Frost Wolf

Wolves of the Beyond #4

by Kathryn Lasky

Bestselling author Kathryn Lasky's hit series - a stunning spin-off set among the wolves of Ga'hoole.

Faolan has always been an outsider. Exiled as a pup, then shunned by his fellow wolves for his unusual connection to the bears, Faolan has struggled to earn a place in the pack. But a terrible danger is looming on the horizon, and Faolan is the only one who knows how to fight it. Will he be able to claim his rightful place as leader? Unless Faolan can inspire the pack to stand together, it could be the end of the wolves of the Beyond.

Genres: Fantasy, Animals, Middle Grade, Fiction, Adventure, Wolves, Childrens

240 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2011

About the author

Kathryn Lasky, also known as Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann, is an award-winning American author of over one hundred books for children and adults. Best known for the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, her work has been translated into 19 languages and includes historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction.

Reviews

[Lani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the cover art and the fact that it's a book for youth, I was prepared for a somewhat lame read that would fascinate a younger crowd, but leave me with my eyes rolling. However, I was pleasantly surprised and found the book to be quite thought provoking, the characters well-developed, and the plot lines well woven. And even though this book happens to be the fourth in a series and I haven't read any of the others, I didn't feel lost or like I was missing anything.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 4th book of ‘Wolves of the Beyond’ series takes more dark and pessimistic turn than the previous ones. A large part of the disasters that befall the wolves are outside of their influence – due to anomalously cold weather the summer had never come, and there are snowstorms in summer months. The caribou herds had never come, and there is famine among wolves. The situation becomes even more dire as the cult of Dancers of Skaarsgard is spreading among hungry and desperate wolves who dance themselves to death in order to free themselves from sufferings of life. Whole wolf clans are dying out.

The ending is quite unusual for a book of this genre, what makes it more pessimistic, but realistic as well. The heroes spend the whole book trying to put an end to the destructive cult of Skaarsgard, and first it seems like they succeed when the false prophet is captured and unmasked… but then it turns out that the cult had outgrown its original idea and no one, not even the one who created it, can control it. And while the heroes manage to improve the situation and lessen the consequences of famine and cold, the Lands of the Beyond are still in the death grip of a catastrophe.

Characters from previous books return, such as gnaw wolves Whistler and Creakle and sisters Mhairie and Dearlea. It was especially touching to see the bond shared by Mhairie and Dearlea with their mother Caila and how much the sisters missed her when Caila hadn't returned from Blood Watch, what made Caila’s madness and renouncing of her daughters even more tragic. Gwynneth and Sark of Slough also play quite a large role there. And while Sark has an interesting personality and her ‘witch’ status among wolves and Gwynneth’s quest to find her father’s grave allows her to develop as a character, I don't feel particularly connected with them.

And yet the main hero is Faolan. In the previous books we have seen glimpses of his destiny and what he really is, and while ‘Frost Wolf’ doesn’t answer all questions, it brings Faolan and his friends closer to the truth. Wolf, bear, owl – who is he? He walks in a pelt within a pelt. He was not born for death and yet he had died a thousand times. And now he was born again for these hard times...

[Jay Pruitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the famous Harry Potter series, times have grown progressively darker by this book #4 of Wolves of the Beyond. Half the wolf population has begun to follow a false prophet, and are willing to die in order to do so. The other half struggles to survive as the year turns into one long winter, with no food on which to rely. Our hero, Faolan, is also changing. He starts showing characteristics of his "second milk giver", a bear. This book is filled with foreshadowing, as book #5 will likely be even darker.

[Hana Chaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not like it...............I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so part 4 started off pretty interesting...way better than part 3 did. But it really just bombed in my opinion. Throughout this series, Lasky has established a "religion" among the wolves, similar to but different than the owls. However, this book really seemed to go overboard into it: complete with a false religion, a false prophet, ghosts, etc. Plus it's becoming obvious that Faolan is more than just a wolf. What he is I don't know yet and I think that will probably be more clear in book 5, but I wouldn't be surprised if the author is heading towards reincarnation of a previous wolf hero. Which just seems ridiculous and unnecessary to me. It's supposed to be a children's fantasy book, where animals talk and have their own society and all that good stuff, but this book really veered off into something else. If I had kids, I wouldn't let them read it.

