Grey Warden

I received this book for free from Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This review first appeared on One Curvy Blogger.

THE WRITING

It was so hard for me to rate Wolf Bride. On one hand, I loved the mixture of Tudor royalty and semi-accurate (this is historical romance after all) history. Moss excellently introduced historical royalty into this book, it was the only thing I actually loved about this book. I am such a fan of historical romances that introduce real historical figures and it felt like the author did a swell job of researching the time period.

On the other hand, I barely made it through the book. In fact, I was determined to DNF this book until I got bored with watching TV and just decided to finish the book. It felt as if there was a huge chasm between the emotion Moss was trying to portray and the writing. I could read the emotion she tried to express but I couldn’t feel it. This was a major problem for me and ultimately wound up making it difficult for me to feel anything for the characters but frustration.

THE STORY

My family and friends will tell you that I am a huge fan of history though I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a history buff. I always enjoy learning about it, but I like a fictional spin on history so I’m always delighted to read a historical romance that introduces real historical royalty and nobles. If it weren’t for the big parts that King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn played in the plot, I probably would have DNFed it before it got to the best part – Queen Anne’s beheading.

While I wasn’t such a big fan of the characters in Wolf Bride, I love how embroiled they were in King Henry’s hunt for “the truth” of his wife’s treachery and ultimate demise. My favorite scene in the entire book took place on the day of Anne’s beheading. It was the only part of the book that drew any real emotion from me.

THE CHARACTERS

As I’ve said, the main characters were a major source of disappointment for me. I found Lord Wolf petty, manipulative and a downright jerk for the most part. He spent most of the book punishing Eloise for crimes his former fiancé committed which made me so annoyed. At least blame her for the stupid mistakes that Eloise herself made – and she made plenty. He seems to prescribe to the theory that all women share the same mind and the same motives…which in turn pissed me off.

Eloise wasn’t much better. She was flighty, naïve to the point of stupidity and just as petty as Lord Wolf. They did not make a healthy couple and by the end of the book I found myself glad to be through with them.

THE END

This book was both a source of both frustration and fascination for me. It wasn’t an easy adventure, but at the same time, I’m pretty proud that I managed to finish it – though that probably had more to do with boredom on my part and not so much curiosity. I don’t regret reading Wolf Bride, but I honestly don’t think I can recommend a book that I didn’t like. I hope y’all will still give it a try for yourselves if it sounds like something you would enjoy and let us know how you liked it for yourself. I might one day try another book by Elizabeth Moss, but I doubt it will be anytime soon. If nothing else, Wolf Bride expressed how much women were seen as nothing more than broad mares for nobles to spawn heirs.