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acknud's review
5.0
Exciting book and an enjoyable read. I have a hard time classifying it as horror though. Even though it has a werewolf in it I would call it a mix of espionage and supernatural animal documentary.
I have some unanswered questions:
What happened to Petyr?
How did Michael make the transition from wolfpack to British commando?
Were there anymore werewolves out there?
I have some unanswered questions:
What happened to Petyr?
How did Michael make the transition from wolfpack to British commando?
Were there anymore werewolves out there?
sammystarbuck's review
4.0
Another great book by McCammon. But although the top listed genre is horror, I'd be loathe to classify it as such, for all that the MC and several other characters are Werewolves.
Instead you have here a historical spy thriller set during WWII, brimful of action and the occasional fang and claw. And it's a ripping yarn! There's also the obligatory backstory of how the MC ended up a werewolf in the first place, which I appreciated, as I always enjoy a good origin story.
Looking forward to reading the sequel now!
Instead you have here a historical spy thriller set during WWII, brimful of action and the occasional fang and claw. And it's a ripping yarn! There's also the obligatory backstory of how the MC ended up a werewolf in the first place, which I appreciated, as I always enjoy a good origin story.
Looking forward to reading the sequel now!
srivisub's review
4.0
We are all familiar with the old adage, Time and Tide wait for none, and this truly applies to me. I am that grasshopper that starts working at the last minute; be it studying for exams or completing tasks or even reading books. Procrastination is something that is like second skin to me and I have to admit that I am not proud of it. Only true procrastinators will understand the futility of advising us with dire consequences. It is as I said part and parcel of our lives. Why am I taking about procrastination and the adage here? Well, this book is one such procrastinated effort!
At the beginning of 2015, my dearest buddy Manu and I decided to exchange 12 recommendations, with the promise that we shall read all twelve this year. Now my buddy is a diligent soul and has completed several of my recommendations but me the great procrastinator always put off reading these books by saying there are 11 months, then 10, then 9 and so forth; am sure you get the drift. We are now in the final month of the year and I finally realized that I have read only 4-5 of the recommended 12. Naturally, I decided to rush to the finish and wanted to get as many done. This book was one such effort and I must say that the rush to the finish line isn’t going to happen, despite the facts that the books recommended by her are truly superb.
Coming to this book in particular, I have to say that this is my second book by the author and I totally loved it. Set in the backdrop of the World War II, this book is a spy thriller with a supernatural element. The combination itself is deadly and when you add Robert McCammon’s writing to it, it is transformed into something so sublime and superior that you are left with a feeling of awe that is reserved for those books that move you.
Moving seamlessly between the past and present, McCammon brings to the reader a treat in the form of words, which can be described by using only superlatives. Let us start with the theme; I love WWII books and I love supernatural elements, especially werewolves. When a book has both together, it has enough to intrigue me to read it. McCammon’s genius comes from the fact that he hasn’t used the stereotyped supernatural element, which is all strong and invincible, but has produced a hero who is capable and yet susceptible to pain and death like all others. There is honesty in this particular caricature of the wolf-man and it is so brutally honest that it will appeal even those who aren’t really fascinated with the supernatural theme.
Michael Gallatin, the main character in this book, is your average guy but he is also a werewolf. Robert McCammon gives life to Michael and his descriptions of how he turned into a werewolf and how he learnt to accept it are truly transcendent. I believe that this part of the book, the past, is filled with pathos that is heart wrenching and yet so beautiful that you are wont to stay there forever. The honesty and superb caricature is continued when the author talks about Michael, the spy. For a person like me, who is fed on the various superhuman werewolves, this was a bright spot and a perfect change. I have to say here that the author while writing the wolf parts has truly gone into the mind of the wolf and written it as if he were a true wolf, which is something truly magical.
Moving onto the parts about the Nazi regime, I have to say here that this part was brutal and really painful to read. I have read a lot on the Holocaust and the Nazi regime and have felt the horrors but McCammon’s soulful writing brings to life those horrors in such a way that you feel as if you are experiencing it. When reading these parts, I actually wanted to kill them with my bare hands and this was only because of the realistic writing of the author.
