*The Warden and the Wolf King

An epic finale to an epic fantasy series.

*The Warden and the Wolf King,by Andrew Peterson. Rabbit Room Press, 2014, 519 pages.

Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-14
Recommended For: Ages 10 and up, especially fantasy lovers

Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli are the children of Nia and Esben Wingfeather, though they never knew their father. Esben was once the High King of Anniera, the Shining Isle—a place that Gnag the Nameless destroyed so completely that some now doubt it ever existed. On the Dark Edge of the Sea of Darkness (#1 in the series) told how the children’s peaceful village of Glipwood was overrun by Gnag’s green Fangs (think lizard people). An unfortunate run-in with a fang launched the family on a multi-volume pilgrimage to uncover their destiny and reclaim their kingdom.

As this fourth and last volume dawns, Kalmar has ascended to the title of Wolf King (the wolf part happened in vol. 2), with his older brother Janner assuming the traditional role of Throne Warden, or protector. The brothers are raising an army against Gnag and his green and gray Fangs (think wolf people), but not all the clans of Green Hollows are willing to pledge their loyalty. On Janner’s thirteenth birthday he is sent away on the traditional birthday quest, and Gnag takes the occasion to attack the fortress of Ban Roma. Thus the war begins, and we are plunged into a tale of separations and reunions, discoveries and desperate stands, high stakes and low betrayals. Nearly all the old characters, plus plenty of new ones, reappear in these 500+ pages, which makes for a lot of scene-shifting and plot-line pulling. As the story moves forward, the past unfolds as well, revealing at last the origin and name of Gnag the Nameless and the source of his boiling hatred.

I have some problems with the high-fantasy genre, and made-up names is one of those problems: they often seem pretentious, not to mention irritating (my spell-check is going crazy while I type this review). But the author clearly enjoys name-making and is very good at it—Podo Helmer and Biggin O’Sally, for example, could hardly be named anything else once you get to know them. It must have been fun coming up with the dreadful “fangs of Drang”—and who could forget the treacherous toothy cows? Managing this cast of thousands is no small feat; even more amazing is that one could read the last volume with enjoyment and some level of comprehension even without reading the others first (though of course it’s better if you do). Simple vocabulary, sharp dialogue, and touches of humor leaven some intense and scary situations. The Christian virtues of courage, repentance, and forgiveness are upheld, and Maker (the source of all creative endeavors) receives his full due. Some readers may be uncomfortable with the level of violence and death—if that describes you, come back tomorrow. We’ll talk about that.

Overall quality: 5 (out of 5)

Cautions: violence (not graphic), frightening images
Audience: independent readers, boys, parents, pastors, youth leaders
Recommended uses: read-aloud, entertainment, character building, discussion starter
Awards: WORLD Magazine Children’s Book of the Year