The Wolf of Tebron (Book1) in The Gates of Heaven Series [Paperback]

C. S. Lakin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 13, 2010 | Series: The Gates of Heaven Series

A young blacksmith must undertake a perilous journey to the four ends of the world to rescue his wife, who is held captive by the Moon. Along the way, he befriends a powerful wolf who encourages, protects, and ultimately sacrifices his life to save his human friend. A stirring allegory of Gods love in classic fairy tale tradition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Wolf of Tebron
By C.S. Lakin
www.wolfoftebron.com

All Joran wants is "to live a simple, peaceful life, raise a family, work with his hands." But his reality is shattered when his wife suddenly disappears in a burst of magic, and a mysterious, old lady--known as The Goose Woman--reveals that he must travel to the house of the Moon in order to free her. Instead of enjoying the simple life of a blacksmith, Joran finds himself embarking on a treacherous journey "looking for a tricky Moon, a wayward wife, and a sea he only knew from his dreams."

The Wolf of Tebron is C.S. Lakin's first novel in The Gates of Heaven series. It's written in classic fairytale style, where magic, fantasy, and the forces of good and evil abound. Rich in vibrant language, adventure, personification, and more, this allegory offers the reader more than just a thrilling story. As Lakin says, "Joran's journey inspires and encourages readers to focus on our deep purpose and meaning in life."

Joran, the main character, faces many outward obstacles during his quest, but we learn it is the battle within that must be faced and conquered in order for him to truly succeed. This is a point, I believe, that all of us can identify with and apply to our own lives. Ruyah, the wolf, is also a very important character; he becomes Joran's constant encourager and companion--a true friend who shows sacrificial love. As they travel together, the wolf extends much wisdom by quoting Scripture and many famous people, such as C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, T.S. Elliot, William Wordsworth, and more.

A discussion of The Wolf of Tebron is included at the end of the book. Lakin explains her motive for writing the book and including literary elements like allegory and metaphor. She also provides 15 thought-provoking questions designed for book club discussions, high school English classes, and the homeschool environment. As I was reading, I compiled a list of over 50 vocabulary words that I will add to these questions.

The novel itself is 246 pages long, and because of its profound and comprehensive themes, I will be waiting a couple of years to introduce it to my oldest, who is currently in sixth grade. Possibly, it would be a great read-aloud to a younger child who is mature for his/her age. Parents, though, may need to explain definitions of unfamiliar words and meanings of symbolic elements.

I really enjoyed reading The Wolf of Tebron and recommend it to teens and adults who love a good allegorical fairytale. For in-depth study, it would be great reading material for a high school English class. The website provides many links to stores where the book can be purchased for a decent, affordable price.

Product review by Brandi Tesreau, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, December 2010

About the Author

Susanne C. S. Lakin comes from a family of successful writers. She grew up collating television scripts for her mother, a screenwriter, story editor, and producer for television. As an adult, Susanne assisted in developing series for television, and while raising two daughters and running a bed and breakfast inn in northern California, wrote her first three novels and a cookbook. In 2009, Susanne s contemporary novel, Someone to Blame won the Zondervan First Novel contest at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. The novel will be published by Zondervan in August of 2010. She and her husband, Lee Miller, continue to live in California, where she currently works as a freelance copy editor and writing mentor.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: AMG Publishers; 1st ptg. edition (August 13, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899578888
• ISBN-13: 978-0899578880
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #410,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

C. S. Lakin is a novelist and professional copyeditor who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, dog, and three cats. The first three books in her seven-book fantasy series, The Gates of Heaven, have been released: The Wolf of Tebron, The Map across Time, and The Land of Darkness, allegorical fairy tales drawing from classic tales we all read in our childhood.

Lakin's relational drama/mystery, Someone to Blame, won the 2009 Zondervan First Novel award, released October 2010. She just complete writing her eleventh novel, a modern-day take on the biblical story of Jacob called Intended for Harm and her twelfth: The Crystal SCepter (book five in The Gates of Heaven series). Also available on eBook are two mystery/psychological dramas: Innocent Little Crimes and Conundrum. Don't miss Time Sniffers: a wild young adult sci-fi romance that will entangle you in time!

Lakin has two websites for writers: www.livewritethrive.com with deep writing instruction and posts on industry trends.
Her site www.CritiqueMyMaunscript.com features her critique services.
Follow her on Twitter: @cslakin and @livewritethrive and Like her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/C.S.Lakin.Author

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fairy tale for today's world, September 5, 2010

By 

Beverly's Bookshelf - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wolf of Tebron (Book1) in The Gates of Heaven Series (Paperback)

This is book one in "The Gates of Heaven" series by C. S. Lakin. The cover of the book states it is "a fairy tale." With that said, I was prepared to be drawn into a tale along the lines of the Brothers Grimm, C.S. Lewis, and others from my childhood. What I was not prepared for was the depth of emotion for the characters I would feel or for the mixture of allegory and metaphor blending fairy tale and scripture.

