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    Empire of Wild: A Novel
    Empire of Wild: A Novel
    Empire of Wild: A Novel
    Audiobook8 hours

    Empire of Wild: A Novel

    Written by Cherie Dimaline

    Narrated by Michelle St. John

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    “Deftly written, gripping and informative. Empire of Wild is a rip-roaring read!”—Margaret Atwood, From Instagram

    “Empire of Wild is doing everything I love in a contemporary novel and more. It is tough, funny, beautiful, honest and propulsive—all the while telling a story that needs to be told by a person who needs to be telling it.”—Tommy Orange, author of There There

    A bold and brilliant new indigenous voice in contemporary literature makes her American debut with this kinetic, imaginative, and sensuous fable inspired by the traditional Canadian Métis legend of the Rogarou—a werewolf-like creature that haunts the roads and woods of native people’s communities.

    Joan has been searching for her missing husband, Victor, for nearly a year—ever since that terrible night they’d had their first serious argument hours before he mysteriously vanished. Her Métis family has lived in their tightly knit rural community for generations, but no one keeps the old ways . . . until they have to. That moment has arrived for Joan.

    One morning, grieving and severely hungover, Joan hears a shocking sound coming from inside a revival tent in a gritty Walmart parking lot. It is the unmistakable voice of Victor. Drawn inside, she sees him. He has the same face, the same eyes, the same hands, though his hair is much shorter and he's wearing a suit. But he doesn't seem to recognize Joan at all. He insists his name is Eugene Wolff, and that he is a reverend whose mission is to spread the word of Jesus and grow His flock. Yet Joan suspects there is something dark and terrifying within this charismatic preacher who professes to be a man of God . . . something old and very dangerous.

    Joan turns to Ajean, an elderly foul-mouthed card shark who is one of the few among her community steeped in the traditions of her people and knowledgeable about their ancient enemies. With the help of the old Métis and her peculiar Johnny-Cash-loving, twelve-year-old nephew Zeus, Joan must find a way to uncover the truth and remind Reverend Wolff who he really is . . . if he really is. Her life, and those of everyone she loves, depends upon it.

    Editor's Note

    Gritty quest novel…

    An enthralling new literary thriller. Joan, a Métis woman in rural Canada, has been searching for her missing husband for months when a preacher who looks exactly like him shows up at a revival in a Walmart parking lot. But the preacher swears he’s never met Joan before. Convinced he’s under the thrall of the Rogarou, a mythical half-man, half-wolf, Joan sets off to track the beast and win back her husband. Fans of Neil Gaiman’s “American Gods” will find a lot to love in this gritty quest novel, where creatures of legend interact with everyday folks.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJul 28, 2020
    ISBN9780063015937
    Author

    Cherie Dimaline

    Cherie Dimaline is a Canadian Métis author and editor whose award-winning fiction has been published and anthologized internationally. Her young adult novel, The Marrow Thieves, won numerous awards, has been a perennial bestseller, and is being made into a television series, which Cherie is writing and producing. Her first novel for adults was the critically acclaimed Empire of Wild. An enrolled and claimed member of the Historic Georgian Bay Métis community, Cherie lives with her family in her traditional territory in Ontario, Canada.

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    Reviews for Empire of Wild

