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Shadow of the Hawk (Wereworld #3)

by Curtis Jobling (Goodreads Author)

4.42 of 5 stars 4.42 · rating details · 137 ratings · 20 reviews

DREW FERRAN, THE RIGHTFUL KING OF WESTLAND, IS TRAPPED.

Enslaved by the Goatlord Kesslar, young werewolf Drew finds himself on the volcanic isle of Scoria, forced to fight in the arena for the Lizardlords. With the help of an unlikely ally, he must find a way to break free - but who has ever managed to escape?

Meanwhile, Hector the Wereboar flees the forces of the Catlords....more

Paperback, 448 pages

Published January 5th 2012 by Puffin

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Feb 23, 2013 Kristalia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark, reviewed, 4-to-5-stars, me-likey-mucho, mature-young-adult, young-adult

Final rating: ★★★★☆/★★★★★

I was captivated by the first two books in the series Rise of the Wolf & Rage of Lions, especially after reading the second book, which proved to be quite cool. This can be sad for Shadow of the Hawk as well.

I have to congratulate Jobling for having interesting plot twist ideas, because some of them certainly shocked me.

I didn't expect half things to happen, and it is just regretful that so many things have gone wrong. And by that i mean that you expect something...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars

While I prefer to read series in order, I did skip the second book in the Wereworld series. I caught on to what was happening pretty fast, although I did miss one or two important instances of character development. I do think it's best to at least read the first book (RISE OF THE WOLF) before jumping into SHADOW OF THE HAWK, because it lays out the groundwork for how the world works and introduces many of the characters. (This is a series with a gigantic cast. Forgive me if I get any names wron...more While I prefer to read series in order, I did skip the second book in the Wereworld series. I caught on to what was happening pretty fast, although I did miss one or two important instances of character development. I do think it's best to at least read the first book (RISE OF THE WOLF) before jumping into SHADOW OF THE HAWK, because it lays out the groundwork for how the world works and introduces many of the characters. (This is a series with a gigantic cast. Forgive me if I get any names wrong.)

Drew, our protagonist, is the last of the Gray Wolves and has a claim to the throne of Lyssia. His half-brother Prince Lucas wants to keep the throne in Werelion hands. They each have their supporters, although Drew begins SHADOW OF THE HAWK cut off from his and stuck in slavery, serving as a gladiator. (I'll give you three guesses as to whether he incites a rebellion, first two don't count.) Meanwhile, his staunchest allies are sailing to a prospective safe haven and the two coolest female characters from the first book are MIA. (Gretchen and Whitley, you are missed.)

The rightful king who will bring peace to the land is not a new plot in children's fantasy. But Curtis Jobling's take is appealing. There's lots of different societies to be navigated, all sorts of monsters, and you'll probably like at least one of the main characters. At times, SHADOW OF THE HAWK does feel a bit too sprawling. Drew's fortunes change several times and his brother Trent makes a meaningful journey, but most of the other plotlines have less direction. (And I can't even talk about Hector, oh my.)

I've enjoyed the two Wereworld books I've read, and they're surprisingly quick reads. (Each book is rather thick.) But the quickness might be because they're often shallow. SHADOW OF THE HAWK has a high body count, but I wasn't all that affected by the deaths. Some of them were certainly horrible, but there was none of that horrible wrenching feeling that occurs when a character you empathize with dies.

But, as you can probably guess from the covers, this is a series for young boys. I suspect that they eat it up - even if their parents might be unhappy about some of the violence. But SHADOW OF THE HAWK is well suited to its intended audience and a pleasant enough diversion to older fantasy fans.(less)

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Jan 07, 2012 Darren Hartwell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, adventure

Be warned, reader. I will try my hardest not to include any spoilers about Shadow of the Hawk in this review, but I cannot promise the same about the previous two books in the series. If you have not yet read them then you may want to look away now.

I loved the first two Wereworld books. The first was brilliant, and the second, Rage of Lions, even better. So much so that it made it into my list of top picks of 2012. I know that many others share my admiration for these books - so no pressure then...more Be warned, reader. I will try my hardest not to include any spoilers about Shadow of the Hawk in this review, but I cannot promise the same about the previous two books in the series. If you have not yet read them then you may want to look away now.