While the book deserves all the praise that it gets in this review, I won’t say that this book is without its faults. One major problem that I had with this book was the movie-like writing in the action sequences, especially the climax scene. Don’t get me wrong, I totally loved it but felt that it read more like a movie script than a book. It kept me at the edge of my seat even when I felt it to be unrealistic, especially the final scenes, which I felt took away a little from my enjoyment and made me give a rating lower than a complete 5. However, despite this small issue of the climax and action scenes, I truly enjoyed this book and the experience it gave me as I wandered through the Nazi lands and war affected regions of Europe and experienced everything through the eyes of Michael and his friends.
At the end of my review, I would like to thank Manju for recommending this book to me. While I can’t promise that I will finish all your recommendations by the end of this month, I will try and get to all by Jan/Feb next year.
At the beginning of 2015, my dearest buddy Manu and I decided to exchange 12 recommendations, with the promise that we shall read all twelve this year. Now my buddy is a diligent soul and has completed several of my recommendations but me the great procrastinator always put off reading these books by saying there are 11 months, then 10, then 9 and so forth; am sure you get the drift. We are now in the final month of the year and I finally realized that I have read only 4-5 of the recommended 12. Naturally, I decided to rush to the finish and wanted to get as many done. This book was one such effort and I must say that the rush to the finish line isn’t going to happen, despite the facts that the books recommended by her are truly superb.
Coming to this book in particular, I have to say that this is my second book by the author and I totally loved it. Set in the backdrop of the World War II, this book is a spy thriller with a supernatural element. The combination itself is deadly and when you add Robert McCammon’s writing to it, it is transformed into something so sublime and superior that you are left with a feeling of awe that is reserved for those books that move you.
Moving seamlessly between the past and present, McCammon brings to the reader a treat in the form of words, which can be described by using only superlatives. Let us start with the theme; I love WWII books and I love supernatural elements, especially werewolves. When a book has both together, it has enough to intrigue me to read it. McCammon’s genius comes from the fact that he hasn’t used the stereotyped supernatural element, which is all strong and invincible, but has produced a hero who is capable and yet susceptible to pain and death like all others. There is honesty in this particular caricature of the wolf-man and it is so brutally honest that it will appeal even those who aren’t really fascinated with the supernatural theme.
Michael Gallatin, the main character in this book, is your average guy but he is also a werewolf. Robert McCammon gives life to Michael and his descriptions of how he turned into a werewolf and how he learnt to accept it are truly transcendent. I believe that this part of the book, the past, is filled with pathos that is heart wrenching and yet so beautiful that you are wont to stay there forever. The honesty and superb caricature is continued when the author talks about Michael, the spy. For a person like me, who is fed on the various superhuman werewolves, this was a bright spot and a perfect change. I have to say here that the author while writing the wolf parts has truly gone into the mind of the wolf and written it as if he were a true wolf, which is something truly magical.
Moving onto the parts about the Nazi regime, I have to say here that this part was brutal and really painful to read. I have read a lot on the Holocaust and the Nazi regime and have felt the horrors but McCammon’s soulful writing brings to life those horrors in such a way that you feel as if you are experiencing it. When reading these parts, I actually wanted to kill them with my bare hands and this was only because of the realistic writing of the author.
While the book deserves all the praise that it gets in this review, I won’t say that this book is without its faults. One major problem that I had with this book was the movie-like writing in the action sequences, especially the climax scene. Don’t get me wrong, I totally loved it but felt that it read more like a movie script than a book. It kept me at the edge of my seat even when I felt it to be unrealistic, especially the final scenes, which I felt took away a little from my enjoyment and made me give a rating lower than a complete 5. However, despite this small issue of the climax and action scenes, I truly enjoyed this book and the experience it gave me as I wandered through the Nazi lands and war affected regions of Europe and experienced everything through the eyes of Michael and his friends.
