BOOK REVIEW: THROW ME TO THE WOLVES (CRY WOLF) BY LINDY RYAN & CHRISTOPHER BROOKS

10/8/2022

Throw Me to the Wolves is a strong entry in a new series of supernatural fiction; despite a very slight misstep with the mechanics of the novel's world, it is still an excellent read that brings a much needed new bite to the werewolf novel.

Throw Me to the Wolves (Cry Wolf)
by Lindy Ryan & Christopher Brooks
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Black Spot Books (24 May 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1645481174
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1645481171

A Book Review by Jim Mcleod

Werewolves have never had the same amount of coverage in the horror fiction world; for every book featuring a werewolf, there are a hundred books with a zombie or a vampire rampaging through the pages. I have never quite understood why this is the case; most readers would also be hard pushed to name their definitive werewolf novel, which never seems to be the problem for fans of their brethren. Even the Twilight effect appears to have passed our hairy friends by. Of course, this is from a pure horror stance; I haven't delved into the paranormal romance world, and I'm sorry, I never will, but quite why this has happened has I wish I knew, as the werewolf is rife for thoughtful exploration of the human condition, who here has never wished that they lose all control and rip out the throats of those who get on their nerves. I know I do!

Throw Me to the Wolves by Lindy Ryan and Christopher Brooks mixes witches and werewolves into an entertaining urban fantasy, stroke horror novel (god, don't you hate labels) that successfully pulls together a lot of well-used tropes and situations into a fresh and thrilling take on the sadly underused werewolf novel.

Reading the synopsis, you might be forgiven that you are about to enter the sparkly world of a Twilight clone, but don't worry, as the only thing that sparkles here is Ryan and Brooks' prose and clever use of narrative structure.

The basic plot summary is that ten years ago, a witch turned Britta Orchid into a werewolf while murdering the rest of Britta's family. After a local cop finds the witch's remains, Britta is drawn back to her hometown, where she battles the angry ghost of her brother and unruly werewolf packs. This old friend hates wolves but doesn't realise that Britta is one and a mysterious force that seems to be pushing things along in the background, to discover the truth of her past and what it means to be a werewolf.

Now some of you might be thinking, OK, that sounds more like a paranormal romance. It's not for me, but don't worry; the authors keep this book far enough into the realms of horror and suppress most of the kissy, kissy stuff to ensure that even die-hard horror fans will get a kick out of this book.

It was a joy to have not only a female protagonist driving this story but having one that was both comfortable with who she is and knowing that she is one of the most dangerous characters in the book, the sly confidence that Britta exudes throughout the book was a breath of fresh air. There is no clutching of pearls, or would that be dog balls, or fretful wringing of paws over who she is, although I did enjoy how the authors tackled how you fall in love when you are a supernatural immortal creature theme within the book.

The novel goes to great lengths with the minor details and scene-setting; it is here where the only problem I have with the book lies. While the minor descriptive details are handled well, the more significant "world-building" details felt lacking. A better sense of place and time and the mechanics of the world of Throw Me to the Wolves would have lifted this book from being a very good read into an exceptional one. Things such as is the existence of witches and werewolves are common knowledge, or do they hide in the shadows, and what about other supernatural creatures? Some of the reactions to the characters revealing themselves to be more than human felt out of character for the rules of location that the authors had created. Doing this would have given the novel a more cohesive feel rather than, at times, just feeling that they had dropped these magical creatures into a police procedural. However, this is the first in a series of novels, so the authors will hopefully address this issue in future books. This is a minor point, and outwith this, Throw Me to the Wolves is an excellent entry into the world of Britta.

Having said that, the opening chapter is a fantastic example of setting the scene and the mode; the tone of the writing here perfectly matches the languid mood of the Louisiana setting.

The authors must also be applauded for not taking a straightforward approach to the narrative structure, with hints of Memento; this fractured approach to the narrative keeps the reader on their toes and is used effectively to keep the momentum of the story flowing with great enthusiasm.

Throw Me to the Wolves is a strong entry in a new series of supernatural fiction; despite a very slight misstep with the mechanics of the novel's world, it is still an excellent read that brings a much needed new bite to the werewolf novel.

Throw Me to the Wolves (Cry Wolf)
by Lindy Ryan & Christopher Brooks

Some evil wants to live forever. Ten years ago a witch sacrificed Britta Orchid's family and turned her into a werewolf. Selena Stone's spell failed, and she was never seen again. Until now. Officer Aaron Labaye has discovered Selena's remains in the house where Britta's family died, and dragged Britta back to Louisiana to aid the investigation, hoping her past will break the case. Britta has a hard time resisting the handsome rookie, especially when he shows her a new drawing by her murdered little brother: Britta in her wolf-form. As an unseen hand sets events in motion, Britta has to help Labaye dig into the murders old and new. The bloodthirsty ghost of her brother, a jealous member from her pack, and a former friend with a serious prejudice against wolves all stand to stop Britta as she fights to finally get the truth about that night ten years ago. But, as she looks harder than ever into her own dark past, Britta will confront more than just her own demons as she fights for peace for herself and for her family. She can't hide anymore, but must find her place in a world she's avoided--and discover what it truly means to be a wolf.