| Title | : | Lord of Slaughter (The Wolfsangel Cycle #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0575089679 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780575089679 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 400 |
| Publication | : | First published June 28, 2012 |
Lord of Slaughter (The Wolfsangel Cycle #3) Reviews
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The citizens of Constantinople seem to have reached the end of days. Mysterious things are happening, the sky is darkened, wolves are gathering outside the city and howling. People are terrified so the ruler of the city calls for a Christian scholar to find the evil that is causing this and eradicate it. He arrives with his expectant wife, fleeing from her angry father.
The dark events keep building; the cult of the wolf grows more each day, a boy with a snake-like pupil in his eye has a growing influence over those in power, the Norsemen camped beyond the city walls talk of the legends that tell of a wolf who will kill the gods, and the spirits of the dead are stirring. All these dark elements lead to a cell deep below the city, where a man sits in chains, a man who believes that he is a wolf.
Ragnarok is coming; even for those that don't believe.
This is the third in the series following on from Wolfsangel and Fenrir and like those, it is filled with lots of pagan and Norse references as well as being set in a historical context. On top of that, Lachlan has layered his own werewolf story that is dark, violent and bloody. Mostly is a very readable fantasy, that has compelling story threads that draw the main characters together for the finale. Occasionally there are scenes that get a little confusing, the one I am thinking of did take place in the dark caves under the Numera, but it added greatly to the drama. -
I am going to attempt to accurately convey my feelings for this book, although I feel as if there are no words that can express my deep appreciation for what this author has done, yet again. While Wolfsangel will always be my favorite, this was a close second. Fenrir was magnificent in all it's historical depictions but this one contained more of the mythological aspects of the Norse culture which I immensely appreciate. This book is dark, it is detailed, it installs elements of magic and brutally honest history; I loved every word, every page. I was reading some other reviews and some people claimed that it was confusing at times. The power of Lachlan's novels resides in his ability to make an honest myth out of his work. He does not follow the same boring, predictable plot line that every historical fantasy/werewolf novel uses to keep the story moving tepidly along, nor does he have the same over-sexed, over-dramatic types of characters that are usually abundant within this genre. His novels read like the dark myths they were constructed from; raw, chaotic, deliciously dark and bitter. Another person commented that it was the same essential plot through three books; 1) That was the whole point 2) it did not feel like reading the same story over and over. This is a trilogy, so you still got to see the characters you loved from the first two novels but all depicted in an entirely different way through three completely different time periods. I never felt like I was reading the same book over and over; every book had me feeling anxious, horrified, amazed, and truly immersed in the specific time and place pertaining to the setting. Lachlan is not for the feeble-minded. His voice/style is powerful and moving, his plot is intricate and fascinating, his characters are mysterious yet complex in their actions and their thoughts, which makes the audience genuinely care and feel for these characters over and over again. He laces themes concerning politics, religion, love, hatred, war, and numerous others into his work that brings the specific time period and culture to life before your eyes. His ability to blend ancient myth with history is impressive and precise. People that do not appreciate these novels do not appreciate Nordic myth in it's brutal and beautiful equity; I will not delve into the specific details of this book because I hope the passion and\ gratitude I wove into this review will make someone out there give this wonderful series a truly deserved chance. Bravo Lachlan; still my number one werewolf/Nordic Fantasy series of all time.
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Un altro gran bel libro in questa serie sorprendente.
Il tempo continua a scorrere, e come anticipato nel finale del secondo libro ora siamo a Costantinopoli, intorno all'anno mille.
E' affascinante vedere come siano cambiati i vichinghi e il modo in cui si rapportano con il mondo, rispetto ai gruppi di guerrieri isolati del primo libro, ma anche rispetto agli invasori in Francia del secondo libro.
Ed è affascinante trovarsi per le strade di Costantinopoli, tra guerrieri greci che si definiscono romani e barbari vichinghi assoldati dall'Imperatore Basilio, intere pagine di storia che qui e ora si trascurano o si riassumono rapidamente, troppo rapidamente a scuola.
