Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series #1) ANNOTATION
6,000 years in the past, twelve-year-old Tarak and his guide, a wolf cub, set out on a dangerous journey to fulfull an oath the boy made to his dying father--to travel to the Mountain of the World Spirit seeking a way to destroy a demon-possessed bear that threatens all the clans.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Six thousand years ago. Evil stalks the land. Only Torak, a twelve-year-old boy, and his wolf-cub companion can defeat it. Their journey together takes them through the deep forest, onto glaciers, and into dangers they never dreamed of.
In this page-turning, original, and spectacularly told adventure story, Torak and Wolf are joined by an incredible cast of characters as they battle to save their world. This is first book in The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Part riveting nature story, part rite of passage saga, Paver's first book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series is set in a primeval forest some 6,000 years ago (according to an author's note). As the novel opens, 12-year-old Torak watches in horror as his father is mauled by a bear that is unnaturally vicious, "possessed... [by] some demon from the Otherworld." Before his father dies, he tells the boy that he must travel north to the Mountain of the World Spirit-and that he must stay away from other people, for reasons he doesn't have time to explain. In his travels, Torak meets a wolf cub, whom he calls Wolf, and readers will likely be charmed by the scenes of their gradual bonding. But after Torak kills a buck, he falls into the hands of the Raven Clan claiming ownership of that part of the forest. When the clansmen learn that the boy can communicate with Wolf, they become convinced that he is the prophesied Listener who "gives his heart's blood to the Mountain" in order to dispel a Shadow that threatens the forest (i.e., the possessed bear). A quest ensues, involving Torak, Wolf and a Raven Clan-girl, Renn. The plot becomes intricate, but remains involving thanks to Paver's unusual setting and eccentric characters, plus the strict rules by which the clans live. Passages from the wolf cub's point of view seem extraneous, but Torak's coming- of- age tale will keep the pages turning. The author reveals many secrets at the end, nicely setting the stage for subsequent volumes. Ages 10-up. (Mar.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature - Jane Harrington
Young Torak is of an ancient world where people live in clans and life is mystically entwined with the natural world and its spirits. Trees and animals have souls, and frightening specters lurk in shadows. After his father is killed by a demon-possessed bear, Torak begins a predestined trek in pursuit of the animal, which threatens all existence in the forest. His guide is a wolf—with whom he is able to speak—and his other companion a strong-willed, able girl named Renn. The constant dangers they face keep the story moving, though the action sometimes feels rushed, making many of the intricate situations hard to fully grasp. The images of clan culture and hunter-gatherer life, though, are fascinating and well-presented. Kids will like the uniqueness and resourcefulness of the primeval clans, and the interesting descriptions of survival skills. The narratives told from the perspective of the wolf are especially well-done. When, in the end, Torak handily accomplishes his difficult mission, many mysteries are resolved. Other threads, though, are left dangling, presumably to be picked up in future volumes—there are five more books planned in "The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness" series. The ten-and-up target audience suggested by the publisher seems a stretch, since the writing lacks the cleverness and sophistication to keep the interest of teens and adults. It is the middle-grade reader—especially one who favors wildlife and adventure stories—who will find this an excellent journey. 2005 (orig. 2004), HarperCollins, Ages 8 to 12.
School Library Journal
Gr 5-9-Set 6000 years ago, this fast-paced adventure delves into a world of spirits and mysticism not often seen in children's literature. Torak, 12, witnesses his father's brutal attack by a giant, demon-possessed bear and promises to find his way to the Mountain of the World Spirit. Before dying, his father instructs him to avoid other men and tells him that his guide will find him. Sure enough, Torak is soon adopted by a wolf cub, also recently orphaned, with whom he is able to communicate. The bear continues to terrorize the forest, but Torak is able to avoid it with Wolf's help. They are captured by the Wolf clan, who believes that Torak is the Listener, and will rid the forest of the bear when he fulfills a prophecy by delivering three lost artifacts to the mountain. He must solve an obscure riddle to find the artifacts and traverse dangerous lands, all the while evading the evil bear. Paver's depth of research into the spiritual world of primitive peoples makes this impressive British import, slated to be the first in a six-book series, intriguing and believable.-Karen T. Bilton, Somerset County Library, Bridgewater, NJ Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Grandiose series title aside, this first of a projected six episodes makes a muddled but strong start, pitting its young stone-age protagonist against a ravening, ensorcelled bear. Having learned of an oblique prophecy that describes him as the only one who can take on the unnatural bear who orphaned him-and is wantonly killing the great forest's denizens-Torak sets out to find three pieces of the Nanuak, or World Soul, that will allow him to enlist the help of the World Spirit. Accompanied by Wolf, an orphaned cub with eldritch knowledge, and Renn, spirited niece of a local clan leader, Torak survives a host of vividly envisioned dangers while displaying outstanding survival skills. Ultimately, he discovers that the bear (probably dispatched in a climactic encounter) had been created by one of a band of evil mages-each of whom will doubtless appear in a subsequent adventure. By the end, readers will have a real feeling for what life in the wild must have been like, and will be looking forward to Torak's further exploits. (Fiction. 11-13)
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