Where Wolves Run

A super-short horror that mixes the atmosphere of German fairy tales with bucketloads of gore and some damn impressive writing.

The short novella tells the story of Konrad, a boy somewhere in Bavarian mountains (or their counterpart), whose mother is killed one night by a pack of werewolves as his father is out hunting these very beasts. The youngling develops a thirst for revenge and, trained by his father, sets out to avenge the fallen parent.

Jason Parent paints a remarkably unforgiving world, filled with angry, unpleasant people that are dispatched one by one in increasingly gruesome manner. This is always a risky direction to take as too much "his blood painted the cobbles"- and "plunged his knife into flesh"-es can quickly turn a book into an overly dark and laughably serious chore. Thankfully Parent uses the violence rarely and in short bursts, but what bursts they are! With each new kill Konrad's father makes, Parent seems to take more and more delight in writing these encounters, though I would claim the first actual kill - one that occurs in a river - to be my favourite. The imagery conjured there manages to be beautiful and haunting at the same time, like something out of Emily Carroll's work (and not just because of the werewolf element).

The plot is nothing to be surprised by, largely serving as a frame for Parent's writing and the sharp, excellent action scenes, but it's pleasant enough for what it is. The very small length of the novella doesn't lend much space for character development, so Father is just this vengeance-driven maniac and Konrad is a 50/50 fearful/angry boy, who hates his dad and mourns his mother, it's all very barebones.

All in all, this leaves you wishing for Parent to write more horror, werewolf-based or not, and in a longer format, so that his characters can live up to the exciting, colourful action.

Above average, brought down by simplistic plot and empty characters, but supported by great writing.

Okay, so my number one favorite genre is horror and my number one favorite monster is the werewolf, so of course I was psyched to be getting a copy of this to read. I also used to be waaaay into the creepypasta world, so the novella format didn't bother me much.

I enjoyed that Parent didn't take too many liberties with trying to change the popular lore of the werewolf and actually make them terrifying. The fake out/mindgames that was playing out was pretty well done, but could have been executed better, however.

Some of the writing felt a bit too stilted in places, but it didn't pull me out of the narrative too hard. Though, any time in such a short story can hurt.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I'm​ always left hungry for more werewolf stories, and would also be interested in anything else this author puts out.

A charming (if horror-filled) throwback to the classic, un-disneyfied fairy tale classics. A short story so suspenseful that I had to keep reading. Two well-drawn characters in an impossible quandary, Where Wolves Run had me glued to my Kindle. Konrad is a young man who discovers, in a horrible way, that werewolves are real and that his father has devoted his life to hunting them. But what if his father is lying or crazy, is he going to turn Konrad into a cold-blooded killer? A chase through the forest, impossible odds and an ending that made me gasp... Where Wolves Run packs a punch that many longer novels can only wish for.

Konrad has never had much of a relationship with his father. He's always off somewhere, rarely returning home. "Mostly he and his mother lived alone, happy."
When Konrad's mother is murdered he finally learns what Father is up to. Werewolf hunting! But does Father always know best? Konrad is not sure whether he should trust Father's ability to discern werewolves from men, or who should be put to death.
This was a short read, less than 100 pages. There was nothing really remarkable about it other than "Father" never being named and only referred to as "Father" even when not with his son, which seemed odd.
I did like the ending.

I was glad to find a werewolf book that was scary, not fluffy. I have read several books by this author and he just keepsvgetting better. Great for a stormy night scare.

Where Wolves Run by Jason Parent was received direct from the publisher. This is the first I have heard of or read this author. This book starts out as a horror novella should, with the monster wreaking havoc on those who are lesser. The novella never lets up with there being no long boring scenes or "character development" as some may call it. This is probably the best werewolf related item I have read in many years. Though the son is an ungrateful little punk.

5 stars

Jason Parent is kicking out some very impressive material here lately and Where Wolves Run is absolutely phenomenal. Set in the old country, young Konrad watches from the hiding place under the Bavarian cottage floor as his mother is torn apart by unknown hairy beasts. Trapped and unable to see exactly what happened, his father rescues and enlightens him about the events that unfolded. Werewolves. Unknown to Konrad, his father has been hunting them for years and it's time to train his son to help avenge his dead mother.

Where Wolves Run has the feel of the Lon Chaney Jr classics from the Universal Days. I loved the setting of old Bavaria and I didn't want the story to end. Parent does a great job at taking something old and giving us something new. Grab this quick read and experience it for yourself.


5 Silver Daggers out of 5


This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


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Konrad and his mother live in a thick and forbidding forest outside of the town of Rattenberg where they are forced to fend for themselves while Konrad's father is often away on mysterious business. While his father is away on yet another trip, Konrad and his mother are attacked in their home and Konrad is brought face to face with what his father actually does for a living.
I hate spoilers so I won't say too much here about the events in the story itself. I will say that I was drawn into the story very quickly. Jason Parent has the skill of having a great imagination and being able to put that imagination into writing so well that before you know it, you are immersed in the story he is weaving. This novella doesn't just read as a simple werewolf story but has elements of gothic horror in it as well. I have read a few of his books and he is definitely one author to keep an eye on.
I received a copy from Corpus Press via Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

Finally, a fresh werewolf tale that reminds us why it belongs in the horror genre. A modern masterpiece.

Werewolves, Bavaria, gruesome violence and a twist ending comes together well for this very, very quick read, perfect to jump into when you have a spare few minutes or need a quick break from other books you may be reading.

*Huge thanks to Jason Parent, Corpus Press and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*