Content Rating: PG (strongly cautioned in my opinion, for reasons stated above)

[Olivia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read and enjoyed the rest of the Wolves of the Beyond series, but this book explored a new aspect of the wolf culture. Some very strong Hindu elements are explored in this book, such as reincarnation and a caste-like system called the Great Chain. While I enjoyed the previous books because they expanded on the world of the Guardians of Ga'hoole, this book was highly disappointing in comparison to any of the other books by Kathryn Lasky because of the strange, Hindu-like religion she is starting to develop.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story with ups and downs there is no way to explain how much I enjoyed this book. A great easy read for all kinds of readers. The relationship between a young wolf and his friends is unbreakable.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had followed the series but this was good as a stand alone as well. A winter has set in for the Wolves of Beyond which has not eased up and they are struggling to survive in a place that spring has never come. The different packs which once worked together are now becoming more and more separate in order to survive. Along with the lack of food and constant winter, there is a false prophet who is leading the wolves to believe they can be lead to the heavens by dancing. The wolves must get to the bottom of the false prophet before he destroys all the wolves in the Beyond. The get help from the Guardian owls in the quest.

Great read for younger teens and anyone a fan of either series. Very clean read. Some wording is specific to the series which readers should learn about in the other books. I recommend for 10 and up.

[122jada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathryn Lasky has made a wonderful 3rd installment of the Wolves of the Beyond series. After Faolan and Edme are acccepted into the Watch Wolves of the Ring, they embark on a journey to keep the clans together and save their race from evident starvation.

The wolves of the Beyond are getting skinnier and skinnier, and its not by choice. The last herds have left the Beyond as a snow storm hits, even though its mid summer. The Wolves of the Sacred Volcanos are dying off like their brethren in the forest. Plus there is an ever present threat of the outclanners.

But...

A new wolf has entered the fray. He is telling the starving and desperate wolves to call on the star ladder (wolf heaven) to bring a quick death. The wolves are refusing to eat and are dying while praying as they dance and lose their sanity. Faolan, Edme, the Sark, and Gwenneth all come together to solve this sick, and sad mystery.

[Haile · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's about a wolf clan that's trying to survive a blizzard. The main charters are Faolan and Edme. As the caribou that the wolves hunt has disappeared the wolf clan is starting to break down. It's a good book with adventure I would recommend reading this.

[Lilian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty good. There where only a few boring parts. But the rest was super exciting with an awesome villain who will do anything to get revenge.

[Brittney Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

What has and will continue to prevent me from rating these any higher is the constant reintroduction of every character. Gwynneth, the Masked Owl. Thunderheart, his second Milk Giver. Gwyndor, Gwynneth's father. Especially the frequency, at about every two pages. It's infuriating to have to read this over and over and over for every character every time they appear in every book. It starts to get a little better by the last few chapters, but I hate it so much it's almost all I'm thinking about when I read them.

This one is probably my favorite in the series so far. I liked the story, characters, and plot. The foreshadowing was done well and I didn't suffer through it nearly as much.

What a crazy plot twist the Prophet was! That's not who I was expecting at all. I appreciated that little arc with Gwynneth and the Sark as well.

The dancers were such an interesting problem for them to have to navigate. I liked them going through and figuring everything out and the different POVs on the matter.

Mhairie and Dearlea's reveal was quite unexpected and so well foreshadowed. I liked it a lot and it made the ending so beautiful and wholesome.

I didn't care for Faolan's part of the ending much, but it's not the worst thing to happen.

[Logan Chaput · Rating 5 out of 5]

The new version of "the long cold" from the past is a very interesting idea. the Prophet made for a good storyline and totally surprised me when I found out who it was! I kept wanting to read more and find out what was going to happen! Definitely would recommend this series to others.

