The Red Wolf Conspiracy: Summary and book reviews of The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert Redick, plus links to an excerpt from The Red Wolf Conspiracy and a biography of Robert Redick.
The Red Wolf Conspiracy
by Robert V. Redick
Hardcover: Apr 2009,
464 pages.
Paperback: Jan 2010,
544 pages.
Already a publishing sensation in England, The Red Wolf Conspiracy marks the debut of a remarkably gifted young writer. Robert V. S. Redick has been compared to Philip Pullman, George R. R. Martin, and China Miéville, among others, and like them he is a spellbinding storyteller, unafraid to sail his imagination into uncharted waters. With The Red Wolf Conspiracy he launches the first book of a trilogy destined to take its place among the classics of epic fantasy.
The Imperial Merchant Ship Chathrand is the last of her kind. Six hundred years old, the secrets of her construction long forgotten, the massive vessel dwarfs every other sailing craft in the world. It is a palace with sails, a floating outpost of the Empire of Arqual. And it is on its most vital mission yet: to deliver a young woman whose marriage will seal the peace between Arqual and its mortal enemy, the secretive Mzithrin Empire. But the young woman in question - Thasha, the daughter of the Arquali ambassador - has no intention of going meekly to the altar. For the ship's true mission is not peace but war - a war that threatens to unleash an ancient, all-consuming evil.
As the dark conspiracy at the heart of the voyage unfurls, Pazel Pathkendle, a lowly tarboy with an uncanny gift, will find himself in an unlikely alliance with Thasha and her protectors: Hercól, a valet who is more than he appears; Dri, the queen of a race of tiny stowaways who have their own plans for the great ship; and Ramachni, a powerful sorcerer from another world. Arrayed against them are the Chathrand's brutal captain, Nilus Rose; the Emperor's spymaster and chief assassin, Sandor Ott; and the enigmatic Dr. Chadfallow, a longtime friend to Pazel's family whose kind words may hide a vicious betrayal.
As the Chathrand navigates treacherous waters to complete its mission, Pazel, Thasha, and their allies - including a singularly heroic rat - must also navigate a treacherous web of intrigue to uncover the secret of the legendary Red Wolf.
What really sets this novel above the norm, though, is the quality of Redick's writing. Like most fantasy novels, this book contains a huge number of characters. Amazingly, nearly all of them are three-dimensional. Even characters with "bit parts" are fully-developed. There may be an occasional stereotype here and there, but they're rare. It's a remarkable feat considering the large cast. He also does a marvelous job of portraying the swashbuckling nature of the story. His descriptions of life on the sea and of the tall sailing ships seem dead on, and his action sequences frequently leave the reader breathless.
The Red Wolf Conspiracy is geared toward a very broad audience. The book has no sexual content and the violence depicted isn't extreme, making it appropriate fare for young adults. More mature readers will appreciate its intricate plot, richly imagined world and high-quality narrative. (Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).
New York Review of Science Fiction
Redick joins the ranks of writers challenging the fantasy genre and making it exciting again.
School Library Journal (Adult Books for Teens)
Like many epic fantasies, this book starts slowly, but teens will soon be engrossed in the battle of good versus evil as the protagonists and their allies take on this cunning lot of villains
Library Journal
Starred Review. With comparisons to Geroge R.R. Martin and Philip Pullman, this is highly recommended for all fantasy collections.
Kirkus Reviews
The story is populated by witches, mermaids, talking animals, tiny foot-high warriors and more. It will keep readers avidly turning pages-and looking forward to the next installment. A quality debut.
Publishers Weekly
Both adult and young adult readers will find much to enjoy in this tale of sea-faring and bloody diplomacy.
SFX magazine
[An] outstanding debut . . . With its colourful cast of inhabitants, which include a band of tiny, Lilliputian-style warriors, sentient rats and archetypal ancient evil the Shaggat Ness, the Chathrand brings to mind The Scar's fantastical floating city.
Fantasy Book Critic
A wondrous creation . . . an entertaining, fast-paced saga of high-seas adventure that is part fantasy quest, part political intrigue, and part coming-of-age tale.
Terry Brooks
What can I say about a book as exciting and fresh as The Red Wolf Conspiracy? I can't remember when I've been so enthralled. Maybe when I first read Philip Pullman. This is one terrific read.
A Beginner's Guide to Tall Ships The Red Wolf Conspiracy takes place almost entirely aboard an immense
sailing ship (aka "tall ship") with seven decks and five sails, similar, albeit perhaps on a grander scale, to those one might envision in use during the 18th
century. Although the book is set in a fantasy world, Redick references familiar
ship types and crew positions throughout the novel.
A tall ship* is a large traditionally rigged sailing vessel. Tall ships are defined by their rigging, their masts and, in particular, by their sails. Some of the more common ship types are:
Fully-Rigged: Three or more masts with square sails on each mast.
Barque:
Three or more masts, with square sails on all except the smaller mizzen
mast at the back (aft) of the boat.
Barquentine:
Three or more masts, but with a square sail only on the fore mast.
Action - a stunning magic system - swordplay galore for ages 12+.
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(933 words).
School Library Journal (Adult Books for Teens)
Terry Brooks
