The Silver Wolf - Softcover

Borchardt, Alice

3.92

4,488 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0345423615 ISBN 13: 9780345423610

Publisher: Ballantine Books, 2003

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"A daring and vibrant new voice on the female literary frontier . . . a stunning initiation into a dark and dazzlig realm."--Anne Rice

Into decadent Rome of the Dark Ages comes Regeane, an enigmatic young woman distantly related to Charlemagne. But the blood she has inherited from her murdered father makes her much more than a child of royalty. Regeane is a shapeshifter--woman and wolf, hunter and hunted--possessed of preternatural agility and strength, primal memories extending back thousands of years, and senses so keen they can pierce the veil of death itself.

Betrothed to a barbarian lord she has never seen, Regeane is surrounded by enemies. But outside the gates of Rome, baying at the moon, there is a mysterious dark wolf whose scent awakens the animal in Regeane. Now, as deadly plots tighten like a noose around her neck, Regeane must fight to live with dignity as the proud creature she is: civilized and savage, partaking of both, yet infinitely more than either . . .

Praise for The Silver Wolf

"A fascinating tale--brutal, ribald, engrossing, poignantly beautiful."--New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsay

"Mesmerizing . . . astounding . . . a lush, richly crafted tale . . . With intricate detailing and hypnotic prose, Alice Borchardt unleashes a new world to readers."--Romantic Times

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Review:

Eighth-century Rome is a shell of its Imperial past, pullulating with whores, pickpockets and mercenaries, and yet strategically the Pope and his cardinals are key players in the game of thrones that is taking place beyond the Alps. Regeane, a distant kinswoman of Charles, the King of the Franks whom men are already starting to call the Great, is sent to Rome as bride, and bribe, to Maeniel, whose Alpine fortress commands a crucial pass. Endlessly brutalised by the corrupt uncle who murdered her father, Regeane is at once pinioned and freed by her secret--she regularly turns into a great killing wolf. Once in Rome, she finds herself new friends--the courtesan Lucilla, her leper son Antonius and the pope himself--and starts to realise that her future does not have to be one of betrayal and nightmare. And Maeniel has secrets of his own, and is not at all the uncouth thug Regeane and the Romans expect. This is a powerful and sexy historical fantasy with intelligent surprises in its plotting and some attractively spooky magic; Regeane is always more than the victim she thinks herself and finds resources of toughness which make her a memorable character. --Roz Kaveney

Review:

"A daring and vibrant new voice on the female literary frontier . . . The Silver Wolf is a stunning initiation into a dark and dazzling realm."
--Anne Rice

"A fascinating tale--brutal, ribald, engrossing, poignantly beautiful."
--Johanna Lindsay, New York Times bestselling author

"Mesmerizing . . . Astounding . . . A lush, richly crafted tale . . .With intricate detailing and hypnotic prose, Alice Borchardt unleashes a new world to readers."
--Romantic Times

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.