In 2065, the earth is under new management.

It's been over forty years since the Kurians arrived and humans went from being predator to prey and the reign of the Kurian Lords and their soul sucking Reapers have changed the populace to just so many cattle but there is resistance and these bands of men and women are committed to fight for their right to freedom even if few of them were actually alive when there was such a thing.

David Valentine found his parents and siblings dead from an attack by the Reapers and has vowed to fight against the demons that have enslaved humankind. Joining the resistance movement has found him a member of the elite Wolves, as his father before had been and just as his father, he fights the Reapers and their evil masters.

The story follows David's journey into manhood and the guerrilla fighting force that has divided its elite warriors into three castes: The Wolves - the guerrilla fighters, the Cats - the spies and infiltrators, and the Bears - the stormtroopers, and his rise within the ranks of the Wolves by using his brains as well as his brawn.

David Valentine's adventures will take him into enemy territory to guard and facilitate the escape of farmers to the free zone, Jr. Commander responsible for incorporating a group of free farmers comprised of human and Grogs into the fighting forces, mail currier and subsequent spy, and finally rescuer of one of the ancient Lifeweavers, the predecessors of the Kurian Lords and the ones who have chosen to help humankind in their fight against the rouge Kurian Lords.

This book is filled with high adventure and courage. David Valentine manages to maintain his humanity and some of his innocence in addition to his killing skills in his bid to defend those in need against the powers that would enslave and kill them. A wonderful first novel in what promises to be a riveting series and I'm off to read book 2, Choice of the Cat.

It is 2065, the forty-third year of the Kurian Order and a race of creatures, the Kurians, have come to Earth to enslave the humans and use their auras as food. However, as with many invasions, there is a resistance group – the Wolves - and there are also human collaborators - the Quizlings.

The Kurians are assisted by a sort of Praetorian Guard, the Reapers, who live off the blood of their victims.

David Valentine's family was killed many years ago and at the end of his schooling he enlists in the Wolves. Soon he finds himself in the midst of a battle for survival as the Kurians and Reapers seek to enslave the human race, intimidating them into submission and creating a society where disobedience results in death. He also starts to develop a strange, sixth sense that warns him of the presence of Reapers.

Following the completion of his training, Valentine receives orders to report to Zulu company where he is immediately promoted to Lieutenant. When he is then sent to deliver despatches to other resistance pockets he cannot possibly imagine what will follow.

Way of the Wolf is a classic Resistance story set in a post-apocalyptic world that is being overrun by Reapers and where pockets of human resistance guerrilla forces battle to regain control of their world. In some ways this story almost reads like a combination of Starship Troopers and "Secret Army" (apologies to anyone who has not heard of the latter – it was a BBC drama series set in the French resistance during WWII).

You have young adults who are finishing school and then joining a resistance faction to fight for the freedom of their world.

To pigeon-hole the novel any further than this would do it as disservice.

The characters are varied and convincing. The main character, Valentine, has many endearing qualities and manages to maintain a sense of naivety despite the bloodshed and violence he experiences. He makes mistakes and learns from them making him a very human character.

The style is compelling and skilled. E.E. Knight manages to blend battles and violence with the gentler side of his characters allowing them to develop relationships and experience a wide range of emotions. It is also refreshing to read a fantasy story where characters die or are seriously injured and things aren't always "alright in the end."

One aspect that I found particularly appealing was the handling of history. In other fantasy novels the author would have found it necessary to provide a detailed timeline of how the world evolved from present day into the world of the story. E.E. Knight does not do this. He is content to simply state "this is the way it is, accept it". This style allows the storyline to flow freely and gives the writing a natural momentum that builds as the story progresses. I was compelled to read the last 80 – 90 pages in one sitting.

I enjoyed the seamless blending of the real world with the world of the author's imagination. Using existing city names and buildings but dragging them forward into the devastation of 2065 gives the story a sense of future-history.

E.E. Knight is an author that has a great future ahead of him. I would recommend Way of the Wolf to any fan of fantasy. Stunning! I am looking forward to the next instalment of the adventure!