Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #3: Soul Eater [Hardcover]

Michelle Paver (Author), Geoff Taylor (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Series: Chronicles of Ancient Darkness

It's winter, and Wolf, Torak's beloved pack-brother, has been captured by an unknown foe. In a desperate bid to rescue him, Torak and Renn must brave the frozen wilderness of the Far North.

As they battle for survival amid howling blizzards and the ever-present menace of the great white bear, their friendship is tested to the breaking point, and Torak is forced to get closer to his enemies than ever before. . . .

Soul Eater is a haunting story of loyalty and loss, a chilling portrayal of the nature of evil, and the next step in the perilous journey that began with Wolf Brother and Spirit Walker.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–In the third volume of this fantasy set in northern Europe 6000 years ago–just after the end of the Ice Ages–Torak and Renn, a 13-year-old boy and girl of unusual talent and skill, along with Torak's wolf-pack brother, are out hunting when Wolf disappears. Soon the pair discover evidence that he has been captured. Could the Soul-Eaters, the mages who killed Torak's father, have taken him to work some evil magic? Using his talents as a Spirit Walker, Torak inhabits the body of a raven and discovers that the Soul-Eaters have injured Wolf, bound his muzzle, and are carrying him into the far North. Torak and Renn must go after him immediately, although they are unprepared for the frigid terrain's inhospitality. Paver describes how much labor and constant attention go into simply surviving in a world so hostile to humanity, and readers will be kept on the edge of their chairs as they follow the struggle of characters who risk their lives every day trying to accomplish a task that seems certain to lead to their death. This is a stirring and thrilling sequel to Wolf Brother and Spirit Walker (both HarperCollins, 2005).–Walter Minkel, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The third entry in the ongoing Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series continues the momentum built up in the preceding volumes. Once again the tension is palpable and the danger excruciating. Torak and Renn must make their way into the icy wastes of the north in an attempt to rescue Wolf, who has been captured by Soul-Eaters. Fans of the series will be drawn into another mesmerizing blend of magic, convincing animal lore, and an indelibly limned environment. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1St Edition edition (February 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060728310
• ISBN-13: 978-0060728311
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #750,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Prehistory

More About the Author

Michelle Paver was born in central Africa but went to England as a child. After earning a degree in biochemistry from Oxford University, she became a partner in a London law firm but eventually gave that up to write full-time. The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series came from Michelle's lifelong passions for animals, anthropology, and the distant past-as well as an encounter with a large bear in a remote valley in Southern California. To research the books, Michelle has traveled to Finland, Greenland, Sweden, Norway, Arctic Canada, and the Carpathian Mountains. She has slept on reindeer skins, swum with wild killer whales, and gotten nose to nose with polar bears--and, of course, wolves. The first four books have been made into widely acclaimed audiobooks, read by Ian McKellen.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Companion Book for the Series, March 19, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #3: Soul Eater (Hardcover)

While this book has many surprising twists and turns, it is enjoyable and fun to read. Once again we follow Torak, Wolf, and Renn viewing them all, from there point of view.
Very mild changes do happen though, such as, Wolf now calls Renn 'The Pack Sister' instead of 'Female Tailess'. And Renn also has a much major role in the book then say in WOLF BROTHER, and also the book switches to her view more.
This is a very enjoyable book and I recomend it to any one from 10-100.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Series, October 17, 2007

By 

Laurie A. Ross "Online Shopper" (Everett, WA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #3: Soul Eater (Hardcover)

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #3: Soul Eater (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness)
This series if wonderful. My son and I started reading this together as a school project. We have purchased all three books and enjoy the time together reading. This is a book that keeps me interested as well as keeping him interested and reading!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A considerable improvement., April 19, 2007

By 

Inspector Gadget "Go Go Gadget Reviews" (On the trail of Doctor Claw) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #3: Soul Eater (Hardcover)

I enjoyed Wolf Brother but hated Spirit Walker and I was weary that this entry in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series was going to be just as meandering and slow. Fortunately it's not and it's just as good as the first book.

Wolf is kidnapped by the evil Soul Eaters so Torak and Renn must chase after them into The Far North to rescue him. Their chase brings them to the Eye of the Viper, a cave deep, deep in a mountain where the Soul Eaters have made their lair and intend to sacrifice 9 hunters to unleash demon hoardes under their control upon the world.

The mythology is getting a tad out of hand though. I don't know whether these forest people simply don't understand science and physics and mistake everything for fate, miracles and magic or if it's just their ancient point of view trying to make sense of it. That complaint aside, it's a good book that you'll not want to put down until you've finished it. It's way more fast moving than Spirit Walker and brings the COAD series back on track.