Wolf Code: A Sheltering Wilderness

Wolf Code #1

by Chandler Brett

When a deadly threat invades the home territory of a wolf pack and their alphas go missing, a new male and female must rise to lead the pack through the crisis.


In the human world, another alliance begins between a reclusive video-game designer and a Cherokee animal-rights activist. Since being mauled by a dog as a boy, Don has retreated into video games and dreamed of working for a company that specialized in werewolf-hunter games. However, when he meets Tsula, she challenges him to see wolves in a new light and pushes him out into a series of wilderness adventures.


In the distant wood, the new alpha pair discovers they face a serious challenge. Will they be able to outmaneuver their rivals, unite the other wolves, and escape with their lives? Must they find a new home or stay and fight?


Tsula's activism drives Don into a double life, though, when she targets the video-game company where he works for its misrepresentation of wolves. Don feels pulled between two worlds, the realm of game design just opening to him and the wilderness Tsula has introduced to him. Which will he finally choose as his own?


And why does the fate of the wolf pack rest in his decision?


Jungle Book meets Ready Player One. For fans of animal fantasy, outdoor adventure, wolves, American Indians, science-fiction suspense, and romantic drama.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Wolves, Fiction, Animals

292 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 15, 2016

About the author

If you live with a cat who insists on climbing on top of your book while you are reading or a dog who is begging for a scratch while you are trying to squeeze in one more chapter, then you already share something with Chandler.

In 2013, after reading and studying so many stories, Chandler decided that it was time for him to give something back, to write adventures for our day. If after reading his books, you feel closer to the animals around you, find a momentary relief from your troubles, or gain a new insight to enrich your life, then the work to get these stories to you will have been worth it. And if you find the stories just plain fun, that's fine too.

(For those looking for credentials, Chandler holds a Ph.D. in ethics and literature from the University of Virginia and has taught for over a decade. A host of writers have influenced him, and you can find out which ones as well as more about his stories at chandlerbrett.com.)

Reviews

[Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chandler Brett and I are Goodreads friends, but I didn't get his debut novel as a review copy. Rather, it was a kind gift from another Goodreads friend, who often passes along books she's liked, but doesn't expect to read again, to others whom she thinks might also enjoy them. I've benefited from her generosity before, and this series opener was a great reading experience!

Structurally, we have two alternating narratives here: the third-person story of a pack of wolves in the Siberian wilderness (told through the eyes of one male wolf), who face the challenge of a tiger invasion of their hunting grounds, and the first-person story of a video-game-loving Duke University graduate student/teaching assistant in computer engineering, Don, his first meeting with fellow student Tsula Watie, a Cherokee animal rights activist of sorts, and where that meeting will lead the two of them. It's soon clear that these narratives don't run concurrently in time; the latter one will eventually span almost three years, while the former only covers a period of days. Both narratives are completely absorbing, with well-drawn characters (whether with two legs or four) that you come to care about. What isn't clear is how they relate to each other, and whether or not they're going to come together. By the end of the book (if not before) the reader will understand the answer to these questions. But though the ending is not a cliffhanger, this is the first book of a trilogy; and I think most readers will want to continue with it to see more of the story unfold. (I know I definitely do!)

This is a serious novel, with some serious themes,integrated into the story and the essence of who the characters are. Most obviously, it's about respect for the natural world and the animals who inhabit it, including large carnivores such as wolves, which many Americans know very little about and are inclined to fear and demonize. (If you haven't previously read --which I had-- Never Cry Wolf, Canadian naturalist Farley Mowat's wonderful account of his field research on wolves in Canada's Northwest Territory, that would actually be a good prequel to this book.) But this theme isn't conveyed with long sermonizing and environmentalist rhetoric, so readers who would be turned off by that kind of thing won't find it here. And Tsula's activism isn't of an extreme, PETA-style kind; she eats meat, for instance. Her message, and the book's, is more about respect for nature than deification of nature. Related to this, there's also a note of theistic spirituality (Tsula's uncle is a Christian minister, and her faith in God is important to her, though she only discusses it once, and doesn't couple it with a specific presentation of the gospel as such), and a suggestion that making maximum money should be less important than helping others.