La storia intanto avanza e procede, sempre uguale e sempre differente nel suo ripetersi.
Perché, ormai è chiaro, per quanto il ciclo sia ben stabilito, la storia non si ripete mai troppo simile.
Nel secondo libro la sorpresa che aveva destabilizzato tutto era stata la divisione di Odino in tre, con le rune separate.
Qui nel terzo libro questa divisione evolve, la comprendiamo meglio, le carte si mescolano, personaggi ritornano dal secondo libro, personaggi del terzo entrano in questo ciclo di sacrifici.
E scopriamo che Odino, Loki e Fenrir non sono i soli attori divini di questa tragedia.
Il libro mi è sembrato un po' troppo lento nella prima parte, ma probabilmente ciò è dovuto al fatto che passavo il tempo a cercare di capire chi fosse chi nel ciclo di reincarnazioni, che ruolo giocassero i vari personaggi che comparivano e assumevano importanza nella narrazione.
Venendo sorpreso dall'autore, ovviamente.
Ancora una volta non si può che rimanere stupiti dal fatto che questa serie sia così poco conosciuta. -
Review
What a book, Myth, mystery, Saga, History, Magic and all woven together by one of the few capable of making all these elements blend without self combusting.
This is the third book in the Craw series
Craw Trilogy
1. Wolfsangel (2010)
2. Fenrir (2011)
3. Lord of Slaughter (2012)
And quite frankly for me the best of the series. I cant quite put my finger on what makes this one work more than the previous two, maybe its just the right blend of all the above?
What has always struck me with MD Lachlan / Mark Barrocliffe's writing is how like a norse saga it is. The writing drawing you to another time, another place. You can almost smell the fire as the Skald begins his tale. But its more than that with Lords of Slaughter, the writing has an atmosphere that is dark, moody, brooding almost in its intensity Like the hardly restrained power of the wolf. The writer cages elements of the plot to keep you under suspense until just the right moment when its released to carry you along to a fitting culmination to this stunning and epic book.
Brilliant book, brilliant imagination, and brilliant story telling skill
Highly recommended
(Parm) -
This is the third book in the Wolfsangel Cycle, and while I didn't like it as much as
Fenrir,
M.D. Lachlan does a really good job at continuing this series. Again, this book is set a few years after the last with a new set of characters, and is once again rooted strongly in the Norse myth of Ragnarok.
The city of Constantinople seems to be reaching the end of its reign. Its people are terrified, and there are dark, mysterious powers causing strange events to occur round the city. The leaders of the city enlist the help of the scholar Loys, who has travelled across the sea with his pregnant wife to find the evil taking root in the city.
All the while Norsemen flank the city, having assisted the ruler in his campaign. Amongst them is Snake in the Eye, just a boy in the Norsemen's eye. He spreads the tale of a great cycle of death, led by the gods themselves. As he struggles to become a man in the eyes of his brethren, he finds himself caught in the legends he has known since a child. What do the strange happenings mean? And how do they tie in with the threat on the rulers life? And what part does the scholar play, just cresting at the edge of these strange events?
Lachlan (or
Mark Barrowcliffe) has once again, not changed much of the formula from the first two books, however he keeps improving with book. I think the writing in this instalment has been refined, although I preferred the story in
Fenrir. That's not to say the story isn't good, because it's still very enjoyable!
The main strength of this lies in the mythology. Compared to the others, it delves much more into the fantasy and mythology, and the whole book feels slightly like a myth in itself. There is much greater exploration of different aspects of the Norse mythos, including the inclusion of the ladies of fate themselves - the Norns.
Sadly I think because of this greater dive into the gritty world of the Norse myths, the story could become a little confusing and difficult to follow. I found this more with this than any of the others, which is a shame considering how good the story is. At this point it could be just a feature of
Lachlan's writing as the others were similar to this, but it occasionally it would be nice to not have to set the book down to unravel some of the plot points (and I'm still not entirely sure I've got to grips with the end!).