I loved the first two Wereworld books. The first was brilliant, and the second, Rage of Lions, even better. So much so that it made it into my list of top picks of 2012. I know that many others share my admiration for these books - so no pressure then Mr Jobling.

Did I say pressure? The man must thrive on it as Shadow of the Hawk is yet another outstanding addition to the series, the only downside being that having finished I am now thoroughly annoyed that I won't be able to find out what happens next until the fourth book, Nest of Serpents, is published in June.

There is very little time in the story between the close of the last book, and where this one kicks off. Drew is held captive by the evil Kessler, a Weregoat who has made a name for himself as a slaver. He has only one plan for Drew - to deliver him to the Isle of Scoria and sell him as a slave. Meanwhile, his close friend Hector has managed to escape the armies of the Catlords, and is safely on board the Maelstrom, in the company of Manfred, Vega and Queen Amelie. I say safely, but that isn't strictly true - his dabbling in the dark arts is beginning to have quite an effect on the young Wereboar, but more about that later.

In this new book we are granted the opportunity to 'meet' a whole host of new Werecreatures in this book, and Curtis Jobling maximises this treat for his readers by taking his characters off to different places, just as Tolkien did in The Lord of the Rings. In The Fellowship of the Ring we are introduced to the lead characters, and then in The Two Towers Frodo and Sam head off for Mordor, whilst Pip and Merry are taken in a dfifferent direction by the Orcs. These diverging story strands enabled Tolkien to show us more of the incredible world he created, and Curtis uses a smiliar device in this book. Therefore, we get to meet a plethora of new characters on Scoria, where the enslaved Drew is forced to become a gladiator; and we also get to see other parts of Lyssia and its seven realms, and its inhabitants, as Drew and his party head out across the ocean. Mr Jobling seems to manage all of these new additions to his story with consummate ease.

Now that he is away from the friends he made in the first two books, we really get a chance to see how Drew grows as both a character, and as the rightful heir to the kingdom of Lyssia. His life has changed in a way that few young people can identify with - from farm boy, to prospective king, to slave/gladiator, all in a matter of months. Most young people would find this impossible to cope with, but the honest and loving upbringing that Drew experienced seems to have given him the foundations he needs to take all of this in his stride. In the first two books there were many moments where he suffered extreme (and totally understandable) self-doubt, but there were a few key scenes where his natural gift for good and kind leadership shone through. In this third book these moments begin to occur a little more often and we are now really beginning to see the potential king that lies within the boy. Drew also seems to be becoming more confident at leading, even to the point where he will lecture one of the realm's other kings about the evils of slavery. A king, it must be said, who could quite easily have Drew slapped in silver chains and executed for his disrespectful words.

Whilst all this is going on, there is of course the other plot strand running - that of Hector and his companions. I am sorry to say that the future is looking fairly bleak for Hector - he is now firmly attached to the vile of his dead brother Vincent, a spectre that is invisible to all except Hector, and who never misses a chance to goad his brother, gradually eating away at his self-esteem. It was a horribly fascinating experience to read as Hector slowly seems to descend into a kind of madness, the flames of his growing paranoia constantly fanned by Vincent's cruel taunts. Who knows where Curtis Jobling will take Hector next? Perhaps even betrayal of the people he called close friends? We will just have to wait and see.

There are two popular characters from the first two books in the series that are conspicuous by their absence in Shadow of the Hawk. Gretchen and Whitley also managed to escape the grasping claws of the Catlords at the end of the last book, but for the story of their adventures since we will have to wait until June. If you have seen the cover of Nest of Serpents you will probably have already guessed that they will feature quite heavily in that story. I guess Mr Jobling could quite easily have used their story as a third plot strand in Shadow of the Hawk, but instead he chose to focus on Trent Ferran, the son of the couple who brought up Drew as their son, and as good as being Drew's brother. As we discovered at the end of Rage of Lions, Trent is hungry for revenge on the creature he believes murdered his mother, and so we see him now riding with the armies of the Catlords, hunting and killing enemies of the new state. Will he find out the truth before it is too late, or will it all end in tears for the angry young man?

