Promise of the Wolves

Dorothy Hearst's Promise of the Wolves begins the story of Kaala and her pack. Set 14,000 years ago, Kaala is a young wolf born to the Swift River pack as a second litter. In that time, second litters were often killed for the good of the pack. Kaala is unique in that she fought for her right to live, making her the sole survivor of her brothers and sisters. Kaala is different for many reasons. As she navigates what it takes to be wolf, she also learns about the legends of why humans and wolves can never be together.

Broken into two parts, this book moves at a quick, yet relaxed pace. The first half of the book centers on the first few months of Kaala's life and the struggles she must overcome to make it as an unwanted wolf within her pack  This part of the book sets up the dynamics of wolf hierarchy, what is expected for a young wolf, and the tone of the characters. As Kaala finds her strength and friends, we watch the story unfold through her eyes.

The second half of the book focuses on Kaala's interactions with humans and wolves. There are 3 rules that the wolves in this story are supposed to live by, "Never consort with humans. Never kill a human unprovoked. Never allow a mixed-blood wolf to live." Kaala learns that some rules must be upheld, some must be broken and sometimes it's hard to find the balance.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to see the relationships develop between Kaala and the other wolves in her pack, especially Azzuen, a pup who was originally left to die that Kaala helped to live. There were twists in this story that I didn't quite see coming. Some of the interactions between Kaala and the humans were a little brief, but I think those relationships will be more fully explored in the next book.

I give Promise of the Wolves 4.5 stars out of 5. Well worth the read and I'm interested to see what will happen to Kaala and her friends in book 2.