moirwyn's review against another edition
4.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/06/16/wolfhound-century-peter-higgins/
Overview
Wolfhound Century by Peter Higgins is set in a SF/F world that resembles Soviet Russia. Many years ago, angels fell from the sky. Most of them were dead, but the event still changed the world. Angel flesh was used for biotech, which manifests itself in more of a fantasy way with strange monstrous creations. The Vlast, a totalitarian state, began to emerge, and now intellectuals are persecuted and there’s great suffering throughout the land. And yet, there’s still hope, because of the Pollandore, which is a version of the world as it was before the angels fell, and that version of the world can perhaps one day be restored.
So there’s this guy named Vissarion Lom. He’s a police officer, and somehow he’s managed to remain idealistic even as shit’s going down all around him. One day, he gets a secret assignment to trail a man named Josef Kantor, a dangerous revolutionary who leaves a bloody path in his wake. While trailing Kantor, he learns that the world has become much more corrupt than he ever could have imagined. If the Pollandore isn’t opened soon, there may be no return…
Strengths
-Fascinating world that blends together elements of sci-fi and fantasy. We slowly realize that the angels are more like aliens than religious beings.
-Lots of interwoven multifaceted characters who all play a part in the story.
-Russia. Enough said.
-The linguistic richness of the story. See Anton’s post for more detail.
Weaknesses
-I was more than halfway through the book before I realized that Lom was the protagonist.
-The book doesn’t end, which means that unless you read the sequel, you’ll be left with unresolved burning questions.
Verdict
Wolfhound Century was a fascinating novel. It’s the sort of book that will make you think; richly imaginative, dense but rewarding. I’d recommend it.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/06/16/wolfhound-century-peter-higgins/
Overview
Wolfhound Century by Peter Higgins is set in a SF/F world that resembles Soviet Russia. Many years ago, angels fell from the sky. Most of them were dead, but the event still changed the world. Angel flesh was used for biotech, which manifests itself in more of a fantasy way with strange monstrous creations. The Vlast, a totalitarian state, began to emerge, and now intellectuals are persecuted and there’s great suffering throughout the land. And yet, there’s still hope, because of the Pollandore, which is a version of the world as it was before the angels fell, and that version of the world can perhaps one day be restored.
So there’s this guy named Vissarion Lom. He’s a police officer, and somehow he’s managed to remain idealistic even as shit’s going down all around him. One day, he gets a secret assignment to trail a man named Josef Kantor, a dangerous revolutionary who leaves a bloody path in his wake. While trailing Kantor, he learns that the world has become much more corrupt than he ever could have imagined. If the Pollandore isn’t opened soon, there may be no return…
Strengths
-Fascinating world that blends together elements of sci-fi and fantasy. We slowly realize that the angels are more like aliens than religious beings.
-Lots of interwoven multifaceted characters who all play a part in the story.
-Russia. Enough said.
-The linguistic richness of the story. See Anton’s post for more detail.
Weaknesses
-I was more than halfway through the book before I realized that Lom was the protagonist.
-The book doesn’t end, which means that unless you read the sequel, you’ll be left with unresolved burning questions.
Verdict
Wolfhound Century was a fascinating novel. It’s the sort of book that will make you think; richly imaginative, dense but rewarding. I’d recommend it.
d_audy's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting and original urban fantasy that doesn't deliver on all its promises but remains a rather solid opener to a trilogy full of potential for greatness.
Set in secondary world inspired by the USSR in a time frame vaguely similar to perhaps the Second World War, this opening novel to the Wolfhound Empire trilogy is an interesting and relatively fast read. It features and uncommonly small cast of characters for its genre and follows a relatively simple plot that never loses its focus or momentum: a state police officer from a backwater region in a totalitarian regime gets called to the capital by a superior who needs an outsider to help track down a political dissident and terrorist who may have connections within the state machine itself. The world building is bleak and appropriately depressing and grey, the writing brings it really well to life in a very atmospheric way. The magical underpinning is dark, pretty strange and in the end quite intriguing. Comparisons have been drawn to the works of China Miéville, which are certainly appropriate to a degree but only go so far. With this first volume, in any case, Higgins doesn't attain the intricacy and depth of some of Miéville's creations, though the urban/weirdness is indeed familiar. Comparisons to Philip Kerr or John LeCarré fall a bit shorter, and it may be one of the weaknesses of the novel that it's presented as a secret police/spy thriller but what it has to offer in that regard is a bit on the thin side. The labyrinthine, oppressive bureaucracy of a totalitarian state is present, but this aspect is a bit underdeveloped for now, the political games a bit too vaguely evoked, the "mission" set to Detective Lom a bit thin and devoid of too much suspense for a big conspiracy. The strengths are elsewhere like in the solid, eerie yet oppressive atmosphere Higgins managed to create, and in the increasingly weird twists and turns the story takes. The characters are interesting, and hopefully the next books will flesh them out further. And his world, the central conflict all have very solid potential and could spread their wings more fully in the two next volumes I look forward to reading soon.
