Product Description

A richly atmospheric historical fantasy about shapeshifters struggling to survive in the decadent city of Rome during the Dark Ages. Rome is mired in crumbling grandeur. Into the Eternal City comes Regeane, a young woman distantly related to Charlemagne, and as such an unwilling pawn in the struggle for political power. But unknown to all, she is a shapeshifter: woman and wolf. Betrothed to a barbarian lord she has never seen, she is surrounded by enemies. The most notorious, her depraved uncle and guardian, who will betray her to the Church unless she aids him in his sinister schemes. If the Church discovers her secret she will burn at the stake. Outside the gates of Rome there is a mysterious dark wolf who seems to offer Regeane a wildly seductive new life, yet as her marriage looms plots and deadly counterplots tighten like a noose around her neck. Fast-paced, sensual and rich with historical detail, The Silver Wolf will place Alice Borchardt squarely in the front rank of contemporary women writers. Her intricate plot and hypnotic voice will cast a spell few will be able to resist.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #317347 in Books
• Published on: 1999-11-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Eighth-century Rome is a shell of its Imperial past, pullulating with whores, pickpockets and mercenaries, and yet strategically the Pope and his cardinals are key players in the game of thrones that is taking place beyond the Alps. Regeane, a distant kinswoman of Charles, the King of the Franks whom men are already starting to call the Great, is sent to Rome as bride, and bribe, to Maeniel, whose Alpine fortress commands a crucial pass. Endlessly brutalised by the corrupt uncle who murdered her father, Regeane is at once pinioned and freed by her secret--she regularly turns into a great killing wolf. Once in Rome, she finds herself new friends--the courtesan Lucilla, her leper son Antonius and the pope himself--and starts to realise that her future does not have to be one of betrayal and nightmare. And Maeniel has secrets of his own, and is not at all the uncouth thug Regeane and the Romans expect. This is a powerful and sexy historical fantasy with intelligent surprises in its plotting and some attractively spooky magic; Regeane is always more than the victim she thinks herself and finds resources of toughness which make her a memorable character. --Roz Kaveney

Review
'A daring and vibrant new voice on the female literary frontier -- a writer with the vision and scope to conjure up her own thrilling mythos and the craftsmanship to render it in breathtaking, shimmering prose! The Silver Wolf is a stunning initiation into a dark and dazzling realm' Anne Rice 'A marvellous tale, it is a thriller, tragedy, horror and eventually a fairy-tale love story' Telegraph 'Borchardt reaches descriptive and dramatic peaks with Regeane's vulpine supersenses as she noses about Rome by night, reading the dead city's skin and air. Top-flight fantasy' Kirkus Reviews

About the Author
Alice Borchardt shared a childhood of storytelling with her sister, the bestselling novelist Anne Rice, in New Orleans. A professional nurse, she has also nurtured a profound interest in little-known periods of history. She published her debut novel, Devoted, in 1995.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful and absorbing!
Wow, what a book.Alice Borchardt definately knows what the readers want. Truely absorbing from start to finish, I couldn't put it down! A tale of a shapeshifting woman set after the fall of ancient Rome is a refreshing change to everything I've ever read, i'd certainly recommend it to everyone who enjoys reading, for this book is a god send. I'll finish here because nothing i could write would ever do such a fantastic book justice!

A book to relax and enjoy. Let others nitpick if they want.
This is a book for those who read strictly for pleasure, who can relax and allow the author to tell her story her way. Those who prefer to read critically and who consider themselves superior to those of us who are more relaxed and uncritical in our reading will find little technical details to grouse about.

Alice Borchardt's werewolves have a distinct difference from those in other books. Her books portray the human personality and the wolf personality as two separate personalities in the same body, personalities who are compatable and able to communicate with each other. I liked this idea myself and felt it quite enhanced the tale.

Basically, this is the story of the heroine who's being used by her uncle and cousin to make them rich by marrying a barbarian noble and then in time killing him. But this is a gal who strives to be a liberated woman even in ancient Rome, and as such goes through several adventures both as a woman and as a wolf. The details are richly painted, and the action is fairly sustained throughout. It's a romance, but not too syrupy for us guys to appreciate. There are predictable elements here, but like I say, just relax and let the author tell her story and I think you'll enjoy it. (Unless you'd rather be a nitpicker).

My favourite book in the world.
The incredible plot will whisk you to another land of shapeshifters with the lead character, Regeane. The pproblems of this character causes any reader to a state of frenzy so that they wouldn't of put it down until the end. This book would probably need a follow up because anyone would want to know what happened to Regeane. Though a disappointing end i would have to rate this book as my favourite and i'd recommend it to anyone who likes horror and love in the same book.