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WORK TITLE: The Wolf
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://leocarew.com/
CITY: London
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: British
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Male.
EDUCATION:Attended Cambridge University.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and explorer. Worked as an arctic guide in Svalbard, Norway. Has worked as an army medic.
AVOCATIONS:Traveling.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Leo Carew is a British writer and explorer. He has also worked as an army medic and an arctic guide. Carew attended Cambridge University.
In 2018, Carew released his first novel, The Wolf, which is also the first book in his “Under the Northern Sky” series. Set in an alternate version of ancient Northern Europe, it finds young Roper Kynortas learning to rule his people, the Anakim, having recently inherited his role as leader of the Black Kingdom after the death of his father. He must protect his people from a human tribe called the Sutherners. The leader of that tribe is an ambitious and clever man named Bellamus. The volume includes battle scenes between the Anakim and the Sutherners.
In an interview with a contributor to the My Life, My Books, My Escape website, Carew discussed his inspirations for the book, stating: “My genre of choice is historical fiction, which is where I get my main literary influences. I love authors like Bernard Cornwell and Hilary Mantel and their ability to submerge you in a lost world which you can smell and touch. I very much wanted that for The Wolf. I drew a lot from fantasy too. The Golden Compass is one of my favourite ever books, and I loved the imagination of the different worlds, and how they’re used to explore our own.” Carew continued: “Philip Pullman has such a great understanding of tone as well, which allows his books to say a lot without having to spell it out. Lots of my inspiration also came from real history. Roman politics was splendidly twisted and underhanded, and provided endless ideas for evil machinations. The Spartans also made a big contribution for their social structure, which was extraordinary.” Carew also told the contributor. “I lived in the Arctic for a while, which had a big influence on the setting of the book. I adore wilderness, and wanted to bring some feel of that … to the world in which the Anakim live.” In an interview with a writer on the Qwillery website, Carew remarked: “Biological Anthropology was another huge inspiration. The book features several different kinds of human, and I leant quite heavily on analogous species like the Neanderthals in trying to imagine how they might have behaved differently from us. For example, it’s been thought for ages (incorrectly, in my view) that Neanderthals had an inferior ability to understand symbols.” Carew continued: “I gave that to the Anakim because it had some interesting consequences. It would mean that they’d be unlikely to develop writing, and their art would be very different (if not non-existent). And the consequences of that might make for quite a unique society.” Carew also stated: “I really loved my studies in biological anthropology, and the thought of all these alien cultures which once coexisted. I very much wanted to explore what that might have been like, and there were a lot of themes I wanted to look at too. What it means to be human, the importance of identity, self-transcendence, leadership, [and] responsibility.”
Critics offered mostly favorable assessments of The Wolf. A Kirkus Reviews writer suggested: “The story arc revolving around the relationship between Roper and his wife is two-dimensional at best. The novel’s strengths, however, ultimately outweigh these weaknesses.” The writer described Carew as “an exciting new voice in fantasy.” Alan Keep, reviewer in Booklist, praised “Carew’s brisk and engaging narrative, with its mixture of gritty violence and political intrigue.” A Publishers Weekly critic described the volume as a “gripping and ambitious epic fantasy debut” and predicted: “Readers will excitedly anticipate the rest of the series.” “The Wolf is a novel that satisfies both in world-building and in characterization,” commented a contributor to the Speculative Herald website. The same contributor also stated: “On this fascinating background move some interesting figures, drawn with such skill that the main antagonists—Roper the fledgling Black Lord and Bellamus, the upstart who gained command of the Sutherner army—come across as equally sympathetic so that it’s difficult, if not impossible, to pick a favorite.” The contributor added: “With such focus on battles and military prowess one might think there is little or no space for women in The Wolf, but although they are not exactly prominent, what we see of them in Anakim society makes for intriguing glimpses.” Mark Yon, reviewer on the SFF World website, remarked: “The Wolf is a good book, but shows many of the usual issues with a debut novel. The beginning is a little wobbly, but once the book gets into its groove it works well. The characters, though starting as fairly nondescript traditional tropes, do develop into something more than the typical.” Yon continued: “There’s a lot to like about this book generally. Some of the battle scenes, of which there are many, are written confidently and hold the reader’s attention admirably, even over forty pages at times.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 15, 2018, Alan Keep, review of The Wolf, p. 29.
Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2018, review of The Wolf.
Publishers Weekly, December 18, 2017, review of The Wolf, p. 109.
ONLINE
Leo Carew website, https://leocarew.com/ (July 2, 2018).
My Life, My Books, My Escape, https://mylifemybooksmyescape.wordpress.com/ (April 23, 2018), author interview.
Qwillery, http://qwillery.blogspot.com/ (April 10, 2018), author interview.
SFF World, https://www.sffworld.com/ (March 31, 2018), Mark Yon, review of The Wolf.
Speculative Herald, http://www.speculativeherald.com/ (March 23, 2018), review of The Wolf.
ABOUT
The Cold Edge is the official website of author and explorer Leo Carew. His debut novel The Wolf is out now.