If there was a book award going for best series then Curtis Jobling would surely be on the shortlist, and if he won I for one would applaud the decision of the judges. If he manages to sustain the quality of storytelling across the remaining books in the series then the Wereworld books may one day become recognised as one of the best fantasy series for young people of all time.(less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Lori Galaske rated it 2 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the first two books in the Wereworld series, but book three was so filled with violence that I could hold it up and let the blood drip from it and the body parts fall onto my lap. Virtually every chapter is a battle scene of one kind or another - from gladiators in a Colosseum to the sacking and burning of innocents in villages to a bloodthirsty "werecat" in need of some sport to just your run-of-the-mill battles. The few chapters without battles contained descriptions of communing wit...more

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Jan 07, 2012 TheBookAddictedGirl rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone Who Loves Action-Packed Books, Full Of Magic, Weres And Brave Heroes

Shelves: for-review, in-my-mailbox, action-adventure, amazing-worlds, blog-tour, british-fiction, fantasy, favourite-series, favourites-shelf, horror, magic, paranormal, read-2012, thriller-suspense, ya, ya-child-crossover, urban-fantasy

4¾ Out of 5

A brave hero, a band of gladiators, an imposter king, a vengeful knight, a world full of Werelords and Wereladies, Wereworld is a place like no other, a world more fantastical and magical than any I’ve read about for a long time…

Drew Ferran, rightful heir to the Westland throne, is a prisoner. The Goatlord Kesslar has the young Werewolf in his possession, taking him to the land of the Lizardlords. There, Drew will be forced to fight as a gladiator, and make unlikely alliances in orde...more

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Dec 31, 2011 SJH (A Dream of Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, own, fantasy, young-adult

This is the third installment of the engrossing and exciting Wereworld series by British author Curtis Jobling. He can't write these books fast enough for me! No sooner have I finished one then I'm eager for the next to find out what's going to happen next to all the characters. Something major nearly always happens at the end of each book as well which leaves me biting my nails and unable to sleep until I know the next publication date.

The story picks up with Drew enslaved by the Goatlord Kess...more This is the third installment of the engrossing and exciting Wereworld series by British author Curtis Jobling. He can't write these books fast enough for me! No sooner have I finished one then I'm eager for the next to find out what's going to happen next to all the characters. Something major nearly always happens at the end of each book as well which leaves me biting my nails and unable to sleep until I know the next publication date.

The story picks up with Drew enslaved by the Goatlord Kessler and on his way to Scoria where he's forced to fight as a gladiator for the Lizardlords. He is determined however to gain his freedom and return to Lyssia to claim his kingdom back once and for all and knowing Drew, I have no doubt that he'll do so in the end. He has an inextinguishable spirit and true grit and no matter what stands in his way he never gives up and he always overcomes the obstacles put in his path. He's endured a lot since discovering his true heritage and he's suffered both pain and despair but I love his loyalty and his single-minded pursuit of what's right.

In a separate plot strand, the story follows the Boarlord Hector, who is onboard the ship the Maelstrom. Hector has been my absolute favourite character in the series from the word go. He's also probably been the one character who has changed the most throughout the story and for this reason (and without giving anything away), I'm starting to worry that redemption may now be out of his reach. His regular communing with the dead has affected him greatly and he may never return to the Hector I knew and loved. I would love to see him meet up with Drew again because if anyone can reach out to him and put him back on the right path then it's his best friend.

There are some great new characters introduced in 'Shadow of the Hawk', including the Hawklords and one of my favourite things about these books is getting to discover all the new Werelords and their unusual talents, as well as all the unusual places they end up. I also enjoyed seeing Drew's brother Trent again who wants to track him down but eventually begins to discover the real truth about him.

Curtis Jobling definitely delivers after the success of the first two books. There's action, adventure and excitement in abundance and I was glued to the pages throughout. This book, as is the whole series, is stonkingly good! If you haven't come across the Wereworld series yet then I implore you to rush out and grab the first book now. Once you've started you won't be able to stop reading this epic fantasy adventure which will sweep you away into a whole new world.
(less)

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Jan 27, 2012 Rhys rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review originally posted on ThirstforFiction.com

Drew has been ensnared by the evil Goatlord Kesslar, who intends to see the rightful king of Westland thrown to the sword in a spectacle of gladiatorial combats far, far away from the Catlords who want him dead. But Drew is not one to give in easily, and Kesslar may have a bigger problem on his hands than expected, particularly when Drew makes allies of his enemies in the gladiatorial pit…

Curtis Jobling, it seems, is constantly writing- proven by t...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Soteris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shadow of the Hawk continues on with the Wereworld series, only this time our hero finds himself amongst different company throughout the book than in the previous two.
This gives it a fresh path to follow and believe it or not, has somehow made for an even better read than the previous books as if thats somehow possible.
There are many new interesting characters introduced in Shadow of the Hawk, and even some of my old favourites like Vega the Shark Lord who has a greater role to play in this boo...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Sham27 rated it 4 of 5 stars

I would give this book 4.5 stars.

