Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, #1)

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Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #1)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 7,432 ratings · 724 reviews

Thousands of years ago the land is one dark forest. Its people are hunter-gatherers. They know every tree and herb and they know how to survive in a time of enchantment and powerful magic. Until an ambitious and malevolent force conjures a demon: a demon so evil that it can be contained only in the body of a ferocious bear that will slay everything it sees, a demon determi...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published May 27th 2005 by Orion Children's Books (first published January 1st 2004)

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Sep 04, 2008 Kory rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 20, 2011 Baile Hanak rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book in one night, need I say more? I absolutely love this kind of novel. The incorporation of nature, tribal power, and, of course, a hint of dark magic really mixes nicely to create a phenomenal piece of fiction literature. I think Paver could not have woven together a better story. The character development of Renn and Torak is thorough, and Torak's relationship with Wolf is noticeably deep and very spiritually significant. Wolf has a deep love for Torak, and their mutual respect...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nature, clans, children, young-adults, animals, superstition, mystery, ages-10-15

I actually read these series when I was a younger teen. At that point in time I really hated romantic Young Adult novels and enjoyed fantasty and otherworldly settings. That is probably why the 'Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series' were one of my favourites- but do not be disheartened, for there is romance, it's just not drowning in it. It is a very original book and in the young adult shelves you won't find too many like this. It is hunting and is set in an age far earlier then technology and...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Kat Hooper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

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...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was very fast-paced and exciting. I was so hooked on the story that I ended up reading for many more hours than I intended to. The very beginning of this book pulled me into the story and kept me reading to find out more about the main character, Torak, and his world. After his father is killed by a bear, Torak is forced to go on a journey to destroy the bear by journeying to the Mountain of the World Spirit. Along the way, Torak meets Wolf, a young wolf cub who at first annoys him and...more This book was very fast-paced and exciting. I was so hooked on the story that I ended up reading for many more hours than I intended to. The very beginning of this book pulled me into the story and kept me reading to find out more about the main character, Torak, and his world. After his father is killed by a bear, Torak is forced to go on a journey to destroy the bear by journeying to the Mountain of the World Spirit. Along the way, Torak meets Wolf, a young wolf cub who at first annoys him and later becomes a trusted companion. He also meets other people from other ‘Clans’ such as Renn and the Clan’s leader Fin-Kedinn.

Accompanied by Renn and Wolf, Torak’s goal is to go to the Mountain to seek help in destroying the bear that torments the Forest. He later finds out that he is the Listener, a part of a prophecy known to the Raven Clan that Renn and Fin-Kedinn belong to. In order to destroy the bear, he must seek the help of the World Spirit in the Mountain. In order to gain the World’s Spirit’s help, Torak must find three items called the three pieces of the Nanuak, which they discover with the help of a riddle and Wolf’s guidance.

I enjoyed reading from Torak’s point of view because of his determination to adhere to the oath he swore to his father and because of his own fears and doubts. His companion, Wolf, was a very loyal companion who was always ready to help Torak. Renn, a girl who lived in a separate Clan called the Raven Clan who at first tried to imprison and kill Torak, was one of my favorite characters because of her bravery and her spirited attitude. Though she, Torak, and Wolf did not see eye to eye at the beginning of their journey, they slowly formed a deep friendship. Every one of them undergoes a change in the story that, while unnoticeable while reading, becomes evident towards the end of the book. All three of them become more mature and understanding of the world and of each other, which made their journey seem all the more believable.

In addition to the characters, the setting was also very realistic and extremely well-thought out. I found it easy to picture the different places in the book and the author’s descriptions really drew me into the story and made it easy to feel as if I was in that time period with Torak. It’s obvious that the author did a lot of research to create such a vast and believable setting.

Overall, the story was very interesting and suspenseful and the characters were all very well-developed and easy to connect with. I would definitely recommend it. (less)

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Feb 26, 2013 Bookworm rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: amazing-books, young-adult

I picked this book up in a charity shop. I'd seen this book many times but never read it. I, not thinking about purchasing it, started to read and was immediately trailblazing each word. It's reminded me strongly of another series of books called Earth's Children written by Jean M. Auel. Even though it says this is 9–12 fiction, it's still a great book for many people alike. I like how the author showed different POV between Torak and Wolf. Also like how Wolf thinks, (to Wolf Torak is known as T...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Worthreading Strocel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: student-novels, fantasy

This young adult novel would probably appeal to those who appreciate ancient folklore or person versus nature conflicts. The plot does have its emotional moments, but it was difficult for me to relate to the characters. I also felt that the ending was rather abrupt. Even though I know that the story will continue in a sequel, I felt that the reader needed to have more detail added for the ending to become satisfying. It would be interesting to have students compare this book with "Touching Spiri...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Fadhilatul rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Pada malam yang mencekam itu Torak harus menghadapi kematian ayahnya yang dibunuh oleh beruang besar yang sedang kerasukan setan jahat. Tiba-tiba ia merasa sendirian dan ketakutan. Ia sudah kehilangan ayahnya dan harus pergi meninggalkan mayatnya tercabik-cabik ditengah hutan. Torak enggan pergi namun ayahnya, sebelum ia mati, telah memaksanya berjanji untuk pergi berlari dari si beruang jahat.

