I would like to thank HarperVoyager for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher - HarperVoyager

Published - Out Now

Price - £16.99 hardback £8.99 Kindle ebook

Seeking a better life, Ree and Javani have travelled west into the mountains, and left their pasts – and their troubles – behind. But new places bring new problems, and when they stumble across a lone traveller under bandit attack, they make the mistake of lending a hand.

Forced to take refuge in the traveller's village, they quickly find allies among the lush, wooded hills. But then the true nature of the bandits is revealed.

With winter approaching and a vengeful company of mercenaries circling like wolves, Ree and Javani must uncover the secrets of this peaceful valley … or risk the ruin of it all.

Warning - there will be mild spoilers for the previous very good novel https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2024/8/6/the-hunters-by-david-wragg?format=amp

A middle volume in a trilogy is often we have discussed a bridge but it’s always refreshing to have a book do something different. In David Wragg’s fantasy adventure novel The Company of the Wolf we have a hugely enjoyable tale that tips a hat to the Western and creates a powerful sense of danger and tension as two mismatched sides prepare to fight.

Javani and Rees (newly revealed to be daughter and mother) continue to be on the run across the mountains. They’ve fended off bounty hunters, evil royalty and have the wrath of a Mining Corporation on them too. The young Javani though intervenes when she sees three soldier beating up a poor mule herder. The soldiers run away so the duo take the injured man back to a small gorgeous and bountiful village named Ar Ramas but finds less gratitude than expected. Instead it was revealed this was supposed to have been a payment to the mercenaries for continued ‘protection’ Rees is disgusted as what she sees as blackmail and challenges the mercenary leader Manatas but the timing is poor and events lead to escalation - The Company of the Wolf itself wants a lot more.

If you know your westerns when two people with fighting skills arrive in a small town being terrorised by bandits then there is going to only be one outcome. This is exactly that story with a fantasy world twist no magic just a very inventive small scale world building with lots of really interesting characters on both sides and a ticking clock of action. The events of the previous book are less guiding events and it’s almost more like a whole new adventure so you can enter here with minimal spoiling beyond Javani adapting to the revelation that they are now mother and daughter. Rees is still though a hard as nails and capable fighter but trying to push Javani into learning skills that you can’t really learn in days. The interesting angle is that Rees’ sense of justice makes her see red and perhaps plunges this village that is very much built on pacifism and compromise into a battle with what turns out to be a much larger and more skilled mercenary troop than anyone knows. She had to think on her feet how to improve things and very few thank her for her actions and indeed as we get see the size of The Conpamny of the Wolf the odds look formidable.

What makes it work I think is the characters we meet. Wragg brings in a whole new cast of role with secrets and attitudes that the story takes care for you to know and care about. The village priest Mani who is delightfully loveable, the outsider hunter Arman a delightfully foul mouthed archer with no people skills and on the other side the complex Manatas who never uses one word when he can use twenty and yet combines great fighting skills with an interesting best of honour and as a shadow to him the wily and dangerous Lido who always seems to be around when people die and takes advantage of any situation for himself. We get to know these people’s backstories, their inner selves and the relationships between each other which nicely go in unexpected directions.

Then we get after a lot of tension and build up where Wragg delighting adding another problem (or group of soldiers to fight) a big battle of wits, weapons and strategy to to save the village (that is not happy about needing saving). Prepare for battle, sacrifice, death and danger in good measures. It feels gritty, high stakes and is creative in solutions. Fantasy fans who love character and adventure plus good giving evil a good kicking will really enjoy this. Pacing I think takes a little while to get to the inevitable but the pay off is worth it and just at the end we see the likely direction of the next book too.

A hugely enjoyable fantasy tale with a refreshing approach to a middle volume offering great action, adventure and some gorgeous character work to settle down with. I highly recommend it!