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The Ghost Wolves #1
Hunger Makes the Wolf
The strange planet known as Tanegawa’s World is owned by TransRifts Inc, the company with the absolute monopoly on interstellar travel. Hob landed there ten years ago, a penniless orphan left behind by a rift ship. She was taken in by Nick Ravani and quickly became a member of his mercenary biker troop, the Ghost Wolves.
Ten years later, she discovers that the body of Nick’s brother out in the dunes. Worse, his daughter is missing, taken by shady beings called the Weathermen. But there are greater mysteries to be discovered – both about Hob and the strange planet she calls home.
Ten years later, she discovers that the body of Nick’s brother out in the dunes. Worse, his daughter is missing, taken by shady beings called the Weathermen. But there are greater mysteries to be discovered – both about Hob and the strange planet she calls home.
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First published March 7, 2017
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About the author
Alex Wells
13 books83 followersAlex Wells is a writer, geologist, and sharp-dressed sir. They’ve had short stories in Strange Horizons, Lightspeed, Daily Science Fiction, Shimmer, and more. They are an active member of SFWA, the Northern Colorado Writer’s Workshop, and Codex.
Alex loves movies, nerdy things, cats, and writing, and blog about all this and more depending on my mood. They are also a host on the Skiffy and Fanty podcast, where they talk about movies and other nerdy scifi and fantasy things.
http://www.risingshadow.net/library/a...
Alex loves movies, nerdy things, cats, and writing, and blog about all this and more depending on my mood. They are also a host on the Skiffy and Fanty podcast, where they talk about movies and other nerdy scifi and fantasy things.
http://www.risingshadow.net/library/a...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
July 27, 2017
A recent discussion had me saying that there really isn't much new under the story sun. This is old news, but as always, what I look for are the stories that feel different and more inclusive, or at least bring a new angle to an old plot. Somehow, this tracked across my radar, and somehow, I was in a fierce enough mood that a one-eyed biker woman with a grudge seemed set at my current speed. The idea of an outlaw woman fighting the giant company with her discovered power is often an teasingly attractive to me.
It takes place in a mining town in the middle of nowhere, on a planet in the middle of nowhere, owned by a giant corporation. The planet seems to be contaminating the residents and turning some of them 'witchy.' But this isn't anything that is discussed openly, as at periodic points in the planet history, there have been witch hunts. There are also farming communities and trains running between them; something about the atmosphere and the dust keeps most electronics from working very well on this planet, so even though we have interstellar travel, most people seem to live, work and die in place. The reader is dropped into the action without a great deal more than that to build the sense of the world, and for awhile, it works. Later it gets filled in around the edges, but mostly it feels Old American West, 1800s Company Town edition. However, as Althea points out in her review, it did ring a couple of bells for me with Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffery, one of my favorite books from the 1980s.
The beginning of the story is about Hob, a young woman who is at the bottom of the 'pack' in a mercenary/outlaw biker gang. The gang takes contracts and mostly does the kind of policing the Company won't do. When the brother of the leader is found murdered, there's going to be revenge, and rescue. The first half of the book works very much like a coming of age story, except we don't linger long enough on Hob specifically to get as much of a feel as I wanted. A third-person view centers on her, alternating every other chapter with another character. An unfavorite narrative technique of mine, and unfortunately, it doesn't do a lot to tell a story different than Hob's. One narrator is a father-figure to Hob; one of the Bone Collector, a mysterious being who may or may not be native to the planet; one the dead man; still another a representative of the government; one a member of the biker gang.
I enjoyed it it, except--and this is a touch damning--this feels so 1980s familiar, that decade when I was reading a ton of sci-fi and fantasy, looking for interesting stories--sometimes even finding them--but later noticing most of them were about men, and the ones that weren't about men were often about the girls/women discovering their power and falling in love/conflict with men. I wonder if Wells, who has a deliberately androgynous online profile, realizes how masculine the book is? We have a patriarchial village structure that seems straight out of the 1850. When Hobs or Mags talks to people that are perceived to be influential/powerful, it's always men. The mystery beings of power are men/male enough that they are semi-sexually attracted to Hobs. Hobs does get one woman friend, Mags. Though estranged when they were younger, they do get the opportunity to resolve past issues when they separated over--wait for it--a boy. Mags ends up , a role that is certainly needed and supported but is generally 'womanish.' Sigh. We are on another effing planet, people, so why reproduce the patriarchy?
I did enjoy the semi-seditious, anti-Company message that was starting to roll through the culture of the book. I'm always a sucker for some rabble-rousing, and I liked the way the communities tried to pull together. Except thinking about it later, I'm wondering why the Company didn't have more control over the populace (or was food sourcing enough?), particularly with identification. I mean, moving Company 'trouble-makers' to a new village with a dyed hairdo just doesn't seem particularly effective. And while Wells started to go into the psychology of groups and fear, it didn't get played out enough. I now find myself wondering why the populace didn't have any cultural memory of prior 'witch purges' and why it's a concept everyone falls for.
All that said, I think someone whose cool about operating in that world/able to forget about it would probably enjoy it. After all, I did love Crystal Singer.
Readability: three stars
Sexism from someone who really ought to know better: two stars
It takes place in a mining town in the middle of nowhere, on a planet in the middle of nowhere, owned by a giant corporation. The planet seems to be contaminating the residents and turning some of them 'witchy.' But this isn't anything that is discussed openly, as at periodic points in the planet history, there have been witch hunts. There are also farming communities and trains running between them; something about the atmosphere and the dust keeps most electronics from working very well on this planet, so even though we have interstellar travel, most people seem to live, work and die in place. The reader is dropped into the action without a great deal more than that to build the sense of the world, and for awhile, it works. Later it gets filled in around the edges, but mostly it feels Old American West, 1800s Company Town edition. However, as Althea points out in her review, it did ring a couple of bells for me with Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffery, one of my favorite books from the 1980s.
The beginning of the story is about Hob, a young woman who is at the bottom of the 'pack' in a mercenary/outlaw biker gang. The gang takes contracts and mostly does the kind of policing the Company won't do. When the brother of the leader is found murdered, there's going to be revenge, and rescue. The first half of the book works very much like a coming of age story, except we don't linger long enough on Hob specifically to get as much of a feel as I wanted. A third-person view centers on her, alternating every other chapter with another character. An unfavorite narrative technique of mine, and unfortunately, it doesn't do a lot to tell a story different than Hob's. One narrator is a father-figure to Hob; one of the Bone Collector, a mysterious being who may or may not be native to the planet; one the dead man; still another a representative of the government; one a member of the biker gang.
I enjoyed it it, except--and this is a touch damning--this feels so 1980s familiar, that decade when I was reading a ton of sci-fi and fantasy, looking for interesting stories--sometimes even finding them--but later noticing most of them were about men, and the ones that weren't about men were often about the girls/women discovering their power and falling in love/conflict with men. I wonder if Wells, who has a deliberately androgynous online profile, realizes how masculine the book is? We have a patriarchial village structure that seems straight out of the 1850. When Hobs or Mags talks to people that are perceived to be influential/powerful, it's always men. The mystery beings of power are men/male enough that they are semi-sexually attracted to Hobs. Hobs does get one woman friend, Mags. Though estranged when they were younger, they do get the opportunity to resolve past issues when they separated over--wait for it--a boy. Mags ends up , a role that is certainly needed and supported but is generally 'womanish.' Sigh. We are on another effing planet, people, so why reproduce the patriarchy?
I did enjoy the semi-seditious, anti-Company message that was starting to roll through the culture of the book. I'm always a sucker for some rabble-rousing, and I liked the way the communities tried to pull together. Except thinking about it later, I'm wondering why the Company didn't have more control over the populace (or was food sourcing enough?), particularly with identification. I mean, moving Company 'trouble-makers' to a new village with a dyed hairdo just doesn't seem particularly effective. And while Wells started to go into the psychology of groups and fear, it didn't get played out enough. I now find myself wondering why the populace didn't have any cultural memory of prior 'witch purges' and why it's a concept everyone falls for.
All that said, I think someone whose cool about operating in that world/able to forget about it would probably enjoy it. After all, I did love Crystal Singer.
Readability: three stars
Sexism from someone who really ought to know better: two stars
June 23, 2017
In-depth review at https://1000yearplan.com/2017/06/22/r...
The plot of Hunger Makes the Wolf follows Hob Ravani, member of a biker gang called the Ghost Wolves and adopted daughter of Nick Ravani, the Wolves leader. When Nick’s brother is found dead, long simmering tensions between the planet’s (called Tanegawa’s World) ore miners and the massive corporation that treats them little better than slaves boil to the surface. The Ghost Wolves, always a muscle for hire outfit, are drawn in to the conflict out of familial obligation and loyalty to their working-class roots.
Wells, a pseudonym for geologist Alex Acks, excels at creating memorable characters and a memorable planet for them to inhabit. They have a tough, punchy prose style that lends itself to action; quick and frantic flurries of jabs and counter-jabs cumulating in one big final blow. It’s a style equally effective at depicting emotional violence, particularly in the unusual father-daughter dynamic between Nick and Hob.
Hunger Makes the Wolf follows the recent trend of “first in a series” novels that behave like television pilots, leaving a host of questions and plot threads dangling, and piling on teases for future installments. This places a huge burden on the reader’s goodwill (particularly when the second installment is not yet available) and creates some structural problems and uneven pacing, particularly in the last half of the book. The climax is exciting, though, and satisfying enough to overcome the novel’s mild faults. This is a book and (presumably) a series worth investing your time in.
The plot of Hunger Makes the Wolf follows Hob Ravani, member of a biker gang called the Ghost Wolves and adopted daughter of Nick Ravani, the Wolves leader. When Nick’s brother is found dead, long simmering tensions between the planet’s (called Tanegawa’s World) ore miners and the massive corporation that treats them little better than slaves boil to the surface. The Ghost Wolves, always a muscle for hire outfit, are drawn in to the conflict out of familial obligation and loyalty to their working-class roots.
Wells, a pseudonym for geologist Alex Acks, excels at creating memorable characters and a memorable planet for them to inhabit. They have a tough, punchy prose style that lends itself to action; quick and frantic flurries of jabs and counter-jabs cumulating in one big final blow. It’s a style equally effective at depicting emotional violence, particularly in the unusual father-daughter dynamic between Nick and Hob.
Hunger Makes the Wolf follows the recent trend of “first in a series” novels that behave like television pilots, leaving a host of questions and plot threads dangling, and piling on teases for future installments. This places a huge burden on the reader’s goodwill (particularly when the second installment is not yet available) and creates some structural problems and uneven pacing, particularly in the last half of the book. The climax is exciting, though, and satisfying enough to overcome the novel’s mild faults. This is a book and (presumably) a series worth investing your time in.
Read
October 28, 2017What a fantastic riot of a book. Biker space witches! Set on a semi-Wild West world that's basically owned by an unaccountable corporation. Hob is a tough-as-nails witch and member of a mercenary biker gang that gets pulled into world-changing events. Mag, her friend, starts off as a damsel in distress and then finds the hell out of her feet. Strong women setting out to kick arse and take names with the aid of a mysterious man called the Bone Collector who turns to stone occasionally. as you do.
