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Wolfsbane (Sianim #4)

3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 · rating details · 3,795 ratings · 206 reviews

Shapeshifting mercenary Aralorn leads a dangerous existence. Now she must return home for her noble father, the Lyon of Lambshold, has passed away. But when Aralorn and her companion Wolf arrive, they find he's not dead, but ensorcelled by the ae'Magi, using him as a conduit to destroy Aralorn and Wolf. She must overcome this mysterious mist or fall to the blackest of magi...more

ebook, 226 pages

Published November 2nd 2010 by Ace Books

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Dec 12, 2010 Kat Hooper rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Wolfsbane, the sequel to Patricia Briggs’ debut novel Masques, was written later in her career and just published last month. It continues the story of the shapeshifters Aralorn and Wolf, whose relationship has developed significantly since the beginning of Masques. Aralorn has been called home after a ten-year absence because her father has died. When she and her “pet” Wolf arrive, they find some evil magic at work and a mystery to solve.

As you’d expect,...more

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Nov 28, 2010 Regina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Readers who enjoy fantasy and die hard Briggs fans.

Shelves: fantasy, 2010-reads, owned-kindle, available-audio-phili

3.75 stars. Great characters, good interaction, very interesting magic. Fans of Patricia Briggs will recognize many themes and story lines from this sequel to Masques which according to an essay at the beginning of Wolfsbane -- she wrote many years ago. Themese such as a very strong female heroine that is liked by others and intersting but a loaner and she is not physically attractive but she is strong and appealing. Additionally, magic in this world Briggs has created has a cost -- it does not...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

"Wolfsbane" is a fantasy novel. It's the sequel to "Masques". You don't need to read the previous novel to understand this one, but the ending of "Masques" is spoiled if you read this novel first.

The story was written more like a cozy mystery than an action fantasy. After a fairly active beginning, the characters basically alternated between talking over what they knew and gathering more information. For the "cozy" aspect, Aralorn had two fight scenes and told one story that did nothing to move...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-it, shapeshifters, witches-or-spellcasters, favorites, high-fantasy

This story had adventure and a fascinating mystery. It had a suble and heartening romance, and a interesting cast of characters I wouldn't mind hearing from again. It was nice to see Aralon's family after hearing about them in the first book. It was also nice to finally find out the real reason she left Lambshold all those years ago. One thing I really love about this book and Masques was the multiple povs. Yes the majority is told from Aralon's point of view but every once in a while you would...more

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Apr 15, 2011 Amy A rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this book. I thought that it was a quick and easy read. I enjoyed going back to the characters. I'm sure that fans of the first book Masques were excited when this book was announced. I know if a book that I liked and thought was only going to be a standalone and then the author says they ar finally releasing the sequel. I would be estatic.

One thing, I wished there would have been more focus on the developing relationship between Wolf and Aralorn. You can see that they care about each o...more

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Dec 03, 2010 Lisarenee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

Okay I really like Patricia Briggs' Urban Fantasy as well as Fantasy books. This book was actually written by Briggs between

and

, but was never published before. If you're familiar with Briggs' earlier books this one is written in the same style. I love her earlier works because they have an older feel to them, like they were written years ago and should be proceeded by Once Upon A Time....

In this book Aralorn's father has been killed, or so she was told. When she arrives at his wake she re...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Cornerofmadness rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the sequel to Masques one of Briggs’s Sianim stories (thanks to Goodreads I see there are four books but the other two are completely different characters.) It is one of her earliest works, a little less polished than her Mercy series and it’s pure fantasy not urban. It is predicated on the fact that you read Masques. Oh it does catch you up on the pertinent facts but I don’t think you’d understand Wolf’s character well enough (even though it’s repeated a few too many times that everyone...more This is the sequel to Masques one of Briggs’s Sianim stories (thanks to Goodreads I see there are four books but the other two are completely different characters.) It is one of her earliest works, a little less polished than her Mercy series and it’s pure fantasy not urban. It is predicated on the fact that you read Masques. Oh it does catch you up on the pertinent facts but I don’t think you’d understand Wolf’s character well enough (even though it’s repeated a few too many times that everyone wants him dead.)

