BOOK REVIEW: The Lure of Wolves and Whispers

 

THE LURE OF WOLVES AND WHISPERS
by Amanda Connolly
Available July 7

The isle of Eirann was once full of magic. But in Maeve's lifetime, magic is bought and sold illegally. When she finds herself in need of a cure for her beloved sister Finn, she trades herself for a small bottle of magic. And in return, she finds herself working as a spy to bring down the king.

Maeve is shuffled into a ceremony known as the Assay: a multi-part competition in which noblewomen vie for the hand of the crown prince. One commoner is always thrown in the mix as a sacrifice, to show what happens to those who would rise above their station. But backed up by a shadowy organization of Whispers (and in particular the brooding and mysterious Wolf), Maeve intends to fight her way to the top. Along the way, she finds herself embroiled in a political struggle bigger than even she imagined.

A Lure of Wolves and Whispers has a lot going for it: a unique magic system, a fantasy world inspired by Irish folklore, and interesting characters. However, this is capital-R Romantasy at its core, complete with trope-tastic MMCs and FMCs and the sort of weighty, purple prose ("betrayal tasted like ashes") that comes with the genre. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? It depends on if that's what you're looking for.

The problem with a story that cleaves so close to the romantasy pattern is that, no matter what else is good about it, it becomes predictable. I loved the presence of ogham as a language, I loved that the inspiration came from somewhere beyond mainland Europe, and I loved how large the world seemed to be. But the heavy BookTokishness of it made this big world feel smaller, like a sprawling narrative was cramming itself into something marketable. And that made me a bit sad.

In short, The Lure of Wolves and Whispers has a lot to recommend it. But this one is pitched squarely to Romantasy Girls, and readers into other styles of fantasy (or even fantasy romances that aren't "romantasy") may not quite click with this one.

TEA PAIRING: The Dragon's Flame
The Lure of Wolves and Whispers is set in a world where magic is dwindling and tensions are high. This spicy cinnamon tea is a perfect pairing for this intense story. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other book-inspired teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!