On the death of her parents Regaine was left in the care of her uncle Gundabald and his son Hugo. But despite her distant relationship to Charlemagne, Gundabald and Hugo keep Regaine locked in her room with only her mother's old clothes to wear. However, Regaine has her own secret – she can transform into a silver wolf.

As Grundabald and Hugo are intent on holding this ability against her – they threaten to inform the church and have her declared a witch unless she helps them in their sinister schemes. She is to be married off to a barbarian lord with the sole intention of exerting control over his actions. But, while in her wolf form, Regaine has met another dark wolf who seems to offer the possibility of a new life.

Will Regaine be forced to marry a man she has never me? Will she be able to keep her double identity a secret? Although everything seems impossible she does have a few allies who may be able to assist.

The Silver Wolf is an enchanting fantasy story by author Alice Borchardt and follows the experiences of Regaine, a shape-changer, as she tries to keep her abilities secret from both the church and her husband-to-be. It would be very simple to make this story just about the shape-changing and an arranged marriage but Borchardt has woven a much more complex story with a rich cast of characters including the pope, his mistress and son.

Essentially this is a love story but to pigeonhole it as such is to do a wonderful novel a great disservice. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a romantic read as much as the next woman but I do prefer something a little more involved and this book gives me all of this and more. The political intrigue makes this a much more complex story than the simple "boy wolf meets girl wolf" tale that it could have been.

Alice Borchardt is an excellent author with a mature, compelling style. She writes fantasy stories that take the genre beyond the "hack and slay" world of more traditional fantasy novels. She develops characters that have distinct personalities and weaves scenarios that wrap you in a complex world of magic, politics and love.

If you enjoyed reading fantasy when you were younger but have been looking for something a little more "grown-up" then I strongly recommend that you try Alice Borchardt's books. Truly stunning.