Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #1: Wolf Brother Paperback – February 21, 2006

In the time of hunter-gatherers when ancient forest covered the land, a boy loses his father to an evil in the shape of a monstrous bear that threatens their entire world. Possibly the father is partially culpable for this evil, but before he dies he makes his soon-to-be orphaned son promise to destroy the bear. The boy will be helped in this seemingly impossible task by a prophecy, a riddle, three lost artifiacts, an orphaned wolf cub, and a young girl from another clan.A boy who must make right the errors of his elders by successfully appealing to the Mountain of the World Spirit is a classic tale of renewal. The spirit of life will overcome the powers of destruction through the courage, fortitude, and intelligence of the newest generation. Many perils stand between the boy and his goal; the constant challenge to survival and the pressing need of the mission keep this story moving at a breakneck pace.A similarly intrepid look on the faces of the many boys in my classes who kept asking for the next book in this series, Chronicle of Ancient Darkness, prompted me to find out what was appealing to them and to read the book. Danger never abates, courage must constantly be renewed, and purpose is unrelenting. This book has appealed equally to well-seasoned readers and to reluctant readers, so far only boys though girls who like animals and wilderness survival stories should enjoy it as well. Ninth graders as well as middle school students have enjoyed this book, but it is not a complex plot and enthusiastic readers as young as fourth grade will probably like it.Gaby Chapman

Enough said. Ian McKellen is "amazing" as he recounts the coming of age story of a 12 year old of Neolithic Scandinavia who is left to fend for himself when his father is killed by a demon bear. Lapp legends say the young man (Torak) is the one who can talk to animals, fight with air, and speak without sound. It is his quest to find the Mountain of the World Spirit and ask the Spirit's help to overcome the evil that resides in the Bear.I think of the book as "Clan of the Cave Bear" mixed with "Lord of the Rings." Torak learns that he is the child of a once revered man, a member of a group of seven magicians called "The Soul Eaters."Whether Ian McKellen whispers or laughs, he is absolutely enthralling. I rank him among the best of the narrators of the English tongue, a list including Richard Burton, Charles Laughton, and the like. I am going to get a copy of his audio version of "The Odyssey." I am already listening to his reading of Book Two of the "Chronicles of Ancient Darkness" - Spirit Walker. Well, it's just as good as the first one.For those interested in a movie that recreates a similar feel of the ancient, cold world of Northern Europe, I recommend the Lapp-Finnish VHS entitled "Pathfinder."

We have almost finished the series. I chose this book as a homeschool mom looking for fictional stories which take place before civilization. My 11 year old son and I are thoroughly enjoying the series. I was a little disappointed that the "magic" in the book was supposed to be true. I had hoped it would turn out to be superstitions so that my son and I could examine how religions and myths get started. But it is still a wonderful series for children. I love the way the clans honor the earth and living things. We find the spirit walking very interesting and discuss whether we think the descriptions of the animals and trees that Torak "walks in" are believable (yes we think so). There are enough examples of human foibles to learn lessons about loyalty, honor, compassion, etc. My son has been making bow and arrows, axes, and carves our lava rock into shapes (we live in Hawaii). I have already loaned some of the series out to other friends.

This primitive fantasy was compared to another book that I thought was one of the best I had ever read, so I gave it a try. It was written for a younger audience but still it was very enjoyable. I will likely read more in the series as soon as I have time.

This book is an excellent read for anyone. I seriously enjoyed reading it.I recommend this book for anyone with an enjoyment of adventure, action, and the teensiest bit of romance.I loved it.Torak is a young boy in a world of dangers. There's a wild monster out there planning on killing everyone, and his now dead father had told him to find the Mountain of the World Spirit, a mountain no one has ever found before. During his journey north to the mountains, he meets up with a young wolf cub whose pack was killed in a flash-flood. Torak takes the young cub in, and together they journey on. But, they soon meet up with some hunters who accuse Torak of stealing their food off their hunting lands.So, Torak and the wolf cub are taken back to camp where they meet Renn.Renn is a masterful archer, and a smart one at that. Once they get the whole mess with the clan cleared up, she joins them on their journey. They venture out once more, to find the Nanuaks. They have been told by the clan elder that only the Nanuaks can appease the World Spirit enough so that it will help them defeat the monster.The rest is just spoilers, so I won't go on, but again, this book was very enjoyable.Along with the next couple books in the series, Torak's adventures kept me up all night in suspense.Try the book!