Wolves of the Beyond 02 - Shadow Wolf

From bestselling author Kathryn Lasky comes the second book in WOLVES OF THE BEYOND, a stunning new spinoff from her legendary owl series, Guardians of Ga’hoole.

The wolf pup Faolan was born with a twisted paw, a slight defect that caused his wolf clan to abandon him in the forest to die. But Faolan, with the help of the grizzly bear who raised him as her own, survived.

Now he’s made it back to his clan as a gnaw wolf, the lowest ranking pack member. And the hardships are just beginning. Another gnaw wolf, Heep, is jealous of Faolan and sets him up for failure. As if these humiliations are not enough, Faolon is framed for the murder of a wolf pup. Can Faolan catch the culprit in time and prove he deserves to be a full member of the clan?

From School Library Journal Grade 4?6?Fans of the "Guardians of Ga’Hoole" series (Scholastic) and those who ate up Lone Wolf (Scholastic, 2009), the first book in this series, will be eager to learn the fate of mother grizzly bear Thunderheart’s beloved adopted-wolf-son, Faolan, who was born with a deformed paw and left to die until she found him. In this tightly plotted, lyrical tale, Faolan endures his lot as a gnaw wolf, but has no idea how to bend his innate bravery and confidence into the accepted fringe behavior, cowering and cringing while mashing his face in the dirt to show the required obeisance. Lasky blends her powerful skill in establishing a setting with Faolan’s lilting poetry and song, revealing his tender heart and the forest’s own beauty. She builds the wolf society as if it were a human tribe of both wise and blind leaders, living in a culture of cruelty, survival, evil, and honor. It is the magic of tribal strength and love that lays down the only hope for a talented young wolf. Readers will be delighted that heroes from Lasky’s "Ga’Hoole" series appear to challenge the established world in this fascinating addition to the "Wolves" series.?Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA (c) Copyright 2011. ?Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist The Wolves of the Beyond series continues to follow young Faolan as he struggles as a lowly ?gnaw wolf? in his adopted MacDuncan River Pack. Fellow groveler Heep is his chief antagonist, pushing the powerful young wolf through a series of humiliations leading to the gaddergnaw?a contest in which one gnaw wolf is allowed to join the pack proper. As in Lone Wolf (2010), Lasky favors spirituality, rituals, and observances over action, although the gaddergnaw, as well as a murder accusation, keeps the plot trucking. The returning theme of child abandonment will hit kids where they live. Grades 5-8. --Daniel Kraus