I Am Wolf

I Am Wolf #1

by Alastair Chisholm

Coll is Wolf.

He lives with his clan on a Construct, a huge technological “creature” driven by the clan’s combined willpower. Together they roam their world, fighting other clans and absorbing them into their own.

But when a new and dangerous Construct attacks them, Coll is thrown clear from Wolf and left behind. Now he must survive life on ground and get back to his clan. He is helped by Rieka, a “Tock” who makes the Constructs work. She promises Coll a way to return, but can she be trusted? And what is she really trying to do…?

When Coll uncovers the truth, it destroys everything he thought he knew about his clan, the world they live in, and even himself. In a world full of danger, and suddenly without meaning, can he find a way back?

Genres: Science Fiction, Middle Grade, Technology, Childrens

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2024

About the author

Alastair is an award-winning children's author and puzzle creator. He's the author of the sci-fi middle-grade adventures ORION LOST and ADAM-2 , and children's picture books THE PRINCE AND THE WITCH AND THE THIEF AND THE BEARS and INCH AND GRUB, as well as books of Sudoku, Kakuro and other puzzles, including the Kids' Book of Sudoku and Kids' Book of Kakuro series.

Alastair lives in Edinburgh with his wife (who is lovely), two children (who are lovely but very loud), and a cat who is yowling at him even though there is clearly food in her bowl, look, it’s right there, *look*.

You can follow him on Twitter at @alastair_ch

Reviews

[Sam Ing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, devouring it over 2 days. I love the imagination of a world where people live on giant animals called Constructs. We meet a boy called Cal who has two prosthetic limbs. His story develops over the book, and we find out what kind of a person he could turn out to be in the future books. I just love the way the author has brought the story alive and it is a great way to show children that it doesn't matter what we look like or where we come from, what we are told, we can be friends and form strong bonds. This is a beautiful book to read with a class.

[Jeanny · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was great!
Classic childrenbook themes, like friendship, family, belonging while being different, but in an original setting.
Exciting, brutal, sad, funny - all at once.
And the German cover is to die for!

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best middle grades books I've read in ages. Coll is part of a crew who live on a Construct that is like a giant mechanical wolf. They are a tight knit group and protect their territory from other Constructs. Coll is a bit different in that he has a prosthetic arm and leg, and some in his crew think he is not worthy to be Wolf. When Wolf is drawn into a battle against Raven and Dragon, Coll is accidentally left behind by his crew and he has to team up with a few other outliers to learn how to survive. I loved that Coll's differences aren't the main point of the story - his physical differences are a challenge but they don't define him. The author has done this really well! The story is exciting, with danger and tension, and there is a lovely theme of friendship and teamwork. There are some great moments of humour too, which made me laugh out loud. The characters might be doing dangerous stuff, but they are still kids so it's refreshing that their behaviour is spot on for their ages. I'm really pleased to see there is going to be a sequel and I plan to buy extra copies of this for my school library. I reckon lots of my students are going to love this!

[Kirsten Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley for a copy of this ebook - I will be purchasing paper copies and gifting them at Christmas.

This is one of my favourite reads this year - I devoured it so quickly that I want the next book now!

Set in a time where mechanical beasts roam the earth, they are powered by anthryl - is it magic? Is it science?
Living inside are the crew and we are immediately introduced to the protagonist - Coll. He is a great main character as, at times I found him to be frustrating - he didn't always make the best choices and I was yelling in my head for him to accept himself! (He wasn't ready to hear that though)

I adored his character development and want to find out what happens next. It's a mix of sci-fi and steam punk. A splash of mystery and a theme of belonging and fitting in.

A brilliant read!!

[Hannah Rials Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can so easily see this book being made into a video game, and I feel like that’s a good sell for gaming kids. Loved the found family, the action, the metal constructs, and character arcs. Could’ve done with a bit more world building just to really cement everything in my mind though.

[➳Elizabeth Rose♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. The only reason I’ve knocked off a star is because there wasn’t much world building in the beginning. It took me a while to work out what was actually going on, not ideal particularly in a kids book!
However it really picked up and I’m looking forward to the next one coming out!

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant. enjoyed every second, great world building, compelling characters, satisfying arc, wondeful action. emotional. 5/5 cant wait to read the next one

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am Wolf.
Alastair Chisholm
Nosy Crow
Publishes 9th May 2024

Coll’s whole life is Wolf; it always has been. Operating Wolf with his crew all focused on the same movements, the collective will to drive Wolf on and protect Wolf territory is all he knows. When Wolf is attacked and Coll falls from her, he is thrown into a state of panic and normlessness. He will have to adapt in order to survive.