It was fast paced as the other two books were and filled with action. I couldn't keep this book down, in fact I started and finished it in a day.

Amazing book, though the cliffhanger wasn't as huge as the second book, I still can't wait to read the next book.

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Feb 21, 2012 Mad about rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another amazinf wereworld story! so glad i came upon this series. its so well written and keeps you gripped as to what happens next.
i dont think ive taken more than 3 days to read any of them and cant wait for the next one.
a world of Lycanthropes that are civilised and known and respected by all in their world is a refreshing concept for shape shifter books
In Shadow of the Hawk drew is taken to an Arena to be a Gladiator among other unfortunate Lords and is desperate to break free and return to...more

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May 03, 2013 Nathan Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars

A good continuation of the story line. It is fun to read. This one [as with the 1st 2, but not as graphic] may still be too graphic for younger readers [I'm not sure on the suggested 10 and up]. Just read it before giving it to your kids [I would try and do that anyway for most books] - you'll probably enjoy it also.

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Apr 09, 2013 Arkarian Xerxes rated it 5 of 5 stars

i found that this book lead me deeper into the story of Drew and the other lords within the kingdom. if you enjoyed the first and second book this one will not leave you disappointed.

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Nov 25, 2012 Chantal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, horror-ya

The rollercoaster ride of adventure and horror continues...

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Jan 16, 2013 Bari Coslow rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-middle-school-tween, paranormal, action-adventure

This was book 3 in the Werelord Series. There have been times when I get really into a series and the first two are really good and then book 3 just somehow doesn't live up to my expectations. This was definitely not the case here. Book 3 was just as good as the first 2.

Werelord series is a unique blend of fantasy (shape shifters of all types), high adventure and action that will keep the pages turning.

I stumbled upon this series a while back and so glad I did.

This is a really great series an...more

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Mar 29, 2013 PWRL marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-new

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Apr 01, 2013 Collin rated it 5 of 5 stars

It was good. Drew is a gladiator in Scorpia and he finds out about what else the Catlords have done.

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Oct 15, 2012 Deepti Bharadwaj rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book is an excellent read.The plot is very exciting and doesn't leave you disappointed, though i must say the alarming death rate in this book did annoy me.The third book in my opinion is the best of the the first three.The way Drew's character has grown sice the beggining of his journey leaves me impressesed again,even though he seems to become more and more like Eragon as the books progress.

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Feb 22, 2012 Nicola rated it 3 of 5 stars

i did like it but as a woman all the fight scenes got a bit much. when i first started this series i thought it would be a supernatural with a bit of romance novel like some of the other books i have read but it seems to have become more gruesome and less romance as the books have gone on. so, still want to see where the story ends up and will read the next one, but not really taken the path i expected.

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Mar 21, 2012 Darth Sparhawk rated it 5 of 5 stars

Totally awesome! Nonstop action, unexpected character development (Hector, I'm looking at you, filthy swine) and very original! Best epic fantasy in years! True story!

1 like · like · see review

Oct 19, 2012 Joseph rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012-10-october, fantasy, autographed-copy

This is the third book in an absolutely fantastic fantasy adventure series. I'm looking forward to book four.

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May 16, 2013 Rick Mcarthur rated it 5 of 5 stars

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About Curtis Jobling

Curtis Jobling is an author and illustrator based in the UK. Working in publishing and animation he is possibly most (in)famously known as the designer of the BAFTA winning "Bob The Builder", as well as creator of CBeebies "Raa Raa the Noisy Lion" and CBBC's "Frankenstein’s Cat". Early work in animation included model and puppet painting on Wallace & Gromit’s "A Close Shave" and Tim Burton’s "...more

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Shadow of the Hawk (Wereworld #3)

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