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Tanith Lee
LAW OF THE WOLF TOWER (YA)
book cover


1998 UK only


Who recommends: Preeti, Catie, Tanya, Danielle, Rebekah, Isabel
Who discommends:

Claidi escapes her life of slavery in a cloistered garden city and gets to discover what really is out there in the Waste, inlcuding the sheep worshippers, the bird worshippers, the bandits (especially the bandit leader), the clock worshippers, etc. And of course, the whole point is that she discovers herself and learns to trust her own judgment.

The story is told through the journal she's writing for the sake of an imaginary reader (us). I really liked the resultant wry humor and the sometimes desperate wit in the face of danger that Claidi displays.

This world (apparently a post-high-civilization one) has a dream/mythic/fantasy-like quality which at first made me think it might be a continuation of Lee's BLACK UNICORN, GOLD UNICORN, and RED UNICORN set. But despite a similar atmosphere, WOLF TOWER has no magic. I enjoyed it more than those earlier three YA books, too, FWIW.--Preeti

Please add me to the recommends on this one. Claidi is an attractive fresh heroine and the world she travels through is interesting. The plot's fairly perfunctory but the lively style carries you through.--Catie

Ms Lee is another one who tends towards the doomed romance: the only happy ending I can think of right now is 'Castle of Dark', though I'm sure there are others. Quite enjoyed this one, but it didn't sparkle as much as some of her others. ('The Silver Metal Lover' is superb, but ...)--Tanya (30 Jul 99)

A really enjoyable YA. Claidi is a resourceful heroine, while still unmistakably a teenager. Watching her come into her own as she travels across the Waste is very satisfying, and there's just the right amount of romance with (of course) a rather infuriatingly attractive young man. I strongly recommend this one.

One of the best things about it was the resolution; Lee avoids a superficial happy ending (although there is a hea) and actually makes Claidi *think* about the ramifications of what she does. Very unusual in a YA, or in any genre fiction.--Danielle (25 Aug 99)

If this one hadn't had Lee's name right on the cover, I never would have guessed her as the author. More classic fantasy structure and more upbeat than the Lee I've read. A fun read with a fairly straight-forward quest/finding-out-who-you-are plot with many interesting cultures and scenes. Like the voice of the main character a lot.--Rebekah (14 Sep 99)

The diary format is a interesting change and I enjoyed watching Claidi grow through her journey through the Waste.--Isabel (27 Sep 99)


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