[Melissa Corn ~bubbles bubbles bubbles~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 4th book in series about wolves by Kathryn Lasky called Wolves of the Beyond. It is a companion and spin-off to Lasky's other series Guardians of Ga'Hoole that features owls. I suggest reading that series before moving on to this one, since some parts might be a little confusing.

In Frost Wolf there is a particularly harsh winter, with blizzards that stretch into the late months of summer. At the beginning of the book the main character Faolan, and his friend Edme are out in the forest, checking to see if they can find any caribou herds. Evidently most of them had lost their way in the winterlike summer storms. The lack of food has caused the wolf clans to become particularly small and skinny. Some of the wolves have become so desperate that they begin participating in some weird spirit dance that is supposed to make it easier for them to get to the wolf heaven.

Okay um, I thought this book was pretty good. It wasn't quite as exciting as the third book and the characters weren't has developed as they were in the previous books (although I did enjoy the expansion on the Sark of the Slough's character). It wasn't my favorite of Lasky's books though, which is why I gave it three stars.

I thought this book was going to be the best of this series. The blurb says there is a sort prophet who leads wolves to their death. The odd chanting and dancing many of the wolves blindly perform reminds me of the owl brainwashing that goes on in The Shattering. But unlike its owl counterpart this dancing amounts to nothing more than a concotion made by a self pitying wolf named Liam MacDuncan. I honestly thought that we'd find out that The Prophet was a very evil wolf who held a deep grudge for the wolf clans and was therefore trying to destroy them, similar to the character of Sol in the Warriors series. But instead it turns out that The Prophet is nothing than a wolf chieftain that doesn't know a single thing about leading a wolf clan who tries to build his self confidence by pretending he is an important spiritual figure in helping wolves to Skaarsgard, wolf heaven. I couldn't believe how naive Liam was to what he was doing when Faolan confronts him about it later in the book. He is probably one of the stupidest characters I have ever seen in this series.

Okay so obviously the point of this book wasn't to deepen the plot by adding in an exciting antagonist. So what was the point of this book then? Unfortunately for me the main point of this book was for Faolan to explore more into his odd destiny. We get to return once again to the Cave before Time, which although seemed particularly out of place in Lone Wolf is starting to play a particularly important role in this book. Now it's not that I don't want to find out more about Faolan. Being a big fan of Warriors I am pretty used to characters with odd and complex destinies. It's just that I am a little tired of all the fantasy animal series I read involving something like reincarnation and shape-shifting. I didn't like it in Warriors or Seekers and I probably won't like it Wolves of the Beyond. Now I do know that this is supposed to be a fantasy series so obviously nothing realistic is going to happen. I mean a good share of odd stuff happened in this series' predecessor Guardians of Ga'Hoole, like the whole thing with the Nazi like Pure Ones. But when Faolan starts transforming into grizzly bears when he fights other wolves, and has weird dreams of being born a thousand times, that's just going a little too far.

Although I didn't particularly like this book as well as the first three in the series I will still probably continue with Wolves of the Beyond. The author managed to end this book in a cliff-hanger and to make me curious about what might happen in book five Spirit Wolf, which I have put on hold at the library.

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story of courage of a wolf named Foalon attempts to prove himself to the watch, terrible danger approachs Foalon and his friends, but he is the only one that knows how to stop it. The theme of this book is courage in the face of grave danger. I love this series! - Caleb

[Cassidy · Rating 2 out of 5]