This is a story about identity: Coll wears prosthetic limbs and has always felt the need to prove himself, even on Wolf, amongst his own. Being separated from his clan, where survival is the reward, and where he must rely on others too, Coll is pushed to examine his identity and challenge his mindset, learning what can be achieved with a shift in thinking.

A lot is achieved in only 240 pages. Alastair Chisholm has created a world we can believe in. I was gripped from start to finish and found Coll a compelling lead. He has also shown where sources of conflict and intrigue lie in the subsequent books.

As I approached the end, I was watching the page count dwindle and it became very clear this this is to be considered part of a wider work. However, the ending was still well managed and I didn’t feel short-changed.
I love the premise- the Constructs remind me of the Jaegers in Pacific Rim, albeit with more of a raw connection with the natural world around them.

I will definitely recommend this book to my pupils- they will love it and I can’t wait to pick up the story again in ‘I am Raven’ - Caw! Caw!

Thanks to @alastairchisholm @netgalley and @nosycrow for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Les McFarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. In the first few pages my mind kept flicking back to the Giants that visit cities around the world- they came to Liverpool not that long ago. Having watched the crew work together to control those massive creatures - I couldn’t help but compare.
In this book’s bleak landscape, where only the strongest survive, crews of people use Constructs to roam & find the highly prized Anthryl & to take control of territory. Anthryl, the nano technology that holds together the Constructs also provides protagonist Coll with a prosthetic lower arm & leg. The crew don’t like weakness or difference - but they tolerate Coll because their Alpha is his mother.
Coll’s Construct is Wolf. Wolf is hurt during a fight & Coll & a young boy, that has come from Boar, get separated from Wolf. As they try to get back on to her they find a tech bowling out of Wolf on her own volition. They’re soon left behind. They find they’re being watched by one of Raven’s crew that has become separated from her Construct & crew. Despite her prickly ways they decide they must stick together. The four of them- despite different agendas- have to work together to stay alive.
Here starts a perilous adventure to get back to Wolf. Although the land they travel through is merciless, the emotional journey they make is just as full of frightening & frustrating hurdles. They come to realise that family & crew are created by being able to face who and what you truly are so you can connect with others fully. The strength of those bonds is measured by how much you’re willing to give and how much you trust in the crew that you create.

Pacey, action packed, thought provoking, vicious & tender. Looking at what makes us different & how much we are the same. A really good read for nine to thirteen year olds (or sixty year olds 🤦🏼‍♀️)

Loved Orion Lost & love I Am Wolf too!

[Gemma Batters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mad Max for kids. This story is incredibly creative and imaginative. I love dystopian novels and this doesn’t disappoint. Something has happened long ago, some kind of apocalypse and all that’s left is a little technology that people will kill for - nanobytes that allow humans to create and move around gigantic robotic animals.

There are themes of found family, unlikely friendships and questioning of core beliefs.

This is the first in an exciting trilogy and I can’t wait to find out about how the lands came to be wasted, who first invented the constructs, and what is in ‘The North’?!

Publication date is May 9th.

[Tracy Lander · Rating 5 out of 5]

So having read I Am Raven, I then got to read this from school....bit back to front and I strongly suggest you read them in the right order but...

This filled in the story that I hadn't quite got from I Am Raven.
Coll is a boy on board Wolf - his mother is Alpha - head of Wolf. He has a prosthetic leg and arm. Something Alpha fought for him to have, as well as keeping him onboard.
Wolf have just killed Hyena and then stopped at Scatter, a town under Wolf' protection. They need anthryl for repairs, the Mayor laughs and says they is more than the town is worth in Coll's arm! They are told of a Antoid colony that have been seen scavenging, they might have some. On the way back to Wolf, Coll saves a small boy - a Boar child - from other children. He takes him on board and is told he will have to look after him! He calls him Fillan.
When they get to the colony, they see ants but then Raven appears. They are called back to the deck quickly. Raven and Wolf fight...but they are a close match. They need to make repairs quickly but to be careful of Raven...then another construct is spotted on the horizon. Dragon. Neither Wolf nor Raven are afraid of her, but this could now be a fight between three and Wolf and Raven are already wounded As Coll and Fillan and the scouts from Wolf attempt to collect their finds Raven is attacked and killed by Dragon. How did this happen? Was Raven so weakened?
Wolf calls it's crew for a fight. But as Coll and Fillan grab a rope - they are knocked off by Reika, a Tock, who appears to have been coming down. As Dragon attacks Coll calls to his friends but they can't hear him and then Wolf retreats leaving him, Fillan and Reika behind.
When he wakes, he tries to leave but he isn't well and Reika soon brings him back. She explains what she wants, to follow a signal from the North. She tells him she will help find Wolf, but then leave. Reika says she can rebuild Raven - into something new - on Raven they find - a young ant, Fillan wants to keep it. But they also find - Brann - she is Raven and she attacks them. She tells the story of how Raven ended up in Wolf territory, and that she has no idea what happened to the crew. Of how relentless Dragon was.
They make a new construct but all disagree about how to power it - it requires their call - Coll is Wolf, Fillan is Boar, Brann is Raven - the poor little construct doesn't know what to be. In the end they have a wolf cub - then just Cub, but this is no ordinary construct - it can be all three of them!