I loved the very human, fallible but steel-spined women; the beautifully judged blend of magic and SF; the vivid dry atmosphere and creepy as hell bad guys. A rampaging adventure, highly recommended. Cannot wait for book 2.
I loved the very human, fallible but steel-spined women; the beautifully judged blend of magic and SF; the vivid dry atmosphere and creepy as hell bad guys. A rampaging adventure, highly recommended. Cannot wait for book 2.
June 28, 2017
Imagine a grittier, more cynical, anti-corporate version of Anne McCaffrey's 'Crystal Singer' series?
Tanegawa's World is a company town. TransRift runs the mines, and interstellar government is very, very far away. In essence, TransRift IS the government, and operates without oversight - a situation unlikely to change, since interstellar travel depends on TransRift. Little of the profits of this monopoly are seen by the colonists of Tanegawa's, who are downtrodden and exploited. Lately, 'troublemakers' are turning up dead disturbingly frequently...
However, not everyone is willing to put up with the abuses of the company. Our protagonist, Hob, is a young woman poised to become the leader of a group on mercenaries who live on the fringes, doing jobs for pay but also protecting townspeople from more vicious groups of outlaws.
A precarious balance is about to be upset: a strange discovery is made in the mines; which may be related to the outbreaks of 'witchiness' that the miners don't really like to talk about (or tolerate amongst themselves). Hob herself knows that she is 'witchy' - but she doesn't expect that her best friend, the more mild-mannered Mag, to be arrested on charges of 'witchiness', on her way off-planet. For answers - and to help free Mag - she goes to the mysterious Bone Collector, a man of strange talent and unknown origin, who lives out in the desert (and whom I couldn't picture as anything else but Carl McCoy's 'nomad' character in the movie 'Hardware.) The Bone Collector's abilities are strangely parallel to that of the Weatherman - one of the few individuals who are capable of piloting spaceships. This Weatherman, though, is on-planet, and as the instrument of a new witch hunt, may be more dangerous than any of the colonists could have guessed.
'Hunger Makes the Wolf' is an enjoyable sci-fi adventure. It does show, just a bit, that this is the work of a new novelist; and I thought there was a bit too much left hanging at the end, waiting for the sequel. But I will very likely read that sequel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are unaffected by the source of the book.
Tanegawa's World is a company town. TransRift runs the mines, and interstellar government is very, very far away. In essence, TransRift IS the government, and operates without oversight - a situation unlikely to change, since interstellar travel depends on TransRift. Little of the profits of this monopoly are seen by the colonists of Tanegawa's, who are downtrodden and exploited. Lately, 'troublemakers' are turning up dead disturbingly frequently...
However, not everyone is willing to put up with the abuses of the company. Our protagonist, Hob, is a young woman poised to become the leader of a group on mercenaries who live on the fringes, doing jobs for pay but also protecting townspeople from more vicious groups of outlaws.
A precarious balance is about to be upset: a strange discovery is made in the mines; which may be related to the outbreaks of 'witchiness' that the miners don't really like to talk about (or tolerate amongst themselves). Hob herself knows that she is 'witchy' - but she doesn't expect that her best friend, the more mild-mannered Mag, to be arrested on charges of 'witchiness', on her way off-planet. For answers - and to help free Mag - she goes to the mysterious Bone Collector, a man of strange talent and unknown origin, who lives out in the desert (and whom I couldn't picture as anything else but Carl McCoy's 'nomad' character in the movie 'Hardware.) The Bone Collector's abilities are strangely parallel to that of the Weatherman - one of the few individuals who are capable of piloting spaceships. This Weatherman, though, is on-planet, and as the instrument of a new witch hunt, may be more dangerous than any of the colonists could have guessed.
'Hunger Makes the Wolf' is an enjoyable sci-fi adventure. It does show, just a bit, that this is the work of a new novelist; and I thought there was a bit too much left hanging at the end, waiting for the sequel. But I will very likely read that sequel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are unaffected by the source of the book.
July 2, 2017
A young woman in an outlaw motorcycle gang works against the secretive and evil corporation that controls the mining world where they live.
TransRift is a shadowy corporation with a monopoly over interstellar travel and in a position that allows it to nearly ignore government and government regulation. One of several worlds controlled by TransRift, Tanegawa's World is a company town writ large with all primary industries on the world controlled by the company. TransRift also controls all travel to and from the planet which has allowed them to keep the secret of 'witchiness', a planetary "contamination" that grants some people special powers.
Hob Ravani, the disgraced niece of the Ghost Wolves leader, becomes directly involved in conflict with the company when her childhood best friend is taken by them. This turns out to be a catalyst in rising tensions on Tanegawa's World which sees the Ghost Wolves, the mining towns and company heading towards open confrontation.
There's lots going on here, with witches, corporate secrets, potential native aliens, spies and bioengineering as well as all the dysfunctional social dynamics inherent to company towns (single primary employer, no workforce regulation, single supplier of life's necessities etc). In fact, this book is almost a perfect example of the classic first book problem of trying to do too much too quickly. It does work though and sets up a series with this world and characters that should be interesting.
There's also some great character stuff with Hob desperately trying to prove herself in the shadow of her uncle and a brilliant contrast between the angry young woman and her best friend Mag who has a completely different take on resistance to the company.
I would recommend this at least partly because of the potential in future books and an interesting new author, but with the caveat of the warning about first book problems.
TransRift is a shadowy corporation with a monopoly over interstellar travel and in a position that allows it to nearly ignore government and government regulation. One of several worlds controlled by TransRift, Tanegawa's World is a company town writ large with all primary industries on the world controlled by the company. TransRift also controls all travel to and from the planet which has allowed them to keep the secret of 'witchiness', a planetary "contamination" that grants some people special powers.
Hob Ravani, the disgraced niece of the Ghost Wolves leader, becomes directly involved in conflict with the company when her childhood best friend is taken by them. This turns out to be a catalyst in rising tensions on Tanegawa's World which sees the Ghost Wolves, the mining towns and company heading towards open confrontation.
There's lots going on here, with witches, corporate secrets, potential native aliens, spies and bioengineering as well as all the dysfunctional social dynamics inherent to company towns (single primary employer, no workforce regulation, single supplier of life's necessities etc). In fact, this book is almost a perfect example of the classic first book problem of trying to do too much too quickly. It does work though and sets up a series with this world and characters that should be interesting.
There's also some great character stuff with Hob desperately trying to prove herself in the shadow of her uncle and a brilliant contrast between the angry young woman and her best friend Mag who has a completely different take on resistance to the company.
I would recommend this at least partly because of the potential in future books and an interesting new author, but with the caveat of the warning about first book problems.
June 12, 2017
3.5 stars. I didn't love this but I do think it has good potential as series. The world is intriguing. This was definitely a first book and I ended up with a lot of questions. So I'm curious to see where this is going.
November 22, 2016
It's like Dune but with biker gangs instead of desert nomads. Sharp writing, compelling characters, and a great dose of far-future anti-authoritarianism. If you need a book to get you psyched up about kicking ass, this is your jam.
July 2, 2018
Well, this was sure a surprise! I mean, solid reviews by many of my Goodreads compatriots is always a good sign, but while I was certain I would like it, I truly didn’t expect to enjoy Hunger Makes the Wolf anywhere near as much as I did. Channeling the concept and spirit of Firefly/Serenity, if not the (TV network mandated) innocence, coupled with some wild elemental magic, makes for a rollicking adventure that is satisfyingly violent, frequently surprising, and constantly evolving. And I got to use the word “rollicking” in a review!
Taking place on an anomalous planet called Tanegawa’s World, where advanced technology rarely functions correctly, Hunger Makes the Wolf definitely has a Wild West feel to it, which helps to establish a unique sense of identity. The dusty, virtually water-free planet, with its strange electromagnetic phenomena, essentially forces a reliance on low-tech equipment, which is exacerbated by the relative poverty of the local populace. And though our regulators, the Ghost Wolves, ride motorcycles instead of horses, they are still very much the concept of a justice dealing posse, performing train heists and rescues from lynchings. Led by the irascible Old Nick Ravani, the Ghost Wolves are sort of like Robin Hood-ish figures, generally helping the miners and farmers of the land while constantly being a thorn in the side of the local corporate entity, TransRift, Inc. which essentially owns the planet.
As with all my reviews, I will attempt to keep spoilers at a minimum. This book is chock full of cool ideas and a few surprises, and I feel that readers should come across these organically to maximize the enjoyment and impact. So, if it’s not mentioned in the official book synopsis, I will do my level best to avoid mentioning it here.
Hunger Makes the Wolf is one of those stories where some major events have already played out with a few of our main characters, so we come into the narrative with them essentially already set on their individual paths. While this may be frustrating to some readers, it ultimately gives the story a sort of “lived in” feel, and makes the world feel less static, as events are transpiring whether we are reading about them or not. Not everything gets fully explained, with lends some of the proceedings that took place prior to events in the book a certain sense of “legend” status, but for the most part (except for my quibbles below) the slight ambiguity generally works in the story’s favor.
What I liked most about Hunger Makes the Wolf is the colorful cast of characters. While we have a couple of main POV characters that get much more page time than anyone else, even the supporting cast effectively contribute to the tale as a whole. Everything is told in third person, and we get so many different viewpoints that the story feels bigger because of it.
If there is a “main” main character, it would be Hob Ravani. As the adopted daughter of Nick Ravani, leader of the Ghost Wolves, she had a world of possibility ahead of her. Unfortunately, some poor choices as an adolescent essentially stripped her of all privilege, and saw her demoted back to new recruit status within Ravani’s Ghost Wolves. Struggling to rise above the black mark she gave herself, Hob has a lot to prove, both to herself and her companions. Hob is definitely an enjoyable protagonist, a spitfire with a huge chip on her shoulder, but still human for all her bravado. She has pretty strong moral code, trying to do right by her friends while also satisfying her own sense of honor, which occasionally lands her in hot water. While she starts out as a “shoot first, ask later” kind of character, by the end of the book she has evolved a bit, tending to think and plan before taking action. There is so much more to Hob’s character, but to mention it would be to give away some spoilers, so I’ll just say that I enjoyed her rough & tumble spirit and her refusal to back down. I like strong female protagonists, especially when they prove in no uncertain terms that they won’t take crap from anyone, even people who are ostensibly their friends. The only drawback to Hob’s brittle veneer is it makes it slightly harder to empathize with her at times.
The other primary POV character is Mag Ravani, Old Nick’s niece. Because she is very nearly the polar opposite of Hob, Mag’s chapters give the story a bit more humanity and compassion, as she’s more of a healer and mediator to Hob’s gun-toting instigator. And though Hob has a bit of character growth throughout the book, Mag shows tremendous growth and change, as events force her to grow up and take a stand against the numerous injustices thrown her way. I like that Mag is a long-term thinker, and during the course of the book is laying the groundwork for bringing about future change for her fellow miners and farmers. I also like that we get a very honest and tender look at Mag’s burgeoning sexuality, where she finds herself increasingly attracted to a girl who was wrongly persecuted (and saved by Hob) from a nearby town. Whether it’s with the main characters or the supporting cast, diversity is always welcome, and helps the book appeal to a wider audience.