The third of four children, Leo grew up in the centre of London, in the shadow of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Inspired by audiobooks, he developed a late interest in reading and began trying his hand at writing soon afterwards. It was at this time that he also developed a sneaking suspicion that the city was not for him and spent as much time as possible exploring remote areas. After school, this led to two formative months spent on expedition in the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.
Three years followed reading Biological Anthropology at Cambridge University, most of which was spent staring out of the window, dreaming about colder climates. Obligatory time with serious studying done, Leo returned to Svalbard – Old Norse for “The Cold Edge” – where he lived in a tent for a year training and working as an Arctic guide. During this time, he revisited a novel he had begun at the age of 12 and began reassembling it in the considerable space offered by 24hr darkness. A reluctant return to London to train as a doctor and pursue a career as an army medic followed, during which time he completed his first novel, The Wolf.
Leo currently lives in London, writing, studying medicine and breaking off as often as possible for an adventure somewhere cold and wild. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: @leocarew1
QUOTED: "Biological Anthropology was another huge inspiration. The book features several different kinds of human, and I leant quite heavily on analogous species like the Neanderthals in trying to imagine how they might have behaved differently from us. For example, it’s been thought for ages (incorrectly, in my view) that Neanderthals had an inferior ability to understand symbols."
"I gave that to the Anakim because it had some interesting consequences. It would mean that they’d be unlikely to develop writing, and their art would be very different (if not non-existent). And the consequences of that might make for quite a unique society."
"I really loved my studies in biological anthropology, and the thought of all these alien cultures which once coexisted. I very much wanted to explore what that might have been like, and there were a lot of themes I wanted to look at too. What it means to be human, the importance of identity, self-transcendence, leadership, [and] responsibility."
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Interview with Leo Carew, author of The Wolf
Please welcome Leo Carew to The Qwillery as part of the 2018 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. The Wolf was published on April 3rd by Orbit Books.
TQ: Welcome to The Qwillery. What is the first piece you remember writing?
Leo: Thank you for having me!
I first remember writing a piece of school creative writing homework when I was about 10. It was about an alien escaping from a lab which ends up being captured by an heroic policeman. My teacher was very pleased, and ended up reading it out to the class. As someone who’d not done very well at school up until that point, it was a big moment for me, and pretty much the day I decided I wanted to be a writer.
TQ: Are you a plotter, a pantser or a hybrid?
Leo: I’m a big plotter. I know exactly what the end of my story is going to be, and have a very clear idea of where I’m going when I sit down to write every day. But very often when I get where I planned to, I realise that there was a better route there, or another twist, or an idea I hadn’t thought of, and go back and change it. I’m not sure I’d ever have been able to write before word-processors. Apart from the fact I’m dyspraxic (so nobody could read it) my whole style is based on quick progress, and then painstaking revision!
TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?
Leo: Trying to muster the energy for it. I get very emotionally involved in my writing. When I can’t do that (most days, realistically) it doesn’t feel good. That’s been a big part of the transition from writing as an amateur, to writing for a contract. As an amateur, I only needed to do it when I was really compelled to. Doing it on demand requires producing the words even when you don’t want to, and I always have a suspicion that they’re less good.
TQ: What has influenced / influences your writing? How does having a degree in Biological Anthropology influence your writing?
Leo: My main literary influences are historical fiction, like Bernard Cornwell and Hillary Mantel. I love their ability to submerge you in an alternate world you can feel and smell, and very much wanted that for The Wolf. Philip Pullman is also a literary touchstone – I love his work, especially his characters.
Biological Anthropology was another huge inspiration. The book features several different kinds of human, and I leant quite heavily on analogous species like the Neanderthals in trying to imagine how they might have behaved differently from us. For example, it’s been thought for ages (incorrectly, in my view) that Neanderthals had an inferior ability to understand symbols. I gave that to the Anakim because it had some interesting consequences. It would mean that they’d be unlikely to develop writing, and their art would be very different (if not non-existent). And the consequences of that might make for quite a unique society.
TQ: Describe The Wolf in 140 characters or less.
Leo: Several species of human have survived the Ice Age, and coexist in an uneasy peace, shattered by an ambitious upstart.
TQ: Tell us something about The Wolf that is not found in the book description.
Leo: The protagonist, Roper, is inspired by the explorer Ernest Shackleton. His right-hand man, Gray, is inspired by another explorer named Bill Wilson.
TQ: What inspired you to write The Wolf? What appeals to you about writing Epic Fantasy?
Leo: I really loved my studies in biological anthropology, and the thought of all these alien cultures which once coexisted. I very much wanted to explore what that might have been like, and there were a lot of themes I wanted to look at too. What it means to be human, the importance of identity, self-transcendence, leadership, responsibility and what pressure does to people and groups.
In general, I think about things in quite broad terms, and am most interested in the consequences for a society, rather than an individual. Change to a society creates all kinds of ripples and unforeseen consequences, and epic fantasy lets me play with those big themes.
TQ: What sort of research did you do for The Wolf?
