Today I’m posting my fourth Finalist review for #SPFBOX (here’s a link to the Finalist table).  I’ve already posted a review for The Humane Society for Creatures & Cryptids (Teraglossa #1) by Stephanie A. Gillis,  The Forest at the Heart of Her Mage by Hiyodori and Oathsworn Legacy by KR Gangi.  Over the next two weeks I shall be posting regularly in order to fit all the Finalists in before the competition ends.  So, without further ado let’s get to my review for Wolf of Withervale (Noss Saga #1) by Joaquin Baldwin.

Firstly here’s the description (courtesy of Goodreads), the cover and a link.

An ambitious, sweeping saga. As epic as it is queer.

Lago was only a child when the shapeshifter entrusted the wolf-like mask to his care—an artifact so powerful that it could come to shape the entire world of Noss.

Now that he is coming of age, Lago is becoming ever more fearful of the ominous relic’s influence, of the empire who has scented its trail and is coming after it. Coming after him.

Aided by his best friend, an enigmatic scout, and his trusty dog, Lago seeks refuge in the vastness of the Heartpine Dome. The eighty-mile-wide structure had remained sealed for centuries, safeguarding more than mere secrets. Now that the dome’s entrails are stirring, the mysteries of the long-vanished Miscam tribes are coming to light, and the shapeshifting animal spirits are making their return.

Powers untold hide behind the blinkless eyeholes of the canid mask, powers that could tip the balance in the war. Lago is barely beginning to learn how to wield the dark visage, but he can already feel its potential.

… And he can feel a different change coming, deep in his marrow.

Riveting in scope and worldbuilding, and exquisitely illustrated by the author, this tale of transformation and self-discovery is filled with unabashed wonder and a lust for places unknown. A profoundly queer adventure that explores sexuality, our connections to other species, unconventional kinds of love, and the very nature of consciousness.

Wolf of Withervale is the first installment of the Noss Saga, an epic LGBTQ+ fantasy series.

Wolf of Withervale is a difficult book to review and I’ve been going back and forth on my feelings for a little while.  On the one hand, I can genuinely see the love that the author has for this world, the attention to detail and the imagination on display, but, at the same time it feels for me that the plot and characters take something of a backseat whilst the world is portrayed in extensive detail.

As the story begins we meet Lago, still a young boy at this point.  Lago comes into possession of a strange wolf mask (I won’t elaborate on the story here) and undertakes to try and return the mask to the owner.  Effectively the plot then moves forward in time and Lago, having become aware that others are also now searching for the mask, leaves his home to try and fulfill his original intention of seeking out the owner, along the way encountering others and learning much about the world and the magic it contains.

My thoughts whilst reading.

This is clearly a world that the author has lovingly created and I totally understand the desire to share everything with readers.  There are some really interesting elements along the way.  Firstly, the magic that wearing the mask bestows to the wearer and the shapeshifting elements – unfortunately the power that the mask lends is sought by those who would abuse it and this brings us to the element where Lagos is being pursued by ruthless and brutal people.  Secondly, there is much to explore in this world – there are large domes that are a mystery to the inhabitants of the planet.  These domes are impossible to break into – or at least had been – and we’re barely scratching the surface of what lies inside after this first episode.   The writing is confident and easy to get on with and the author has paid a lot of attention to additional information such as maps, diagrams, appendices and an excellent cover.

Unfortunately, however, and in spite of this having a format that I do usually really enjoy – a quest involving a group of characters going on an impossible mission – I did struggle a little with this one.  It feels far too long for the actual plot and I struggled to really connect to the characters.  It has a feeling of being a story of two different halves, the first contains a lot of background about the world and introducing the magic, the characters, the domes, etc and eventually moving into the territory I expected.  But, at this point the story slows down massively as the characters’ journey effectively comes to a halt.  At this point the story becomes more focused on Lago, his attempts to learn the secrets of the mask and his budding relationship with another character.

To be fair, I do read some romance but it’s not my real go to and so I felt a bit frustrated at this point, like any tension that was beginning to build was immediately stopped in its tracks.  I felt like there was no urgency or threat involved from this point going forward and I struggled with the latter half taking much longer to read than I expected.

Overall, I think my own expectations of where the story was taking me, ultimately got in the way of my enjoyment.  I was expecting more adventure and whilst this certainly seems to be promised in the next instalment it left me a little frustrated whilst reading.  As a first in series this certainly sets things out for future instalments, I just felt it was too long for the story it was telling and it felt like it diverted onto something of a side story that perhaps could have been added as an additional short story to the series.

I received a copy courtesy of the author, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating 6.5 of 10.