I've placed this book on both my science fiction and general fiction shelves, a seemingly odd combination but one that IMO reflects its actual flavor. The SF element derives from Don's computer engineering graduate research; he's deeply into developing what he calls "immersive reality," which will go beyond virtual reality by actually interfacing with the human brain itself, though without invasive and permanent implants. Since this technology doesn't actually exist today, the book is technically SF (though immersive reality in this volume of the trilogy is mostly in the speculative stage); I'm not knowledgeable enough about computers to know how closely the idea is or isn't extrapolated from existing technology. But the book doesn't have a heavy SF genre vibe. It's actually mostly a descriptive fiction treatment of what wolf life in the wild is like, and of the interactions of two people in the contemporary world, dealing with realistic issues and problems of life, and some of the moral dilemmas of modern life, in believable ways. So it has a cross-genre appeal. It might also appeal to video gamers (though Tsula's challenges about the drawbacks of deep immersion in a make-believe world instead of the real one might make some uncomfortable), or readers with a interest in Cherokee culture since, like Faith Hunter, Brett's depiction of the latter is clearly well informed and authentic. The book also offers a clean --and sometimes rocky--romance between two very disparate people (they say opposites attract!), which is an important part of the plot without elbowing out any of the other important parts. Brett's writing is also commendably free of bad language and sexual content.

Not being a gamer myself, I can't bring any real first-hand knowledge of video games to the table. That said, personally, even though the werewolf mythos originally reflected pre-modern humanity's fear and hatred of wolves, I don't really think the overall depiction of werewolves in popular culture contributes to the demonization of the species. In the first place, I believe most people distinguish between werewolves and actual wolves (and recognize that the former are strictly make-believe). Beginning with the 1941 classic The Wolf Man, movie depictions of werewolves in their transformed state treated them as weird man-wolf hybrids, not actual wolves. Modern depictions of the theme in fiction and drama are more apt to see them as shifting into actual wolves; but in the second place, many writers, including Anthony Boucher, Stephanie Meyer, and Patricia Briggs, don't paint them as inherently evil and more often treat them in a sympathetic and positive light.)

I'm officially hooked for the whole trilogy! (Hopefully, I'll get to it sooner rather than later.)

[Chandler Brett]

Thank you for your interest!

Just a quick word of explanation in light of a couple reviews...

The chapters of the novel follow a three-strand pattern: a chapter about the wolves, a chapter about Don and Tsula, and then a chapter about Don's quest for a new gaming platform. The thematic structure does jump a little around the timeline that the second and third strands share, but careful readers will feel the pieces coming together. In this first book, the second and third strands converge, and by the end you will find clues for how the first strand (the wolf story) will eventually merge with the others in the sequel.

Also, the novel is PG-13 for some animal violence.

For more information about Wolf Code, check my author profile for an interview.

If you have any questions about the story, please feel free to message me. I would love to hear from you.

Peace,
Chandler

[Lauren Sapala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a totally, totally random book I stumbled upon. I saw it on Goodreads and jumped over to Amazon to buy it, left it on my Kindle for a few months and forgot about it, and then rediscovered it and started reading it and couldn’t put it down.

It was completely not what I expected, but amazing nonetheless. I loved the way the author set us squarely in a realistic world with realistic people that seemed to be just a few years ahead of ours in terms of technology, but also set up a parallel storyline in which the characters were wolves who reasoned and talked to each other much like humans. It’s tough to pull off talking animals in a story and make them not only believable, but also sympathetic. This writer does it and he does it very well.

I was also impressed by how much knowledge I came away with just from reading this book. I now understand how wolves communicate, how their packs are structured, how they hunt together and how they mate and rear offspring. I also learned a bit about endangered species, natural habitats and poachers. Really interesting stuff. This would definitely be a great YA recommend for young people who are into animals and environmental science, but also an excellent read for the adults among us who consider themselves lifelong learners.