This book (and entire series) is not for the faint-hearted. It is gruesome and graphic, though not unnecessarily so. It befits the time period, and doesn't hold back in it's judgement of the world at the time. In my opinion this is important for historical fantasy as you tend to get a romanticised view of the time, which certainly shouldn't be the case.
It's difficult to write anything new about this story after reviewing the others, however if you enjoyed the first two you will certainly enjoy this. The good thing about these books is that even if you haven't read any of the others, it's possible to pick this up and read it as a standalone - although you might be confused with some of the references to characters in earlier books. Anyone who enjoys Norse mythology will enjoy these books, although I'd steer clear if you're looking for a more upbeat read. -
This is the third book in his Claw series and an absolute belter! Well, in mind it is if you have read the preceding instalments.
To sum it up, if you have a thing for Norse mythology and how it can permeate through time, then you need to read them!
Vikings, gods, Romans, Greeks and ancient lore, what more can you ask for?
Lord of Slaughter will keep you guessing who is who and how they relate back until the end.
Extremely well written, as with his previous instalments - Wolfsangel and Fenrir - each will truly give you a proper taste for the world that was and bring it to the forefront of your minds eye. Perfect dialogue, each character having their own voice throughout time.
There is deep, rich creativity in these books as well as enlightening the reader to legends long past. I recommended the first book to a good friend who is of true Norse stock and has a wealth of knowledge in the culture. He loves it! I need to restrain myself from giving him spoilers when he asks me about what happens.
If you want fantasy from our own world this is the series for you! -
el mas flojo de la saga; demasiado lento, falto de ritmo y situaciones interesantes, el final muy enredado y no tiene un cierre definitivo
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Nunca había escuchado de esta serie, la descubrí buscando libros sobre Valkirias (el cuál es el siguiente libro en la serie) esté es el tercer libro, pero encontré que se podía leer sin leer los anteriores. La verdad no sé que tan acertado fue esto.
Me encanto el mundo y la mitología que maneja, pese a se fantasía se lee muy rápido y son capítulos cortos, sin embargo tuve 2 problemas, el primero había situaciones que sucedían, ciertas muertes por ejemplo, que no describía la escena ni como paso o porque, solo te la mencionaba más adelante, y siendo situaciones cruciales para el desarrollo de la novela y que desencadenan que todo alrededor cambié. Este es mi mayor problema.
El segundo es el sistema de magia que utiliza cada personaje en ratos es confuso, esto no sé si es porque es el tercer libro (y no leí los anteriores, pero la verdad no me sentí perdida en cuanto a historia o personajes) o porque el autor no desarrollaba o explicaba ciertas situaciones, especialmente al final.
Quede lo suficientemente intrigada como para leer el siguiente que como mencione es el de las valkirias y también quiero leer los 2 anteriores. -
Nicely dark and convoluted.
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Lord of Slaughter is the third and final instalment of M.D. Lachlan’s Craw Trilogy. Rooted firmly in Norse mythology, Lachlan delivers a tale of myth, magic, and reincarnation, interwoven with the history surrounding Constantinople circa 988 AD.
Lord of Slaughter continues the story of the mythological figures involved with the tale of Odin. These figures, the wolf man & the lady are caught in a cycle, condemned to repeat it through countless lives until they can kill Odin and bring about Ragnarok.So if you have read the preceding two books,
Lord of Slaughter may start to wear a little thin, as its underlying theme is the same. That said, the surface tale and setting is different and for awhile at least, the reader has to figure out who represents who in the mythological sense.
The Tale:Loys, a former monk has escaped to Constantinople with his pregnant beloved Beatrice, daughter of a very angry and very violent Frankish lord. They are low on money, but in love. A scholar, Loys hopes to find work in the greatest city on earth so that he can return Beatrice to the living she is accustomed to.
Beatrice’s father has sent a former Varangian mercenary and Loys’ fellow monk Azemar to kill him and return Beatrice to her father.
