The Wolf Chronicles: Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst
Release Date: June 2008
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Age Group: Young Adult/Adult
Pages: 335
Summary:
There are three promises that the wolves of Wide Valley live by.
Never consort with humans.
Never kill a human unprovoked.
Never allow a mixed-blood wolf to live.
Kaala, a young wolf pup of mixed blood, must fight for her place in the Swift River Pack. Her mother was banished for having a mixed blood litter and Kaala is all but alone in a pack that doesn’t want her. Kaala is determined to be a part of the Swift River Pack, the last promise she made to her mother.
As Kaala grows she continues to be the cause of concern within the pack and is blamed numerous times when the pack falls on bad luck. Kaala also rescues a human from drowning breaking the wolf promise to never consort with humans. She continues to see her human that she calls Girl. Kaala and two of her other pack mates build a relationship with the humans and they hunt alongside them. It is then that Kaala learns the truth behind the three promises.
A war is brewing between humans and wolves and Kaala may be the only one who can stop it.
Review:
Promise of the Wolves is a beautifully written novel. I found myself becoming lost in the writing itself many times. The depictions of the wolf pack are both interesting and fascinating. It is obvious the level of research the author undertook to write such a realistic portrayal. The characterization and the dialogue were by far my favorite aspects. At times I found my attention waning. No one particular situation in the book really grabbed my attention. Although the plot was simple, it was still interesting. I will most likely continue to read the trilogy. I plan on giving this book three stars, but the writing itself would have a five star rating!