And that’s really it for the characters with the most page time. There is a supporting character, James Rolland, who gets more than a few chapters, but most of the circumstances about his purpose on Tanegawa’s World would be way too spoilery, so there’s not much about him that I can discuss. We also have a wonderful side character, one I wanted MUCH more of, in The Bone Collector. His entire concept is simply cool as shit, and lends the story an air of mysticism and wonder. His page time is minimal, but every time he appears, the story just gets better and more involved. And I just loved how he was always able to make Hob uncomfortable and off her game.
As for the Ghost Wolves, they are a colorful and motley bunch, a whiskey drinkin’ and duster wearin’ combination of biker gang and mercenary force, taking jobs from the local populace and trying to stay one step ahead of TransRift and their private security force, Mariposa. Mileage with the various members varies; some of the Wolves barely even get named, while others are mainstays and have a bit of backstory to them. But the concept as a whole is sound, and the Wolves are enjoyable as an extended family for Hob and Mag, including the ever-present familial put-downs, in-fighting, and tough love scenarios.
On the villain side, we get plenty of corporate flunkies and security goons, and one extremely dangerous foe in Mr. Green, TransRift’s pet Weatherman. While most Weathermen are used to assist with interstellar travel, as they have a way of tuning in to the ebb & flow of the universe, Mr. Green is retained on Tanegawa’s World to help offset some of the bizarre electromagnetic anomalies that the planet is known for. Creepy and cold, Mr. Green has abilities far beyond those of any other human, and I really enjoyed how he became more of a force to be reckoned with as the story progressed. In fact, the whole concept of the Weathermen is pretty damn cool, and I hope we get to learn more about them in the next book.
All in all, Hunger Makes the Wolf is one well-written and engaging tale. And it takes a bit from a lot of different genres and mashes them up into something new and fun. There’s action & adventure, a bit of mystery, a bit of magic, a bit of corporate espionage, some daring rescues, and some examinations and rumination on the weight of leadership and the cost of revolution. This isn’t “hard’ Science Fiction by any means, with the technology and such merely serving as dressing to the actual story. The pacing is just about perfect, with no parts of the book seeming rush or underdeveloped. There are also a few events that don't quite play out like you think they will, which keeps the story from being too predictable. Also, the ending of the book sets the tone for another book, while NOT ending on a cliffhanger or with major plot threads left unresolved. Which honestly is a nice switch.
It’s also refreshingly adult, with rough & tumble characters talking with a rough & tumble vernacular. Though sex is essentially non-existent from the book, there’s plenty of colorful language and quite a few scenes of carnage, so this book is definitely not for the young whippersnappers!
Even though I really enjoyed the tale, I still did have some issues with it, mostly with some of the major events that took place prior to the start of the book. While it helps broaden the scope of the tale, it’s also good to get some clarification on what happened during those events. And aside from the incident that resulted in Hob’s fall from grace with Nick Ravani and the Ghost Wolves, some of the other major story points get kinda glossed over. Hob has a certain ability that becomes kind of integral to the story near the end, but it’s not terribly well defined, and how she came about acquiring said ability is even less defined. This may be explored more in the second book, as may be the origin of The Bone Collector, but it was frustrating to only get bits & pieces of the narrative in this book. A little more explanation might have helped. I like mystery and lore as much as the next guy, but when things are vital to the flow of the book, and they aren’t really well explained, I get a little mad. No, I definitely don’t need or want every single stone unturned (like I said, a little ambiguity can be a good thing) but I do want a little more clarification as to why these super important things are what they are.
My inner 80’s music lover was also slightly disappointed that no character in this book mentioned that they were “hungry like the wolf”. I thought for sure that Alex Wells would find some creative way of slipping that song lyric into the story. Sorry Duran Duran, you didn’t make the cut...
So yeah, I really only had the one issue with Hunger Makes the Wolf. It’s overall just a fun concept, with a cool setting and cooler characters, and I’m definitely going to read the second book at some point in the near future. If you like Science Fiction with a western theme and well-written female protagonists, then Hunger Makes the Wolf is one you should definitely check out. It's not the deepest book you'll read, but damn if it's not a whole lot of entertaining!
Taking place on an anomalous planet called Tanegawa’s World, where advanced technology rarely functions correctly, Hunger Makes the Wolf definitely has a Wild West feel to it, which helps to establish a unique sense of identity. The dusty, virtually water-free planet, with its strange electromagnetic phenomena, essentially forces a reliance on low-tech equipment, which is exacerbated by the relative poverty of the local populace. And though our regulators, the Ghost Wolves, ride motorcycles instead of horses, they are still very much the concept of a justice dealing posse, performing train heists and rescues from lynchings. Led by the irascible Old Nick Ravani, the Ghost Wolves are sort of like Robin Hood-ish figures, generally helping the miners and farmers of the land while constantly being a thorn in the side of the local corporate entity, TransRift, Inc. which essentially owns the planet.
As with all my reviews, I will attempt to keep spoilers at a minimum. This book is chock full of cool ideas and a few surprises, and I feel that readers should come across these organically to maximize the enjoyment and impact. So, if it’s not mentioned in the official book synopsis, I will do my level best to avoid mentioning it here.
Hunger Makes the Wolf is one of those stories where some major events have already played out with a few of our main characters, so we come into the narrative with them essentially already set on their individual paths. While this may be frustrating to some readers, it ultimately gives the story a sort of “lived in” feel, and makes the world feel less static, as events are transpiring whether we are reading about them or not. Not everything gets fully explained, with lends some of the proceedings that took place prior to events in the book a certain sense of “legend” status, but for the most part (except for my quibbles below) the slight ambiguity generally works in the story’s favor.
What I liked most about Hunger Makes the Wolf is the colorful cast of characters. While we have a couple of main POV characters that get much more page time than anyone else, even the supporting cast effectively contribute to the tale as a whole. Everything is told in third person, and we get so many different viewpoints that the story feels bigger because of it.
If there is a “main” main character, it would be Hob Ravani. As the adopted daughter of Nick Ravani, leader of the Ghost Wolves, she had a world of possibility ahead of her. Unfortunately, some poor choices as an adolescent essentially stripped her of all privilege, and saw her demoted back to new recruit status within Ravani’s Ghost Wolves. Struggling to rise above the black mark she gave herself, Hob has a lot to prove, both to herself and her companions. Hob is definitely an enjoyable protagonist, a spitfire with a huge chip on her shoulder, but still human for all her bravado. She has pretty strong moral code, trying to do right by her friends while also satisfying her own sense of honor, which occasionally lands her in hot water. While she starts out as a “shoot first, ask later” kind of character, by the end of the book she has evolved a bit, tending to think and plan before taking action. There is so much more to Hob’s character, but to mention it would be to give away some spoilers, so I’ll just say that I enjoyed her rough & tumble spirit and her refusal to back down. I like strong female protagonists, especially when they prove in no uncertain terms that they won’t take crap from anyone, even people who are ostensibly their friends. The only drawback to Hob’s brittle veneer is it makes it slightly harder to empathize with her at times.
The other primary POV character is Mag Ravani, Old Nick’s niece. Because she is very nearly the polar opposite of Hob, Mag’s chapters give the story a bit more humanity and compassion, as she’s more of a healer and mediator to Hob’s gun-toting instigator. And though Hob has a bit of character growth throughout the book, Mag shows tremendous growth and change, as events force her to grow up and take a stand against the numerous injustices thrown her way. I like that Mag is a long-term thinker, and during the course of the book is laying the groundwork for bringing about future change for her fellow miners and farmers. I also like that we get a very honest and tender look at Mag’s burgeoning sexuality, where she finds herself increasingly attracted to a girl who was wrongly persecuted (and saved by Hob) from a nearby town. Whether it’s with the main characters or the supporting cast, diversity is always welcome, and helps the book appeal to a wider audience.
And that’s really it for the characters with the most page time. There is a supporting character, James Rolland, who gets more than a few chapters, but most of the circumstances about his purpose on Tanegawa’s World would be way too spoilery, so there’s not much about him that I can discuss. We also have a wonderful side character, one I wanted MUCH more of, in The Bone Collector. His entire concept is simply cool as shit, and lends the story an air of mysticism and wonder. His page time is minimal, but every time he appears, the story just gets better and more involved. And I just loved how he was always able to make Hob uncomfortable and off her game.
As for the Ghost Wolves, they are a colorful and motley bunch, a whiskey drinkin’ and duster wearin’ combination of biker gang and mercenary force, taking jobs from the local populace and trying to stay one step ahead of TransRift and their private security force, Mariposa. Mileage with the various members varies; some of the Wolves barely even get named, while others are mainstays and have a bit of backstory to them. But the concept as a whole is sound, and the Wolves are enjoyable as an extended family for Hob and Mag, including the ever-present familial put-downs, in-fighting, and tough love scenarios.
On the villain side, we get plenty of corporate flunkies and security goons, and one extremely dangerous foe in Mr. Green, TransRift’s pet Weatherman. While most Weathermen are used to assist with interstellar travel, as they have a way of tuning in to the ebb & flow of the universe, Mr. Green is retained on Tanegawa’s World to help offset some of the bizarre electromagnetic anomalies that the planet is known for. Creepy and cold, Mr. Green has abilities far beyond those of any other human, and I really enjoyed how he became more of a force to be reckoned with as the story progressed. In fact, the whole concept of the Weathermen is pretty damn cool, and I hope we get to learn more about them in the next book.
All in all, Hunger Makes the Wolf is one well-written and engaging tale. And it takes a bit from a lot of different genres and mashes them up into something new and fun. There’s action & adventure, a bit of mystery, a bit of magic, a bit of corporate espionage, some daring rescues, and some examinations and rumination on the weight of leadership and the cost of revolution. This isn’t “hard’ Science Fiction by any means, with the technology and such merely serving as dressing to the actual story. The pacing is just about perfect, with no parts of the book seeming rush or underdeveloped. There are also a few events that don't quite play out like you think they will, which keeps the story from being too predictable. Also, the ending of the book sets the tone for another book, while NOT ending on a cliffhanger or with major plot threads left unresolved. Which honestly is a nice switch.
It’s also refreshingly adult, with rough & tumble characters talking with a rough & tumble vernacular. Though sex is essentially non-existent from the book, there’s plenty of colorful language and quite a few scenes of carnage, so this book is definitely not for the young whippersnappers!
Even though I really enjoyed the tale, I still did have some issues with it, mostly with some of the major events that took place prior to the start of the book. While it helps broaden the scope of the tale, it’s also good to get some clarification on what happened during those events. And aside from the incident that resulted in Hob’s fall from grace with Nick Ravani and the Ghost Wolves, some of the other major story points get kinda glossed over. Hob has a certain ability that becomes kind of integral to the story near the end, but it’s not terribly well defined, and how she came about acquiring said ability is even less defined. This may be explored more in the second book, as may be the origin of The Bone Collector, but it was frustrating to only get bits & pieces of the narrative in this book. A little more explanation might have helped. I like mystery and lore as much as the next guy, but when things are vital to the flow of the book, and they aren’t really well explained, I get a little mad. No, I definitely don’t need or want every single stone unturned (like I said, a little ambiguity can be a good thing) but I do want a little more clarification as to why these super important things are what they are.
