The first book in a compelling new series praised as the next TwilightA fresh spin on shape-shifting wolves and dark magic, this Viking world will leave you hungry for more.
With a grandmother who is unnatural, an anxious mother, and a missing father, Arud’s family tree is rooted in secrets.
Leif Erikson abandoned the settlement in Labrador, Canada, when the ferine attacked and murdered his small crew. A band of families stayed behind to rebuild... moreThe first book in a compelling new series praised as the next TwilightA fresh spin on shape-shifting wolves and dark magic, this Viking world will leave you hungry for more.
With a grandmother who is unnatural, an anxious mother, and a missing father, Arud’s family tree is rooted in secrets.
Leif Erikson abandoned the settlement in Labrador, Canada, when the ferine attacked and murdered his small crew. A band of families stayed behind to rebuild. Arud Bergson lives in the Outlands far from any other Viking village. His father is two-days late coming home from market leaving Arud to protect his mother, grandmother, and sister, Lykke, from arctic shape-shifting wolves who can break their bonds with the Dreadlands under the light of each full moon. Called the ferine, they are a matriarchal species birthed by the she-wolf that nursed Romulus and Remus. While hunting, an anomaly occurs: a ferine takes Arud’s kill in broad daylight. His mother sends him and Lykke, who has a sickness from birth, on a three week journey across the realm to Vithalia City where they will stay with an uncle they have never met.They journey for only several days before the rogue ferine takes chase, forcing them to launch into the river and over the falls. At the bottom, Lykke is missing. So is Arud’s pack with his supplies, crossbow, and bolts. He finds Lykke in the caves beneath the falls then meets a strange girl named Scalvia who leads them to her home where he can retrieve his pack.“Dreadlands weaves Viking lore, animalistic-shape-shifting (wolves), and coming-of-age adventure into a fantasy epic.” –Kirkus ReviewsArud and Lykke stay overnight in Scalvia’s home. Her father, Ek, refuses to return his things until the morning. During the night, a howl wakes Arud. The ferine is hunting him. Lykke’s skin is clammy and Arud fears she already needs her monthly tonic, administered only days before. Ek fortifies Arud’s bolts with silver tips to pierce the ferine’s pelt and forces Scalvia to lead them through the Dredge Woods to the base of the double mountains.On their trek, Lykke’s sickness worsens. She stays behind to rest while Scalvia leads Arud to a stream, explaining about the Purebloods, those shape-shifting wolves who are tied to the Dreadlands, and the Cur, who are the offspring of ferine and human. They are attacked by the ferine hunting Arud. They manage to run her off with silver, but when they reach camp, Lykke is missing.Arud’s world is shaken and family deceptions unravel, when he learns his sister may be the key in a century old prophecy and a sorceress may be stalking them. The stakes are raised, and getting safely to the city in the sea becomes more than a quest. It becomes survival.
“Jamie Engle takes the reader beyond fantasy and fiction as she transcends imagination into the world of believability. This is like no other adventure taken, for the storyteller instantly captivates with a command for Old Norse language that is uniquely her own. The character creation transforms the main protagonists in ways that their supernatural journey won’t let go of you until the last pages are explored and the final words are spoken." less
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