Reviewed by Mal
TITLE: The Wolf and His King
AUTHOR: Finn Longman
PUBLISHER: Erewhon Books
LENGTH: 334 Pages
RELEASE DATE: January 27, 2026
BLURB:
Madeline Miller meets Angela Carter in this spellbinding queer retelling of the 12th – century tale of Bisclavret the werewolf — unmissable for fans of Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Swordcrossed by Freya Marske, and The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.
A noble knight hiding the beast inside. A lonely king isolated by his courtiers. Between them an impossible gulf surmountable only by the twists and turns of relentless destiny in this spellbinding retelling of Marie de France’s classic 12th-century tale of romance and adventure.
The wolf-sickness strikes always without warning, stealing Bisclavret’s body and confusing his mind. Since boyhood, he hasn’t dared leave his isolated holdings—not to beg the return of his father’s lost estate, not to seek brotherhood among the court, not even to win the knighthood he yearns for. But when a new king ascends, Bisclavret must deliver his kiss of fealty or answer for the failure.
Half an exile himself, the young king is intrigued by this uneasy, rough-hewn nobleman. Bisclavret seems a perfect knight: bold, strong, and merciful. But he keeps his secrets close, and the king’s longings are not for counsel alone. As his fascination grows, the barriers between them multiply, until one day Bisclavret vanishes beyond reach. Battling desperation and grief, the king stands alone to face the greatest threats to his kingdom, with only duty to his people between him and ruin—duty, and the steadfast loyalty of the strangest wolf . . .
REVIEW:
Oh this story was just beautiful! I havn’t read the original story but the retelling that Longman gives us is beautifully set in medieval Brittany , the language and the events gently transporting us to the period but loosing none of the connection it builds with the reader, asking us to invest in these characters they have put in page. I found myself surprised by the emotions this story evoked in me – despair, sadness, hope, loneliness, joy, belonging, hurt all of this and more.
Bisclavret is in exile, not just physically but in his soul because of his wolf sickness and The King sees not just a kinship but is completely taken with him. Oh the longing and pining in this story is sublime and that HEA is unbelievably satisfying. This story so full of unexpected twists and turns and the world building is perfection.
I loved the messages of belonging and I think I would say the Knight in green is my favourite for sure.
Even when all felt lost and I had no idea what was coming the magical nature of the story gives you hope which is a very strong theme throughout the story as is how Bisclavret deals with vulnerability.
The twists had me gasping and so angry and oh my god I’m still not over it. The vengence was so satisfying
I adored The King, fully love him. Unbelievably impactful character.
The POV choice for the King was novel and took me a minute to get used to but somehow it was appropriate, I’ll have to think more on why that was.
I loved the mind of the wolf, somehow so viscerally raw, still stays with me.
RATING: 
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