The "EndNotes" in the back of the book state the following from the author:

Elements from "The Enchanted Pig" (Grimm's Fairy Tales) provided the inspiration for the story.

Quotations in the book are from the following sources:

C.S. Lewis (mostly from Mere Christianity), G.K. Chesterton (mostly from Orthodoxy), Emily Dickinson, Carl Jung, T.S. Elliot, Friedrich Nietzsche, William Wordsworth, George MacDonald.

The Scriptures alluded to by Sola and Ruyah are found in the Holy Bible in John chapters 1 and 4; Matthew 8:20; James 1:25; and Hebrews 4:12, 13; 6:19.

The song sung by the bard comes from a Robert Burns poem: "A Red, Red, Rose" (1796), as adapted for the movie "Fly Away Home", entitled "10,000 Miles," sung by Mary Chapin Carpenter.

The hero, Joran, lives in a small village called Tebron, working as an apprentice to a blacksmith. Joran has the ability to "mind speak" with animals and never really felt a complete part of his family. His wife, Charris, works as a weaver but Joran sent her away in a fit of anger. But Charris disappeared while traveling to her hometown and now Joran is troubled by terrifying nightmares every time he falls asleep. In the nightmares, Charris is trapped and he is unable to free her.

Even though angered with Charris, Joran feels compelled to search for her after learning of her disappearance. He encounters a huge, silver-coated wolf with a foot caught in a trap. Joran rescues the wolf, named Ruyah, who becomes his traveling companion on what turns out to be a journey unlike any Joran could ever imagine.

I could go on, but I am afraid I would end up giving away the story. This book is an experience and journey not just for the mind, but for the soul. As the story unfolds, the reader is entertained, mesmerized, & reminded that God loves us and is devoted to our personal growth and salvation.

This book is one that will appeal to readers of all ages and I highly recommend it. I am very eager for the second book in the series to be released, "The Map Across Time."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Good Fantasy Novel, May 23, 2011

By 

Truly Bookish - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wolf of Tebron (Book1) in The Gates of Heaven Series (Paperback)

Joran is a blacksmith who longs for a peaceful life and to not feel like an outsider in his family and community. He has a fight with his wife and in a fit of anger, sends her back to her family only to find out she never made it there. Joran sets out on an epic journey to find her and is joined by a wolf, Ruyah, who helps him. Joran's quest to find his wife leads in him find out a lot about himself.

Joran is such a human character. He makes grave mistakes and assumptions, he whines more than he should and wallows in his own misery. Regardless of all that, I liked him and was very sympathetic to his situation. While I liked Joran, I really loved Ruyah. He was such a loving and patient character and his sacrifice is just beautiful.

As with the characters, the fantasy elements of this book are great. Ms. Lakin's descriptions of the journey to the houses of the Moon and the Sun and the trip to the cave of the South Wind are wonderful. Joran's ability to telepathically speak to animals is very cool and is one of my favorite parts of the story.

The Wolf of Tebron is a really good fantasy novel. I enjoyed Ms. Lakin's writing and am looking forward to her next book: The Map Across Time.

Content: Violence

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lakin is turning me into a fan of fantasy, February 9, 2011

By 

Glynn Young - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Wolf of Tebron (Book1) in The Gates of Heaven Series (Paperback)

I've never been a fan of fantasy with the (major) exceptions of "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis and "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien. And then I met the writing of C.S. Lakin.

In "The Wolf of Tebron," Joran, a young blacksmith with a history he's unaware of, sees his wife Charris in the close and mutual embrace of a neighbor. He's so angry that he sends her away, back to her family in another town.

She never arrives. Then Joran's nightmares begin, haunting his sleep with images of Charris trapped behind a window of ice. And then an odd local resident called the Goose Woman tells him he's trapped his wife in a dream, and three keys must be unloosed to free her. But time is running out.

Joran, alone of his family, has the ability to speak (or mind-speak) to animals. As he struggles with whether or not to believe the Goose Woman, he meets a wolf named Ruyar whose paw is caught in a trap. Ruyar will accompany Joran on the quest to save Charris.

What follows is an extraordinary journey to the House of the Moon, the Palace of the Sun and the cave of the South Wind. The journey becomes a kind of pilgrim's progress, as Joran learns from each new experience and from the direct teaching of Ruyar and his "wisdom of the wolves."

To say more would give the story away, and it's simply too good to be spoiled like that. But it reads so right, so true, that the reader eventually comes to understand that this is a story of both salvation and redemption for all of the characters. It is not only Charris who needs rescue.

"The Wolf of Tebron" is a wonderful story, richly imagined within a world that is both recognizable and yet otherworldly. It can be read by adults, by young adults, and even to older children. Lakin has created a fascinating story, and she just might turn me into a fan of fairy tales after all.