Format: Hardcover

Vivid work!

TC Tombs has done a fantastic job bringing life to the characters in 'The Pack' and created a vivid new world for them t... TC Tombs has done a fantastic job bringing life to the characters in 'The Pack' and created a vivid new world for them to explore. I can't wait to read the second book in the series...

Format: Paperback

I love reading historical fantasy novels. The Pack, volume one in the Run With the Wolves series by T c Tombs, is no exc... I love reading historical fantasy novels. The Pack, volume one in the Run With the Wolves series by T c Tombs, is no exception. Medinia and Skoland are always at odds it seems. However, the rulers of both lands have decided that it's time for peace, as they're draining their coffers of much needed funds. Talks of an arranged marriage between the daughter of the king in Medinia and the son of the king in Skoland are taking place as well. Willie was given to the Smythes by the monks in the monastery and wants nothing more than to go along with his friend and his master when they leave one afternoon, but is left to care for the homestead and the animals, as is his job, with the promise of perhaps going to see the caravan when it arrives in the fall. He doesn't know that his life is going to change forever just a few hours after he's left on his own. A pack of wolves, too big to be normal wolves, and what looks to be wolf-men descend on the farmland of Willie's master. In a fierce, but unfortunately predictable battle, Willie loses his 2 furry companions and his horse, as well as several of his masters herd. Most of all, Willie's blood is now poisoned with the same affliction that plagues the two dozen men and wolves that attacked him. Varakov. A third kingdom situated in such a position that they control the mountain pass and therefore everything that moves in to the other two. It's well fortified and resplendent... and ruled by a king who is dark and cruel and seemingly the very definition of evil. He's not please that the neighboring kingdoms have thrown down their weapons, so to speak. A union between the two could very well mean the down fall of his own kingdom, and he refuses to let that happen. This book started out with a bang. A sad one, as I hate to see animals die - it breaks my heart completely - but a bang none the less. It literally made my heart ache reading about the loyalty Willie's dogs showed their friend in their final moments. The fact that it was virtually at the beginning of the book just made it worse. It slowed down quite a bit after the initial action. As a result, it was a tad tedious to read in some places. But, I've got to give the author credit. There was a LOT of world building to do. You get a lot of the history of the countries and background on The Pack and the relationship between Woodrow and the other members (especially Brutus, who I like MUCH better when there isn't a full moon). It's very descriptive, perhaps unnecessarily so in some places. But the details make it easy to picture the setting of the story. Woodrow was a quiet character. Someone who seemed to have begrudgingly taken his place at the helm of the pack. He was loyal even when loyalty wasn't earned nor deserved. And he was kind even when he didn't have to be. Lord Victor absolutely disgusted me. He was foul and just absolutely horrible. If I had been watching this as a movie, I'm not sure I would have been able to keep from covering my eyes during parts of his 'dinner party'. I have a strong stomach for gore, but senseless torture much less so. Finding out what he was and how he was able to do the things he did just cemented my dislike for him in stone. For any of you who have read the Graceling Realm trilogy by Kristin Cashore, he reminded me of Leck. I hated Leck, too. I would have to say that one of my favorite characters was Vinnie. Leader of the 'gang' of Ohs, he seemed to be one of the most level headed in Varakov.While everyone around him was sucked in to the sickening debauchery and the violence of all that went on around him on a regular basis, he was still able to keep his wits about him. And he was still in his right mind to be bothered by much of what went on. He had a conscience. All in all, not a bad story. I could have done with a LITTLE bit less description and a LITTLE bit more dialogue and action in the first half of the book, but I'd say it's definitely well done. And it's a story I'd recommend to any fantasy lover. Well, any fantasy lover probably over the age of 16 as there are some absolutely horrible scenes and lots of gore. Not sure younger fantasy fans would be good with that. It's also nice to read a new take on the werewolf. Don't get me wrong, I love love LOVE The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater, but I always love it when I get back to the root of the monster, ya know? When I get to read about them in a way they originally were, but with a new-ish twist. If that makes sense. If it doesn't, you should still check out the book. P.S. It also helped that for some reason when I was reading, the voice narrating the story for me in my head was Matt Smith. If you know who he is you get major points with me.

