WayneLigon
Adventurer
Just finished Through Wolf's Eyes, by Jane Lindskold, which is the first part of at least a three part series, maybe more. The first book, at least, is self-contained. Most of the plot points are wrapped up and though there is obvious a lot of ground left to cover you're not left going 'aaagh'.
Don't be fooled by the cover. The main character is smart, interesting, and very keen.
A noble has gone across the great mountains with a small group of people looking for the son of the king, who came this way many years ago to found a colony in the remote wilderness after the king disowned him. All that they find, though is the tough, savage Firekeeper. She has been raised by the intelligent 'Royal' wolves of the area after being rescued from the devestating fire that killed all the other members of the colony (it is presumed). Believing her to the prince's daughter the ambitious noble takes the curious Firekeeper back to civilization, along with her friends Blind Seer the great wolf and the royal peregrine Elation. There she has to grow up quickly and learn the ways of humans. She becomes involved in the various intrigues of court and finds that humans and wolves are not really all that different.
The wolves are not mindspeakers, but they are much more intelligent than normal wolves (which they call The Cousins, and pity). Firekeeper communicates with them through body language, sounds, postures, etc; they can understand spoken human language fairly well as well since once their kind roamed with the humans on the other side of the mountains a few generations ago. This is also why Firekeeper knows a little about being human, and still has the ability to gain language later.
The plot is interesting, with many twists and turns though not so many as to be headache inducing. When you think you know a character or think you know what they are going to do, they usually surprise you. I'll probably pick up the other books in the series, but like I said before it's not a compelling point. You could leave off after this book and be fine.
Right now, I'm a few pages into The Wayfarer Redemption, unsure if I'm going to go on with it. It's OK, but nothing is dragging me along saying 'just one more chapter'.
Don't be fooled by the cover. The main character is smart, interesting, and very keen.
A noble has gone across the great mountains with a small group of people looking for the son of the king, who came this way many years ago to found a colony in the remote wilderness after the king disowned him. All that they find, though is the tough, savage Firekeeper. She has been raised by the intelligent 'Royal' wolves of the area after being rescued from the devestating fire that killed all the other members of the colony (it is presumed). Believing her to the prince's daughter the ambitious noble takes the curious Firekeeper back to civilization, along with her friends Blind Seer the great wolf and the royal peregrine Elation. There she has to grow up quickly and learn the ways of humans. She becomes involved in the various intrigues of court and finds that humans and wolves are not really all that different.
The wolves are not mindspeakers, but they are much more intelligent than normal wolves (which they call The Cousins, and pity). Firekeeper communicates with them through body language, sounds, postures, etc; they can understand spoken human language fairly well as well since once their kind roamed with the humans on the other side of the mountains a few generations ago. This is also why Firekeeper knows a little about being human, and still has the ability to gain language later.
The plot is interesting, with many twists and turns though not so many as to be headache inducing. When you think you know a character or think you know what they are going to do, they usually surprise you. I'll probably pick up the other books in the series, but like I said before it's not a compelling point. You could leave off after this book and be fine.
Right now, I'm a few pages into The Wayfarer Redemption, unsure if I'm going to go on with it. It's OK, but nothing is dragging me along saying 'just one more chapter'.
