Outdoor Mum, lover of nature& the wild, and parent of a childhood cancer survivor. I LOVE being outdoors & have experienced the benefits of nature & the wild during serious illness. I also went to literally the edge of the world to outer Siberia, up through the Bering Straights to somewhere called Wrangel Island, which was the last home of the woolly mammoth. Of course I didn’t see any mammoths, but we did find a tusk embedded in a riverbed which went into the story, and lots of polar bears! One day a few of us were in a rubber dinghy bobbing around on the sea at the bottom of a cliff, and suddenly one of us looked up and there we saw a polar bear standing right at the edge of the cliff looking down at us, clearly thinking “how do I get down so I can eat these people?” and that’s something else that’s gone into the story.

In COAD we watched Torak grow from a Stone-Age boy of 12 summers to the teen that he is when Viper’s Daughter is set, two years after the the end of the last book, Ghost Hunter. Lucy has a lifelong passion for nature & the transforming benefits of getting outside, especially since her daughter's cancer diagnosis in 2017. She loves walking, travelling & exploring with her family, dog & camper van. She helped rescue 28 swans & set up a Forest School in 2002 & cries every time she sees a whale in the wild! Lucy aims to inspire families to connect with nature & love the great outdoors Here are some stone age survival techniques your children can try at home, from a workshop we attended a few years ago, and you can read about the time I went snow hole digging in Scotland– the nearest I’ve come to one of Michelle’s own investigative expeditions. Mammuts, Ice Caves & Magic Michelle’s detailed investigation brings to life everything about the ancient culture of the story; the foods they eat, how they cook, their clothes, hunting techniques, the shelters they build. One of the things I love about Viper’s Daughter is that Michelle continues the brilliant educational value within the storylines. Torak and his companions are fictitious but the pre-historic world they inhabit is painstakingly researched by the author’s first-hand exploration into similar landscapes in our own times. I’m not in any way in the slightest little bit at all jealous honestly…The sequel finds Torak once again battling demons (literally and figuratively) on a quest to save Renn who has mysteriously disappeared. After six similar storylines (think Star Wars), the series could have been in danger of becoming formulaic but Michelle’s wolf-like nose for storytelling and faith in extravagant adventures results in yet another fresh, exciting and inspiring tale. It’s a historical adventure series about clans and bone-kin. In some of Torak’s first adventures he finds himself alone, his parents are dead and he has always lived apart from the clans. He happens upon a lone wolf cub and together they begin their journey to destroy demons and break the Soul Eaters, with the help of their Mage friend Renn. Apex Legends has just launched its ‘Stories from the Outlands – Northstar’ cinematic video. It starts by showing us a grieving girl kneeling next to a pilot’s destroyed helmet. This girl is none other than Valkyrie, daughter of the infamous Titanfall pilot Viper.

So before you hear what I thought of the book, here is Caroline’s review, penned within hours of receiving Viper’s Daughter by post (and submitted to school via Google classroom, during the time of Coronavirus Covid-19!) I do masses of self-editing while I’m writing the book, which means that when my wonderful editor Fiona Kennedy finally sees it, there’s nothing structural that needs doing; although Fiona’s comments and suggestions are always invaluable. The editing process with her takes about three weeks. It’s mostly about adding little touches: bringing out Torak and Renn’s feelings, tightening scenes, clarifying. The aim is to make the story as evocative and full of action and emotion as I possibly can. Great review Stacey, this is the first time I have heard or seen this book and it really looks and sounds like an amazing middle-grade book. I am really glad you fully enjoyed reading this book. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.I did lots of archaeological research into the Stone Age, but crucially, I “put flesh on the bones” by visiting people who still live in traditional ways: the Sami in Lappland, the Inuit in the Arctic, the Chukchi in Siberia, the clans of the Pacific Northwest. I’ve drawn on these for details of clothing, survival, the clans’ beliefs about life and death, healing and hunting. Obviously these aren’t “facts” about the Stone Age, but by studying more recent hunter-gatherers, I’ve tried to create an authentic Mesolithic world. And I’ve been delighted to find that the books have found favour with many archaeologists. That said, only a tiny bit of all this research finds its way into the finished book: I don’t want to slow it down! Viper’s Daugher is an adventure. The little bits of research are there make the reader feel he or she is living the adventure with Torak, Renn and Wolf. I’d never planned to write another Wolf Brother book, but Torak, Renn and Wolf simply didn’t leave me. Also, fans of the books never stopped asking, “Please please can you write another one?” Then a few years ago I was in arctic Norway, trudging through the snow, when I saw the aurora borealis pointing north. That gave me such a strong idea for a story that I had to write it. As for reservations about returning to Torak’s world, I had none whatsoever, because I knew I had a great new story – and a stonkingly good villain. Wild wishes to you all for an unforgettable reading expedition into the ancient world of Torak, Wolf and Renn!