The Wolves of Midwinter
Published: 15, October 2013
Author: Anne Rice
Book 2 of 2: Wolf Gift Chronicles
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Ghost, Horror, Occult, Paranormal, Romance, Shape Shifter, Supernatural, Thrillers, Urban, Vampire, Werewolf, Witch, Wizard
Check the summary of this book here:
The Wolves of Midwinter Summary
The Review:
The Wolves of Midwinter is Anne Rice's wonderful follow-up to the novel The Wolf Gift, which was published in 2012. Anne Rice, as only she can, conjures a detailed world of earthly magnificence. It's almost as if you can smell the cold, damp woodlands and taste the delectable Christmas feast. This book follows the events of the first one from Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve. Anne Rice's exceptional ability to describe rich environments is showcased in this outstanding and original series. It's truly an enjoyable read.
Anne Rice is one of my favorite authors, and her novel, The Wolves of Midwinter, was no exception. Characters with depth and vivid details, like in all of her stories, which I adore. Insights on human personality and characteristics.
The questions we have about who we are and why we exist, as well as the idea of living your own life rather than the one others wish for you are all wrapped up in this magnificent narrative, and what a fantastic and completely enthralling tale it is.
Anne Rice was a gifted writer, and the historical details woven into the plot are one of my favorite aspects of her work, as was her ability to make the reader feel as if they are a participant in the tale.
She had the capacity to paint a picture with words so that you can see everything, which is a gift that many authors strive for, and she was also capable of making you care about the characters.
You fall madly in love with them. and they become so real that when you tell someone the tale, they think you're talking about actual people. Her characters come to life thanks to her.
She possessed the uncommon ability to pace a story in such a way that it keeps you on the edge of the seat. She throws some surprising twists to steer you in another path as soon as you believe the tale is heading in one route.
The marvel is that these turns are generally subtle—just something you hadn't considered before. There's nothing crazy or unbelievable here. In fact, if she reveals the mechanisms they employ to keep themselves concealed from us, you might be able to understand the possibilities of our cohabitation with amazing creatures like vampires and werewolves.
She pushes us to think about big subjects like God, right and wrong, passion, devotion, fairness, and moral beliefs, as she usually does. She even asks us to think about their definitions! There isn't anything in this that is black and white, and there aren't any clear solutions.
As with the prior volume, I thoroughly loved this book and the tale it tells as much as, if not more than, the first.
I thought this output was a fantastic addition to the actual story, branching out almost all of the main characters while also unveiling a slew of new ones, providing a wealth of Morphenkinder background, and presenting us to some of the other "Ageless Ones," particularly the Forest Gentry and the Geliebten Lakaien.
I appreciated Anne Rice's deep and thorough details of people, places, and events as usual, and I thought the tale flowed at a steady and engaging pace, even if it was a little sluggish for a non-Anne Rice reader.
In comparison to the otherworldly vampires in her other series, these books feel fresh and down to earth. The Distinguished Gentleman is a mystery group, with just a few details about their remarkable past revealed.
I was hoping Anne Rice would continue Reuben and Laura's escapades since she neatly ends off their narrative. But I've always wanted to learn more about them, and now that Anne Rice has passed away, I won't be able to do so.
The Forest Gentry is a new tribe of otherworldly creatures featured in the novel. They are enigmatic, and one isn't clear where their motives lay at first and this adds to the mystery and intrigue.
Reuben's capacity to love others nearly necessitates a leap of faith, yet it is precisely this quality that makes him so likable: he is pure of heart. Another aspect of this novel that I found humorous was Reuben's and the rest of the pack's luxurious lifestyles, and how if you throw enough money at a problem, it will solve itself.
Yes, that is true in many circumstances in real life, but keep in mind that this is a fantasy and fiction novel, and Anne Rice compensates for it with her rich description of the environment and superb character development.
There is less action in this novel than in the last one, but what we do get is fantastic. The objectives for the attacks are carefully chosen and appropriate, and you receive a sense of accomplishment when they are completed. This sequel was more on the relationships that developed after the events of the first and how Reuben must come to grips with how things will continue now that he's eternal.
This book, like the last one, deals with the meaning of evil, what happens when we die, and other philosophical issues that we face in life. There are several fantastic character developments, particularly with Reuben's brother, Jim, and their father, Phil.
I thought the book's key supporting characters had a lot of hidden depth. It's very often that you find such character growth in a novel of this kind, but it works extremely well. Not just werewolves, but also the Ageless Ones and the Forest Gentry intrigue me. I must say, once again, that I wish I knew more about them.
Overall, I think it's a worthy follow-up to the previous novel The Wolf Gift. Unlike many of today's popular otherworldly tales, Anne Rice obviously knew how to create an exciting book with depth.
Final Thoughts:
First and foremost. You must read "The Wolf Gift," the first book in Anne Rice's "The Wolf Gift Chronicles" series, before reading this book.
I thought it a little sluggish at times, but Anne Rice depicted clothing, décor, courteous discussions, and the splendor of the wealthy in great detail. I found it was gory, but I enjoyed the part where she depicted devouring the evil guys. I also like the human interest elements.
A lot is going on, which is exactly what a good series requires, so the "slow or sluggish" portion is really a result of a lovely and well-established series as with almost all Anne Rice novels.
Overall, I agree with the sentimental conclusion that this is a pretty distinct take on the werewolf genre. I wouldn't call the creatures in this book adorable, but from a literary standpoint, this representation of the beast is pretty compelling.
Have you ever dreaded the finish of a book you were reading? That was my impression of this book. I completed it, and it made me sad! Yes, I get melancholy when I'm about to finish a fantastic book, and occasionally the conclusion of a series fills me with the same dread and grief.
Life moves on, though, and we must continue on with our lives. I can only express my gratitude to Anne Rice for all of the lovely memories and multiple lifetimes of stories that she created for all of us, and she and all of her characters will be missed forever.
Synopsis:
“The tale of THE WOLF GIFT continues . . .
In Anne Rice’s surprising and compelling best-selling novel, the first of her strange and mythic imagining of the world of Wolfen powers (“I devoured these pages . . . As solid and engaging as anything she has written since her early vampire chronicle fiction” —Alan Cheuse, The Boston Globe; “A delectable cocktail of old-fashioned lost-race adventure, shape-shifting, and suspense” —Elizabeth Hand, The Washington Post), readers were spellbound as Anne Rice imagined a daring new world set against the wild and beckoning California coast.
Now in her new novel, as lush and romantic in detail and atmosphere as it is sleek and steely in storytelling, Anne Rice brings us once again to the rugged coastline of Northern California, to the grand mansion at Nideck Point—to further explore the unearthly education of her transformed Man Wolf.
The novel opens on a cold, gray landscape. It is the beginning of December. Oak fires are burning in the stately flickering hearths of Nideck Point. It is Yuletide. For Reuben Golding, now infused with The Wolf Gift and under the loving tutelage of the Morphenkinder, this Christmas promises to be like no other . . . as he soon becomes aware that the Morphenkinder, steeped in their own rituals, are also celebrating the Midwinter Yuletide festival deep within Nideck forest.
From out of the shadows of the exquisite mansion comes a ghost—tormented, imploring, unable to speak yet able to embrace and desire with desperate affection . . . As Reuben finds himself caught up with the passions and yearnings of this spectral presence and the preparations for the Nideck town Christmas reach a fever pitch, astonishing secrets are revealed, secrets that tell of a strange netherworld, of spirits—centuries old—who possess their own fantastical ancient histories and taunt with their dark, magical powers . . .”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:
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Rating: 90/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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