A read-in-single-sitting kind of werewolf tale with a richly detailed plot and backstory.
Set in 18th century France, Stone’s third installment in The Lykanos Chronicles blends elements of urban fantasies, historical fiction, and romance. Esprit, a seventeen-year-old carnival performer, has dark desires his family rejects. But then he meets the Baron and Baroness du Roussade, who help him discover his dormant werewolf nature. With this newfound power, he embarks on a journey guided by love and longing for freedom. Stone’s paranormal tale has all the right romantic dark fantasy elements—werewolf lore and a troubled protagonist—set against a lush setting. Questions of sexuality, love, passion, happiness, society, and interpersonal connections are logically discussed through the characters’ stories. The worldbuilding is hefty, and characterization is well-realized. The book’s real strength, however, lies in its complete commitment to its dark atmosphere, with magnificently obscure mansions, bloodshed, and supernatural allure. The finale brings Esprit’s journey to an apt close, while leaving the door ajar for revisiting this eerie fantasy realm. Readers will find themselves lost in this layered drama.
The Wolf Esprit
(The Lykanos Chronicles)
Joseph Stone
Pub date October 11, 2023
ISBN 979-8864070376
Price $24.99 (USD) Hardcover, $17.99 Paperback, $0.00 Kindle edition
