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The Claidi Collection

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 320 ratings · 21 reviews

The first three novels in Tanith Lee's popular Claidi Journals series are now available in this handsome hardcover three-in-one omnibus volume, which includes the complete texts of Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, and Wolf Queen. Fantasy fans can immerse themselves in Claidi's adventures as she unlocks the secrets of her past and finds the love of her life.

Hardcover, 704 pages

Published June 2nd 2003 by Dutton Juvenile

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Aug 20, 2010 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: good-uns, girls-who-do-things, ya

Just over six years ago I walked into this little bookstore called Books of Wonder for the first time in my life. And on the front end cap, directly facing the revolving door, on the middle shelf, was a thick book with a purple cover and a gold spine entitled THE CLAIDI JOURNALS. I had heard of Tanith Lee before, but never read any of her books, and I had her sorted in my mind as a dark fantasy/horror writer. As I picked up the hefty volume and examined it, it appeared it was actually an omnibus...more Just over six years ago I walked into this little bookstore called Books of Wonder for the first time in my life. And on the front end cap, directly facing the revolving door, on the middle shelf, was a thick book with a purple cover and a gold spine entitled THE CLAIDI JOURNALS. I had heard of Tanith Lee before, but never read any of her books, and I had her sorted in my mind as a dark fantasy/horror writer. As I picked up the hefty volume and examined it, it appeared it was actually an omnibus collection of three novels: Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, and Wolf Queen. A fourth and final installment--Wolf Wing--was subsequently published. I usually prefer to start with the original volumes themselves and then invest in an omnibus edition if I like them and if it's a particularly attractive edition. In this case, however, something about the collection grabbed me. DH and I were stopping off in New York to visit my sister-in-law and her family on our way to Italy to visit my parents, and I was in need of some good trip reading to take with me. Then I made the mistake of opening the book and reading the first few lines.

Yes.

I stole this. This book.

I don't know why. It looked . . . nice, I suppose, and nothing has been nice for years.

That right there sealed the deal. I loved how she sounded both defiant and utterly lost at the same time and I simply had to know who she was, what was in that book she stole, and why things had gone so badly for her for so long. So, like Claidi, I made up my mind to take the book with me. Only I decided to go ahead and pay for it first.

Claidi is a servant and has been her entire life. In the House of Lady Jade Leaf, she spends her days and nights forced to wait on the ridiculous princess hand and foot. Tempers are short and punishments abundant in the House and Claidi chafes against the ties that bind her, physically and emotionally. One day she comes across an empty book and decides--despite the no doubt painful consequences--that she will take it. It turns into a journal of sorts for the lonely young woman, in which she records her thoughts, and later her adventures. For soon after she discovers the book, a stranger walks inside the walls of the House. A stranger from beyond the desert, with golden hair, and an escape route in his hands. And before she knows it, Claidi is off with the enigmatic Argul on the adventure of a lifetime. Trouble is, she's never quite sure where they are headed or who might be after them. It's a rough and tumble journey, full of misdirection, aborted weddings, and not a little abduction. There are palaces whose rooms refuse to stay put, monstrous creatures, and princes who look too much like people they are not. And all of it leads to the mysterious Wolf Tower, which seems to hold in it the secret of who she is and who she might become. Claidi spends much of the time confused and near panic, but she is a resourceful young woman, and her frequent journal entries chronicle the unfolding story in engaging detail.

These books are a wild ride. Claidi has something of the Tamora Pierce heroine about her. Adventure seems to be in her blood, though she's not quite as devil-may-care in her approach to it as some of Pierce's girls. She is thrust forcefully into the outside world after living an extremely sheltered, though awful, life and having the story told in her own words in journal format brings her quickly into the reader's affections. Her growing relationship with Argul is quite sweet and a bright spot among all the subterfuge. This is another case of people not always being exactly who you think they are and, over the course of the four books, there were several times I came perilously close to washing my hands of most of them. All but Claidi, really. But at the same time it served to cement my loyalty to the main character and remember to question each new character that arrived, which is really not so bad a thing after all. Each book expands on the world they live in and these revelations come as just as much a shock to Claidi as they do to the reader. At times, it can be a bit frustrating to be so in the dark. But the world Lee paints is so foreign, so innately other that I found myself awfully intrigued to find out what particularly rabbit she would pull out of the hat next. There is definitely a strong thread of science fiction running through the fantasy and I found the blend unusual and refreshing. All in all, a highly entertaining series featuring a heroine I never tired of and who becomes much more than she would otherwise have been because she stole a book and took a chance on a stranger. Recommended for fans of Garth Nix and Sherwood Smith.

