Posted on  28/09/2022 13:41:42

My rating: 5 absolutely not mangy stars

'For the ageing, menopausal, snarky and disappointed. We deserve our fantasy too.'

And this one is just... PERFECT. 



I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard while reading a book. The full out belly laughter with tears in your eyes and gasping for breath kind. Caroline Noe, if you're ever going to read this little review... you made me laugh so hard I wet my pants!
Your book is bloody brilliant!

Now let me get to the WHY part. (*cracking knuckles, popping bones and getting down to writing*)
But, before I proceed, beware. There'll be quite a bit of irreverent snark, mostly due to 'a grey haired old fart.' grumpy old eagles and a mangy wolf, but truly, much much more.

So if you're looking for young and beautiful, sexy hot smut and first's love perfect kiss, look elsewhere please. Neither this book nor this review are it.
If on the other hand, snarky middle-aged tales are your jam, pull up a seat my friend cause this one's a real treat!

As the blurb aptly warns, A Wolf So Grim And Mangy is the tale of a disillusioned former fantasy believer in her fifties. Her name is Edi (short for Edith), who occasionally wishes she were someone else, doing something else and living anywhere else, because anything would be better than her lonely life and rubbish job.
When she ends up standing on a spot vacated by a toilet wiping dog pee from her ankle with an idiotic map after reading from a weird magic book and is Once Upon A Timed to a stunningly beautiful freeze-your-arse-off mountain in the middle of nowhere, no one can really blame her for cursing the Great Beyond's idea of a cruel joke. I bet you can't read that whole sentence without stopping to take a breath. :D
But back to the book, because I digress - of course our Edi won't find a handsome prince waiting for her on arrival. Because this is a real story and the real deal. She gets a mangy wolf instead. ;)

She finds herself smack down in the middle of a dispute between several clans of shifters with an attitude. And when I say that I mean ALL those shifters. And ALL the attitude. As it turns out, they're in trouble because their youngsters go missing and they need a Chosen Saviour to help sort the mystery out, and keep them off each other's throats. A prophesized Saviour who's 'young and beautiful, with long, sun blond hair to her waist and even her nails sparkle.' Not 'a padded old woman.'
But none of the poor schmucks counted on the curiosity and wits of a modern middle-aged woman. And none of them realised there's nothing more lethal than said pissed off woman on a self-appointed mission. Too bad they didn't get the memo. :D Because when Edi pokes her nose into their business they won't know what hit them. Not only figuratively speaking - just to be clear.

I won't tell you anything else about the plot, because I don't want to spoil, and it's best you go into this the way I did - head on and crash landing - eagle style. You'll get what I mean by this when you read the book. (*slapping duct tape on the mouth to prove a point*) I bet my shiny new Gucci purse that you're gonna love it!



Now where was I? Right! What to expect.

Apart from our Edi, who occasionally (*cough*) more often than not fumbles around like a walrus in a dinner jacket and gets into trouble faster than you can say chicken.
Plenty of snarling and fur flying, bald eagles and furry missiles, complete with a cartload of snarky fun. Grumpy old eagles nannying mangy wolves into circus outfits whining and whinging in stereo all the way, birds smacked in the mush till the faces are flat and snakes booted in the nuts.... There's a lot more where that came from but you get the gist by now. All around glorious fun!

And at the centre of it all, a wonderful message and a tale as heartwarming as it gets. A tale that poignantly shows it doesn't matter what type of feathers, fur or scales you wear. We are all the same flesh and blood underneath it all and we can all get along if only we give each other a chance. Or if we have a determined Edi boxing our ears to get us there. :D