Masques and Wolfsbane are very different novels. The former was macroscopic, a sweeping tale of a dethroned king on the run and trying to free his kingdom from the influence of the world’s lead mage, the aeMagi, Geoffrey, with the help of a shape shifting spy, Aralorn and her companion, Wolf, who is Cain aeMagison, Geoffrey’s son, raised to use black magic and whom the kingdom thinks is pure evil. Wolfsbane is microscopic in comparison. She and Wolf have been led into a trap and they have to unsnarl it before she, Wolf and her father die.

It opens with Aralorn returning home, without Wolf who has disappeared, which isn’t unusual for him. Cain has spent so much time in wolf form, alone and not depending on people that it’s hard for him to want to spend time with anyone, even if he is in love with her. Aralorn’s father has died. We quickly meet much of her exceedingly large family including her big brother, Falhart, another illegitimate child but not a shape shifter like her, Irenna, her father’s wife who was very accepting of the children her husband sired before their marriage, Freya, her sister who is married to Nevyn a mage who hates mages, Correy and Gerem a couple more brothers.

Aralorn and Nevyn don’t particularly get along because he hates shape shifters and he is Darrian, a kingdom of magic haters so not only did he turn out to be mageborn, he was abused by his master until saved by Kisrah, the current aeMagi and Geoffrey.

Hoping the nightmares she’s been having will ease now that Wolf has rejoined her at her father’s keep, Aralorn starts mingling with a family she’s not seen in a decade. Nevyn has been busy poisoning her brother Gerem’s mind against shape shifters as well which is a problem because it looks like someone wants to blame the shape shifters for killing her father. In fact, her father had been working with her mother’s brother, a shape shifter named Halvern, to try and ease tensions between them and the humans when he fell ill and died.

However, Aralorn’s visit to her father’s bier proved a few things, he wasn’t actually dead, he is ensorcelled and that it’s a trap for her and Wolf. Fearing that maybe Geoffrey isn’t dead after all or that it is someone new who knows who Wolf is and wants him dead, the lovers have to solve the mystery of who cast the spell and how to save her father before they all die.

While it wasn’t too hard to figure out how it would end – and it is pretty much the end I was hoping for – I enjoyed the story. I do really like Aralorn and Wolf. This story was easier to read than Masques which was rougher. I know that Briggs (from an author’s note) really loves these early characters of hers. I would like to see one more story with them as some rather big things happen, especially to Wolf, and I’d like to see the consequences of it. While we do get Wolf’s point of view, along with a few others, most of the book is through Aralorn’s eyes. I think if you like strong female characters and fantasy you’d like this book.
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Oct 21, 2011 Lynne Cantwell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy

"Wolfsbane" is the next book in the saga of Aralorn and her mysterious friend Wolf. It was written a couple of decades or so after "Masques", and it shows. Briggs turned into quite a capable writer in the interim, and the awkward phrasings I saw in the first book are gone.

As the novel opens, Aralorn is traveling alone to her home for the funeral of her father. It gives nothing away (if you've read the blurb on the back cover of the book!) to say here that the reports of her father's demise were...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Miss Clark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairytale-fantasy-sci-fi-mythology

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I liked this sequel, though the plot was rather too similar to the first for my taste. Good character interactions, though more time should have been spent flashing out the family, rather than just focusing on the villains, given that they are not complicated, but just straight-up evil or brainwashed. Not particularly compelling. But enjoyable bit of fantasy and I did really enjoy Aralorn, Wolf and Aralorn's uncle. (Speaking of him, should definitely have had more of the Fey magic and story here...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Jacey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, romance

This is a sequel to one of Patricia Briggs very early fantasies, 'Masques,' about Aralorn and her attachment to the flawed but intriguing Wolf, the shapeshifting son of the supposedly dead ae'Magi, brought up steeped in illicit dark magic. It's now ten years after the events in Masques and Aralorn returns to her family hold for the funeral of her much loved father, only to discover that he is not dead, but held in a dark spell that has been woven as trap for her and Wolf. The characters are intr...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Jacob Proffitt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, fantasy, young-adult

Written years after Masques, this book gives evidence of Briggs' growth as a writer over that time without compromising the characters and setting of the original.