For some reason I thought the series got better after Watch Wolf, but so far that's been my favorite book. It's not that this book was terrible, it just wasn't to my liking. The entire plot of this book seemed so hopeless. There was just too much suffering and darkness for my taste. It's a pretty bleak book for having a target audience of children. I also felt like the specific conflict in this installment dragged on way too long. I can't really think of what else to say about this book that doesn't include spoilers, so if you already read the book and want to see my thoughts on the specific events go ahead and read the next part.
The major reason I gave this book such a low rating wasn't just because it was bleak. I don't particularly enjoy seeing characters I like suffer, but generally I don't have such a problem with it. The reason I disliked this one so much is because the Skaars dancers conflict drags on the entire book and is never even resolved. I don't even know what this conflict was supposed to set up. I can tell that it's leading up to the wolves exiting the Beyond in search of a land with more food and normal weather, but all the meaningless death is a bit much. If the MacNamaras and the wolves of the Watch are the only ones left then I have to wonder at how they'll repopulate since gnaw wolves aren't supposed to have pups. I also thought the whole plot twist with Liam was kind of stupid. He was supposed to be deluded enough to believe he was a Prophet and that by leading so many wolves to their deaths he was helping them meet a peaceful end. Ok, I can believe that a wolf would go crazy and believe stuff like that, but for him to snap out of it just because the Sark, Gwynneth, Faolan, and Edme told him what he was doing was wrong. If he knew that disturbing Gwyndor's hero mark was going against his father's wishes and if he was so deluded to believe he was doing right, being told once that his actions were wrong wouldn't have suddenly snapped him out of it. Also at the end I think three wolves fitting inside the body of a musk ox is a bit ridiculous. Unless that thing is the size of a tree I highly doubt that would work, unless I wasn't understanding what was going on, in which case the author should have worded that scene more clearly so it made more sense.

[Kahlan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quand j’étais gamine, j’adorais les histoires de loups... J’étais fascinée par la dangerosité qu’ils dégageaient malgré leur ressemblance avec le meilleur ami de l’homme : le chien. Quand mon fils a manifesté le même intérêt, la même fascination, je m’en suis amusée, et j’ai accepté de bon gré de lire l’une de ses sagas préférées : Le royaume des loups, de Kathryn Lasky. Il s’agit des pérégrinations d’un jeune loup né estropié, abandonné par sa mère puis élevé par une ourse, et de ses difficultés à réintégrer les siens à la disparition de celle-ci.

D’emblée, j’ai éprouvé quelques difficultés à rentrer dans cet univers où les loups ressemblent tellement à des humains que c’en est dérangeant, et Un hiver sans fin, le quatrième tome de la série, ne fait pas exception. Faolan, le malcadh, est désormais un membre de la prestigieuse Ronde des Volcans Sacrés. L’hiver n’en finit plus, les troupeaux de ruminants semblent s’être volatilisés et, alors que la famine menace, il est envoyé en mission auprès du clan MacDuncan et des Sentinelles du Nord, chargées de protéger les frontières de l’invasion des Barbares.

L’intrigue qu’on nous propose ici est relativement complexe. On suit à la fois le périple de Faolan et ses compagnons de route, en quête d’un Prophète qui incite les loups à se laisser mourir de faim pour rejoindre leur Dieu, et aussi celui de Gwynneth, la chouette, sur les traces du profanateur de la tombe de son père. Autant de notions qu’on ne s’attend pas forcément à trouver dans de la littérature pour enfants, ni même dans une histoire de loups pour tout dire. Des notions qui auraient mérité d'être exploitées autrement qu'en de très courts chapitres, sur à peine 200 pages.

Malgré des héros plus attachants les uns que les autres, le gros manque de crédibilité de l’ensemble a fait que je n’ai pas réussi à rentrer pleinement dans cette histoire. C’est un roman qui plaira sans doute aux plus jeunes, mais l’âge aidant, on pourra rapidement le trouver trop simpliste par rapport à la gravité des sujets abordés.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the Wolves of the Beyond series by Kathryn Lasky.

Our oldest picked up Lone Wolf, the first book of the series, at our local library and thought she'd check it out. I'm sure she selected it because she really likes wolves. She has become enthralled with the series and has started to read the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, too. I find it interesting that the characters from that series are starting to enter into this one even more.

She really likes these stories and is excited to read more of the books in the series. It's a quick read, and while the drama is a bit predictable, it's still entertaining.