Can they find Wolf and put Coll back where he wants to be?
Who do they meet on the way?

Absolutely stunning series of books, can't wait for book 3 now. If your child is slightly too young for this - try the Dragon Storm series they are very popular at school.

[whatbooknext · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coll is Wolf. He lives, breathes and believes this. After all, Wolf is his entire life.

Wolf is the strongest machine-like animal in Will's world and he is honoured to work and live upon her. There are many others alongside Coll, including the tech experts, or Tocks as they are called, who ensure the smooth running of Wolf and who also take care of the compound called anthryl. This is dark liquid metal that brings the metal armour, pistons and machinery within Wolf, to life.

Coll is also grateful to be on Wolf as their leader - named Alpha, is also his mother. He knows without her fighting for his right to have some of that precious anthryl, he would have been tossed off Wolf, and left alone at the mercy of the elements. His anthryl runs his prosthetic arm and leg, but also marks him as weak and different. To keep his place on Wolf he constantly tries to prove his place to his fellow crew and Alpha.

Crossing their lands, they encounter other Constructs with their own crews - all looking for supplies and ready to fight for them. Hyena, Raven, Puma, Boar all have their own territories and there are others, further afield.

When a battle goes wrong and Coll finds himself unable to get back to Wolf, he meets others on their own. Rieka from Wolf. Fillan from Boar, and Brann from Raven. Can they put aside their prejudices honed since birth, to work together? After all, it will be the only way to survive.


Action. Team work, and hive-mind battles. A dystopian original world where humans live on giant machines that look and behave like animals. A hive-mind like force between the humans on board, works with a liquid metal compound, binding their actions and thoughts together.

Their world is a harsh one, and the only way they know how to survive is to fight each other for the tools and resources they need. The best way to achieve this is to kill another Construct Animal and take their parts.

Main character Coll is twelve years of age, but seems much more mature. Despite his mother being the leader (Alpha) of their crew aboard Wolf, she is cold and distant. The only way Coll knows she cares even a little, is how she fought to get him what he needed to survive with a limb difference.

This difference makes Coll more determined and tougher, in order to prove himself. It was interesting to see him change from the boy he was born to be, eg. a part of Wolf, into who he needed to be - leader of another crew. This new crew had proven themselves to him with their loyalty, courage and hive-mind of their own.

Looking forward to the next book in this series and learning more about this imaginative world.