My inner 80’s music lover was also slightly disappointed that no character in this book mentioned that they were “hungry like the wolf”. I thought for sure that Alex Wells would find some creative way of slipping that song lyric into the story. Sorry Duran Duran, you didn’t make the cut...
So yeah, I really only had the one issue with Hunger Makes the Wolf. It’s overall just a fun concept, with a cool setting and cooler characters, and I’m definitely going to read the second book at some point in the near future. If you like Science Fiction with a western theme and well-written female protagonists, then Hunger Makes the Wolf is one you should definitely check out. It's not the deepest book you'll read, but damn if it's not a whole lot of entertaining!
March 14, 2017
Fantasy Review Barn
"You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt."
Scavengers in the air tip off three people biking across the vast desert of the planet on their way home. Hob draws the short straw and checks out the body finding someone she knows well. When a body is found out in the dunes of Tanegawa’s World there is no real secret as to how it arrived there; the corporation TransRift runs everything on the planet and unofficial deaths are not uncommon. But events will soon prove that her now dead 'Uncle' got into something over his head. There are secrets that TransRift means to keep.
Hunger Makes the Wolf is a fast paced adventure novel with a surprising amount of depth. Though it has two central characters who hold their own it is Tanegawa's World itself that takes center stage. Through it we learn very little about the universe around it but enough to know that it is much more important than its status as small mining colony suggests. The company controls everything, being blacklisted from work is a death sentence of its own but as seen in the opening so is a push from a moving train with multiple bullet wounds.
Through flashbacks we see glimpses of how TransRift controls this land. Long hours with little concern for safty. The aforementioned blacklisting of employees stuck on a world with no other options for work. And soon enough, when Mag's family finally saves the money to send her off world to another life, we see just how far the company is willing to go in order to keep their secrets.
Hob takes the main role in this adventure, acting as the glue between several story lines that all come back to TransRift's control. She is one of the Gray Wolves, a mercenary crew living on the edge of society. She is also a witch, controlling fire though not quite understanding why or how. This and her non-company sanctioned employment make her a prime target for TransRift's wraith. Mag is her longtime friend, though an old wound has kept them apart, who starts as a damsel in distress that quickly comes into her own. The two of them are fun to read about; make no mistake they carry the story through their own decisions and actions. But as stated above, it is the world of Tanegawa's World and TransRift's control of it that drive this book.
The problem is the proprietary information TransRift holds; especially the mysterious 'Weatherman' who are necessary for space travel and so much more. For those looking for just a bit of horror in their sci-fi the Weatherman should meet all needs nicely; deliciously creepy and plenty powerful without seeming completely invincible(just mostly so). How Tanegawa's World fits into the big picture, and what the seemingly benevolent but fairly powerless government plans to do about it, are just a few of the mysteries Mag and Hob may find themselves involved in.
There are a lot of cool aspects to Hunger Makes the Wolf. It is an adventure novel. It has cool mysterious beings like the Weatherman (oh, and wait until you meet the Bone Collector). It has universe spanning implications going on in the small scale; always focused and never to ambitious for its scope. But it also does have two kick ass heroines; they are who they are because of the world they live on sure, but also because they learn from mistakes and take charge of situations.
Obviously a first book in a series there are answers to be found but many more questions to be asked when all is done. There were a few quibbles to be had about the Gray Wolves and their longevity in a world under such strict production control, and a few things about their structure were either underdeveloped or coming in upcoming books. But never did it really affect my enjoyment of the story.
Angry Robot has really upped its game lately; this is one of their best recent releases. Strong debut and I hope for a sequel to start answering a few more of my questions.
4 Stars
Copy for review provided by publisher
"You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt."
Scavengers in the air tip off three people biking across the vast desert of the planet on their way home. Hob draws the short straw and checks out the body finding someone she knows well. When a body is found out in the dunes of Tanegawa’s World there is no real secret as to how it arrived there; the corporation TransRift runs everything on the planet and unofficial deaths are not uncommon. But events will soon prove that her now dead 'Uncle' got into something over his head. There are secrets that TransRift means to keep.
Hunger Makes the Wolf is a fast paced adventure novel with a surprising amount of depth. Though it has two central characters who hold their own it is Tanegawa's World itself that takes center stage. Through it we learn very little about the universe around it but enough to know that it is much more important than its status as small mining colony suggests. The company controls everything, being blacklisted from work is a death sentence of its own but as seen in the opening so is a push from a moving train with multiple bullet wounds.
Through flashbacks we see glimpses of how TransRift controls this land. Long hours with little concern for safty. The aforementioned blacklisting of employees stuck on a world with no other options for work. And soon enough, when Mag's family finally saves the money to send her off world to another life, we see just how far the company is willing to go in order to keep their secrets.
Hob takes the main role in this adventure, acting as the glue between several story lines that all come back to TransRift's control. She is one of the Gray Wolves, a mercenary crew living on the edge of society. She is also a witch, controlling fire though not quite understanding why or how. This and her non-company sanctioned employment make her a prime target for TransRift's wraith. Mag is her longtime friend, though an old wound has kept them apart, who starts as a damsel in distress that quickly comes into her own. The two of them are fun to read about; make no mistake they carry the story through their own decisions and actions. But as stated above, it is the world of Tanegawa's World and TransRift's control of it that drive this book.
The problem is the proprietary information TransRift holds; especially the mysterious 'Weatherman' who are necessary for space travel and so much more. For those looking for just a bit of horror in their sci-fi the Weatherman should meet all needs nicely; deliciously creepy and plenty powerful without seeming completely invincible(just mostly so). How Tanegawa's World fits into the big picture, and what the seemingly benevolent but fairly powerless government plans to do about it, are just a few of the mysteries Mag and Hob may find themselves involved in.
There are a lot of cool aspects to Hunger Makes the Wolf. It is an adventure novel. It has cool mysterious beings like the Weatherman (oh, and wait until you meet the Bone Collector). It has universe spanning implications going on in the small scale; always focused and never to ambitious for its scope. But it also does have two kick ass heroines; they are who they are because of the world they live on sure, but also because they learn from mistakes and take charge of situations.
Obviously a first book in a series there are answers to be found but many more questions to be asked when all is done. There were a few quibbles to be had about the Gray Wolves and their longevity in a world under such strict production control, and a few things about their structure were either underdeveloped or coming in upcoming books. But never did it really affect my enjoyment of the story.
Angry Robot has really upped its game lately; this is one of their best recent releases. Strong debut and I hope for a sequel to start answering a few more of my questions.
4 Stars
Copy for review provided by publisher
December 13, 2017
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I just posted a review in which I complained about the "western" feel of the book, which isn't generally my cup of tea. Now here's another book with the same sort of setting, yet I really enjoyed it! What won me over?
For one, there wasn't as much soul-searching angst in this book. Hob, one of our two main characters, isn't much of one for navel-gazing. She's focused on the job at hand and on survival. She's got to be, because she is trying to make her way back into being accepted in her desert biker gang after almost fatally betraying them.
As part of her penance, Hob was sent into the desert to live or die, whichever she could manage. In surviving, she lost an eye but gained some "witchiness", as it's known on Tanegawa's World. The chief of her gang, old Nick, also has a bit of witchiness about him, but being able to light your cigarettes without any match or lighter is something that people don't brag about- witchiness isn't really kosher with the preachers or the Company that owns the world.
Tanegawa's World is a mining colony. Most of the colonists on it are either miners or farmer who feed the work force. There are trains that ferry goods to and from the Big City, but most towns are pretty isolated. Technology doesn't work especially well, probably because of some of the ores deep within the planet, but really not much is understood about the deep workings of the world. While the world is thoroughly science fiction material, the feel of it is very Old West- the deep desert, the mining towns, the dialogue of the characters.
The book kicks off with the discovery of a dead body. Hob and the crew she's running with find the body of her "uncle", the one who took her in when she snuck off the rift ship that brought her to this world. He's been shot in the back in the middle of the desert. Hob's "uncle" is old Nick's brother, so the gang's going to have to get involved. Hob goes searching for some answers of her own from the Bone Collector, a mysterious being who lives in the desert and can only be found when he wants to be.
Meanwhile, Hob's adopted sister, Mag, is on her way off-planet. But can she really get free of the grasp of the company?
A lot of this book deals with the little guy vs. the Company. The world is entirely literally a Company Town, governed by a corporation whose main interest is in the bottom line, not in the well-being of their employees. There's a fair bit of exploration of how labor can resist an incredibly powerful corporation, and I suspect more will come of this plot thread.
But there's even more to the book than that. The company considers witchiness to be contamination, but what sort of contamination? What is the Bone Collector, and how does he relate to the genetically modified Weathermen who maintain the stability of the world? What is Hob's gang's role- are they mercenaries, criminals, freedom fighters or all three?
The book is well written- there are few clues that this is a debut novel. I'm really looking forward to finding out the answers to all of these questions and whatever else the author can think up!
I just posted a review in which I complained about the "western" feel of the book, which isn't generally my cup of tea. Now here's another book with the same sort of setting, yet I really enjoyed it! What won me over?
For one, there wasn't as much soul-searching angst in this book. Hob, one of our two main characters, isn't much of one for navel-gazing. She's focused on the job at hand and on survival. She's got to be, because she is trying to make her way back into being accepted in her desert biker gang after almost fatally betraying them.
As part of her penance, Hob was sent into the desert to live or die, whichever she could manage. In surviving, she lost an eye but gained some "witchiness", as it's known on Tanegawa's World. The chief of her gang, old Nick, also has a bit of witchiness about him, but being able to light your cigarettes without any match or lighter is something that people don't brag about- witchiness isn't really kosher with the preachers or the Company that owns the world.
Tanegawa's World is a mining colony. Most of the colonists on it are either miners or farmer who feed the work force. There are trains that ferry goods to and from the Big City, but most towns are pretty isolated. Technology doesn't work especially well, probably because of some of the ores deep within the planet, but really not much is understood about the deep workings of the world. While the world is thoroughly science fiction material, the feel of it is very Old West- the deep desert, the mining towns, the dialogue of the characters.
The book kicks off with the discovery of a dead body. Hob and the crew she's running with find the body of her "uncle", the one who took her in when she snuck off the rift ship that brought her to this world. He's been shot in the back in the middle of the desert. Hob's "uncle" is old Nick's brother, so the gang's going to have to get involved. Hob goes searching for some answers of her own from the Bone Collector, a mysterious being who lives in the desert and can only be found when he wants to be.
Meanwhile, Hob's adopted sister, Mag, is on her way off-planet. But can she really get free of the grasp of the company?
A lot of this book deals with the little guy vs. the Company. The world is entirely literally a Company Town, governed by a corporation whose main interest is in the bottom line, not in the well-being of their employees. There's a fair bit of exploration of how labor can resist an incredibly powerful corporation, and I suspect more will come of this plot thread.