At the end of my review, I would like to thank Manju for recommending this book to me. While I can’t promise that I will finish all your recommendations by the end of this month, I will try and get to all by Jan/Feb next year.
bergamint's review
4.0
For the audacity to write about a Russian werewolf working for the British Secret Service who is fighting the Nazi's and managing to make it work I give this a solid 4 stars. This will not win any literary awards but it was a fantastic pulp fiction novel - something so rare to find. I was engrossed by the back story of how this all came about and it was definitely a page-turner. If you have a long plane flight or journey to go on and don't want a high brow read I strongly recommend this book.
emlostinbooks's review
4.0
After reading the blurb of this book I am not sure what was I expecting from this book. I have not read a lot of World War and spy books, the only plus point of this book to me was that the lead of the book was a werewolf. I have read McCammon’s Boy’s Life which is one of my all time favorites, and I wanted to read more books by him so I picked this, a decision I am never going to regret.
Wolf’s Hour tells us the story of Michael Galletine, a British spy, during the World War II. He has all the traits essential and necessary to be a master spy but his biggest strength is to be able to shape shift into a Werewolf when the situation calls for. Michael has said goodbye to secret services until he has to accept a mission for which he has to travel all the way to Germany and uncover a top Nazi experiment.
Mr McCammon also told us how Mikahil, a young Russian boy became a werewolf and later turned himself into Michael, a topmost British spy. Mikahil and Michael both were great but my heart went out for the child Mikhail and how he struggled to accept all the changes that comes with being a Werewolf. How he learned to live in a pack and how he earned the respect of his fellow pack members was truly a heart-warming story, a part which I enjoyed much more than Michael’s.
World War and Werewolf is not a combination that looks very promising at first time and that's what I had thought but this book simply blew me away. Mr McCammon’s way of telling story is just so good. Every adventure of Michael’s life, be it from his childhood or his very secretive spy life, is told in beautiful words that made me kept turning pages after pages.
the other thing that rocked me to the core was atrocities of War and how it was effecting the lives of normal people. Some of the events described in books were absolutely brutal.
I truly enjoyed reading this book and will recommend it to everyone.
Wolf’s Hour tells us the story of Michael Galletine, a British spy, during the World War II. He has all the traits essential and necessary to be a master spy but his biggest strength is to be able to shape shift into a Werewolf when the situation calls for. Michael has said goodbye to secret services until he has to accept a mission for which he has to travel all the way to Germany and uncover a top Nazi experiment.
Mr McCammon also told us how Mikahil, a young Russian boy became a werewolf and later turned himself into Michael, a topmost British spy. Mikahil and Michael both were great but my heart went out for the child Mikhail and how he struggled to accept all the changes that comes with being a Werewolf. How he learned to live in a pack and how he earned the respect of his fellow pack members was truly a heart-warming story, a part which I enjoyed much more than Michael’s.
World War and Werewolf is not a combination that looks very promising at first time and that's what I had thought but this book simply blew me away. Mr McCammon’s way of telling story is just so good. Every adventure of Michael’s life, be it from his childhood or his very secretive spy life, is told in beautiful words that made me kept turning pages after pages.
the other thing that rocked me to the core was atrocities of War and how it was effecting the lives of normal people. Some of the events described in books were absolutely brutal.
I truly enjoyed reading this book and will recommend it to everyone.
wraithsandroses's review
5.0
“What is the lycanthrope, in the eye of God?”
Let me start this by stressing my undying love for werewolves. Lycanthropy lore is one of my absolute favorite subjects to study, so much so that I even took a college class centered around it. I’m always on the lookout for quality lycanthrope novels, and I must say—this is one of the best werewolf stories that I’ve ever read.
