(Review by Jane Beaumont, Cape Town, South Africa)

Perhaps it's because I am in awe of wolves that I was marginally disappointed by Horwood's latest saga-ette. Not, it must be noted, totally let down, it's just that I expected something totally mesmerising from the mole man, something a little more mind moving from the creator of Skallagrigg and Callanish. Hope springs eternal and all that.

Well, Wolves 1 & 2 do introduce us to some wonderful new Horwood characters - as usual his wicked females and their warped but ultimately benevolent sons are the most intricately and credibly portrayed - do we, I wonder, have a personal horwoodian clue here? In fact Dendrine (the ledrene) and Fuhrer (her son) are uncannily like recycled moles only living above ground.

In the Wolves of Time we also have a scary post-apocalyptic environment and a goodie and baddie human - new twists and highly atmospheric. The War is complex, ranging all over Europe and the 'Man' and 'Huntermann' a sort of Osmund and Ahriman of the western world. The wolves themselves once led this world and lived in harmony with other creatures and they are aiming for a return to this state. This involves a certain amount of mysticism and the mortal incarnation of their creators Wulf and Wulfin. The characterisation of Wulfin and of some of the other leading mortal lupines is good but not mesmerising ( as were some of the moles ) but the descriptions of some truly warped and sadistic behaviour were, for me, the strongest moments of the book. Unfortunate but true - the evil, graphically described, has more power than any beautifully described idyll. There is one scene that is truly horrific, one of the "best" things Horwood's ever done - makes me quite worried about the man, is he turning into Clive Barker?

For those of you into wolves, Horwood and anthropomorphism, read Wolves of Time, you'll enjoy both books. Me, I'm waiting for the next great Horwood, keenly if not with bated breath.