DescriptionPopular picture-book author Juliette MacIver has written a brilliant junior fiction novel trilogy, utilising her lyrical way with words in a gripping adventure story that will keep readers enthralled. In this first story, we meet the lovable Faelan, who has always believed himself to be an orphan, then finds his father is still alive … and it may be the terrible, fearsome white wolf, Varg!SynopsisIn the time-honoured tradition of anthropomorphic fantasy books such as Watership Down, The Duncton Chronicles and Redwall, Faelan is a story that centres on a pack of wolves, but pitched at ages 8-12.Faelan is a little different from the rest of the pack. For one thing, he’s a vegetarian with a love of music and human things. He keeps a harp hidden, which his mother had taught him to play – it’s his guilty pleasure. His best friend is a skunk named Flora, much to the other wolves’ disgust.Faelan believes he is an orphan; his father died when he was born, and his mother was killed in an accident. However, Tala, the daughter of the Pack Leader, lets slip to Faelan that his father is still alive, and that he was banished from the pack. Tala’s father Bardolph is in failing health and her brother Weylin, a jumped-up, cocky young wolf who is Faelan’s sworn enemy, is preparing to take over the pack. And when he does, he’s made it quite clear that Faelan will not be welcome. Tala is determined that Weylin should not rule. Read the full synopsis in the teacher’s notes.About the Kiwi authorJuliette MacIver is an award-winning children’s picture book author of many titles such as the wonderful Marmaduke Duck series, Henry Bob Bobbalich, Grasshoppers Dance and Tom and the Dragon. Juliette has a BA in Linguistics, and Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the Trinity College of London, and is part-way through a Master’s degree, also in linguistics. She lives near Wellington with her husband and four children.