But there's even more to the book than that. The company considers witchiness to be contamination, but what sort of contamination? What is the Bone Collector, and how does he relate to the genetically modified Weathermen who maintain the stability of the world? What is Hob's gang's role- are they mercenaries, criminals, freedom fighters or all three?
The book is well written- there are few clues that this is a debut novel. I'm really looking forward to finding out the answers to all of these questions and whatever else the author can think up!
January 16, 2018
Bought this book months ago, but never quite got to it because motorcycle gangs in a futuristic desert sounded too damn Mad Maxish, and nah. Then it turned up on a few 10 Best lists at year end, so I thought what the heck.
Wow. You guys this was awesome. I’m still at that near wordless delight stage. AWESOME.
First of all it’s not at all what I’d imagined from the blurb. No motorcycle fetishes, and the bad guys are often believable, everyday people. Plus the towns are recognizable towns with work shifts, bars and churches.
And it’s packed the strong, interesting women. Lots of them too, not just a solo heroine. (In fact our heroine relies on her female BFF for motivation and advice.) Plus, some great, fascinating men as well. This isn’t a book weighting one gender over another in the narrative, and I appreciate that. It’s rare.
Although we do see a few extraordinary heroes, many ordinary people are also movers & shakers. And overall, despite the heroism and special abilities of the leads, the author makes it clear that to beat the big bad, your entire community is needed. It’s not about a lone hero or leader, but everyone coming together from multiple points of accord.
The author’s father was a chief steward of a union, so perhaps that’s where they got that together-we-are-stronger attitude. It’s especially enjoyable here both because the genre is a bit too overrun by lone wolf heroes who save the day, and because it’s not written naively or idealistically, but rather with a whiff of reality.
This is also a terrific adventure story, with some really fun characters. Be careful when you start in though - it kept me up half the night.
Wow. You guys this was awesome. I’m still at that near wordless delight stage. AWESOME.
First of all it’s not at all what I’d imagined from the blurb. No motorcycle fetishes, and the bad guys are often believable, everyday people. Plus the towns are recognizable towns with work shifts, bars and churches.
And it’s packed the strong, interesting women. Lots of them too, not just a solo heroine. (In fact our heroine relies on her female BFF for motivation and advice.) Plus, some great, fascinating men as well. This isn’t a book weighting one gender over another in the narrative, and I appreciate that. It’s rare.
Although we do see a few extraordinary heroes, many ordinary people are also movers & shakers. And overall, despite the heroism and special abilities of the leads, the author makes it clear that to beat the big bad, your entire community is needed. It’s not about a lone hero or leader, but everyone coming together from multiple points of accord.
The author’s father was a chief steward of a union, so perhaps that’s where they got that together-we-are-stronger attitude. It’s especially enjoyable here both because the genre is a bit too overrun by lone wolf heroes who save the day, and because it’s not written naively or idealistically, but rather with a whiff of reality.
This is also a terrific adventure story, with some really fun characters. Be careful when you start in though - it kept me up half the night.
July 29, 2017
Miners and farmers try to survive on a company planet with the changes the planet does to them. And the company tries to stamp out the changes. The ending with the Bone Collector wasn't my favorite. And I'm not sure what I think about Rollins and Coyote. But overall I liked most of the book. 3-1/2 stars.
December 2, 2019
3.5 stars. I'm rounding down only because the pacing dragged a bit for my tastes. This is a very fun space western, and I admit I have a weakness for that particular blend. The world building was interesting if not terribly in-depth. The magic was subtle but enjoyable. And I appreciated how the bulk of the plot and world building centered around the plight of the "little guy" versus an exploitative mega-corporation. The Weatherman was a nice dash of creepy. The Bone Collector was my favorite part (surprise surprise). The book dragged a bit for me in part because I was continually more interested in the side characters than the main characters, that's probably a me problem though. (I am very put out about one person in particular being lost to the desert. That hurt my feelings.) All in all this was a fun romp, and while I'm curious to see what happens down the road I was satisfied with how well this book stood on its own.
January 15, 2019
3.8 rounded up. For the most part it was a solid four star read that I had to deduct the .2 from because the ending was rushed. Each character was unique and had their own voices and while the smaller things had the potential to get lost in the immensity of the story, I felt like there was enough day-to-day stuff and realistic background material to make me really care about what was happening to everyone, if that makes any sense. Like I said, the story was pretty much globe-spanning and it is at its core science fiction but there were times I thought to myself that the author really nailed the smaller human interaction parts that raised it above the more straight-up idea driven sci-fi. Setting-wise and overall feel of the book I was reminded of that 1990s film Hardware, which is a killer mix of old west and new tech but it really does do its own thing. Being a first book I'm excited to see what Alex Wells does next and seeing how Angry Robot is the publisher I will be picking up book two.
June 27, 2017
I’m not sure how I found this book, but I’m so glad that I did. It’s a kick ass science fiction story with a great world and two female leads who are both strong in their own way.
Tanegawa’s World is a company planet, controlled by TransRifts Inc, which has a monopoly on interstellar travel. Those blacklisted by the corporation tend to wind up dead. Yet some resist the might of TransRifts. Hob’s a Ghost Wolf, a mercenary biker troop that does what TransRifts won’t. They’ve run under the radar of the corporation, never directly challenging them. Then Hob finds the body of her adopted uncle out in the desert, shot in the back. The reasons are unknown, but the culprit is clear. And worse than that, his daughter and Hob’s best friend, Mags, is missing.
I’m going to start with my favorite thing about Hunger Makes the Wolf: the ladies. I live for SFF books where there’s multiple, well rounded female characters who work together. Mags and Hob give me all this and more. They’re best friends and sort of adopted sisters, but their relationship has been strained the last few years, with Hob refusing to talk to Mags. Despite that, Hob immediately leaps to rescue Mags when she discovers she’s missing. And while Mags may start out as a damsel in distress, she quickly proves she’s much more, all without picking up a weapon.
I love Mags’s characterization so much, and I’m so happy that Hunger Makes the Wolf shows that there’s multiple ways for a woman to be important and interesting besides the mold of Hollywood’s Strong Female Character. She succeeds based on grit, intelligence, and empathy, not based on physical prowess. While I love a good Action Girl, I love it even more when we get a diversity in roles for female characters. Plus, I get the feeling Mags might be queer! I’m not willing to call it canon quite yet, but I sense romantic potential between her and another female character…
As it currently stands, there’s no romance in this series. However, I’m betting that both Mags and Hob will gain romantic plot lines in the sequel (tends to be true for most books). I already talked about Mags, but I also get the feeling that Wells is building up to something between Hob and a character called the Bone Collector. Which brings me to another point…
Hunger Makes the Wolf might be most accurately described as science fiction fantasy. You see, it’s got magic. Or, well, witchiness as it’s called in the book. Over the years that TransRifts has controlled Tanegawa’s World, they’ve periodically instituted witch hunts, and they continue to turn the residents against anyone who shows signs of being a “witch.” Hob knows she’s a witch — she can make fire burn from her hands, and she’s had visions of a phoenix. But what does being a witch mean? What can she do with her power? And what’s so special about Tanegawa’s World that makes people develop witchiness?
There’s clearly something special about Tanegawa’s World, something that makes TransRift care a whole heck of a lot about keeping it under tight control. As a setting, it worked wonderfully. So vivid that I was immediately transported and with plenty of mysteries to keep me reading. I really enjoyed the feel of the gritty, corporate run mining towns, which had more than a little Western vibe to them. Western/Fantasy/Science Fiction mashup would be an apt description of Hunger Makes the Wolf! Putting it like that, it sounds like the book could be clunky or overwhelming, but it never was. Hunger Makes the Wolf is a seamless whole.
I had a hard time putting this book down, and it made me stay up later than I’d intended! At heart, this book was just a ton of fun, and I can’t wait to read the sequel. I’ve already started recommending it to friends, and I’m sure that I’ll continue to do so. This series needs more love!
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Tanegawa’s World is a company planet, controlled by TransRifts Inc, which has a monopoly on interstellar travel. Those blacklisted by the corporation tend to wind up dead. Yet some resist the might of TransRifts. Hob’s a Ghost Wolf, a mercenary biker troop that does what TransRifts won’t. They’ve run under the radar of the corporation, never directly challenging them. Then Hob finds the body of her adopted uncle out in the desert, shot in the back. The reasons are unknown, but the culprit is clear. And worse than that, his daughter and Hob’s best friend, Mags, is missing.
I’m going to start with my favorite thing about Hunger Makes the Wolf: the ladies. I live for SFF books where there’s multiple, well rounded female characters who work together. Mags and Hob give me all this and more. They’re best friends and sort of adopted sisters, but their relationship has been strained the last few years, with Hob refusing to talk to Mags. Despite that, Hob immediately leaps to rescue Mags when she discovers she’s missing. And while Mags may start out as a damsel in distress, she quickly proves she’s much more, all without picking up a weapon.
I love Mags’s characterization so much, and I’m so happy that Hunger Makes the Wolf shows that there’s multiple ways for a woman to be important and interesting besides the mold of Hollywood’s Strong Female Character. She succeeds based on grit, intelligence, and empathy, not based on physical prowess. While I love a good Action Girl, I love it even more when we get a diversity in roles for female characters. Plus, I get the feeling Mags might be queer! I’m not willing to call it canon quite yet, but I sense romantic potential between her and another female character…
As it currently stands, there’s no romance in this series. However, I’m betting that both Mags and Hob will gain romantic plot lines in the sequel (tends to be true for most books). I already talked about Mags, but I also get the feeling that Wells is building up to something between Hob and a character called the Bone Collector. Which brings me to another point…
Hunger Makes the Wolf might be most accurately described as science fiction fantasy. You see, it’s got magic. Or, well, witchiness as it’s called in the book. Over the years that TransRifts has controlled Tanegawa’s World, they’ve periodically instituted witch hunts, and they continue to turn the residents against anyone who shows signs of being a “witch.” Hob knows she’s a witch — she can make fire burn from her hands, and she’s had visions of a phoenix. But what does being a witch mean? What can she do with her power? And what’s so special about Tanegawa’s World that makes people develop witchiness?
There’s clearly something special about Tanegawa’s World, something that makes TransRift care a whole heck of a lot about keeping it under tight control. As a setting, it worked wonderfully. So vivid that I was immediately transported and with plenty of mysteries to keep me reading. I really enjoyed the feel of the gritty, corporate run mining towns, which had more than a little Western vibe to them. Western/Fantasy/Science Fiction mashup would be an apt description of Hunger Makes the Wolf! Putting it like that, it sounds like the book could be clunky or overwhelming, but it never was. Hunger Makes the Wolf is a seamless whole.
I had a hard time putting this book down, and it made me stay up later than I’d intended! At heart, this book was just a ton of fun, and I can’t wait to read the sequel. I’ve already started recommending it to friends, and I’m sure that I’ll continue to do so. This series needs more love!
