Can
you ever get back what was lost?
Can the world ever go back to the way it was, or even manage to stop
changing for just a little while?
Would you even want to? In
a follow-up to her epic Crossroads Trilogy, Kate Elliott returns to the Hundred
and once again pushes readers into the rushing river of desire, anticipation,
and dread that redefined an entire nation—and reminded readers just how good a
fantasist Elliott is.
Picking
up 16 years after the Qin general Anji declared himself king over the Hundred, Black Wolves is the story of legacy,
what it means, and what we do with it.
Anji’s oldest son and daughter—Atani and Dannarah—have grown up in the
Hundred, almost inseparable, learning both the ways of their mother’s
traditions from the Sirniakan empire and those of the Hundred, but one day a
secret is revealed that will change their paths forever and put them at odds
for the first time in their lives.
Elliott
takes a novel step in Black Wolves,
making it not the story of the young and valorous, but that of age, experience,
and—one would hope—wisdom. The
story cuts forward over forty years, to pick up with Dannarah as not just a
reeve to a great ealge but marshal of Horn Hall, Atani assassinated, and
Kellas—Anji’s most loyal Black Wolf—returning to Law Rock and his role as
arm of the royal family. Demons,
once called Guardians, still haunt the Hundred, as does Anji’s war of
unification still haunt the Hundred, though memory of a time before persists in
the generations who survived, in the stories they passed down.
Elliott has written a
meditation on the power of memory, the endurance of faith, and the importance
of family as much as a well-crafted epic fantasy novel, and laid down plenty of
suspense for what is sure to be a gripping new trilogy. With her rich storytelling style,
Elliott draws a map of the world, even as she paints the smallest scenes of
courage, resistance, and love that make a story worth reading, a life worth
knowing. Black Wolves gives the hungry reader all the action and heroism
they expect in a fantasy novel, but doesn’t forget that heroism can be found in
even the smallest act, even the most insignificant or unexpected person.
Black Wolves is the novel for readers
of The Lord of the Rings who wanted
to be a hobbit, not a king. It is
for those who crave that single act that can change the course of history, who
love a story that doesn’t forget its own past while remaining firmly in the
present. Readers who are looking
for a fantasy epic that doesn’t forget there is another half of humanity with
stories to tell will enjoy how Black
Wolves values all genders, all ages.
Those who want stories of empire, intrigue, and betrayal that take all
their characters seriously will enjoy the way Elliott fills out each character,
even the villains, and doesn’t treat world building as an afterthought.
Edge Cases 