Shadow of the Wolf (Threads of Magic Book 1)
by S.M. Pace
Paperback, 351 pages
Published December 1st 2012 by Stephanie Pace (first published November 28th 2012)
ISBN13 9781938506024
Young Adult Fantasy
Toby has always felt like an outcast in his village, but he thought winning a game at the Summer Fair was the answer to making friends. The local boys disagreed and literally threw Toby to the wolves. Stranded in enemy territory with a broken leg, he’s offered two options by the resident werewolves; death or permanent exile from his race.
Although Toby longs to return to his family, he chooses to live. But the werewolf children torment him just like the boys and girls back home. When he fights back and discovers he can wield magic, a crime in his old kingdom, he realizes he’s safer with the werewolves than he ever was amongst his own kind. He even finds happiness and acceptance, until his real sister contacts him with her own forbidden magic.
Fearing for her safety, Toby must decide where his loyalties lie; with the family he grew up with or the werewolves who took him in when his own people discarded him?
About the Author:
Stephanie Pace is an avid reader of every genre, though fantasy is her favorite. She started writing at fifteen and never looked back. She currently works as a pre-K teacher by day, and a determined self-publisher by night. When she’s not distracting herself with conlanging and world-building, she loves to do cross stitch or escape to the outdoors when the weather is nice. She lives in central Virginia with her boyfriend, and the rest of her crazy, amazingly supportive family close by.
Intro to excerpt, Toby’s sister Ora goes searching for her brother, and discovers what the village bullies have done to him.
They couldn’t have. The words echoed inside her head. She reached out quivering hands to brace them on a tree trunk, and squinted into the darkness of the forest. All black, with only the smallest hints of lighter gray. Toby was down there; she could sense him. Beyond the slope, just a few yards away, but it might as well have been miles.
Ora screamed, a ragged, broken sound.
Yellow eyes materialized in the darkness, like candle lights flaring to life. Starlight glinted off its sharp teeth.
It growled at her, a warning.
Ora gasped, but stiffened her legs rather than back away. "Give me my brother. Please."
The werewolf snorted, shaking its head like a dog shaking off fleas. Or perhaps giving her an answer. With another growl, it disappeared. If she followed, she wouldn't get far. Tears pricked her eyes.
Noah, that monster. He had fed Toby to the werewolves.
My Shadow of the Wolf Review
I have to say a big WOW, this book was really very good. I was not sure what to think, as its told from the view of a young boy, but then found it swapped pov from him to his sister. I really love books that have several different points of views.
I liked the way the fantasy world is set up, there is a treaty with the werewolves and the humans, but didn’t like those humans in the village, as they were ruthless, anyone found to have magic, was killed. It’s just wrong.
I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire book. I don’t want to say too much, and the blub tells you enough of what its about. I don’t like to just repeat basically what the blub says, and also would hate to add a spoiler on accident.
I think the characters were very well developed and easy to like. I especially liked his sister Ora, and think she was a strong girl. She was a great support to her brother Toby.
This is a straight up fantasy book, no romance involved at all, which is fine with me, but I do know some like to have some. I was saddened by what happened to one boy, which looked like it could have been a love interest for Ora. I won’t be saying who. It sure gave me mixed feelings on both sides of this. I do find myself liking the werewolves for sure.
I really look forward to the next book, and for sure will be reading it.
5 stars out of 5 for me, was well written and kept me entranced.
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Guest Post by S.M. Pace
My Writing Process
I’m a rather bizarre mix of panster and overplanner. In the past I’ve spent weeks creating an outline, then several months to a year not following that outline. Lately, I’ve settled into a new and more organized process that keeps me a lot more productive.
Step 1: Planning. I’m a huge fan of Holly Lisle, and I use her How To Think Sideways course, as well as her plot and scene clinics to plan out my novel. It’s helped me create scene ideas that are actually good, plot moving scenes, so I won’t end up discarding my outline, and wasting a lot of time meandering around three or four disconnected main plotlines.
Step 2: Writing. I can’t write by hand, except to brainstorm. Every part of the draft has to be typed, so my laptop is highly valuable to me. I use scrivener to keep my scenes organized. I try to write at least 1000 words a day, which can take me anywhere from twenty minutes to three hours. If I’m really stuck, I resort to my Write or Die application to force myself to produce the words I need. I don’t like doing it too much, because the words I produce, while chock full of muse inspired strokes of brilliance, are an utter mess. They need to be revised before I can add them to the draft.
It takes me about a week to finish a short story, and three months to finish a novel. More often than not, the novel will disappear into my back burner file, because I’m not ready to show it to the world. Only if I plan to publish it will I continue to work on a novel after finishing the first draft. Short stories I work on sporadically, though with a bit more determination if I have a place to submit them.
Step 3: Revision. Once I finish a first draft, I let the work breathe anywhere from a week to month, depending on how badly I want to start working on it again. I use Holly Lisle’s revision course for this part. It helps keep me organized and on track, so I don’t waste time doing line edits on a scene I later find out needs to be cut out completely.
Once I’ve produced a revised second draft, I go to my online critique groups. My favorite one is critters.org. I’ve gotten my most useful reviews from there, as well as made some awesome writing friends.
Once I have all my critiques, which can take up to two months for a novel, I compile everything and start making notes. Then I go back to cutting, rewriting and revising. I submit it for more critiques, and back again to cutting, rewriting and revising. My sixth draft is usually my final draft. I polish it as much as I’m able, submit it to my editor for a final proofread.
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