Wolf Brother

I read it in one day. What more do you need?
I loved this story and will look out for the next books in the series.
*SPOILERS*
Anything with a wolf is bound to get my attention, and Wolf in this story is fully realised - not just a furry human. I really liked that Wolf had a life apart from Torak's, a mind that differed from Torak's, and that he (Wolf) could make his own decisions and in fact leave Torak behind. Wolf in fact achieved the quest to the World Spirit, though Torak killed the bear. Great - and the promise of meeting up in the future - excellent.
I found the ending a bit rushed. I would have loved more detail about the final confrontation and the parting of the ways (so 4.5 stars not 5). Renn, Torak's friend, is a redoubtable show more girl, and I hope that in future episodes she is shown to be as important and fore-ordained as Toral himself. Don't get me wrong - Torak is a very likeable character - but he does rather fulfil the cliches of the traditional hero ie secret childhood, unexpected abilities, surprising courage and skills - think young King Arthur pulling the sword from the stone. I hope Renn is just as important to the Prophecy as she is to Torak's success.
More! More!
And I truly LOVE the illustrations by Geoff Taylor. show less

I was sucked into the story of Torak and his father's eventual death the moment I opened the book. Everything was exciting and the author's style of writing made it all seem so realistic. Every page was filled with adventure and drama, and once you start, you can't seem to stop.

I loved reading about the author's interpretation of life in the forest thousands of years ago: how the people lived, what they understood nature's wonders as. It was a beautiful yet original world to live in.

Apart from that, something else I also liked was the alternate points of view between Torak and Wolf. Especially Wolf. His trail of thoughts was simply adorable and fun to read, including the way he named people and objects based on his observations, such as show more referring to Torak as the 'Tall Tailless' and the river as 'Fast Wet'.

The relationship between Torak and Wolf was also well developed over the book. When Torak first found the small cub, he had planned to kill it for food, but his hesitation had led to a testy relationship, and they eventually formed a close bond, caring after one another as pack brothers. Until the very end of the book where Wolf leaves Torak to join a larger pack of wolves, Torak realizes that Wolf was no longer the little cub he had stopped himself from killing many years ago, and that he had to let go. show less

Though I just want to point out that it's really 3.5 stars. The .5 is important.

I first have to say something positive about this book, because I the setting was so fresh and lovely and I want to give Paver the biggest and tightest hug ever for creating this wonderful world around a hunter-gatherer culture instead of the same setting, the same kingdoms and cultures over and over. Ugh this was so lovely a change, my goodness. The culture was in every page, every dialogue, every thought. It was beautiful and easily the strongest and most beautiful part about this book. And, obviously, my favorite thing about it!

Well, besides the character of Wolf. Wolf was my favorite character and really shone here. His voice was stellar (with his cute show more words for things we're familiar with, like Big Wet [a river] and Tall Tailless [the main protag]). However, I think the other characters kind of fell flat for me. I wished there had been more development with Torak and Renn, or at least a more solid grasp of their character besides using them as bodies to carry out the plot line.

And now, unfortunately, I feel like I have to talk about what I didn't necessarily like about Wolf Brother. The writing seemed stilted at times, dialogue a little unnatural and forced--put in place just to move to the next plot point or to get the next idea across to the readers rather than how the actual characters would interact. I feel like Paver sat with a very detailed outline and just checked off the bullet points. It can be a tough thing once you're so familiar with your own work to read it with fresh eyes and see where this kind of thing happens . . .

The ending also seemed a bit rushed to me. I feel like I had to read the last couple chapters two or three times to see if I understood it. I felt like I don't understand why it happened why it happened, just that Paver wanted some kind of heartbreak and bittersweet aspect to the ending. I don't feel like it worked the way she wanted it to. Maybe if she'd spent a little more time on the actual parting it would have worked a little better, but as it was, I didn't feel the emotion as I should have (or even wanted to!).

So all in all, it's a pretty decent book. I probably won't continue for the writing and the characters, although I applaud Paver for her creativity in the world-building. show less

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Torak and his father have been living alone, away from their clan, for as long as Torak can remember. When a demon-possessed bear attacks them one night, Torak’s father is mortally wounded. Before he dies, he makes Torak promise to seek the Mountain of the World Spirit. On his journey to the mountain, Torak meets a recently orphaned wolf cub who becomes his guide, and then the boy and his wolf are captured by a tribe who wonder if Torak will fulfill their prophecy and save them from the demon-bear. There he meets Renn, a brave and spirited girl who only wants what’s best for her tribe. Meanwhile, the bear still hunts them.

