What do you think?
Rate this book
Firekeeper Saga #1
Through Wolf's Eyes
Firekeeper only vaguely remembers a time when she didn't live with her "family," a pack of "royal wolves"-bigger, stronger, and smarter than normal wolves. Now her pack leaders are sending her back to live among the humans, as they promised her mother years ago.
Some of the humans think she may be the lost heir to their throne. This could be good-and it could be very, very dangerous. In the months to come, learning to behave like a human will turn out to be more complicated than she'd ever imagined.
But though human ways might be stranger than anything found in the forest, the infighting in the human's pack is nothing Firekeeper hasn't seen before. That, she understands just fine. She's not your standard-issue princess-and this is not your standard-issue fairy tale.
Some of the humans think she may be the lost heir to their throne. This could be good-and it could be very, very dangerous. In the months to come, learning to behave like a human will turn out to be more complicated than she'd ever imagined.
But though human ways might be stranger than anything found in the forest, the infighting in the human's pack is nothing Firekeeper hasn't seen before. That, she understands just fine. She's not your standard-issue princess-and this is not your standard-issue fairy tale.
579 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 18, 2001
200 people are currently reading
6580 people want to read
About the author
Jane Lindskold
126 books653 followersJane Lindskold is the author of more than twenty published novels, including the eight volume Firekeeper Saga (beginning with Through Wolf’s Eyes), Child of a Rainless Year (a contemporary fantasy set in Las Vegas, New Mexico), and The Buried Pyramid (an archeological adventure fantasy set in 1880's Egypt).
Lindskold is also the author of the “Breaking the Wall” series, which begins with Thirteen Orphans, then continues in Nine Gates and Five Odd Honors. Her most recent series begins with Artemis Awakening, released in May of 2014. Lindskold has also had published over sixty short stories and numerous works of non-fiction, including a critical biography of Roger Zelazny, and articles on Yeats and Synge.
She has collaborated with several other SF/F writers, including Roger Zelazny, for whom, at his request, she posthumously finished his novels Donnerjack and Lord Demon. She has also collaborated with David Weber, writing several novellas and two YA novels set in his popular ”Honorverse.” She wrote the short story “Servant of Death” with Fred Saberhagen.
Charles de Lint, reviewing Changer, praised "Lindskold's ability to tell a fast-paced, contemporary story that still carries the weight and style of old mythological story cycles."[1] Terri Windling called Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls "a complex, utterly original work of speculative fiction." DeLint has also stated that “Jane Lindskold is one of those hidden treasures of American letters; a true gem of a writer who simply gets better with each book.”
Lindskold was born in 1962 at the Columbia Hospital for Women, the first of four siblings and grew up in Washington, D.C. and Chesapeake Bay. Lindskold's father was head of the Land and Natural Resources Division, Western Division of the United States Justice Department and her mother was also an attorney. She studied at Fordham, where she received a Ph. D. in English, concentrating on Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern British Literature; she successfully defended her Ph.D. on her 26th birthday.
Lindskold lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband, archaeologist Jim Moore.
Lindskold is also the author of the “Breaking the Wall” series, which begins with Thirteen Orphans, then continues in Nine Gates and Five Odd Honors. Her most recent series begins with Artemis Awakening, released in May of 2014. Lindskold has also had published over sixty short stories and numerous works of non-fiction, including a critical biography of Roger Zelazny, and articles on Yeats and Synge.
She has collaborated with several other SF/F writers, including Roger Zelazny, for whom, at his request, she posthumously finished his novels Donnerjack and Lord Demon. She has also collaborated with David Weber, writing several novellas and two YA novels set in his popular ”Honorverse.” She wrote the short story “Servant of Death” with Fred Saberhagen.
Charles de Lint, reviewing Changer, praised "Lindskold's ability to tell a fast-paced, contemporary story that still carries the weight and style of old mythological story cycles."[1] Terri Windling called Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls "a complex, utterly original work of speculative fiction." DeLint has also stated that “Jane Lindskold is one of those hidden treasures of American letters; a true gem of a writer who simply gets better with each book.”
Lindskold was born in 1962 at the Columbia Hospital for Women, the first of four siblings and grew up in Washington, D.C. and Chesapeake Bay. Lindskold's father was head of the Land and Natural Resources Division, Western Division of the United States Justice Department and her mother was also an attorney. She studied at Fordham, where she received a Ph. D. in English, concentrating on Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern British Literature; she successfully defended her Ph.D. on her 26th birthday.
Lindskold lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband, archaeologist Jim Moore.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 339 reviews
January 14, 2009
This would have been a really fantastic book if the author's editor had sat her down and explained that writing is NOT the SCA, that no, you do NOT need to have every filial relationship detailed, you do NOT need to give us a course on the Heraldry of the characters, and that adding characters does NOT make the plot better.
The original plot was great-- a woman has been raised by the creatures of the forest, as her parents, and those who served them were killed in a fire. These are not common animals, but magical, of course-- smart as humanity, steeped in the magic of their world, and bearing knowledge that humanity does not. They sent the woman back to humanity and she becomes an odd hybrid, thinking herself one of these wolves in spirit. Add in a lovely plot that has aspects of the real life story of Princess Anastasia (is Firekeeper really Blysse, the King's granddaughter, or not?) and a court of vipers all wanting to inherit the crown and finally, toss in a war and you SHOULD have enough. THe author also threw in assassination plots, a duchess who is dabbling in black magic controlling her children. whole near CHAPTERS on said heraldry and inheritance and even MORE side plots and it becomes far too rich for a single book.
The book took me over 4 months to read-- I'd read to a point, get overwhelmed, and yes, BORED by some of the sub plots, and put it down. I may... someday... pick up the other books of the series, but only if I have a deep need for triple chocolate trifle with sweetened whipped cream and triple fudge sauce.
The original plot was great-- a woman has been raised by the creatures of the forest, as her parents, and those who served them were killed in a fire. These are not common animals, but magical, of course-- smart as humanity, steeped in the magic of their world, and bearing knowledge that humanity does not. They sent the woman back to humanity and she becomes an odd hybrid, thinking herself one of these wolves in spirit. Add in a lovely plot that has aspects of the real life story of Princess Anastasia (is Firekeeper really Blysse, the King's granddaughter, or not?) and a court of vipers all wanting to inherit the crown and finally, toss in a war and you SHOULD have enough. THe author also threw in assassination plots, a duchess who is dabbling in black magic controlling her children. whole near CHAPTERS on said heraldry and inheritance and even MORE side plots and it becomes far too rich for a single book.
The book took me over 4 months to read-- I'd read to a point, get overwhelmed, and yes, BORED by some of the sub plots, and put it down. I may... someday... pick up the other books of the series, but only if I have a deep need for triple chocolate trifle with sweetened whipped cream and triple fudge sauce.
March 26, 2016
Epic Fantasy has become a pretty strong hit or miss genre for me. There once was a time I would OD on them, reading anywhere from 5-10 books a month—if not more. Authors were constantly coming out with new series. That’s when things started going sour for me; the genre was just getting beaten into the ground with a stick. Soon the books became faceless comfort food, and anyone who eats too much of their favorite comfort food can soon become stale. The plots, worlds, characters, and stories all felt like they were being pulled out of the indispensable magic hat of epic fantasy writing. Soon I stopped anticipating reading anything by new authors and only went with re-reads and authors I knew were good.
