Wolvers

Wolvers by Taylor Brown, 320 pages

Ever since men started raising livestock at ranches in the western United States, they've been at war with the wolves, and those who would protect the threatened predator species. Frustrated by the fact that his grandfather lost his ranch due to a fine from killing a protected wolf, Trace takes a job from a some wealthy ranchers to track and illegally kill One-Eleven, the matriarch of the pack that's closest to their land. However, after a run-in with a pro-wolf vigilante nearly kills Trace, he switches alliances, only to find that the wealthy ranchers have replaced him, and are now set on killing both Trace and One-Eleven.

Told from three points of view — Trace, his replacement/would-be assassin, and One-Eleven herself — this story is suspenseful, thought-provoking, and unexpected. I loved the nuance with which Brown explains the rancher vs. wolf situation without ever being too informational or preachy. The only thing that really bothered me was the sexual relationship between Trace and the woman for whom he works in the second half of the book, which felt awkward and unnecessary in an otherwise excellent book.

Once There Were Wolves

 

 Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy (2021) 258 Pages

Inti Flynn, doctor in conservation specializing in wolves and rewilding, arrives with a pack of wolves to reintroduce them to the Highlands of Scotland. With her is her identical twin sister, who is mute having been through some traumatic incident. We don't learn what happened until later, as most of the story is intertwined with these events. The small town is up in arms, literally, about the new neighbors, the wolves. Many are terrified their livestock will be attacked. Inti is frustrated with the community, she knows the wolves will keep clear of humans and tries to explain if the wolves are reintroduced, the Highlands ecosystem will once again thrive. Inti becomes involved with the local police chief. A local man, Stuart is known for beating his wife, but nobody does anything about it. Inti cannot handle the complacency and fights with Stuart, when Duncan, the police chief also gets involved. That night Inti is taking a walk in the woods and discovers Stuart's body, gutted. She makes a decision that will change the course of the next 8 or 9 months. 

I enjoyed this book as it wasn't entirely about trauma and healing, but those themes were tied in nicely with the storyline.

Fables vol. 8

Fables: Wolves [vol. 8] by Bill Willingham, et al, 159 pages

After a few volumes focusing on other characters and plotlines, Wolves brings Snow White and Bigby Wolf back to the forefront, with their dual storylines reuniting. That said, it does move the main plot (that of gearing up for the impending fight with the Adversary) forward. Gah, it's so hard to talk about these without spoiling the story! I'll just say that I liked seeing Mowgli and Cinderella show off their unique skills in this volume, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it in upcoming volumes.