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
February 13, 2017
I’m not sure how to describe Hunger Makes the Wolf. It definitely had a Dune (far future, desert planet, science fiction) feel and maybe a feeling of Molly Tanzer’s Vermillion mixed in, but at the same time I was definitely thinking Mad Max through parts of it. The story follows two women – Hob and Mags. Hob is our main character and the bulk of the story
follows her but I feel like Mags was just as important in the long run. Hob is a member of a mercenary style biker gang on the desert, mining planet known as Tanegawa’s World. The planet is run by a corporation, TransRifts Inc. They control everything from the farms, to the mines, to traffic on and off the planet. Like the blurb says, Hob finds the body of her boss’s brother out in the sand dunes, shot in the back. Mag, his daughter and former close friend of Hob’s, is missing.
The story starts with that. The first third of the book we experience flashbacks from before the discover and from Mag’s point of view and back to present to Hob’s till they collide. From there it really picks up pace. Space witchiness is in full swing, We discover Hob has the ability to make fire, we think Nick Ravani can too, and what is this blue stuff the miners dug up!? I can’t say much more without spoilers but safe to say this is a book building a fantastic base for what I hope (fingers-crossed) is a series. Alex Wells gives us a lot of questions by the end of the novel, questions that had the book not left so many (so obviously a setup) I would have been pissed about. There HAS to be a second one, my favorite characters were left in a limbo and I’m surprised even by my own attachment to them.
Let’s do our regular rundown, starting with characters. Our lady leads are without a doubt the best of the batch. Hob is what the ‘strong heroine’ trope we see so often is trying to be. She’s got all the flaws needed to give her general badassery depth. At the beginning of the story she’s been knocked down to ‘pup’ status, she’s done something so stupid she nearly got herself shot. She has to earn her way back into the good graces of the Wolves and of the course of the story we see her do that. I can’t adequately articulate how much I liked her and honestly on the same coin, Mag. Mag is everything that Hob is not but is just as great. Where I expect Hob to shoot someone for betraying her, I’d see Mag sit them down to dinner and slowly destroy them from the inside out. She develops this amazing quiet strength. The two are like a river and a mountain to me. Equally capable of what they want, but very different. The rest of the case definitely stood out to me too. There were miners here and there that were lost to the story, but the Wolves stayed strong. I’m not going to go too far into the cast, as I am still avoiding spoilers, but damn it there is a certain set of characters I’m desperate to find out what happens.
The story itself was super fun. As I stated we start off with a series of flashbacks to bring our characters together and then from there we’re pulled across the planet, from person to person to see the scheme of the thing. The story gradually gets bigger and bigger in scope. Not only in just the literally space of it, but in the depth of questions asked. Again, something I felt was done pretty well considering all the irons in the fire that Alex Wells ended up juggling. The story also forces our characters out of their shells. More and more they have to move, think bigger and better. It definitely kept me guessing on what was going to happen next, I was never sure where it was going till it got there. Just off enough to surprise me, but familiar enough that it didn’t throw me for a crazy loop.
Finally pacing and world building. I think it’s established, I bought into the world. I did have a few questions, mostly about the farming and how it worked since it seemed to me that we were based mostly in a desert environment, but I feel like that’s something we’re going to get later. Pacing is the only thing that let me down even a little. I had a lot of trouble picking up the pace of it and once I did, I’ll admit it felt episodic. There were some clear jumps in time. It was by no way bad but I felt like maybe there was some stuff we could have seen that was either cut or just glossed over. It didn’t hugely affect my reading experience though. I was committed, by the 30 or 40 percent mark for Hob and Mag and their friendship. That was the hooker for me.
I gotta say, I’ve been hitting it out of the park with reading lately. This one definitely makes it into my ‘Highly Recommended’ stack. I’d pick this one up for sure if you’re looking for a fun action romp with some unique and amazing female characters.
Beautiful cover by Ignacio Bazan Lazcano
P.S. NO ONE IS DEFINIED BY ROMANCE AND OH GODS I LOVED THAT SO MUCH. THANK YOU.
follows her but I feel like Mags was just as important in the long run. Hob is a member of a mercenary style biker gang on the desert, mining planet known as Tanegawa’s World. The planet is run by a corporation, TransRifts Inc. They control everything from the farms, to the mines, to traffic on and off the planet. Like the blurb says, Hob finds the body of her boss’s brother out in the sand dunes, shot in the back. Mag, his daughter and former close friend of Hob’s, is missing.
The story starts with that. The first third of the book we experience flashbacks from before the discover and from Mag’s point of view and back to present to Hob’s till they collide. From there it really picks up pace. Space witchiness is in full swing, We discover Hob has the ability to make fire, we think Nick Ravani can too, and what is this blue stuff the miners dug up!? I can’t say much more without spoilers but safe to say this is a book building a fantastic base for what I hope (fingers-crossed) is a series. Alex Wells gives us a lot of questions by the end of the novel, questions that had the book not left so many (so obviously a setup) I would have been pissed about. There HAS to be a second one, my favorite characters were left in a limbo and I’m surprised even by my own attachment to them.
Let’s do our regular rundown, starting with characters. Our lady leads are without a doubt the best of the batch. Hob is what the ‘strong heroine’ trope we see so often is trying to be. She’s got all the flaws needed to give her general badassery depth. At the beginning of the story she’s been knocked down to ‘pup’ status, she’s done something so stupid she nearly got herself shot. She has to earn her way back into the good graces of the Wolves and of the course of the story we see her do that. I can’t adequately articulate how much I liked her and honestly on the same coin, Mag. Mag is everything that Hob is not but is just as great. Where I expect Hob to shoot someone for betraying her, I’d see Mag sit them down to dinner and slowly destroy them from the inside out. She develops this amazing quiet strength. The two are like a river and a mountain to me. Equally capable of what they want, but very different. The rest of the case definitely stood out to me too. There were miners here and there that were lost to the story, but the Wolves stayed strong. I’m not going to go too far into the cast, as I am still avoiding spoilers, but damn it there is a certain set of characters I’m desperate to find out what happens.
The story itself was super fun. As I stated we start off with a series of flashbacks to bring our characters together and then from there we’re pulled across the planet, from person to person to see the scheme of the thing. The story gradually gets bigger and bigger in scope. Not only in just the literally space of it, but in the depth of questions asked. Again, something I felt was done pretty well considering all the irons in the fire that Alex Wells ended up juggling. The story also forces our characters out of their shells. More and more they have to move, think bigger and better. It definitely kept me guessing on what was going to happen next, I was never sure where it was going till it got there. Just off enough to surprise me, but familiar enough that it didn’t throw me for a crazy loop.
Finally pacing and world building. I think it’s established, I bought into the world. I did have a few questions, mostly about the farming and how it worked since it seemed to me that we were based mostly in a desert environment, but I feel like that’s something we’re going to get later. Pacing is the only thing that let me down even a little. I had a lot of trouble picking up the pace of it and once I did, I’ll admit it felt episodic. There were some clear jumps in time. It was by no way bad but I felt like maybe there was some stuff we could have seen that was either cut or just glossed over. It didn’t hugely affect my reading experience though. I was committed, by the 30 or 40 percent mark for Hob and Mag and their friendship. That was the hooker for me.
I gotta say, I’ve been hitting it out of the park with reading lately. This one definitely makes it into my ‘Highly Recommended’ stack. I’d pick this one up for sure if you’re looking for a fun action romp with some unique and amazing female characters.
Beautiful cover by Ignacio Bazan Lazcano
P.S. NO ONE IS DEFINIED BY ROMANCE AND OH GODS I LOVED THAT SO MUCH. THANK YOU.
August 18, 2020
This one was a fun ride. It starts out rather confusing with a good number of characters, two different timelines, and lots of politics (mostly personal but also corporate). But Wells brilliantly increases stake and scope at each step in a way that is both logical and fresh, bringing in new characters, new information, and new skills with ease and import. While the book is relatively thick, there's not any space wasted, with each glimpse of other characters providing something more to the plot.
While I personally would have wanted a narrower focus (just Hob, Mag, and Shige would have sufficed for POV characters, I thought), I can't fault Wells for the choice to branch out to other characters to fill in little tidbits that really help flesh out the world. I also wanted more witchiness, but I understand why Hob didn't use it (though I suspect we'll see more in book two).
Once I hit page 400, I immediately put the book down and ordered the sequel. Just in case you find that at all enticing.
While I personally would have wanted a narrower focus (just Hob, Mag, and Shige would have sufficed for POV characters, I thought), I can't fault Wells for the choice to branch out to other characters to fill in little tidbits that really help flesh out the world. I also wanted more witchiness, but I understand why Hob didn't use it (though I suspect we'll see more in book two).
Once I hit page 400, I immediately put the book down and ordered the sequel. Just in case you find that at all enticing.
March 21, 2017
A solid action-packed series starter that gets bigger in scope as it moves forward. A great combination of sci-fi and witches set in a backwater planet. Two absolute lady bosses in charge and hey, props to my favorite character not ending up dead. Lastly, no romance and pretty sure one of the main lady characters is queer.
Review to come...err soon.
Review to come...err soon.
April 16, 2017
I really loved this book. It's one of those that you read, then realize partway through that it's a book you've been waiting for without knowing it. Character-driven, but the plot weaves through the interrelationship of systems - relationships, family, organizations, religion, artificial manmade systems, the natural systems of alien places.
I initially stumbled on the dialect, but as Hob swept me along that fell to the background. I hope that this is the beginning of a series, because I want so much more of these people and this world.
I initially stumbled on the dialect, but as Hob swept me along that fell to the background. I hope that this is the beginning of a series, because I want so much more of these people and this world.
March 12, 2017
I immediately took to Hob Ravani. I’ll admit it might have been initially due to the cocky attitude, motorcycle, and eye-patch, but it turns out that there is much more to her than that. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and will gladly do anything for them. Her adopted father, Nick, is a cantankerous old so and so, but he looks after his own. He has a strong sense of justice and if he sees something wrong he’ll fix it. He has instilled that same sense of morality in Hob. The downtrodden of Tanegawa’s World are her kin, and if they are suffering she’ll sort it. Heaven help the person, or intergalactic space monopoly, who get on Hob’s bad side.
The rest of the biker gang, the Ghost Wolves, are an eclectic bunch. There is a scoundrel called Coyote who is my personal favourite. His life before joining the Wolves is a closed book, well, for a while anyway. I’m sure we’re all in agreement, what good is a murky past if it doesn’t come back to haunt you. I’m curious to see where this thread of the narrative will lead in the future. There is certainly a suggestion that there is more still to be revealed.
Thinking about it, there is an air of mystery that surrounds just about everything and everyone on this planet. Who, or what, is the enigmatic Bone Collector? Why is he so interested in Hob and her friends? Why are TransRifts Inc so insistent in working the local miners so hard? Who or what are the Weathermen, and will Hob survive long enough to discover anything close to answers to these questions?
I’d like to think that one day, mankind will properly explore the universe. We’ll travel to habitable planets and make them our home. What will happen to us then? Perhaps we will begin to change. Maybe some of us might end up not really being human any more at all. Will this change be caused by evolution, mutation or something more akin to “witchyness”? On Tanegawa’s World, the latter certainly seems to be the case. Hob and Nick both exhibit abilities that could easily be described as magic. The Bone Collector is also more than a little mystic in nature.