I thought the crazy dancing doomsday cult was a bit mature for the targeted audience and the plot was a bit incoherent in places, almost as if the storyteller was suffering from starvation, too. I'm interested to see how the plot and characters develop more as the series progresses. We are both looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

interesting quote:

"Imagination can feed you, keep you alive." (p. 148)

[Brianna Hartwich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically this book is about two main characters, Faolan and Edme. Faolan was abandoned as a pup and left to die due to a splayed paw he was born with. Faolan survived his sentence to death due to the loving care of a mother grizzly bear named Thunderheart who had lost both her cubs. She had raised Faolan well, teaching him the ways of the bears as well as all she knew about the ways of the wolves. Sadly she died due to having her neck broken in an avalanche. Faolan is now at the watch of the sacred volcanoes. But the beyond is now facing a deadly crisis, famine has hit the Beyond and wolves are dying. What they thought couldn't get any worse did get worse, a deadly dance had erupted through the Beyond brainwashing the wolves to dance while they are starving to death wasting all energy they had left and eventually killing them from exhaustion. The watch had sent Faolan and Edme to figured out what to do to stop this deadly dancing and help other starving wolves. Will the Beyond ever be the same? What will happen to the wolves of the Beyond? Will they all die out? Or will Faolan and Edme find a way to stop the madness spreading all throughout the Beyond?

[Patrick Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book wolves of the beyond watch wolf is about two wolves in a blizzard. Faolan and Edmes mission is to restore order to the mcdunken clan and the blood watch. Along the way they find out that there is a misterios wolf that calls himself the profit. He is perswading wolves to help him ask there god for death. This is all because of a blizzard that is going into the summer.
My favorit part about the whole book was when Faolan snapped the canable wolf and broke his neck. He did this to protect the wolf that passed out and his friends. I thought this was very heroic of him. Since he was raised by bears he fights like a bear. When Faolan did this Edme tought that he turned into a bear.
I recomend this to all readers because this is a good book. I thought it was a good read. It has everything you want; action, adventure, and its just an all around good book. I would give this book a five star. This book also has a good ending but I don't want to spoil it. If I were you I would buy this book now.

[Alex T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wolf cult, wolf cult, wolf cult.

Definitely one of the conceptually more interesting ones of the series, but still I struggle to find any real investment here. Faolan, like I've said in other reviews, is just one of the most boring and forgettable protagonists I've ever come across. And the entire series is written from his POV.

There's also a bit logical issue with how the Prophet is wearing an owl mask but these are literally dire wolves. Last time I checked the Ga'Hoole owls are of average size and these dire wolves are of average dire wolf size. There's no way that mask would logically fit the Prophet, and he's basically the entire crux of this story. That said, his concept of a doomsday cult was at least something interesting. But it still doesn't get me invested enough to actually care.

Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/20...

[Robert Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so the previous ones were rather, how do I put it, ok for kids? This is a rather dark book. My thoughts, it was great, it kinda reenacts the Great Depression a bit. The Beyond falls into a famine, and the real problem is not the lack of food, but it is the Skaars Dancers. The Skaars dancers will do a ritual that they believe that the Wolf God Skaarsguard, the god that helps souls into the Cave of Souls, would bring their bodies up to the cave of souls, only to find out that the dancers either die of hunger or die from another wolf, whether it would be a cannibalistic outclanner or a member of the blood watch (border patrol). I encourage you to read this, and I actually loved the plot twist at the end, I won't spoil it though, as I thought it was interesting. I liked how the prophet, the person who taught people Skaars dancing, oh wait, that would spoil the ending too!