Awesome book and I’m for sure going to read the next one in the series when it comes out.

[Tyrolin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

An excellent debut from a talented author!

Wolf Code is one those tales (tails...should I go with that pun? No. No, I'll refrain) that draws you in on the first page.

Chandler Brett knows how to engage the reader with a style that flows naturally. It was something original. I don't usually read books like this, but I believe I've stumbled into a new genre that I'll end up loving.

Highly recommended!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolf Code: A Sheltering Wilderness by Chandler Brett is an interesting beast. Lurking somewhere in between the young adult, sci-fi and adventure genres, Chandler Brett invites readers on a global story about endangered wolves, VR technology, and finding one’s own calling. Jumping between two separate, yet interwoven, narratives, Wolf Code #1 sketches the combative--yet potentially cooperative--relationship between technology and nature.

In the technology camp, we discover the story of Don, a bright video-game programmer who seeks to push the limits of virtual reality technology. As a protagonist, Don is well meaning, yet misguided, in his approach to technology, and it’s not until Tsula, a young Cherokee activist, challenges Don to consider the implications of technology that his story grows its narrative teeth.

Speaking of teeth, and poorly chosen puns, in the nature camp, we find the story of Kan, a wayward wolf searching for his companion, Lana, who has vanished and, likely, moved on with another pack. Brett instantly thrusts the reader into Kan’s journey, as Kan, doubtful of his own ability to protect a pack, struggles to find his mate and prove himself as a worthy leader.

In comparing the two plots, it’s important to know that Brett intends, I believe, to write two separate, yet tonally different, stories and weave them together by the novel’s conclusion. If Kan’s plot embraces the adventure genre with open arms, then it’s Don’s plot that comfortably cements itself as a sci-fi and romance tale. Stylistically, Kan’s prose is written like a YA adventure novel, full of sensory details, rich descriptions of setting and, of course, the constant threat of danger. In contrast, Don’s prose is much more straight-forward, written similar to a sci-fi story with romantic elements sprinkled throughout.

Positively, A Sheltering Wilderness does a great job of blending Kan’s and Don’s narratives without confusing the reader or muddying the over-arching plot. Brett organically allows the reader to make natural connections between Kan and Don, and for that matter, Lana and Tsula, while sketching their shared journey with relative ease. Deceptively simple, Kan’s plot packs heart and builds momentum, as Brett elicits our sympathy for a lone wolf seeking his lost-mate. Coupled with the dangers of an unknown wilderness, the reader’s excitement grows as we long to discover what Kan will experience next.

Unlike Kan’s fast paced narrative, however, Don’s tale is slower in terms of plot development and pacing. With Kan, there’s a sense of urgency and momentum to his narrative, yet with Don it’s a slow burn. While both characters face challenges, I find the simpler journey, Kan’s, to be far more engaging and satisfying, overall. While by no means boring, Don’s initial chapters feel plodding and a bit misguided, especially when compared with Kan’s more focused and exciting plot.

However, like Kan, Don’s saving grace appears in the form of a strong female protagonist, Tsula, who, in my estimate, is the most interesting and likable character in the book. She’s true to her convictions and unflinching in the face of resistance. Her back-story with her parents, specifically her mother, gives her an emotional core that Don, for much of the story, simply lacks. Thankfully, though, Tsula challenges Don to ‘man up,’ and Don, along with the reader, are far better because of her influence.

Ultimately, I was satisfied with Wolf Code: A Sheltering Wilderness and where its journey ended--for now. While I still feel Don’s narrative needed a swift kick of excitement, I am, however, eager to see how Don’s developments in VR technology will affect Kan, Lana and other wolves in the wild. That’s the story I wanted to read in Wolf Code #1, but only glimpsed by the novel’s end. I can appreciate, however, Brett’s choice to develop his characters’ back-stories and stave off the full conflict until Book Two, which, by no coincidence, is titled Wilderness War. Therefore, if you can practice a bit of patience, I highly recommend Wolf Code: A Sheltering Wilderness as a great introduction to a series that blends adventure, romance and sci-fi to portray our natural connection--and unavoidable conflict--with nature, technology and humankind.

[Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and very different kind of story. The book goes back and forth between wo stores, not actually taking place at the same time. One is the story of a wolf pack in Siberia through the mind of the wolf named Kan and his interaction with the pack and his mate. The other story is of Don and Tsula. Both are students at Duke, and he is a gamer and deeply involved with computers and his dream of developing a new virtual reality never done before (this is the only reason I tagged this as sci fi). Tsula is Cherokee and has a spiritual love of nature and in particular of wolves. She is in some ways an activist but not in the way of PETA and the extremists.

Don and Tsula's story is one of two people quite opposite of each other, and I especially enjoyed their dialogue and interaction. As his devotion to revolutionizing virtual reality leads him to a job with a major game company it surprisingly comes into conflict with her love of protecting wolves. Then throw in Don's roommate, Mick, who is from Russia and a student of zoology and whose passion is the tigers of his native country.

The alternative story of the wolves takes place in a short time, a matter of days. The pack leader has been killed by a Tiger, Kan is injured and his mate, Lana wants him to be leader of the pack. The pack has been forced to leave their home hunting area by a the tiger and their part in the story is one of predators becoming the prey, but it is also one of a fractured complex pack in trouble and how each of them handles it. The two stories seem totally unrelated, and I may not be smart enough to put it all together yet, but there are two more books. There are underlying meanings in the wolf story.

I have to admit I was into the wolf story more than into the story of the humans so skimmed a little as I wanted to get back to the wolves. My one disappointment was that I thought I would get more of them at the end, and did not. It did not end on a cliffhanger, but I do want the rest of the story. I will be ordering the next book.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a well researched book, so high points for that. But I need more and this story delivers. I'm not big on romance but the way the author tells the story, I was very interested in these two people, and what they can accomplish together. I appreciated the fact that we didn't have to delve into their sex life, this book is chaste enough to for anyone to read but not prudish. It was the perfect way to tell me a love story.
But this isn't just a love story, that's just a small part of a much bigger story and I learned some really interesting things along the way. I really want to say more to give you a better feel for this book but to say any more would be spoilers. You'll just have to read it yourself.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to make of this book as it isn't your generic story. I am really glad I read it! It starts off by mixing two story lines that blend into one. It incorporates entertainment, education, intellect and culture. A story of a man who find love (but this isn't a romance book!), how he grows as a person and one who wants to put his passion of video games into an immersive, educational experience. Lots of pondering after you read it. Would recommend for most ages and most interests :)

I received this book via Librarything.com member giveaway.

[Rachel Svendsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chandler is a talented writer. I loved the scenes he painted of ice and snow, with the wolf pack running through them.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book with a really interesting premise that simply failed in its delivery to maintain that interest or create an enjoyable story.

There are two story lines in this book, one following the humans and one following the wolves. Each is told from the point of view of the male; Don is our human lead, and Kan is our wold lead. The main problem with this story is the way that Don's is told. There is a very jumpy (and often not at all clear) timeline for Don. There is a habit of jumping ahead through things. It starts right off with Don meeting Tsula as a TA and looking forward to their semester together, making it seem that this is going to be a big part of their story. Instead within a few paragraphs their semester is done and nothing has happened. The two do meet again and it seems that they maybe strike up something more than just passing interest, but not much. Suddenly however, the two are very much together. It becomes clear they are dating when Don asks Tsula to marry him. When this seems to come out of nowhere is turns out that time has jumped forward (by an undefined amount if time) and then gets backtracked in the next chapter. This happens repeatedly and makes it very difficult to connect with or believe in the characters. It feels like there is no connection between Tsula and Don, it is unclear what she likes about him or how they start/continue dating, the job/family/school situation gets all muddled up, and it just gets increasingly uninteresting. Meanwhile, every time it jumps to the (highly unrealistic) story about the wolves, that story is going in a straight line. Why have two completely different story telling styles within the same book? Why make more connection to the wolves than the people who are working to save them? And really, what is the point of the wolf story anyway?

