WOLFBREED

S. A. Swann

Ballantine Books

ISBN:  0-553-80738-7

September 2009

Paranormal

S. A. Swann creates an entirely new werewolf mythology in WOLFBREED, and readers will be horrified and hooked from the very first page.  When a monk, Brother Semyon von Kassel, discovers a den of werewolves, he trains the young to become vicious instruments of God serving the Teutonic Order.  Trained to instill fear in the hearts of pagans and force them to embrace Catholicism, Lily is a danger to anyone who harbors or helps her.  Single-armed Udolf doesn’t remember the massacre that occurred eight years ago, but he knows that whatever horrors he cannot remember are best left forgotten.  When he comes across a beautiful and injured young woman as he is hunting for game to feed his adoptive family, Udolf is irresistibly drawn to her.  Determined to help her heal, Udolf takes her to his home, and Lily quickly becomes a useful and helpful part of the family.  Lily’s hidden nature is nightmarish, but the dangers she brings to Udolf and his family are far more dangerous than anyone could imagine.

WOLFBREED is a fascinating journey into medieval times, with the lifestyle of the common man an essential part of the tale.  The extreme dominance and political nature of the Catholic Church is also central, with its leaders and servants revealing the darker motivations and machinations of the most powerful entity of the time period.  Lily, a wolfbreed female, is both vulnerable and unsafe, and readers will both fear and respect this unusual creature.   Her interactions with Udolf and his family belay her animalistic nature, causing doubt about her purpose.  Romance, historical accuracy, and elements of science fiction cause WOLFBREED to be one of the very best novels I have read this year—I can’t wait for the next novel in this refreshing and distressing series!

Reviewed by Angela Etheridge

Rating:  4 ½