Not knowing anything of his past and unaware of how he came to be in an orphanage, Nicholas lived a horrible life in a world where hunger and daily beatings were the norm, but after many years of living as Ranik's captive, Nicolas finally came to understand the purpose of his capture and the truth of his wretched path.
I liked the idea initially. The story is told from the perspective of a young boy who has been in a horrible orphanage. He does not speak the language, though learns to understand, and then he is taken away by a mysterious stranger to a castle where he is fed, clothed...but maybe not safe. I enjoyed his learning process, partly because he wasn't quite as passive or slow as his caretakers thought. The boy is rather devious, actually, and its best never to assume children aren't paying attention, that they don't get at least some part of what is going on around them.
Then, apparently, the author realizes she must wrap up the story or prepare for sequel - and there may be one, but since its not "Stonewolf (Something #1)" I assume there isn't.
Nicholas is taken from the Orphanage – a terrible place run by the intimidating Matron – to live in a castle (where exactly this is, he has no idea) where he is cared for and finally has enough to eat. His new guardians, Ranik and the rest of the Synod, have some purpose for him that he has yet to discover. Nicholas has learned a few things from his time in the Orphanage – keep quiet, stay out of sight, and don’t let on that you know anything. Somehow he manages to keep secret the fact that he understands his keepers’ language. They continue to address him in English when they want him to know what they are talking about, and speak in their own language when they do not. And so he learns that he is someone important to them, and that they want to get some secret from him, from his mind. And that they are running out of time. Nicholas’ other discovery is the library that lies beneath his room. He sneaks down there during storms and teaches himself to read, increasing his experience of the world. He learns how his captors keep watch over him, he learns that they can’t see him without electricity.
Then they start giving Nicholas the truth serum. It’s supposed to make him tell them what they want to know. But he’s blocked somehow. Or they aren’t asking him the right questions. All he can tell them is that there’s a dog, and his name is Wuffy. And he was a BAD DOG. One of the keepers, Wark, believes that he can do more with Nicholas. But he is kept from him, as his methods have killed his other victims. The Synod grows impatient, however, and one last effort is made to unblock Nicholas’ mind – they bring in a girl, Lark, who lives on the streets. She is hired to pump him for information. But she’s not that attached to her keepers either. She and Nicholas become friends, and when Nicholas learns that they are going to kill Lark and then use a machine to extract what he knows (which will kill him) he convinces her that they must escape. They are tracked, but manage to throw off their pursuers several times.
Nicholas has brought a book along with him from the library – the story of a dog named Wuffy. In his final moments at the castle he has an insight into what the Synod wants from him, and the book has the answer. His mother left him a message written into one of the illustrations that tells him where in the book he can find the “formula” that the Synod is seeking. She also gives him the name of a man who can help him. Nicholas discovers the formula and then destroys the page that holds it. He does not mention it to Lark, so that if they are recaptured, she won’t be able to tell the men anything. They manage to find safety with the man who Nicholas’ mother names. He takes them in as his own children, but Nicholas never reveals the formula to anyone.
Now, Nicholas is actually Nicholas Tesla, and I don’t know enough about the real Nicholas Tesla to say what the formula might have been – although I’m intrigued. The story ends a bit too nicely – in that the kids are suddenly safe, and wow, that’s it. There’s an epilogue that describes how some of the bodies of the Synod men were found, others whereabouts are unknown. Some additional wrapping up might have been useful. Still, an intriguing mystery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
FYI I couldnt find the Stonewolf book that I read instead I am using this one.
This is my crutique on Stonewolf. First thing I want to say is that this is one of the greatest books I have ever read!! It starts off with a poor boy whose family doesn't have much money, both him and his grandpa are farmers. He was raised with a dog that dog was his best friend and his way of transpotation to shool. He would use his sled and attach it to his dog to get to school. One day his father got sick and couldn't pay the bills, so he entered in a sled competition race. Not to spoil anything but at the end of the race, the dog falls. This kind of action a reader like you and me would love to read. I think this book belongs to everyone with a sence of action and sadness.
Nicholas soon learns he cannot trust the people of the castle any more than the people of the orphanage... Nicholas was taken to the orphanage when he was only three years old, it was horrible, Until one day, a sranger named Ranik takes him away to a castle. Life was much better at the castle, until Nicholas finds out that he cannot trust Ranik and his "clan" any more than the people of the orphanage, and that they were using him to unlock secrets deep within his head from his past life.
i liked this book because it had a good story and the main character was smart and outsmarted the people he was running away from.i raited this book a 3/5 stars because the book ended in a bad way, and did there was not second part to this book to show what happened.I wish that there was a second part to this book because i really liked this books plot.i wanted to know why the author did not make a second part to this book and i think a lot of people also want to know about it.
very quick read, middle school reader level, is a definite first in a series that was forgotten by the library...oh no, wait. apparently, the ending i got is the one everyone gets, and that was NOT an ending! not unless its got a sequel. there oughta be law...
Loved this book. Just kind of stumbled onto this one. I would agree with most of the reviews saying how the ending isn't that great. It was also a book I had to order from the book store because they didn't have it.