LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
November 2020 Book of the Month
Book 7 Chronicles of Ancient Darkness
This seventh book in Michelle Paver’s awe-inspiring Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series that began with Wolf Brother is a triumph of storytelling that myth-loving readers will wolf down (pun entirely intended). The sense of adventure and human spirit is exhilarating, and Paver’s passion for nature, for wildlife, for the world’s wondrous wilds is an immersive joy.
Torak and Renn have been in the Forest with their Wolf Brother for two summers when Renn leaves him without word. Though realising that “she would have had to deceive Torak for days into order to prepare for her journey”, accomplished tracker Torak does what he must, and what he does best: he and Wolf embark on a quest to the Edge of the World beyond the Far North to find their friend. Alongside dealing with the ominous threat of ice bears and the “beyond good and evil” Sea Mother, Torak is desperate to discover what drove Renn to this place. The sense of demonic danger is powerfully palpable, the writing rich, yet exquisitely sparse and smoothly readable, and the entirety of this enthralling adventure is laced with an uplifting sense of camaraderie, love and legend.
Joanne Owen
Find This Book In
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About
Viper's Daughter Synopsis
A boy. A wolf. The legend lives on.
For two summers Torak and Renn have been living in the Forest with their faithful pack-brother, Wolf. But their happiness is shattered when Renn realizes Torak is in danger - and she's the threat. When she mysteriously disappears, Torak and Wolf brave the Far North to find her. At the mercy of the Sea Mother and haunted by ravenous ice bears, their quest leads them to the Edge of the World. There they must face an enemy more evil than any they've encountered.
Viper's Daughter plunges you back into the Stone-Age world of Torak, Renn and Wolf: a world of demons, Hidden People and exhilarating adventure which has entranced millions of readers.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781789542394 |
| Publication date: |
5th November 2020 |
| Author: |
Michelle Paver |
| Publisher: |
Head of Zeus |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
288 pages |
| Series: |
Wolf Brother |
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Press Reviews
Michelle Paver Press Reviews
'This is pre-history historical fiction of the very finest ... It has pace, is gripping and totally action packed. An adventure that will keep readers engaged whilst also being written with style and grace that few can deliver. Another Paver masterpiece' English 4-11
'[It] will delight fans both old and new ... This is master storytelling; atmospheric and thrilling by turns ... A welcome return to this fascinating world' Books for Keeps
'Rich with descriptions of the natural world and imaginary kingdoms, a must for all Wolf Brother fans' Daily Mail
'A magical, escapist adventure as Torak and his wolf-brother search for his partner Renn' Sunday Times
'It keeps a fast pace, making it a real page turner. Descriptions of the icy landscape, crackling with demon-infested volcanoes, all add to the tension. Characters quickly feel familiar, even for readers new to the series, and the interpretation of events through Wolf's eyes makes it thoroughly enjoyable. Author Michelle Paver does an excellent job of making this a standalone read' Irish Examiner. 'There's no better time-travelling guide than Michelle Paver, and the seventh instalment in her Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, which kicked off with the magnificent Wolf Brother, guarantees escapism with its action, clever character development and glorious descriptions of nature 6,000 years ago ... This book is so skilfully researched and written (Paver does for the Stone Age what Hilary Mantel does for the Tudors)' The Times. 'Well-written and alive with authentic details' Time & Leisure. 'Readers learn a tremendous amount about Stone Age life from the depth of authentic detail that Paver weaves effortlessly into her story, whilst never sacrificing fast pace and page-turning gusto' Book Trust. 'A world of exhilarating adventure where nature is honoured, where demons thrive, and where the bond of friendship are all' Parent Talk.