Overall it just felt like a story that didn't know where it was going or what it wanted to be, and by the end I was just waiting for it all to wrap up. As this is part of an apparent trilogy it did not do so, but there is not enough interest to continue on reading anything further from this.

[Jeannie Massie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was wonderful looking forward to the next part.

[R Thorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new book is a fun mix: Call of the Wild meets Ready Player One.

The novel opens with the wolf storyline, and we are treated to a moving portrait of life in a wolf pack, showing how each wolf depends upon the others. Something (no spoiler) has invaded their hunting ground and apparently is picking off members of their pack, one by one. The story focuses on the rising alpha pair, Kan and Lana, as they try to uncover the mystery and pull their pack together in the crisis. I enjoyed the characterization of these two, but there are many other wolves in the story, and each has its own qualities. Danuwa makes an imposing challenger, and there is quite a lot of pack politics--who aligns with whom?

Thoughtfully woven together with these wolf chapters are episodes in the lives of a video-game designer and an animal-rights activist. Don Williams, the designer, largely lives in the "virtual world" of his games--though we only get a brief glimpse into one game Transylvania Nights, which pits a Lara-Croft-type character (Brie Washington) against werewolves. After a childhood accident with a large dog, he retreats into the games, and in this backstory we get glimpses into the influence of Don's parents, both workaholic doctors. Don frequently has difficulty expressing his emotions. His great dream is to work for one of these gaming companies and pioneer a radical virtual-reality technology that will interact directly with the human brain (and not indirectly through our senses). Don runs with his plan until in graduate school he meets Tsula Watie.

Tsula, the animal-rights activist, is drawn to Don's creativity, despite his social awkwardness, and she challenges him to reconsider his "retreat" from the real world. Don is drawn to her passion, and encounters with her and her storyteller father introduce Don to something deep, primal, mystical in real-life wolves that shows Don wild animals are not just vicious monsters (like the dog that bit him when he was a boy or the exaggerated werewolves of the video games he plays).

The book builds to two significant choices:
(1) How will the wolf pack survive the mystery they uncover? Will they be forced to abandon their home and look for another?
(2) As Don and Tsula grow closer together, how will they negotiate their differences? Will Don turn away from his dream job to follow Tsula in her activism for wolves?

So how do the two stories connect? That is the biggest mystery of the novel, and I would not spoil that for you. As you read along, you will develop your own theory, but the last pages of the book leave us with an intriguing possibility--I didn't really expect it, and now I'm looking forward to the next book!

[Erica Crockett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Creative Tale of the Lives of Humans and Wolves

This isn't typically the kind of book I read. But Mr. Brett had me intrigued by his parallel narratives in Wolf Code. One story line follows the travails of a pack of wolves while the other follows the romantic and moral development of humans. The plots inform and brush against one another; the reader feels there is a distinct weave that binds the narratives together.

Wolf Code straddles two worlds and each has its own characters and concerns. It's a coming of age story for the alpha male of the wolf pack and the academic engineer with a penchant for virtual reality gaming. But it's also a romance, as we see the affection and love the alpha wolf has for his mate and pack and we watch the narrator, Don, make decisions about his life path in order to get the girl and become a better version of himself. The subject matter is timely enough, touching on the emerging worlds of next-gen gaming and the fight to save our environment and the creatures within it. It takes a creative mind to link the two topics together.

Brett has a descriptive style of storytelling and immerses his readers in the sounds and sensations of a wolf pack struggling to survive in an icy expanse of treacherous terrain. Perhaps his greatest strength is the meta-element he brings to Wolf Code. Just as Don and his former-student and love interest Tsula care about the plight of wolves and take actions within the story to encourage understanding of their world, Brett does just that by putting us in the action of the wolf Kan and his mate Lana. It took some planning and tight structuring to pull off but he did it. The meta-storytelling lends a complex dimension to this new world.