In Wolfsbane, we catch up with Aralorn on the way to her father's funeral. She hasn't been home in over ten years, so she is anxious of what she will find and the reception she'll receive. When she arrives, she finds the welcome she had hoped for, but also surprises she hadn't expected. The story flows naturally in this setting both fa...more

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May 31, 2012 Rekall rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: female-mc, adult, 3rd-person-pov, fantasy, female-author

This is one of those books where I wish I could give out half a stars. Because it's not quite good enough for me to give it 4 stars but at the same time 3 seems a tad low.

The book isn't as good as Masques but I really liked the interaction between Aralorn and Wolf. And I can't stress it enough that Masques needs to be read first. It references a lot to that book.

Another thing I liked was Aralorn's family. They're a fun group of people and I think Aralorn was crazy for staying away from them for...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Melliane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My English review

Mon avis en français

J’ai été assez surprise par ce livre. (Et oui encore, je suis en veine en ce moment). J’avais passé un bon moment avec le premier tome mais il est vrai que certains passages étaient un peu trop longs à mon goût et j’avoue avoir parfois un peu décroché. Je m’attendais donc à avoir le même sentiment avec ce livre mais ça n’a pas du tout été le cas. En effet, j’ai été happée par l’histoire du début à la fin. Cette fois ci, pas de parties de récit interminables,...more My English review

Mon avis en français

J’ai été assez surprise par ce livre. (Et oui encore, je suis en veine en ce moment). J’avais passé un bon moment avec le premier tome mais il est vrai que certains passages étaient un peu trop longs à mon goût et j’avoue avoir parfois un peu décroché. Je m’attendais donc à avoir le même sentiment avec ce livre mais ça n’a pas du tout été le cas. En effet, j’ai été happée par l’histoire du début à la fin. Cette fois ci, pas de parties de récit interminables, non et c’est tout l’inverse. Je ne me suis pas ennuyée un seul instant et j’ai lu tous les chapitres les uns après les autres.

On sent que le style de l’auteur est plus abouti, que le texte est plus travaillé que le précédent. Patricia Briggs nous explique avant le début de l’histoire qu’elle a utilisé de nombreux points de ce roman dans d’autres qu’elle a écrit, que l’on peut retrouver facilement. Mais j’avoue pour ma part, que je suis tellement rentrée dans l’histoire que je n’ai pas réussi à comparer quoi que ce soit. Mais c’est peut-être vrai en prenant du recul il y a quelque petit détails qui me viennent à l’esprit. Mais encore ce n’est même pas sur.

On retrouve donc notre Aralorn et Loup au château du Lion, essayant de déjouer de nouveaux problèmes. C’était un plaisir de suivre leurs aventures. Moi qui à la fin du premier tome, espérais tant en connaitre plus sur sa famille, sur le Lion qu’elle mentionnait plusieurs fois, j’ai été servie. Non seulement on rencontre toute sa famille mais on apprend aussi quelques informations sur son enfance et les raisons de son départ. C’était attendrissant de voir Loup et notre héroïne plus proche, on attendait tellement ça, bien que ce soit tout de même un peu difficile pour eux. Ils sont maintenant tous les deux plus matures et savent ce qu’ils veulent pour leur vie.

Quant à l’histoire, j’ai pris plaisir à suivre le mystère de la mort de Lion. On se doute de ce qu’il se passe, mais les hypothèses de Loup et Aralorn sont tellement bien élaborées qu’on suit leurs idées sans se poser de questions. Et finalement même en connaissant certaines bribes de vérité, on reste surpris à la fin quand on apprend exactement ce qu’il s’est passé.

Je n’ai pas lu les livres 2 et 3 de Sianim, mais j’avoue être à présent assez curieuse de me plonger dans l’histoire. Mais c’est vrai que je préférerais un petit 3ème tome pour notre Aralorn. Il doit être assez difficile de changer de personnage maintenant que l’on apprécie celui ci.(less)

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Dec 12, 2010 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Aralorn has received the heartbreaking news that her father, the Lyon of Lambshold, has died. For the first time in a decade the shapeshifter spy returns home to mourn and bury the first man she ever loved. But going home isn't always easy and certainly isn't always painless.

It is while she's paying her respects to her father as he lies in preparation of burial that she discovers that rumors of his death are a bit precipitous. Ensorcelled by a complex black magic spell and guarded over by a myst...more

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Feb 28, 2011 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, 2011

Briggs is a good author and weaves a good tale. She's found real success with the Mercy Thompson books, but from reading the introduction to this novel it's pretty easy to tell her heart lies with more traditional fantasy.

