Wolfsangel - Liza Perrat

1943. German soldiers occupy provincial Lucie-sur-Vionne, and as the villagers pursue treacherous schemes to deceive and swindle the enemy, Céleste embarks on her own perilous mission as her passion for a Reich officer flourishes.

When her loved ones are deported to concentration camps, Céleste is drawn into the vortex of this monumental conflict, and the adventure and danger of French Resistance collaboration.

As she confronts the harrowing truths of the Second World War’s darkest years, Céleste is forced to choose: pursue her love for the German officer, or answer General de Gaulle’s call to fight for France.

Her fate suspended on the fraying thread of her will, Celeste gains strength from the angel talisman bequeathed to her through her lineage of healer kinswomen. But the decision she makes will shadow the remainder of her days.

My thoughts:

This is actually the second book read about Lucie-sur-Vionne in a year. And again it makes me wonder, why did they do it? Why? That whole village, everyone...

Anyway, This is the story of Celeste. Her family has lived in the village for ages, and there are books about well at least 2 ancestors that I can think of. The women in her family are healers, but Celeste does not care for that.

And we get to see daily life, the daily life if an occupied village where Germans threaten and bully. And where the resistance grows strong. And where life can be so dangerous. You do not want to be seen as angry with the Germans, they will punish you. You do not want to fraternize with the Germans, the French will punish you.

There is romance too, the forbidden kind. But this is not a romance novel.

And there is sadness, especially since I do know from that other book what took place in this village, and since the whole book starts 70 years after that which happened.

I kind of wish though, for this one thing that I can't say.... 

Cover

nice

Kindle Edition, 395 pages
Published October 1st 2013 by Perrat Publishing
Historical fiction
Own

Review: Wolfsangel - M.D Lachlan

The Viking King Athun leads his men on a raid against an Anglo-Saxon village. Men and women are killed indiscriminately but Athun demands that no child be touched. He is acting on prophecy. A prophecy that tells him that the Saxons have stolen a child from the Gods. If Athun, in turn, takes the child and raises him as an heir, the child will lead his people to glory. But Athun discovers not one child, but twin baby boys. Ensuring that his faithful warriors, witness to what has happened, die during the raid Athun takes the children and their mother home, back to the witches who live on the troll wall. And he places his destiny in their hands.

And so begins a stunning multi-volume fantasy epic that will take a werewolf from his beginnings as the heir to a brutal viking king, down through the ages. It is a journey that will see him hunt for his lost love through centuries and lives, and see the endless battle between the wolf, Odin and Loki - the eternal trickster - spill over into countless bloody conflicts from our history, and over into our lives.

My thoughts:

I heard some buzz about this book and got intrigued, Vikings, magic and werewolves, that sure caught my attention. It isn't the easiest book to describe; it is a strange book, like a dream or a tale told long ago by the people living in the North. There Lachlan succeeded, I did feel the Norse Sagas over this story.

The book is dark and brutal. It tells the story of two boys, Vale who grows up not wanting to fight, and falling for a farmgirl. He is to become the Big Bad Wolf that can bring down a God. But in the beginning he is nice, and righteous. He does not want to look up to the Gods of War and instead he looks to Loki the trickster who laughs at the Gods. Even when he is plummeting into darkness I like him, and when I say dark, I mean pitch-black, crazy and lost. His brother is raised by Berserks and then by Wolfmen, he is also a Wolf. A bit crazy, also lost, and seems to be the violent one. This is a tale in which you do not know what will happen.

The magic in this one is true to its origin, runes, witches, and people nearing drowning for a glimpse of the future. It's magic that is real, but at the same time you just do not know, perhaps it is all  a coincidence?

The book itself is about growing up, finding yourself, doing the right thing, and in the end, being a mere plaything for gods, or should we say the destroyer of them. Because at the end of time Ragnarök will come, the last battle where Odin is killed by the Fenris wolf. And in this book we meet the Fenris wolf, Odin, and Loki who fathered the wolf. But this book does not end the way you think it will, because there is a second book, though at the same time there is an end. Why? Well you will just have to read to find out.

Conclusion:

It was a good book, and if you like adventure, vikings, magic, and fighting then this is the book for you. It is fantasy dipped in reality, a strange dream and a time when Gods were real and present. A time where a new religion started to emerge in the North. And it's the story of the werewolf. It is the Norse sagas told with modern language, and with a totally new spin to things.

Rating;

I actually have no idea how to rate this book. Because it was just so different. He sure has a way of words. So to the point, a good book

Cover:

cool

Info:
Series: Craw Trilogy 1

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Pages: 464

Publisher: Gollancz

Published: March 17th 2011

Source: For review