At the same time the Emperor returns to Constantinople with his Varangian Guard, who he promptly leaves outside the city while heading off on another expedition. The Varangian’s make the Greek inhabitants of Constantinople nervous and tensions begin to build along with unnatural weather- ash field skies that turn day into a murky twilight.
Loys is employed as a patsy to try and find the blasphemous source of the weather. He finds that all is not what it seems, that those who are sworn to protect the city are the one’s who are at its rotting centre.
Gritty and evocative proseI enjoyed
Lord of Slaughter more than
Fenrir, both work well as stand alone texts but I think that the resolution of this novel served to round out the story much better.Lachlan’s prose is what marks
Lord of Slaughter out from your standard fantasy. It is a novel that makes you take notice of the author’s style and that style suits the oath bound warlike Varangians superbly. You are left in no doubt of the harshness of living in 10th century Constantinople.The mythic nature of parts of the story are well sketched with dreamlike sequences delivered in a imagery rich prose and this succession of imagery prepares as wonderfully for the story’s mythic conclusion.
Fans of Norse mythology and sagas will enjoy it. It favours narrative, mythical sorcery over point and shoot fireballs and delivers a visceral fantasy read.
This book was provided to me by the publisher at no cost
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Each time I dive into the mad, bloody and frightening world Mark has created involving psychotic gods, beastly murders and damned love I wonder if, with each sequel he writers to Wolfsangel, he himself is being taken over by the hanged god Odin with all his insatiable appatite for fates to be twisted and sealed. If this is the case, it does clearly show in this third installment of a series that yet to has any kind of official name oddly enough, but like the god Odin himself, fans may know it by many names.
I am very pleased to say that there is another very strong Viking presence in this lengthly saga - although I'm still wondering, as the centuries role by, how Mark will ever evade the presence of a norse warrior if these old gods and their schemes are to progress.
The best part though is that this nordic tale is performed in a very un-norse like land, that of Constantinople (aka Istanbul) or Miklagard 'Great City' as the vikings would have known it. And it does still have some grounding in the previous book, which took place in and around Paris, in that the central characters are mainly Norman. Almost-civilised descendants of vikings who settled and founded Normandy after a deal with a Frankish King to get them to go away, ironically enough.
I can't say for other readers but due to the complex beauty of Mark's plot and theme I did often try to work out, before I was even half way, who was the wolf-man, who was the man-wolf, who was the unlucky woman in all of this and who indeed would turn into a one-eyed dude waiving a spear. But of course Mark wouldn't let it be that easy, at least not in the first half, as there are definitely more characters entwined than the previous two which did blurr things a bit. After the half way point I gave up guessing and started repeating the mantra 'it will all make sense in the end' which it did with some relief. An end which had the build-up of a hundred earthquakes and the eruptive force of a hundred volcanoes in drama, tension, horror and the most important aspect of all - death!
It's the way his writing grips you despite the gore, the misery, the pain and the horror, you can't not turn the next page to learn if anyone survived and it's why I read the second half in one sitting and didn't finish it till midnight.
Fans of the first two will definitely not be disappointed with this third episode and I amongst them will be scratching my head hard with puzzlement and excitement as to how Mark will follow this up; as this ending, although the prophecy was fulfilled, it did leave a few loose threads in his tapestry of cursed fate, that will bring fresh life and indeed blood, I hope, in his next book. -
This may have made more sense if I'd been able to find any hint of it being the third in a series.
I will say, despite that, it wasn't a bad read and I wasn't confused for the most part which leads me to wonder if perhaps each story is a retelling and standalone of the same struggle to break a cycle of reincarnation. A fascinating take on historical fantasy, Lord of Slaughter had a unique take on the Norse legends that it drew heavily from.
I will say that the beginning was a little slow. The short chapters and frequent changing of characters made it a little hard to get attached in the first place, but that changed quickly about half way through the book. With the meat of set-up over and done with by about 200 pages in, the rest of the book is action after action as all the hints in the book lead up to a final confrontation.
