Member Review

Thank you to NetGalley, Finn Longman, and Kensington Publishing | Erewhon Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Content Warnings: Homophobia, Mention of War, Gore, Blood, Death, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Betrayal, Minor Sexual Scene, Animal Death, Conception Problems/Pregnancy Issues, and Death of Parent(s).

I am an adult man. I have been reading for a very, very long time; it has been a massive part of my life. I went to college to study English Literature. I am a writer myself. Rarely does a book come along that absolutely surprises me.

“The Wolf and His King” is a novel about a man named Bisclavret–except he isn’t always a man. Sometimes, Bisclavret is a wolf. The only souls who know of his secret are his mother, who went made and sick from raising a wolf-child, and his cousin, who had spent time with him as a child. After his mother passes away, Bisclavret is left alone on her lands, exiled from the court that his father once belonged to. His father, having died prior to Bisclavret’s birth, never knew his son. All of his lands and his title as knight to the King should belong to his son now, but due to the laws of the kingdom, all of his wealth has been returned to the King.

Once day, Bisclavret’s cousin talks him into traveling to see the newly appointed King, to swear his loyalty, and perhaps regain the lands that were taken from him. After all, the Wolf would have more room to run and hunt. Swayed, Bisclavret follows his cousin to court.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed King finds himself as a stranger in his own lands. His father had exiled him years ago to study abroad. When the old King died, his son was forced to return home, to take up the crown that he never really wanted, and to rule under the shadow of a tyrant. Yet he wishes to be a peaceful King, a King made more of mind and might than steel and blood.

When Bisclavret and the King meet, they instantly become friends, finding a sort of understanding between them that grows and blossoms in the coming days, weeks, and months. Bisclavret swears himself, body and mind, to his King–yet there those that would rather see them both undone.

“The Wolf and His King” is told from three points of view. The first is “Him,” which is Bisclavret, and is told in the third person. The second is “Other,” which is the point of view of the Wolf. These “Other” sections are written in stanzas, poetry told from the point of view of a creature that is not completely wolf, not completely man. Finally, the third point of view is that of the King, or “You.” These sections are told in the second person, inviting us, as the readers, to enter into the story as the King character directly. While I have read some books written in a similar style, none of them have ever touched me or moved me so deeply as “The Wolf and His King.”

Seeing this story unfold between three different points of view was amazing. Finn Longman offers up a simple but powerful tale of love, loss, grief, and hope through the eyes of three different but bonded perspectives. This experimental take on narrative allows for the novel’s themes to shine through in ways that words alone could not. There is real, electric emotion here, between every page and line.

Interesting, too, that only Bisclavret is given a proper name in the novel. All other characters, even the King, are referred to by their title or by a nickname. It works to single Bisclavret out, to make him ‘othered’ from the very beginning of the tale, when he is still trying to work out if he is man or wolf.

(Spoilers Below)

“The Wolf and His King” is not perfect. There are characters who felt very out of place to me, or were only used to cause conflict. I would normally not have an issue with that sort of thing, but in this case, it is very blatant from the second this specific characters shows up that she is only there to be the woman in between the end game of Bisclavret and the King. It is unfortunate, for what we get of this character, she seems like an interesting person. Someone who may have thought of a smarter way to get what she truly wanted. Instead, she is simply used as a means to an end.

It should be noted that I have not read the original story that “The Wolf and His King” is a retelling of. I know the very bare bones of the story. There may be things here that I am missing or not understanding by having not read the original.

(End Spoilers)

It is obvious that author Finn Longman put a lot of time, effort, and study into “The Wolf and His King.” While the setting is sometime in the 12th century, and while the language is often flowery and old fashioned, it feels very fresh, very real. It is beautiful.

I recommend “The Wolf and His King.”