Leo: My biggest piece of research was probably related to names. I hate making up names, and also think it can make a story pretty impenetrable if you fill it with completely made-up words. I also wasn’t writing a full fantasy – I think of it more as an alternate history. Lots of the names therefore come from real places or cultures in our world, but an earlier or slightly different version of them, because the survival of the Anakim has modified the way history played out. Some kingdoms which were lost ended up surviving, or fracturing or unifying differently to the timeline we inhabit.
Otherwise, I was already quite well versed on the broad points of human species and the Ice Age from my degree. I’ve also been working on this series for so long, that I’ve picked up bits and pieces of history (largely from a lot of wonderfully-researched historical fiction) and integrated them along the way.
TQ: Please tell us about the cover for The Wolf.
Leo: Isn’t it wonderful? It’s the work of Patrick Insole and Lee Gibbons. It’s a splendidly striking image, and depicts the Silver Wolf’s Head, which is the banner of our protagonist, Roper. I particularly like it because the Anakim have a very abstract attitude to art, and I think it captures some of that.
TQ: In The Wolf who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?
Leo: The easiest character to write is a sprinter named Pryce. He lives entirely in the moment and couldn’t care less about the opinions of others. His behavior is quite close to how my worst instincts tempt me to act, so he came very naturally!
The hardest is probably a queen called Aramilla. She is very subtle and manipulative, and I have to put a lot of thought into her lines to avoid making them too obvious and caricatured. Genuinely manipulative people can be very skillful and that’s a hard thing to replicate.
TQ: Which question about The Wolf do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!
Leo: Why does the map of Albion look so different to modern Britain? Well thank you for asking… The entire book starts from the premise that the climate stayed a bit cooler after the last Ice Age. This meant sea-levels didn’t rise to the same extent, and created favourable conditions for multiple species of human to survive the Ice Age, and also a lot of fun Ice Age megafauna. The different outline of Albion is because the lower sea levels reveal more of the coastline, and the likes of Doggerland (Yawland in the book) are still exposed. I did so much research for this, I just had to tell somebody!
TQ: Give us one or two of your favorite non-spoilery quotes from The Wolf.
Leo: I like this one, which is a description of how it felt for one of the main characters to visit the land of the Anakim, beyond the river Abus:
‘I cannot rest from that place. It is haunting me. Since I came back, I have felt like I am in a dream. It is as though I am living in a faint reflection of the world beyond the Abus. Everything is so soft, so easy. So flat. Up there, I felt awake for the first time in my life. Every tree; every hill and stream and word and footstep seemed more significant. I have to go back.’
TQ: What's next?
Leo: I’ve just finished the first draft of the sequel to The Wolf. I’m going to Greenland to get some fairly serious distance from the manuscript, which I hope we’ll have ready for this time next year.
TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.
Leo: My pleasure, thanks so much for having me!
The Wolf
Under the Northern Sky 1
Orbit, April 3, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook,400 pages
Violence and death come to the land under the Northern Sky when two fierce races break their age-old fragile peace and start an all-out war in this thrilling and savagely visceral epic fantasy.
Ready or not, Roper has been thrust into a position of leadership that he's woefully ill prepared for. Now, a massive army approaches from the south, old allies turn against him, and new rivals seek to undermine his rule. Facing attack from within and without, Roper must forge reckless alliances, no matter the cost, to save his kingdom.
Bellamus is a brash but capable southern general, a commoner with the rare honor of having the discreet support of the Queen. Rising quickly from the minor ranks he was born into, Bellamus leads the march on the North. Victory means glory, power, and the favor of the king, but defeat promises much worse than disgrace.
A tale of war, rivalry, and honor, The Wolf creates a world that is both familiar and uncanny - one where the fiercest enemies are always closer than they seem.
Under the Northern Sky
The Wolf
About Leo
Leo Carew is a 26-year-old Cambridge graduate of Biological Anthropology, currently studying medicine. Apart from writing, his real passion is exploration, which led him to spend a year living in a tent in the High Arctic, where he trained and worked as an Arctic guide. The Wolf is his first novel.
QUOTED: "My genre of choice is historical fiction, which is where I get my main literary influences. I love authors like Bernard Cornwell and Hilary Mantel and their ability to submerge you in a lost world which you can smell and touch. I very much wanted that for The Wolf. I drew a lot from fantasy too. The Golden Compass is one of my favourite ever books, and I loved the imagination of the different worlds, and how they’re used to explore our own."
"Philip Pullman has such a great understanding of tone as well, which allows his books to say a lot without having to spell it out. Lots of my inspiration also came from real history. Roman politics was splendidly twisted and underhanded, and provided endless ideas for evil machinations. The Spartans also made a big contribution for their social structure, which was extraordinary."
"I lived in the Arctic for a while, which had a big influence on the setting of the book. I adore wilderness, and wanted to bring some feel of that ... to the world in which the Anakim live."
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: LEO CAREW
40D6BA86-6408-4328-A4B4-0B896922AE32
Today I am interviewing Leo Carew, author of the new fantasy novel, The Wolf, first book in the Under the Northern Sky trilogy.
