The Tiger and the Wolf

Starred review from November 21, 2016
Tchaikovsky (the Shadows of the Apt series) opens a new epic fantasy series, Echoes of the Fall, with this brilliantly conceived and executed shape-changer Bronze Age saga featuring a heartbreaking heroine. Maniye is torn between her Wolf heritage from her uncaring father, Akrit, chieftain of the Winter Runner Wolf clan, and the inner Tiger she inherited from her mother, who was killed (perhaps by the fearsome warrior Broken Axe) on Akrit’s orders immediately after Maniye’s birth. With absorbing realism, Tchaikovsky spins out Maniye’s painful maturation. At first she transforms from a small, friendless child into an undersized wolf to escape her father’s plans to marry her to Broken Axe. Then Maniye finds herself drawn into the rumblings of a major conflict to come, learning that her father’s Wolves may play a major role in supporting one claimant for dominance in the civilized South, inhabited by Lizards, Crocodiles, and Dragons. Over the course of many strange adventures, Maniye begins to develop an accommodation between her warring Wolf and Tiger natures. At each perilous juncture, she is reminded that appearances and first impressions can deceive, and she learns that wisdom always demands an enormously heavy price. Maniye’s story and her frightening world are exquisitely drawn with sharp attention to the psychological truth of human and animal behavior. Readers will be captivated by the well-realized characters, splendid action, and a satisfying conclusion that promises more wonders to come.

January 1, 2017
The first installment in a new fantasy trilogy, the story of Maniye Manytracks is set in a rough tribal world where characters shift between their animal and human forms. A phasing test during adolescence is the ultimate rite of passage, but Maniye faces a grave problem. With a Tiger mother and a Wolf father, she can phase into both and must choose between them before they rip her own human soul apart. Like her warring souls, Maniye is caught between her Wolf Chief father's demands, her Tiger Priestess mother's rejection, and her determination to forge her own path. Along her journey between these places, Maniye forms an endearing relationship with an unlikely friend: a Snake Priest from the far south. Hesprec travels with Maniye to seek refuge; the two develop a symbiotic relationship, leaning on each other in times of weakness and strength. Finding safe haven is the driving force in this first installation; finding Maniye's influential position in the world will surely be the next. Those who enjoy coming-of-age stories, a natural setting, and strong characters will greatly enjoy this story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)