Review: Horror, Romance, The Inquisition, Superb Plot
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 11, 2013
Having read most of Michael Wallace's fiction, I found "Wolves of Paris" to be his best in terms of plot complexity. Wallace's characters are always so real the reader surely feels he knows them by the time he finishes the book, and this is no exception, especially the brothers Lorenzo and Marco and the lovely lady for whom they both have eyes. The lady, however, has a complicated involvement in a werewolf-like menace to Paris and the surrounding countryside, having spoiled her first husband's plans to become an immortal being who could change from wolf to man at will. By polluting his potion, she created a monster who has, in turn, created more monsters, and the lady has enough of a conscience to want to help purge the menace. She also has a special motivation in that her converted husband and other manwolves have targeted her specifically. Mix in the elements of The Inquisition looking for sorcery and blasphemy around every corner, and Wallace has given us a superbly complicated-but-easy-to-follow situation surrounding the plot, which constantly thickens. Unlike many horror stories, this one gives us an outstanding two-fronted fight at the finish between men and beasts, and even though we're pretty sure of the outcome, we still cringe at the carnage of the battle.