Torak bingung. Ia tidak tahu apa yang telah dan sedang terjadi. Sementara ia harus menuntaskan sumpahny...more Pada malam yang mencekam itu Torak harus menghadapi kematian ayahnya yang dibunuh oleh beruang besar yang sedang kerasukan setan jahat. Tiba-tiba ia merasa sendirian dan ketakutan. Ia sudah kehilangan ayahnya dan harus pergi meninggalkan mayatnya tercabik-cabik ditengah hutan. Torak enggan pergi namun ayahnya, sebelum ia mati, telah memaksanya berjanji untuk pergi berlari dari si beruang jahat.

Torak bingung. Ia tidak tahu apa yang telah dan sedang terjadi. Sementara ia harus menuntaskan sumpahnya pada ayahnya untuk menyelesaikan tugas untuk mencari gunung roh dunia yang sebenarnya ia belum mengerti betul kenapa harus sampai repot-repot begitu dan bagaimana caranya. Pada saat kebingungan itulah ia menemukan anak serigala yang kemungkinan besar sebagai pemandu dirinya menuju gunung roh dunia.

Novel ini merupakan novel pertama dari serial Chronicles of Ancient Darkness karya Michelle Paver. Meski dikabarkan akan menjadi saingan berat Harry Potter, namun ternyata tidak begitu. Harry Potter masih begitu populer dan lebih populer dari buku ini saya rasa. Mungkin itu karena Harry Potter sudah memiliki banyak penggemar fanatik. Namun Harry Potter dan serial Torak sangatlah berbeda, tidak bisa dibandingkan. Ya mungkin memang sama-sama fantasi dan bergenre petualangan, namun petualangan Torak jauh lebih kepada petualangan purbakala setelah zaman es. Dimana ketika itu manusia hidup nomaden dan menggantungkan diri mereka sepenuhnya kepada alam. Semua tingkatan usia mulai dari bayi hingga manula harus benar-benar ahli dalam bertahan hidup. Dan Paver menceritakan semuanya disini dengan imajinasi yang cukup detail.

Jika Rowling mengajak para pembacanya untuk membayangkan sebuah dunia sihir sebagai dunia pendamping bagi dunia nyata, maka Paver mengajak para pembaca untuk membayangkan kehidupan zaman purbakala yang bahkan kita sendiri saja ragu-ragu apakah akan mampu bertahan hidup seperti para leluhur di masa lalu. Dan jika memang tertarik dengan imajinasi yang Paver tawarkan, maka serial Torak adalah salah satu serial yang tepat.(less)

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Feb 10, 2013 Maythavee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I am absolutely in love with Wolf Brother! I can’t believe it took me so long to read this series.

The first thing that stood out for me about this book is the unique setting and time period. How many YA novels can you name that are set in the Stone Age? Not many, I guarantee you. The details that Michelle Paver wrote about the forest and the animals were fantastic. You know that she did her research because of the way the lives of the character were portrayed. I don’t know much about the Stone...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book wasn't the greatest book I've ever read, but then again it was written for people a lot younger than me, so I'm trying not to be too harsh. But, I felt like this story was all over the place. At points it would drag out and be going really slow, and then all of a sudden 10 different things would happen in 3 pages. I also felt like there wasn't enough detail where it needed detail, and too much detail where it wasn't needed. I would have liked it better if it talked about about the way...more

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Oct 25, 2012 VAle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, narrativa, bambini-ragazzi, young-adults

preso in biblioteca

Devo ancora decidere se questo romanzo mi sia sufficientemente piaciuto o meno.
Di certo ho apprezzato la scelta dell'ambientazione di questo fantasy un po' anomalo, che si discosta dal classico "mondo magico medievaleggiante", per approdare a un "mondo magico preistorico" (mi risulta non essere il primo caso, ma di certo è mento frequente).
La storia è molto semplice e vi si trova la classica struttura della fiaba (Propp), forse proprio per avvicinare anche il pubblico più giov...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Monika rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wolf Brother is an alright book if you're into light reading and this kind of genre. If you, like me, however, are into/used to "deeper" books, that leave you wanting more and give you something to think about afterwards - this book might leave you unimpressed.