Reading Order: Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, Wolf Queen, and Wolf Wing (less)

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May 24, 2010 Liz Dunn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 30-books-young-adult-lit

In The Claidi Collection, there are three books in the series, Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, and Wolf Queen. Each is a story of one ordinary girl caught up in a whirlwind of adventure- adventure she didn't ask for. In the first book, she is deemed a servant in what is called "The House," and works for Lady Jade Leaf, a snotty and prissy woman in The House. One day a man, Nemian comes from what is called "The Waste," forbidden to all who live in The House. One of the ladies of The House helps Claidi esc...more In The Claidi Collection, there are three books in the series, Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, and Wolf Queen. Each is a story of one ordinary girl caught up in a whirlwind of adventure- adventure she didn't ask for. In the first book, she is deemed a servant in what is called "The House," and works for Lady Jade Leaf, a snotty and prissy woman in The House. One day a man, Nemian comes from what is called "The Waste," forbidden to all who live in The House. One of the ladies of The House helps Claidi escape with Nemian, therein exposing her to all The Waste has to offer. She learns new languages, is almost killed several times, and falls in love with Nemian as Argul (a gypsie) falls in love with her. She leaves with Nemian to go to his city only to find that he is married, and she must uphold an evil law. She destroys the law, and Argul finds her and they escape together. The second book, The Wolf Star, is of Claidi's journey back to the Hulta (the gypsies) and she is to marry Argul. Instead she is taken away by those from Nemian's city and arrives at a moving house in the middle of no where, with a strange star. There are many servants that are not human, helping Claidi and she has yet to meet a real human at the house with the moving rooms. She then meets Prince Venn, who is not socially savvy. She escapes from the house with his help, eager to find Argul and the Hulta. She escapes on the star that's actually a ship. In the third book, Claidi eventually finds her Hulta, but is not accepted by them because she left and they believed she worked for Nemian's city. Argul is no longer their leader because he went to look for Claidi, but she does not know that. She leaves the Hulta, not knowing where she is going to go. She meets several crucial characters along the way and through many more adventures, she is reunited with Argul.

Personally, these books are my favorite to read when I want to take a step out of reality and go into a world that's impossible to go to. There are many things in this book that enjoy reading about- adventure, love, and the character's sarcasm. I can relate to the main character, and I love that. (less)

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Nov 04, 2010 Alicia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed reading this series in one big book. The journalesque feel of the writing was extremely real for me. Sometimes "journal" or "diary" books don't always work for me because they don't really feel REAL. However, The Claidi Journals really pulled it off.

My only beef was that it felt like three installments to one book. I didn't feel like I was really reading three books. Part of that is probably because of how I read the books, but I'm not sure I would have enjoyed these books other...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Nenia Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: beautiful-words-lets-swim-in-them

The Claidi Journals comprise a series about a resourceful, sarcastic, and slightly-boy-crazy girl who escapes from her position as a slave in an oppressive kingdom, only to find herself embroiled in a deadly game of thrones.

Review/Summary of Book One.

Review/Summary of Book Two.

Spoiler-free Review of Book Three.

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Oct 22, 2012 Erin Hendrickson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Regardless of the genre, it is often difficult for me to get into the books I read. The Claidi Collection was an exception. Tanith's stunning literary imagery, imaginative characters and the world they live in, took me away. I think my favorite aspect about the series was the world itself. From the kinds of people in it, to the way life and love and politics work within it was fantastical, whimsical, awesome and fearsome. A great story that keeps you guessing until the very end of Claidi's journ...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Tearju rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.

The description of the foreign world left enough to the imagination while giving a concrete insite to the observations of Claidi. The gives a perfect insite to the mind of someone of her age; it may very well have actually been someone's diary, except for the fact it was too interesting. The Diary of Anne Frank, while realistic, is nothing compared to this series. In my opinion, of course.