I look forward to delving into the world of both his human and lupine characters with another Wolf Code story. Brett did his research and put in the time to craft a story with memorable scenes and realistic dialogue. A well done, clean and YA accessible read.

[Brantley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Planned as the first volume of a trilogy, Wolf Code is an intriguing story in its own right, and shows a lot of promise for the volumes to come. Its two storylines - one about an endangered wolf pack, and the other about a young programmer's transforming relationship with an animal activist - are deftly interwoven. The ordering of the chapters and the repetition of key themes and images allows parallels between wolf and human behavior to emerge without being too heavy-handed, and the stories are intercut in a way that maintains momentum in each. The wolf chapters are particularly absorbing and informative - I felt I was actually learning about the life and society of wolves. Both the storylines also raise some real questions about loyalty, belonging, and what it means to try to make a difference in the world around you. The human characters aren't quite as captivating as the wolves, but by the end I had come to have a real interest in their decisions and fates. It is easy for first-in-a-series novels to get heavy on exposition, but Chandler Brett has avoided that trap here. Plenty of intriguing hints are dropped at where things might go and what might become important, but the foreshadowing never gets in the way of this volume's story moving ahead.
Wolf Code is an entertaining read, but also a gently thought-provoking one - a combination not always easy to find. I look forward to what is next for all the creatures in Brett's world.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wolf pack struggling to reorganize after the death of the Alpha male flees through the wintry woods, escaping the only predator capable of taking down their strongest member - an Amur tiger. The wolves must work together as partners to survive.

On a college campus, a graduate student name Don seeks a partnership of his own, a younger student name Tsula who organizes an activist effort to change the way human beings see wolves.

Shifting between the two seemingly disparate portraits of Earth's creatures, wolves and humans, the reader is compelled to compare and contrast the relationships between male and female counterparts and the hierarchy that exists in every social system.

Chandler Brett uses the two worlds to speak out about the typical human views of nature: that anything wild is primitive and dangerous. Many of Earth's creatures are demonized for their methods of survival. Tsula asks that human beings respect the ways of the wolf and other creatures, allowing them the space they need to survive. In order to win her affection, Don must examine his life goals and how best to use his skills in technology.

This well-written novel offers a depiction of life within a wolf pack with the wolves as the characters, giving homage to the narrative style of Rudyard Kipling. Each section of the novel draws you forward on a steady path through an intense chapter in the lives of both wolves and the humans who protect them.

[Story Blogger · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's NOT about werewovles! It's a good book with a sweet love story at the heart of it. Wolf Code explores Don and Tsula's relationship as it begins, and Lana and Kan's (a pair of wolves) as a they make significant changes to theirs. Really liked a lot of the secondary characters in this one (special shoutout to Don's roommate, with his irresistible Russian accent) and the pull between possibilities for the future. It made for a good, thought-provoking read.

[Tim Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a well-crafted story about individual passions and how relationships might define them. Beyond the surface topics of gaming/virtual reality and the plight of the wolves, an inspiring story about life and love emerges. The parallel stories are masterfully handled by a skilled writer. As a reader, you are easily invested into the characters in Book 1, and this creates a loyalty that sets up real anticipation for the next installment.

[James Vachowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I hate to make comparisons to books that I’ve never read, Wolf Code is probably the werewolf equivalent of Twilight. And even though I’m a guy, I meant that in a good way. Even though this is a romance, it’s ultimately readable and actually enjoyable, even for those with limited interest in the supernatural. Come join the pack, you won’t regret it.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong start to an intriguing book series. Perfect for the YA reader yet still entertaining for adults, A Sheltering Wilderness (Wolf Code #1) combines action, romance, technology, and the thrill of being part of a wolf pack. Fast paced and exciting.

[Nevaeh Covell]

not that great but good