[Celestia · Rating 4 out of 5]

From my 9 year old daughter:

The setting is in the beyond. It was a strange year. It's just before the hottest month but the place is covered in snow.
The conflict is that the main character, Foalan, and his friend Edme, hear about these wolves who are begging for death. There's this prophet who will take them to heaven they think. He's not a real prophet. Then there's part of another conflict. There's this owl named Gwyneth. This ghost tells her that her father's grave has been disturbed. So she goes to this wolf who is titled Stark. Stark decides to help her.
The climax is when Foalan, Edme, Gwyneth, and the Stark find the prophet. They are chasing after him. The solution is when they catch up to him and knock off his mask. They find out who he is. He is Laman MacDuncan, chieftan of the MacDuncan clan

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faolan and Edme are back! It is the Moon of New Antlers, and snow is still falling. There is a lack of prey, it seems to be lost. There are rumors going around that the Blood Watch has stopped rotating. An owl Hero Mark is missing, and worst of all, there is a wolf leading dances- to the death! Owls and wolves team up in this race against time. An overall amazing book. I credit Mrs. Lasky for this review, and I would not be writing it if I hadn't liked it. I will soon be doing a review on Lone Wolf And some of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. Look out for those! Wolf fans and adventure lovers, I highly suggest this. (Mrs. Lasky, if you're reading this, I think that you and your books are awesome!)

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my daughter's favorite series, this one involves major crises and failed leadership, along with charlatan-led religious fanaticism. The winter-in-summer, together with the introduction of the Blood Watch bordering on the wild northern frontier, can't help but remind one of Game of Thrones and wonder if Lasky didn't borrow some ideas, but she makes no mention of it in her author's note. Lasky adds complexity and nuance to some of the characters, making them a bit more ambiguous. For those who have enjoyed the series so far, this will be a good read. I don't really recommend it as a stand-alone, while it makes cursory explanations of various things, there are so many threads running from the previous stories by this point that one really ought to read them in order.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book. I like how the book switches between first and third person point of view. The book has multiple characters and switches between them throughout the story. One thing I did not like about the book is that there are constantly new characters coming to the story. The story follows the heroes journey archetype. It starts with the Faolan being ordered by the gods to find out why it is still winter when it should be summer. He achieved his ultimate boon when he neutralized the threat of extinction to all of the wolves. He returns to his pack and becomes popular around the clan. I think almost anyone would enjoy this book.

[Tyler Neuhaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is called wolves of the beyond number 4 the author is Kathryn Lasky. A genre is when the wolves were searching for food because there where wolves who would dance none stop and they were trying to stop before the danced to death. The setting took place in the north of the beyond during winter. The main characters were Faolan, edme, the sark, and the two sisters. The book wasn't really about anything besides hunting and a lot of gross parts. The part with the dancing wolfs was the main part of the story but I'm not going in to much detail. I would rate this book five out of five stars because there were many good parts in their.

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

I has been a few years since I read the first 3 books in this series, and The Guardians of Ga'Hoole. So it took me a little while to get back into this world. I had forgotten some of the details. This was the first one that I experienced on audio and I enjoyed it. However with short chapters and scene changes between chapters I had to pay close attention.

In this installment, the world of the Beyond is experiencing a continual winter so creatures are dying of starvation and many of the wolves have become suicidal and giving what little food they have to a "Prophet". Faolan and Edme must work together with a few other wolves and owls to create hope in a world gone wrong.

[Tama ~Lord of Wolves~ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this wasn't fit for children as it is supposed to be, and is far too dark. Also, they go to the extremes on religion and prophets and all of those things, and the aspect of death is strong in this, which I do not like for a book for children. Also, Faolan, the main character is just too "special" and such, which really annoys me. Another thing is they basically describe a cult, and that really surprised and bothers me. This book is just too inappropriate for kids and is too dark.

[Alunafowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolves of the Beyound:Frost Wolf is a science fiction seven hour novel. Bestselling author Kathryn Lasky's presents a book about a wolf who is looked at as the outsider. Faolan the wolf grows a connection with the bears which is unusual because wolves eat bears. There becomes war and Faolan is the one that can stop it, which he does to become a leader. The novel is great to someone who enjoys science fiction novels. I personally like it. It offered a new thought towards reading outside the box. Middle school students and high school students would be able to read this book.