The Wolf Of The North
by Duncan M. Hamilton
Author's Description:
“It has been generations since the Northlands have seen a hero worthy of the title. Many have made the claim, but few have lived to defend it. Timid, weak, and bullied, Wulfric is as unlikely a candidate as there could be.
A chance encounter with an ancient and mysterious object awakens a latent gift, and Wulfric’s life changes course. Against a backdrop of war, tragedy, and an enemy whose hatred for him knows no bounds, Wulfric will be forged from a young boy, into the Wolf of the North. This is his tale.”
A chance encounter with an ancient and mysterious object awakens a latent gift, and Wulfric’s life changes course. Against a backdrop of war, tragedy, and an enemy whose hatred for him knows no bounds, Wulfric will be forged from a young boy, into the Wolf of the North. This is his tale.”
My Review - Rating - 8.5/10
The Wolf Of The North, and the two following books in the series, have what I think are the most gripping stories of any book I’ve read this year. I was browsing Amazon, looking at the bestsellers lists and some books that were recommended based on my previous book choices, and The Wolf Of The North popped up. It was free with Kindle Unlimited and looked interesting, so I decided I’d try reading it. Honestly, I’m not sure if that was a good decision or not, because I ended up staying up until about three AM to finish all three books, after buying the books at around 5 PM the night before. It’s pretty rare for me to read for about ten hours straight, and almost unheard of for me to stay up the whole night to finish a book, but this series pulled me in and didn’t let me go. The Wolf In The North isn’t based on an original premise - its plot can be boiled down to a basic zero-to-hero trope combined with a revenge plot. But it’s not the story the book is telling, but how it tells the story, that makes it so good. The book pulls you in almost immediately into this fierce, rustic world of the Northlands in which young Wulfric is hideously out of place - overweight, soft, and timid in a world of hardened warriors and cruel warrior apprentices. It brings you along with Wulfric through his journey, shows you the trials that hardened Wulfric and the injustices that made him fight, and keeps you interested in and invested in his journey and goals. I was totally hooked by this book, but that doesn’t mean that it's without errors. The first two books ended on cliffhangers, which is a big part of why I couldn’t put this series down, but means that readers who don’t have the means to buy or don’t want to buy all three books (the total cost of the series is just under $20 for those who don’t have Kindle Unlimited) will be left without a satisfying conclusion. There are quite a few other problems with this book. All the characters except for Wulfric are pretty one-dimensional, there are a few (minor) points in the story that isn’t wholly logical if you stop and think about it, and the ending isn’t all that satisfying, though it wasn’t bad enough to make me dislike the story or change my rating of the book by all that much. Overall, the Wolf Of The North series has quite a few flaws, but they don’t impact the reading experience because of the strength of the storytelling. Wulfric and his adventures are so compelling that I (and thousands of other readers) overlooked or didn’t even notice the flaws because I was so caught up in and invested in the story. That’s this book's main strength. It makes you become invested in Wulfric’s story and doesn’t stop to let you take a breather or think about the logic of the story. Some of the side characters and the time dedicated to their stories aren’t as compelling, but as a reader, you become so invested that you just keep reading to see what will happen to Wulfric next and when he will succeed in his quest. I have a really hard time putting into words what the special factor of this book is, but there’s something to it that just keeps you reading. This book isn’t for everyone. It’s not a literary masterpiece, and while I think it’s an excellent story, I doubt that nitpicky readers will enjoy the books because there are flaws to criticize, it’s just that those flaws go unnoticed thanks to the fast pace and excitement of the books. So, overall while I gave this book eight and a half out of ten, at least five of those stars are just thanks to the extraordinary way in which it pulls you in and keeps you interested. It’s not more than a mediocre book in any other way, but it has one truly spectacular element that turns it into a really good read.
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