As has become my habit, I like to find some music to listen to while I read. My musical recommendation for Hunger Makes The Wolf was a no-brainer. The Firefly soundtrack by Greg Edmonson, he of Uncharted fame, is the perfect companion. Tanegawa’s World feels like it could easily be a place where Mal Reynolds and crew could find themselves. More than likely he would have dealings with the likes of the Ghost Wolves. Dammit, now that I’ve started thinking about this as a crossover I need it to happen. That would be all kinds of awesome.
I’ve said in the past that science fiction is the genre I have the most difficulty getting into, but books like Hunger Makes The Wolf are making me start to revise this opinion. I have to commend Alex Wells, this book was a genuine pleasure. Just goes to prove, irrespective of genre, you can’t go wrong with well-rounded characters and a plot that zips along at a good pace. Well done sir, well done. This is a cracking debut. I look forward to the Ghost Wolves returning in the future.
The rest of the biker gang, the Ghost Wolves, are an eclectic bunch. There is a scoundrel called Coyote who is my personal favourite. His life before joining the Wolves is a closed book, well, for a while anyway. I’m sure we’re all in agreement, what good is a murky past if it doesn’t come back to haunt you. I’m curious to see where this thread of the narrative will lead in the future. There is certainly a suggestion that there is more still to be revealed.
Thinking about it, there is an air of mystery that surrounds just about everything and everyone on this planet. Who, or what, is the enigmatic Bone Collector? Why is he so interested in Hob and her friends? Why are TransRifts Inc so insistent in working the local miners so hard? Who or what are the Weathermen, and will Hob survive long enough to discover anything close to answers to these questions?
I’d like to think that one day, mankind will properly explore the universe. We’ll travel to habitable planets and make them our home. What will happen to us then? Perhaps we will begin to change. Maybe some of us might end up not really being human any more at all. Will this change be caused by evolution, mutation or something more akin to “witchyness”? On Tanegawa’s World, the latter certainly seems to be the case. Hob and Nick both exhibit abilities that could easily be described as magic. The Bone Collector is also more than a little mystic in nature.
As has become my habit, I like to find some music to listen to while I read. My musical recommendation for Hunger Makes The Wolf was a no-brainer. The Firefly soundtrack by Greg Edmonson, he of Uncharted fame, is the perfect companion. Tanegawa’s World feels like it could easily be a place where Mal Reynolds and crew could find themselves. More than likely he would have dealings with the likes of the Ghost Wolves. Dammit, now that I’ve started thinking about this as a crossover I need it to happen. That would be all kinds of awesome.
I’ve said in the past that science fiction is the genre I have the most difficulty getting into, but books like Hunger Makes The Wolf are making me start to revise this opinion. I have to commend Alex Wells, this book was a genuine pleasure. Just goes to prove, irrespective of genre, you can’t go wrong with well-rounded characters and a plot that zips along at a good pace. Well done sir, well done. This is a cracking debut. I look forward to the Ghost Wolves returning in the future.
April 8, 2019
This novel took me by surprise! It’s a sci-fi that seamlessly blends in Western and frontier elements with its technology, as well as a smattering of elemental magic (explained as a “contamination”) and a “fuck the man” ideology. It’s a lot of fun!
The setting is intriguing from the start – a colonized world controlled by a greedy and unscrupulous company that controls the production sectors of the world by keeping them impoverished and almost pre-industrial in technology. I’m not going to explain too much, because learning about the world is so much fun. Every time you encounter something that seems inexplicable, an explanation follows quite quickly.
And while some of it is fantastical (the contamination, for one), everything else in the story is so much fun you accept it as plausible.
I loved the characters. Hob and Mag are two very different women who are strong in their own ways. I loved how Hob is a bad-ass, takes-no-shit, tough-as-nail young woman, but she’s not the only woman we get (sometimes this is the case). Instead, we’re also given Mag, whom you initially believe is this dumb weakling, but quickly shows herself to be resourceful and determined. Both women evolve as the story grows.
The other characters – Nick, Coyote, Shinge, Geri and Freki, and the Bone Collector (big lusty sigh here from me), were likeable, different men who also change as the story progresses.
I loved all the symbolic names in the story. A Hob is a kind of fairy/sprite in old English and Geri and Freki are Odin’s dogs in Norse mythology (when people use these names it always amuses me for some reason). I’m sure there were other symbolic names I missed.
The antagonist is vague and not present for most of it, but rather than ruin any tension or make the story less harrowing, it works very well. The creepy lack of clear motivation from the Weatherman are explained more as the story goes, which runs in tandem with Hob’s story. It’s quite masterful, really, how we learn very little about the Weatherman but what we do know strengthens the plot. It was nice to not have an overt antagonist.
The brief sexual tension between some of the characters and others I also appreciated – I love a good unspoken attraction. And, paired with that, I love a mysterious, introverted dude, so Bone Collector I’ll give you another lusty sigh.
Honestly, this novel was kind of perfect, once you overlooked small things. 1. How the “magic” functions – it’s not really explained. 2. Hob and the miners speak in this old-timey, Western slang, which, while it works, seems anachronistic a times (I loved it regardless). 3. Hob’s backstory as a child is really glossed over.
Anyway, 5 goddamned stars. I haven’t read into the wee hours of the night on a worknight in a long time, but this book did it.
The setting is intriguing from the start – a colonized world controlled by a greedy and unscrupulous company that controls the production sectors of the world by keeping them impoverished and almost pre-industrial in technology. I’m not going to explain too much, because learning about the world is so much fun. Every time you encounter something that seems inexplicable, an explanation follows quite quickly.
And while some of it is fantastical (the contamination, for one), everything else in the story is so much fun you accept it as plausible.
I loved the characters. Hob and Mag are two very different women who are strong in their own ways. I loved how Hob is a bad-ass, takes-no-shit, tough-as-nail young woman, but she’s not the only woman we get (sometimes this is the case). Instead, we’re also given Mag, whom you initially believe is this dumb weakling, but quickly shows herself to be resourceful and determined. Both women evolve as the story grows.
The other characters – Nick, Coyote, Shinge, Geri and Freki, and the Bone Collector (big lusty sigh here from me), were likeable, different men who also change as the story progresses.
I loved all the symbolic names in the story. A Hob is a kind of fairy/sprite in old English and Geri and Freki are Odin’s dogs in Norse mythology (when people use these names it always amuses me for some reason). I’m sure there were other symbolic names I missed.
The antagonist is vague and not present for most of it, but rather than ruin any tension or make the story less harrowing, it works very well. The creepy lack of clear motivation from the Weatherman are explained more as the story goes, which runs in tandem with Hob’s story. It’s quite masterful, really, how we learn very little about the Weatherman but what we do know strengthens the plot. It was nice to not have an overt antagonist.
The brief sexual tension between some of the characters and others I also appreciated – I love a good unspoken attraction. And, paired with that, I love a mysterious, introverted dude, so Bone Collector I’ll give you another lusty sigh.
Honestly, this novel was kind of perfect, once you overlooked small things. 1. How the “magic” functions – it’s not really explained. 2. Hob and the miners speak in this old-timey, Western slang, which, while it works, seems anachronistic a times (I loved it regardless). 3. Hob’s backstory as a child is really glossed over.
Anyway, 5 goddamned stars. I haven’t read into the wee hours of the night on a worknight in a long time, but this book did it.
December 4, 2017
Hunger Makes the Wolf surprised me with how good it was. I think I was expecting a fun, quick space adventure read, but this story is so much more than that.
There is magic (space witches!), a rebellion of mistreated workers against the company that controls the planet, a woman learning to be a leader, and I think there are hints of a possible romance?
The main character, Hob Ravani, is a member of a gang of mercenaries who roam around their desert planet on motorcycles. They do odd jobs for money while trying to stay clear of TransRift, the company that controls the planet and the lives of the miners and the farmers. Hob has magic, a "witchyness" that means she can create fire, but she hasn't learnt much about it beyond basic tricks like lighting cigarettes. Witchyness is feared on Tanegawa’s World so she has to keep it hidden.
There's a lot going on, but it's managed well. It starts out fast paced, we're dropped into the middle of the action at the start and things are slowly revealed as the story progresses. Around the middle, the pacing slows down where the rebellion is growing and Hob is learning how to be a leader, but it picks up again as it moves towards the action packed ending.
There's plenty of character development, especially for Hob and her foster sister Mags. Hob isn't perfect, she makes mistakes and gets things wrong but still keeps trying to do the right thing and protect her family at the same time.
I loved the witchy elements, the Bone Collector, a sort of wise and mysterious mage, was one of my favourite characters in it.
The main story thread does have a conclusion, but there are things left open and it reads like there's going to be a sequel. I'm certainly hoping there will be, there's a lot more to learn about this world!
I received a free copy from the publisher in return for an honest review.
There is magic (space witches!), a rebellion of mistreated workers against the company that controls the planet, a woman learning to be a leader, and I think there are hints of a possible romance?
The main character, Hob Ravani, is a member of a gang of mercenaries who roam around their desert planet on motorcycles. They do odd jobs for money while trying to stay clear of TransRift, the company that controls the planet and the lives of the miners and the farmers. Hob has magic, a "witchyness" that means she can create fire, but she hasn't learnt much about it beyond basic tricks like lighting cigarettes. Witchyness is feared on Tanegawa’s World so she has to keep it hidden.
There's a lot going on, but it's managed well. It starts out fast paced, we're dropped into the middle of the action at the start and things are slowly revealed as the story progresses. Around the middle, the pacing slows down where the rebellion is growing and Hob is learning how to be a leader, but it picks up again as it moves towards the action packed ending.
There's plenty of character development, especially for Hob and her foster sister Mags. Hob isn't perfect, she makes mistakes and gets things wrong but still keeps trying to do the right thing and protect her family at the same time.
I loved the witchy elements, the Bone Collector, a sort of wise and mysterious mage, was one of my favourite characters in it.
The main story thread does have a conclusion, but there are things left open and it reads like there's going to be a sequel. I'm certainly hoping there will be, there's a lot more to learn about this world!
I received a free copy from the publisher in return for an honest review.
March 24, 2017
I read quite a few debut novels and had a cool half dozen on my reading list for the first three months of 2017, but Alex Wells’ Hunger Makes the Wolf was the one I was most looking forward to in the first quarter of this year. I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint. While it may lack some of the great depth and the high level of craft of some of the other debuts I’ve read so far this year, Hunger Makes the Wolf more than makes up for it in other areas. It’s a well-conceived, smartly plotted, enthusiastically fast-paced sci-fi adventure with some cool ideas and a couple of excellent lead characters who’ve got plenty growing still to do in future books.
Read the full review at SF Bluestocking.
Read the full review at SF Bluestocking.
June 19, 2018
This book is SO GOOD!!! The world building is top notch, the pacing just exactly right. Found family feels abound, and who doesn’t want to hang with a badass motorcycle gang on a planet with mysterious “magic”??!?! I cannot WAIT to read the sequel!
Read
January 4, 2021Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.
Alex Wells is a new-to-me author. I found them in a Twitter thread of book recommendations. I’ll be honest. I have no idea what about this author, and/or book, caught my eye to make me go look them up. I wasn’t looking for new books to read, as my TBR is never-ending. Anyway, I’m so glad I stumbled upon them. I really enjoyed this first book in The Ghost Wolves series.
