Henry VIII: Wolfman
by AE Moorat
(Hodder & Stoughton, R120)
AE Moorat follows in the tradition of Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by offering yet another historical monster mash-up that plunges readers into the world of King Henry VIII, with werewolves.
The king is bitten by a werewolf in a bid by the wolven race to improve their rank within the demonic hordes. Moorat consequently takes liberties with the historical timeline, while chaos ensues – often with catastrophic and sometimes amusing results.
Written from a third-person omniscient point of view, Henry VIII: Wolfman follows the doings of a large cast of characters, and consequently loses focus very early in the story. While I appreciate the author’s need to give a broad picture of the tale, I just couldn’t invest emotionally in any of the characters. The Hoblets, a couple of fake witchfinders, stood out and were vaguely funny, but even then they came across almost as Hollywood-style caricatures.
Central to the tale is King Henry’s struggle with his identity as a just monarch versus the apparent freedom offered by his changed status as a werewolf. All around him his subjects are embroiled in Machiavellian plotting, and many meet sticky ends.
One incident involving a lute offered me a certain degree of squick factor.
The overarching story progresses at a brisk pace, full of black humour. Scenes often have gore-spattered conclusions, so if gratuitous splatter isn’t quite your thing, consider yourself warned.
There were times when I felt the story bordered on being contrived, especially with regard to some of the comedy aspects, which weren’t helped by my sense that the editing may have been a bit rushed. All things considered, however, this novel won’t tax your grey matter.
You can happily pack Henry VIII: Wolfman in your suitcase to accompany you on a lazy holiday where you want a few chuckles and a humorous poke at an alternative history. – Nerine Dorman