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    The Red Wolf Conspiracy
    The Red Wolf Conspiracy
    The Red Wolf Conspiracy
    Audiobook19 hours

    The Red Wolf Conspiracy

    Written by Robert V.S. Redick

    Narrated by Michael Page

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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 Mieville, 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: Hercoacute;l, 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateSep 28, 2009
    ISBN9781400182947
    The Red Wolf Conspiracy

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    Reviews for The Red Wolf Conspiracy

    4.5/5

    24 ratings15 reviews

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    • 5/5
      The Red Wolf Conspiracy was the most enjoyable fantasy novel I've read for a few years. Redick's comfort with the building blocks of novel construction bely the books debut status, and it has me tearing through the sequels at a rate of knots. Pazel is a refugee ship's boy with an unusual talent for acquiring languages. Through happenstance he finds himself on the last, greatest ship in the Empire - capable of carrying over a thousand people. But crushed amongst the sailors and tourists, there are agents for and against the powerful Arquali empire, and Pazel will find himself in grave danger before he's even left port.The Red Wolf Conspiracy is both original, but also unashamedly old-school in its construction. Old school in the sense that it lacks a gimmick, or thinly disguised metaphor underneath its swashbuckling yarn. Equally, it lacks a kind of "gritty" masculine braggadocio that other writers like Steven Erikson takes to adolescent extremes. Perhaps this explains its lack of critical "oomph" on publication - though I note every reviewer that has read the book seems to like it. What Red Wolf Conspiracy does have, though, is something much better. A fully fleshed-out world with a concrete sense of place and time. Wonderfully three-dimensional characters with believable, complex motivations, and the crucial fines herbes of a good fantasy novel (in my opinion): A strong narrative; a ripe sense of possibility and magic; and an undercurrent of romance or passion. The two main protagonists, though young, are mature and suitably complex. Their backgrounds shape their reactions and emotions, but they also grow and change over the books. The same can be said of all the characters, really - The boat could become a metaphor for a voyage of personal discovery; a journey into the unknown where the traveller is changed long before the destination is reach, if there is one. Indeed, under Redick's deceptively smooth prose, there's a philosphical bent to the book. It's not heavy-handed, and never overpowers a quite relentless narrative, but there's something allusive to it. Some reviews have mentioned the teenage protagonists as an attempt to gain cross-over appeal, but I vehemently disagree. This is a book centred around discovery - for its characters, its races, and its nations. What age is better suited to a voyage of self discovery than adolescence? In this respect, despite the powerhouse plot, The Red Wolf Conspiracy put me in mind of Paul Park's Roumania quartet, one of my best reads of 2012. This series is certainly shaping up in the same vein, most recommended.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      This is a story of The Chathrand. Built six hundred years go, the great ship is a towering palace on the seas and the last of her kind. Now she sets sail on a mission of diplomacy, carrying the only daughter of the Emperor's Ambassador to a marriage that will ensure the peace between two nations. The rest of the passenger list is diverse, including the ship's psychotic captain, a tarboy with a magical gift for languages, a spymaster and his six deadly assassins, a hundred imperial marines, and a small band of gremlin-like Ixchel stowaways. All look on with wonder and pride as The Chathrandembarks on this most important voyage...and then the great ship goes missing.The GoodI loved how this book started -- right away, the reader is informed through a "special notice" that the great ship has vanished at sea, along with the 800 souls she was carrying. (Souls...the choice of that word in the report had a chilling effect on me). Immediately, you're drawn into this mystery and you're flipping to the first page of the first chapter, eager to start the story which would tell you what happened. I was also impressed with just how much is in this book. There's so much magic and different races and different creatures in this book. Everyone seems to have an element of fantasy surrounding them, like Pazel the tarboy who has been blessed/burdened with a gift/curse that allows him learn and understand any language after only being exposed to them for a short time. But this power, however, also frequently gives him debilitating fits that interferes with his job aboard the decks. Then there are the Ixchel, a race of tiny people that sailors often consider nothing more than pests because their tendency to stow away aboard ships. There are also the Flikkermen, Murths (like mermaids), and a race of gigantic, enormously strong humanoids called the Augrong, among others. Not to mention the presence of special animals that are "awakened" with self-awareness and the power of intellectual thought and speech. The book is a trove of new and interesting ideas for people who love fantasy fiction.The So-SoThere is such thing as too much of a good thing. The plus of having so much going on in this book can also be seen as a minus. There are a lot of ambitious ideas in this ambitious story set in an ambitious fantasy world, and sometimes it can all get just a little too overwhelming. The first few chapters