Monday, December 16, 2013

My Favorite Books to Give: Thrillers


My fiancé and I have had the following conversation more times than I can count:

  • Him: Let’s watch XX movie.
  • Me: That’s a war movie. I don’t like war movies.
  • Him: It’s not REALLY about war, it just takes place during a war.
  • Me: Still a war movie, dear.

I’m not big on war movies, which would typically (and rightfully) imply that I also don’t read a lot of books about war. And yet, this is a book I’ve read several times and love, despite the war as a backdrop.

The Wolf’s Hour is about a Russian national turned British spy during WWII… who happens to be a werewolf. Michael/Mikhail is enlisted by the Brits and the Americans to track down some troubling news out of Paris regarding a new weapon that threatens the fate of D-Day. He meets some amazing fellow spies and truly ruthless Nazi’s along the way.

And yet, what I love about this book isn’t the super exciting WWII thriller stuff… it’s the secondary story of how Mikhail was made a werewolf. After seeing his family executed during the Russian Revolution, he flees into the woods and is bitten by a wolf. As he changes, he is taken in by the wolf pack, headed up by Wiktor. Wiktor teaches him Latin, the classics, and how to be a wolf.

The author is truly gifted in crafting a simultaneously lilting and brutal narrative. This is a great book for history buffs, thrill seekers, and horror-lovers. It is not, however, a good gift for anyone with a weak stomach due to some very, very gory moments.

No comments:

Post a Comment