The Wolf Wilder: From the author of the internationally bestselling phenomenon Impossible Creatures

Review 5 starsThis was magical. A story that resonated with me – wolves, Russia, revolution, adventure, and the wolves. Plus, prose that was masterful.12-year-old Feo Petrovna and her mother, Marina, live in the snowbound Russian woods with a pack of wolves nearby. A pack of wolves that were once aristocrats’ tamed pets. But wolf wilder Marina, with Feo’s help, has helped the creatures discover how to be wolves. They all bear the scars – human and wolf - but these make them stronger and more prepared to face what is coming.“Wolves, like children, are not meant to lead calm lives.”― Katherine Rundell, The Wolf WilderThis is 1917 and revolution is coming. It arrives in their lives, and Marina is arrested by the local commanding officer Rakov. Dislikeable from the moment he appears and exerts his twisted authority, he becomes Feo’s foe as she attempts to save her mother – and the wolves.In her attempt, she is aided by the pack, who are complex and formidable characters – and tragic. Each has distinctive appearances and traits. Katherine Rundell excels not only in portraying multi-dimensional people in clear language but also creatures that are mysterious and faithful – faithful to the pack and those like Feo they trust.Feo’s escape with the wolves gains an unexpected ally - Ilya, a 13-year-old soldier boy. A reason to be wary, but Feo can sense his true nature – a skill she must have learnt as a wolf wilder-in-training. But are the wolves so trusting?“Wolves are the witches of the animal world.”― Katherine Rundell, The Wolf WilderWill the children and wolves survive to save Marina before Rakov can execute her in the face of the revolution aimed at him?I couldn’t stop reading the beautiful words of this unfolding story. I knew the history, but that was just a setting like the woods and weather, so lives were still at risk. The escape only set up more – more encounters, more conflict, more character, and a climax which ties everything together.The opening and the ending are beautiful bookends – crafted to perfection. This is a true ‘once upon a time’ about ‘a dark and stormy girl’.Wolf wilders may be a fiction, yet they are rooted in fact and in places might exist. Feo’s family feel real so that’s what matters.Another enjoyable read - suitably illustrated by Gelrev Ongbico - and highly recommended for anyone who likes entertaining historical fiction with strong MG protagonists.“Stories can start revolutions.”― Katherine Rundell, The Wolf WilderStory – five starsSetting/World-building – five starsCharacters – five starsAuthenticity – five starsStructure – five starsReadability – five starsEditing – five stars

As a librarian I read a lot, including children’s and young adult literature.My first impression of the paperback edition of this book (apart from the excellent cover illustration) was its weight: a hefty 450g, almost half a kilogram, so this is a well-made paperback that should withstand numerous readers.I suppose, to sum this book up: The story is utterly original. I find this very rare nowadays. The reader is dropped right into the story from page one and, from there, is taken on a breathless journey full of excitement, humour and tragedy. I just had to finish this book in one night as I couldn’t bear the thought of putting it down without knowing what would happen next. The story is a complete gem and it’s impossible to predict how it’s going to end or who is going to survive it. The author’s writing style is simply excellent, both in description and dialogue, entirely suitable for (brave) children and adults alike. It is also very enchanting in parts with classics of lines such as, “Wolves, like children, are not born to lead calm lives,” and “Once upon a time, a hundred years ago, there was a dark and stormy girl”. Such delicious prose!The relationship between Feo and her wolves is special and really beautiful, and is captured to perfection in the amazing illustrations by Gelrev Ongbico whom I googled as I was so impressed by his work in this book. It turns out that as someone based in the Philippines, he probably doesn’t have a lot of first-hand experience with either snow or wolves. Also, this was his first ever work for a children’s book. Knowing this about him, I find his gorgeous, atmospheric and poignant illustrations even more amazing.This is a true gem of a book which I hope will find many, many readers.

I am so glad I discovered Katherine Rundell. This has been one of the best things that I can take away from 2023 - The Golden Mole was a revelation and when I discovered that she also wrote fiction, it was only a matter of time until I sought her out.I was lucky enough to be gifted this for Christmas and what a delight it was. Rundell has included a preface which sets the tone, explaining what the wolf wilder does and whilst I am not sure about how accurate this is in terms of the history of wolves in Russian aristocratic houses, its truth is not important to the understanding of her story.We meet Feodora and her mother, Marina in their remote homestead with their wolf companions and the book explodes into action with an encounter which is intimidating and throws us into Rundell's created world with the impact comparable to having a snowball to the face- shocking, stark and brutal.Feo is a girl whose friends are wolves; and yet, they are not either as she has a healthy respect for the fact that they are wild animals and treats them as such. However, there is a fierce loyalty between species which provides a warmth to the novel, of camaraderie and strength and reliance as well as resilience and courage. When Feo finds herself faced with her worst fear, it seems like she has been left alone but actually, she is far from it.Her quest to save those who matter most to her and vanquish her worst enemy takes her away from everything that she has known but also towards knowledge about a life that could be known to her or which could run alongside her current existence. It exposes her to a life that she would not have been exposed to if hardship had not been brought to her door.I liked this book very much. I liked the threat facing Feo and how she faced it; I liked the relationships formed within the book; I liked the inclusion of wolves; I liked the fact that Rundell presented the darkness of the world but also that with hope, optimism and a collective approach, this can be conquered. I also liked the fact that there was loss but that this did not dominate nor get glossed over.This was, on all levels, a great book.