Amy A. (DarkWoodsSanctuary) - , reviewed on 6/6/2007 + 13 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 5

The main character in this book is David Valentine, an orphan taken in by the local priest and we are shown his general development from childhood, through his training, and into young adulthood, with the parts about his training and young adulthood being more detailed than his childhood. In the Way of the Wolf, Valentine is chosen by a "good" Kurian, a Lifeweaver, to become a Wolf, an elite warrior with the finely honed senses and strength of a wolf. The purpose of the Wolves is to help destroy the minions of the Kurians (Reapers) and protect the safety of the Free Territory.

What we get in the Way of the Wolf (the first book in the Vampire Earth Series) is a post-apocalyptic world complete with characters that ring true (even if they are a little flat and one dimensional)...here you see the best and worst of human nature close up and while the world this new world is a violent and unpredictable, we still find flashes of happiness, humor and love as humanity survives and adapts to life in the Kurian Order. Additionally because Knight places the story not too far into the future, we still have characters that remember life before the Kurian order, so the author cleverly gives himself access to literature, television and other popular culture references that might not otherwise be available and I think this helps keep the story from being too bleak and depressing and keeping it accessible/familiar to the reader.

The way of the Wolf was in the Science Fiction section...but I think it has broader appeal than that and could be considered a mix of horror, sci-fi, mysticism, and dystopian society. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this...and while I'm a true horror fan and was a bit disappointed that this isn't more about the "vampires" I wasn't disappointed in the overall feel of the book. It's dark, depressing (sometimes oppressively so) and just plain disgusting in places...but it also has an authentic feel to it that is very appealing despite the bleakness of it all. The story is told in a kind of slice-of-life fashion that at give the book a bit of a disjoined feel...but which serves, I think to give a real rounded look at life under the Kurian order from the "free territory" to those living with the reality of day to day life living directly under the influence of the Kurians and their minions. Since this is a "debut" novel, I can only assume Knight's style and storyline will only get better, so I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this series, as I'm quite anxious to see what becomes of Valentine! I give it a B+, it's a good, entertaining read...but it's not without problems.

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