shadowfireflame | Aug. 17th, 2012

Book Rec: A Companion to Wolves by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear

Because apparently I hadn’t had enough of wolf-like packs with Omegaverse fics, I breezed through this book in three days, which is really fast for me (I’ve been known to take about a year to finish a single book *facepalm*). So here is the rec.

In a kind of Norse, Anglo-Saxon, Germanic world called Iskryne, trolls and wyverns are a constant plague on humans. To deal with them, wolves and humans telepathically bond together in halls and go hunting for the trolls and wyverns in dangerous hunting parties. Our hero, Njall (later Isolfr), bonds with a female wolf (Viradechtis), who will later be a pack leader, and must deal with the ramifications of that while his society is on the brink of a brutal war. All that aside, though, the book is really an excuse to showcase ~~gay sex~~ deep world building and the sexual escapades of wolf packs and their telepathically bonded humans, with everything that entails.

I understand that this novel was in part a response to the human-animal bonding elements in the Pern series (with dragons) by Anne McCaffrey, which I have not read and cannot comment on. But thank god the “telepathy” here is more one of collective images and feelings—no wolves awkwardly speaking words here. Technically wolf “names” are distinct smells, which is also pretty cool. In short: the book has problematic elements, but ultimately it works.

This series says a lot about traditional gender roles, and it’s tricky trying to unpack it all. I think the authors are most prescient when comparing/contrasting gender roles and lore within different races and species (the trolls, the humans, the wolves, the svartalfar) and when talking about names, how your name is something that will consciously or unconsciously define you. This has been an interesting topic to me ever since reading this response on Salon: for women especially, taking your husband’s name vs. keeping your own name when you marry is a choice, but that is only because pioneering feminists have fought so we can make that choice, and one way to honor their hard work is to go an untraditional route with your name.

In this novel, when you bond with a wolf, you change not only your first name but also your last name (so our protagonist, Njall Gunnerrson, becomes Isolfr Viradechtisbrother), and it’s just the done thing, so nobody talks about it—until Kari, who has bonded with a wild wolf (Hrafn), refuses to change his name. The exchange is interesting, ending in Kari explaining, “I didn’t want to forget who I was” (202). I remember Elizabeth Bear being clever with names in her matriarchal society in Carnival (which I reviewed at this link), so I’m pleased to see them again here.

Now for more about the sex: There are only male human companions, but there are a handful of female wolves who have bonded to them, and female wolves are very powerful forces. When they go into heat, which happens about once a year, the female wolf has sex with a male one, and their human companions echo that coupling, regardless of the humans’ actual sexual attraction to one another. It’s basically the height of dubious consent, and it becomes more troublesome with the female’s third heat, at which there is an “open mating,” where she can choose a ton of mates (say, for example, seven), and her human companion has to shut up and bear what amounts to a dubiously consensual hormone-driven gang-bang. Fortunately that’s only one time, but it’s still vastly problematic.

On the surface, the human companion can say no—but you can’t say no and stay: he would have to leave his adopted home in the wolf hall, his friends, his life, and his telepathically bonded companion, which would be traumatic. More traumatic than the trauma of staying, most of them judge. And the book makes it clear that this is the way things are done in the wolf society, and the female wolves want and expect it and enjoy all the males fighting over them and enjoy the sex. (“He [Isolfr] was the prize in this combat, where Viradechtis [his wolf] was both prize and prize-giver. Her choice, not his” (234).)

But…I don’t know—what if the female wolves didn’t want this lifestyle? These are some really intelligent wolves who can telepathically bond with humans and communicate with them. When there are relatively few females, what if they decided they didn’t want to have any more litters and instead wanted to dedicate their lives to fighting or scholarly pursuits or whatever? I suppose technically the females have a choice, too, in that they could just…leave, I guess, but that’s never mentioned as a possibility, and especially not for the queens. Remaining a “virgin queen” isn’t really a valid option.

So obviously, there are many things I don’t like in the book. Views on sex and child-bearing in the society are, as I said, very, very problematic. It bothers me that pretty much every female character we encounter counts herself a more worthy person once she is a mother, linking the act of having children with her self-worth, while no sterile females or females choosing not to have children are even mentioned. Do they just not exist? Or is it considered too shameful to mention? In addition, the homophobic father character isn’t handled as gracefully as I would have liked. And the names—the names are a huge issue. There are a ton of them, all rather similar, and some change halfway through, and it’s difficult to tell a human name from a wolf name. Not sure what could have been done differently, since it’s a large part of the world-building, but I found myself quickly resorting to making a character and vocabulary sheet for myself, which I will share below.

