A while back, the nice folks at Simon & Schuster sent me this book:
I’ve always had a soft-spot for fantasy and sci-fi, so I took a peek within. Here’s how the promotional material read:
WHAT IS
THE PROMISE OF THE WOLF?
NEVER CONSORT WITH HUMANS.
NEVER KILL A
HUMAN UNPROVOKED.
NEVER ALLOW A MIXED-BLOOD WOLF TO LIVE.
At least that’s what the wolves of the Wide Valley believe. Until a
young wolf dares to break the rules — and forever alters the
relationship between wolves and the humans who share their world.
This is the story of such a wolf. Born of a forbidden
mixed-blood litter and an outcast after her mother is banished, Kaala
is determined to earn a place in the Swift River pack. But her world is
turned upside down when she saves a human girl from drowning. Risking
expulsion from their pack and exile from the Wide Valley, Kaala and her
young packmates begin to hunt with the humans and thus discover the
long-hidden bond between the two clans. But when war between wolves and
humans threatens, Kaala learns the lies behind the wolf ‘s promise.
Lies that force her to choose between safety for herself and her
friends and the survival of her pack — and perhaps of all wolf- and
humankind.
Set 14,000 years ago, Promise of the Wolves
takes us to a land where time is counted in phases of the moon,
distance is measured in wolflengths, and direction by the scent of the
nearest trail. Years of research into the world of wolves combines with
mythical tale-telling to present a fantastical adventure set in a world
filled with lore.
Well, to tell you the truth it all sounded a little too much like the perfect Ayla, inventor of all good things and domesticator of dogs and horses (of Jean M. Auel’s Earth’s Children Series). Plus, not being a dog person (I vote decidedly and emphatically for the cat party) I wasn’t too hyped about taking this one up. But: never being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I carried on. And you know what? I really enjoyed Promise of the Wolves.
Despite the fact that I haven’t the first clue how to pronounce the protagonist’s name, I couldn’t help rooting for the gutsy and loyal Kaala. Author Dorothy Hearst also does a beautiful job creating the setting, often managing also to catch the animal-ness of her characters, particularly in the case of the ravens and their interactions with the Swift River pack. And despite my ahh, well, how to put this — distaste — for dogs, I found myself becoming fascinated with wolves. The author’s website has some fascinating resources for wolf information.
All in all, Promise of the Wolves was a fun and enjoyable summer read, which left me looking forward to reading book 2 in the Wolf Chronicles.
This review was written by Kath.