72 Books Like Hunt for the Shadow Wolf

I read this novel some years ago and really loved it. It is incredibly beautifully written. The story has a spell-binding effect, and at other times, I was cracking open to understanding wolves and the wild elements of their nature—and the brutality of hunters.

High suspense drives this plot as does the conflict of trust and fear that keeps propelling the characters. Wolves are amazing creatures; the narrative has you breathing with the wolves as they run. I loved being inside the forests and trees of Scotland. The action brought on an aching as I read it—adventure and intrigue, romance too, and domestic violence and sexual abuse as the underbelly. Powerful images here that don’t fade easily. 

Wolfwalker launches straight into the action with healer Dion and her bonded wolf Hishn struggling to survive the aftermath of a beastly worlag attack. Hishn proves a stalwart companion with plenty of snark peppered in as they get caught up in a dramatic rescue taking them across the land and sea. Dion’s skills are put to the test as she tries to work out an ancient healing art that has killed everyone who’s attempted it in recent years, and her bond with Hishn proves to be key in solving the puzzle. The sweeping adventure in this novel carried me away. I felt the bond between Dion and Hishn brought a depth to the story that I greatly enjoyed.

As author John Scieszka himself says he’s sold “bazilions of books” so he sure doesn’t need my endorsement but this is such a funny book I couldn’t resist. Yes, it tells the familiar story of the three little pigs but it does so in a wildly unfamiliar way—from the wolf’s point of view. Alexander T. Wolf tells the reader what really happened and professes his innocence. Despite having a cold, he was baking a cake for his dear grandmother when he needed to borrow a cup of sugar from the neighboring pig. What happens next he declares was not his fault yet he’s gotten a bad rap ever since. This is an offbeat, fractured fairytale that completely reverses the message of the original tale to give a new one: there are always two sides to every story.

I originally picked up this book because it was about wolves and a girl who is captivated by them. I greatly enjoyed the depth of Ms. Stiefvater’s characters.

This story is a young adult paranormal romance with a twist of humor and a dash of adventure. It captivated me until the very end, and I immediately downloaded Book 2. For anyone in search of a sweet, beautiful romance, this book is for you.

Moving away from middle-grade-specific books, my next recommendation is aimed at young adult and adult audiences.

When people hear animal companions in fantasy, wolves tend to come to mind pretty quickly. Toothbreaker focuses on a special group of people, Eritam, who have a unique gift of taming and working with wolves. So, there are wolves within this narrative!

A spin-off novella of Elrich’s Daughters of Tamnarae series, Toothbreaker is a fast-paced yet beautiful story of second chances, granting others and yourself grace, and finding purpose. My favorite part of this book, after the wolves, includes the ease in which readers can connect with Sage and the other characters.

Plus, there are references to other groups within the fantasy world—did someone say dragon tamers?? 

This fun adventure features Alex, a bond man, and his wolf, Tala, who isn’t afraid to get her paws dirty or set Alex straight whenever he goes out of line. The two of them must deal with unjust accusations, banishment, a foreign land, and the intricacies of romance while assassins hunt them and a corrupt prince does everything in his power to bring them down. I found the relationship between Alex and Tala endearing throughout the novel, and I especially enjoyed Tala's larger-than-life personality.

Speaking of wolves, this book describes how wolves and wolfdogs can be safely contained and cared for. Author Nicole Wilde ran Villalobos Rescue Center back when it was a wolf rescue, and is also a specialist in domestic dog behavior. In this book, she opens up about the struggles she had with some of her own dogs. It’s very reassuring to read about experts having the same problems we do. Not only does Wilde describe the animals vividly in prose, but her photographs also are stunning. It bums me out when photos in dog books are grainy and black and white, or worse, when there are no photos at all. I want to see the dogs!

Like Isenberg, Coleman focuses on a single wild creature and its changing historical relationship with humans. Wolves went from hated in early America to loved (at least by some) in modern times. Vicious traces wolves’ shifting American identity and explains how that transformation occurred. Coleman offers a challenging thesis—one that draws upon biology, folklore, and history to explain the viciousness of American attacks on wolves. Though one may argue with his methods, his research is unquestionably innovative. I am particularly impressed with Coleman’s efforts to give voice to the wild creatures he studies. Wolves play a protagonist’s role in his reading of American colonization, and this is an interpretation I wholeheartedly endorse.

Again, who doesn’t love an animal sidekick? Especially if that companion is a wolf who has a special gift in which she can judge people’s character and is dedicated to protecting those in her “pack!”

Lady Jewel is a large white wolf who is an important companion to our primary protagonists, Lord Adamo and Sephone Winters. Pair this loyal wolf with a post-apocalyptic fantasy world in which memory trading is a lucrative business, and you have an intriguing narrative for adult readers (and, like all titles in this list, it’s clean, too)!

I love when fantasy meets reality and that’s just what happens in Linger. A virus turns people into werewolves and the transformations are controlled by the temperature. A worldwide virus and an unpredictable climate? Talk about a dose of reality. Grace Brisbane is an anomaly – she was bitten by werewolves when she was young, but somehow has never shifted and as a result she’s dying. The book follows Grace as she and her friends try to save her life. It’s a fantastical story, but grounded in real human emotions. The perfect blend of truth and fiction.