◊ ◊ ◊
DJ: Hi Leo! Thanks for agreeing to do this interview!
For readers who aren’t familiar with you, could you tell us a little about yourself?
Leo Carew: My pleasure, thanks for having me! I am 26, from London, and aside from writing, I spend most of my time training to be an army doctor. My real passion though is in wilderness and exploration. I’ve spent a lot of my life in very cold or wild places, and most recently overwintered alone in a cabin on an abandoned island, writing the sequel to The Wolf.
DJ: What is The Wolf about?
923D8458-D9FB-41C7-89B9-4C3B6826280F
Leo: It imagines a world in which more than one species of human survived the Ice Age, and went on to set up their own society. At the beginning of the book, the leader of the Anakim (the main alternate race of people) is killed, and his untested son Roper is dropped into a power-struggle. The Wolf follows his struggle to survive, and simultaneously secure his kingdom from an invasion.
DJ: What were some of your influences The Wolf and the series?
Leo: My genre of choice is historical fiction, which is where I get my main literary influences. I love authors like Bernard Cornwell and Hilary Mantel and their ability to submerge you in a lost world which you can smell and touch. I very much wanted that for The Wolf. I drew a lot from fantasy too. The Golden Compass is one of my favourite ever books, and I loved the imagination of the different worlds, and how they’re used to explore our own. Philip Pullman has such a great understanding of tone as well, which allows his books to say a lot without having to spell it out.
Lots of my inspiration also came from real history. Roman politics was splendidly twisted and underhanded, and provided endless ideas for evil machinations. The Spartans also made a big contribution for their social structure, which was extraordinary.
DJ: Could you briefly tell us a little about your main characters? Do they have any cool quirks or habits, or any reason why readers with sympathize with them?
Leo: The characters tend to the extreme. They live in a very competitive world and have to be exceptionally dedicated in order to flourish.
The protagonist, Roper, is naïve and inexperienced but extremely stubborn, refusing to yield to either opponents or friends. Though he spends much of the book without support, and makes a lot of mistakes, I really admire his resolution: it’s something I’d love to have more of.
His wife, Keturah, is very acerbic and cynical, but underlying that is a great sense of duty and responsibility. I particularly enjoy writing her lines because she takes such delight in unsettling people.
They’re assisted and resisted by a diverse bunch. There’s one who’s dedicated his entire life to a monk-like mastery of fear. There’s a wildly ambitious upstart with barely any close relationships, and even fewer scruples (he’s also fun to write – there’s a lot of possibilities in any scene that features him! I’m never quite sure what’s going to happen…) My final favourite character is a misanthropic commander with an extremely cutting sense of humour. Though he’s fun to write, it takes quite a lot of effort to come up with witty lines for him – I tend to steal them from things people have said in real life.
DJ: What is the world and setting of the Under the Northern Sky trilogy like?
Leo: I lived in the Arctic for a while, which had a big influence on the setting of the book. I adore wilderness, and wanted to bring some feel of that – how exacting, capricious, but also exhilarating it can be – to the world in which the Anakim live. They don’t really practice agriculture, so their entire country is mountain forest, occupied by some surviving ice-age megafauna (aurochs, giant elk, wolves, bears etc.)
The Anakim themselves live in a very singular and committed society, mostly orientated around warfare. They are educated from birth to be soldiers, with strong beliefs about living and dying for their nation. They have no writing because their understanding of symbolism is very limited. Instead they rely on a disciplined sisterhood to memorise their cultural history and retain any progress their society makes. They are ruled by a king, of sorts, though in theory he sees himself as the ultimate servant of his kingdom. To make sure he doesn’t become a tyrant, there’s also an organisation of assassins who are allowed to kill anyone without reprisal, even the king, if it preserves national stability. As you might expect, they become fairly sinister and begin abusing their power.
DJ: What was your favorite part about writing The Wolf?
Leo: I loved creating the Anakim. I studied Biological Anthropology at university, and it was so much fun taking all these half-discovered species of human, filling in the gaps and pulling together all the theories as inspiration for the people I was creating. There were so many possibilities for how a society run by a different species might be. After a while, I started to slightly fall in love with them too. They certainly haven’t got everything right, but they have a good sense of perspective. They’re understated, they don’t care about power or money, and believe that happiness is best achieved through self-discipline, rather than self-indulgence. I think they’d have been a happy society.
DJ: What do you think readers will be talking about most once they finish it?
Leo: A lot of the early reviews have focused on the battles, which are quite gritty, but I think the Anakim are the most original thing about it. Having my inspiration primarily from anthropology rather than literature helped make it not too derivative (I hope).
DJ: Did you have a particular goal when you began the Under the Northern Sky trilogy? The Wolf is only the first book, but is there a particular message or meaning you are hoping to get across when readers finish it? Or is there perhaps a certain theme to the story?