For all that I was jumping into a series (apparently) on the last instalment, I didn't feel as though I'd missed anything. I may now go back and read the others, but all in all, I was rather impressed with this book. Norse legends and werewolves, where can you go wrong? -
This and more reviews, interviews etc on Dark Matter Zine, an online magazine.
http://www.darkmatterzine.com. This review was written by Lauren Schroder for Dark Matter Zine.
The title Lord of Slaughter seems quite ominous and might put off certain readers of the ‘Historic Fiction/Fantasy’ genre. However the novel itself is mostly tamer than the paperback publication jacket suggests.
This book does delve into supernatural themes, especially the occult, which might not be appropriate for every reader. The later part of the novel is almost entirely occupied with old Norse mythology which could be confronting for some.
The characters, particularly Loys, are well developed and relatable. This makes the characters’ motivations understandable to the reader.
This novel is quite an enjoyable read and an interesting look at the Eastern Church of Constantinople and Viking religion. -
This was actually better than the second part. And now I know why there is a fourth part. I feel like I've been slightly cheated with this book, to be honest, with all the "let's change stuff... but naahhh, let's not!" plot twists.
But it was still better than the second part: it read better and the characters were more interesting. Possibly because there was more action and less talk, and possibly because the environment changed in this quite a lot compared to the other two parts.
Still nothing I'd especially recommend to anyone who is not REALLY into Viking mythologies and (were)wolves. Considering I'm quite into both, and this was still not as good as it could've been.
To be honest, I prefer the emo girly werewolf books over this. And now I'm glad to read something that does not include any werewolves at all, thank you very much. -
The third book in the Wolfsangel cycle proved just as gripping as the first two, and only left me hungering for more in its bloody conclusion. Each instalment has successfully transported me into the era it was set in and the way Lachlan takes us through the ages as this bloody saga unfolds anew in each subsequent book helps to keep the story fresh and exciting. Indeed, the storyline might follow the same formula to a degree each time in that characters are reborn only to ultimately face the same fate time and again, but it seems their fates are becoming increasingly complex and therefore in no way do the books feel repetitive. I've been eagerly awaiting book four which I'm looking forward to reading soon; this series has me hooked!
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Yet another awesome installment of this series. In each incarnation you learn a little bit more about the fight between Fenrir and the Gods. More characters come into play and get intertwined with the god's death, and it looks like once they get involved they remain involved.
This story, like the two before it, is beautifully told. I love the descriptions of Constantinople and the Greek mythology. I love how everything is related and how everything comes together in the end. Lachlan is a master story-teller.
full review at
http://testybadger.blogspot.com -
Well I just cant believe I'm done With this weird dark fantasy. The incarnation in everything book was cool in book 1 and wtf in book 2 but book 3, I wasnt so sure about he ended the trilogy. The book condition makes it 3 stars since the spine is perfect and i didnt bind the book. I can say That i liked Lory and his part. The book was really ok but verrrryyyy dark and tio dramatic for My imagination. Sorry for weird text since I'm using ipad
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Fascinating, gripping...strange and wonderful Norse mysticism in the context of a fantasy novel. It brings to life the traditions related to Werewolves and Wolflike shape-shifters in Scandinavian traditions. I am eagerly anticipating the sequel to this book, "Valkyrie's Song" which is supposed to come out in a couple of months. I already pre-ordered it on amazon; that is how much I loved this book series.
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An excellent conclusion to Lachlan's Craw 'Trilogy'. The prose is crisp and extremely well written and there is no wasted time here. Recommended.
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Once again a good blend of historical fiction & fantasy & for the most part a satisfying conclusion to the series. Does a really good job playing with the readers expectations.
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The weakest book in the series. Seriously, I don't know where it went so wrong; I liked the first book, and the second I absolutely loved. Lord of Slaughter was just meh.
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I must say this author knows how to keep you guessing. It was a good book in a very good trilogy.