    4/5

    226 ratings22 reviews

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    • 3/5
      3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. An enjoyable thriller.
    • 5/5
      Plot! Hanging on the edge of my seat here! So good!!!
    • 4/5
      This is the story of a Métis woman whose husband disappears without a word. Several months later, she spots him as the preacher at a tent revival, but he doesn't recognize her. This leads her on a quest to find out what happened to him and bring him home. The story brings First Nations folklore into the werewolf story. For me, it was a bit hard to connect to, and the meaning of certain events was often slippery or elusive--but I have learned that this is true of many stories I read outside my culture. Because I do want to read diversely, I no longer take this elusiveness as a critique of the author's ability but as an encouragement that I need to keep reading, that I am moving out of my comfort zone and challenging myself, as I intended. And that's what I take to be the case here. I don't know very much about the spiritual and cultural beliefs underpinning this story, but I appreciate the author sharing it with me, and I'd like to learn more. All that being said, though, there is a fair amount of graphic sex that I could probably have done without.
    • 4/5
      Although the narrative is mainly concerned with the supernatural adventure aspect of the story, the novel also features characters who are heartfelt and who are very easy to care about. A good story that features a Métis community, which I would like to see in further stories.
    • 5/5
      The Metis are a Canadian people of mixed indigenous and other blood. Many are poor. Many also live by the old ways. One of the traditional beliefs is that of the rogarou, a werewolf type creature that is created by hate.Joan, a Metis, has been searching for her missing husband for over a year. She believed they were both in love and happy – but he walked out the door after an argument, leaving no trace. And then one morning, she wanders into a Bible-thumping tent meeting and is astounded to see her husband as a charismatic preacher. He insists he doesn’t know her; he doesn’t recognize his name. She fears that he is ill or has been brain-washed and vows to get him back. But the tent meeting has folded its tent and stolen away – and seems to be trying very hard not to be found.In the meantime, evil is stalking the people around Joan. There is a horrific murder where someone she loves is torn apart by a wild animal. There is her beloved nephew who is clearly at risk.I found lots of wonderful details about the Metis, their history and way of life. Woven throughout are many of the political issues affecting them today. I loved the protagonist, Joan. She’s both ancient and modern and a woman to be reckoned with.
    • 4/5
      When the Rogaru comes calling, Métis and First Nation peoples are usually well prepared. Prepared by story and memory and equipped with the tools to fight, be those wit or salt bone. Joan’s husband, Victor, has disappeared. For her it seems virtually impossible. How could he leave? And why? It’s been nearly a year. But then, out of the blue, she spots him going under a different name and pretending he is a Reverend calling his flock in a mission tent. And he doesn’t seem to remember her at all. It’s enough to drive you mad. Unless you have elderly aunties who can read these signs and help you prepare for the fight ahead to get your man back.This is a meaty story of love and commitment set in a world that blends native metaphysics with western religion. Joan and her family — mother and brothers — are great characters, but it is her relationship with her Mere and her young nephew that stand out. Throughout, family ties and community provide the bulwark to defend oneself against the many dangers that lie without. The writing is full of enthusiasm, which sometimes overflows into a surfeit of similes. But once the final chase gets underway, the similes drop out and we remain fixed on Joan’s plight. A rollicking read, if sometimes uneven.And gently recommended.
    • 5/5
      Since her husband Victor disappeared almost a year ago, Joan has never given up her search for him. One day she finally spots him -- but he's preaching in a revival tent in a Walmart parking lot and he doesn't seem to remember her at all. But Joan can see that there's something terrifying in his eyes, something that brings to mind the old legends about the rogarou, a werewolf who haunts and preys upon her Metis community. Will she be strong enough to fight an ancient creature and get him back?I really enjoyed this book and its interesting take on werewolf legends. Joan is a great main character, flawed but also fiercely likeable, and her love for Victor and determination to save their relationship is completely believable. The other characters, from Joan's raucous family to her friend and advisor Ajean to the people caught up in the revival group that is secretly hiding an ancient evil, are all wonderful as well. Author Cherie Dimaline's relatable characters helped make the story of possession and recovery genuinely scary at times and a fun read. I'm looking forward to her next book.
    • 5/5
      This is a gripping thriller about the rogarou and its impact upon prey. Then, we also encounter a wandering ministry which is not as innocent as it seems. Tightly crafted and suspenseful, this novel walks a tight balance between thriller, horror, and mythology.
    • 4/5