The character development is gone over very lightly. From one page to the next, Torak goes from finding the wolf pup annoying, to needing it and worrying about it. Torak and Renns relationship is interesting, but the development is left ou...more Wolf Brother is an alright book if you're into light reading and this kind of genre. If you, like me, however, are into/used to "deeper" books, that leave you wanting more and give you something to think about afterwards - this book might leave you unimpressed.

The character development is gone over very lightly. From one page to the next, Torak goes from finding the wolf pup annoying, to needing it and worrying about it. Torak and Renns relationship is interesting, but the development is left out, and with that, the most interesting part.

As a reader, you aren't guided through the feelings of the book, making you feel the same way - you are just forced to accept them, whether you understand them or not. In general throughout the book, you just have to accept a lot of things which could probably have been understood if we knew the characters a bit better.

Not just the character development is fast - the entire book is fast. The journey is supposed to include finding impossible objects based on a not-very-helpful riddle and defeating an impossible enemy. But Torak pretty much stumbles over the objects, just like he defeats the bad guy in about half a page. The plot could last two books - *at least* - but instead, it's done very quickly, leaving out for example character development. It doesn't turn Torak into a hero you cheer for as he has to figure out impossible situations - he's just a guy who happens to be "the chosen one", who is given most of the things he needs pretty much for free. What happened to the "impossible" part?

Not to mention what seems like a mistake that I couldn't overlook throughout the book (other readers of this book, this is actually a question - is it a mistake, or have I misunderstood something?): Torak isn't allowed to mention the name of the dead - his father - for five years after his death, yet later in the book, he does this several times, casually.

The scene is set for a good story containing interesting characters in an intriguing world. Instead, Wolf Brother is a decent book if you just want light reading with an alright story, and don't ask for too much besides that.(less)

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Dec 09, 2011 Kai rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!
I began reading the series when I was 11 and have recently reread it (for the 4th time?)
I STILL LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!

I was reluctant to read it again only because I had first read it at a much younger age, and I felt that perhaps I had grown out of it. I could not have been any more wrong!

Michelle Paver has this wonderful ability to reconstruct a lost world that could only be reached in the depths of one's imagination. Everything is told in so much detail; the clothing, food,...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Melodyjoe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first time I saw this book was at a Barnes and Nobles a couple years ago. It was a choice between a "Haunted Storys" or "Wolf Brother". I am so glad that I picked Wolf Brother. Not only was this book fictionally entertaining, but Michelle Paver succeeded in making it a page turner with Facts. The food that they ate, the clothes that they wear, the clans, the life, All of this was Facts. She really made you feel like you are there.
The main character, Torak, is a 12 year old boy, or 12 Summer...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Lydia M rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This piece is well written, original, and I really enjoyed the parts written from Wolf’s view. The terminology when he is hunting and tracking is very descriptive, and just the way she writes it convinces me that Michelle did her research on this one! The characters developed throughout the story, and their emotions of fear, determination, and sadness felt real to me, as did the dialogue. The thing that really impressed me was the way the beginning was so quick to pull me in, and how much emotio...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Lcbogota rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver is 24 hours. It is a children's book but intricately constructed in terms of the world that Paver has created for her tribes and their cosmovision. I heard her speak at the Hay Festival in Cartagena this January and I had been looking forward to reading this. I literally wolfed it down.

The story follows Torak, 12, who makes a vow to his father who lies dying after being attacked by a bear that he will go to the Mountain of the World Spirit on a quest to des...more

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Dec 16, 2010 Kyler R. added it · review of another edition

Wolf brother takes place around the year 4000 BC in a forest in Canada. In the forest, a demon bear is terrorizing everything. It killed Torak's (the main character) father. Before he died he told Torak to head towards teh Mountain of The World Spirit. There the World Spirit will destroy the bear. He said that he must find his guide. Torak fled into the forest towards the mountain.

