- Mass Market Paperback: 291 pages
- Publisher: Ace Books; Original edition (2 Nov 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0441019544
- ISBN-13: 978-0441019540
- Product Dimensions: 17 x 10.7 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 192,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Shapeshifting mercenary Aralorn leads a dangerous existence. Now she must return home for her noble father, the Lyon of Lambshold, has passed away. But when Aralorn and her companion Wolf arrive, they find he's not dead, but ensorcelled by the ae'Magi, using him as a conduit to destroy Aralorn and Wolf. She must overcome this mysterious mist or fall to the blackest of magic.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
It has been ten years since Aralorn last went home. In that time she had become a mercenary and used her shapeshifting skills to become a spy. She also helped defeat the evilly corrupt Archmage - ae'magi. Now her father is dead, and no magic in the world can bring him back.
Unless, of course, he isn't truly dead.
Foul magic is afoot at Lambshold, and it's up to Aralorn, with the help of her beloved Wolf, to untangle the gnarled threads. The plot has all the indications of an old ae'magi plan, but Geoffrey is dead - isn't he?
Published for the first time, this long ago written sequel to Patricia Briggs' first novel has been released to coincide with Masques' revised rerelease. So bear in mind this is an old piece of work, and I'll admit it shows. On first read I was left vaguely dissatisfied, though I wasn't entirely sure why. The focus is a little backward, perhaps, for a duology. Normally a fantasy series starts off trying to save one person, which ends up with them saving the world (like the Raven series), but most of that already happened in Masques. Here there is only one man to save, which leaves the action feeling a little small.
There are also some frustrating places where Aralorn seems determined to ignore the obvious, and even some answers from a conveniently situated Goddess. On second read things felt much smoother, but then I knew what happened, and could ignore the heavy handed attempts at misdirection. There were other gaps too, mostly in description, especially around the howlaa and Kisrah's peculiar clothes, rather than the brief, throwaway comments that appear midway through a scene. It would also have been nice to have known more of Aralorn's family, aside from the ones who had a direct role in the tale.
And then there's Wolf. At the end of Masques Aralorn and Wolf had barely kissed, here - a couple of months later - they're in a full-fledged relationship. It all felt a bit sudden, and again left me dissatisfied. There is very little romance between them, but this book is mostly focused on Aralorn and her problems. Which really irritated me, especially when it came to sorting out Wolf's control issues.
Though it does improve on a second read, don't expect the high quality Briggs usually produces. Light on description, slow in places, with random aspects left unresolved and other things occurring with far too much convenience, it lacks polish. There are some wonderful touches, though, particularly the Stone Maze, but as a sequel to Masques, it didn't quite work for me.
Unless, of course, he isn't truly dead.
Foul magic is afoot at Lambshold, and it's up to Aralorn, with the help of her beloved Wolf, to untangle the gnarled threads. The plot has all the indications of an old ae'magi plan, but Geoffrey is dead - isn't he?
Published for the first time, this long ago written sequel to Patricia Briggs' first novel has been released to coincide with Masques' revised rerelease. So bear in mind this is an old piece of work, and I'll admit it shows. On first read I was left vaguely dissatisfied, though I wasn't entirely sure why. The focus is a little backward, perhaps, for a duology. Normally a fantasy series starts off trying to save one person, which ends up with them saving the world (like the Raven series), but most of that already happened in Masques. Here there is only one man to save, which leaves the action feeling a little small.
There are also some frustrating places where Aralorn seems determined to ignore the obvious, and even some answers from a conveniently situated Goddess. On second read things felt much smoother, but then I knew what happened, and could ignore the heavy handed attempts at misdirection. There were other gaps too, mostly in description, especially around the howlaa and Kisrah's peculiar clothes, rather than the brief, throwaway comments that appear midway through a scene. It would also have been nice to have known more of Aralorn's family, aside from the ones who had a direct role in the tale.
And then there's Wolf. At the end of Masques Aralorn and Wolf had barely kissed, here - a couple of months later - they're in a full-fledged relationship. It all felt a bit sudden, and again left me dissatisfied. There is very little romance between them, but this book is mostly focused on Aralorn and her problems. Which really irritated me, especially when it came to sorting out Wolf's control issues.
Though it does improve on a second read, don't expect the high quality Briggs usually produces. Light on description, slow in places, with random aspects left unresolved and other things occurring with far too much convenience, it lacks polish. There are some wonderful touches, though, particularly the Stone Maze, but as a sequel to Masques, it didn't quite work for me.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This has the usual Patricia Briggs engaging charaters and good writing but is unlike her other books in one respect: there is more to it.
Typically I enjoy reading her books but feel at the end as if nothing has actually happened. It has all not-happened in an interesting and gently engaging way but there is no meat. This book had at least a little real meat. I suspect it is related to it having been her frist book revisited.
She, as so many authors do at first tried to get her good ideas and her plot all in to one story. This is good but most authors seem to learn they do not really need to and Briggs certainly appears to be one of them. An easy read sells but for me a read with a little more is definitely better. She has used the skills she learned from later books to ensure this is as engaging but has kept the meat that her early fervour put in there.
Typically I enjoy reading her books but feel at the end as if nothing has actually happened. It has all not-happened in an interesting and gently engaging way but there is no meat. This book had at least a little real meat. I suspect it is related to it having been her frist book revisited.
She, as so many authors do at first tried to get her good ideas and her plot all in to one story. This is good but most authors seem to learn they do not really need to and Briggs certainly appears to be one of them. An easy read sells but for me a read with a little more is definitely better. She has used the skills she learned from later books to ensure this is as engaging but has kept the meat that her early fervour put in there.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I am very impressed by Patricia Briggs. She easily manage to create characters and a story that captures you and make you want to read more. And she constantly does this in short novels that does not exist as parts of a series ( the exceptions being her Mercy Thompson and the Apha & Omega urban fantasy novels).
For those of you who have read patricia Briggs urban fantasy novels here's a treat. She has written several more traditional fantasy novels of which this is one and they're all very good.
I thoroughly recommend this and any other Patricia Briggs book you can get your hands on.
For those of you who have read patricia Briggs urban fantasy novels here's a treat. She has written several more traditional fantasy novels of which this is one and they're all very good.
I thoroughly recommend this and any other Patricia Briggs book you can get your hands on.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Very interesting story
A very interesting story by patricia briggs anyone looking to kill time till her next mercy thompson novel should take a look at these novels.
Published 7 months ago by weelenny
aralorn and wolf part 2
I enjoyed this duology that starts with Masques. I listened to both on audio and to be honest it took a while for me to get into Masques but by the second half I was certainly... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Caitkin
Wolfsbane
I'm not going to talk about the plot which I always think can be a bit spoiler-y. I read Wolfsbane (and Masques) after the Mercy Thompson series and I really liked that they were... Read more
Published 11 months ago by S. Teoh
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