Basic plot: Aralorn and Wolf must figure out who put the Lyon of Lambshold into a death-like state before it's too late.

This story reminded me a bit of a locked-room mystery. There are only so many people who could be involved, so it's a matter of figuring out who among them is...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Chelsy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who loves a good magical fantasy and love!

Shelves: favorites

I loved loved loved this book and I am so glad that Ms. Briggs was finally able to get it out!!!
We've met the H/H in the previous book Masques and I love Aralorn and Wolf, she is a kick but lady who won the heart of one who is believed to be heartless (aka Wolf). This book continues their story and we get to meet Aralorn's rather large family. The mystery in this story will leave you guessing and the love that you see between Wolf and Aralorn is so touching.
If you haven't read Masques you need...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Though the character development is great and I really enjoyed getting to know Aralorn's family, this really ought to be no more than 3 or 4 chapters in a another book. The main conflict is introduced almost immediately, and though it is a matter of some urgency, the characters delay ridiculously handling it (let's eat first, let's think about it, let's sleep first). In this way, the main conflict lasts the duration of the novel and caused me quite a few eye rolls. It's still wonderfully imagina...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is superbly written and I enjoyed every minute of it. I lost myself in the story and had a ton of fun. I won't be continuing the series because 1. there is no series to continue (only 2 books) and 2. The other related books in the Sianim series don't appeal. They don't appeal because I am looking for more of a continuous series, but if you don't mind stand-alones, then I would highly recommend it. The only other thing I would say is that when I went to her website, I saw a lot of what...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Dorri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm glad Wolf stuck in Patricia Briggs' mind for his and Aralorn's tale didn't feel finished after Masques. Now I know why and I'm glad that, even though she felt Masques wasn't the best book, she decided to add to Wolf and Aralorn's story.

Shapeshifting mercenary Aralorn leads a dangerous existence. Now she must return home for her noble father, the Lyon of Lambshold, has passed away. But when Aralorn and her companion Wolf arrive, they find he's not dead, but ensorcelled by the ae'Magi, using h...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Better than Aralorn #1 but it still feels very much like an author still learning how to write. In fact, that's pretty much what Patricia Briggs says about both of the Aralorn books. A few key things that bugged me were the odd pieces of modern language in a fantasy world that seem otherwise vaguely medieval ('sweaters' and 'fuzzhead' stuck out in my mind) and the action that jumped so quickly from scene to scene that it left character development in the dust. However, that is not to say that st...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Yvonne Boag rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Aralorn returns home after ten years for her father's funeral. She is surprised to find Wolf there waiting for her. She is even more surprised to find out that her father isn't dead but has been placed under a black magic spell. She is told by the death priestess that her father will only survive 10 days in this state. So it is up to Aralorn and Wolf to find out who is responsible and to break the spell.

I enjoyed the book but thought the ending was a little hurried. I would have liked to spend m...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Monet St. Louis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, general-fantasy, 50-book-challenge-2011, audiobooks, favorites

I really enjoyed this book. It would make absolutely no sense if you have not read the first novel, masques - so keep that in mind if you would like to read it :P We get to see a lot more of the dynamics of Aralorn's family, and of course... wolf! lol I think that the two-part series would be an overall 4 star series. i really enjoyed these books, i don't get why even the author bashes them... i think im going to try to find the rest of the sianam series to read, even though Aralorn and Wolf are...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-romance

A bit awkward at first and the story isn't totally original, but once it gets going it's a smooth and enjoyable ride. While it's definitely a fantasy novel, there's a strong romantic element--actually, it does a better job with Aralorn and Wolf's relationship than many of the romance novels I've read recently. And for those who are as squeamish as I am, there are references to previous episodes of torture and sexual assault but minimal on-screen ickiness. It could be read as a stand-alone, but w...more

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Jan 13, 2011 Hobart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads

A fun, solid read with characters you end up caring a lot about without even noticing, just a touch of action, a splash of romance, and at least one character who switches between species. In other words, it's a Patricia Briggs novel.