However, the things I did enjoy more than make up for the ones I didn’t, as this has a bunch of my kinks all rolled into one with great writing: dub-con, the wolf pack-sense and family, unresolved sexual tension, complicated sexual politics, animal soul bonding, a lot of hurt/comfort elements (including an amazing scene for this when Isolfr has been poisoned and has a concussion and cracked ribs), loyal friendships, superb world-building, a ton of gay sex and violence and heroics, threesomes, and an attractive lead character who is conflicted and vulnerable and has to come to terms with his own position as the companion of a queen wolf and attendant desirability to other males.

And as for strong characters who are female—never thought I’d say this, but the damn wolves, specifically Viradechtis and her mother, Vigdis, have superb personalities and distinct characters despite never saying a word: playful, competent, affectionate, witty, confident, mischievous, courageous, queens of their worlds. Impressive. With every important decision, Isolfr finds that he needs only ask his sister-wolf, Viradechtis: with his name (46), with dealing with factions that spring up against her sire when her mother has gone (65), when resolving fights and picking mates and determining where to sleep at night. This quote nicely sums up their relationship: “In the silence after their departure, Isolfr looked at Viradechtis and felt an absurd, helpless surge of love” (67). Yeah, I did too. Later in the book there’s also a curious creature, elflike but with a kinked spine and voice harmonics, called a svartalfar (Tin), who is pretty cool.

And now onto that promised vocab/character list:

A Companion to Wolves Character List
First, some terminology.

konigenwolf—the lead female wolf, the queen in a pack, the matriarch of the wolves.

wolfsprechend—the konigenwolf’s human companion or “brother.” An unusual position, considered the human leader of the wolves; Isolfr is one of these because Viradechtis is a konigenwolf.

wolfjarl—the leader of the humans in the wolfheall; the human companion of the male wolf who is mates with the lead female wolf. The world is rather matriarchal in that respect.

wolfheall/werthreat—lol, these are just the names for the hall/community where the wolves and their humans live.

wolfheofodman/wolfcarl—names for the human wolf companions.

housecarl—people in charge of the day-to-day goings on in the wolfheall.

trellwolves—I’ve shortened this to just “wolves,” but this is their proper name. I suppose it means that technically they’re wolves who are meant to kill trell, i.e. the plural for trolls used here.

jarl—this means the king or lord of the place you’re residing.

thralls—another word for servants. Rather vampiric, isn’t it?

tithing—the practice of giving young boys to newly-born wolves to bond with them.

wolfthreat—the collective name for all the wolves in the hall.

werthreat—the collective name for all the humans in the hall.

And now to the character list.

New/adolescent recruits:

Isolfr (Njall Gunnarrson)—our pretty main character, “precarious and fragile and pale, skin and hair and eyes all pale, like snow, like ice” (46), with gray eyes; tends to blush a lot. Very devoted to honor. Seems reluctantly drawn to traditionally female things and then vaguely ashamed of it due to in-bred sexism and his father’s homophobia. Good with an axe and healing. Wolf companion: Viradechtis (female, daughter of Vigdis). Their relationship is adorable and lovely.

Frithulf (Brandr Erikson)—a.k.a. “Quick Tongue,” “a slight blond boy” (25) who is Njall’s talkative and sly friend, one of his very best friends. At first they share plates and a pallet also. Wolf companion: Kothran (pale male, runt of the litter, Viradechtis’ brother).

Ulfrikr (Svanrikr)—a.k.a. “Un-Wise,” a hall-bred boy with swagger but no real skills who is always causing trouble. Wolf companion: Skefill (male, Viradechtis’ brother).

Sokkolfr (Sigmundr)—a.k.a. “the Stone,” a quiet but comforting presence, and one of Njall’s very best friends. Wolf companion: Hroi.

Aurulfr (Hlothvinr)—a.k.a. “The Brown,” “shy and wary, but chattered like a magpie once he was comfortable” (40), “tall and broad in the shoulders, his brown-blond braids thick as ropes” (147). Wolf companion: Griss (male, Viradechtis’ brother).

Johvatr—Nervous around the wolves and not so quick to pick up on wolf “names” (distinct smells).

Ulfbjorn (Leif)—a.k.a. “The Great,” “quiet, steady, observant; he was going to be a massive man when he finished growing” (40). One of Njall’s best friends. Wolf companion: Tindr (male).

Skirnulf (Fastvaldr)—Wolf companion: Authun (male, friendly).

Clorulf—Kind and patient with Isolfr. Wolf companion: Vith (male).

Kari—has “a wiry, wild sort of dignity, even with his mouse-colored hair worked loose from its braids to straggle into his eyes” (200), refuses to take a wolfcarl’s name. Excellent at survival in the wild. A good friend of Isolfr’s. Wolf companion: Hrafn (formerly wild male).

Asvolfr—the leader of Bravoll’s young men.

