Rise of the Wolf
This is book two in the Mark of the Thief series, which takes place in ancient Rome. The Praetors, who serve the goddess Diana, seek the Malice of Mars, a totem of magical power, which, together with two other pieces of magic, will allow Diana to overthrow the other gods. Radulf seeks the Malice to destroy Rome, and Valerius wants it to protect Rome. Our hero, Nic, has the first totem, stolen from Caesar’s tomb in the first book. Nic may also have the key that will open the temple that hides the Malice, so all the powerful men of Rome are seeking Nic to get to the Malice. All Nic wants is his freedom and safety for his mother, sister and girlfriend.
Nic is noble, impetuous, and stupid. He admits, “…every choice I made seemed to be the wrong one,” which can get frustrating for a reader after a while. Although the gods are allegedly involved in the conflict, they are frustratingly absent from the story. We only know what they want by what the humans say they want. The rules for the magic are inconsistent. And why doesn’t Nic transport himself and his loved ones away from danger more often, since it is a skill he possesses? The romance is awkward, as is much of the dialog. The plot has holes, but readers might not notice because the pace of the story flies. Conflict piles on conflict, with fighting and escape, capture and bargaining, chariot racing and magic. Middle-grade and young teen readers may enjoy this book very much, but I do not expect crossover appeal.