Like its predecessor Masques, this was written pretty early in her career, and it shows. It's still a heckuva story, and I'd jump right into a third adventure of Wolfe and Aralorn.

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Jan 27, 2011 Poppy Fields rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, mystery, fantasy, met-the-author

I wasn't sure what to expect from Wolfsbane. I have read some of the Mercedes Thompson series by Briggs and enjoyed them so I gave it a go. Unfortunately I didn't realize it was the second in the series and now regret terribly that I jumped ahead. I am a little obsessive about reading books in order in a series. I liked the "Wolf" character a lot. I imagined him as a "phantom of the Opera" styled magi in his human for so that was a unique perspective. I am not a huge fan of magical fantasy books...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Erin by: Jim

Shelves: tale-good-vs-evil

This was an excellent tale. I couldn't put it down. Her knowledge of horses astounds me. Most authors do not understand horses as she seems to. I've been riding all of my life and have worked with a number of horses, including training young ones. Sheen was well portrayed with a horse's mind set. I have ridden horses like him and could feel what Aralorn felt when riding him. Her writing has gotten better, so its not so obvious what is coming next. I really hope she writes another book about Aral...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Elle A rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

L'épreuve du loup est la suite de Masques, lu il y a un mois ou deux, je ne sais plus, et que j'avais littéralement adoré et dévoré. Ce sont deux livres qui, à leur sortie, avaient fait des bides ; or, Milady les a réédités et pour notre plus grand bonheur nos pouvons les découvrir -et prendre conscience qu'ils n'ont rien de nul ! Bien au contraire. Personnellement, la couverture de Masques m'avait vraiment plu, mais lorsque j'ai vu celle de celui-ci, le coup de cœur fut encore plus grand, surto...more L'épreuve du loup est la suite de Masques, lu il y a un mois ou deux, je ne sais plus, et que j'avais littéralement adoré et dévoré. Ce sont deux livres qui, à leur sortie, avaient fait des bides ; or, Milady les a réédités et pour notre plus grand bonheur nos pouvons les découvrir -et prendre conscience qu'ils n'ont rien de nul ! Bien au contraire. Personnellement, la couverture de Masques m'avait vraiment plu, mais lorsque j'ai vu celle de celui-ci, le coup de cœur fut encore plus grand, surtout que la tranche est particulièrement belle !

Aralorn, mercenaire de Sianim, est rappelée chez elle pour une bien triste nouvelle : le décès de son père qu'elle aimait tant. Si la jeune femme ne le montre pas, ce fait l'accable et quand, penchée sur le lit de mort du défunt, elle le constate en vie, une seule chose importe : le sauver. Le prix à payer est cependant plus élever qu'elle l'imagine car les sorts qui retiennent son père prisonnier... relèvent de la magie noire.

Nous sommes tout proche de la fin de Masques, je n'ai plus le délai en tête mais il me semble que deux ou trois mois se sont écoulés ; un nouvel Ae'Magi est en place : Kisrah, rencontré dans le premier tome : ancien pantin de Geoffrey. D'ailleurs le pouvoir de ce dernier s'étiole et les gens parlent légèrement plus librement, comme le frère d'Aralorn.

On découvre beaucoup la famille de celle-ci, très disparate. Aralorn a douze frères et soeurs et le château où ce petit est réuni ressemble plus à une bâtisse royale. On s'attache particulièrement à Falhart et Correy, deux de ses frères qui lui sont le plus proches. On apprend à connaître la famille de sa mère, une changeforme, qui vit protégée des humains par un étrange labyrinthe très ancien et plutôt capricieux. Et en particulier son oncle, dont la femme est d'une froideur blessante envers Aralorn.

Si dans Masques, la relation de Loup et de la jeune femme se dessinait au fil de la confiance que lui accordait son partenaire, ce tome les montre et complices et perdus. Loup continue à fuir Aralorn, à avoir des pensées noires, des solutions radicales ; alors que la mercenaire se tue à le combler, à ne pas l'effrayer, à tout lui donner. Et elle ira jusqu'à les lier par un lien qui perdrait l'autre si l'un des deux venait à disparaître afin que Loup oublie ses projets mortuaires.

