Predator & Prey: Werewolf

Rating:
Summary: Where are the last three chapters of this book?!?!
Review: Gherbod Flemming's writing style has improved a great deal since his/her/its earlier White Wolf novels to the point where recent books probably wouldn't even need the "World of Darkness" label to encourage reader interest. _Predator and Prey: Werewolf_ continues the tradition, and delivers interesting, fully fleshed-out characters in a fast-paced manner that never allows the reader to get bored. While not particularly scary, the novel still has its share of suspense, and also delves into emotional problems and conflicts many readers will be able to relate to. In short, I enjoyed reading this book...

..right up until the end. This novel ends on page 254 with huge holes left in the storyline. It *BEGS* to have at least 2 more chapters to flesh out important issues that were brought up in the novel, like what happens to Kaitlin or what the exact actions of the sept will be. In fact, the last chapter sets things up for a huge showdown to occur between "good" and "evil" (if such concepts can be used in the World of Darkness), but instead the novel just ends. Well, not JUST ends - there are 30 pages of sample chapters from various upcoming White Wolf novels following the final chapter. Personally, I'd rather have had 1 or 2 more chapters to complete THIS book rather than selections from books that aren't even released yet. Maybe we'll get lucky and White Wolf will have the author write the last chapter or two of this book, then post it on their website for everyone to enjoy. Otherwise, I'll feel incredibly short-changed.

For those of you still interested in this novel after my complaints, here are a few more comments: 1) though this is the third novel in the "Predator and Prey" series, you do not have to read any of the other books to understand what is going on (in fact, many people skipped the first novel in the series); 2) for those of you completely unfamiliar with the various labels on this book, it deals with "werewolves" (enraged and nearly extinct protectors of the world's natural resources) and "hunters" (humans that have special powers to detect and defend against the supernatural); 3) I would have given this book 4 or 5 stars if two more solid chapters had been written and provided a solid conclusion to this novel.

Rating:
Summary: Odd series...
Review: I've read all three books (and the "Inherit the Earth" anthology) so far. The story deals with hunters only every other book (except this one, and then only marginally), but there's definetly an overall arc -- there are events mentioned in this book and the last one that occur in the first novel.

The second book tells the tale of a new hunter and how he copes with that fact -- it's great. This one has the supporting character as a hunter but a) she doesn't know what she is, b) she sees nothing but Garou, and c) deals exclusively with a Garou sept.

Rating:
Summary: Odd series...
Review: I've read all three books (and the "Inherit the Earth" anthology) so far. The story deals with hunters only every other book (except this one, and then only marginally), but there's definetly an overall arc -- there are events mentioned in this book and the last one that occur in the first novel.

The second book tells the tale of a new hunter and how he copes with that fact -- it's great. This one has the supporting character as a hunter but a) she doesn't know what she is, b) she sees nothing but Garou, and c) deals exclusively with a Garou sept.

Rating:
Summary: Odd series...
Review: Kaitlin, a young black woman, has fled from the pain of her ability to perceive the world of the monsters that surrounds her. Originally from around Detroit she has moved to a small northern town. Unsuspectingly she discovers that her neighbor, a small town bar, is a hangout for werewolves. Thus forcing her to confront the very issues she was trying to avoid.

Black Rindle is the metis werewolf that Kaitlin spotted after a kill. He is a child of a forbidden relationship between two werewolves, and bears a hunchback as the brand of his parentage. Metis are normally killed at birth, and the other Garou in his sept see his deformity as a mark of shame. To them, Black Rindle is a barely tolerated outcast, rejected by his father, and blamed for the illness and death of his mother. Browbeaten since birth, Rindle has internalized everyone's opinion of himself and has become a drifter and an alcoholic.