On his way, he finds a wolf cub. He finds out that its whole pack drowned in a flash flood and he was the only one t...more

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Dec 02, 2010 Trish rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The kids and I listened to this in the car. Seth zoned out like he usually does and has no idea what's going on. He's still reading the actual book, The Borrowers, which was our last audio book. Zack kept up with this story pretty well as I paused at various times to ask them questions. He was anxious to listen by the time we reached the sixth and last CD. Sarah finished it a couple of days ago because she didn't want to wait until we were all together. She's already listened to the first CD in...more

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Oct 27, 2010 Matt Petersen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 15, 2010 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When you start reading the first paragraph of Wolf Brother, you're hooked. You keep turning pages, and learn of the setting, set back 6,000 years ago in the continent of europe. Your eyes follow the lines of the page, and realize the continent is not separated into countries, but clans, named after native wildlife. You flip the page to the next chapter, and learn of the main character of this story, Torak. You discover that his father was killed by a mysterious demon animal, and Torak is left al...more

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Apr 28, 2010 Erwin Adriansyah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*Pertama kali dipost di thread Pembahasan Berbagai Novel di forum Role Playing Cyber Novel Video Games Indonesia tanggal 20 April 2008*

Sinopsis

Torak sendirian…. Terluka, ketakutan dan dalam pelarian. Ayahnya telah tiada, dibantai setan yang berwujud beruang. Hanya ditemani seekor anak serigala, Torak menjelajahi hutan, menyeberangi lautan es, dan menghadapi bahaya yang tak mereka bayangkan sebelumnya demi menyelamatkan seisi Hutan dari ancaman si Beruang.

Sampul

Karena gw beli ni buku berdasarkan...more

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Jun 07, 2009 Donalyn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 04, 2011 Junio rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who reads children's fantasy

Shelves: audioread

The first installment of Harry Potter in stone age Europe. It's a great read. A very different setting, and the series is very well written.

Taurak is a hunter that has lived alone with his father in the forest all his life. When his father gets mauled by a Bear, his father swears him to a quest to go far north and find the World Spirit to vanquish the bear and the demon that possesses it. That's how it starts, but quickly you learn that it's more complicated than that.

The story is narrated chapt...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Joey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think that wolf brother is a great book that combines fantasy and how life was 6,000 years ago.

Wolf brother is about a boy named Torak who's father got killed by a bear. A demon is sealed inside the bear, giving it a lust to kill anything living. Torak hears a prophecy that to destroy the demon bear, he has to get to the mountain of the world spirit. The world spirit is a very powerful spirit, as powerful as a god, that lives on a mountain. But before it will help him defeat the bear, he has t...more

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Dec 07, 2009 Saura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, historical-fiction

This was a very enjoyable read. I was kind of reluctant to start this book because of the setting, but I'm so glad I gave it the chance it deserved!

Plot: The book had an interesting plot, though sometimes things were solved 'too easily' - here I mean the ways Torak found the three pieces of Nanuak. But the ending was very unpredictable and it left me heartbroken and hopeful at the same time. 4/5

Characters: The characters made this book. They had their strengths and flaws, you could hate them one...more

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May 13, 2013 John Spo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wolf Brother is about a young teen and his quest to save the world from a demon-bear. This captivating story reflects strong themes of compassion, determination and survival.

Torak, the main character, and his father are outcasts from the rest of their clan, living secluded in the forest. They live a simple life of hunting and gathering until Torak's father, Fa, is killed by an enormous demon-bear. Before Fa dies, he gives Torak instruction that the only way to stop the bear is to go to the Mount...more Wolf Brother is about a young teen and his quest to save the world from a demon-bear. This captivating story reflects strong themes of compassion, determination and survival.

Torak, the main character, and his father are outcasts from the rest of their clan, living secluded in the forest. They live a simple life of hunting and gathering until Torak's father, Fa, is killed by an enormous demon-bear. Before Fa dies, he gives Torak instruction that the only way to stop the bear is to go to the Mountain of the World Spirit before it kills all life in the forest. Torak is distraught by the rapid succession of events. He eventually is out of food and finds a wolf cub, his clan animal, that he is prepared to eat, but cannot bring himself to kill. Together, Torak and the cub traverse the forest and its dangers in order to try to save the forest from this menace of a demon-bear.

I think the book was a fairly good read, the author does a great job of keeping the reader on their toes, and surprising them at any second. But the struggle of survival does not seem very realistic and the main character always seems to be able to overcome obstacles fairly easy without much description. For example when Torak shot a deer for the first time, telling us "he'd seen Fa do [it] countless times. But for him it would be the first" (50). Torak had absolutely no troubles or mental weakness while shooting this deer "He loosed his arrow. It thudded into the buck's ribs" (50-51). There does not seem to be any struggle for Torak, as I think there should be if this is his first time killing a deer, and the author does not explain very well.

Wolf Brother has a lot of ties into sympathy, as the wolf is saved by Torak's sympathy. Torak is also saved on multiple occasions from his captors, being released not only once, but twice!