were done really well, telling a sequence of events through the eyes of several characters, with each point-of-view picking things up right after where the last one left off. Unfortunately, it also made me feel so disoriented that I had to go back and read through them again just to make sure I didn't miss anything. At this point, there were still a lot of things I didn't understand, but I just made do with telling myself to trust the author, that hopefully there will come a time when everything will be made clear.Ultimately, everything was explained, which was good, but I still thought it was a lot in the intro to heap upon your reader so quickly. The Not-So-GoodThis is more of a personal preference, really, but I just don't think "maritime fantasy" is for me. Reading about great ships and pirates and the ocean and sailing and all that puts me more in mind of historical fiction, and so I had a really hard time bringing myself back to the fact I'm actually reading a fantasy. It's just really weird. No matter how long I'd been reading this, there was always a moment of discombobulation and confusion when I picked up the book again to continue where I left off.Unfortunately, it really kept me from being immersed in this book and enjoying it fully. That said, those who love maritime settings and stories about ships would probably really love this. But even though that aspect wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I do have to say I was completely enchanted by the book's fantasy elements.
    • 4/5
      I'm always a fan of jumping into a series that already has two books out...that way I'm not waiting to read the next installment. That is until I get caught up and am sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the next one..... this is one of those series.Its a story we can all get behind... unlikely heroes being thrown together to not just save themselves but the world in which they live. Though political intrigue usually puts me off, Mr. Redick has the right amount mixed with adventure and a touch of magic as a cherry on top. I found myself not wanting to put it down because I wanted to see how young Pazel was going to save himself, find his family and fall in love with...of course... the princess.The twists and turns made sense and kept me on my toes. By the end of the book I was left wanting more and yet the first book ended where it should. It gave you just enough closure and left you wanting more.Pazel is a great hero and Thasha is a great heroine. If you remember anything about growing up you should feel a connection to each and understand their situations. As more of the main characters are introduced, Mr. Redick gives you enough pieces of each to understand their motives and their actions.You don't have to be a seafarer to understand this story. Simply love a good story of grand adventures.
    • 4/5
      Excellent new series. Comparable to Martin and Jordan
    • 4/5
      Book started slow. I actually put it aside the first time. Glad I gave it another chance. Looking forward to the sequel.
    • 5/5
      There’s nothing new in The Red Wolf Conspiracy: you’ve seen characters like this before, you’ve seen a plot like this before, and you’ve definitely read pirate books like this before. But what you haven’t read, and what you rarely encounter, are other worlds that are created as masterfully, characters that warm your heart, and compel you to cheer and shed tears at various points in the novel. You haven’t read a book like this, and lucky for you, there’s more where it came from.The characters are archetypal in every sense – the outcast hero, his faithful best friend, a stubborn, fiery heroine. These are our three young protagonists, thrown together on a voyage of the last Great Ship, Imperial Merchant Ship Chathrand, into enemy treaty to precipitate peace between two oft-warring nations. The price: the marriage of our heroine to a foreign prince. Surrounding them are giants, tiny people, assassins, doctors, merchants and mages, each with their own agendas, motivations and ambitions, but largely stereotypical in their scope. The down-side is that one is rarely surprised while reading this 500+ novel: no betrayal is shocking, no revelation is too evil, and everyone sticks to their pre-determined roles with ease. But that’s not to say the book isn’t enjoyable – in fact, it’s predictability means you have to pay extra attention to the characters, what they see and do and touch, because it all plays a part in the greater narrative.The plot of The Red Wolf Conspiracy is engaging and thrilling – who doesn’t love a ripping good yarn set primarily on a ship? In fact, the grandest ship still in existence. There are thrills and spills, and with Pazel Pathkindle, the magic-cursed deck hand, in tow, if something can go wrong, it will go wrong, which is hilarious as well as exciting. I thought the ship and its surrounding easy to imagine, especially the docksides and wharves, and various areas of the ship itself. The author has brought his world to life admirably, each race he describes has a rich history, social structure and religious background. Although the people of the Mzithrin Empire remain largely unknown, the other cultures in the book, all conquered at some point by Arqual, are fleshed out and dimensional.The one detrimental element of the book is the author’s inexplicable decision to sometimes include the most tedious details of his character’s lives, and sometimes exclude their most dangerous adventures, only informing readers of them through mundane conversations. While at first it wasn’t so bad, it became jarring and disappointing when it became a common place. The book, being quite long, probably benefits from this in terms of its length, but I think my reading experience definitely suffered.A wonderful sea-faring adventure, The Red Wolf Conspiracy combines the usual elements of epic fantasy into fun, exciting read. It’s a book that will be enjoyed by fans of Scott Lynch and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and I’m glad that Del Ray gave me the whole series to read, because I don’t think I can stay away!A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
