‘Ma,’ the kid whispered. ‘Please. For a little while, could you stop making enemies of everyone we meet?’

Ree flexed her jaw. ‘That depends on them as much as me.’

Still on the hunt for a better life, one preferably not on the run, Ree and Javani find themselves lost on their search for the fabled Arestan. When Javani spots a man being attacked by a small group of bandits she cannot help but intervene to save the poor man’s life. Soon Javani and Ree find themselves sheltering in the man’s village, for their horses are almost spent and Ree’s injured leg desperately needs the rest. Yet all is not as it seems and where a seemingly idyllic life is present, there is always trouble brewing underneath. As bandits and a company of mercenaries who have been exploiting the villagers for a long time threaten to attack, Ree has her work cut out keeping everyone alive. Especially when those she strives to protect won’t defend themselves. 

The Company of the Wolf by David Wragg is the second novel in The Tales of the Plains trilogy and what a phenomenal sequel it is! You can expect Wragg’s humour, his morally grey characters and his action packed plot but what you’ll also find amongst this book is a thought provoking exploration into the nature of violence. 

This book reminded me a lot of The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie which happens to be one of my favourite standalones by the author. Yet where The Heroes gives us two sides of utterly morally corrupt characters quick to seek violence, Wragg presents an interesting look at how far a society can thrive with an abhorrence to violence and without ever resorting to it. How do they then defend themselves? It seems that in Ar Ramas the villagers are doing just fine, they grow food, they tend to the land and animals, they govern themselves and they pay a tax to the mercenaries, the Company of the Wolf, who so righteously claim to keep bandits away from them meaning the villagers can lead their life of peace and maintain their zero tolerance for violence. Once Ree looks just a little closer it becomes clear the village is ripe for exploitation and eventual invasion. Their idyllic lifestyle, where weapons of any kind are forbidden, is all well and good, until it isn’t and a threat in which they have no means to deal with happens. So naturally the blame falls to Ree, a woman who once prospered on violence, yet all she is guilty of is opening the villager’s eyes to what was right in front of them. Wragg makes us carefully see violence from very different points of view, in all its shades of grey, and I absolutely loved this.

“Ar Ramas stands for many things, but chief among them is the right to live without fear. The right to be left alone, to make a life of your choosing among those who feel the same. The right to leave behind the misery and privations we have known first-hand, and never look back.”

If there is one aspect I would say Wragg’s books excel at it is creating great character dynamics. In this instalment Ree and Javani’s mother/daughter relationship is still on prickly grounds as Javani begins to enter adolescence and have a strong willed mind of her own. In many ways both characters are alike in their stubbornness and both overwhelmed by their love. Ree is rightfully protective of Javani, and having never really been raised by her own parents, she has very little knowledge in how to handle most situations. She is there for Javani nonetheless and does the best she knows how to do. Javani on her part cares for Ree immensely, most of her motivations are to become strong and skilled enough to help Ree, given that her mother is now older and significantly injured. She’s at that age where you see your parents as vulnerable and Ree is at the point of seeing Javani becoming an adult. Both prospects are terrifying and unsettling, yet it is also a part of life and is well played out here to deliver compelling character growth. 

Then there are the people of Ar Ramas and their dynamics. Right from the onset I knew there were hidden pasts to all these characters but a few still took me by surprise in truly fun ways. Camellia was the most open in her dislike of Ree and her notion of retaining peace in Ar Ramas, even at the cost of losing a significant amount of their stores. She’s a character who frustrated me with her ideals but also made me wonder what had made her this way. Then there was Master Keretan, Mani and Volkan who were also strongly backing Camellia’s argument for they felt secure in their position, they were ignorant to the real world but when you’ve lived happily secluded for so long, it’s natural to forget what the world outside looks like. On the other side was Mariam and Vida, the two smiths, who clearly knew their way around weaponry. My favourite however was grumpy Anri, the hunter and shy and quiet Sweeper, but I’ll let readers find out about both of these themselves!

As always Wragg also gives us many characters to despise and these mainly come from the mercenary side. However, Inaï Manatas is an excellent example of a mercenary who is so tired of all the shit that comes his way, he just wants to retire somewhere warm and leave his fighting days behind. Yet being part of The Company of the Wolf doesn’t allow him to do that, especially when the company has Lado of Cstethia in their midst. I really was fond of poor Manatas, not only did his plight make me laugh on several occasions but the fact that Manatas was never one for unnecessary violence and is ultimately a fair man surrounded by ruthless ones, made me care for him too. 

‘There are always going to be wankers out there, looking to prey on weakness, and if you make yourself a target you’ll start attracting them

sooner or later.’

The Company of the Wolf is a fun filled fantasy Western where underdogs face impossible odds and make their last stand. This is a low fantasy with high stakes that I guarantee will grip you to the very end. 

ARC provided by David Wragg in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the copy! All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. 

The Company of the Wolf is due for publication 29th August. You can pre-order your copy HERE