      Parties were held in kitchens. Euchre was a sport. And fiddles made the only sound worth dancing to. Any other music was just background noise for storytelling and beer drinking and flirting. Or for providing the cadence for fight choreography when you just had to beat the shit out of your cousin.Joan has been looking for her husband for almost a year when she finds him preaching in a giant tent in a Walmart parking lot. He looks different, and clearly doesn't know her, but she's sure it's him. Victor and Joan had met in Quebec and she brought him back to her small Métis community of Arcand on Georgian Bay in Ontario, where her family was less than welcoming. Arcand is close-knit and Joan grew up with tales of survival and encounters with the rougarou, a werewolf-type of creature that keeps children from wandering or girls from walking home alone at night. So Joan sets out to bring her husband home, armed with the knowledge passed to her from her grandmother and great-aunts, and with the help of her twelve-year-old nephew.This is a fantastic book, full of warmth and love for the Métis community, imaginative and well-written. Cherie Dimaline is an author to pay attention to. In the world of Empire of Wild the supernatural exists alongside the natural one and it's up to Joan to figure out how to rescue her husband. Joan was a great character to spend time with, she's determined and more than a little reckless and utterly sure that Victor wouldn't leave her. The secondary characters have depth and their own histories. Zeus, Joan's nephew, was so very much a twelve-year-old boy, with all the bravery and vulnerability of that age. Even the bad guys were so understandable and multi-dimensional. Yes, I really liked this one.
    • 4/5
      Wow! What a ride; and I'm hoping for more from this author. I received a free copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program, in exchange for an honest review. There's no point in re-hashing the plot line, which other reviewers cover. Thought it's worth more to note that the book was among my few favorites from the ER program. Interesting premise and interesting dip into some indigenous peoples' folklore. Would have like more coverage of the land rights grab scenario -- maybe the sequel? Well written. Fast paced. Intense. May be a debut, but this author has the "stuff" for sure.
    • 4/5
      EMPIRE OF WILD is contemporary literary fantasy operating at two levels. On one is Joan, whose husband has been missing for a year until she is nearly mad with grief and worry and desperation. She and Victor had one bad fight, but their connection is the strongest she has ever known; she cannot believe he would just up and leave her. No, something happened to him. Her family has about had it, though. Maybe she should just accept the rejection and move on with her life, they suggest in direct and indirect ways. Everything takes a bizarre turn in a Walmart parking lot when she stumbles one morning into a tent revival church led by a charismatic preacher—who turns out to be Victor. The missing husband. Only now he goes by Reverend Wolff, is part of an elaborate organization, and has no apparent memory of her.The other level of this story has to do with Indigenous land rights. Author Cherie Dimaline is Métis, an Indigenous group located in both Canada and the US that traces its ancestry to a blending of Native and European ancestry. The novel opens on a sort of poetic history of the Métis people of the town of Arcand, “the children of French voyageurs and First Nations mothers, and Métis people who had journeyed from Manitoba. The new colonial authorities wanted the land but not the Indians, so the people were bundled onto ships with their second-hand fiddles and worn-soft boots.” Continually pushed to the margins, their resilience is syncretic: “Catholic by habit, they prayed on their knees for the displacement to stop, for the Jesus to step in and draw a line between the halfbreeds and the new people. Those among them who carried medicine also laid down coarse salt as protection against the movement. This salt came from the actual bones of one particular Red River family, who drew their own boundaries when the hand of God did not reach down to do it for them.”Despite the historical beginning, this book is about modern-day people. Like much of my favorite fantasy, it uses magical elements to tell a relatable, human story. Joan navigates relationships pulled taut between the twin poles of love and frustration as she struggles to work out what has happened to Victor. The flow of the story, while confronting pain, is overall fairly light—the bad guys are clearly marked out (though Dimaline is careful to enhance their stories with detail and purpose), and the supernatural element of the rogarou, a traditional supernatural beast that has served as a threat in the Arcand community for centuries, never ventures into real horror territory. I found EMPIRE OF WILD to be an enjoyable entertainment, but one with some real meat to chew on. I don’t want to explain just how those two levels of story, Joan and the land rights, relate to one another, since that would be a spoiler for a very solid aspect of the book, but I will say that their interplay adds depth and pleasure to the story.
    • 4/5
