I really enjoyed this book. I liked the naming of things (like fire) through the eyes of the wolf and the characters. The description made it easy to picture the settings and characters.

I was so glad when I heard that Michelle Paver was going to release a new book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, and I wasn't disappointed at all when I finally read it.

Meeting Renn and Torak again felt like meeting long time friends, who had grown and matured just as I had. Not too much, but they're not children anymore and the tone of the book is darker.

It was perfectly served by Ian McKellen's reading, whose deep and rich voice is always enthralling.

I first read Wolf Brother several years ago, quickly followed by the next three in the series (thanks to an avid reader in my class who kept bringing her copies in for me!). However, I didn't get round to reading the last two books in the original Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. So, when I saw this title offered on Net Galley I was nervous - would it live up to my love of the original books and would it work without having read all of the previous books?

I shouldn't have worried. The reader is thrown straight back into the world of Renn, Torak and Wolf and, although there are are references to previous events, it is easy enough to read this as a stand alone story.

Renn is worried that she is putting Torak in danger, so leaves the safety of the forest. What follows is an adventure across the snow of the Far North and into the lives of others clans and other creatures.

A great adventure.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for this e-copy.

An excellent and gripping return to the Wolf Brother series. Fans of the series and new readers alike will be able to enjoy the story which had me reading late into the night!

Having read the first to books in this series some while back I enjoyed being back in Paver's stone-age fantasy world. There was a LOT of anthropological detail about how the different tribes live that sometimes intrudes upon the storytelling but for me and for many of my young fans of this series at school this has always been a big apart of the appeal of the Wolf Brother books. Despite the blocks of description the story carries you along on a swift current and I couldn't put it down.

I have not read the rest in the series, but will do now. There was obviously a backstory running through, but enough information was given that this could be read as a stand alone.

I loved the characters, was gripped by their adventure and wanted to make it all work out for them. A fast paced and energetic adventure, set in a previous world, but still up to date.

A book in which to lose yourself and revel in the adventure alongside friends.

The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series was one of my favourites when I was a child, so when I found out there was a sequel coming out I was so excited! And it didn't disappoint. As usual, these books are so incredibly well-researched, and the writing is rich and full of detail; as a result they're so immersive and you really feel like you've gone back in time. It was a joy to spend more time with these characters as they go off on another adventure in the wilderness. The sections from Wolf's perspective were always my favourites, and I loved reading them here too. Everyone's grown up, and it was interesting (and so heartwarming) to see how they've developed and become a mini-family, looking out for each other. I also loved that Michelle Paver tried to tackle gender and how women were treated in some of the clans – it added a nice extra layer to the world.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the villain here as he felt a little two-dimensional and too purely "evil", but it was nevertheless a fun and gripping story that I found hard to put down. It was such a delight to be back in this world. We're also getting an eighth book – it goes without saying that I can't wait to read that one too!

Vividly depicting life in the pre-agricultural age, this is a thoroughly absorbing and atmospheric quest story. Torak finds his partner Renn missing, and determines to find her, along with Wolf. Told from the point of view of all three characters, the tension and mystery increase as they travel to the unfamiliar and perilous North Lands from their forest home, encountering danger from the weather and fellow predators, and aided by tribes leading very different lives from their own. The diverse narrative voices combine seamlessly to draw the reader into the lives of the characters and their world, seeing events from their perspectives and thus becoming emotionally invested in their fates. I enjoyed this book so much that I am now going to read the series from the beginning.

A wonderful continuation of the Wolf Brother series!

I’ve been reading Michelle Paver for years, and grew up with Torak and Wolf. I was heartbroken when the series ended and then overjoyed when I heard she was bringing it back.

This book is full of all the same wonder and darkness as the previous ones, and I loved seeing a slightly older Torak and Renn; it felt like meeting old friends. The story is absolutely riveting and I will forever be in awe of how effectively Paver conveys the realities of living 6000 years ago.

I cannot wait for the next instalment and I’m so happy to have Torak, Renn and Wolf back in my life.

This is the seventh book of the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, a series that I’ve been reading since I was a teen, so I was thrilled when I heard that Michelle Paver was writing a sequel!
I got a nostalgic feeling whilst reading it and I was glad to find out what had become of Torak, Renn and Wolf, but at the end of the book I got a feeling of unsatisfaction. The book is nice and well written as always, but I had the impression that some essential scenes were cut out and left out. Although it’s still an enjoyable book, I found it less captivating to read than the previous books of the series that I totally loved!

I love The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, so I was very excited to see this on Netgalley. Reading about Torak and Renn again was like meeting old friends. In this seventh outing, Renn believes Torak is in danger-and she is the threat. She leaves him and the wolf pack to journey to the Edge of the World to seek answers. But Torak and Wolf aren't far behind. They must all face some difficult challenges in order to find out the truth. This didn't disappoint; I liked that Torak and Renn are clearly a couple now. I loved being back in this rich and well developed world, and getting Wolf's point of view again. I hope there'll be more adventures in the future.

Michelle Paver is a writing god.

I cannot stop consuming each and every one of her works, because they are all so frickin amazing. Another mind blowing addition to the Wolf Brother series, which I will forever be grateful for being able to read and immerse myself in a world very few authors touch. The prehistoric world, rich in magic and culture is so wonderfully detailed it brings you right into that time period, yew bow in hand and flint arrows nocked.

