Short story collection, published by MoonHowler Press, Ponca City, Oklahoma (http://moonhowlerpress.tripod.com), First printing, Sept. 2001. Horror fiction chapbook. 56 pages. Call to the Hunt is an exciting collection of eight fantastic stories by award-winning author Seven Wedel which explores the werewolf legend through the adventures of Josef Ulrik, the Lord of the Wolves. Each story revolves around Ulrik, but each is unique and able to stand on it's own. The lead story is "The Feast of Saratoga," a powerful Revolutionary War tale in which Ulrik and the Pack join with the Indians to right a grave injustice. In "Elysia," Ulrik follows his dream in search of the woman who will become the Mother of the Pack. "Henry's Run," perhaps my favorite, recounts the evils of slavery, and the message comes through as strong and as clear as the baying of the dogs and the frantic heartbeat of the man on the run. In "Call to the Hunt", the title story, Kiona, the Indian girl, hears the call of the wild and must answer. This is a wonderful story about a young woman's search for freedom and the fulfillment of her destiny. "Biological Clock," the first of the werewolf stories Steven wrote, introduces us to Shara, the heroine who will fill such a prominent role in the future of the Pack. Four of the eight stories in this collection are all new and never before published. All are well written, exciting and filled with vivid imagery and detail. With an introduction by Paul Fry and fantastic cover and interior art by Kelly Ganson (Crow Ravenscar) that brings the stories to life, this is a collection you will not want to miss. With Call to the Hunt, Steven E. Wedel has brought the werewolf mythology into the twenty-first century, and those of us who love the wolf, who hear its calling in our darkest dreams, can be glad. Highly recommended. |