Le fil des interrogations de ce roman se centre sur une question que l'on redoute plus que tout puisqu'on a lu que oui, cela s'était passé : Geoffrey ae'Magi est-il bien mort ? Les indices, les évènements se succèdent doucement grâce à un jeu de point de vue efficace et frustrant par son ni peu ni beaucoup, pour s'assembler en une situation inquiétante : quinze jours pour sauver le Lion, sans quoi ce sortilège aura raison de lui. Les coupables potentiels s'enchaînent, Loup et Aralorn, deux contre tous devront les trouver et, une fois fait, comprendre comment parvenir à venir à bout de cette magie impure.

C'était un deuxième tome vraiment parfait avec des descriptions magnifiques, des contes merveilleux, un monde à part superbement dévoilé. J'ai plus dévoré ce livre que je ne l'ai lu et je le conseille à tous les amateurs de fantasy, ou de Briggs qui, une fois encore, prouve son talent et sa capacité à toute épreuve.(less)

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Jan 12, 2012 Audel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Le livre reprend quelques années après le premier tome : La relation entre Loup et Aralorn a évoluer mais reste compliquée surtout du côté de Loup qui est confronté à un dilemme.
Loup et Aralorn ont grandi et sont devenus des adultes.
L’intrigue commence tambour battant et est un peu plus mistérieuse que celle du premier tome.Même s'il y a un peu plus de lenteur et un peu moins d'actions dans un premier temps.
Dès le début on sent que l’auteure à évoluer dans son style nous offrant ainsi un roman p...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-or-syfy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 23, 2011 Nancy O'Toole rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

After hearing that her father has passed away, Aralorn and her companion Wolf travel back to the home and family that Aralorn has not seen in ten years. When Aralorn approaches her father's body to say goodbye, she discovers that that man is still alive. Aralorn soon learns that her father is under the influence of magic, and will die very soon if they cannot figure out a way to awaken him. Meanwhile, they must also discover the culprit behind her father's suffering.

Wolfsbane is the sequel to Ma...more After hearing that her father has passed away, Aralorn and her companion Wolf travel back to the home and family that Aralorn has not seen in ten years. When Aralorn approaches her father's body to say goodbye, she discovers that that man is still alive. Aralorn soon learns that her father is under the influence of magic, and will die very soon if they cannot figure out a way to awaken him. Meanwhile, they must also discover the culprit behind her father's suffering.

Wolfsbane is the sequel to Masques, Patricia Brigg's debut novel that was recently updated and re-released. Wolfsbane is its formally unpublished sequel, that spent years collecting dust before finally being released last year. Similar to Masques, Wolfsbane is a solid traditional fantasy that succeeds mainly due to the likableness of the main characters, and the strong relationship they share. Also similar to Masques, Wolfsbane is a flawed book, despite it's strengths.

One thing I noticed right away about Wolfsbane is that the quality of the writing was better than Masques, which makes sense giving that Briggs wrote two novels between Masques and Wolfsbane. The pacing seems to be smoother, despite the fact that there are fewer exciting moments this time around. I enjoyed getting to known more about Aralorn's past and family, and the fact that Briggs did not take the easy path of making all of her family utterly unlikable (which other authors would have done, seeing how Aralorn is the bastard daughter of Lyon, before he ended up marrying and having a legitimate family). I also enjoyed the fact that we got to see more scenes of Aralorn as a storyteller, as well as more romantic moments between Aralorn and Wolf.

At the same time, Wolfsbane is not without it's faults. The story may be a swift and enjoyable read, but like many books by Patiricia Briggs, the ending doesn't come together as smoothly as it should. I found the revelation about who the villain was, and why this person acted in a certain way, to be a little to convenient. I also wish that Briggs had taken time to further explore some other elements that were raised in this novel, such as Wolf's struggle between his human magic and green magic. Given that Briggs has found such success with her urban fantasy novels, I suspect that this is the last time we will see these characters, so it would have been nice to see a little more of them.

Wolfsbane is a satisfying sequel to Masques, an early work by Patricia Briggs. The book admittedly has it's faults, and really shouldn't be read without having read and enjoyed Masques previously. My positive experiences with Masques and Wolfsbane has convinced me to read more of Briggs's traditional fantasy works.(less)

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About Patricia Briggs

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a na...more

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“But that was the trouble with ancient artifacts - no one really knew what they did.” — 14 people liked it

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