An immersive adventure in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs, A Knight on Wolf Island is a showcase for the author's ability to craft a propulsive story populated by familiar archetypes with completely original mythology.

Fans of seafaring fiction will not be disappointed in this authentic view of castaway life, in which the reader finds themselves on the deck of a foundering ship in the first few pages of the book. The novel's supernatural mythology is convincingly based on American Indian lore, the exposition is perfectly balanced to deliver only necessary detail and the suspense never lets up in this tale of survival. Readers who demand the realism of survivalism stories like those by Tim Weed and Michelle Paver will also be pleasantly surprised as the author takes no shortcuts in delivering the gritty detail of the ordeal on every page.

Distinguishing itself from the long shadows cast by books like The Buffalo Hunter Hunter and Lord of the Flies, A Knight on Wolf Island (and hopefully, the whole trilogy) has the power to stand on its own two (four?) feet. If you're a fan of carnivorous lunar activities or castaway and survival stories, this is required reading.

A chivalrous thank you to the author, NetGalley and River Grove Books for the ARC.

A Knight on Wolf Island was such a cool mix of survival horror, adventure, and supernatural horror. Tayen surviving a shipwreck only to end up stranded on an island where the wolves are definitely NOT just wolves had me hooked. I loved the isolation of the island and that constant feeling that something was watching him from the trees.

The skinwalkers added a whole other level of creepiness, especially as Tayen begins to understand that surviving the island is about more than finding food and shelter. I also really enjoyed the connection to his Navajo ancestry and the way his dreams become part of his journey.

There were some genuinely tense moments, and I loved watching Tayen slowly become the person he needed to be to face what was hunting him. If you like survival stories with a supernatural twist, creepy creatures, and a mysterious island where you definitely do NOT want to be caught after dark, this one is worth picking up.

3.75/5

I really liked this. For such a short story (less than 200 pages), I felt like I had so much context and information. I never felt that usual flatness from short stories, where you feel like you are missing information and it all gets to flat and blah. That definitely didn't happen here.

This is a Native American-centered story that has a focus on skinwalkers and white men coming. I really liked the overall tension that was created due to those two elements.

And I am so down for more skinwalker stories. They're such an effectively spooky kind of creature.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!