Rating: 9 out of 10
Spice Level: 0.5 out of 5
Cover Grade: B+ (Beautiful inside)
Synopsis
The Wolf and His King is an exquisite retelling of Marie de France’s 12th-century poem, Bisclavret. A good man named Bisclavret struggles with a secret wolf-sickness that prevents him from participating in court life, living in exile until a new king’s ascension forces him to emerge from isolation. When the young king, something of an outsider himself, becomes fascinated with the mysterious man, knighting him and restoring his lands, their growing attraction is complicated by Bisclavret’s dangerous secret. After Bisclavret mysteriously disappears, the grieving king must face threats to his realm alone—with unexpected help from a remarkably loyal wolf that may be more than it seems.
Strengths: The warm, intimate writing style draws you in immediately, while the rich, layered character development offers a realistic portrayal of healing and vulnerability. It’s simply impossible to put down, with strong historical and cultural details anchoring the narrative throughout. The swoon-inducing HEA delivers exactly what romance readers crave—a heart-melting conclusion that feels both earned and deeply satisfying.
Weakness: I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Bisclavret’s relationship dynamic with his cousin further into the story.
Verdict
I loved the second-person POV. You are the king, and he is Bisclavret. I enjoyed being cocooned with the storyline. Beautifully written, I was completely invested in the king and Bisclavret’s story. I read through this one very fast, a medieval beau ideal. (9/10)
Tropes: Slow-burn romance, royalty, friends to lovers, tortured hero, queer longing, secret identities, grumpy sunshine.
Trigger Warning: Betrayal, animal attacks, fade to black romance.
Thank you to Finn Longman, Erewhon Books, and Edelweiss. I received advance review copies for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Order Your Copy
Aber Stoat Books (print)
Bookshop.org (eBook)
Libro.fm (audiobook) 🎧
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From the Publisher:
Publisher: Erewhon Books
ISBN: 9781645663072
368 pages
Fiction / Fantasy / Romance
Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology
Fiction / Romance / LGBTQ+ / Gay
Description:
A noble knight hiding the beast inside. A lonely king isolated by his courtiers. Between them an impossible gulf surmountable only by the twists and turns of relentless destiny in this spellbinding retelling of Marie de France’s classic 12th-century tale of romance and adventure.
The wolf-sickness strikes always without warning, stealing Bisclavret’s body and confusing his mind. Since boyhood, he hasn’t dared leave his isolated holdings—not to beg the return of his father’s lost estate, not to seek brotherhood among the court, not even to win the knighthood he yearns for. But when a new king ascends, Bisclavret must deliver his kiss of fealty or answer for the failure.
Half an exile himself, the young king is intrigued by this uneasy, rough-hewn nobleman. Bisclavret seems a perfect knight: bold, strong, and merciful. But he keeps his secrets close, and the king’s longings are not for counsel alone. As his fascination grows, the barriers between them multiply, until one day Bisclavret vanishes beyond reach. Battling desperation and grief, the king stands alone to face the greatest threats to his kingdom, with only duty to his people between him and ruin—duty, and the steadfast loyalty of the strangest wolf . . .
Story Locale: Fantasy-version of medieval Brittany, France
Author Bio:
Finn Longman is an author and medievalist, originally from London. They write young adult and adult fiction, with a particular interest in genre-bending stories about identity, friendship, and monstrosity—of the metaphorical or the literal sort. They’ve spent most of their adult life alternating between working in libraries and studying for increasingly niche degrees in medieval literature, and can usually be found in the vicinity of a pile of books. Finn is currently a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, researching friendship and affection in the late Ulster Cycle. You can find them at finnlongman.com.
Author Residence: Cambridge, England
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