Read The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky Online

The Wolf in the Whale Reviews

• 
  Kathy

  The Wolf in the Whale is a languid, immersive tapestry consisting primarily of Inuit culture and mythology but one that has threads of Norse mythos weaving through it. And the result has a little bit of everything--fantastic character work, slow-burn romance, meddling gods, wolves that are whales that are wolves, battles ranging from small-scale to continent-spanning, and themes of gender roles and identity.
  
  Above all that, though, it's about changing narratives that others have set up for you. The Wolf in the Whale is a languid, immersive tapestry consisting primarily of Inuit culture and mythology but one that has threads of Norse mythos weaving through it. And the result has a little bit of everything--fantastic character work, slow-burn romance, meddling gods, wolves that are whales that are wolves, battles ranging from small-scale to continent-spanning, and themes of gender roles and identity.
  
  Above all that, though, it's about changing narratives that others have set up for you. And I think that's what I loved most about it.
  
  I found the story to be a very spiritual and empowering one as it follows the "Heroine's Journey" template in a way that's very reminiscent of Juliet Marillier's work (I talked a bit about the ins-and-outs of the Heroine's Journey in this post and why I love it so much).
  
  The TL;DR of Heroine's Journey and what differentiates it from the Hero's Journey is that while the latter is very external (big baddie to defeat, world to save, etc), the former is very internal. So the plot follows this trajectory:
  
  Omat starts out with nearly everything she could hope for. She's an Inuit shaman-in-training who will one day lead her camp, and though born female, she thinks of herself a boy and no one really challenges her on that. So she's allowed to hunt with the men and do other "male" activities (which she's very good at). All in all, she's content with her current role and her future.
  
  And then all of that comes crashing down around her.
  
  What follows is a brutal and lonely journey across the ice that culminates in a quest to rescue her brother. But running parallel to that, and what is ultimately the heart of the story, is a personal quest to find herself in a world where people and gods alike are determined to put her in a labelled box, saying "This is where you belong."
  
  So the Heroine's Journey doesn't really work if the main character doesn't work. Luckily that's not a problem here because Omat is utterly fantastic--hard-headed, empathetic, vulnerable. Brodsky takes her sweet time to set her up and people might complain that it makes the beginning too slow and ponderous, but I think a strong starting foundation for the protagonist is essential with these types of stories.
  
  The main story you see in the synopsis doesn't actually appear until about 40% of the way in. Everything before that is dedicated to exploring Omat and her relationship with her family and immersing in Inuit culture and mythos (all very well-researched).
  
  And I read it in one sitting which doesn't happen often these days, so that should tell you how engaging this slow first half is.
  
  My second favourite part about the book? The relationship between Omat and Brandr, a Norseman who starts out as her enemy but soon becomes her companion.
  
  This isn't a one-sided "hotshot hero comes in to rescue the heroine and teach her about love" kind of relationship. These are two fractured people--both nursing pain and loneliness--who are learning to understand each other's language (literally and metaphorically) and helping each other heal and become stronger.
  
  And Brodsky shows exactly what I want to see in a story about two "enemy" characters from different cultures working together--a sharing of beliefs and faiths and the acknowledgement that yes, the other might be strange and foreign, but the world as a whole is strange and foreign. And there's always more they could learn from it.
  
  There's this gorgeously drawn-out scene where they talk about the dead and the possibility of afterlives, and Omat consoles Brandr by saying that the souls of your loved ones are reborn within you when they die. His response is skeptical so she then counters with:
  
  

  "You don't seem to believe in a world you cannot see. And yet, if I were you, I wouldn't believe your stories of deserts and volcanoes and tall buildings of stones. I would say you made them up, since I've never seen them. But instead, I trust that there are many things beyond my understanding."

  
  
  It's a quiet, introspective scene that does nothing to further the plot and everything to further the characters, and I love it so damn much. There are many like it and they show that, beyond the meshing of mythologies, this is the area Brodansky truly excels at.
  
  Speaking of which...to cap all this praise off, you also get Norse gods clashing with Inuit spirits and the result is exactly what I'd hoped for--exhilarating, educational and, again, highlighting parallels between the two cultures.
  
  That being said, I did have issues with the pacing in the latter third of the book. I think the events leading up to the ending could have been a lot shorter, or if not shorter, then had more of an in-depth exploration into Freydis, the woman who's leading the Norsemen. She's a fascinating character and I wish I could have gotten a bit more from her.
  
  I also have a niggling issue with the fact that Omat only becomes comfortable with her female body the moment she starts getting sexually involved with Brandr. It's obviously not the author's intent to be like, "Hey, kids, you only need to meet the right man to make you feel comfortable in your own skin!" But that's kind of what it comes across as.
  