When I picked up Through Wolf’s Eyes I was going on a huge leap (more like head first plummet) of faith. It didn’t sound like anything new. A young girl pulled into high society and forced to try and make a bid as the next heir to the throne. So what’s new? That young girl has lived with wolves all her life. Raised by wolves. When the humans come seeking her out to try and find the lost Prince’s daughter she’s never seen another human. She’s a wolf in heart and mind—only lacking the body. Lindskold doesn’t lose sight of anything as Firekeeper—the wolf girl—joins the humans and tries to learn their ways. She balances high political intrigue with human and wolf nature. Each line is a beautiful example of the type of lyrical words that I love from the Epic Fantasy genre, especially when it’s tempered by Lindskold’s fantastic sense of humor.
The biggest thing about Through Wolf’s Eyes are its characters. Most EFs forget that they actually have to realize the characters, not just barrow from the stereotype pool. Each one of Lindskold’s characters found their way into my head, and sometimes straight to my heart. Not only was I reading for the plot and intrigue I wanted to know what was happening with each character. Many felt like a dear friend. The third person POV would change periodically spending time with a number of them. Their interactions with each other felt real and their thoughts felt genuine. Watching them grow before my eyes was beyond AWE-some. Even the current villain(s) of this book enchanted me with the depth of development Lindskold put in them. Many times I found myself smiling ridiculously or getting angry—my emotions were being played.
This book reminds me why I always come crawling back to the Epic Fantasy genre. It proves that new authors can still come up with great stories—maybe even beating out some of the “legends” of the genre. The court politics are sublime! The battles are fought with words as well as swords, a heady mix of intrigue and action. All of the characters will become like dear friends, and none of them are just stereotypes of the EF genre. It gives me hopes that good EF still gets published. We shouldn’t give up on the genre.
(Sadly it looks like the paperback issues are no longer in print, it’s still available in eBook format.)
Sexual Content: Firekeeper doesn’t know some of the basic bits of human modesty so that leads to some funny moments. Topics of sex both politically and personally, and some not overly detailed sex scenes.
5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!
Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.
When I picked up Through Wolf’s Eyes I was going on a huge leap (more like head first plummet) of faith. It didn’t sound like anything new. A young girl pulled into high society and forced to try and make a bid as the next heir to the throne. So what’s new? That young girl has lived with wolves all her life. Raised by wolves. When the humans come seeking her out to try and find the lost Prince’s daughter she’s never seen another human. She’s a wolf in heart and mind—only lacking the body. Lindskold doesn’t lose sight of anything as Firekeeper—the wolf girl—joins the humans and tries to learn their ways. She balances high political intrigue with human and wolf nature. Each line is a beautiful example of the type of lyrical words that I love from the Epic Fantasy genre, especially when it’s tempered by Lindskold’s fantastic sense of humor.
The biggest thing about Through Wolf’s Eyes are its characters. Most EFs forget that they actually have to realize the characters, not just barrow from the stereotype pool. Each one of Lindskold’s characters found their way into my head, and sometimes straight to my heart. Not only was I reading for the plot and intrigue I wanted to know what was happening with each character. Many felt like a dear friend. The third person POV would change periodically spending time with a number of them. Their interactions with each other felt real and their thoughts felt genuine. Watching them grow before my eyes was beyond AWE-some. Even the current villain(s) of this book enchanted me with the depth of development Lindskold put in them. Many times I found myself smiling ridiculously or getting angry—my emotions were being played.
This book reminds me why I always come crawling back to the Epic Fantasy genre. It proves that new authors can still come up with great stories—maybe even beating out some of the “legends” of the genre. The court politics are sublime! The battles are fought with words as well as swords, a heady mix of intrigue and action. All of the characters will become like dear friends, and none of them are just stereotypes of the EF genre. It gives me hopes that good EF still gets published. We shouldn’t give up on the genre.
(Sadly it looks like the paperback issues are no longer in print, it’s still available in eBook format.)
Sexual Content: Firekeeper doesn’t know some of the basic bits of human modesty so that leads to some funny moments. Topics of sex both politically and personally, and some not overly detailed sex scenes.
5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!
Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.
December 29, 2008
Heh. Heh heh. Extremely but unintentionally hilarious, with occasional stretches of deep dullness ("intricate political maneuverings," I'm looking at you). Occasionally spiced with a genuinely interesting subplot about how being raised by wolves leaves you a lot more well-equipped to deal with the sexuality of, you know, wolves, rather than humans.
The sort of thing you'll not entirely admit to liking, if you tend not to admit liking that sort of thing.
The sort of thing you'll not entirely admit to liking, if you tend not to admit liking that sort of thing.
July 13, 2011
I'm in two minds of whether this book warrants a review or not. It's an easy, lazy read with no challenges to what you might consider right or wrong, a straight-forward plot and love between the right people.
But what makes me want to say a few words about it anyway is the unusal heroine, Firekeeper. Yes she's young and female, yes she has a Gift that makes her able to talk to animals, yes she is thought to be the lost heir of a throne. But... I can't help liking her. She really IS that tough and has the scars to prove it.
She was the only surviver after a fire in the wilderness and was brought up by very special wolves, and she needs to re-learn being human. She does so without adding the typical female heroine vulnerabilities. I rejoice in her reactions and diplomacy and her strenght. Any other author would have taken away her wolf-like qualities as she is integrated into society, but Jane Linskold does not. Sure, there are negative things about the book, I only gave it three stars after all, but let's not dwell on these things and pick up a book that does empower a woman.
But what makes me want to say a few words about it anyway is the unusal heroine, Firekeeper. Yes she's young and female, yes she has a Gift that makes her able to talk to animals, yes she is thought to be the lost heir of a throne. But... I can't help liking her. She really IS that tough and has the scars to prove it.
She was the only surviver after a fire in the wilderness and was brought up by very special wolves, and she needs to re-learn being human. She does so without adding the typical female heroine vulnerabilities. I rejoice in her reactions and diplomacy and her strenght. Any other author would have taken away her wolf-like qualities as she is integrated into society, but Jane Linskold does not. Sure, there are negative things about the book, I only gave it three stars after all, but let's not dwell on these things and pick up a book that does empower a woman.
October 13, 2008
Child raised by wolves. Where have we heard that one before?
But it's really, really good. Well-plotted, good characterization, lots of court intrigues and politics . . . actually, too much of both for my taste, which is why I downgraded it to three stars. An enjoyable read, but I am unlikely to buy any of the sequels.
But it's really, really good. Well-plotted, good characterization, lots of court intrigues and politics . . . actually, too much of both for my taste, which is why I downgraded it to three stars. An enjoyable read, but I am unlikely to buy any of the sequels.
September 22, 2020
Actual Rating: 4.5
February 14, 2017
Not your standard princess.
The kingdom of Hawkhaven is in dire need of an heir. The king has lost his children to death or exile and now every aunt, uncle, niece and nephew is clamouring to take the crown. In the midst of all this political squabbling a small expedition is sent to find the exiled prince as a last ditch measure. What they find however is a wild girl, raised by wolf who might just may be the prince's daughter and potential heir to the kingdom of Hawkhaven. Firekeeper as she calls herself is more wolf than human and will have to adjust polite society amid the dangers of the political intrigue all around her.
I must admit this is one of my favourite novels of all time. Lindskold brings both the characters and the setting to life and gives them a history. Some readers may find these histories a bit tedious, but to me they add the flavour this novel needs. The story is a Multi-POV story with Firekeeper herself as the central focus. And what an awesome character she is. A True wolf at heart, but still also a young girl flung in a world of politics. Add to that a whole load of supporting characters all with their own ideas, motivations and feelings and you've got one hell of a good novel.
If you're looking for a Low-fantasy of good quality and excellent characters than this is the book for you.
The kingdom of Hawkhaven is in dire need of an heir. The king has lost his children to death or exile and now every aunt, uncle, niece and nephew is clamouring to take the crown. In the midst of all this political squabbling a small expedition is sent to find the exiled prince as a last ditch measure. What they find however is a wild girl, raised by wolf who might just may be the prince's daughter and potential heir to the kingdom of Hawkhaven. Firekeeper as she calls herself is more wolf than human and will have to adjust polite society amid the dangers of the political intrigue all around her.