Age - 10+

[Favole.S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coll lebt zusammen mit seinem Clan auf dem Konstrukt "Wolf", einer riesigen Maschine in der Form eines Wolfes. Ihre Aufgabe ist es, ihr Territorium zu durchstreifen und es vor anderen Konstrukten zu verteidigen. Coll ist dabei allerdings eher ein Außenseiter, denn wegen seiner künstlichen Gliedmaßen wird er als schwach angesehen. Doch Coll möchte beweisen, dass er trotzdem stark genug ist, vor allem Alpha, seiner Mutter, die in erster Linie als Anführerin denn als Mutter agiert.
Coll ist wirklich stur und versucht am Ende nur Achtung von seiner Mutter zu erhalten. Es fällt ihm schwer, in andere Richtungen zu denken und krallt sich am Bekannten fest. Trotz alle war er mir sehr sympathisch, denn hier hat man mal einen Charakter, der sich nicht so schnell an seine neuen Gegebenheiten anpasst. Und genau das steht Coll hier bevor, denn er wird während eines Angriffs von Konstrukt "Drache" auf dem Boden zurückgelassen.
Schuld daran ist Rieka, die sich von "Wolf" loslösen und den Rätseln der Welt auf den Grund gehen will. Auch Fillan, ein Junge, der ehemals zu "Keiler" gehörte und von Coll aufgenommen wurde, ist mit am Boden. Doch die drei sind nicht allein, denn sie treffen auch auf Brann, die zu "Rabe" gehörte.
Damit entsteht eine bunt gemischte Truppe, die versuchen muss, sich zusammenzuraffen, um ihr Ziel zu erreichen.
Rieka ist eine wissbegierige junge Frau, die hinterfragt, warum die Konstrukte immer miteinander kämpfen müssen und wie es überhaupt dazu kam. Obwohl sie ihren eigenen Pläne hat, will sie erst Coll, Fillan und Brann helfen. Rieka kommt zwar oft mürrisch daher, hat aber ihr Herz am rechten Fleck.
Fillan ist ein sehr sensibler und netter Junge, der in Coll eine neue Familie gefunden hat, während Brann eher streitlustig ist und ständig mit Coll aneinandergerät.
Die vier erleben hier auf jeden Fall ihr eigenes Abenteuer und wachsen doch zusammen.
Die Welt mit ihren Konstrukten fand ich sehr interessant. Es wird gut erklärt, wie alles funktioniert, aber die Vergangenheit bleibt im Dunkeln. In diesem ersten Band geht es eher darum, "Wolf" zu finden und "Drache" zu konfrontieren und doch liegt die Charakterentwicklung gut mit im Vordergrund.
Ich fand dieses Buch jedenfalls sehr spannend und denke, das abenteuerliebende Kinder hier auch richtig wären. So eine Art Geschichte, wie man sie sonst nur aus Erwachsenenfilmen kennt, hat man selten geeignet für Kinder. Dazu ist das Buch auch nicht allzu umfangreich und die Kapitel nicht zu lang.
Ich jedenfalls freue mich auf den nächsten Band, wenn es heißt, dem Geheimnis dieser Buchwelt auf den Grund zu gehen.

[WildesKopfkino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also... was zum heulenden Maschinenwolf war das denn bitte für ein abgefahrenes Leseabenteuer?! Ich hab das Buch zusammen mit meiner Tochter als Buddyread verschlungen – eigentlich wollten wir nur reinlesen, aber zack, plötzlich war es Mitternacht und wir haben im Halbdunkel über Colls Schicksal diskutiert wie zwei Nerds beim Endkampf in einem Fantasy-Videospiel.

Die Idee mit den Tiermaschinen? Total irre – im besten Sinne! Ein Wolf, der gleichzeitig eine gigantische Kampfmaschine und Heimat ist? Mein inneres Kind hat applaudiert, während mein Erwachsenen-Ich still nickend dachte: „Okay, das ist echt cool gemacht.“ Meine Tochter fand die Raben natürlich am coolsten – klar, fliegen, klauen, Chaos stiften. Ich war Team Keiler. Keine Ahnung warum. Wahrscheinlich wegen der Durchsetzungskraft und dem underdog-Vibe.

Wir hatten so viele “Stopp, lies den Absatz nochmal!”-Momente, dass ich irgendwann ernsthaft erwogen hab, das Buch zu klonen, damit wir parallel weiterlesen können. Aber nein, wir haben tapfer gebuddyreadet, inklusive Diskussionen beim Abendbrot („Wem würdest du eher trauen – Keiler oder Rabe?“) und wilden Theorien vor dem Einschlafen („Was, wenn Coll gar kein richtiger Wolf ist?!“ – Spoiler: Keine Ahnung. Lies selbst.).

Was uns beide überrascht hat: Die Story ist ziemlich düster und hat ordentlich Wumms. Für ein angeblich “ab 10” angesetztes Buch fanden wir das schon sportlich. Klar, es ist verständlich geschrieben und die Kapitel fliegen nur so dahin – aber die Themen? Vertrauen, Verrat, Überleben, Identität... das hat mehr Tiefgang als man auf den ersten Blick denkt. Und Coll ist kein typischer Held – er zweifelt, er zögert, er wächst. Das fanden wir beide richtig stark.

Kurzum: Dieses Buch ist wie ein wilder Ritt auf dem Rücken eines mechanischen Wolfes – laut, schnell, emotional und voller Staub im Gesicht. Wir feiern’s! Und wir brauchen dringend Band 2. Am besten vorgestern.

