Sons of the Wolf

Sons of the Wolf has ratings and 50 reviews. Steven said: This is what you get when you take a historical re-enactor and ask them to write a novel. A.
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Please try again later. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. I am glad I purchased this book. Paula Lifting has given the reader insight into the daily life of a Thean of pre-William the Conqueror England. Harold Godwinson receives positive treatment here, and having a soft spot for him myself, I enjoyed that! Our Thegn has a wife and five children, and raises horses as well as managing a farm and his people. A flawed man, he loves his family, serves his Earl, Harold Godwinsson and obeys the calls to serve in various battles. I very much enjoyed the development of his sons and daughters lives.

I also liked how the author showed conflict and attempts at resolution in the families interactions. At the heart of this story are the feuds that disrupt both the family and the kingdoms harmony. I recommend this book highly, and look forward to the sequel, and I hope many more from this talented author! While I am a relative newcomer to reading books set in pre-Norman Conquest England, I have made my way through several different authors, all of whom I would recommend. Paula Lofting's Sons of the Wolf is a worthy addition to the ever-growing offering.

The book follows the trials and fortunes of two families, one of these being the Godwinson family whom history remembers mostly because of a little battle at Hastings in The very first pages introduce us to an event that happened in earlier days, an event which planted the seeds of contention for the Godwinsons. These are the seeds of contention which propel their motivations, causing more and more tensions to build through the story.

Whenever I start reading a book, I actively look for a reason to care about the characters. These characters can even take their sweet time to warm to me, but eventually they do have to come around. This was the case for Wulfhere. Initially I was indifferent to him, though with time and patience he grew on me. Well-drawn does not mean perfect.

In fact a perfect character quickly becomes tepid, because flaws make a more interesting life. Wulfhere succeeded for me because his life and choices wove a delightfully flawed tapestry with each failing. Again and again he proved this to be true with one emotion-induced tantrum after another, each step seemingly making his life and future more and more difficult. Yet in his mistakes, his humanity became readily recognizable. No matter how often he failed, I cheered for him to do better, to make right choices.

The same could be said for the rest of Wulfhere's family -- his wife, sons, and daughters. Because I know the history, I know what will become of the Godwinsons. While this book leaves the reader hanging because of the unfinished business left for the characters, it is only the first book in a series, and the necessary ground will be covered in future books. I eagerly look forward to discover what is in store for these colorful, vividly drawn people. The Wolf Banner is due out in June, Historical research shines in this novel of a thegn's family during the years leading up to the Norman conquest.

I enjoyed the scenes of daily chores, courting rituals, and interactions between people of varying social levels. Lofting clearly has a deep understanding of the life and times of s Britain. Wulfhere is a well-written hero because he isn't really a hero all the time. In fact, some of the things he did made me want to smack him silly. He is violent, adulterous, impetuous, but he also does everything he can for those he loves even if he's terrible at demonstrating that at times.

He is humble, much to his ambitious wife's dismay, but his modesty is pushed too far when Earl Harold future king insists that Wulfhere betroth his daughter to the son of his enemy in order to put an end to their family fued. The story of Wulfhere's family is part of the larger portrait of England as the search for an heir begins. King Edward has no hope of a son of his own, so he sends to the Continent for the son of his half-brother, Edmund Ironside.

Of course, William Duke of Normandy has another plan. Since the crown is passed through approval of the Witan rather than the king's wishes or inheritance, the field of contenders promises to increase before Edward's demise. My favorite part of this book was the battle, or more aptly named, massacre of Hereford. It is not an easy segment to read. There is absolutely no romanticising it, which some readers will find to be too much. I appreciated the author's skill and honesty.

The newly released edition of this book also has a stunning cover. One person found this helpful. Historical fiction is my favorite literary genre. We open with a typical 19th century premise: Harriet is the shrewd, stature-concious older cousin and self-appointed guardian of her younger, brighter, prettier cousin Ada, and she and her grandmother have a horrible relationship that carries on after her death.

Wolfson, the half brother of her grandmother. Her distant relation, Mr. Wolfson, has the reputation among the villagers as a hard man … and possibly a werewolf too. Though Harriet initially dismisses the idea that Mr. Wolfson is anything but the kind, if severe, guardian and father of two strange sons: Julian, the easy going and well dressed younger son, and Julian — the dark, ferocious looking older son with the desire to both leave his father and become a surgeon.