Set in secondary world inspired by the USSR in a time frame vaguely similar to perhaps the Second World War, this opening novel to the Wolfhound Empire trilogy is an interesting and relatively fast read. It features and uncommonly small cast of characters for its genre and follows a relatively simple plot that never loses its focus or momentum: a state police officer from a backwater region in a totalitarian regime gets called to the capital by a superior who needs an outsider to help track down a political dissident and terrorist who may have connections within the state machine itself. The world building is bleak and appropriately depressing and grey, the writing brings it really well to life in a very atmospheric way. The magical underpinning is dark, pretty strange and in the end quite intriguing. Comparisons have been drawn to the works of China Miéville, which are certainly appropriate to a degree but only go so far. With this first volume, in any case, Higgins doesn't attain the intricacy and depth of some of Miéville's creations, though the urban/weirdness is indeed familiar. Comparisons to Philip Kerr or John LeCarré fall a bit shorter, and it may be one of the weaknesses of the novel that it's presented as a secret police/spy thriller but what it has to offer in that regard is a bit on the thin side. The labyrinthine, oppressive bureaucracy of a totalitarian state is present, but this aspect is a bit underdeveloped for now, the political games a bit too vaguely evoked, the "mission" set to Detective Lom a bit thin and devoid of too much suspense for a big conspiracy. The strengths are elsewhere like in the solid, eerie yet oppressive atmosphere Higgins managed to create, and in the increasingly weird twists and turns the story takes. The characters are interesting, and hopefully the next books will flesh them out further. And his world, the central conflict all have very solid potential and could spread their wings more fully in the two next volumes I look forward to reading soon.
csdaley's review against another edition
4.0
Parts of this book were brilliant. Other parts dragged a bit. I still really liked it but felt the book soared when it focused on Lom and sometimes derailed when it dealt with the mystical. Still I loved the meshing of genres and look forward to see where he goes next.
joelevard's review against another edition
4.0
This is the China Miévilliest book that was ever China Miévilled by someone other than China Miéville.
ceridwenanne's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wolfhound Century like a Cold War spy thriller wigout crossed with Russian fairy tales, the fucked up ones about drowned women.
msaari's review against another edition
4.0
Gorgeous world-building, all sorts of good stuff with the sci-fi soviet noir setting, but — and this is a huge but — there's simply no ending to the book. None. The book ends like a chapter ends. No closure whatsoever. Obviously sequel is in works, and hopefully arrives soon, because this book doesn't stand alone. I recommend waiting until a sequel is out before reading this one... I was very disappointed in the ending, but the storyso far is promising.
otherwyrld's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those indescribable books that defy categorisation. A small-town policeman in a world that feels like, but is not Soviet Russia, is summoned to the capital to find a terrorist. In doing so, he uncovers a vast conspiracy and finds that he is rather more than important than he ever realised. Swept up in this is a clash of universes, between gigantic mysterious creatures that came from the stars, and the possibility of everything being overwritten by a separate reality that has been stored away in case of disaster. None of which comes anywhere close to describing this book. You just have to read it.
The only flaw is that this is only the first part of the story, and right up to the end you are expecting the final clash to come. It never does, just the clash between the main characters caught up in this tale, which drags a little bit to be honest.
So, how long to the sequel Mr Higgins? What - March 2014? I can't wait that long!
The only flaw is that this is only the first part of the story, and right up to the end you are expecting the final clash to come. It never does, just the clash between the main characters caught up in this tale, which drags a little bit to be honest.
So, how long to the sequel Mr Higgins? What - March 2014? I can't wait that long!
abetterjulie's review against another edition
2.0
The elements of a magical realism thriller were all there, but despite patiently reading through lovely prose, nothing seems to congeal. It was like a puzzle piece that looks like it should fit, but you have to jam the edges to make it work.
wonkyskeleton's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
tuftymctavish's review
1.0
It picks up towards the end, he starts on a positive note! This didn't go where I was expecting, that's for sure. I never really felt involved in the setting and its strange names and forms. There's weird stuff going on and it makes me think of a Russian WW2 story at times. The weirdest stuff is reserved towards the end but I was already struggling by then and just wanted it done. The fact that it took me very nearly two MONTHS to read this short ~300 page novel seems quite telling to me - this one wasn't suited to my tastes.