[Milly Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal. Written for middle grade (9+) this is a super sci-fi read that will keep a youngster entertained. With its setting and concept even I enjoyed this. We are in a world where humans live on giant machines. These machines - or constructs look like and behave like animals. Coll lives on Wolf and there is a sort of hive-mind like force thatoperated the machines. The constant repetition of ‘Wolf’ as the machine moves works with a liquid metal - anthryl that moulds itself to their will, creating the machine’s actions from their thoughts, that brings the machine to life. On the machine, on Wolf, are ‘tocks’ who are like the engineer and Alpha, their leader. Alpha is also Coll’s mother and he knows that it is only through her that he is there. With a prosthetic arm and leg, he needs the anthryl to keep going. In this world the constructs fight with the winner taking the tools and resources needed to repair and keep going. Each construct has its own area, but sometimes they infiltrate another’s territory. When a battle goes against Wolf, Coll finds himself unable to get back to the machine and is left behind. When he finds others who are also alone, Reika, a Tock for Wolk, Brann who was left when her construct Raven was defeated, and Fillan from Boar and they form their own crew, they build their own construct with scraps scavenged from the defeated Raven. The book is about found family, how these four put aside their differences, how Coll grows from being the boy on Wolf to a courageous and loyal crew member. I enjoyed it.

[Lianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manchmal ist das, was wir wollen, nicht das, was das Richtige für uns ist. Und Zugehörigkeit muss nicht immer dort gefunden werden, wo man es erwartet. Diese tollen Botschaften stecken in diesem Jugend/Kinderbuch. Besonders das Setting und die Grundidee fand ich neuartig. Verschiedene Crews leben an Bord von riesigen Tierkonstrukten. Manche haben Territorien, die sie wenn nötig auch verteidigen. Den kriegerischen Aspekt finde ich zwar nicht ansprechend, aber das Bild von den Tiere und dem Zusammenhalt der Crewmitglieder untereinander, wie sie als eins agieren und das Erscheinungsbild der Konstrukte gemeinsam schaffen, fand ich spannend.
Coll gehört zu Wolf, doch als er bei einer Auseinandersetzung mit Drache, einem Konstrukt, das unerwartet stark geworden ist seit der letzten Sichtung, den Anschluss zu seiner Gruppe verliert und von Bord geht, muss er mit Fillian, der erst vor kurzem zu Wolf gestoßen ist und vorher auf Keiler war, Rieka, die unbedingt von Wolf weg will und Brann, einem Mädchen von dem kürzlich zerstörten Raben, zusammenarbeiten und ein völlig neues Konstrukt erschaffen und gemeinsam leiten.
Tolle Idee, gut umgesetzt und actionreich. Sprachlich haben mich ein wenig die Wiederholungen von Worten und Inhalten gestört, Aber ansonsten sehr zielgruppengerecht geschrieben.

[Kelly Garlinge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in a dystopian future where people have created giant metal animals, called Constructs, to live inside, this book follows young Cal as he finds his place in this bleak new world.
The vivid language quickly helps set up this world and the characters are well developed. Although there is a lot of new world language, from the "worms" living on the ground to the the nanobytes and anthryl that make this life possible, none of it feels overwhelming and you are soon transported to this new reality.
The world of I Am Wolf may be well-developed and believable but like all good dystopian novels, Cal has to face all too real problems. How do you find your place when you live in your Mum's shadow? How can you fit in when you are different from those around you? What does family really mean?
Apparently, I Am Wolf is the first book in a trilogy and although it is a great stand alone book, it definitely feels like there is more story to tell and I can see younger readers coming back for more.

Thanks to @netgalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest opinions.

[Snarhooked · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rounded up to 4.

Mortal Engines for a younger audience who like lots of battles in a book.

The book has good pace and I raced through it. I am intrigued by what the characters are going to discover about the origins of themselves and the Constructs. I would like to have learned more in this book but, as it is, it's an approachable length to encourage children to read it. That likely wouldn't have been the case if we'd learned more in this book, unless at the expense of some of the battle scenes. I'd rather more children picked up the first in a series and were excited to read the next than were initially put off choosing it because it looked too long.

I was more interested in the world building than the battle scenes but I can see those being the most enjoyable parts for some of my students. I liked the fact that the main character has limb difference and the practicalities and realities of that seemed to be represented well (albeit with futuristic prosthetics).

