79 books like Hunt for the Shadow Wolf

Wolfwalker launches straight into the action with healer Dion and her bonded wolf Hishn struggling to survive the aftermath of a beastly worlag attack. Hishn proves a stalwart companion with plenty of snark peppered in as they get caught up in a dramatic rescue taking them across the land and sea. Dion’s skills are put to the test as she tries to work out an ancient healing art that has killed everyone who’s attempted it in recent years, and her bond with Hishn proves to be key in solving the puzzle. The sweeping adventure in this novel carried me away. I felt the bond between Dion and Hishn brought a depth to the story that I greatly enjoyed.

This fun adventure features Alex, a bond man, and his wolf, Tala, who isn’t afraid to get her paws dirty or set Alex straight whenever he goes out of line. The two of them must deal with unjust accusations, banishment, a foreign land, and the intricacies of romance while assassins hunt them and a corrupt prince does everything in his power to bring them down. I found the relationship between Alex and Tala endearing throughout the novel, and I especially enjoyed Tala's larger-than-life personality.

Like Isenberg, Coleman focuses on a single wild creature and its changing historical relationship with humans. Wolves went from hated in early America to loved (at least by some) in modern times. Vicious traces wolves’ shifting American identity and explains how that transformation occurred. Coleman offers a challenging thesis—one that draws upon biology, folklore, and history to explain the viciousness of American attacks on wolves. Though one may argue with his methods, his research is unquestionably innovative. I am particularly impressed with Coleman’s efforts to give voice to the wild creatures he studies. Wolves play a protagonist’s role in his reading of American colonization, and this is an interpretation I wholeheartedly endorse.

My final selection was surprising in all the best ways. It is the story of conservationist Inti Flynn and her quest to reintroduce wolves to the Scottish Highlands, hoping to save the crumbling ecosystem while she struggles with the collapse of her own life. What makes this story special is that it not only evokes empathy for the wolves, it also emphasizes the connections we have to the earth and to each other, and how our individual, often trauma-informed decisions have cascading and unintended effects. The whole story is an allegory for the environmental balance that is essential for survival, but it is also a love letter to human-animal-earth connectedness. It is a reminder that we are more than individuals in a way that inspires hope and passion for change.

It’s a silly rabbit book! Kids will love that the bunnies are trying to disguise themselves from what they think is a hungry wolf. But it turns out the wolf isn’t looking for bunnies to eat. The lone wolf wants friends. Great read-aloud story! The illustrations – part art and part cartoon – are bursting with energy and saturated color. Don’t forget to read the funny signs in the artwork as well.

I love when fantasy meets reality and that’s just what happens in Linger. A virus turns people into werewolves and the transformations are controlled by the temperature. A worldwide virus and an unpredictable climate? Talk about a dose of reality. Grace Brisbane is an anomaly – she was bitten by werewolves when she was young, but somehow has never shifted and as a result she’s dying. The book follows Grace as she and her friends try to save her life. It’s a fantastical story, but grounded in real human emotions. The perfect blend of truth and fiction.

Homer the dog is sure he’s a wolf inside! I can relate. All of us have a fierceness inside of us and following Homer on his journey to embrace his inner wolf was funny and inspiring. And I was especially inspired to see that Homer’s wolf journey wasn’t easy (learning to eat raw meat took some time). I often take a long time to embrace being brave, and I love that message for younger readers. 

The animal is a wild pack of gray wolves. Also a dog. The human is a capable and complex fifty-year-old divorcee who is determined not to let politics defeat the wilderness in her state of Maine. A vibrant and educational novel. Though I live in Maine part-time, I’m an indoorsy type. Author Neily is an outdoorsy type, and she proves it with her plots, settings, and characters.

As author John Scieszka himself says he’s sold “bazilions of books” so he sure doesn’t need my endorsement but this is such a funny book I couldn’t resist. Yes, it tells the familiar story of the three little pigs but it does so in a wildly unfamiliar way—from the wolf’s point of view. Alexander T. Wolf tells the reader what really happened and professes his innocence. Despite having a cold, he was baking a cake for his dear grandmother when he needed to borrow a cup of sugar from the neighboring pig. What happens next he declares was not his fault yet he’s gotten a bad rap ever since. This is an offbeat, fractured fairytale that completely reverses the message of the original tale to give a new one: there are always two sides to every story.

This book enticed me with the audacity of its premise: a quasi-mystical connection between classical music and the feral nature of wolves.

Renowned pianist Hélène Grimaud grew up a rambunctious child in southern France who found meaning in the melodies of long-dead composers. Years later, on a dark Florida night, she has a chance encounter with a wolf. Lupine mythologies permeate her story, and psyche.

No longer content to admire wolves from a distance, she later founds a wolf conservation centre in upstate New York. While this book may not be a literary tour-de-force, I was enthralled by the theme of “rewilding” music.