Leo: There’s lots of themes and meanings which I’ve tried to convey in The Wolf and will keep developing. The biggest one is probably self-transcendence – trying to serve something bigger than yourself, and adopting responsibilities to make the suffering of life worthwhile. Identity is a big one too: what it means to people, and how far they will go to preserve it. Death also plays a large part: something I feel we’re too squeamish about as a culture. I wanted to write a book which looks it in the eye.
DJ: When I read, I love to collect quotes – whether it be because they’re funny, foodie, or have a personal meaning to me. Do you have any favorite quotes from The Wolf that you can share with us?
Leo: I love quotes too! Lingering on some choice lines is a favourite pastime of mine, but in terms of quoting my own work, I fear that when I’ve started to do that, it’s all over! If pushed, there’s one bit I like because I wrote it with somewhere very special to me in mind. It’s the upstart-character I mentioned above, reflecting on how he felt visiting the northern home of the Anakim:
‘I cannot rest from that place. It is haunting me. Since I came back, I have felt like I am in a dream. It is as though I am living in a faint reflection of the world past the river. Everything is so soft, so easy. So flat. Up there, I was awake for the first time in my life. Every tree; every hill and stream and word and footstep seemed more significant. I have to go back.’
DJ: Now that The Wolf is released, what is next for you?
Leo: I’ve taken this year out of my medical studies to work on Book II and tick some things off the bucket list. I’ll hopefully have finished the first draft in time for an expedition to Greenland this month, where I’m doing a bit of climate-change research and summiting some unclimbed mountains. Then it’s back to med-school, where I’ll have to find a way to write Book III at the same time as my studies! I’ve done it before but it was not pleasant…
DJ: Where can readers find out more about you?
Facebook: @leocarew1
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/16741583.Leo_Carew
Twitter: @leocarew1
Website: leocarew.com
DJ: Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to answer my questions!
Leo: My pleasure – thanks very much for having me!
◊ ◊ ◊
*** The Wolf is published by Orbit and is available TODAY!!! ***
Buy the Book:
Amazon | Barnes & Nobel | Goodreads | Kobo
◊ ◊ ◊
923D8458-D9FB-41C7-89B9-4C3B6826280FAbout the Book:
The Wolf is a thrilling, savagely visceral, politically nuanced, and unexpectedly wry exploration of power – and how far one will go to defend it.
Violence and death have come to the land under the Northern Sky.
The Anakim dwell in the desolate forests and mountains beyond the black river, the land under the Northern Sky.
Their ancient ways are forged in Unthank silver and carved in the grey stone of their heartland, their lives measured out in the turning of centuries, not years.
By contrast, the Sutherners live in the moment, their vitality much more immediate and ephemeral than their Anakim neighbors.
Fragile is the peace that has existed between these very different races – and that peace is shattered when the Suthern armies flood the lands to the north.
These two races revive their age-old hatred and fear of each other. Within the maelstrom of war, two leaders will rise to lead their people to victory.
Only one will succeed.
40D6BA86-6408-4328-A4B4-0B896922AE32
About the Author:
The third of four children, Leo grew up in the centre of London, in the shadow of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Inspired by audiobooks, he developed a late interest in reading and began trying his hand at writing soon afterwards. It was at this time that he also developed a sneaking suspicion that the city was not for him and spent as much time as possible exploring remote areas. After school, this led to two formative months spent on expedition in the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.
Three years followed reading Biological Anthropology at Cambridge University, most of which was spent staring out of the window, dreaming about colder climates. Obligatory time with serious studying done, Leo returned to Svalbard – Old Norse for “The Cold Edge” – where he lived in a tent for a year training and working as an Arctic guide. During this time, he revisited a novel he had begun at the age of 12 and began reassembling it in the considerable space offered by 24hr darkness. A reluctant return to London to train as a doctor and pursue a career as an army medic followed, during which time he completed his first novel, The Wolf.
Leo currently lives in London, writing, studying medicine and breaking off as often as possible for an adventure somewhere cold and wild. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: @leocarew1
QUOTED: "The story arc revolving around the relationship between Roper and his wife is two-dimensional at best. The novel's strengths, however, ultimately outweigh these weaknesses."
"an exciting new voice in fantasy."
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Print Marked Items
Carew, Leo: THE WOLF
Kirkus Reviews.
(Feb. 15, 2018):
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Carew, Leo THE WOLF Orbit (Adult Fiction) $15.99 4, 3 ISBN: 978-0-316-52137-6
A grand-scale historical fantasy set in the frigid wilds of the Black Kingdom, Carew's stellar debut novel--
about a young lord forced into a perilously complex situation after his father is killed in battle--is an actionpacked
and blood-splattered tour de force.
The Black Kingdom, inhabited by a race of giant warriors, lies in the northern reaches of the realm of
Albion, separated from its enemies, the Sutherners, by a great river. The Sutherner populace is terrified of
their neighbors to the north, who wear virtually impenetrable bone armor and are mythically long-lived. But
when the legendary leader of the Black Kingdom--the Black Lord--is killed in battle and his 19-year-old
son, Roper, is forced onto the throne, the entire kingdom is thrown into chaos. One of his father's most
revered soldiers, the war hammer-wielding Uvoren, wants the throne for himself--and will do anything to
get it. As Suthern forces roam the Black Kingdom killing its residents and burning everything to the ground,
Roper must maneuver his way through a treacherous political labyrinth, leading a society on the brink of
civil war while also formulating a plan that will push the interlopers from the land. Quickly marrying into a
respected family and gathering powerful allies strengthen Roper's position, but the odds are still stacked
against him. Featuring a memorable cast of (predominantly male) characters, exceptional worldbuilding,
meticulously choreographed battle scenes, and relentless pacing, the narrative does has some minor flaws.
