Spirit Walker

The wonderful Wolf Brother was unputdownable with its strong characters (including the wolf) and vivid ancient world setting, its rich detail and the tremendous excitement of the hunt and being hunted. We were left with the first chapter of the sequel which is at last completed. Much is the same, with the continuing excitement of Torak’s quest, now turned towards the sea, and the continuing revelations about Torak’s background and the origins of the demon. There are scenes of high tension and excitement, especially towards the end, and what remains in the memory are the strong human bonds and the physicality of the lives they lead. Once started on the sequence you have to continue although this doesn’t have the power ofWolf Brother. Here, Torak is more isolated, the marvellous character Wolf has grown up and is elsewhere for a major part of the book, and characterisation and dialogue are less convincing.