  Overall, The Wolf in the Whale is a wonderful standalone mashup of history and fantasy, and one that celebrates a culture that isn't often explored in mainstream fiction.
  
  ~
  
  Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own. ...more
• 
  Nina Carboni

  Excellent! A bit slow to start but I had goosebumps by the end.
• 
  Holly (Holly Hearts Books)

  “Why would I continue life as a man trapped in a girl’s body when I could just as easily fly into the heavens or run with the wolves?”
  
  Imagine a world so breathtakingly beautiful and dangerous, so hard and cold and brutal, yet bristling with colors that will never be brighter and enormous landscapes unmarked by the will of humankind. In this world, every step could be your last, and every breath is spent in the fight for survival.
  
  I must praise Brodsky on her inimitable style and writing technique “Why would I continue life as a man trapped in a girl’s body when I could just as easily fly into the heavens or run with the wolves?”
  
  Imagine a world so breathtakingly beautiful and dangerous, so hard and cold and brutal, yet bristling with colors that will never be brighter and enormous landscapes unmarked by the will of humankind. In this world, every step could be your last, and every breath is spent in the fight for survival.
  
  I must praise Brodsky on her inimitable style and writing techniques that really make this book shine. There's one aspect in particular I'm referring to and it's the bold and heartbreaking moves that I believe really work to this book's advantage. Brodsky wrote this book in such a unique and powerful way that really strengthens the storyline and our connection to the characters. I wish I could say more, but I'll leave it at this. The way Brodsky tells the story feels more personal, and it allows Omat to draw more conclusions, think more clearly on past events and how she felt at the time and what she was thinking etc..
  
  Omat was born with a man's spirit in a woman’s body. When she took her father's name, Omat, she also inherited his spirit and is raised as he had been. The main character is even called Little Son by her father who is technically her grandfather, she’s confused on why she’s not growing facial hair like the young men around her. She always believed she’d become a great hunter, take a wife, and father children. No one ever questioned her maleness until well, a certain scene in this book. I will go no farther.
  
  But this makes her question everything she believed in. Including becoming the strong shaman for her people.
  
  Now that statement brings in our magic system and I don’t even like calling it that because it’s so incredibly spiritual and moving but it centers around animal transformations and Gods. To become a shaman which grants you that power, Omat must go on a treacherous journey to find her spirit guide. Now there is one rule you must follow with this responsibility and that is you must save your powers for the most direst circumstances.
  
  Unfortunately the spirits have stopped listening and have different plans for her.
  
  World mythologies can be tricky, in my opinion. They're alive, well-known, interesting by themselves. Choosing to use them as a retelling can become a boomerang in the hands of an incompetent author. Naturally, this isn't the case here. Brodsky takes the Norse and Inuit legends and transforms them into a beautiful and poetic story in a vast cold and brutal landscape. Stakes are risen at every turn and you will find yourself flipping the pages and wanting more in the end. This is a FANTASTIC novel and I am proud to display this on my favorites shelf. ...more
• 
  Mara

  I really enjoyed this, especially as a breath of fresh air in the fantasy books I've been reading in the last year. I absolutely adored the Inuit & Viking lore interwoven to create the magic system & fantasy world. I loved the characters, and was delighted to see the exploration of fluidity in Omat's gender identity. That was definitely an unexpected thematic element to this 1000AD era fantasy world, and I thought the author's unraveling of Omat's feelings about her own status as both ma I really enjoyed this, especially as a breath of fresh air in the fantasy books I've been reading in the last year. I absolutely adored the Inuit & Viking lore interwoven to create the magic system & fantasy world. I loved the characters, and was delighted to see the exploration of fluidity in Omat's gender identity. That was definitely an unexpected thematic element to this 1000AD era fantasy world, and I thought the author's unraveling of Omat's feelings about her own status as both man and woman was really well handled. The writing in this was lovely, the action scenes were handled nicely, and I loved the slow unspooling of the romance between Omat & Brandr.
  