I must admit this is one of my favourite novels of all time. Lindskold brings both the characters and the setting to life and gives them a history. Some readers may find these histories a bit tedious, but to me they add the flavour this novel needs. The story is a Multi-POV story with Firekeeper herself as the central focus. And what an awesome character she is. A True wolf at heart, but still also a young girl flung in a world of politics. Add to that a whole load of supporting characters all with their own ideas, motivations and feelings and you've got one hell of a good novel.
If you're looking for a Low-fantasy of good quality and excellent characters than this is the book for you.
October 21, 2015
A young woman raised by wolves is thrown into political intrigues at a Renaissance-ish court. Either this is your thing or it isn't. I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as I would have had I read it when I was twelve.
Sadly, it did not exist when I was twelve--which surprises me, actually, since it has a very early 90s sensibility. There's no hint of grimdark, here. The good guys are Good, the bad guys are Bad (but not in a kicks-puppies, conducts-gruesome-tortures sort of way), and you know everything will work out in the end. If you liked The Goblin Emperor and don't mind extensive infodumps (there's a particularly egregious one toward the end, where the climax is halted to give the entire genealogical history of one of the characters), you might like this.
Sadly, it did not exist when I was twelve--which surprises me, actually, since it has a very early 90s sensibility. There's no hint of grimdark, here. The good guys are Good, the bad guys are Bad (but not in a kicks-puppies, conducts-gruesome-tortures sort of way), and you know everything will work out in the end. If you liked The Goblin Emperor and don't mind extensive infodumps (there's a particularly egregious one toward the end, where the climax is halted to give the entire genealogical history of one of the characters), you might like this.
February 15, 2013
Okay, so, to start: This book includes (1) a world map, (2) a royal family tree, and (3) a glossary of characters. Any guesses as to why supplementary materials like these are included in so many fantasy novels? SO THAT EXTRANEOUS WORLD-BUILDING FACTOIDS DON'T NEED TO BE REVEALED THROUGH OVERLY-EXPOSITORY NARRATION OR DIALOGUE.
And yet that constituted 40% of the book.
There was a scene in which one cousin recounts to another HIS WHOLE FAMILY'S NAMES. To his cousin. Who has known this family all her life. In another scene, a character explains that the border between the primary country and its greatest rival is a river -- as if this wouldn't be common knowledge (and readily visible in the aforementioned map). Several pages are dedicated to an Old-Testament-style recounting of who begat whom; quite a few more describe the geological events that formed a once-used setting. To put it briefly: far too much time was spent agonizing over unnecessary or oft-repeated details.
The premise was great; the plot was decent; the writing put me to sleep. Luckily, the pace picked up CONSIDERABLY in the last quarter of the book, which got me through it. The sequel's been gathering dust on my shelf for the last decade or so (which is actually why I picked this one up), so I'll give a run at that next, but if the writing is as torturous as in this one, I'll put it aside within the first hundred pages.
And yet that constituted 40% of the book.
There was a scene in which one cousin recounts to another HIS WHOLE FAMILY'S NAMES. To his cousin. Who has known this family all her life. In another scene, a character explains that the border between the primary country and its greatest rival is a river -- as if this wouldn't be common knowledge (and readily visible in the aforementioned map). Several pages are dedicated to an Old-Testament-style recounting of who begat whom; quite a few more describe the geological events that formed a once-used setting. To put it briefly: far too much time was spent agonizing over unnecessary or oft-repeated details.
The premise was great; the plot was decent; the writing put me to sleep. Luckily, the pace picked up CONSIDERABLY in the last quarter of the book, which got me through it. The sequel's been gathering dust on my shelf for the last decade or so (which is actually why I picked this one up), so I'll give a run at that next, but if the writing is as torturous as in this one, I'll put it aside within the first hundred pages.
November 6, 2012
I must say this book is the exception to the rule of "don't judge a book by its cover". I picked it up on a whim because of my middle school love of wolves and of the beautiful artwork on it's cover. The summary sounded so enticing too! A search for a lost heir to the throne who has been raised by wolves? Who wouldn't want to give this a try? I fell in love with the characters, the medieval setting and the mystical animals with subtle hints of magic. I like that it doesn't rely on magic to sell it's characters and story... they're "real" in a sense, they're older, get hurt, get sick, bleed, and die. They don't rely on magic to heal them or help them speak to animals... ah but I'm rambling. A good read if you like fantasy and medieval politics!
December 3, 2008
Obviously, there are five thousand stories carrying along the basic idea of a child raised by wolves. Still, I must say it is somewhat appealing - which is probably why it's been written about so many times - although I do prefer an original plot compared to one that is taken from a common idea.
Still, even with this, it was a very interesting and unique view on a common subject. This book is highly political and interesting in that aspect, if with a fairly predictable ending.
All in all, I enjoyed the book, but even I found it a bit slow at the beginning. I realize much of the information at the beginning is vital in understanding the political standings of every possible heir to the throne of Hawk Haven, but it still dominated the book - whereas the interesting content - action, etc. - was surprisingly short-lived.
I enjoyed this book some but I do not know if I will continue on reading this series. If the rest of the books resemble this first one, it might not be worth it. Then again, I have not yet read them, and they could catch me by surprise.
Still, even with this, it was a very interesting and unique view on a common subject. This book is highly political and interesting in that aspect, if with a fairly predictable ending.
All in all, I enjoyed the book, but even I found it a bit slow at the beginning. I realize much of the information at the beginning is vital in understanding the political standings of every possible heir to the throne of Hawk Haven, but it still dominated the book - whereas the interesting content - action, etc. - was surprisingly short-lived.
I enjoyed this book some but I do not know if I will continue on reading this series. If the rest of the books resemble this first one, it might not be worth it. Then again, I have not yet read them, and they could catch me by surprise.
January 11, 2015
The first part was interesting where a group of people from the court come in a forest and find a wild girl raised by wolves. They believe she is the daughter of the missing prince, and thus, a potential heir to the throne. It is their job to civilize her and bring her back among the people (something they manage to do quite fast and easy, though).
The second part was super boring. There is no sense of mystery or wonder anymore, just boring political scheming of various nobles and Great Houses fighting for the throne. There were a bazillion characters, all introduced rather hastily in a few pages and I soon forget who was who.
So, after arriving at about 50% of the book, I decided to quit as I wasn't engaged by the story at all and I struggled to pick it up. The only reason I'm giving this two stars instead of one, is because the book reads relatively quickly and the story COULD be interesting and have potential for anyone that actually cared. I didn't.
The second part was super boring. There is no sense of mystery or wonder anymore, just boring political scheming of various nobles and Great Houses fighting for the throne. There were a bazillion characters, all introduced rather hastily in a few pages and I soon forget who was who.
So, after arriving at about 50% of the book, I decided to quit as I wasn't engaged by the story at all and I struggled to pick it up. The only reason I'm giving this two stars instead of one, is because the book reads relatively quickly and the story COULD be interesting and have potential for anyone that actually cared. I didn't.
August 23, 2008
This book is a Jungle book theme. The girl is raised by wolves and then these people come and save her from the wilderness she loves. If this book had just been about her it would have been better, however, the author spent way too much time on the politics of the group. An elderly King must name a new heir because his children are all dead, and there is a slight possiblity that the girl found in the wild is his grandaughter. Yea, it goes on and on and on about that. So unless you are looking for something to put you to sleep at night, as it did me for nearly two weeks, please try to read this. If you are busy and have a to-read section as long as you are tall, skip it till you really need something to read about.
