For three days out of thirty, when the moon is full and her law is iron, the Great North Pack must be wild.
If she returns to her Pack, the stranger will die.
But if she stays…
Silver Nilsdottir is at the bottom of her Pack’s social order, with little chance for a decent mate and a better life. Until the day a stranger stumbles into their territory, wounded and beaten, and Silver decides to risk everything on Tiberius Leveraux. But Tiberius isn’t all he seems, and in the fragile balance of the Pack and wild, he may tip the destiny of all wolves…
Source: purchased ebook and also borrowed audiobook from Hoopla
I've just read a book that I normally wouldn't have chosen on my own were it not for a glowing recommendation from another author I like. The Last Wolf is not my typical fare but I was ready for something different and I got an amazing story out of it!
Silver is a runt in her pack because she was born with a lame leg. But don't feel pity for her because she has learned how to survive with what she has and surprisingly, she does pretty well for herself. She may be physically slower than the rest of her pack but she has a smart brain and keen senses that have kept her alive this long. Tiberius stumbles upon them one night and starts a chain reaction that will affect the entire pack down the road. Since he's a shifter he cannot be trusted but he's wounded and without help, he'll die. Silver, at the risk of her own safety and guarantee of belonging to a pack, offers to help this stranger. What begins as an odd pairing ends up being one of the strongest relationships of the pack.
It took me about a quarter of the book to truly get in to the story. I think it's because it's a genre that's unfamiliar to me so I spent some effort trying to understand this world and make things fit my expectations. At some point Silver finally got my attention with her astute skills and observations, and then I began to notice all the many details that Vale has infused into this story. The world-building is fascinating from the centuries-old social hierarchy where the wolves are divided into echelons, to the culture of the Great North Wolfpack to which Silver belongs, how they've adapted to the modern world, to the myriad of differences between human and animal nature. Social networking and interactions for both wolf and human are detailed in such a way that also had me realizing that I've never noticed those particulars about people before. It was incredibly fascinating to me to read how the wolves established bonds and respect, also how they enforced discipline. I think one of the biggest "aha" moments for me was when Silver talks about the differences in communication. That wolves talk and move with meaning whereas humans tend to talk a lot but not really have anything to say half the time. Silver encourages Tiberius to get in touch with his wild side, to trust his animal instincts, while he helps her to understand her own human side. There is a funny sequence where she and Ti go into town and she tries to engage in conversation with the townsfolk that winds up going awry. It is hilarious!
The Last Wolf is an enthralling debut from Maria Vale. On a side note, it still has me considering all the nuances of how we communicate with each other, and I love when a book has that kind of impact on me!
~ Bel
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