  The only thing that docks this down for me is pacing - I thought it was rather uneven, with some stretches going by so slowly and then other bits flying by too quickly. Other than that, I really enjoyed my time in this world and would recommend for someone looking for a change of pace from a lot of other hyped fantasy coming out this year
  
  Also, definite CWs on explicit depictions of violence, including sexual violence ...more
• 
  kath | novelandfolk

  The Wolf in the Whale was a book that I expected to enjoy but found myself surprised by how much I ended up loving! so many feels - this book is grim, brutal, heartbreaking. the wolf in the whale is a powerful exploration of survival in the most barren of landscapes, family loyalty, and gender fluidity in a time that afforded no leniency for challenging the established ways.
  
  these characters, especially omat and brandr, got under my skin and spoke to me deeply. i’ve never read anything like omat, The Wolf in the Whale was a book that I expected to enjoy but found myself surprised by how much I ended up loving! so many feels - this book is grim, brutal, heartbreaking. the wolf in the whale is a powerful exploration of survival in the most barren of landscapes, family loyalty, and gender fluidity in a time that afforded no leniency for challenging the established ways.
  
  these characters, especially omat and brandr, got under my skin and spoke to me deeply. i’ve never read anything like omat, an Inuit with a female body who has inherited the soul of her dead father. it was completely fascinating to experience Inuit spiritual beliefs through her character.
  
  the Inuit and Norse cultures are meticulously researched and etched out in intricate detail with many magical elements mixed in, making this a book for history and fantasy lovers alike. i am of the opinion that we need much more aboriginal and non-binary rep like this and I am so very full of appreciation for this beautiful tale.
  
  now please excuse me, i’m going to go have a nice long cathartic cry.
  
  {trigger warning for graphic violence and rape.}
  
  4 stars
  
  thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.<\I> ...more
• 
  Jacqui

  Jordanna Max Brodsky's The Wolf and the Whale (Redhook 2019) is a saga of life before man was the unequivocal alpha on the planet, when Nature still thought she could defeat us. This is a time when man protected barely survived the coldest weather, when food was a treat to be relished when available, when only the tough had any expectation of surviving. If you weren't tough, you weren't valued.
  
  Omat is that person. She suffers mightily from hunger, bad luck, and deaths of the hunters within her I Jordanna Max Brodsky's The Wolf and the Whale (Redhook 2019) is a saga of life before man was the unequivocal alpha on the planet, when Nature still thought she could defeat us. This is a time when man protected barely survived the coldest weather, when food was a treat to be relished when available, when only the tough had any expectation of surviving. If you weren't tough, you weren't valued.
  
  Omat is that person. She suffers mightily from hunger, bad luck, and deaths of the hunters within her Inuit tribe. Her life has been difficult from an inauspicious beginning when she was left to die in the snow, saved only by the kindness of a great white wolf. Her tribe struggles to survive in the arctic cold of North America, only to be kidnapped, raped, and enslaved by invaders who are later destroyed by the arrival of the Vikings. She is a seer, able to talk to the gods, until they reject her, leaving her wondering at her purpose. Many times, she wants to give up but something within won’t allow it. And so she continues.
  
  From Amazon:
  
  "The Wolf in the Whale is a powerful tale of magic, discovery and adventure, featuring an unforgettable narrator ready to confront the gods themselves."
  
  The characters are strong and well-developed, mostly likable. The setting is so cold, I am there, my hands freezing to hard white knobs, my stomach long past growling from hunger when the caribou can't be found. The plot itself is intricate and well-developed, taking me well-beyond a story of survival or the history of the earliest North Americans.
  
  "...watching the story fly before me like a cast harpoon. I moved to follow it, my"
  
  Where did it lose a point? There were places it dragged, where I wanted to move ahead but we were stuck in backstory and detail. For some, that could work fine. ...more
• 
  Tucker (TuckerTheReader)

  OMG! Poor wolfie. It's gonna die in there
• 
  Anna 'Bookbuyer' call me bookbuyer. ^-^

  I don't know how I feel about this book. It was amazing but had some aspects I wasn't sure or didn't like.
  
  Loved.
  
  - That Omat was both man and woman. This also irked but but it might have just been my assumptions. See didn't like for answer.
  
  - That she fell in love with a Viking! O.o
  
  - That she proved herself as a 'man'
  
  - The magic! Of course! lol.
  
  - The mythology! So beautiful if at times a bit confusing.
  
  Disliked:
  
  - I was really hoping this would be an LGBT book I could rave about and recommend but t I don't know how I feel about this book. It was amazing but had some aspects I wasn't sure or didn't like.
  
  Loved.
  
  - That Omat was both man and woman. This also irked but but it might have just been my assumptions. See didn't like for answer.
  
  - That she fell in love with a Viking! O.o
  
  - That she proved herself as a 'man'
  
  - The magic! Of course! lol.
  
  - The mythology! So beautiful if at times a bit confusing.
  
  Disliked:
  
  - I was really hoping this would be an LGBT book I could rave about and recommend but the ending makes me hesitate. I'm personally not 'T' so I don't know how accurate it is. But it seemed so good at the beginning. :(
  
  - The rape. 👿
  
  - Some of the violence. Like that poor baby's head being crushed! 😭
  
  ...more