The Wolf

By: Leo Carew

Narrated by: Matt Addis

Length: 16 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Violence and death come to the land under the Northern Sky when two fierce races break their age-old fragile peace and start an all-out war in this thrilling and savagely visceral epic fantasy.

Ready or not, Roper has been thrust into a position of leadership that he's woefully ill prepared for. Now, a massive army approaches from the south, old allies turn against him, and new rivals seek to undermine his rule. Facing attack from within and without, Roper must forge reckless alliances, no matter the cost, to save his kingdom.

Bellamus is a brash but capable southern general, a commoner with the rare honor of having the discreet support of the queen. Rising quickly from the minor ranks he was born into, Bellamus leads the march on the North. Victory means glory, power, and the favor of the king, but defeat promises much worse than disgrace.

A tale of war, rivalry, and honor, The Wolf creates a world that is both familiar and uncanny - one where the fiercest enemies are always closer than they seem.

©2018 Leo Carew (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"The Wolf is a work of extraordinary imagination and perhaps the most captivating first novel I've ever read." (Michael Dobbs, author of House of Cards)

"An action-packed and blood-splattered tour de force.... Carew is the real deal - an exciting new voice in fantasy." (Kirkus)

"Carew's worldbuilding skills are strong and his ability to infuse even the grittiest battle scene with emotion and drive is impressive." (RT Book Reviews)

Thrilling and Entertaining

This is my first written review I’ve done on an audible book so I’ll try and keep it short and sweet. So my only complaint about the book and I suppose it’s not even so much about the book as it is the narrator is the way it is read in the begging of the book that I found very confusing. I felt like it jumped around drastically between the north and the south forces and struggled keeping up who is who and what side was being talked about. Once I kind of learned the characters names I was able to follow of what was happening a lot better, although I do recognize that the author did jump around a lot between sides within the same chapter. So once you can get past that the book really hooks and reals you in.

It was a good blend of political warfare, strategic warfare, and just good old fashioned warfare!! Loved everything about the book. I loved that the book has a lot of historical authenticity even through it is considered fictional story. We see tremendous character growth from the main Character through the book and endured a lot to get to the finish we got! I literally can’t wait to start the sequel book, I killed this one so fast because I loved it so much!! I highly recommend

Great way to start a series

loved the book absolutely wonderful. Great way to start a series. The voice for the book did a wonderful job. Only reason it's not 5/5 for performance is when in the book Roper or anyone els was yelling I felt like it could have been portrayed better by Matt Addis but besides that wonderful book 10/10

GOT meets Vikings- mind games and blood

for my first book in a long time, this was exactly what I needed to get back into getting lost in other worlds.

I saw a review about how the middle wars of the book were told in a back story setting where you already knew the outcome while the details unfolded. I agreed at first that it wasn't for me, but the authors intentions behind it were crafty and subtle. Can't wait for the Spider!

Story and performance

i am OBSESSED!

I cannot stop listening to this series. It is my Lord of The Rings. Every character and every twist, beautifully crafted that even on multiple listens I was so immersed that I could still enjoy it as it it wad the first time. An absolute must have.

Tekoa in particular always makes me smile but each and every character breathes with life it's as if you could and would like to have a whole conversation with them. Engaging, Immersive, 10/10.

One of the best endings to a series I've experienced in a long time as well.

What a Great Story!

Wow. What can I say. Nothing. Just give this a listen. You won’t regret it. The narration is amazing. The tale is engrossing.

Amazing writing and story telling

It has been a while since a book grabbed me so thoroughly. I listened to it in two days! I’m about to start the second book, and will preorder the third one at once!!

Entertaining read

Enjoyed this book a lot. Looking forward to the Spider and picking up where the Wolf finished.

Excellent!

What an unexpected find!
This was recommended by a friend who knows I enjoy historical fiction. I have read, and loved, books by Bernard Corwell and Conn Iggulden. And can see, I believe, their influences here. The battle scenes are well written and engaging. The character development misses here and there, Roper comes across as too shallow at times and one key character was suddenly put on the back burner for an extended time only to be brought forward again just as suddenly.
However, overall and in all honesty, I couldn't stop once I started the book. I listened to it on Audible for convenience and the narration was perfectly matched. Matt Addis did an excellent job and I will look for his work in other series.

Very Highly recommend this book, can't believe it doesn't have more attention than I have seen so far.

Thoroughly surprising, and utterly entertaining

I bought the physical copy of this book well over a year ago and it had been sitting on my shelf collecting dust. Determined to read the idle books among my surmounting collection, I craved a story of medieval political intrigue, glorious battles, and descriptive prose. Leo Carew delivers on each point. I am always one to listen to my books with physical copy in hand, and Matt Addis does so much for the story with his deep surly voice that summons something primal in the moments of battle. Some lines of dialogue gave me chills with the cleverness for which they had been written, and the menace they portend. Give this read its due, be patient, and settle in for the worthwhile tale of epic war. Oh, and don't fight Pryce ;)

Very fun

ASOIAF but zoomed in. A fun mix of war, politics and underdog presented with character driven stories and an excellent narrator.