Wolfcarls in the Nithogsfjoll Wolfheall:

Hrolleif—companion to the konigenwolf, “a big man, almost as tall and stocky as a troll himself, wild-bearded, his graying read hair braided back from his temples” (14). Becomes Njall’s mentor. Wolf companion: Vigdis (female Queen-wolf, mother to Viradechtis).

Grimolfr—wolfjarl, “his hair iron-black and his face like something carved from flint” (22). Very fond of Hrolleif. Wolf companion: Skald (huge male, mated to Vigdis).

Skjaldwulf—a.k.a. “Snow-Soft,” a great storyteller, a tall man with black braids and a “resonant, carrying baritone” (27), “spare-framed, coarse-skinned and dark-haired, silent still to the point of being worrisome” (71), who is considered witty but dangerous. Wolf companion: Mar (black male), who is ambitious and supports Skald.

Randulfr—“a young man, blond and ruddy-faced” (31). Eyjolfr’s lover. Wolf companion: Ingrun (female).

Thurulfr—Wolf companion: Egill (male). Newcomers to the hall, dominant males who make Hrolleif/Vigdis angry.

Hrolfmarr—Wolf companion: Kolli.

Yngvulf—a.k.a. “the Black,” has black brows (70). Follows Hringolfr. Wolf companion: Arngrimr (male), who is aggressive and has designs on Skald’s place as Vidgis’ mate.

Hringolfr—a.k.a. “Left-Hand,” a “bulky, dark man with arresting blue eyes” (69). Wolf companion: Kolgrimma (female), who is jealous of and does not like Viradechtis (and thus Isolfr).

Eyjolfr—an “eagle-faced ash-blond who was not so very much older than Isolfr…and inclined to be friendly” (68) but also rather possessive, with “cool gray eyes” (70). Randulfr’s lover. Wolf companion: Glaedir (silver male), who supports Arngrimr and had pups with Ingrun.

Housecarls in the Nithogsfjoll Wolfheall:

Ulfmaer—a “stout gray-haired housecarl” with knotted hands and a gap-toothed grin (25), Njall’s teacher and guardian when he first arrives. He and his brother are in charge of the unbonded wolves and kids in the hall. Wolf companion: Hroi (male; Ulfmaer’s second wolf, as his first, a female, was killed).

Ulfgeirr—an easy-going housecarl with “long copper-red braids” (37), lover of the wolfheall cook, Jorveig. Also responsible for trading wolves with other wolfhealls. Wolf companion: Nagli (red male).

Jorveig—the hall cook, “a big, rawboned woman with a grip like a blacksmith’s” (38), lover of Ulfgeirr.

People from other wolfhealls:

Leitholfr—Appreciates Isolfr’s neat stitching. Wolf companion: Signy (female konigenwolf of Thorsbaer).

Othwulf (Sturla Sturluson)—Isolfr’s uncle. Looks startlingly like Isolfr’s father, Gunnarr, with “wheaten braids shot through with ash” (128). Wolf companion: Vikingr (a massive black male).

Vethulf—a.k.a. Vethulf-in-the-Fire, “a tall, arrogant blue-eyed redhead of about Eyjolfr’s age” (130) who has a fiery temper and loves fighting but is also good at doctoring. From Arakensburg. Wolf companion: Kjaran (an odd-eyed gray who is very smart and has “the scent of snow carried on a bitter wind,” which is attractive to Viradechtis.) Both Vethulf and Kjaran are good runners.

?—Wolf companion: Aslaug (old female kinigenwolf, “white-muzzled, lame with arthritis, half-blind” (216)).

Brokkolfr—has “the dark coloring and intense blue eyes common to the western seafarers.” Isolfr acts as his mentor. Wolf companion: Amma (female, second in Othinnsaese).

Thorlot—the Bravoll leader’s lover, “a big woman, her forearms and shoulders muscled like a man’s, her face unexpectedly beautiful” (291). Knows a lot about blacksmithing.

Njall’s family and friends:

Gunnarr—Njall’s angry and frustrated father, who is the lord/jarl of the manor/keep. Unfortunately homophobic and suspicious of the wolfheall.

Halfrid—Njall’s calm and wise mother who gives Njall her blessing to go to the wolfheall.

Alfleda—a haughty young girl who was Njall’s girlfriend and who does not approve of him going to the wolfheall.

Jonak—Njall’s younger brother.

Kathlin—Njall’s defiant younger sister, “a slip, an alf-seeming thing with the promise of their mother’s looks, and all their father’s temper” (20).

Hjordis Weaver—a village woman whom Isolfr sleeps with, widow of Einarr Skeggason, “tall, big-boned, her hands strong and callused from spindle, wheel, and loom. But her eyes were bright and merry as a girl’s still, wickedly teasing” (117). Her sister is named Angrbotha.