November 25, 2014
I thought this book was going to be a bit cheesier than it actually turned out to be. The evolution of the characters seemed real and genuine. I was initially expecting our wolf-girl to be magically transformed into princess material. I began to realize I could really like the story as that didn't happen. She grows and changes quite gradually as one might really expect her to, and the attitudes of those around her evolve and respond to that in a very natural way. This is still obviously a book of fantasy, but that realistic evolution of the characters transformed the experience for me from a "junk food" read to a book I really enjoyed.
TLDR;
I was a skeptical initial audience, but am now looking forward to reading the remainder of the series. I
TLDR;
I was a skeptical initial audience, but am now looking forward to reading the remainder of the series. I
September 4, 2020
**Re-Reading My Childhood**
Oh, what a mixed bag of plots this book is! On the one hand, Firekeeper's story of learning to be human and working with her friends to foil sorcerous plots and protect the king is delightful. The rest of the plot threads should have been chopped. There will be spoilers mentioned/discussed below, so tread with caution if that is of concern to you. (And mild CW for allusions to sexual assault).
I fell hard for this series as a teenager, so I freely admit my nostalgia. Being raised by wolves was my #1 childhood fantasy. One of the first stories I ever wrote (and laughably illustrated) was a girl raised by wolves. That theme will hook me forever. As a person who has always felt deeply alienated and uncomfortable in most social situations, I saw a lot of myself in Firekeeper.
Despite the very personal Feels I have for the series and its heroine, the flaws in this first book are pretty glaring. So let's get those out of the way.
#1-The Infodumps
There are. So. Many. This was a more acceptable form for fantasy in the 80s, and so books published in the 90s/early 00s by writers who hail from that time are full of them. I kind of expect them. And a paragraph of info is not necessarily a damnable sin even in the present day; sometimes you've just gotta tell a thing. But some of these could qualify as info-rockslides. Info-tidal waves. Info-frying-pans-to-the-face. It's difficult to judge page length on an e-reader, but the worst of these comes in the final 10% of the story, where paragraph upon paragraph is spent detailing the family history of the Queen of Bright Bay back to the nation's freaking founding. Why? All of that could have been so easily disintegrated and fed in to other, earlier places in the story where it would not have felt like a Calculon Dramatic Pause in the action. The factional squabbles of the BB nobles would have had far more tension if we'd understood them going in to that last negotiation scene.
There is also plentiful use of the "As You Know, Bob" method in dialogue to convey information. Even when we already have that information. I think at one point a character mentions one of their relations by name followed by a parenthetical containing that person's title, when this relationship was already clear to the reader and was common knowledge to the other characters. This gave much of the dialogue an unnatural quality.
#2-Head-hopping
I actually quite like a head-hopping story. It's a great narrative device and can build suspense and intrigue when used properly (ie: the interludes in Sanderson's Stormlight, which do just that to great effect and pay-off). Unfortunately, here it has the opposite result.
I first read this book in the early 2000s, not so long after its publication. Even after 15 or so years, I distinctly remember Firekeeper, Derian, and Elise. I was surprised upon re-read to find that Zorana, Allister, and Newell are also POV characters (Zorana very briefly, for maybe 1 scene?). I hadn't remembered them at all. I remembered Sapphire, a non-POV, and her ultimate fate more than any of those three. I found myself feeling resentful towards these sections. I didn't care about Newell's anything, and it was nice to know that Allister was genuinely a good person, I guess? But the second half of this story is seriously lacking in Firekeeper POV, and that is what I'm here for. More wolf-woman and less Prince Snidely Whiplash rubbing his hands (or, pointedly resisting said urge) in seedy taverns would have vastly improved the later chapters.
#3-Vague Villainy
I would say this is a spoiler, but since the "mystery" comes out of no where and there's little surprise or tension involved I don't know how spoilery this really is.
Prince Newell checks all the boxes of your standard fantasy bad guy: he's manipulative, arrogant, power hungry, sexualizes every woman he lays eyes on, has gross rapist henchmen, has a woman who trusts him kidnapped and molested for his plans, and Elise implies that he's That Creepy Uncle. So: power hungry sexual predator who wants power because he things he's entitled to it. Awful, but not very complex or interesting. He becomes a POV character just before the halfway point, and tells us all his plans: Yeesh, dude.
That's....not a good plan. He does manage to get his war, but nothing else he tries succeeds and he's just so moustache-twirly it hurts. Following him on his preparations and seeing his manipulations kind of sucks tension out of the plot. I kept thinking how awesome it would have been to know none of this and have Firekeeper, Blind Seer, and Elation figure it out on their own and have to convince their human friends that something was up.
Honorable Awkward Mentions:
-The throwaway line implying that Hawk Haven has no taxation anywhere except this one town on the border...what?
-The superfluous and OOC mentions of breasts and what they're doing under clothing, even when in that female character's POV (another 80s/90s hallmark, I think. GRRM is guilty of the same at times.)
That's my major cringes dealt with, on to the good stuff!
#1-Sweet Firekeeper
Her frankness, her physicality, her Fang, her obstinate refusal to wear shoes, and her gradual incorporating human interaction into her wolf-brain...I love it. The beginning is the strongest part of this book, where Firekeeper is watching these weird two-legs and trying to sort out how they work, learning how to wear clothing, and what music is. I would read even more of that and be so happy with it. Firekeeper is the whole charm of this story, and I wish even more of it was in her head rather than the villain's.
Her companionship with Blind Seer is the perfect canine sibling relationship. I live with two larger dogs, and how they wrestle and play is exactly what is described. While I don't know where the series goes entirely, this is clearly Firekeeper's primary relationship. She cares for her human pack, but Blind Seer is Special and he is the reason for what (I think) becomes her real quest: to find magic that will finally make her body into a wolf's body.
#2-The Human Pack
Primarily, this refers to Elise and Derian. But I consider Race Forrester part of this too (and I think Firekeeper would agree), even though he's not POV. Her totally deserved smack-down of him at the start of the book was mad satisfying, and what was even more satisfying is that he came to respect her afterwards and became a better person for it. It was a small little relationship, glimpsed in pieces, but quite touching.
Derian is a pretty wholesome fellow, which is refreshing. He has his oggly moments, but he is a barely-over adolescent guy and he never comes off as leery about it. He is a young man a bit out of his depth, socially, and while he sometimes feels that harshly he never takes it out on others. He knows how to handle his emotions. I don't know if the larger story bends him towards loving Firekeeper romantically, but I do hope not. I like them as the friends that they are, though if she did have to have a human mate I don't think I would want it to be anyone other than her first friend.
The strongest characterization of the Human Pack, though, is Elise Archer. Elise is the best of Best Friends. She starts out so sweet if a bit down on herself, and ends stronger without sacrificing her essential kindness. She truly wants to be a dutiful daughter and heir, and she tries so hard at this despite her father being not the best towards her. Where she really shines for me is in the evolution of her feelings towards Jet. I think many female readers would identify with her waking up to the reality of his behavior and seeing past 'flirtations' (which she had justified in the same way as happens in real life) for what they really were.
#3-Conflict
The main conflict around the succession question is a solid, realistic driving force and makes for a suitably dangerous and confusing situation for Firekeeper to enter. All the human political posturing and currying of favor is exactly what she doesn't understand at first. I could have done with even more of this maneuvering, especially more of it involving Firekeeper herself rather than keeping her a bit on the periphery of its action. Having read past this first book, I know that the resolution of this one crisis will have consequences into the next books as well.
Honorable Awesome Mentions:
-Sapphire. Freaking. Shield. Haughty AF, but awesome and I wish there was more of her.
-Everything about Elation. I want to be her friend.
