy guys and his eventual love interest is a really big bear in all respects, so I gotta give kudos to the author for not going with the usual stereotypes and giving visibility to large men with big bellies and those who love them. I struggled a bit with the shifter sex… making out with a canine muzzle has never ventured into my fantasies… this author is fearless and kinda goes there. But I also have to say that those scenes do not linger and are centered in the emotional journey of the shifters involved.

I will read book two, as I optimistically bought both books at the same time. I assume that the vocabulary will eventually imprint on my mind enough so that I don’t get as overwhelmed as I have during this first book. The story moves too slowly to be a gripping read, but the world-building is uniquely rich and the over-arching concept of the book is intriguing. It is the type of book that I normally like, so I am going to continue with it in hopes that over time the storytelling is less bogged down by its language. Because there is a good story there.

It is much easier to follow when reading, as opposed to listening (the narrator is fine, it is just easier for me when I can see the words and have easier access to the maps). The art in the illustrations and the maps is fantastic. Although black and white in the books, it does make a good argument to spring for the hardbound books. They are well done.

* * * * *

The Purple Fantastic Steam Rating gives this a 3 out of 5. Yes, this book can get a little steamy, and a bit kinky when you add shifter sex, but for better or worse much is left to one’s imagination and the text does not linger too long on the specifics. You can read more about the Steam Ratings on the About Page.