I will be interested in reading the next in the series.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Am Wolf is an exciting, engaging and fast-paced adventure story set in a dystopian world where everyone belongs to an animated beast called a Construct. Our hero, Coll, belongs to Wolf and is fiercely loyal to its crew who don't always reciprocate. Coll has artificial limbs and because his mother is senior in Wolf's leadership, the others think he is given preferential treatment. When Coll falls off Wolf and is left behind, he is devastated and needs to get back to his crew. However, he meets up with another abandoned person who also has loyalty to their construct, but this time it is a different beast. They take over an abandoned Construct and try to make their own animal but until they unite, they are in peril. This is such an interesting take on the sci-fi/dystopian genre where a symbiotic relationship with their Construct is explored alongside identity and belonging. It is the first in what will become a trilogy and I eagerly await book two!

[Ulrika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is tricky to review for me a I feel like I am not the target audience. Objectively it is a good adventure/dystopia/sci fi book for younger readers. As a secondary school librarian, I read lots of mid level and YA books and sometimes I read one that I can see some of my students really enjoying, even though I haven't enjoyed it as much. This is one of those.

The world Chisholm has created has huge potential, there is great representation in the book but I think the book suffers a little with the short length of the book. I also felt a little like I didn't warm very much to the characters which is unusual for me.

So: for readers aged 9-12 it could be a good read. Don't listen to and old lady like me :)

[Katie Holder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a reading challenge about varied representation of disability and was pleasantly surprised. The main character having a limb difference and delving into where this could be challenging in terms of attitudes towards them but not that being their only characteristic and demonstrating that they could still be a full character with necessary skills was refreshing as it was very well-written due to the research the author spent the time to put in, as evidenced by their mention of all the various charities they consulted.

The whole concept of the book was great and I loved the character development across the book and hope it continues in the sequel which I am now very much looking forward to.

[Louise Wilford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an original story. I loved it so much. It is about these machines called constructs, that have crew inside them, and with this special technology called anthryal, the crew and machine become connected and the machine kind of comes alive. Coll is part of the construct Wolf, but he kind of gets left behind one day. Then this group of kids/teenagers get themselves together and make their own construct and try to find where they belong. I loved the Cub construct, and how it became something unique. I loved that the story was about finding where you fit in the world and that you are worthy. I really hope there's a second book. I loved this one.

[Gabz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good story that makes you think without being moralistic. 

The hero, Coll, is so determined that he is Wolf that nothing else can exist in his mind. So the loss of Wolf, and the following adventures to return to her make for an interesting opportunity for growth and to finally find out who he really is. 

All the characters are vivid and the world is grim, but there's a silver lining and, as I say, some interesting thinking points. Looking forward to book 2. 

[Catherine Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sci fi /tech is not up my street at all, but this one I loved. So much so I'm going to get the next -I am Raven asap.
Entertaining, fast-paced, thoughtfully developed characters, difficult concepts skillfully approached; friendship, family, belonging, teamwork, and the importance of difference and representation. Everything one could hope for in a children's book that will appeal to all children.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having some free time today meant I could read this fabulous book in one setting. It’s a pacy adventure packed with action and tension, great characters and through it all, a journey about finding out who we are and who is really our family. Lots of cyberpunk/steampunk references plus inclusivity with the main character having limb differences.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly gripping MG Sci-fi read which gives much food for thought and potential for discussion around identity & belonging, being alone vs being part of the pack, and fitting in.

Works well as a standalone but the first instalment in a new series from the brilliant Alastair Chisholm. Perfect for age 9-12.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this - I only bought it last week because a bookshop owner was raving about it (this is why we hang out in independent bookshops, y'all - the people who run them curate their shelves with stories they love and want to talk about!). Big mechanical animals! That battle each other! Survival story! The author pulled it off for an upper middle grade audience (the ones you're desperate to find stories for, to keep them reading)! Was an instant buy for me, and I inhaled it and can't wait for the next one. Alastair Chisholm is one to watch.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inhaled in one sitting, this is a real page turner. Okay - I have a thing about books about wolves which may have attracted me to pick it up but I loved the take on this with the introduction of technology, searching for identity, journeys and found families. It would make a great read aloud with plenty of action but also ideas, emotions and motivations to unpack. Off now to find Book #2.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

my 5th book of the school year 7 Reading feast. very different from the others: a fantasy world where people live in huge metal animal-like constructs and battle each other for territory and survival.
first in an adventure series, nice characters, with ideas of identity, " the family you choose" and determination of own values.

[Alice Visser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting dystopian novel reminiscent of Mortal Engines by Reeve. Mechanical constructs take on collective identity of crew, but not everyone fits in neatly because of disability or difference. Too many battles for my taste but a solid world building novel.