So, Through Wolf's Eyes is fraught with older genre conventions that don't play so well these days, but its protagonist is so clearly defined and fun that it almost doesn't matter. I will slog through info-swamps for Firekeeper in the hopes of seeing her get her wish some day.
Oh, what a mixed bag of plots this book is! On the one hand, Firekeeper's story of learning to be human and working with her friends to foil sorcerous plots and protect the king is delightful. The rest of the plot threads should have been chopped. There will be spoilers mentioned/discussed below, so tread with caution if that is of concern to you. (And mild CW for allusions to sexual assault).
I fell hard for this series as a teenager, so I freely admit my nostalgia. Being raised by wolves was my #1 childhood fantasy. One of the first stories I ever wrote (and laughably illustrated) was a girl raised by wolves. That theme will hook me forever. As a person who has always felt deeply alienated and uncomfortable in most social situations, I saw a lot of myself in Firekeeper.
Despite the very personal Feels I have for the series and its heroine, the flaws in this first book are pretty glaring. So let's get those out of the way.
#1-The Infodumps
There are. So. Many. This was a more acceptable form for fantasy in the 80s, and so books published in the 90s/early 00s by writers who hail from that time are full of them. I kind of expect them. And a paragraph of info is not necessarily a damnable sin even in the present day; sometimes you've just gotta tell a thing. But some of these could qualify as info-rockslides. Info-tidal waves. Info-frying-pans-to-the-face. It's difficult to judge page length on an e-reader, but the worst of these comes in the final 10% of the story, where paragraph upon paragraph is spent detailing the family history of the Queen of Bright Bay back to the nation's freaking founding. Why? All of that could have been so easily disintegrated and fed in to other, earlier places in the story where it would not have felt like a Calculon Dramatic Pause in the action. The factional squabbles of the BB nobles would have had far more tension if we'd understood them going in to that last negotiation scene.
There is also plentiful use of the "As You Know, Bob" method in dialogue to convey information. Even when we already have that information. I think at one point a character mentions one of their relations by name followed by a parenthetical containing that person's title, when this relationship was already clear to the reader and was common knowledge to the other characters. This gave much of the dialogue an unnatural quality.
#2-Head-hopping
I actually quite like a head-hopping story. It's a great narrative device and can build suspense and intrigue when used properly (ie: the interludes in Sanderson's Stormlight, which do just that to great effect and pay-off). Unfortunately, here it has the opposite result.
I first read this book in the early 2000s, not so long after its publication. Even after 15 or so years, I distinctly remember Firekeeper, Derian, and Elise. I was surprised upon re-read to find that Zorana, Allister, and Newell are also POV characters (Zorana very briefly, for maybe 1 scene?). I hadn't remembered them at all. I remembered Sapphire, a non-POV, and her ultimate fate more than any of those three. I found myself feeling resentful towards these sections. I didn't care about Newell's anything, and it was nice to know that Allister was genuinely a good person, I guess? But the second half of this story is seriously lacking in Firekeeper POV, and that is what I'm here for. More wolf-woman and less Prince Snidely Whiplash rubbing his hands (or, pointedly resisting said urge) in seedy taverns would have vastly improved the later chapters.
#3-Vague Villainy
I would say this is a spoiler, but since the "mystery" comes out of no where and there's little surprise or tension involved I don't know how spoilery this really is.
Prince Newell checks all the boxes of your standard fantasy bad guy: he's manipulative, arrogant, power hungry, sexualizes every woman he lays eyes on, has gross rapist henchmen, has a woman who trusts him kidnapped and molested for his plans, and Elise implies that he's That Creepy Uncle. So: power hungry sexual predator who wants power because he things he's entitled to it. Awful, but not very complex or interesting. He becomes a POV character just before the halfway point, and tells us all his plans: Yeesh, dude.
That's....not a good plan. He does manage to get his war, but nothing else he tries succeeds and he's just so moustache-twirly it hurts. Following him on his preparations and seeing his manipulations kind of sucks tension out of the plot. I kept thinking how awesome it would have been to know none of this and have Firekeeper, Blind Seer, and Elation figure it out on their own and have to convince their human friends that something was up.
Honorable Awkward Mentions:
-The throwaway line implying that Hawk Haven has no taxation anywhere except this one town on the border...what?
-The superfluous and OOC mentions of breasts and what they're doing under clothing, even when in that female character's POV (another 80s/90s hallmark, I think. GRRM is guilty of the same at times.)
That's my major cringes dealt with, on to the good stuff!
#1-Sweet Firekeeper
Her frankness, her physicality, her Fang, her obstinate refusal to wear shoes, and her gradual incorporating human interaction into her wolf-brain...I love it. The beginning is the strongest part of this book, where Firekeeper is watching these weird two-legs and trying to sort out how they work, learning how to wear clothing, and what music is. I would read even more of that and be so happy with it. Firekeeper is the whole charm of this story, and I wish even more of it was in her head rather than the villain's.
Her companionship with Blind Seer is the perfect canine sibling relationship. I live with two larger dogs, and how they wrestle and play is exactly what is described. While I don't know where the series goes entirely, this is clearly Firekeeper's primary relationship. She cares for her human pack, but Blind Seer is Special and he is the reason for what (I think) becomes her real quest: to find magic that will finally make her body into a wolf's body.
#2-The Human Pack
Primarily, this refers to Elise and Derian. But I consider Race Forrester part of this too (and I think Firekeeper would agree), even though he's not POV. Her totally deserved smack-down of him at the start of the book was mad satisfying, and what was even more satisfying is that he came to respect her afterwards and became a better person for it. It was a small little relationship, glimpsed in pieces, but quite touching.
Derian is a pretty wholesome fellow, which is refreshing. He has his oggly moments, but he is a barely-over adolescent guy and he never comes off as leery about it. He is a young man a bit out of his depth, socially, and while he sometimes feels that harshly he never takes it out on others. He knows how to handle his emotions. I don't know if the larger story bends him towards loving Firekeeper romantically, but I do hope not. I like them as the friends that they are, though if she did have to have a human mate I don't think I would want it to be anyone other than her first friend.
The strongest characterization of the Human Pack, though, is Elise Archer. Elise is the best of Best Friends. She starts out so sweet if a bit down on herself, and ends stronger without sacrificing her essential kindness. She truly wants to be a dutiful daughter and heir, and she tries so hard at this despite her father being not the best towards her. Where she really shines for me is in the evolution of her feelings towards Jet. I think many female readers would identify with her waking up to the reality of his behavior and seeing past 'flirtations' (which she had justified in the same way as happens in real life) for what they really were.
#3-Conflict
The main conflict around the succession question is a solid, realistic driving force and makes for a suitably dangerous and confusing situation for Firekeeper to enter. All the human political posturing and currying of favor is exactly what she doesn't understand at first. I could have done with even more of this maneuvering, especially more of it involving Firekeeper herself rather than keeping her a bit on the periphery of its action. Having read past this first book, I know that the resolution of this one crisis will have consequences into the next books as well.
Honorable Awesome Mentions:
-Sapphire. Freaking. Shield. Haughty AF, but awesome and I wish there was more of her.
-Everything about Elation. I want to be her friend.
So, Through Wolf's Eyes is fraught with older genre conventions that don't play so well these days, but its protagonist is so clearly defined and fun that it almost doesn't matter. I will slog through info-swamps for Firekeeper in the hopes of seeing her get her wish some day.
November 7, 2017
A solid fantasy that I finished but ultimately didn't love. Fire keeper, our heroine lives in the wilds on the far side of the mountain boundary of her kingdom and she is no ordinary girl - she's been raised by and living with wolves. Not your normal wolves but something bigger and more intelligent. A party of the King's nobles comes hunting the fate of a prince and his household who left years before and all they find, besides a burned settlement, is Firekeeper who may or may not be granddaughter to a king.
