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Animals are people too. If you don't believe me, give Wolf Hunting a shot, where animals are people, people are animals, and magic is not at all welcome.

Let's start with Truth, who is a jaguar. Not just any old big cat, but a wise jaguar, not only sentient and talented, but quite insane. Part of this has to do with the fact that her mind and body have been separated due to a magical cataclysm that happened in the prior book. I haven't read the first two books in this series (though I intend to now) and I'm happy to say that Wolf Hunting is perfectly enjoyable taken as a stand-alone volume. It drew me in, made me love the characters (quirks included) and entertained me the way a good book should.

Truth is a great character, but my favorite is Firekeeper, a human raised by wolves. More than that, she actually feels like a wolf in human form. Firekeeper's wolfish ways make her extremely fun to watch, particularly because humans seem to treat her more like a wolf than a human, with good cause. Firekeeper isn't your typical heroine, if there is such a thing, in that she is flawed in a number of ways, not the least of which is her lack of patience. She also suffers a jumbo sized guilt complex, which is how she is pulled into the plot in an effort to help Truth, to whom she feels indebted, regain her sanity. In freeing Truth, Firekeeper may have released a creature that may be a threat to the world as they know it. Thus the stage is set for a quest to find the unfindable, with no real scent to follow.

The book is filled with characters that are very real, and not your typical fantasy fare. This makes the book for me. Everyone has motivations, everyone has their own goals and the "pack" they form to follow their quarry to an exciting conclusion is anything but typical.

For example, Plik was a maimalodalum... a unique creature from a society of unique creatures, created by magic gone awry. Hidden from the eyes of humanity, the maimalodalum live on an island, shamed by their deformity. Plik, named for the sound a drop of water makes when it hits a stone, is part man, part raccoon, and completely delightful. His talent at "hearing" magic gets him a ticket to join Firekeeper's odd pack, which finally consists of two humans, a wise horse, two wise ravens, a wise wolf (Firekeeper's companion) and of course Truth, the mad wise jaguar who might or might not be hearing voices.

Wolf Hunting is an exceptional book from a talented author. Not fast paced by any means, Ms. Lindskold delves into the character's minds and hearts, sharing with us their strengths, weaknesses, hopes and fears. If you like innovative character-driven fantasy, then get yourself a copy of Wolf Hunting. The magic is only just beginning.

Steve Lazarowitz is a speculative fiction writer, an editor, a father, a husband, an animal lover and a heck of a nice guy (not necessarily in that order). Steve lives in Moonah, Tasmania with his family and four giant spiny leaf insects. You can check out his work at http://www.dream-sequence.net.