Kaitlin, terrorized by the appearance of Black Rindle, manages to overcome her fear of him when she finds his broken body by the road. Rindle had been set upon by one of his sept brothers, EveSong, and left to suffer. Kaitlin brings Rindle to her home and helps him to recover. A thorny and difficult relationship forms between them. When Kaitlin lands a job as a local waste disposal site Black Rindle smells a taint lingering about her. A sure sign of the Wyrm. When they discover that the taint is coming from a laboratory at the hazardous waste repository Rindle realizes that he must turn his life around. He is an Ahroun, a warrior, and is duty bound to fight any manifestation of the Wyrm. He must arouse the sept and prepare for battle.

This series was originally intended to illuminate the role of the Hunters, new characters in the World of Darkness. With this, the third in the series, I am beginning to suspect that the focus of the series is elsewhere. While Kaitlin, the hunter of the tale, has a prominent role, it is trivial compared to that of Black Rindle. The story says almost nothing about the hunters, although it provides a wealth of information about werewolves. Nor is Kaitlin particularly sympathetic. She can barely control here cowardice, and often lashes out in paranoid anger. This is a far cry from the Hunters as described in Andrew Bates' "Heralds of the Storm."

Gherbod Flemming, as usual, manages to make the plot work and keep the reader's interest up, despite the flawed characterizations. Unfortunately something inexplicable happens at the end of the novel. Actually the end never really happens. Having set the scene for what should be a titanic struggle with the Wyrm, and a growing relationship between Black Rindle and Kaitlin, Flemming suddenly abandons the tale in midstream. The entire tale is left hanging, apparently to make space for promotional material for a new series. This ruins this story, makes me wonder if this series is doomed to mediocrity, and certainly does not make me interested in the new series. I am tempted to suggest that Flemming abandon the White Wolf label and strike out on his own. Unfortunately that would deal too severe a blow to the World of Darkness game world. It would be unfair to punish so many gamers for the sins of their publisher.

Rating:
Summary: Good - Up to a Point
Review: Kaitlin, a young black woman, has fled from the pain of her ability to perceive the world of the monsters that surrounds her. Originally from around Detroit she has moved to a small northern town. Unsuspectingly she discovers that her neighbor, a small town bar, is a hangout for werewolves. Thus forcing her to confront the very issues she was trying to avoid.

Black Rindle is the metis werewolf that Kaitlin spotted after a kill. He is a child of a forbidden relationship between two werewolves, and bears a hunchback as the brand of his parentage. Metis are normally killed at birth, and the other Garou in his sept see his deformity as a mark of shame. To them, Black Rindle is a barely tolerated outcast, rejected by his father, and blamed for the illness and death of his mother. Browbeaten since birth, Rindle has internalized everyone's opinion of himself and has become a drifter and an alcoholic.

Kaitlin, terrorized by the appearance of Black Rindle, manages to overcome her fear of him when she finds his broken body by the road. Rindle had been set upon by one of his sept brothers, EveSong, and left to suffer. Kaitlin brings Rindle to her home and helps him to recover. A thorny and difficult relationship forms between them. When Kaitlin lands a job as a local waste disposal site Black Rindle smells a taint lingering about her. A sure sign of the Wyrm. When they discover that the taint is coming from a laboratory at the hazardous waste repository Rindle realizes that he must turn his life around. He is an Ahroun, a warrior, and is duty bound to fight any manifestation of the Wyrm. He must arouse the sept and prepare for battle.

This series was originally intended to illuminate the role of the Hunters, new characters in the World of Darkness. With this, the third in the series, I am beginning to suspect that the focus of the series is elsewhere. While Kaitlin, the hunter of the tale, has a prominent role, it is trivial compared to that of Black Rindle. The story says almost nothing about the hunters, although it provides a wealth of information about werewolves. Nor is Kaitlin particularly sympathetic. She can barely control here cowardice, and often lashes out in paranoid anger. This is a far cry from the Hunters as described in Andrew Bates' "Heralds of the Storm."

