Review: The Wolf Lords by F.T. McKinstry

A masterfully detailed second installment of the Fylking series, The Wolf Lords by F.T. McKinstry is an immersive fantasy novel mixing well-known mythology with complex layers of magic, political intrigue, ancient traditions, and noble heroes.

Vaethir, the immortal warlock and destroyer of the Math Gate, has gathered an army on the other side of the Veil, but his single-minded drive for revenge against the woman who permanently wounded him means returning to Math by other means. Then there is Leofwine, a ranger and apprentice to the Order of Fenrir, who bears a mountain of grief for his dead lover and abandoned sister.

Leofwine’s tutelage under Loki has left him with powers he is only just beginning to understand, as well as a legendary lupine ally to help him in his hunt. That same sister, Ingifrith, is the traumatized daughter of a hedge witch, and unknowingly sits in the center of a conflict that will engulf both the Otherworld and her own, as well as the Veil between – her temporarily secure hiding place. When the division between the realms is no more, chaos threatens to rain down across Math, as horrific creatures and magic from the dark realms seep insidiously into the minds and planes of humanity’s reality.

This many-threaded tale knits together slowly from every direction, gradually revealing the ultimate conflict, without the author showing her full hand to readers too early. As these multi-faceted characters begin to cross paths, for good and ill, their relationships are revealed to be much more complex and intriguing than good vs. evil. Though there is often a clear enemy and purpose for each player, the unpacking of their own trauma and subsequent behavior is a reminder to readers about the blurry lines of morality.

The language from start to finish in this book is a rare thing of beauty. Each line feels intentionally crafted, aided by unexpected syntactical gymnastics, vivid imagery, clever wordplay, and mood-summoning descriptions. The prose is dramatic, with impactful sentences carefully crafted to be both memorable and meaningful. McKinstry is careful to never make the prose too grandiose or convoluted, instead using accessible language in creative and even profound ways, ensuring that a broad range of readers can appreciate the story.

As a whole, this book sings with passion and energy, but there are some technical details that could be improved to make it even better. There is a bit too much reliance on inner monologues and thoughts being narrated out, so it can feel like the author is cutting corners to speed the exposition, but comes across as the classic “telling, rather than showing.” There are also some anachronistic or overly modern phrases that stand out, along with some profanity that feels out of place. Finally, while the wide breadth of characters is impressive, they can sometimes be difficult to keep straight, a struggle that can be amplified by hard-to-pronounce colloquial words, locations, and names.

Those issues aside, the sheer scope and linguistic brilliance of this novel make it a delight to get lost in; few authors can weave such an expansive work of fantasy into a tight, smart, and emotionally engaging tale.