Added to this, Harriet is drawn to the Abbey grounds more and more. The ruins of the Abbey entreat Harriet to brave riding horses through the cold in order to explore it. But there is still a niggling doubt in her mind — could it be possible that Mr. Wolfson is a werewolf? And does the change in the house have anything to do with the gypsies who have put up camp on his property?

And what will happen when Harriet discovers the truth for herself? When the story begins, Wulfhere and Esegar have returned to Horstede from a long campaign. Wulfhere is greeted by his children and wife. It is apparent the couple has had serious problems and both of them are apprehensive of their reunion. Wulfhere's children have grown since his departure, his eldest daughter Freyda is of marriageable age. Sons Of The Wolf is the chronicle of a family during the years before the Norman conquest and William the Conqueror's reign.

The marriage of Wulfhere and Ealdgytha is complex and complicated. They are the parents of several children, they have servants, Wulfhere is often away on campaign and Ealdgytha is left responsible; intermingled in this is Wulfhere's extra activity, which causes divisive feelings between the couple.

Lofting has shown me through their marriage and personalities a dimensional view of the couple. I am shown positive and negative character traits.

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I am shown reactions to choices. I am shown their internal conflicts and external battles. The weaving of their story throughout the book is one of the top elements that kept me reading. It is easy to like or dislike characters because of their personalities or conduct. However, I never felt a need to take sides, but felt an immediate pull for both characters. A second point I loved about Sons Of The Wolf is the history of the how the people lived during this era.

From the homes they lived in, to the duties of wives and servants, the responsibilities of a thegn, the culture and customs of the people, and the campaign battles that were fought.

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I've grown attached to Wulfhere's family and look forward to reading the sequel The Wolf Banner Rises. Won through a giveaway from the author.


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Aug 06, Robert Bayliss rated it it was amazing. Paula Lofting knows her pre-conquest Anglo-Saxon period inside and out, and it shows. Wulfhere is a complex character, brave and honourable, yet torn between his wife and family, serving his Lord Earl Harold despite him questioning some decisions and the woman who truly holds his heart.

Wulhere is haunted by subdued inner demons from his experience at war, where he was almost killed. We often hear of shellshock, experienced in war, especially with the veterans of the onging Afghan conflict, but Paula Lofting knows her pre-conquest Anglo-Saxon period inside and out, and it shows.

We often hear of shellshock, experienced in war, especially with the veterans of the onging Afghan conflict, but we rarely have it ascribed to characters in Medieval fiction. It made Wulfhere a more believable and flawed character. What I especially liked was that, unlike many books dealing with the pre-conquest period, Paula Lofting wasnt afraid to question the decisions made by Earl Harold or to pretend that this was a lost golden age. All too often authors paint him as the perfect Earl and later King.

Yet it is still a love song to a lost period of English history that she clearly adores. Only the reader knows it will become a lament. I look forward to the sequel Nov 04, Indiebrag rated it it was amazing Shelves: We are proud to announce that this book has been honored with a B. Medallion - telling you that this book is well worth your time and money! Jun 17, Lisl rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Everyone, especially those interested in English history. As Wolfhere and his right-hand man, Esegar, make their way home from a victorious but devastating Scottish campaign, the reader is immediately given to understand the historical importance of their surroundings.

Wulfhere, as thegn, is a landowner with allegiance to the king; in this case he also serves the local Earl, Harold, who soon intervenes in a thinly-veiled land dispute, which plays itself out as a generational feud. Somewhere in her mind she had closed a door, locking inside the thoughts she did not want to think and the feelings she could not bear to feel. This scene sewn into a tapestry would reveal little to an examiner, for who can see into hearts embroidered onto material? Like the multitudes of others we encounter in passing each day, these people we might see, but what lives in their hearts and minds lay unknown to us even, sadly, when we blow off the dust and bring our open hearts to the examination.