So far so good but the story doesn't go at all where I was expecting it, which is a strength because who doesn't want to read something different, and yet....
The book spends a lot of time with kingdom politics which I found less than compelling as they felt rather simplistic. I think that also was a problem for me, the villein was almost laughable, and despite thinking this would be about Firekeeper, we spend more time with the peripheral characters, some of whom are interesting and some not so much. In many ways I got a Mercedes Lackey vibe (which isn't necessarily bad) just that the naming conventions for the nobles and family names based on animals or sea themes seemed tired. The world building was a bit shaky as well. There's some hint of other worlds or emigration but not much is really explained. The magic is also ambiguous. Some people seem to have innate talents but others practicing something more ritualized and magical objects that are pretty standard fare.
I tried to start the second book and really just wanted to skim through to the end. I guess this wasn't really my cup of tea.
So far so good but the story doesn't go at all where I was expecting it, which is a strength because who doesn't want to read something different, and yet....
The book spends a lot of time with kingdom politics which I found less than compelling as they felt rather simplistic. I think that also was a problem for me, the villein was almost laughable, and despite thinking this would be about Firekeeper, we spend more time with the peripheral characters, some of whom are interesting and some not so much. In many ways I got a Mercedes Lackey vibe (which isn't necessarily bad) just that the naming conventions for the nobles and family names based on animals or sea themes seemed tired. The world building was a bit shaky as well. There's some hint of other worlds or emigration but not much is really explained. The magic is also ambiguous. Some people seem to have innate talents but others practicing something more ritualized and magical objects that are pretty standard fare.
I tried to start the second book and really just wanted to skim through to the end. I guess this wasn't really my cup of tea.
February 13, 2009
The first in a series about a girl raised by wolves. Sounds cliché but there is some magic in this world and the wolves are "royal" wolves which basically mean they are bigger and smarter and are able to teach the girl a bit more than regular wolves might be able to.
The story of Firekeeper (the girl) is pretty interesting, seeing how she learns about humans and finds her place in the world as something not wolf, but not human either. Unfortunately that story is surrounded by the story of a bunch of royal families vying for the throne of an aging king.
This part of the story is frankly boring. All the competition is about as civilized as it can be and still have it be called competition. It's all political marriages and maneuvering and leveraging family names, and ends up being completely uninteresting. It gets worse when they are teaching Firekeeper everything, because they spend chapters explaining to her the genealogy of all the different royal families. It's a big enough focus of the writing that, where most fantasy novels have maps printed on the flaps, these instead have a family tree.
It's a shame there is so much extraneous detail in these novels, because Firekeeper's story is fascinating. It's fun reading about the way she changes and grows into her humanity, while still remaining a wolf at heart. I wouldn't read this series unless you're patient, but if you can stand all the genealogy and polite medieval politics, some of the story is worth the time.
The story of Firekeeper (the girl) is pretty interesting, seeing how she learns about humans and finds her place in the world as something not wolf, but not human either. Unfortunately that story is surrounded by the story of a bunch of royal families vying for the throne of an aging king.
This part of the story is frankly boring. All the competition is about as civilized as it can be and still have it be called competition. It's all political marriages and maneuvering and leveraging family names, and ends up being completely uninteresting. It gets worse when they are teaching Firekeeper everything, because they spend chapters explaining to her the genealogy of all the different royal families. It's a big enough focus of the writing that, where most fantasy novels have maps printed on the flaps, these instead have a family tree.
It's a shame there is so much extraneous detail in these novels, because Firekeeper's story is fascinating. It's fun reading about the way she changes and grows into her humanity, while still remaining a wolf at heart. I wouldn't read this series unless you're patient, but if you can stand all the genealogy and polite medieval politics, some of the story is worth the time.
February 13, 2015
A refreshing read and refreshing characters. Ok, a lot of politics and that genealogy thing...my...I'm not sure that even now I clearly know who is who's son, brother, daughter, uncle, aunt, Grand Duke or Grand Duchess, going back to Queen Zorana the First.
Anyway. Firekeeper is such a sweet and smart "thing". Still a wolf in her head but becoming more and more human (and at the same time keeping her wolfy thing).
I think that this book can be read as a stand alone. The villain (one of them at least) has been caught, the war has ended (or so we hope), Heirs have been named... But I'll keep reading because plenty of background information seem important enough that I want to know more.
And there are other villains that need to be caught ;)
Anyway. Firekeeper is such a sweet and smart "thing". Still a wolf in her head but becoming more and more human (and at the same time keeping her wolfy thing).
I think that this book can be read as a stand alone. The villain (one of them at least) has been caught, the war has ended (or so we hope), Heirs have been named... But I'll keep reading because plenty of background information seem important enough that I want to know more.
And there are other villains that need to be caught ;)
October 1, 2016
This was the pick of a whim and I'll be entirely honest, it was heavier going than I really needed during the semester. But I'm a sucker for intrigue and this book was chock full of it. I like that the characters were just people, flawed and imperfect regardless of their goodness or badness or inbetween-ness. I really hope I'm able to read more...but maybe after the semester is over XD
January 1, 2013
This entire series is cool. Its got a different twist on fantasy.
April 20, 2014
A great story, interesting characters, a wonderful escape.
October 10, 2021
The first hundred pages are fun: wolf-woman Firekeeper decides to travel with humans back to civilization to learn about her heritage. These pages are about her history, living with giant talking wolves, and the first interactions with humans. They're fun!
Then you finish that part and we cut to them arriving back in the capital of Hawk Haven and for the next two hundred pages you're bored to tears as literally nothing happens. Information is repeated, characters are introduced, and yes we GET IT the old king has a selection of heirs and here's their family tree and histories and why they're valid choices for the throne blah blah BLAH.
A second main character is introduced, one of these potential heirs - she's kind of vapid at first, a teenager who winds up betrothed to another teenager she doesn't realize is a nitwit, and she slowly befriends Firekeeper, and -
I mean, I get that for the pacing of the story you need to establish Firekeeper going from feral wolf to semi-educated woman trusted by these humans - but boy howdy did it need an editor.
Fortunately, once you hit the third part the plot grows wings and takes off. Two villains come to center stage as the king packs up everyone and takes them to a border city to deal with some ambassadors. Firekeeper helps her human friends untangle schemes, the other main character grows up in a believable way, and there's magic! There's politicking! There's action!
This entire section could have made me cheerfully bump up the star rating to four, because of how much fun it is. In fact if you're willing to put up with the fact that the whole wolf thing barely matters except in a few instances, I'd highly recommend this as a fun politics-focused fantasy with intrigue and sneaking about.
Except that the author tripped at the finish line because she could NOT handle letting it end without another infodump. Yep. In the second to last chapter there are three solid pages entirely about the genealogy of neighboring queendom's ruler. We get her entire family tree and nothing else and I admit it, I skimmed. It added nothing, and we already knew that her populace wasn't thrilled with her rule. The author was just so desperate to show us ALL of her worldbuilding and I guess the editor was asleep at the desk, so... yeah. Removing an entire star for making me want to sleep through the ending.
To sum up - if you're here because of talking wolves, I'm sorry. Read the first section and then put it down because that's not what this book is about. I gave up on this book twice as a teenager because of this.
But if you're willing to settle in for a sometimes long-winded political fantasy with some fun power-hungry villains, boy is it fun. I also appreciate how it managed to wrap up in a way where it was a solid ending for a novel, but also with enough dangling plot threads that I want to read the sequels. I'm actually more excited for those as since the author has finished infodumping about these countries, maybe book 2 won't be bogged down with exposition? I can only hope!
