Publication Date: 9 May 2024

The Blurb

Coll is Wolf.

He lives with his clan on a Construct, a huge technological “creature” driven by the clan’s combined willpower. Together they roam their world, fighting other clans and absorbing them into their own.

But when a new and dangerous Construct attacks them, Coll is thrown clear from Wolf and left behind. Now he must survive life on ground and get back to his clan. He is helped by Rieka, a “Tock” who makes the Constructs work. She promises Coll a way to return, but can she be trusted? And what is she really trying to do…?

When Coll uncovers the truth, it destroys everything he thought he knew about his clan, the world they live in, and even himself. In a world full of danger, and suddenly without meaning, can he find a way back?

The Review

A break-takingly brilliant start to a brand new trilogy set in a world where belonging is everything.

I am Wolf is masterclass in world-building and suspense, ratcheting up the tension with each passing chapter. From pulse-pounding action sequences to quiet moments of contemplation and soul-searching, the pacing never falters, ensuring that readers will be eagerly turning the pages until the very end.

As ever, Alastair has crafted a vivid and immersive world filled with technological marvels and strict codes that construct clans and ground dwellers live by. The concept of Constructs, giant mechanical creatures driven by the collective consciousness of the clans, is as innovative as it is intriguing. Through Coll’s eyes, we are given glimpses into the inner workings of these Constructs, as well as the fierce rivalries between clans vying for dominance, and ground dwellers desperate to grab power for themselves.

I loved the character development throughout, where we see Coll start to question who he believes himself to be and who he wants to be. His relationships with the crew of misfits he finds himself a part of enables him to see his worth as he grapples with the harsh realities of his world and confronts uncomfortable truths about his clan and himself. Everything he thought loyalty means is turned on its head as they hurtle headfirst into danger time and again.

The first in a trilogy, its going to be a long wait to join the call again.

Huge thanks to Nosy Crow for sending me an early review copy.