The Silver Wolf - Softcover

Alice Borchardt

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0002247151 ISBN 13: 9780002247153

Publisher: Voyager, 1999

Synopsis

Into decadent Rome of the Dark Ages comes Regeane, an enigmatic young woman distantly related to Charlemagne. But the blood she has inherited from her murdered father makes her much more than a child of royalty. Regeane is a shapeshifter--woman and wolf, hunter and hunted--possessed of preternatural agility and strength, primal memories extending back thousands of years, and senses so keen they can pierce the veil of death itself.

Betrothed to a barbarian lord she has never seen, Regeane is surrounded by enemies. But outside the gates of Rome, baying at the moon, there is a mysterious dark wolf whose scent awakens the animal in Regeane. Now, as deadly plots tighten like a noose around her neck, Regeane must fight to live with dignity as the proud creature she is: civilized and savage, partaking of both, yet infinitely more than either . . .

About this title

Review

Regeane is a fatherless royal relation who happens to be a werewolf. Her guardian, Gundabald, and his venal son Hugo plan to recoup their fortunes by marrying Regeane to a wealthy bridegroom, even though she might inadvertently make him into a bedtime snack. Gundabald forces her into apparent compliance by threatening to reveal her secret to the Church, which would burn her at the stake. As the bridegroom, Maeniel, journeys to Rome to claim her, Regeane discovers allies in her quest to defeat Gundabald's machinations, including some very strong, funny, and levelheaded women. Unfortunately for Regeane, she also has more powerful enemies than Gundabald.

Alice Borchardt brings 8th-century Rome vividly to life. Her language is earthy and sensuously descriptive: "The wolf visited Regeane's eyes and ears. The girl staggered slightly with the shock. The light in the square became intense. Smells an overwhelming experience: wet stone, damp air, musty clothing, perspirations shading from ancient sticky filth to fresh acrid adrenal alarm."

Borchardt is Anne Rice's sister, but she writes a very different sort of tale. Ghosts, the dead, and supernatural forces are here, but so is laugh-out-loud humor and a happy ending. --Nona Vero

From the Publisher

I first met Alice at a restaurant in Houston. She was accompanied by her husband, a tall distinguished looking man with silver hair and a goatee. At first she was nervous, a little shy but quickly she warmed and began telling tales from her childhood in New Orleans including several interesting anecdotes about her famous sister, Anne Rice.

I had read the manuscript for The Silver Wolf and been captivated by the story and the extraordinary characters but particularly by the vivid sensory descriptions. Alice lets you see with a wolf's eyes, smell with a wolf's nose. And she transports you back to a fascinating historical setting from the time of Rome's decline. The manuscript quickly made the rounds among the staff at Del Rey, the hallmark of an exceptional book. The word most frequently used to describe it was "lush."

Talking with Alice, you quickly realize that she is a natural teller of tales and it's no surprise that she wrote the delightfully rich story of The Silver Wolf. It's a luscious treat!
                                                --Tim Kochuba, General Manager

"A fascinating tale -- brutal, ribald, engrossing, poignantly beautiful."

                        --Johanna Lindsay (the HUGE NYT bestselling author)

About this edition

• Publisher: Voyager
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0002247151
• ISBN 13: 9780002247153
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384