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Rise of the Wolf
Wereworld, No 1
Curtis Jobling

Viking Juvenile
September 20, 2011/ ISBN 0670013307
Tween (ages 9-12) / Fantasy / Magic
Amazon

Reviewed by Carmen Ferreiro

Drew is only a shepherd's son, or so he believes, until a hairy beast kills his mother while he watches helpless and horrified as he himself changes into a wolf. Pursued by his father - - who thinks he is the murderer - - the boy hides in the wilderness.

A chance encounter with a forester some months later will bring Drew back to civilization and into the 'paws' of the werelords- - the shape-shifters that rule Lyssia - - and the tyrant king, the werelion who is intent on killing him.

If he wants to survive, Drew must learn quickly how to control his wolf part- - the part he never knew he had and that marks him as the son of the late king.

Although the premise of the peasant boy with a destiny is hardly original, I loved the world that Curtis Jobling (designer of the TV show “Bob the Builder”) has created, a medieval like society where humans are ruled by shape-shifters with superhuman strength and self-healing powers. I found myself caught up in the multiple adventures of the reluctant hero and his friends.

My main complaint is that the female characters are poorly developed. They are the standard old-fashioned damsels in distress who need to be rescued. Hopefully this will change in the next installment.

Wereworld
Shadow of the Hawk
(Jan 5, 2012) AMAZON
Rage of Lions (Jun 19, 2012) AMAZON

Reviewer's Note: Curtis Jobling is British illustrator/animator of "Bob the Builder" TV show.

Reviewer Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban is the author of a YA fantasy Two Moon Princess and four nonfiction titles.

Reviewed 2011

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