Then you finish that part and we cut to them arriving back in the capital of Hawk Haven and for the next two hundred pages you're bored to tears as literally nothing happens. Information is repeated, characters are introduced, and yes we GET IT the old king has a selection of heirs and here's their family tree and histories and why they're valid choices for the throne blah blah BLAH.
A second main character is introduced, one of these potential heirs - she's kind of vapid at first, a teenager who winds up betrothed to another teenager she doesn't realize is a nitwit, and she slowly befriends Firekeeper, and -
I mean, I get that for the pacing of the story you need to establish Firekeeper going from feral wolf to semi-educated woman trusted by these humans - but boy howdy did it need an editor.
Fortunately, once you hit the third part the plot grows wings and takes off. Two villains come to center stage as the king packs up everyone and takes them to a border city to deal with some ambassadors. Firekeeper helps her human friends untangle schemes, the other main character grows up in a believable way, and there's magic! There's politicking! There's action!
This entire section could have made me cheerfully bump up the star rating to four, because of how much fun it is. In fact if you're willing to put up with the fact that the whole wolf thing barely matters except in a few instances, I'd highly recommend this as a fun politics-focused fantasy with intrigue and sneaking about.
Except that the author tripped at the finish line because she could NOT handle letting it end without another infodump. Yep. In the second to last chapter there are three solid pages entirely about the genealogy of neighboring queendom's ruler. We get her entire family tree and nothing else and I admit it, I skimmed. It added nothing, and we already knew that her populace wasn't thrilled with her rule. The author was just so desperate to show us ALL of her worldbuilding and I guess the editor was asleep at the desk, so... yeah. Removing an entire star for making me want to sleep through the ending.
To sum up - if you're here because of talking wolves, I'm sorry. Read the first section and then put it down because that's not what this book is about. I gave up on this book twice as a teenager because of this.
But if you're willing to settle in for a sometimes long-winded political fantasy with some fun power-hungry villains, boy is it fun. I also appreciate how it managed to wrap up in a way where it was a solid ending for a novel, but also with enough dangling plot threads that I want to read the sequels. I'm actually more excited for those as since the author has finished infodumping about these countries, maybe book 2 won't be bogged down with exposition? I can only hope!
March 21, 2022
I found this book very boring. It started out promisingly enough, with a young woman who was raised by wolves, but her story is quickly subsumed by a vast array of uninteresting characters squabbling over the throne. Her part is small, and that of the wolves even smaller. The author clearly knows that wolves do not have blue eyes, yet seems to like the idea, so her main wolf character has blue eyes even though it’s stated that this is not the norm – it’s hand-waved with a sort of “he was just born that way” explanation. As a wolf fan, this is not worth reading.
May 6, 2021
With the perspective of this being published in 2001 and read in 2021, this is a pretty good fantasy novel. Strong female characters who don't need to be saved and not just the main character. Bit long and with a lot of unnecessary explanation of family relationships and CW
January 6, 2020
I got to the end. Turned the last page and was so disappointed there was no more.not often that happens to me. Yes it’s a fantasy book. The main character a young girl raised by Wolves who thinks of herself first as a Wolf on two legs. This is an adventure story. Young adult I might class it, but it is so much more. Worth a read.
July 17, 2019
3.5 stars
September 17, 2021
DNF at 50% Super boring. Descriptions of the most mundane objects and nothing really happens except people jostling for a throne in the most boring way. There's a girl raised by wolves, for god's sake, and it's still boring.
May 20, 2011
Three and a half stars, curse Goodreads' rating system. Oh well.
I can't help feeling this must have been kind of a hard sell. "The primary heirs to the throne have all died, and a nobleman decides to make a play for greater power by going in search of a missing, disinherited prince and his family, and finds what appears to be the prince's daughter, who has been raised by wolves since about the age of five..."
Making it less ridiculous an idea is that this *is* a fantasy novel, in which the wolves involved in the raising are a higher order of creature - royal wolves, smarter, faster, stronger, etc. They have raised the girl as one of their own as far as they can, sorely lacking in the depth of senses but compensated by abilities even greater wolves cannot attain. She is Firekeeper, which is self-explanatory.
There has always been a prophecy among the wolves that she would return to her own kind, and she does so when she braves the camp of Kestrel, the aforementioned nobleman. The first person she meets is Derian Carter (in this world one's surname generally indicates profession), and before he knows what hit him he is her bodyguard and teacher, trying to instill in her as much civilized behavior and language as possible.
This could have been deeply annoying. So often use of pidgin or elementary English rings false and serves only to cause irritation, and many writers make the unfortunate choice to linger over the character's misadventures with fork and ballgown; this wasn't bad. If anything, I thought Firekeeper advanced a little too quickly, but what do I know? Maybe she's just that clever and Derian is just a very good teacher.
The relationships in and around the keep are well done. I keep expecting it to be more George R.R. Martin, as there are a few similarities in worldbuilding and tone, but this is a brighter world, with more people who can be trusted (seemingly). Firekeeper makes a few friends quickly, and while this had me flinching at first, I soon found it safe to stop: she does not seem likely to come to harm with them.
Firekeeper is a fascinating character, and rings true: an intelligent young woman who would rather be like the only family she has ever known, but who accepts the duty of being human and among nobles (for the time being). She is never ashamed of not being human, nor of not being wolf - wolves don't feel shame, therefore neither does she. I like that that isn't drummed out of her; I could wish it would rub off on some of her friends. She does well enough with learning to speak, but reading and art appreciation escapes her: wolves also don't rely heavily on visuals to get by in the world. Her best friend, Blind Seer, is wonderful, all wolf and gorgeous, and the peregrine falcon who also watches her back is nicely done - anthropomorphism at its best. Among the humans, the bad guys are a little cliched and gloating evil-for-evil's-sake, but the protagonistic characters are good folk. I like Derian, a great deal. The Duke who takes her as his ward had his own interests at heart from the beginning - but he also takes very seriously the duties he took on with her. He won't cast her off just because she might not become what he hoped.
Things were going along very nicely, the climax was winding down, when suddenly Chapter 28 came along like a solid brick wall. Suddenly the book goes from fairly solid story-telling to ... infodump. Pure and unadulterated infodump. It could be construed as being Allister's ponderings, but no: I can't think of a more perfect example of infodump. And I think it's safe to say that, having skimmed it, it wasn't really necessary. There had to have been other ways to get that information out than to spend five dense pages talking about the past several monarchies. Bad, bad idea, and one major reason I didn't go higher with my rating.
More extensive review on my blog...
I can't help feeling this must have been kind of a hard sell. "The primary heirs to the throne have all died, and a nobleman decides to make a play for greater power by going in search of a missing, disinherited prince and his family, and finds what appears to be the prince's daughter, who has been raised by wolves since about the age of five..."
Making it less ridiculous an idea is that this *is* a fantasy novel, in which the wolves involved in the raising are a higher order of creature - royal wolves, smarter, faster, stronger, etc. They have raised the girl as one of their own as far as they can, sorely lacking in the depth of senses but compensated by abilities even greater wolves cannot attain. She is Firekeeper, which is self-explanatory.
There has always been a prophecy among the wolves that she would return to her own kind, and she does so when she braves the camp of Kestrel, the aforementioned nobleman. The first person she meets is Derian Carter (in this world one's surname generally indicates profession), and before he knows what hit him he is her bodyguard and teacher, trying to instill in her as much civilized behavior and language as possible.
This could have been deeply annoying. So often use of pidgin or elementary English rings false and serves only to cause irritation, and many writers make the unfortunate choice to linger over the character's misadventures with fork and ballgown; this wasn't bad. If anything, I thought Firekeeper advanced a little too quickly, but what do I know? Maybe she's just that clever and Derian is just a very good teacher.