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Apr 21, 2009 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

I read this when I was younger and then reread them recently. I didn't enjoy them as much the second time. It is an interesting fantasy for teens. It has a little different plot than many fantasies, but I started getting tired of Claidi being pulled along from one place to another for no real good reasons that you know of. The first book was good, but it got a little redundant after that.

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Jul 31, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-books

I bought this when it first came out... just in time to realize that there was a fourth book in the Claidi Journals. It has the first three books in the series (Wolf Tower, Star, and Queen). I think it's a beautiful collection but I would have liked it to have been the complete series not the Claidi Collection+Wolf Wing.

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Aug 27, 2007 cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Tamora Pierce fans

Shelves: read-youngadult

Fairly standard fantasy setup (slave/servant with a somewhat murky past and dead/missing parents is sent off on a mysterious adventure) that leads into inventive plotting and imaginitive, non-standard scenery and characters.

Claidi is a lovely, mixed up, well-constructed teenage girl character. She's smart, scared, resourceful, and a little boy-crazy.

The Claidi Collection consists of three books: Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, and Wolf Queen. I'd recommend getting the Collection over the individual title...more

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Feb 26, 2009 Jacqui Ainsworth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, homeschooling

I enjoyed these books. The first book was a bit slow-going and I am not sure whether I would have bothered searching out the second one if it had not been a combined volume. By the end of the first one it starts to get interesting and midway through the second I was hooked. An interesting read for adults and a great one for younger teens/young adults. There is romance but it's clean and deals with the difference between real love and appearance/obsession very well. I liked how one "error" I foun...more

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Jul 23, 2008 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Pre-teens, fantasy fans

Recommended to Laura by: Book Sale

Shelves: pwn3d

As I am reading more and more books as of late I wouldn't say that this series is my favorite, however, I would say that it is well written and enjoyable.
If you like a lot of magic in your books, it might not be for you. There is some but not comparable to the likes of the Potter Series, Gemma Doyle Trilogy, Mortal Instruments etc.
There are some great twists and turns and a few different takes on love that I did enjoy a lot.

I however, don't know if I would read it again....we'll see. It's mor...more

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Jun 11, 2013 Kaitlyn Conley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this series! A little slow paced but still great!

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Dec 29, 2009 Annette rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first book was really slow, but by the last one I really like it.

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Dec 03, 2009 Nicole rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-multiple-times

They were fun to read, but nothing spectacular.

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Aug 04, 2009 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Just a fun easy read and clean as well. :)

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Sep 03, 2007 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Claidi is a cranky young woman who escapes a life of servitude by falling for the wrong man. Strange and fantastic adventures full of shifty characters and a few moments of wonder. It's all told in her voice, journal style. There's one more book after the trilogy within this volume and it's on my list... (November 28, 2004)

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Jan 08, 2008 Kristiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is such a good book (series)! It's easy to read, the voice is refreshing, the protagonist clearly evolves, and the universe it's set in is fascinating. I read the three books in this collection over the weekend. I would definitely recommend it.

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Aug 07, 2008 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another good set of books. The second book can get a little tedious, but the characters are loveable and deep. The world is so real in these books you really get a sense of the entire are by the end of it!

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Oct 24, 2007 Mushroom rated it 5 of 5 stars

best books i've ever read. claidi was portrayed really well, i was able to believe her feelings and feel what she felt. storyline was original and unpredictable, the book was difficult to put down.

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Feb 18, 2008 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Young Adult fantasy -- recommended by my sister :)Interesting story line.

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Feb 22, 2008 LauraMichele marked it as to-read

To read

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Jun 14, 2013 Amy marked it as read_fiction

Jun 12, 2013 Patty Vazquez rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jun 08, 2013 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jun 07, 2013 Samantha added it

Jun 06, 2013 Keely rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jun 03, 2013 Bethany Wallace marked it as to-read

Jun 02, 2013 Corinne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jun 02, 2013 Kat added it · review of another edition

May 28, 2013 Amber marked it as to-read

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About Tanith Lee

Tanith Lee is a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She is the author of 77 novels, 14 collections, and almost 300 short stories. She has also written four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and two scripts for the UK, science fiction, cult television series "Blake's 7."
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a...more

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