Or perhaps, like Ealdgytha, we see something we recognize but wish to dismiss and carelessly toss the remnants of our ancestors into coffers and chests. Their own tribal leader had been Wulfgar, whose name lent its prefix to the many still in use. She continues to stare at the tapestry: Silently, she attempted to interpret the story that the embroidered images were telling her. In one corner of the tapestry was the summit of a hill that sloped down into woodland. This was clearly the leader, Winflaed decided, for it was the largest and most clearly represented.

Behind it, the others looked small and insignificant against its majesty. Interestingly, there were no images of humans. It was as if the wolves themselves had sailed and alighted ashore from the boats and were running freely across a depicted land. It has been said that images speak to the examiner, though what the message is depends on who receives it. What is so different between what Wilflaed and her mother hear? Who depicted the newly arrived as wolves would also indicate why they were depicted as such: As the wind carried the sound across the landscape and through time, what changes came over it and how much was left to understand?

Was the recognizable stripped away, leaving only hard images that seemingly cover up all else? Their own experiences surely color interpretations as well. The roles of mother and daughter affect how they perceive the world, but also their ages, the former having become embittered by what she has endured in life, and the latter still within the parameters of innocence. She continues to see what we overlook. While current stereotypes can be misleading, it is only too true that life in England was harsh by modern Western standards.

As for Wulfhere, we find him engaged in bloody battle once more, this time having also to deal with the aftermath of battlefield abandonment and the sickening devastation wrought on the villagers following the fight.

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Wulfhere is determined, protective and proud, perhaps a perilous combination in a man as passionate, and sometimes selfish, as he. Lofting has allowed us, too, to be passionate observers rather than passive ones, because she has brought to life an era shrouded in the mystery of the unknown. Brutal reality lives here, and to honor the lives of those we seek, we must face the tapestry and honestly examine even the uglier segments.

Actual lives were lived on this dance across the arras, clues of which Lofting sifts through and unknots, thread by thread to gain understanding of personalities and motives when so little documentary evidence reveals its secrets. So do not be put off by the telling, for it needs to be so.

Jan 25, Samantha rated it really liked it Shelves: Historical research shines in this novel of a thegn's family during the years leading up to the Norman conquest. I enjoyed the scenes of daily chores, courting rituals, and interactions between people of varying social levels. Lofting clearly has a deep understanding of the life and times of s Britain.

Wulfhere is a well-written hero because he isn't really a hero all the time. In fact, some of the things he did made me want to smack him silly. He is violent, adulterous, impetuous, but he als Historical research shines in this novel of a thegn's family during the years leading up to the Norman conquest. He is violent, adulterous, impetuous, but he also does everything he can for those he loves even if he's terrible at demonstrating that at times.

Sons of the Wolf

He is humble, much to his ambitious wife's dismay, but his modesty is pushed too far when Earl Harold future king insists that Wulfhere betroth his daughter to the son of his enemy in order to put an end to their family fued. The story of Wulfhere's family is part of the larger portrait of England as the search for an heir begins. King Edward has no hope of a son of his own, so he sends to the Continent for the son of his half-brother, Edmund Ironside. Of course, William Duke of Normandy has another plan. Since the crown is passed through approval of the Witan rather than the king's wishes or inheritance, the field of contenders promises to increase before Edward's demise.

My favorite part of this book was the battle, or more aptly named, massacre of Hereford. It is not an easy segment to read. There is absolutely no romanticising it, which some readers will find to be too much. I appreciated the author's skill and honesty. The newly released edition of this book also has a stunning cover. New edition is fabulous Now i dont do spoilers i prefer to let the reader go on that journey for themselves.

The novel as a whole is well written and moves at a decent pace. The historical detail is there for all to see, showing that time has been spent researching the era, but at the same time the author hasnt allowed their clear love of the period in history to over shadow the storyline. The author blends action, love interests and intrigue together in well thought out and plausible story.

Book Review: Sons of the Wolf by Barbara Michaels | A Legacy of Sugar and Tentacles

The New edition is fabulous Now i dont do spoilers i prefer to let the reader go on that journey for themselves. The relationships between characters are emotional and well written, with the individual personalites adding flesh to the accomplished plot and subplots. Action scenes are gritty and bloody but not for the sake of it, they reflect their era.