The relationships in and around the keep are well done. I keep expecting it to be more George R.R. Martin, as there are a few similarities in worldbuilding and tone, but this is a brighter world, with more people who can be trusted (seemingly). Firekeeper makes a few friends quickly, and while this had me flinching at first, I soon found it safe to stop: she does not seem likely to come to harm with them.
Firekeeper is a fascinating character, and rings true: an intelligent young woman who would rather be like the only family she has ever known, but who accepts the duty of being human and among nobles (for the time being). She is never ashamed of not being human, nor of not being wolf - wolves don't feel shame, therefore neither does she. I like that that isn't drummed out of her; I could wish it would rub off on some of her friends. She does well enough with learning to speak, but reading and art appreciation escapes her: wolves also don't rely heavily on visuals to get by in the world. Her best friend, Blind Seer, is wonderful, all wolf and gorgeous, and the peregrine falcon who also watches her back is nicely done - anthropomorphism at its best. Among the humans, the bad guys are a little cliched and gloating evil-for-evil's-sake, but the protagonistic characters are good folk. I like Derian, a great deal. The Duke who takes her as his ward had his own interests at heart from the beginning - but he also takes very seriously the duties he took on with her. He won't cast her off just because she might not become what he hoped.
Things were going along very nicely, the climax was winding down, when suddenly Chapter 28 came along like a solid brick wall. Suddenly the book goes from fairly solid story-telling to ... infodump. Pure and unadulterated infodump. It could be construed as being Allister's ponderings, but no: I can't think of a more perfect example of infodump. And I think it's safe to say that, having skimmed it, it wasn't really necessary. There had to have been other ways to get that information out than to spend five dense pages talking about the past several monarchies. Bad, bad idea, and one major reason I didn't go higher with my rating.
More extensive review on my blog...
June 7, 2011
In typical epic fantasy style, Through Wolf's Eyes is both long and filled to the brim with characters to remember. There are lots of battles and backstabbings, too. Additionally, there is a hint of magic, not the spell kind, but a subtler magic, talents certain people have for gardening or healing or working with animals. The world building here is excellent and I liked the idea of the girl raised by wolves and of the Greater animals. (There are Great wolves, the kind who raised Firekeeper, who are smarter and larger than regular wolves; the same is true of other animals, like falcons.)
The cast of characters, too, is quite likable, although I did not get too especially attached to most of them. Firekeeper is interesting, but not yet really a fitting heroine. She is too much wolf yet to have any romantic entanglements with her own kind or to involve herself too deeply. Derian, who becomes responsible for her training, is a good guy, who I think could become quite a good fellow later on. My favorite character by far is Doc, Jared; he's just such an intelligent sweetie pie. I actually quite liked King Tedric, as well. Lady Elise started out as a bit of an airhead, but grows into a much better character. Lady Sapphire is a bit tetchy and whiny, but kicks serious ass.
For those who do not read epic fantasy, I should warn that with this novel especially, but also the genre generally, the plot often moves kind of slowly. There will be exciting battles here and there, but there is a lot of necessary back story and plot development to get through, so there will almost always be some parts that drag and some completely irritating characters you have to follow along with. Through Wolf's Eyes definitely has slow parts and has less action than most, focusing primarily on the search for an heir to Hawk Haven, although I promise there are battles and such later on.
So far this is a good read, if a bit slow, and I look forward to reading the next, which is good, because I'm planning to read through the whole series.
The cast of characters, too, is quite likable, although I did not get too especially attached to most of them. Firekeeper is interesting, but not yet really a fitting heroine. She is too much wolf yet to have any romantic entanglements with her own kind or to involve herself too deeply. Derian, who becomes responsible for her training, is a good guy, who I think could become quite a good fellow later on. My favorite character by far is Doc, Jared; he's just such an intelligent sweetie pie. I actually quite liked King Tedric, as well. Lady Elise started out as a bit of an airhead, but grows into a much better character. Lady Sapphire is a bit tetchy and whiny, but kicks serious ass.
For those who do not read epic fantasy, I should warn that with this novel especially, but also the genre generally, the plot often moves kind of slowly. There will be exciting battles here and there, but there is a lot of necessary back story and plot development to get through, so there will almost always be some parts that drag and some completely irritating characters you have to follow along with. Through Wolf's Eyes definitely has slow parts and has less action than most, focusing primarily on the search for an heir to Hawk Haven, although I promise there are battles and such later on.
So far this is a good read, if a bit slow, and I look forward to reading the next, which is good, because I'm planning to read through the whole series.
August 15, 2015
15.8.2015 - 4,5*
Líbilo se mi to, líbilo se mi to, líbilo se mi to!
Hlavní hrdinka, koncept dvou druhů zvířat a vlci.
Epická fantasy, se složitou politickou situací a tanců kolem nástupnictví na trůn, a já byla zatraceně zvědavá, kdo tam nakonec skončí.
Líbily se mi postavy. Všechny. A tím myslím vážně všechny. Zvířata tam měla takový charakter, jaký občas u jiných postav postrádám. Ještě lepší byla interakce postav, všechny vztahy. Byly reálné a to byl detail, který mě nalákal nejvíce, protože na nich příběh z velké části stál.
Hlavní hrdinka byla jiná. Vyrůstala s vlky. A šlo to zatraceně poznat.
Co se stane, když vlčí dítě strčíte na královský dvůr?
Zamotané, poutavé. Skvělá atmosféra, vtáhlo mě to od začátku a drželo do konce. Intriky, politikaření. Vše vnímané pohledem dívky, která neznala nic jiného, než vlčí smečku a její zákony.
Pitomí lidé.
Líbil se mi svět. Líbila se mi fantazie autorky. Co vše vymyslela a jak to vše propojila. A napsala, samozřejmě.
Není to Hra o trůny, ale je to dobře napsaná středověká fantasy s poutavým prvkem magie a prostě vím, že autorka v sérii ještě má co nabídnout. Postavila solidní základy.
A navíc... je tam Blind Seer!! Vlci ještě nikdy nebyli tak sexy... a to ani neměl lidskou kůži. Alfa samec s charakterem, který většinou tihle pitomci postrádají. Yup. .))
Líbilo se mi to, líbilo se mi to, líbilo se mi to!
Hlavní hrdinka, koncept dvou druhů zvířat a vlci.
Epická fantasy, se složitou politickou situací a tanců kolem nástupnictví na trůn, a já byla zatraceně zvědavá, kdo tam nakonec skončí.
Líbily se mi postavy. Všechny. A tím myslím vážně všechny. Zvířata tam měla takový charakter, jaký občas u jiných postav postrádám. Ještě lepší byla interakce postav, všechny vztahy. Byly reálné a to byl detail, který mě nalákal nejvíce, protože na nich příběh z velké části stál.
Hlavní hrdinka byla jiná. Vyrůstala s vlky. A šlo to zatraceně poznat.
Co se stane, když vlčí dítě strčíte na královský dvůr?
Zamotané, poutavé. Skvělá atmosféra, vtáhlo mě to od začátku a drželo do konce. Intriky, politikaření. Vše vnímané pohledem dívky, která neznala nic jiného, než vlčí smečku a její zákony.
Pitomí lidé.
Líbil se mi svět. Líbila se mi fantazie autorky. Co vše vymyslela a jak to vše propojila. A napsala, samozřejmě.
Není to Hra o trůny, ale je to dobře napsaná středověká fantasy s poutavým prvkem magie a prostě vím, že autorka v sérii ještě má co nabídnout. Postavila solidní základy.
A navíc... je tam Blind Seer!! Vlci ještě nikdy nebyli tak sexy... a to ani neměl lidskou kůži. Alfa samec s charakterem, který většinou tihle pitomci postrádají. Yup. .))
Displaying 1 - 30 of 339 reviews