Michelle Paver’s Wolf Brother, the first in a series of children’s show more novels called The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, is a serious and gripping story. The writing is lovely and full of beautiful imagery, especially in the sections written from the wolf cub’s perspective. The story is original, suspenseful, and a little bit frightening. It promotes love, loyalty, and courage.

Wolf Brother is a perfect read for children in the targeted age range of 9-12. Torak, Wolf, and Renn are easy to love and the ancient wilderness setting is fascinating and offers lots of opportunities for learning about forest survival techniques.

Teens and adults will probably wish that Torak, Renn, and Wolf had to work a bit harder to fulfill their goals. Until the end, Torak mostly manages to accidentally stumble upon what he needs rather than apply his skills, courage, or wits. This aspect of the story was disappointing, but it was so well written otherwise that I still enjoyed it.

I read Wolf Brother on audio. The narrator is enthusiastic and pleasant to listen to. However, he has a deep, gruff, slightly muddy voice with an English accent that my 9-year-old daughter found difficult to follow. If you’re thinking about the audio version for a child, you might want to have them listen to a sample first. show less

My life changed forever when I went to my local library and found this book on one of the shelves, along with the rest of the series. As someone who loves Native American cultures, finding a book about ancient Stone Age Native Americans, I knew I was in for a great read. Michelle Paver created a beautiful world filled with lovable characters. Torak, Wolf, and Renn felt like family by the time I finished the series. The amount of research done for this book is evident, but not overpowering. The quest keeps readers going, hungry for the outcome, and has them rooting for Torak and Wolf to succeed and triumph over evil. This series was my introduction to fantasy fiction as a fourth grader, and I am recently rediscovering the genre as a 23 show more year old master's student.

For lovers of the Warriors series with the wild cats, this book offers a glimpse into a different world but with similar heroics and quests.

Genre: Fantasy
Sub-Genre: Historical Fiction, Animal Fantasy show less

This was the first Michelle Paver i have ever had, found out of the blue by my mom whilst searching for new books. I really like this book (this series has been my favorite since i read the first book), for its inginuity and the 'background' of it - dark, ancient magic, the sort of ancient people who live in forest tribes, and the close relationships between human and animals. Only thing i regret with this book is that i read way too quickly (too excited) and managed to finish it in a matter of hours.

Wolf Brother reminded me of Jean M. Auel’s Earth’s Children series. However, where Earth’s Children is written for adults, the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness is written for children (9+).

It’s a story of a 12 year-old boy trying to save the world. Everyone seems to know more about him than he does himself, because he’s led a secluded life. His father was trying to protect him, but after his father is fatally wounded Torak must find out, fast, what his destiny is.

The book grabbed me from the first chapter. I was actually reading another book at the time and only opened this book for a quick look—and before I knew it I’d read three chapters. It’s the first time I’ve officially read two books at the same time.

The story is show more set 6,000 years ago when people had a close awareness of the Earth and of nature. A time when the characters believe everything—including rocks, trees, plants—are alive and must be respected. This, mixed with magic, makes a very interesting world indeed.

Torak’s closest companion is a wolf; hence the title of the book—Wolf Brother. The bond between them is shaky to begin with and I believe Torak’s change of attitude towards the wolf pup wasn’t altogether convincing. But that is my only negative towards the book really so that in itself shows the book is good.

Torak’s other companion is Renn, a girl of about the same age. Renn is confident and knowledgeable. Torak learns a lot from her. They make a good contrast and must learn to trust each other, no matter how reluctantly.

The story itself is well written and full enough to allow imagery to form in the reader’s mind, without being too descriptive that it becomes cumbersome and boring. And although the storylines didn’t feel complex because of the way they were written (remember, this is a book for children), they were still full and complete, and very easy to read.

Wolf Brother is a book where time passes quickly as the reader is absorbed into a colourful world. And before you know it the book has ended and you find you just have to grab the next book in the series and continue reading. And that’s exactly what I did. show less