Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver – Book Review

The First Book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series

Dec 8, 2009
Steve Williams

Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver - Orion Publishing

Written by Michelle Paver, Wolf Brother is the first book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. Meet Torak, a young boy in a strange land fighting a dark destiny.

Wolf Brother, the first novel of six in writer Michelle Paver’s series the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, takes the reader back to an ancient world of clan law, demons and vengeful spirits. In the midst of all this, a twelve year old boy named Torak is left orphaned one awful night when his father is killed by a demonic bear. Everything changes when Torak meets a lonely wolf club, and the quest to fulfill Torak's destiny begins.

Michelle Paver’s Wolf Brother and Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series

The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series is a very different saga from those presented in recent young adult hits such as Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, or even J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise. In this way, Michelle Paver’s series stands out as a wild world of hostile clans and unforgiving terrain, making Wolf Brother immediately compelling because of the writer's fresh approach.

Moreover, protagonist Torak's mysterious connection with Wolf is immediately recognisable as the steadfast friendship that will become the vertebra to Wolf Brother and the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. Add to this Torak's uneasy friendships with members of the Raven Clan, as well as a the uncovering of a prophecy that marks Torak out as being chosen for a special destiny, and there is early friction but also the promise of family for Torak. In this way, intrigue and pathos are formed from the outset.

Yet, soon, Torak's safety is destroyed when the prophecy bids him to find the three parts of the "Nanuak", the brightest soul, to ensure the favour of the World Spirit so as to help Torak kill the demon bear. This is a quest that will test his relationship with Wolf and bring him close to death on more than one occasion. In this way, author Michelle Paver creates a much larger story in Wolf Brother, weaving together the first strands of a much greater destiny for Torak, and she does so with flare and intelligent fervor.

Themes in Wolf Brother and the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series

Michelle Paver’s beautiful and simple prose frame the story of Torak’s emerging destiny with deliberate softness and a nurturing pace. No word is superfluous, and yet every detail of Torak’s world is vividly described. While Wolf Brother is a story of danger and fast paced adventure, Paver constantly underscores this with a big, warm, beating heart that sounds out the need for friendship and love, giving the novel an emotional centre.

Children’s stories and young adult fiction, especially novels that preempt a series, can be laboured and slow in starting. Characteristically, this Michelle Paver book easily deals with the task, and what is more, the author laces the narrative of Wolf Brother with universal themes of friendship, betrayal, love and revenge. While Wolf Brother may deal with an ancient world, the plot still feels every bit as vital and enjoyable as those stories that operate in a more modern setting. For this, the author should be congratulated.

Wolf Brother is a Solid Foundation to the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series

The research and detail in Michelle Paver’s Wolf Brother is immediately obvious. The plot glides on a solid base of fact that provides an insight into a six thousand year-old pre-civilized word, a time of mysticism, animism and superstition. Yet, alongside that, there also exists a deep spirituality and reverence for nature that infuses Wolf Brother with yet another layer of interest.

While Wolf Brother may not be a groundbreaking start to the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, Michelle Paver’s novel feels lively and authentic, while her enviable skills in characterisation makes the protagonists of her ancient world crackle like fire on the page. The soft slide of her words is entrancing, and her keen eye for delicate plot points snare. Because of this, Wolf Brother is a resounding hit that whets the appetite to almost ravenous heights in anticipation for the next installment to the series, Spirit Walker.