Hunger Makes the Wolf is set on a different and harsh planet. It follows two main characters, cousins. Hob Ravani and Magdala Kushtrim, two young women growing up in more of a man’s world. They come from completely different ways of life, but are still distant family.
Hob is part of a mercenary group called The Ghost Wolves. Her uncle is the leader of the group, but she’s not given any leeway. She starts off the story at the bottom of the group after making a horrible decision.
Mag, we find her with her father trying to buy her a way off the planet. To do what most fathers would do in his position, try to find a better life for his only daughter/child. However, she never gets to board the transport, as they find her “contaminated” but won’t give her much information.
This was a very well-developed story about the haves and have-nots. There’s also the prejudice, as they demonize people for “witchiness”. They even go so far as to convince people that it is contagious, so as to help people purge those with powers before the people in charge, which is a mining business.
As close as this kind of story hits home (especially as I was listening to this early on in peak COVID shutdowns), I found I really enjoyed this story. While it was escaping to a world with many of the same problems I was seeing with prejudice and demonizing of others, I still enjoyed escaping to this world with Hob and Mags. I think I enjoyed seeing them do the right thing by others, even as it risked themselves.
If you know me, you know how much I love well-written characters. I want characters I like, or in some cases, love to hate. I really enjoyed the characters of this book. Not only Hob and Mags, but also The Bonecollector and Coyote and the rest of The Ghost Wolves. I really want to spend more time with them. I’ll be picking up the sequel very soon.
Narration (4 stars)
This is my first time listening to Penelope Rawlins. I really enjoyed her voice. I really fell into and got lost in the story. I loved all the voices she chose for each character. I thought they fit perfectly, male and female alike. I really felt like she put a lot of passion into each and every character. I would gladly listen to perform more audiobooks.
** Note: I was able to listen to this audiobook free with my Audible membership.
Alex Wells is a new-to-me author. I found them in a Twitter thread of book recommendations. I’ll be honest. I have no idea what about this author, and/or book, caught my eye to make me go look them up. I wasn’t looking for new books to read, as my TBR is never-ending. Anyway, I’m so glad I stumbled upon them. I really enjoyed this first book in The Ghost Wolves series.
Hunger Makes the Wolf is set on a different and harsh planet. It follows two main characters, cousins. Hob Ravani and Magdala Kushtrim, two young women growing up in more of a man’s world. They come from completely different ways of life, but are still distant family.
Hob is part of a mercenary group called The Ghost Wolves. Her uncle is the leader of the group, but she’s not given any leeway. She starts off the story at the bottom of the group after making a horrible decision.
Mag, we find her with her father trying to buy her a way off the planet. To do what most fathers would do in his position, try to find a better life for his only daughter/child. However, she never gets to board the transport, as they find her “contaminated” but won’t give her much information.
This was a very well-developed story about the haves and have-nots. There’s also the prejudice, as they demonize people for “witchiness”. They even go so far as to convince people that it is contagious, so as to help people purge those with powers before the people in charge, which is a mining business.
As close as this kind of story hits home (especially as I was listening to this early on in peak COVID shutdowns), I found I really enjoyed this story. While it was escaping to a world with many of the same problems I was seeing with prejudice and demonizing of others, I still enjoyed escaping to this world with Hob and Mags. I think I enjoyed seeing them do the right thing by others, even as it risked themselves.
If you know me, you know how much I love well-written characters. I want characters I like, or in some cases, love to hate. I really enjoyed the characters of this book. Not only Hob and Mags, but also The Bonecollector and Coyote and the rest of The Ghost Wolves. I really want to spend more time with them. I’ll be picking up the sequel very soon.
Narration (4 stars)
This is my first time listening to Penelope Rawlins. I really enjoyed her voice. I really fell into and got lost in the story. I loved all the voices she chose for each character. I thought they fit perfectly, male and female alike. I really felt like she put a lot of passion into each and every character. I would gladly listen to perform more audiobooks.
** Note: I was able to listen to this audiobook free with my Audible membership.
December 3, 2017
Quick review:
Wow!!! Amazing world building, kicka**e heroine (sort of), excellent science fiction, even some grounded magic realism fantasy, great ideas, companies vs workers (sort of)…..
Wow!!! In case it wasn’t clear, WOW!!!!
Wow!!! Amazing world building, kicka**e heroine (sort of), excellent science fiction, even some grounded magic realism fantasy, great ideas, companies vs workers (sort of)…..
Wow!!! In case it wasn’t clear, WOW!!!!
June 4, 2017
A science fiction novel invloving biker gangs, low magic and a sort of Dune/western vibe. Definitely started very well, and the 2 separate stories became 1. From here the pace for me slowed down a little. The story wasnt the most original. However, the characters were fun and there seemed to be enough resolution plus story left to continue for a series. It read really easily, and was more on the simple science fiction side of novels.
July 15, 2017
In Hunger Makes the Wolf, Acks immediately drops readers into a world that feels lived in, with characters whose lives extend beyond the page. By the time we meet Hob Ravani, she already has a strange encounter with a phoenix in her past, and is imbued with witchy power she doesn’t fully understand. She also has a fall from grace in her past, which has left her clawing her way back up to a respected position within the Ghost Wolves, the mercenary biker gang that makes up half of her adopted family. As the story opens, the other half of Hob’s adopted family is in the process of being torn apart. The man who raised her is found murdered in the dunes, and her sister Mags is missing. Hob sets out to find the truth, and help her sister if she can, even though she’s been estranged from that side of the family for years. The story is set against the backdrop of Tanegawa’s World, a hardscrabble mining planet controlled by the TransRift Corporation. There’s a mysterious and not-quite-human being called the Bone Collector, who may or may not be Hob’s ally, and there are Weathermen, genetically engineered creatures under company control who are definitely not on Hob’s side. People with Hob’s powers are being hunted, and TransRift is tightening its grip on the people of Tanegawa’s World to a chokehold. Hunger Makes the Wolf is gritty in the truest sense. There is dust and dirt everywhere, and you can practically feel it between your teeth as you read. Elements of the novel are reminiscent of the best parts of Firefly, with a band of underdogs fighting back against a faceless central authority. The story feels more embedded though, showing the daily struggle of the miners’ lives, and their quiet acts of resistance alongside the more dramatic ones. There’s a cinematic quality to the novel, which would make it brilliant source material for a television series or mini-series. It’s full of action, and there’s even a train heist! Acks doesn’t skimp on character however. Hob’s relationship with her family, including the Ghost Wolves, is complicated and messy, making it all the more real. They don’t always get along, but they fight fiercely for each other, and new layers to the characters unfolds as the story does. The characters and worldbuilding are unique, and in the Weathermen, Acks offers a truly unsettling and intriguing new monster. The fact that it is reminiscent of Firefly makes it the perfect book for those still holding out hope for the series to be resurrected, while it remains firmly its own unique thing.
January 2, 2018
THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD I WANNA SCREAM
Seriously. SERIOUSLY! My 2018 reading has started with a GIANT AMAZING BANG.
I picked this book up on a whim and I'm so glad I did. This book is EVERYTHING I LOVE all at once, a SciFi/Western/Fantasy romp through a strange and fascinating world where labor, politics, bandits, technology, and found family all intersect.
Hob, the MC, is AMAZING. She is a powerful, reckless woman who never once demeans other women. She has a deep and abiding friendship with another woman, Mag, who is also powerful in a different but no less important way. There's very little (almost no) romance. Violence against women is threatened but it's never graphic, never violent-just-for-shock-value. The characters are all treated with an immense respect by the author; they act in ways that make sense, and even when they screw up it's real and you understand why. There's grittiness here but it's balanced by a tough, deep-running love for family, friends, fellow workers, and the planet itself.
I can't recommend this book enough. If you like westerns, sci-fi, weird worlds and weirder magic, found family, complex and compelling women characters, and a galaxy of mysteries and conspiracies, this book is for you.
NOW I NEED THE SEQUEL
Seriously. SERIOUSLY! My 2018 reading has started with a GIANT AMAZING BANG.
I picked this book up on a whim and I'm so glad I did. This book is EVERYTHING I LOVE all at once, a SciFi/Western/Fantasy romp through a strange and fascinating world where labor, politics, bandits, technology, and found family all intersect.
Hob, the MC, is AMAZING. She is a powerful, reckless woman who never once demeans other women. She has a deep and abiding friendship with another woman, Mag, who is also powerful in a different but no less important way. There's very little (almost no) romance. Violence against women is threatened but it's never graphic, never violent-just-for-shock-value. The characters are all treated with an immense respect by the author; they act in ways that make sense, and even when they screw up it's real and you understand why. There's grittiness here but it's balanced by a tough, deep-running love for family, friends, fellow workers, and the planet itself.
I can't recommend this book enough. If you like westerns, sci-fi, weird worlds and weirder magic, found family, complex and compelling women characters, and a galaxy of mysteries and conspiracies, this book is for you.
NOW I NEED THE SEQUEL
November 28, 2017
Alex Wells is a new author to me, but is one whose work I will be seeking out in the future. This is a first novel and has a few hiccups, but overall is a solid piece of work.
In particular, I appreciated the development of the two main characters. Hob Ravani, interplanetary biker and mercenary, starts out as a depressed, disillusioned screwup, recently disciplined by her leader and reduced to the status of "pup" (really the bottom of the ladder in her biker gang, the Ghost Wolves). By dint of stubbornness, hard work, and her own "witchy" ability to control fire, in the end she not only comes out on top, she is the leader of said Wolves. The other protagonist, Magdala Kushtrim,begins the story as a shy, mousy young girl whose father tries to pay for her passage offplanet (which does not work out), and ends the book the schemer and manipulator behind the scenes with grand plans to take down TransRift, the interstellar company with its thumb on the mining planet of Tanegawa's World and the people who live there.
Along the way we have an interesting world, a mining planet contaminated by something alien, something that rearranges the DNA of certain people and gives them powers, called "witchiness." This particular story line is wrapped up, but there are enough questions to warrant a sequel. I don't think this book quite rises to the level of being award-worthy, but it's a good story and worth reading.
In particular, I appreciated the development of the two main characters. Hob Ravani, interplanetary biker and mercenary, starts out as a depressed, disillusioned screwup, recently disciplined by her leader and reduced to the status of "pup" (really the bottom of the ladder in her biker gang, the Ghost Wolves). By dint of stubbornness, hard work, and her own "witchy" ability to control fire, in the end she not only comes out on top, she is the leader of said Wolves. The other protagonist, Magdala Kushtrim,begins the story as a shy, mousy young girl whose father tries to pay for her passage offplanet (which does not work out), and ends the book the schemer and manipulator behind the scenes with grand plans to take down TransRift, the interstellar company with its thumb on the mining planet of Tanegawa's World and the people who live there.
Along the way we have an interesting world, a mining planet contaminated by something alien, something that rearranges the DNA of certain people and gives them powers, called "witchiness." This particular story line is wrapped up, but there are enough questions to warrant a sequel. I don't think this book quite rises to the level of being award-worthy, but it's a good story and worth reading.
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