'It was such a thrill to revisit Torak, Wolf and Renn's world. I was enthralled from start to finish. Viper's Daughter is sharp, striking, and loaded with the wisdom of the deep past. I am in awe of Paver's accomplishment' Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs
'Paver's journeys permeate her work with rich detail, bringing not only the landscape to life by the human existence too' The Bookseller
'I grew up reading the Wolf Brother series ... Viper's Daughter both quenches a thirst and reignites my hunger for more' Ollie Campbell, 17, reader
'Skillful, satisfying, and minutely researched, this powerful evocation of an ancient world is vivid in its imagery and captivating in its excitement' Adrienne Byrne, Muswell Hill Children's Bookshop
'Michelle Paver is a writer of extraordinary talent. I was enthralled, from start to finish. The storytelling was every bit as vivid and immersive as I remembered ... Michelle is in a league of her own with this series and what luck for us all that she hasn't finished with Torak, Renn and Wolf's world yet' Abi Elphinstone, author of Rumblestar
'Meticulously researched, atmospheric [...] and relentless, this instalment deservedly introduces Paver to a new generation of readers' Guardian
'Children trapped at home now have at least one reason to celebrate - the long-awaited return of the Wolf Brother series ... This is immersive and gripping, with richly evocative descriptions of the natural world and Paver's total control of her imaginary kingdom maintains the tension to the very end. Welcome back!' Daily Mail
'This is a story of demons, mammoths and the hostile landscape of the north ... Both love story and supernatural adventure, underpinned by research into (and experience of) survival skills and the practices of ancient clans. It transports us a long way from here' Sunday Times, Book of the Week
Author
About Michelle Paver
Born in Malawi in 1960 to a Belgian mother and a father who ran the tiny 'NYASALAND TIMES', Michelle Paver moved to the UK when she was three. She was brought up in Wimbledon and, following a Biochemistry Degree from Oxford, she became a partner in a big City law firm. She gave up the City to follow her long-held dream of becoming a writer. She is the author of the brilliantly successful children's series, THE CHRONICLES OF ANCIENT DARKNESS, the final book of which won the 2010 Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
An Interview with Michelle Paver
What’s the first book you remember reading?
The first book I remember looking at was a big illustrated book about Stone Age people, although at the time I was too young to read the captions. Two of the first books I actually read were Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson, and a terrifically exciting adventure about a horse, called The Sagebrush Sorrel. I’ve still got all three books.
What’s the greatest influence on your writing?
Concerning literary influences, I’d name two principal ones: J.R.R. Tolkien, who inspired a lifelong love of myth and Anglo-Saxon and Norse literature, and who also deepened my appreciation for trees and forests; and Anthony Trollope, whose page-turning novels taught me much about storytelling.
Concerning non-literary influences, I’d have to name my parents, who ensured that I grew up surrounded by books (despite not having much money at the time), and who always encouraged me to follow my interests and take risks, while somehow managing to instill a bit of commonsense about how far to go!
Typewriter, Word Processor, or pen?
I scribble the first version of each chapter on a pad with a rollerball pen, but it’s such a scrawl that I can only read it while it’s still fresh in my mind, so I try to type it onto the wordprocessor on the same day. Then I go over it a few times on the computer before moving on to the next chapter, and so on.
Name your favourite literary hero and villain
They change from time to time, but here are the ones that have lasted. For heroes, it’s Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings and Hector from The Iliad. For villains, it’s Dracula (the Bram Stoker one, of course), and Stavrogin from The Devils.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Nyasaland (now Malawi), but came to England when I was small, and lived in Essex till I was eight, when we moved to Wimbledon. Apart from a couple of years in central London, I’ve lived there ever since.
Did you enjoy school? What is your most vivid memory of your school years?
In the main I did, but my most vivid memory concerns my one bad year. When I was about eleven, a new girl joined the class and took such a dislike to me that she got everyone else to gang up against me. It doesn’t sound too bad, but it was miserable and very lonely to go through. My mother told me to ignore the lot of them, which I did – and after a pretty rough year, the ringleader left, and things drifted back to normal. But I’ve never forgotten it. And it probably helped make me a writer, because for that year, I retreated into my imagination.
What were the first pieces of writing that you produced?
I wrote my first stories on my mother’s typewriter when I was five. I’ve still got some of them. One was about a rabbit called Hamish and a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Another, Ebany the Mouse Goddess, concerned a tribe of mice who burrowed to safety beneath an oncoming glacier. At school I wrote several plays, including one about the murder of Tutankhamun, and another about a family of cavemen.
What jobs did you have before you started writing?
I worked as a solicitor in the City for thirteen years: lots of all-nighters and weekends in the office. The challenge made it fun for a while, but that soon palled. I don’t miss it at all.
If your house was burning down what would you save?
Nothing. I’d just try to get out alive. (And lest anyone think me callous, I should add that I don’t have any pets!)
Click here to read more about Michelle Paver and The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness:
And you can keep in touch with Michelle through Michelle LIVE! – her monthly show on YouTube. You can send her a question in advance, or post a comment on Twitter, YouTube or Instagram live during the show itself!
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