Synopsis

Ox was twelve when his daddy taught him a very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.

Ox was sixteen when he met the boy on the road. The little boy who talked and talked and talked. Ox found out later the little boy hadn’t spoken in almost two years before that day, and that the little boy belonged to a family who had moved into the house at the end of the lane.

Ox was seventeen when he found out the little boy’s secret and it painted the world around him in colors of red and orange and violet, of Alpha and Beta and Omega.

Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his bloodred eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces.

It’s been three years since that fateful day—and the boy is back. Except now he’s a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

Review

Very confused by how I feel about this. I very much enjoyed the first half: it was pacey and it held a lot of promise… Sadly the book then descended into dreary moping. I was expecting an epic fantasy, not an awkward YA romance.

Wolfsong is effectively a Twilight retelling. But with queer werewolves. I loved the concept – all the werewolves / witches are fluid sexually, which is great. It’s all super believable in principle… and should work. But it just doesn’t.

Two children (Joe is TEN when he imprints on 16-year-old Ox, but this is fantasy) fall in love, but one is a werewolf. His family welcome Ox in as one of their own, there’s some quite dramatic action and Joe leaves…

Then nothing happens apart from a lot of moping; three years pass and suddenly the book becomes a painfully PG romance with a teeny bit of mild peril… like I said, it’s basically the exact same story as Twilight. And after a fairly dramatic first half, overall it’s a let-down and very predictable.

The writing style is readable at first, as the wolves have a unique way of talking. Unfortunately, this starts to become very repetitive and quite irritating. It’s very bizarre; at first it makes sense but partway through it changes in style, only to return towards the end.

Characters are angsty and possessive. Much as I approve of men sharing their feelings, there is far too much hugging, kissing and crying and it just became irritating.

I have to say the two sex scenes were very good – almost worth waiting for – but they do feel gratuitous (without them and some of the swearing this would be classed as a children’s book).

If you love Twilight fan fiction, then this is the book for you! For me however – considering this is well over 500 pages – I expected an epic fantasy and am heartily disappointed.

Thanks to Tor Books and Black Crow PR for my proof copies. Opinions my own.