The author's strength in describing the Black Kingdom sometimes gets neglected in the novel's later
chapters as he focuses on the fight scenes, and the story arc revolving around the relationship between
Roper and his wife is two-dimensional at best. The novel's strengths, however, ultimately outweigh these
weaknesses.
Carew is the real deal--an exciting new voice in fantasy.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Carew, Leo: THE WOLF." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Feb. 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A527248304/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=fda2c193.
Accessed 24 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A527248304
QUOTED: "Carew's brisk and engaging narrative, with its mixture of gritty violence and political intrigue."
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The Wolf
Alan Keep
Booklist.
114.14 (Mar. 15, 2018): p29.
COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
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Full Text:
The Wolf.
By Leo Carew.
Apr. 2018. 400p. Orbit, paper, $15.99 (9780316521376); e-book (9780316521369).
Carew's debut novel presents an alternate medieval Britain in which the isle of Albion is shared by human
Saxons and two races of giants: the incredibly long-lived Anakim and the larger and rarer Unhieru. The
uneasy peace between the southern Saxon kingdom and the Black Kingdom of the Anakim is broken as the
"Sutherners" invade, scoring an unexpected victory and killing the current Black Lord. The novel follows
both the Anakim heir, Roper, as he attempts to defend the kingdom from invasion while dealing with rivals
for the throne, and the leader of the southern invasion, Bellamus, a commoner attempting to not only
destroy the Anakim but also secure his own advancement. Carew's brisk and engaging narrative, with its
mixture of gritty violence and political intrigue, will remind readers of George R. R. Martin, David
Gemmell, or a less-bleak Joe Abercrombie. Recommended for fans of the grittier end of the epic-fantasy
spectrum, or for general readers interested in checking out a solid entry in the genre for the first time.--Alan
Keep
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Keep, Alan. "The Wolf." Booklist, 15 Mar. 2018, p. 29. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A533094478/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=0a1ca847.
Accessed 24 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A533094478
QUOTED: "gripping and ambitious epic fantasy debut."
"Readers will excitedly anticipate the rest of the series."
6/24/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1529868285731 3/3
The Wolf: Under the Northern Sky, Book
1
Publishers Weekly.
264.52 (Dec. 18, 2017): p109.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* The Wolf: Under the Northern Sky, Book 1
Leo Carew. Orbit, $15.99 trade paper (400p) ISBN 978-0-316-52137-6
Carew's gripping and ambitious epic fantasy debut introduces a world closely mapped to Viking-era Europe,
with intriguingly differences. Roper Kynortas becomes the leader of the Black Kingdom, the home of the
nature-loving, pragmatic race of giants known as the Anakim, after seeing his father killed in their first
military defeat in thousands of years. Young, inexperienced, and grieving, Roper has to find a way to secure
his nation against the invading human Sutherners while solidifying and consolidating his power against the
threat posed by heroic Uvoren, the ambitious leader of the Anakim sacred guard. His human antagonist,
Bellamus, an upstart commoner who specializes in knowledge of the Anakim, is delightfully clever. The
book is twisty in its political maneuverings, gritty in its battle descriptions, and rich with a sense of heroism
and glory that fans of Saxon-derived poetic tradition will appreciate. The depth of Anakim culture is
thoroughly developed, including shadow organizations run by women that may threaten the heavily
militarized male-focused power structure. The finale of this installment perfectly sets the stage for a larger
story, and readers will excitedly anticipate the rest of the series. (Apr.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The Wolf: Under the Northern Sky, Book 1." Publishers Weekly, 18 Dec. 2017, p. 109. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A520578882/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=3cf1f498.
Accessed 24 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A520578882
QUOTED: "The Wolf is a novel that satisfies both in world-building and in characterization."
"On this fascinating background move some interesting figures, drawn with such skill that the main antagonists – Roper the fledgling Black Lord and Bellamus, the upstart who gained command of the Sutherner army – come across as equally sympathetic so that it’s difficult, if not impossible, to pick a favorite."
"With such focus on battles and military prowess one might think there is little or no space for women in The Wolf, but although they are not exactly prominent, what we see of them in Anakim society makes for intriguing glimpses."
Review: The Wolf by Leo Carew
MARCH 23, 2018
Review: The Wolf by Leo CarewThe Wolf by Leo Carew
Series: Under the Northern Sky #1
Published by Orbit on April 3rd 2018
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 512
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Thanks to Orbit for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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five-stars
My luck with debut novels seems to keep holding strong, and Leo Carew’s The Wolf is the latest in this string of fortunate encounters, an epic fantasy story set in what looks like an alternate version of Britain, called Albion, where baseline humans and outlandish warrior races compete for primacy through bloody wars.
