Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling

‘YOU’RE THE LAST OF THE WEREWOLVES. DON’T FIGHT IT, SON; EMBRACE IT. CONQUER IT.’

When the air is clear, sixteen year-old Drew Ferran can pick up the scent of a predator.

When the moon breaks through the clouds, a terrifying fever grips him.
And when a vicious beast invades his home, his gums begin to tear, his fingers become claws, and Drew transforms . . .

Forced to flee the family he loves, Drew seeks refuge in the most godforsaken parts of Lyssia. But when he is captured by Lord Bergan’s men, Drew must prove he is not the enemy.

There is something about epic fantasy that makes me geek out in a major way, and Rise of the Wolf is no exception. I had only ever heard about Curtis Jobling in connection with is you know who and when I was sent a copy of Return of the Wolf to review, I was not too sure about what to expect. The werewolf on the cover looks too friendly and fluffy to be a ravening beast of terror– although in hindsight after reading the book it fits in with Drew’s personality.

Even better is that although it looks like paranormal fantasy (the cover has a full moon, a moodily handsome main character and is shiny) it is not paranormal fantasy, it is epic fantasy and although it has therianthropes (were-beasts), magic and teenagers in peril it is not paranormal fantasy or even an urban romance.

Brief disclaimer: I do enjoy YA Paranormal Fantasy/Romance but I have been reading so much of it lately.

Having a good old-fashioned sword & (some) sorcery with added werelords made a welcome change.

Rise of the Wolf
is a brilliant beginning to looks like an awesome series!

Why did I like it? The structure is almost perfect for the beginning point of a series, the introduction of Drew, who is very much a homebody with very little interest in the wider world until something very bad™ happens and he has to flee for his life. As the story progresses we learn with him – about who he is, how his world works and how were-beasts get their abilities as well as touching on politics and social inequality with oblique references to humans as second class citizens. Fantasy worlds have always interested me, and, as I have previously mentioned I am a big fan of epic fantasy, and in this type of series the characters usually have an entire world to play in. Hints and brief descriptions of far-of lands are peppered throughout the book which bodes well for travel in future titles of this series. I also really enjoyed the flashes of horror that cropped up – werewolves experiencing monster attacks is something new for me! The politics was also interesting as a sub-plot with past betrayals and old broken alliances hinted at and at the end the son of a dead Wolf-king versus the King of the Beasts.

My 15 year-old inner reader LOVED this book, I am currently 20 years older than him and I loved it too!

4 Thoughts on “Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling

  1. Pingback: Tweets that mention teen librarian » Blog Archive » Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling -- Topsy.com

  2. Great review! I really enjoyed reading it and comparing it to my thoughts as I finished the book yesterday. 🙂

  3. Just finished it and i am normally very picky with fantasy but i found this book brill. It had all the keys points of a fantasty which i love. Cant wait for the next book 😉

  4. werewolves are special. thanks for your post.

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