Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver

Premise: This is the second book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness (Wolf Brother) series. In this installment Torak, Wolf, and Renn continue to battle the Soul Eaters. This time they have set a terrible sickness upon the clans and Torak is desperate to find the cure. His search leads him out of the Forest and across the Sea to the Seal Clan where he learns a devastating truth about himself and his kin.

Title: Spirit Walker
Author: Michelle Paver
Length: 356 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Series or Stand Alone: Book 2 in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-8

4 stars

3 adjectives that describe this book: dark, gripping, adventurous

I loved this book almost as much as the first. It's full of action, intrigue, and Torak's desperation to save his people. I loved learning more about the world of this series - it's people, beliefs, and history. The spirit world continues to play a major role in the series, and this is the one area that confuses my students but truly reflects religious beliefs of the historical period.

There was plenty of action in this book - Torak and other characters always seem to find themselves in life-threatening scrapes. Of course, some of the rescues were a bit too convenient. Since these stories are written in the style of myths, I didn't worry too much about the rampant deus ex machina.

My only real complaint is that I want to hear more from Wolf. His unique voice really sets this series apart and I want more. I look forward to reading book 3 and finding out more about the Soul Eaters who are set on ruling the world through power (and demons!).

If you haven't read any of the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness books, I highly recommend them!
Other books in this series:

Wolf Brother (book 1)
Soul Eater (book 3)
Outcast (book 4)
Oath Breaker (book 5)