Wolf Warrior: The Beast Heart Series Book #2 by Erin Tunney tests the powerful and heroic Clara, a human with the powers of the Wild Shepherdess. Clara and her companions: a unicorn and harpies, Twitch and Shard, of the Reptilia and Sand Dwarf Clans are allies against evil. The Selkies take two of Clara’s companions as prisoner for a purported assault against a selkie, and now they must stand trial. When the trial starts earlier than Clara and her friends had expected, Clara must learn water magic to confront Queen Sedna, the queen of the selkies, in the deep, freezing ocean waters.
At first, Clara lacks confidence. She isn’t sure she can be much help to her friends. She tries water magic, but being human presents awful limits. Twitch and Shard, “the first real friends she’s ever had,” are in danger. Unless Clara can learn more powerful magic, the threats just keep growing.
Queen Sedna requests audience with Clara. In private. The queen presents an offer, and a task. Destroy the Leviathan. When Clara steps up to the Queen’s challenge, her true colors start to shine through. She is a sympathetic heroine with moments of power balanced with moments of vulnerability.
What makes this novel hard to put down is as Clara turns from one challenge to the next, the reader follows her development of skills. Will she ever master water magic? Will she ever develop other secret skills that make her a hero among the Beast Hearts?
Multiple villains manipulate and control all varieties of creatures, and all kingdoms of the world are so at war with each other that they are all under threat of total destruction; amidst these high stakes, Clara shows mercy, kindness, and bravery that helps to build bonds with the most vulnerable creatures.
While none of Clara’s painful memories ever go away, she is able to move forward, using the pain to fuel her courage. We learn that while magic can heal physical injuries and keep the soul intact, empathy is the best balm for the emotional wounds.
In this world, where beasts are mistreated by cruel despots, Clara finds herself fighting the Leviathan and other enemies alone. Whether she is on the scorched battlefields of fire dragons and hellhounds, crazed pirates, or in audience with the possessed selkie queen, Clara rises above cruelty and challenges the darkest fate. At every turn, she faces real monsters. Just when we think Clara has mastered a newfound, special power, Duke Averance and his daughter Maroona assert their power over the realms. Clara must uncover hidden prophecies and unite the beasts. The further we read, the more we root for Clara. She must succeed. It’s a thrilling story. Clara’s friendships are tested, and she wonders who she can trust. Those who were once sworn enemies become united in struggles to save humanity, creatures, and magic. Clara is tested on another level as well, because she is human, and at any turn humans so easily weaken and become corrupt.
Quill says: Wolf Warrior is a top-rate fantasy offering an endearing heroine and much fodder for the imagination, while the plot contains satisfying twists and turns that come together in elegant ways. Five stars!
For more information about Wolf Warrior: The Beast Heart Series Book #2, please visit the author's website at: fantasyrealmbooks.wordpress.com
