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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In Dark Wolf’s Howl by Brenton Lillie, Elisa’s role in a palace breach in the elven capital of Varya leads to the removal of a sealed scepter hidden in the royal grounds, an object linked to a barrier that had kept the Darkabalos confined beyond the mountain regions. When that protection fails, Dak, an anthropologist drawn into the crisis, and Shivani, an elven agent who rebels against her orders, trace the connection between the breach and the sudden attacks spreading through Martinae and toward Panshaya. As Darkabalos forces advance from the wilderness and elven authorities attempt to contain the threat, the three move across forests, highways, and fortified positions while evading capture. Records from a concealed archive reveal the scepter’s role in sustaining the barrier, making a return to the palace vault unavoidable as the fighting closes in on the last defended city.
Brenton Lillie’s Dark Wolf’s Howl is a spectacularly written epic fantasy, and the premise of a palace cleaner being drawn into a theft is brilliant. Lillie makes Elisa really likeable, and she is someone I feel good about investing in. Garl, a Darkabalos soldier assigned to guard Elisa inside a war camp, is among the most fascinating characters to me. I love it when he asks Elisa how humans understand forgiveness, and that he treats her as a person rather than a captive. Shagar, the High Priestess who directs the Darkabalos forces, is the pièce de résistance when it comes to antagonists. She's got her scrying pool to track enemy movements, and reanimated corpses that turn fallen fighters into weapons against their own ranks. Where Lillie shines brightest is in descriptive settings, from a forest clearing that conceals a vault marked by gold runes on an iron door, to the Darkabalos encampment with its command tent. Life in Lillie's world follows rigid divisions tied to species and rank, where access to knowledge determines power, and magic operates through ritual actions that demand sacrifice. Readers who enjoy fantasy shaped by war, belief, and shifting alliances will adore this. Very highly recommended.
