Wolfsbane
Ratings6
Average rating3.5
Sequel to *Masques*.
For the last ten years, shapeshifting mercenary Aralorn has led a dangerous existence—a far cry from her noble upbringing. Now she must return home under the most unfortunate circumstances. Her father, the Lyon of Lambshold, has passed away. But when Aralorn and her companion Wolf arrive, the combination of their magic uncovers something wonderful yet alarming—he’s not actually dead, but only appears so. Yet a dark mist is also very much alive within him...
The Lyon of Lambshold has been ensorcelled by the ae’Magi, who’s using him as a conduit to finally destroy Aralorn and Wolf. With her father as the pawn, can Aralorn overcome this mysterious mist with her magic? Or will she finally fall to the blackest of magic, losing not only her one true companion, but also her life...
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Series
Series
4 primary books#4 in Sianim
Sianim is a 4-book series with 4 primary works first released in 1993 with contributions by Patricia Briggs.
Series
2 primary books#2 in Aralorn
Aralorn is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 1993 with contributions by Patricia Briggs.
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ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
Wolfsbane, the sequel to Patricia Briggs??? debut novel Masques, was written later in her career and just published last month. It continues the story of the shapeshifters Aralorn and Wolf, whose relationship has developed significantly since the beginning of Masques. Aralorn has been called home after a ten-year absence because her father has died. When she and her ???pet??? Wolf arrive, they find some evil magic at work and a mystery to solve.
As you???d expect, Briggs??? writing is better this time. She has a smooth style that I find pleasant to read (or in this case, listen to, since I read this on audio, again read by Katherine Kellgren). I enjoyed spending more time with Aralorn and Wolf and agree with Ms. Briggs who, in the humble introduction to the book, said she wrote Wolfsbane because these characters deserve further attention. They???re smart, witty, and good, and their relationship is believable.
Though Wolfsbane may be a better crafted book, I didn???t find its plot to be as compelling as the plot of Masques. This may be partly because it felt very much like a sequel ??? the characters and the world are no longer something new to explore, so enjoyment of the novel must come from either spectacular style or truly engaging plot and Wolfsbane, though it???s a pleasant read, has neither. There was a lot of talking through ideas and coming to conclusions by discussion or spying rather than by active investigation, so I was bored in spots (but not for long because Wolfsbane is short and quick-paced).
The evil magic that Aralorn and Wolf must overcome directly affects their relationship, and this is the true focus of Wolfsbane. For this reason, I think readers of romances will probably enjoy Wolfsbane more than I did. The plot lacks thrills, but the romance is sweet and satisfying.
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
A fun, solid read with characters you end up caring a lot about without even noticing, just a touch of action, a splash of romance, and at least one character who switches between species. In other words, it's a Patricia Briggs novel. Like its predecessor [b:Masques 285224 Masques (Sianim, #1) (Aralorn, #1) Patricia Briggs http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1245316307s/285224.jpg 276722], this was written pretty early in her career, and it shows. It's still a heckuva story, and I'd jump right into a third adventure of Wolfe and Aralorn.