Gherbod Flemming, as usual, manages to make the plot work and keep the reader's interest up, despite the flawed characterizations. Unfortunately something inexplicable happens at the end of the novel. Actually the end never really happens. Having set the scene for what should be a titanic struggle with the Wyrm, and a growing relationship between Black Rindle and Kaitlin, Flemming suddenly abandons the tale in midstream. The entire tale is left hanging, apparently to make space for promotional material for a new series. This ruins this story, makes me wonder if this series is doomed to mediocrity, and certainly does not make me interested in the new series. I am tempted to suggest that Flemming abandon the White Wolf label and strike out on his own. Unfortunately that would deal too severe a blow to the World of Darkness game world. It would be unfair to punish so many gamers for the sins of their publisher.

Rating:
Summary: Descent story
Review: Predator & Prey: Werewolf was a decent story, about a Metis werewolf and a newly awakened hunter. While the plot was a little thin, the way in which both characters come to terms with their differences and in the end rely on each other to overcome the odds makes for a good story. However, it did end rather abruptly, which is a course do to the fact that there was to be a sequal. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to see a hunter through the eyes of a werewolf and a werewolf through the eyes of a hunter.

Rating:
Summary: Descent story
Review: Predator & Prey: Werewolf was a decent story, about a Metis werewolf and a newly awakened hunter. While the plot was a little thin, the way in which both characters come to terms with their differences and in the end rely on each other to overcome the odds makes for a good story. However, it did end rather abruptly, which is a course do to the fact that there was to be a sequal. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to see a hunter through the eyes of a werewolf and a werewolf through the eyes of a hunter.

Rating:
Summary: Must read for Werewolf fans!
Review: This is a great book if you're a Werewolf gamer, and even if not. The inside on werewolf tribal life is really great and can be a lot of help to anyone who needs to get a first hand on how the pecking order of the clan goes. It's also a great story, the characters draw you in with things you can relate to if you were in their situation, and the details are brutal but real life. (well real life to werewolf) But any Werewolf fan should read this, it's well worth the time.

Rating:
Summary: More Great New W:tA Fiction......
Review: This is only the second Predator and Prey novel I've actually read (first, if you count the fact that I quit reading Vampire part way through), so I don't know how much it connects with the others, but the impression I got was that it had little or nothing to do with any that came before.

The two main characters are Black Rindle and Kaitlin. Suprisingly enough, these two characters are excellently developed throughout the book.

Kaitlin is a Hunter, though the book never specifically mentions it. She is cursed with a second sight that allows her to see various denizens of the supernatural world. It is partly this curse, and the fact that she has had personal experience with the monsters that live in the HUMAN world, that cause her to desert the city for a run-down home in a small town. There, she smokes pot to keep from thinking about the people she left behind, only eats when she can muster up the energy to hike into town for some mac-and-cheese, and generally wallows in isolation. She is a former alcoholic, and keeps a case of beer in the fridge as a testament to her triumph over that habit.

Black Rindle is a Garou (werewolf) who is outcast from his own people. He is a metis, deformed offspring of the forbidden mating of Garou with Garou. According to Garou law, such breeding is somewhat akin to incest. Hunchbacked and depressed, he spends most of his days in the bottom of a bottle. Rindle's mother is dying, the only Garou who ever accepted him. His father and septmates constantly insult, and sometimes brutalize, him.

That's all the intro I'll give here, but the book deals with these two characters and their relationship to one another (for a wonder, they don't even end up in bed, which was a positive in my mind) as well as their relationships to their separate worlds.

I would reccommend this book to anyone who likes Werewolf: The Apocalypse. I found it suprisingly good, very well written, with some great character development along the way. There are some interesting happenings in the spirit world, and there are even actual Hunters in the book (though, like Kaitlin, they are never specifically named). I would expect that fans won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Solid Book, Terrible Spelling
Review: Thoroughly enjoyable and consistent work from White Wolf's best writer. The story is small and focused mainly on two characters, each at the crossroad of major decisions in their lives. I loved how the action is paced throughout, lending more time to building characters and raising the stakes. The chapter with the farm attack was incredible and quite shocking, showing the massive power and stamina of the garou. My only real problems with the novel are that I wish it had more of a conclusion and that the copy editor would do their job and fix all the spelling and punctuation mistakes.