Spirit of the Wolves
Title: Spirit of the WolvesSeries: The Wolf Chronicles #3
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: December 2, 2014
ISBN13: 978-1416570028
Buy the Book: Amazon, Bookshop, IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Powell's
Overview
The final installment of The Wolf Chronicles.
Fourteen thousand years ago in southern Europe, young wolf Kaala discovers that she alone can unite wolves and humans, and must do so for survival of both species. In Promise of the Wolves and Secrets of the Wolves, Kaala came to understand her role. Born of a forbidden, mixed blood litter, and abandoned by her mother, Kaala struggled to earn her place in the Swift River pack. When she saved the life of a human girl, she put her hard-won acceptance at risk, and responsibility for keeping peace between wolf and humankind fell to her. She failed.
Now, in Spirit of the Wolves, Kaala has one last chance. She leaves her home in the Wide Valley with her young packmates, the human girl she loves, and an obnoxious raven. Together, they travel to the land beyond the valley to find her long-lost mother and a solution to the problem of the humans, only to discover that new challenges await them. Kaala’s mother has no answers, a faction of ruthless Greatwolves will stop at nothing to maintain control, odd little wolves seek to take Kaala’s place, and, in the mysterious village of Kaar, humans are undergoing a transformation that could destroy everything she is working for. Only by calling on all of her strength and on the bonds of love with her human, raven, and wolf companions can Kaala hope to succeed.
In this compelling conclusion to The Wolf Chronicles, Kaala must decide how far she is willing to go for peace…when every step she takes leads wolfkind and humankind toward war.
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Praise for The Wolf Chronicles
“Hearst excels at creating an atmospheric and richly imagined story, meticulously detailing wolf-human relations as told from the wolves’ perspective.”
—Booklist
“Dorothy Hearst creates a world that’s pure magic, but grounded in fact. For anyone interested in animal life, SPIRIT OF THE WOLVES is irresistible.”
—Spencer Quinn, Author of the Chet and Bernie mysteries
—Book Sense pick
“A vivid, enchanting tale of friendship, trust and adventure.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A crackling foray into a dangerous past. . . The relationships between the human characters and wolf characters are keenly felt and the conflicts sharply imagined. Hearst’s keen interpretations of wolf behavior, senses and sensibilities will enchant paranormal fans and animal lovers alike.”
—Publishers Weekly
“If you loved Watership Down, you should not miss reading Promise of the Wolves.”
—Jean Auel, author of The Clan of the Cave Bear and The Shelters of Stone
“The story of Kaala and her pack takes readers on a journey into a rich and fascinating world. A remarkable look into the mind of another kind of being.”
—Temple Grandin, Author of Animals in Translation
“I quickly fell in love with Kaala and the life of the wolves. I found myself struggling to put the book down because I wanted so badly to find out the fate of Kaala and her pack, along with the humans. So whether you’re a wolf lover or not, I’d recommend picking up this book. You definitely won’t regret it.”
—TeensReadToo.com
“Enchanting. . .a wonderful first installment.”
—Elizabeth Willse, The Star Ledger
“[Promise of the Wolves] beguiles with its dazzling imaginings of the relationship between wolves and mankind.”
—The Daily Telegraph
“For anyone who ever wanted to run with the wolves. . .dog owners may even learn a thing or two about their pet’s inner life.”
—Library Journal
“A vividly conceived creation myth.”
—Booklist
Inspiration
I got the idea for The Wolf Chronicles one day in May of 2001, when I was sitting around recovering from a really nasty pulled muscle in my neck—one of those ones where you can barely turn your head. Since I couldn’t type, couldn’t read, couldn’t do much besides sit in the chair, I actually had the time and mental space to think about stuff. And I started thinking about dogs, and how remarkable it is that we are so drawn to them, and they to us, and then started wondering how that came to be. It’s such a visceral feeling that I was sure it had to go far, far back into our history and theirs. How did a wild wolf evolve into this creature that is so much a part of our lives? Then, I heard someone say “I’m going to write a book about how the wolf became the dog, from the wolf’s point of view.” I looked around to find out who had spoken, and when it was clear that no one else was in the apartment, I figured I could claim the idea as my own.
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Excerpt
I crouched at the edge of Fallen Tree Gathering Place, a freshly caught rabbit warm and limp in my jaws, my haunches trembling. The Swift River wolves were preparing for a morning hunt, touching noses and speaking quietly to one another. Dawn light filtered through the branches of two tall oaks that stood guard at the clearing’s edge, dappling the Fallen Spruce that divided my pack’s largest gathering place.
No, not my pack. I was no longer a Swift River wolf and Fallen Tree was no longer my home. It was the place where I had learned what it was to be wolf, to run the hunt and howl the song of the pack, but I no longer knew if I was welcome there. I had chosen my task over my family, and my former packmates were as likely to chase me away as they were to greet me. I was tempted to turn tail and run, but in the last hours I’d seen a packmate murdered, survived a fight with a human who had sliced open my haunch, and climbed painfully out of a pit I’d thought inescapable. I wouldn’t turn coward now and forsake the wolves who’d raised me. I had just one chance to get them to listen to me, and if I could not, they would die.