Readers are plunged straight into the midst of one of these wars, pitting the Sutherners against the Anakim, a northern tribe of veritable giants, long-lived and quite strong thanks to the inner bone plates that armor their chests: knowing that superior numbers will not be enough against the Anakim’s battle prowess, the Sutherners devise a trap that works successfully, forcing their foes into an unheard-of retreat after their leader, the Black Lord, is killed in action leaving his 18-year old son Roper in command of the army. The defeat weighs heavily on the Anakim’s morale and gives Uvoren, the highest-placed general and a renowned hero, the opportunity to lay the blame on Roper and seize the leadership: Roper will have to learn the subtleties of politics and authority very quickly as he fights a war on two fronts – the inner one, where his clash with Uvoren fast escalates into deadly territory, and the outward one, as the Sutherners, emboldened by the recent victory, rekindle their expansionist plans.
The Wolf is a novel that satisfies both in world-building and in characterization: in the island of Albion the river Abus works as a demarcation between the Sutherners and the Anakim, the former viewing the latter as monsters, fallen angels, barbarous savages, while the Anakim see their historical opponents as weak and lackin Tg in honor. Both are wrong, of course, mostly because of ignorance on either side: we readers instead enjoy the opportunity to get to know them better, and to see how land and living conditions can shape a people and forge their mindset.
The South enjoys a more agreeable climate, fertile lands, and therefore its inhabitants have created a more laid-back society, but also one in need of demographics-related expansion, so they inevitably turn their gaze toward the territory of their long-time enemy and, through the old strategy of demonizing the adversary, mount a campaign of invasion, plunder and destruction with the goal of beating the Anakim into submission. The northern warriors, on the other hand, have built their society on military prowess and on a strong link with the land they dwell in, a symbiotic bond that in some cases prevents them from giving in to the invading army, choosing death rather than relinquishing their foothold.
A the heart of the Black Lands, the Anakim territory, lies the Hindrunn fortress, a massive construct of stone that no enemy could breach and inside which the Anakim seek not so much a form of security as a way of isolating themselves from the rest of the world, the microcosm in which they feel truly attuned to the land in which they live. The glimpses we are afforded inside the Hindrunn’s walls speak of a complex, lively society that belies the Sutherners’ prejudice about the Anakim’s savagery.
On this fascinating background move some interesting figures, drawn with such skill that the main antagonists – Roper the fledgling Black Lord and Bellamus, the upstart who gained command of the Sutherner army – come across as equally sympathetic so that it’s difficult, if not impossible, to pick a favorite. Roper is young and quite inexperienced: his father enjoys little narrative space before his demise in battle, but he seems like a harsh, unforgiving man and one not too prone on passing on some wisdom to his son. So being both inexperienced and young, Roper initially flounders in his role as ruler of the Black Lands and risks to be easy prey to Uvoren’s power play; he rebounds quite easily though, finding a few allies and heeding any sensible advice that his directed his way. He learns on the fly, and he’s as ready to treasure what he learns just as he’s ready to acknowledge his mistakes: as ruthless as he needs to be, he remains able to elicit the reader’s sympathy all throughout the book, growing in depth and complexity as the story progresses.
Bellamus, for his part, must struggle against his humble origins to emerge in a society that pays more attention to circumstances of birth rather than skills: his liaison with Queen Aramilla plays an important part in his ascent toward command of the Sutherner army, but he reaches the goal through sheer determination and a years-long study of the Anakim, for whom he harbors more than the interest of a military commander analyzing his adversary. There is an uncommon form of respect, almost fascination, in Bellamus’ keen interest in all things Anakim, so that, once he realizes than despite the long years of study he only scratched the surface of this adversaries’ culture, and did not understand what the Anakim soul truly is, the ensuing frustration weighs more heavily than any defeat.
With such focus on battles and military prowess one might think there is little or no space for women in The Wolf, but although they are not exactly prominent, what we see of them in Anakim society makes for intriguing glimpses I hope will be given more space in the next novels. While Sutherner women seem relegated in the traditional roles this medieval-like milieu allows them, Anakim women, though apparently enjoying only a supporting position in their society, are afforded more freedom and are shown repeatedly as its backbone: one of the glimpses I was talking about concerns the office of Historian, the women to whom the totally oral traditions and past of the Anakim are entrusted, since they have no written language worthy of that name; they are the holders of their people’s collective memory and so the custodians of all that makes the Anakim what they are.
And then there is Keturah, the woman Roper marries to sign a political pact and who quickly becomes his partner, his confidante and his best ally: when we first meet her we see her as quite outspoken and bold, then we slowly learn about her cunning political sense and her ability to create a web of useful relationships. The fact that she’s universally treated with respect and even affection by her peers speaks loudly about this side of Anakim society, and is another detail that begs a deeper look.