There is also lots of determination expressed by Torak, even though the odds are against him and he's not even sure he can complete the mission, he still refuses to give up for sake of his father and the rest of the forest.
(less)

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Feb 12, 2013 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 be...more 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 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. (less)

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Mar 17, 2009 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-caudill-nominees, fantasy, gutsy-girls, demons, juvenile-fiction, journey-quest, survival, suspense-thriller, audio-edition, borrowed-from-the-library

Torak’s father is slain by a giant demon bear and Torak is left to fend for himself. He finds a pack of wolves – also slain by the bear – and a cub, still living, which he comes to call “Wolf.” Torak finds that he can communicate with Wolf, and Wolf begins to think of Torak as his pack brother – the “Tall Tail-less.” After Torak kills a buck for them to eat, they are captured by another clan – the Ravens – and Torak is tried for stealing the buck. He fights his way out of those charges, but the...more Torak’s father is slain by a giant demon bear and Torak is left to fend for himself. He finds a pack of wolves – also slain by the bear – and a cub, still living, which he comes to call “Wolf.” Torak finds that he can communicate with Wolf, and Wolf begins to think of Torak as his pack brother – the “Tall Tail-less.” After Torak kills a buck for them to eat, they are captured by another clan – the Ravens – and Torak is tried for stealing the buck. He fights his way out of those charges, but the clan is divided over whether he should go free, or whether they should sacrifice him to the mountain. Torak can’t wait on their decision and escapes. One of his original captors, Wren, comes after him with Wolf and supplies and tells him of the prophecy about the Listener. Many of the Ravens believe Torak is this Listener.

Torak was already on his way to the mountain when he was waylaid by the Ravens, and he and Wren and Wolf continue on this journey. Wolf leads them where they need to go, and along the way Torak finds and collects the three pieces of the Nanwhack (spelling?) which he must use to prove his worth to the World Spirit. They only have a few days to find these pieces, reach the mountain, speak to the World Spirit and kill the demon bear before it’s too late. Along the way Torak and Wren learn to trust one another and Torak discovers more about who he is and who his father was.

The audio edition of this book is excellent – it’s read by Ian McKellen (Gandalf, for the uninitiated). While it’s initially very frustrating to see Torak captured and taken prisoner by the Ravens, once he and Wren head off on their own, the story really becomes captivating. I couldn’t stand it when none of the Ravens would listen to Torak and all of them treated him like some kind of criminal – even though he was a boy. They were ready to kill him because of some prophecy – the exact meaning of which they were unable to agree upon or decipher.

While this could be considered fantasy if one believes the bear is really a demon conjured up by the Soul Eaters – a group of powerful mages from various clans, it can also be taken literally. There’s an earth quake that eventually destroys the bear after Torak arrives with the Nanwhack. And what the Ravens believe is almost supernatural about Torak – his ability to speak with Wolf – is really due to his being raised by wolves. The bear was an ordinary bear taken by the mages, so perhaps it’s become desensitized to people and that’s why it’s killing everyone. Whether there’s actual magic involved is debatable, but it allows for discussion about what “magic” really is (something you can’t explain or don’t understand?).

This story is the first in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, but unlike a lot of new books in series, it’s complete and stands alone. I’m looking forward to reading more.(less)

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Mar 18, 2011 Alison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: confident-readers-chapter-books

This book is set in Stone Age Northern Europe. Torak and his father are outcasts from their tribe, living in the great Forest as hunter-gatherers. Then his father is attacked and killed by a demon bear, and Torak must survive on his own. With the help of an orphaned wolf cub and a girl called Renn, Torak comes to discover his powers and to use them to fulfil his destiny.
Michelle Paver manages to convey an amazing sense of place and immediacy in this novel, sometimes writing from Torak’s point of...more

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Jul 15, 2009 Jerica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wolf Brother is an intriguing story about a boy named Torak, who must save the forest and all that he is familiar with. In order to do so, he must find a giant possessed bear that has been set loose in the forest and has recently murdered his father. Soon Torak meets up with a small wolf cub that shares a strange connection with him. Soon the two are traveling together, on their way to destroy the bear's evil. But can he convince the other clans of his true intentions? How will he defeat the be...more

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About Michelle Paver

Michelle Paver was born in Central Africa, but came to England as a child. After gaining a degree in Biochemistry from Oxford University, she became a partner in a City law firm, but eventually gave that up to write full-time.

The hugely successful Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series arose from Michelle's lifelong passion for animals, anthropology and the distant past - as as well as an encounter...more

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Books by Michelle Paver

Spirit Walker (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #2)

Soul Eater (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, #3)

Outcast (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, #4)

Oath Breaker (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, #5)

Ghost Hunter (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, #6)

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Quotes from Wolf Brother

“Toark woke with a jolt from a sleep he'd never meant to have.” — 4 people liked it

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Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #1)

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