Black Wolves

I am all for strong female characters, especially if they are in their forties and older, but a ???strong female character??? is not and should not be defined by her perfection: she should, first and foremost, be human. And since being human also means being flawed, it pleases me that Dannarah is far from perfect, and yet also capable of learning from her mistakes ??? or not, as the case may be.

Full review here: http://wp.me/p21txV-Dc

If you like political epics like A Song of Ice and Fire and are in the mood for an asian-inspired culture, Black Wolves by Kate Elliot might be for you. There're telepathic demons who fly on winged horses and read minds, a warrior force that rides giant flying eagles, and more. It's the only published book of a planned trilogy, taking place in the same world as Elliot's previous Crossroads trilogy.

Someone described this book as a cross between television shows Game of Thrones and Marco Polo. I haven't seen all of Marco Polo, but this seems like a pretty accurate description. The world and the magic are both incredibly interesting to read about.

The Hundred, which creatively derives its name from the hundred or so cities within it, was once ruled by a demonic court. The culture and technology draw from Asian influences, and we get to see them evolve throughout the book. We get to see a broad range of locations in the world, too, with characters exploring the breadth and depth of the world Kate Elliot builds.

I really enjoyed the magic for how different it is. There are no clearly defined rules, and it mostly lurks behind the scenes. The demons I mentioned before can see into your mind and influence your actions, and they recharge their abilities by walking on sacred demon coils located throughout the land. One culture has a mysterious magic that's only available to women. Also, there's a freaking ship possessed by the spirits of hundreds of birds.

There are five main viewpoint characters. Kellas is a fierce warrior, but we see him training the next generation and using his intelligence more than actually fighting. Dannarah starts as a princess but becomes an aging, don't-take-none-of-your-shit marshal among the militaristic eagle riders. Gil is a young nobleman down on his luck. Sarai is an outcast among her people for her mother's disgrace and must rely on her wits to gain political power. Finally, Lifka is a young woman adopted by a poor family and gets thrust into Hundred politics while protecting her father.

All of the characters are brilliantly written and grow on you throughout the story. If you've ever been frustrated by poorly-written women, you're in luck! Elliot writes fantastic women (really any characters), and even makes them the main plot drivers of the book.

The first hundred or so pages take place 40 years before the rest of the story. You get to meet a young(er) Kellas, who shows us just how badass he can be. Skipping forward in time, the seeds that were sown in the first chapters begin to devastating consequences. Sometime in the missing 40 years, the king was killed under Kellas's watch and his elite corp of Black Wolves were disbanded.

The new king finally returns from war and has to deal with a conspiracy to overthrow him. The book is deeply political, but the focus really isn't on the king that much. The plot explores what happens when cultures clash and mingle, history is forgotten, and the winners tell their own versions of events.

Through this all, the titular Black Wolves slowly begin reforming their ranks. I liked that the main thing they value is quick thinking, so they accept women, children, and the elderly into their ranks.

This is not a fast book. It's about 800 pages and things only start really ramping up in the last third.

That said, the rest of the book is damn good. You spend time learning about the characters, meeting giant eagles, and figuring out what's really going on. A lot of what you think is true based on what you read in the early chapters might not be what it seems. Also, the way the book ends suggests that the sequel (releasing early 2018) is going to hit the ground running.

The prose wasn't overly flowery, though it definitely was a step above plain. It got out of the way of the story but managed to capture emotion and character excellently.

If you like unique settings and character-driven stories, this might be for you. The culture, the magic, and the people are all fascinating to read about. One thing I loved was that very few problems are solved through fighting skills, most characters (even the warriors) use their heads and think things through.

However, the book starts out slow. It's deeply political and the author takes some time to introduce you to the world before the plot really kicks off. Also, you don't really have a clear picture for what the overall plot will be until maybe halfway through the book.

It's probably important to point out that there's a good bit a sex in this book in all varieties. There's also some relatively graphic sexual violence, and it takes place between two men.

Overall, you should read this if you're in the mood for a thought-provoking read with an incredible setting and characters. It can be a little slow, but it's well worth it.