All of the above might seem like scattered notions, and in a way they are because it’s difficult to take in all of the complexities of this novel and the story it tells, but I believe that The Wolf must be enjoyed as I did, with as little information – or preconceptions – as possible: this way it will be easier to get happily lost in this fascinating world. And to come out of it with a strong desire to know more.
QUOTED: "The Wolf is a good book, but shows many of the usual issues with a debut novel. The beginning is a little wobbly, but once the book gets into its groove it works well. The characters, though starting as fairly nondescript traditional tropes, do develop into something more than the typical."
"There’s a lot to like about this book generally. Some of the battle scenes, of which there are many, are written confidently and hold the reader’s attention admirably, even over forty pages at times."
The Wolf by Leo Carew
The Wolf by Leo Carew
Mark Yon
March 31, 2018
0 Comment
Another month, another debut Fantasy novel. But once this one has built up steam it is a great read.
From the publisher:
“Leo Carew’s debut novel The Wolf, the first book in the Under the Northern Sky series, is a masterpiece in epic historical fantasy – a new voice to rival David Gemmell or George RR Martin.
A great war has come to the land under the Northern Sky.
“Beyond the Black River, among the forests and mountains of the north, lives an ancient race of people. Their lives are measured in centuries, not decades; they revel in wilderness and resilience, and they scorn wealth and comfort.
By contrast, those in the south live in the moment, their lives more fleeting. They crave wealth and power, their ambition is limitless, and their cunning unmatched.
When the armies of the south flood across the Black River, the fragile peace between the two races is shattered. On a lightning-struck battlefield, the two sides will fight – for their people, for their land, for their very survival.
Two sides. One victor.”
Getting beyond the publicity, The Wolf is a good book, but shows many of the usual issues with a debut novel. The beginning is a little wobbly, but once the book gets into its groove it works well. The characters, though starting as fairly nondescript traditional tropes, do develop into something more than the typical.
The story is a typical revenge tale, which at the basic level has Roper, a prince of the ancient Anakim, determined to avenge his father’s death, defend his Kingdom against the invading army from the South and seek recompense from those who treated him badly when he came to power.
From the wider viewpoint, The Wolf is not only a clash of characters, but a clash of cultures. The differences between the more human ‘Sutherners’ (ugh) and the towering Anakim is more than just appearance. The Anakim have a rigid social order of valour, based around fighting and conflict and a long lifespan. It made me think of the Spartans, which may be deliberate. By contrast, the humans, though seemingly less rigid, are the typical medieval-esque society most Fantasy novels relate to, with Kings, Queens and a court of dubious malcontents.
This all sounds wonderful, and I’m sure that many Fantasy fans will love it – so why am I not whole-heartedly recommending this novel? Well, it fell foul of some of my usual bugbears with many novels, especially debuts. Firstly, I had issues with some of the names, although admittedly not enough to kill the book for me. Some of the name usage is rather random – there are Nordic surnames, mixed up with place-names such as ‘Albion’. Whilst I concede that this may be an attempt by the author to mix things up, so to speak, and be different, it didn’t work for me.
In addition I found, for example, that the name ‘Roper’, instead of inspiring and engaging the reader, is a name that instead brings to my mind someone from a Northern kitchen-sink type drama, which may be appropriate but does not bode well. Worse, the invading force are ‘Sutherners’, a nomenclature which rather grated on me. In my opinion it would have made more sense, and would have been less disconcerting, for the author to make up his own nomenclature.
Secondly, the plot has a number of issues which read as untrue to me. I found the idea of Roper being placed into the middle of a major battle on his first outing, so to speak, an unrealistic situation. Surely the youngster, knowing of his potential future, would at least have been trained or seen battle from a safe distance beforehand? There’s also a concern that the book’s characters veer between extremes – from one minute being thoroughly charming to the polar opposite, which gives a rather schizophrenic feel to some of the characters. In the end I felt that there’s a lot of surface but little depth.
Of the plot there are times where things just seem to happen too easily and too conveniently. The ascendance of Roper, from a child watching his first battle to being the leader of thousands of men seems to be much faster, and with less effort, than I would expect.
Allowing for these issues, though, there’s a lot to like about this book generally. Some of the battle scenes, of which there are many, are written confidently and hold the reader’s attention admirably, even over forty pages at times. The relationships between the warriors and their wives is not as jarring as I thought it could have been, and adds a little more depth to what otherwise could be superficial.
To be frank, and despite what some comments would say, this is not an author who is the next GRRM, nor Terry Brooks, nor any other popular Fantasy writer you can think of. It is a good book from a debut author, who I think will develop with experience – he is only twenty-six years old, and should be applauded for his efforts, even if they are not entirely to my taste.
What is perhaps most important is that, on balance, The Wolf has more positive points than negative points, and those were not enough to derail my interest. Despite my issues and my quibbles, I did enjoy it and the pages kept turning after that wobbly start. There’s also a cliffhanger ending which means that we should expect a second book.
The Wolf by Leo Carew
Under the Northern Sky, Book 1
Published by Wildfire, April 2018
ISBN: 978-1472247001
Review by Mark Yon