      Dimaline cleverly re-imagines the Rogarou, a native legend of a werewolf-like creature, into modern-day life. Her story is steeped in commentary on how indigenous peoples have been manipulated by government, greed, and religion, and how turning to ancestral stories, family, and love, can help to persevere. I was captivated by the novel, it's characters, and the folklore behind it all. The story is not over, and I look forward to seeing what Dimaline delivers next.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this novel. Dimaline has created a fantasy adventure that touches on love, loss, traditional stories, native land rights and more in a well-paced, suspenseful and rewarding read. There had better be a sequel, too, since it ends on a cliffhanger for one of my favorite characters.
    • 4/5
      A social commentary on the exploitation and oppression of indigenous people through religion. Developers use the work of Christian Missionaries to purposefully attract and distract aborigines in order to buy up their land for industrial and domestic expansion. The author adopts the legends from her native Metis culture to tell this contemporary story of colonial racism. A captivating, insightful read.
    • 4/5
      Excellent writing in this Ametican debut featuring the legend of the Rogarou. A sensuous tale, a battle of love and evil, religion and power. The fascinating story starts with Joan's faith that she will find her missing husband. Supported by her tight knit community and her twelve year old nephew, her suspenseful quest comes upon ancient dangers.
    • 4/5
      This is a fun, well-written book. I enjoyed the characters; Joan, who is looking for her husband, who disappeared; Zeus, the 12 year old nephew; and Ajean, the elderly neighbor who helps Joan in her search, and who knows how to use Old Medicine in order to cope with the Rogarou -- a werewolf like being from Metis myths. There is lots of action, but also deeper meaning, including the role of Christian Missionaries in supporting the exploitation of indigenous lands.
    • 4/5
      Dimaline's novel combines indigenous myths and a modern setting. Joan's husband Victor has left her and she searches for him. She has the support of her extended family, including older women who know the old magic of their people. Joan's search and Victor's ordeal combine to create a tale that wiggles back and forth across the line between realism and fantasy. I found the telling disjointed until I was in the middle of the book; it cohered much better in the second half.
    • 5/5
      I was given an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.This may be the hardest book to review without saying too much. Cherie Dimaline has managed to mix together a traditional legend with a modern story of love, community, and the everyday struggle of existence in a truly original voice. Anyone who loves contemporary fiction should read this book.
    • 5/5
      I loved this. It's a blend of Native/First Nations folklore, modern marriage troubles, mystery, thriller, and stunning literary fiction writing. Dimaline is a talented writer. Her turns of phrase are sometimes breathtaking. Joan is a First Nations woman investigating the disappearance of her husband when she encounters the modern version of the ancient rogarou legend. That's all you need to know to dive in.
    • 4/5
      This is a hard book to review. It has beautiful, sometimes profound writing. I would have guessed the author was a poet. It is very readable. I finished it over the course of a day. The story is strange and disjointed at times, mixing Métis storytelling with a modern day mystery of sorts. I have seen it referred to as a fable, and I imagine I will continue to ponder it for the next few days, teasing out its moral lesson. I will be recommending it to my friends that like books that are a little out of the ordinary but not to those that prefer their books tidy and straightforward.
    • 4/5
      This book uses the legend of rogarou (a werewolf-like creature) to tell the story of Joan who is devastated by the absence of her husband, Victor. Victor left one night after an argument and never came back. Then Joan sees him...he's a preacher in a travelling ministry. But he doesn't know her, claims he is someone else. Joan is determined to get her husband, and his soul, back. Interwoven with the rogarou legend are modern-day issues of the ongoing effects of colonialism on indigenous people in Canada. The characters are strong and refuse to be victims. I liked that.
    • 4/5
      Joan, an indigenous woman of the Canadian Métis, has been searching for her husband for almost a year. He disappeared without a trace after they had a fight about selling Joan’s family land. After a night of heavy drinking, Joan wanders into a traveling revival tent to discover that her husband is the preacher, but he no longer seems to know or remember their life together. The author, Cherie Dimaline, is a fantastic storyteller. She has brought together folklore about the Rogarou (werewolf), indigenous traditions and religion, family, love, and devotion into a compelling modern-day fairytale. Interwoven through the horror story are themes of colonialism, environmental concerns, power inequality and the far-reaching effects of these on communities.Joan is a strong, well-developed character, and her grief and desperation are palpable. However, that same attention is not paid to the other characters, and the Big Bad is certainly a caricature of the totally evil villain without a single redeeming quality. While that generally works for the style of the fable, it would have been nice to connect more to some of Joan’s family members and friends. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and its setting. I would definitely read her next novel.