Wolf Brother

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #1

By: Michelle Paver

Narrated by: Ian McKellen

Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Six thousand years ago. Evil stalks the land. Only 12-year-old Torak and his wolf-cub companion can defeat it. Their journey together takes them through deep forests, across giant glaciers, and into dangers they never imagined.

In this original and spectacularly told adventure story, the first book in The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, Torak and Wolf are joined by an incredible cast of characters as they battle to save their world.

©2004 Michelle Paver (P)2004 Orion Publishing Group & HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Paver's depth of research...makes this impressive British import...intriguing and believable." ( School Library Journal)

I couldn't stop listening

What a fantastic story this was! I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a great adventure.

Amazing book

I have already read this book when I was a kid but I decided to read this book again as an adult and coming back to it I have enjoyed ever second of it. The story is amazing and leaves you in suspense. Full of action. Highly recommended. I love the other wolf brother series and will continue to read them.

LOVE THIS BOOK

Where does Wolf Brother rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I listened to Wolf Brother when I was younger and I was so happy when I found it again!

What did you like best about this story?

I love the character development! Torak Grows from being a boy, watching his father try to protect him, to becoming his own man and finding his place in the world! This story will keep you asking for more and it will keep your imagination growing!

What about Ian McKellen’s performance did you like?

Ian McKellen, one of my favorite actor's in the world. He really brings the characters voices and stories to life. When I listen to Ian McKellen, I really feel like I'm right there next to the characters and experiencing what they are because of his voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I will always try to finish a book in one sitting. That's the type of person that I am. I'm still kind of new to audio books, but yes I did want to finish it all in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

This book is my childhood!

Great story from beginning to end

From the very beginning my little was wondering what was going to happen next.

Plus there is a sequel!

One of my best Childhood memories and my all time favorite

I fell in love with Wolf Brother series when I was 12. After 16 years, I’m revisiting these amazing stories. Ian is such an outstanding narrator. Thank you for the descriptive, powerful, and inspiring narrative.

Beautiful.

I first read this book as a young teen, and hearing it performed by Ian McKellen was an experience I'll never forget. His rendition of this beloved tale of a boy and his wolf brother was moving and beautiful and wonderful in the best ways possible. If you're thinking of listening to this story, then do it. It is a powerful work of fiction that is both original and touching, and it will leave you hungry for the next installment in the series.

exceptional

I've read this and listened to it my second time. the narration is breathtaking.

WoW!!! Excellent Book! Fantastic Perfomance!

I am a writer and editor, and all I can say is that Wolf Brother is a hidden masterpiece. The language, story, characters, and the amount of cultural and anthropological detail are exquisite. You will rarely encounter a novel (in any age range) of this quality. I bought the paperback for my baby brother when it first came out, and I finally read it for myself this week. I am delighted to discover there are sequels and will be immediately purchasing the whole collection for pleasure and for study (I would purchase all the audiobooks, too, but apparently not all of them are available in the US.... I may have to buy them from England.... or illegally..... hurry up and fix this, Audible!).

And speaking of audiobooks...... this is the BEST narrator performance I have ever come across (coming from someone who has listened to hundreds of audiobooks in just the last 5 years, alone). When was the last time you heard a narrator pause.... and whisper.... and pause........ and then BELLOW as terror burst onto the scene? I will be purchasing more of Ian McKellen's narrations. He has outdone every favorite I had before this, even some who are especially famous for their audible works.

Wolf Brother makes excellent reading and/or listening for kids AND adults, especially if you have an affinity for exceptionally fine storytelling.

Loved Tall Tailless and Wolf

I listened to Ian McKellen (Gandalf) bring this piece to stunning life. It's a fantasy, set in ancient Bronze-Age Europe, uncounted aeons ago. The first of 6 or 7 books. Beautifully written, the story is fast-paced and action-packed. It's told in 3rd person, with the POV shifting from the boy Torak to his brother — a wolf cub. The setting is vivid and the story sometimes felt almost real, like it could almost have happened, back when people lived in tribal clans, ate reindeer, and worshipped the spirits in rocks and rivers and ravens. There are some life-lessons embedded in the story. For example, the ritual of respect young Torak showed to any animals he killed, thanking it and promising to use every part to sustain life (the hide, bones, and meat).

PLOT (no major spoilers): A suddenly-orphaned youth and his wolf cub are destined to save the world from a malevolent demon-possessed bear. As his father (Fa) is dying, having been mawled by the bear, 12-year-old Torak makes him a promise: To journey into the frozen North, to the tallest mountain, home of the World Spirit, and plead for help, for only this Spirit is powerful enough to defeat such a demon. Torak must also offer sacrifices (find three pieces of the Nanuak: the river eye, stone bite, etc) to the World Spirit. He must also offer up his own heart's blood. (He wonders, "All of it??") No one has ever climbed the World Mountain or seen the World Spirit — the stuff of legend. Torak is frightened and frequently tempted to break his promise, but he keeps his word (another moral of the story). Help comes from a surprising source.

They make a great team, Wolf, Tarok, and the surprise helper.

It's a coming-of-age story, wrapped up in a quest. A "fellowship of the ring" but with only 3 in the group.

Secondary characters are Hord, Oslak, Fin-Kedin, an old Mage woman of the Raven Clan, a disgusting Walker, etc.

I enjoyed it well enough, but it's really written for kids. I'd have loved it more in about 5th grade.

However, I LOVED getting into the mind of the wolf cub. The words he invented (he calls Torak "Tall Tail-less" and the campfire is "the bright beast that bites hot" (so clever!). Torak can never talk to wolf about what will happen tomorrow, because a wolf has no concept of future, only of now.

The author has a degree in biochemistry and lots of experience with animals, including wolves and bears. But hopefully not bears possessed by an evil spirit.

Narrated superbly by Ian McKellen. It's — oddly enough —not available in kindle format at Amazon USA. And only books 1 and 4-6 are available in Audible USA. A bummer!

The Audible version did not come with the pictures and maps from the book. I wanted to see the map at least, and we cannot buy the kindle book in America. I wish Audible would add that companion piece (the map).

Really good story

It's a great story, and held my interest throughout. No slow parts, nothing to complain about. I only wanted more. Thank you!