In truth, i struggled to find any negatives within the pages of this novel Robert Southworth - Author of the Spartacus Chronicles Apr 07, Cynthia Mcarthur rated it really liked it. Sons of the Wolf is the story of Wulfhere and his family and neighbors.

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Wulfhere is a brave Saxon warrior, an honorable but fallible man, with a decent land holding, a beautiful wife and healthy, spirited children. His downfall comes in the generations-long blood feud he has with his neighbor-a generally hateful and drunken man-and an enigmatic lover from his past that he can't seem to rid himself of. Wulfhere is involved in the politics of the day, somewhat peripherally, and sometimes finds him Sons of the Wolf is the story of Wulfhere and his family and neighbors.

Wulfhere is involved in the politics of the day, somewhat peripherally, and sometimes finds himself completely disillusioned by the actions of his superiors. When his daughter takes his enemy's son as a lover-with his overlord Harold's approval-his secret illegitimate child dies, and he discovers that he doesn't always understand the people around him and their motives, Wulfhere turns to his former mistress for comfort, to his family's utter devastation. Throughout the book there are many battle scenes and many interpersonal scenes.

Both are blended seamlessly together, making the characters full and rounded, all together very well-developed. In this story, the reader sees some of the players making the same mistakes over and over, and this reader cared enough for the players to exclaim aloud! This story will consume you with it's period detail and imagery, and the interplay between characters.

The author is very insightful,creating real personalities and honest actions and reactions. The sequal should be published soon, and I very much look forward to learning more about some of the intriguing "side characters" introduced in this book. Aug 03, Anna Belfrage rated it really liked it. Set in the 11th century, a decade or so before the battle of Hastings, the Sons of the Wolf tells the story of Wulfhere, thegn of Horstede and his family.

That Horstede had a thegn named Wulfhere is established fact as per the Domesday Book a very nice touch in my opinion , but the author makes it very clear that apart from the name and the location, her Wulfhere is a fictional hero, however involved he is in the actual events of his time. The novel has a substantial amount of cameo characters, Set in the 11th century, a decade or so before the battle of Hastings, the Sons of the Wolf tells the story of Wulfhere, thegn of Horstede and his family.

The novel has a substantial amount of cameo characters, most of them based on real people. Harold Godwinson, Edward the Confessor, Gruffyd of Wales — they all make an appearance in Ms Loftings novel, and in general I think the author does a very good job in breathing life into these long dead people. In particular, Ms Lofting has done an excellent job depicting the Godwinson brothers — and their sister, Queen Edith. The historical context is rich and well-described, and I was particularly impressed by the description of the Battle of Hereford — Ms Lofting succeeds in conveying the grime, the blood, the sheer terror of fighting hand to hand.

I am, however, less taken by some of the main characters. As a reader, it's not difficult to understand why Wulfhere seeks solace in other arms. As stated already at the beginning, Ms Lofting clearly knows her period, and for those wanting to learn more about this period in English history, this book is an erudite introduction, imparting a lot of information without being too heavy-handed.

Aug 01, Sara Giacalone rated it really liked it Shelves: Four and one-half stars Originally Reviewed for Layered Pages: A landholder whose land holdings come directly from the King, Wulfhere also owes service go Harold Godwinson, the powerful Earl of Wessex. Wulfhere is a fierce warrior who is also devoted to his growing family, and when the book opens we meet him Four and one-half stars Originally Reviewed for Layered Pages: Wulfhere is a fierce warrior who is also devoted to his growing family, and when the book opens we meet him returning home from battle with the Scots in the year After surviving the horrible battle at Dunsinane Hill, Wulfhere only wants to settle at home, tend to his lands and enjoy his family.

Of course fate has other plans. Unfortunately, only the sketchiest details were recorded about Wulfhere and Helghi, so Paula Lofting used her imagination and her knowledge of history to fill in the blanks — creating a vivid, detailed and realistic world full of complex and interesting characters. I liked her characters — both the fictional ones and the non-fictional.

I really liked the more personal scope of the story and its focus on Wulfhere and his family and their struggles to love each other amidst conflict and misunderstandings. And I find that a welcome change. The book itself is beautifully packaged, with rich and colorful cover art, and drawings at the beginning of each section.

The author also includes pronunciation and place names guides, as well as a glossary of unfamiliar terms, all of which was very helpful.