Synopsis:
REDLIN OF THE WOLVES
VANGUARD, LEGEND, ASSASSIN, REAPER
Listen to my story.
I wasn’t always the monster they see me as. Half of the songs they sing are stories of my grandeur. The other half are tales of my misdeeds.
The sad truth is that they’re all true.
So, listen to my tale and learn why it all happened. Learn the reason for the war, the reason for all the death.
Listen to my tale and listen well. I won’t be alive long enough to tell it again.
Review:
Whispers of the Storm by ‘rising grimdark author’ Z.B. Steele is a masterclass of retellings by a famed warrior/hero/villain/insert a grand character trope. A story of said famed warrior/hero/villain/insert a grand character trope as told by the famed warrior/hero/villain/insert a grand character trope as they are on their way to their death. We’ve seen it a thousand times, and yet, Steele breathes fresh life into such a journey. And what a journey it was.
Famed warrior, assassin, god-blessed, basically every title known to man, Redlin of the Wolves is finally captured after a lifetime of famous pursuits. As he’s being led to the noose, he’s joined by an Inquisitor who wants his story for her boss. What transpires in this story is Redlin’s start at warrior school and ends after he’s garnered some acclaim, and some drastic deaths at his hands.
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale, but why does it sound like a but is coming? I’m not the right audience for this type of story. While the prose and the voice were excellent for a David Copperfield-esque life retelling, it’s just not my favorite style to read. Then add in the academia/warrior school aspects, also not huge on these types of stories. Both of these are 100% a me thing. Again, this story was excellent in both aspects and many readers will lap this story up, I just don’t connect as deeply with these styles, so this is just me being honest here.
Now all that said, what I did like about this story, yeah basically everything Redlin. The dude is hilarious (though it took until the later half before he really found his snarky voice), he’s a great warrior (obviously), and he also possesses a heart within that rage-wrapped body of his. Redlin is a very compelling protagonist. I don’t usually prefer 1st POV, but Steele made Redlin very interesting and we are not inundated with a bland personality. Redlin runs the gamut of emotions and he also has a certain melancholy in his tale that I very much enjoyed. But I also liked how heartless he could be. This is not a light tale, there is a lot of blood, a lot of betrayal, a lot of darkness. Redlin toes that line, but he obviously teeters toward the dark, but here, we only see that hint, and I thought that was executed really really well!
Like Blood Song, Interview with the Vampire, Empire of the Vampire, etc., there are interlude chapters in the present day with Redlin and the inquisitor, Maya. I found these chapters to be the most interesting. Despite their brevity, there was a lot of nuance here, plus a lot of banger lines by Steele. Redlin has obviously seen some sh*t and done some sh*t, so he’s not exactly asking forgiveness, but he is definitely not shying away from his deeds. That was very nice to see. I very much enjoyed these back and forth scenes.
The world starts rather basic as Redlin is dropped off at this warrior school, but slowly it expands, and I think this was a smart move by Steele. It settles us and makes us eager to know more. We really don’t get the magic system in detail until the characters are established and even then, it’s drip fed. I quite liked this approach. I do wish there was a bit more detail of what Shattering and Reaping were but that’s not a detriment at all, as this is clearly setting us up for future books in the series. The magic is very elemental in concept and related to the gods, who also give their blessing to their Heralds.
As far as characters other than Redlin, there are plenty, and while many become fodder along the way, they all shape Redlin. One thing that does work in the academia style is that characters are allowed to show a range of depth because they are compared to Redlin or grow alongside him. This is a great framing device for the arcs of each character, specifically the climax. Each character we meet has depth, and that’s on Steele for making sure there are no one note characters. And when certain characters meet their demise or wander off into the nether, there is a sense of loss. Well done, sir!
The prose is regularly good to great. It’s not lyrical in the sense that it’s complex, but there is a lyricalness about it. Meaning there are many times it’s almost stream of conscious via Redlin’s 1st POV. I will say that one of the reasons why I don’t tend to like academia/school stories is that the beginnings are usually slower because they have to build up the school concept. And this story is that. While it all works and is well-devised, the first half of the book was on the slower end pace-wise for me. I much preferred the second half when Redlin leaves the school because the plot seemed to be humming at that point. And I have to point out, that while the climax was great and hit some emotional punches, I felt it could have been more built up and poignant to the world as opposed to being very close to Redlin’s arc, meaning I wish it would have tied a little more into why the boss guy wanted Redlin’s life story, even if just a smidge.
This is the second book I’ve read by Z.B. Steele and it’s safe to say the man knows his way around a story. I’m very interested in what’s coming next for Redlin of the Wolves!
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