The Silver Wolf: Historical Writers' Association Debut Crown 2022 Longlisted

This book proved to be marmite for our group as readers either loved it or loathed it with not many in between. Those who loved it REALLY loved it, giving very high scores - full marks from two readers.

Comments included: galloped through it; good characters which were well fleshed out and not clichéd; well drawn protagonist; a bit like Game of Thrones; I started enjoying it when I stopped worrying about remembering who was fighting for whom; very interesting; not too much technical battle information; the map was useful; well researched; looking forward to the next two books in the trilogy.

Other comments included: struggled with the slow pace; too many characters; didn’t connect with the characters; had to give up part way through; frustrating; really didn’t like it; the jumping around from place to place and between time periods was confusing; the coincidences were too far fetched.

We score books out of 10 at Methley Book Club. This book received an average score of 7.4 with individual scores ranging from 4 to 10. More people loved it than those who didn’t!

An excellent piece of writing with superb descriptions but I really struggled with the slow pace of the novel and the multiple characters, none of whom I really connected with, apart from maybe Jack, the orphaned boy. There were flurries of interest in the plot which kept me reading for 400 of the 500 pages but at that point I had really lost track of what was happening and I lost focus too, so gave up. Sadly not the book for me although others who enjoy deeply historical novels may like it.

A rollicking read of a novel set in Europe during the 30 years war and tells the tale of a dangerous young lad and his growing up and developing the skills (somewhat super human at times) needed to seek the revenge for the death of his parents. I found it slightly confusing with the jumping around in time and the number of characters and keeping track of what they did and why and how that wove into the thread of the tale. Slightly comic strip at times too but the Harvey's passion for her history shines through and the descriptions of the war and the times rings true. The jigsaw of countries and territories that was Europe and the armies marching across it informs the reader of why Europe is what it is in modern times. A good read and I recommend it.

Harvey has a passion for the era of the 30 years war and it shows. The book is well researched, it describes the brutality and squalor of conflict as well as the loyalty, deceit and affection which can exist alongside it. Well fleshed out characters, Jag/Jacques is driven by a desire to revenge the murder of his parents. I'm looking forward to the next book in this trilogy.

I found this a really exciting read and though it was a long novel, I read it pretty quickly. I did not know much about the 30 years war, but was drawn in by the different characters. The central mystery of what happened to Jean Fiskardo nicely unified the story and drew together all the many strands. I thought the author was so good at creating interesting characters, who though flawed were also intriguing. I found I was definitely drawn to Jack, or Jag, despite his ruthless side. A really well td story and an enjoyable read.

A brilliant book for me which told of the journey a young boy started out on a search for the killers of his parents suspected of knowing too much about the assassination of a member of a European Royal family. Divided in three sections the journey the boy (Jack Fiskardo) took covers several conflicts during the period of the Thirty Years War.
His hunt for the killers places him in several scrapes and escapes from the violence of war and individuals. Jack or later called Jag portrays a hard and confident character but with a vulnerable edge due to his having to mature very quickly within the battle-weary soldiers and officers. During the book, he grows from dockside general hand through to a scout for several varying armies ending up as a captain in the battle with the swedes.
Playing through the story is his personal quest to seek out the killers of his parents which leads him into serious conflicts and quick-thinking escapes. He becomes a celebrated equestrian and is known for his swordsmanship which he has developed throughout his unusual lifestyle. Frustrations at being side-tracked in his real quest led him to make poor decisions which are a trait of his have had to become hardened from early years.
The book is in three parts, and I must admit to being pleased with the chronological listings of the many and varied characters within each section that provided within the book a mini who’s-who for each section.
As the first of a trilogy, I am eagerly awaiting book two and three which no doubt will develop Jag’s ultimate journey to seek out his parent’s killer or killers.
Peter Kerins
Methley Book Club Rated 5/5 star

The book is a historical novel set in Europe with interactions between small countries and their various wars. The main character is a young boy who’s father was a professional soldier who was murdered because of his involvement in an intrigue situation, to assassinate a minor royal. Subsequently, he and his mother were also targeted in case of what they might know about the assassination plot. The book is about his personal campaign to find the people who murdered his parents. The story is well written and keeps you engrossed with the characters who he meets throughout the story. However, I felt there was a bit too much historical detail which is not relevant to the story, hence the 4/5 rating.