This will always be one of my most beloved series, and I truly hope it is revisited again and again by Paver. Torak, Renn and Wolf, the original trio I missed for so long until I could visit them again in a new story.

Once again, writing was incredible and astounded me with the depth's of Pavers imagination.

Five stars, always.

3.5 stars

Review will go live on my blog as part of the blog tour in April

This was a fun, short read that I raced through one afternoon.

I haven't read a book set in the Stone Age before, and I know almost nothing about that time. In school, it's "a time before writing, so we know very little and it's guesswork". Obviously, we probably know far more than that - and with more certainty. This book shows that.

Daily life is imbued with so many little details - the way they make their clothing or how they eat their food. The world building is spectacular to make such an alien world feel so touchable. I felt like I was there, seeing them survive in a world without farms and permanent dwellings. It's a harsh world (and I'd be dead in seconds), but that made the dangers of the journey feel very realistic.

I haven't read any of the previous entries in the series. I was told this was a standalone. It does work as a standalone. I could follow exactly what was happening and didn't feel adrift without reading the other books. The characters and world are introduced and explained well enough that I felt I understood them and the rules of the environment.

However, I did also feel like I was missing a layer of the story, having come in late. The references to their previous adventures didn't spark an "oh" or any connection. It was an event they'd been though that had bonded them or taught the characters something, but I wasn't always sure how. I was missing a lot of the subtext that a reader who knew the series would get.

It is perfectly readable and enjoyable for someone new to the series, like me, but I think existing fans will get more out of it than I did.

I am delighted that this series continues and continues to delight. Richly woven and beautifully told. I enjoyed every page.

Viper’s Daughter is an astoundingly rich, immersive and thrilling adventure that utterly gripped me from start to finish, skilfully drawing me into the Stone Age world with characters I adored, feared and feared for. This is a stunning masterpiece of powerful, evocative storytelling at its absolute best: it swept me into the world, enthralled me, emotionally drained me but, ultimately, left me wholly satisfied.

The story opens right in the heart of a terrible discovery: Torak’s mate, Renn, has deceived him, and has left him and her wolf-pack behind. Even though he is angry and hurt, he is determined to find her as she is his life, so begins a journey from his Forest home to the Far North and the very Edge of the World in search of Renn and the truth … a journey laden with palpable tension, heart-stopping danger, seeming betrayal and incredible revelations.

Torak is not alone on this journey: his pack-brother, Wolf is a constant companion. Wolf and Torak have an incredibly close bond, being able to communicate with each other. Whilst Torak does not want Wolf to leave his mate and cubs, Wolf cannot bear to be separated from Torak, so he makes the ultimate sacrifice: leaving his mate and cubs behind for their safety whilst he journeys with Torak, willing to take great risks to defend him, even when he does not fully understand the choices and decisions that Torak makes: theirs is a powerful instinctive bond, steeped in great love for each other which I found very moving.

Renn is running from Torak as she fears that, if she stays with him, she will be the cause of his death, and this she couldn’t bear. She is forced to inflict great emotional pain on Torak in order to protect him. The emotional turmoil she suffers, and the hardship she bears, as she journeys to find answers is heart-breaking.

Whilst on her journey, she dreams of her mother, the Viper Mage: is she warning her of danger, or leading her towards it? Renn is unwittingly drawn into the machinations of a great evil that tears her and Torak apart again and again, and threatens to unleash great harm on the world: will she realise the awful deception that has been played on her before it is too late?

The world-building is superb and multi-layered, giving a fascinating insight into the landscape, the belief system and the lifestyle of the Stone Age clans. There is so much depth to this world that I really felt a part of it whilst I was in the story: it gave me the opportunity to assimilate the culture and deepen my understanding of this engrossing pre-historical period. The majesty and harshness of the frozen, untamed landscape was viscerally provoked; the depiction of the lifestyle of the different Clans felt incredibly authentic; and, the invocation of the Clan belief system, with its affinity with animal spirits, captured me wholeheartedly.
The relationship between Renn and Torak tore at my heartstrings: witnessing their anguish, and what they had to endure was heart-breaking, and honestly brings more tears as I write. I am in awe of their strength, courage and resilience, and of their unfailing commitment to keep the other safe no matter the cost.

Viper’s Daughter is undoubtedly a triumph: a compelling, emotive adventure into an ancient, fascinating past which captured me from the opening lines.

This was a great continuation of this series. I had thought it was finished with the sixth book, so it was a nice surprise to be able to enter into this world again. It was great to be back with these characters and the setting is one of my favourite things about this series. The characters are all well written and the plot is engaging throughout. If you enjoyed the previous books in the series, then you'll enjoy this instalment too.

The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness were one of my favourite childhood series, so to get a chance as an adult to step back into Michelle Paver's beautiful world was a real treat.

And reading this book as an adult, I still enjoyed as much as i did the original books almost 20 years ago.

Paver weaves a brilliant tale set in the forests of ancient Europe, merging magic and folklore and nature to create a thrilling read. It was amazing to walk with Torek and Renn and Wolf again, and to hear that there is to be another book this year is a joy.

Viper's Daughter is a vivid and joyful book, and i would heartily recommend it to anyone, of any age.