Promise of the Wolves

March 10, 2008
The debut of former Jossey-Bass senior editor Hayes is a crackling foray into a dangerous past, the first of a projected trilogy. On Wide Valley plain 14,000 years ago, wolf Kaala is born into the Swift River pack—a half-breed outcast with Outsider blood. As she grows into adulthood, the spirited pup continues to come into conflict with pack leader Ruuqo. She also sneaks off to be with humans, who are encroaching on wolf territory and who often drive the wolves from their kills. Fraternization is strictly forbidden, but as Kaala’s mother has foreseen in dreams, it may also be the key to saving every wolf and human in the valley. Hayes’s remarkable fluency when writing in Kaala’s voice is immediately absorbing. The mythologies of the societies she invents are underdeveloped, but the relationships between the human characters and the wolf characters are keenly felt, and the conflicts sharply imagined. Hayes’s keen interpretations of wolf behavior, senses and sensibilities will enchant paranormal fans and animal lovers alike.

April 15, 2008
For anyone who ever wanted to run with the wolves, this debut novel (and the first in the author's "The Wolf Chronicle" trilogy) opens a window into life in the pack. Kaala, a wolf pup whose mother was banished for having a mixed-blood litter, must fight to make a place for herself in the Swift River pack. She finds herself drawn to the nearby humans, even though any contact is forbidden by the ancient Greatwolves, who rule all wolfkind in the Valley. Humans and wolves can't seem to live together even though they need each other's skills to survive, but Kaala and her friends may be able to find a way. Though the story is fairly simplistic, animal lovers will enjoy the close-up view of wolf-family dynamics, and a favorable blurb from animal behavior expert Temple Grandin indicates that the portrayal is an accurate one. Dog owners may even learn a thing or two about their pet's inner life. Recommended for public libraries and also appropriate as a YA crossover. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 2/15/08.]Jenne Bergstrom, San Diego Cty. Lib.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2008
Adult/High School-The first in a proposed trilogy, this story set in a wilderness 14,000 years ago is told from the wolves' viewpoint. Kaala is a young female whose relationship with her pack is strained by the portentous crescent moon mark on her chest and her affinity for humans. Her bond with them is formed when she rescues a young girl from drowning. Through repeated conversations with Greatwolves, spiritwolves, and Ancients, the young wolf comes to realize that she is the latest in a line of mixed bloods who have the opportunity and challenge of forming an alliance with humans in order to remind them of the interconnectivity of life and to prevent them from destroying their world. The road Kaala travels to ultimate understanding is a tortured one that, at times, borders on the tiresome, but this is a minor drawback in a book whose strength is in the depiction of life in and among wolf packs. Clearly, Hearst has done prodigious research, and her story is infused with a great depth of understanding. Her depiction of the animals' lives, from raising pups to hunting strategies to the protocol of both inter- and intra-pack associations, makes her lupine cast both captivating and believable. A favorite character, however, may be the raven Tlitoo, who plays the part of a Sancho Panza sidekick and provides some comic relief. With its engaging blend of animal science and mythology, and a strong environmental message, "Promise" will appeal to a variety of teens."Dori DeSpain, Fairfax County Public Library, VA"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.