Format: Paperback

Unique and well written

The reason why I wanted to review this book was because I absolutely adore horror/fantasy novels and I love historical f... The reason why I wanted to review this book was because I absolutely adore horror/fantasy novels and I love historical fiction so when I see that two of my favourite genres are mixed together I jump on that train faster than you can say 'all aboard!'. That being said, I actually did enjoy Tomb's novel about the fifteenth century mixed with werewolves, witch craft and other spooky things that go bump in the night and get the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. However this book is very much paced like the typical historical novel. There's a fair amount of action but there is a whole lot of story telling (without it dragging I promise!) that gets you to the action scenes and it makes it 100% worth it, trust me. I really enjoyed the storyline though and I think the reason I enjoyed it so much was Willie. There was something about him that I just found to be really likable. Maybe it's because I pitied him when he was bitten, but whatever it was about him I thought he made the whole novel worth reading. That isn't to say that the other characters in this story of three Kingdoms weren't just as good, because they were. I also really enjoyed the plot of the book. The idea of two kingdoms trying to come together to finally broker a peace between their peoples was a good one especially with the wild card kingdom of Varakov in the mix that wants nothing to do with this stuff so there was a bit of politics involved in the telling of the story as well. Overall, I thought this was a refreshing read. I haven't seen too many novels that mix historical fiction and horror/Fantasy so this was a great change for me. I really enjoyed the authors voice and the way that the story in volume one was told and can't wait to read volume two. I would recommend this to all fans of fantasy, horror and historical fiction. *I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Format: Paperback

It is the fifteenth century, and three kingdoms are caught up in the dire conflicts of their time. As the possibility of... It is the fifteenth century, and three kingdoms are caught up in the dire conflicts of their time. As the possibility of a peaceful resolution provides hope that a decade-long war will finally end, no one realizes that dark forces are waiting to invoke chaos as a full moon rises. On a farm nestled beneath the Euralene Mountains along the western border of Medinia, young Willie works for the Smythes as a serf. One moonlit evening when the Smythes are gone to a neighbouring village, Willie hears the terrified cries of animals in the pastures. When he goes to investigate, he discovers that this wolf pack attack is like no other. Badly injured during the raid, he survives—but now he is afflicted by the full-moon madness that will soon transform him into one of the wolf creatures he dreads. With his life seemingly warped forever, Willie must face the prospect of a lifelong descent into horror. In a time of witchcraft, superstitious folk lore, and fearsome creatures roaming the night, Willie struggles with an uncertain destiny and must seek help from the one man he holds most responsible for the dark fate that awaits him during the next full moon cycle. Thus begins the first novel in a historical horror trilogy about werewolves and vampires. The book began with too much info dump of every person Willie and other main characters ran into. But after all that, it started to become interesting and good. This could be the story of Dracula and even the Wolfman in Classic Monsters, or at least wolfmen. There are three countries by each other. One is Medinia, where Willie comes from. I liked the ruler and his Princess daughters of this country. I can not wait to see how they play into the sequel. Medinia has been battling with for centuries with Skoland and now is trying to achieve a truce by marriage of the eldest Priness to the eldest son of the ruler of Skoland. Then there is the third land of Varakov (shades of Dracula with this country’s name!). Varakov is led by Lord Victor, who sent the wolfmen and warg-wolves into Medinia to destroy sheep and cattle of the farmers in the upper north of Medinia. Unfortunately, Willie gets bitten by one of the warg-wolves, and the head of the wolfmen decides to take him back with them to Varkov. Will Willie accepts his coming fate as a Wolfman at the next full moon, I won’t tell—you need to read that for yourself. But if you like novels set in medieval times, plus werewolves and vampires and witches and more, I suggest checking out this book. It hooked me enough that I plan to read the other two books in the series. Just be sure when you read it at night, if the full moon has risen, you lock your doors and keep the silver at hand. Especially when a wolf howls...

