Have you ever seen a book trailer that convinced you to read a book? Paul Sheppard’s The Wolf we Feed captivated me when I saw its trailer in August! The Wold we Feed is the first book in The Wolves of Amelth series. Following the story of twins, Tirith and Drake, this book is a fantasy with well thought-out world building elements and a history of the land that I loved. Before I dive into my takeaways from the story, check out the synopsis and the video below!
“Set in Amleth, a rugged land divided by decades of bitter strife with a landscape and belief system heavily influenced by my time in Scandinavia. The Wolf We Feed is an action-packed fantasy adventure.”
Tirith’s life is turned upside-down when Drake, her twin brother, abandons her after they were raised and trained in isolation. Unable to live under the perceived tyranny of their grandfather, Drake sets off into the world looking forward to an adventure. Arriving in the dystopian city of Náströnd, Drake finds a new mentor and becomes involved in a bloody coup to eliminate the city’s ruling class.
Amid plots and counter-plots, conflict and betrayal a determined but uncertain young woman undertakes a treacherous journey to meet her father for the first time, overcomes racial bias in a foreign land, and learns the truth about her family’s sinister past. What she discovers leaves her with no choice but to find her brother and attempt to save him from the violent life he has chosen. But does he want to be saved? The Wolf we Feed, a coming-of-age story about two siblings that face hard truths about where their loyalties lie…
The Short Take – From Goodreads
Want to read a story about simple life choices that can deviate two siblings’ path drastically? You should read this book!
The Wolf we Feed is the first in the series of books about The Wolves Of Amleth, written in switching narratives by Tirith and Drake, who are twins. They have been brought up by their grandfather in the forest, occasionally meeting rangers and helping out other people who live there. However, this solitary living and strict regime of learning the art of fighting, has had different effects on the two. When coming of age, Drake decides to take his own path, leaving his sister behind. This acts as a catalyst to the chain of events that follow, and Tirith learns more about her family history, her father and the war that has been rekindling for many years now.
Fast-paced and heroic, with strong characters and a well thought out world, The Wolf we Feed has a number of messages to offer. Whether it is the position of women in the Hofarian society, or the choices imposed on and expectations of children because of their birth, the story offers an engaging narrative through Drake and Tirith. I look forward to knowing what happens next!
The Long Take – Themes for Thought
In The Wolf we Feed, Paul does an amazing job of showing conflicting versions of history and keeps the reader wanting to know which version is correct. Since we are following the twins, and as Paul mentions in his interview with me, here is an amazing opportunity to find out how different two people can be! For me, this nature vs nurture angle was a thoughtful one. Tirith is a strong character and through her, I also learned about resilience.
On Nature vs Nurture
One of the oldest debates in psychology is that of nature vs nurture.
Kendra Cherry in The Age Old Debate of Nature vs. Nurture
- Nature refers to all of the genes and hereditary factors that influence who we are—from our physical appearance to our personality characteristics.
- Nurture refers to all the environmental variables that impact who we are, including our early childhood experiences, how we were raised, our social relationships, and our surrounding culture.
Tirith and Drake both grew up with their grandfather since their mother died. They know that their father still lives but they have lived all their life away from him, learning from his father instead. While Drake is a spitting image of his father, Tirith takes after her mother in looks as well as intelligence. While both love deeply and have respect for their grandfather, their training under him has different effects on them.
Where Drake wants to go out and explore the world and make a name for himself, Tirith wishes to do the same but is willing to see how things play out. She believes in the promises made by her family and waits for her grandfather to set the plan he has in motion.
Drake and Tirith are the perfect examples of how nature ultimately wins over nurture. Though neither have ever met their parents, they exhibit their parents’ qualities in spite of that. Circumstances still amplify their respective traits and spiral them further into more diverging decisions, but they both originated from the same spot and time eventually drifts them apart.
On resilience
Tirith taught me a lot about resilience. She always imagined she would travel with her brother but when he decides to leave her to pursue his own adventures, she is left aimless for a little while.
She’d been abandoned, and she’d done nothing to deserve it.
Tirith when Drake leaves her.
She turns to her grandfather to guide her and she believes that she will be able to meet with her brother again. She learns more about the culture that her father and grandfather belong to and is confronted by the harsh reality that in that culture, she is not just an outsider but also considered inferior because she is a woman. Having grown up as an equal with her brother, she puts these petty obstacles aside and uses her skills to earn respect from her peers.
Tirith is truly admirable and someone who does not hide in the face of adversity!
Overall, I enjoyed The Wolf we Feed! It has strong characters and an engaging storyline. There is a lot of family drama and history here, so pay attention, readers. You will not be disappointed by the twists and turns!
I am thankful to Paul Sheppard and the publisher for providing me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Can’t wait for the next instalment!
** The Wolf we Feed is now out in stores so get a copy and let me know what you think! Follow this new fantasy series about twins with diverging destinies! **
Amazon Paperback
Amazon Kindle
Check out the interview with Paul next!
Cover image: Photo by Marek Szturc on Unsplash
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