    • 4/5
      Good read. written in a way that kept you adequately tortured to know what was going to happen next before turning to another plot in the story. Characters were developed well and had well maintained flaws.
    • 4/5
      Excellent new series. Comparable to Martin and Jordan
    • 5/5
      Almost a Five star book but there are problems, specifically with resolution. This book is crying out to have some of our heroes know victory. We have heroes and people we like as well as enemies we don't throughout, but we also have a plot that just as you think it has become twisted enough, gets even more twisted.Perhaps that is a formula for the best books in fantasy but we are generally thrown a lifeline to give us some closure, if not in everything as we have a trilogy or series, at least one part. As mentioned with a great fantasy we realize that humans are not linear, nor are politics all us against them, but complex with many diverse elements pulling and pushing.Red Wolf has that. And has it in many colours and shades. That makes a work that could have been less robust well worth the read and the effort. Even while reading you can reach a well written chapter and want to dive right into the next, but there are chapters you finish and do not have that feeling for.That is where one can encounter too many threads, and that holds this book back. Too many. Further too many problems are solved by factors that are thrown in to just solve the scene at that moment without preparation of you as the reader, while other places, careful attention to detail has been placed so you are shown how the world's magic will aid our heroes. One road or the other. Let us know of the world and let our heroes also. Don't drag us along and then throw in the magical universal problem solver ten pages from the end. However I have read few books this year that I wanted to keep going with and this is one of them. It is possibly even a read again.
    • 4/5
      "The Red Wolf Conspiracy" was actually a pleasant surprise for me. So much so that I intend to purchase a 1st Edition hb to complete my "Chathrand Voyage Quartet" properly.The book in my opinion is masterfully written and completely engrossing. A stunning debut for R.V.S.R. If you haven't read this book, or you are on the fence about purchasing it, purchase it.The story follows a group of friends that come together on the ship the M.S. Chathrand, and follows their voyage across the world as they take on an evil sorcerer hell bent on destroying their world. With twists and turns, lies and betrayals, joys and heartbreaks, you absolutely cannot go wrong with this book.
    • 5/5
      Jun10:A very solid book.Plot: Went along well enough. Tried to move pretty fast. Didn't really have twists as much as revelations. A bit jumpy with the time line.Characters: Very Very solid. Loved the lead boy and girl. Ramanchi was just awesome.Style: A great sense of adventure. And maintained throughout the whole book. Kept you coming back for more.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book more than most fantasy I've read lately. The characters are engaging and the setting is quite interesting, and feels somewhat unique. I say somewhat, because it also feels like he combined Patrick O'Brien (Master and Commander), Brian Jacques (Redwall, etc), the Borrowers, Princess Bride and Pirates of the Caribbean. The young hero of the story gets lost, captured or stranded and escapes or is rescued over and over and over. Aided by talking animals and tiny people, the heroes lurch from crisis to crisis. Pretty soon I think the Kraken will drag the ship down to Davy Jones' locker. Not really, but it sure feels that way sometimes.
    • 5/5
      This book was recommended to me by a friend. I almost put it down when I found out there were animals that could talk and battle-hardened borrower-like-people, but I'm glad I stuck with it in the end. Five chapters in I was no longer just reader it for the main character, Pazal, but most of the characters as well, although Pazel is still my favorite. There's enough twists and turns in the story to keep you well occupied with your head swiveling back and forth. It's a little depressing with the unfairness of some things, but some of the more powerful books do seem to be that way. Regardless, I thought the end was done very well; the characters are far from being out of the mess they’re in, but somehow everything seems to be okay.Looking forward to the second book.
    • 4/5
      You know I can't resist a fantasy adventure romp with good young characters (and possibly a mink, who is a wizard from another universe, you know). Looking forward to the next one.
    • 4/5
      3.5-3.75 stars

      Although I didn't come to love many or any one character in this tale, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the world building, the creatures and Pazel's gift of languages. While epic in scope, I wasn't sickened by the political intrigue and appreciated the efforts of the counter conspiracy.

      Most of the action takes place on the high seas and there are some pirates, but not in the traditional sense. Following the exploits of Pazel as a 'tarboy' made the sailing jargon more palatable.

      Strangely, this adventure reminded me of a space opera in scope, plot and characterization. I plan to read the next novel, conveniently available now after it's recent release in February 2010.