Format: Paperback

Full Moon Madness Has Changed Willie's Life...Forever

Europe in the fifteenth century is notoriously brutal and enmeshed in dire conflict. So it is for the three kingdoms of ... Europe in the fifteenth century is notoriously brutal and enmeshed in dire conflict. So it is for the three kingdoms of Medinia, Skoland and Varakov. Medinia and Skoland have been embroiled in a decade-long war, and Varakov has remained in uneasy neutrality during that time. Now, as a peaceful resolution provides tentative hope that the seemingly endless war will eventually reach an end, no one realizes that sinister forces are waiting to invoke chaos as a full moon rises. On a farm nestled beneath the Euralene Mountains along the western border of Medinia, young Willie works for the Smythes as a serf. One moonlit evening, when the Smythes travel to a neighboring village to attend the annual fair, Willie hears the terrified cries of animals in the pasture. When he goes to investigate, he discovers a bizarre wolf pack raid unlike any other. Badly injured during the attack, he survives - but is afflicted by the full-moon madness that will soon transform him into one of the wolf creatures he dreads. With his life seemingly warped forever, Willie must face the prospect of a lifelong descent into horror. In a time rife with witchcraft, superstitious folk lore and fearsome creatures roaming the night, Willie struggles with an uncertain destiny and must seek help from Woodrow, the Pack Leader - the one man he holds most responsible for the dark fate that awaits him during the next full moon cycle. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was drawn into the story from the first page, and needed to know how it ended. It was fast paced, suspenseful, and filled with a varied cast of deeply flawed characters - some suffering from afflictions beyond their control, others that were just distinctly evil. I give this book an A! and look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy some time soon. I want to know how this saga turns out. Full Disclosure: 'Run With the Wolves Volume One: The Pack ' by T. C. Tombs read and reviewed by Mareena McGirr, an avid reader and book reviewer from Albany, New York. Many thanks to the author and Tracee at 'Pump up Your Book' virtual book tours as I received a copy of this book for free from them.

Format: Paperback

Superb read

I am not someone who reads fiction especially medieval fantasy like Lord of the Rings ,Harry Potter to name a few. So wi... I am not someone who reads fiction especially medieval fantasy like Lord of the Rings ,Harry Potter to name a few. So with some scepticism, I began reading Terry Tomb’s Run with the Wolves 1st volume The Pack based my friend’s recommendation. I have now finished reading not only The Pack but also the other 2 novels of the trilogy The Oracle & The Beast and found myself totally absorbed & captivated in the story. When I began, I found I needed to concentrate on the character names, relationships, geography in order to connect the elements of the story. As I realized in doing this, it drew me completely into the sequence & action of the story something like when you see enough pieces of a puzzle, the picture outline provides appealing shape & challenge. Terry’s intimate knowledge & detail of medieval history, language, customs established the framework for believability in the folklore setting. The symbolism & event detail used invites the reader to imagine how the various elements logically unfold but kept me in suspense as to any outcome. There are many twists & turns in the plot which challenges the reader in guessing the outcome.In providing short interconnecting narratives ,the reader can anticipate what action will follow & keeps the inter connectivity in the broader story elements. The characters seem very real, exhibiting most human emotions like fear, remorse, love, hate, , greed, violence yet demonstrate how in the end , people will come together, for a cause to do the right thing in the fight for good over evil.The story however also shows that in real life there is tragedy, unfairness, disappointment , pain & suffering. I believe that once you begin reading this trilogy story, it will capture your interest to the very end, in fact even looking for more in the future.

Format: Paperback

Great Read!!!

I'm only about a 3rd of the way through the book now and I can't put it down!! The story deals with multiple main chara... I'm only about a 3rd of the way through the book now and I can't put it down!! The story deals with multiple main characters all invovled in the main story in their own ways. The saga jumps back and fourth and each story line is riveting. Can't wait to finish the series!! I couldn't put the first book down either!!

Format: Paperback

Can't wait to read book 3

Enjoying this trilogy so much. I can't put it down. Looking forward to the next book so I can get some resolution. Enjoying this trilogy so much. I can't put it down. Looking forward to the next book so I can get some resolution.

Format: Paperback

Great Series

This is really worth the read. This is really worth the read.

Format: Paperback

Riveting!!!

I couldn't put this series down! A very different 'werewolf' tale!! Would love to see a studio pick this up and throw it... I couldn't put this series down! A very different 'werewolf' tale!! Would love to see a studio pick this up and throw it into theatres!