Another favorite literary setting of mine is WWll. McCammon marries the two so beautifully, and wartime Europe is the perfect backdrop to tell Mikhail/Michael’s story. What always elevates werewolf stories is when we can resonate both with the wolf and the man. As always, McCammon writes like he’s telling the story of a good friend, and he was right there the entire time. As I said on Twitter, finishing this book felt like saying goodbye to my closest friend. Thankfully there is another book that follows Michael, and I will be reading that immediately! 🖤
Let me start this by stressing my undying love for werewolves. Lycanthropy lore is one of my absolute favorite subjects to study, so much so that I even took a college class centered around it. I’m always on the lookout for quality lycanthrope novels, and I must say—this is one of the best werewolf stories that I’ve ever read.
Another favorite literary setting of mine is WWll. McCammon marries the two so beautifully, and wartime Europe is the perfect backdrop to tell Mikhail/Michael’s story. What always elevates werewolf stories is when we can resonate both with the wolf and the man. As always, McCammon writes like he’s telling the story of a good friend, and he was right there the entire time. As I said on Twitter, finishing this book felt like saying goodbye to my closest friend. Thankfully there is another book that follows Michael, and I will be reading that immediately! 🖤
literarycryptid's review
5.0
I actually read this book a few years before and am only just getting to rating it.
Ummm. . . Where do I begin? This is an amazing book for werewolf fans. If you want a different experience from the Twilight werewolves, The Wolf's Hour is an amazing combination of deadly, sexy and supernatural.
Ummm. . . Where do I begin? This is an amazing book for werewolf fans. If you want a different experience from the Twilight werewolves, The Wolf's Hour is an amazing combination of deadly, sexy and supernatural.
inky_bat's review
3.0
I can't say I hated it, but I didn't like it much either. Really predictable, but great action sequences.
“Truth is like fire, Mikhail,” he said. “It either heals or it destroys. But it never—never—leaves what it touches unchanged.” His head slowly swiveled, and he stared at the boy. “Can you stand the flames of truth, Mikhail?” -- In my mind, I added piercing eyes and a mullet hair toss. So cheesy.
The story has two parts, Michael the British spy out to take down the Nazis, and the other half a sort of coming-of-age story about his early days as a young werewolf. My favorite parts of the book were the younger years and the non-stop Indiana Jones-style action in the other half. There was one scene that was straight up from Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I won't spoil it.
All the parts in-between were horribly predictable and overdone to the point I just started skimming and thought about ditching it. Overall, it was just too long. Lots of time was devoted to examples of evil Nazis and how they were either really smart or really stupid, whichever to support the storyline at the moment. So, pretty typical of an 80s action movie, I'm just bored with that. Also, I pretty much hated all the female characters and the multitudes of sex scenes were cringy.
So, some parts were a 5 for me, and some was a 1. So 3, here I am, stuck in the middle with you.
“Truth is like fire, Mikhail,” he said. “It either heals or it destroys. But it never—never—leaves what it touches unchanged.” His head slowly swiveled, and he stared at the boy. “Can you stand the flames of truth, Mikhail?” -- In my mind, I added piercing eyes and a mullet hair toss. So cheesy.
The story has two parts, Michael the British spy out to take down the Nazis, and the other half a sort of coming-of-age story about his early days as a young werewolf. My favorite parts of the book were the younger years and the non-stop Indiana Jones-style action in the other half. There was one scene that was straight up from Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I won't spoil it.
All the parts in-between were horribly predictable and overdone to the point I just started skimming and thought about ditching it. Overall, it was just too long. Lots of time was devoted to examples of evil Nazis and how they were either really smart or really stupid, whichever to support the storyline at the moment. So, pretty typical of an 80s action movie, I'm just bored with that. Also, I pretty much hated all the female characters and the multitudes of sex scenes were cringy.
So, some parts were a 5 for me, and some was a 1. So 3, here I am, stuck in the middle with you.
papi's review
2.0
Read this 20 years ago, during a short-lived period of interest in horror/fantasy. it was OK, being a sort of pulp fiction novel of a master spy/werewolf during WWII, fighting against the Nazi's. Wouldn't really recommend it to anyone though...there are far better ways to spend your time.
miaslam's review
3.0
too much action, not really my type of book, was expect a horror novel its more of a spy action book.