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Blacktail
Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26A wolf sets out on an epic journey of revenge in this one-of-a-kind dark fantasy—the long-awaited second novel from the author of The Library at Mount Char.
The wolf Blacktail is faithful to his Forest God, but in these times, faith is not enough. His world is besieged by men. Soon his territory will be overrun, and then there will be nowhere left to go. When his mate, a house dog, is killed, Blacktail rebels. He invades the house of her owners, seeking vengeance.
Blacktail’s fury catches the notice of an ancient and terrible feline witch, who makes an offer. What if Blacktail could end the human race responsible for the death of his family and for the destruction of the natural world, altogether? To do so, Blacktail must find and wake the Forest God. Only He might stand against the plague of men. Blacktail knows that his north woods are dwindling to nothing. He sees no other choice.
As Blacktail journeys farther from his wild home and deeper into the world of man, he encounters strangers—animal, mortal, and otherworldly—who, for their own reasons, want to help Blacktail rid the world of humans. Along the way, it becomes clear that he is more than just a wolf. The Forest God is sleeping, yes. But what will be the price of waking him?
The wolf Blacktail is faithful to his Forest God, but in these times, faith is not enough. His world is besieged by men. Soon his territory will be overrun, and then there will be nowhere left to go. When his mate, a house dog, is killed, Blacktail rebels. He invades the house of her owners, seeking vengeance.
Blacktail’s fury catches the notice of an ancient and terrible feline witch, who makes an offer. What if Blacktail could end the human race responsible for the death of his family and for the destruction of the natural world, altogether? To do so, Blacktail must find and wake the Forest God. Only He might stand against the plague of men. Blacktail knows that his north woods are dwindling to nothing. He sees no other choice.
As Blacktail journeys farther from his wild home and deeper into the world of man, he encounters strangers—animal, mortal, and otherworldly—who, for their own reasons, want to help Blacktail rid the world of humans. Along the way, it becomes clear that he is more than just a wolf. The Forest God is sleeping, yes. But what will be the price of waking him?
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 1, 2026
2288 people want to read
About the author
Scott Hawkins
8 books3,387 followersI'm forty-nine and I live in the Atlanta suburbs with my wife and a whole bunch of dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
11 years since the wonderful The Library at Mount Char.
This is a very different book from TL@MC and also from almost every other book I know.
It does have strong vibes of Watership Down and The Plague Dogs, both by Richard Adams. The focus is on a particular wolf/dog half-breed, the eponymous Blacktail. And there is definitely an element of the chaotic/weird mythology that we saw in TL@MC. There is mention of the tiger Nobununga, and there are large scale mythology-level events/conflicts that echo the climax of TL@MC. But it's very definitely a different book without a single human point-of-view (that I remember).
Speaking of point-of-view: the book's written in an unusual style that's part fairytale/story telling and we do slide from one point-of-view to another in-paragraph on occasion. Also, we're given a handful of minor points-of-view alongside the main one (Blacktail).
It's an engaging tale that takes us in unexpected directions. It's at many times pretty gory with violence from and against animals. Although there's an over-riding "humans bad" message, it's delivered from an animal point-of-view and the harsh justice can seem ... harsh ... given the reader's greater (or different) understanding of the various encounters.
Like TL@MC there's a deeply uncompromising thread running through the story with harsh justice dispensed, the good/innocent suffering as they're variously steamrollered by chance, malice, or in the name of a greater cause.
The net effect is touching, horrifying, and entertaining. In many places it's impossible - as with any well written account of animals suffering because of our deeds - to not be moved. But the undercurrents of humour, and the wildly unpredictable paths Hawkins' imagination takes us down, mean that this is far from a mawkish look at animals enduring the cruelty of men.
It's one of those books I'll have to sit with to fully understand my feelings about it - but there's zero doubt that it's a 5* read, so I can hit the rating button right now.
You should all get excited for this book and hope that Mr Hawkins doesn't keep us waiting 10 years for another one.
It's very definitely a stand-alone though, so you'll not be left hanging. It's a completely complete story that has left me satisfied and with plenty to think on.
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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
.
This is a very different book from TL@MC and also from almost every other book I know.
It does have strong vibes of Watership Down and The Plague Dogs, both by Richard Adams. The focus is on a particular wolf/dog half-breed, the eponymous Blacktail. And there is definitely an element of the chaotic/weird mythology that we saw in TL@MC. There is mention of the tiger Nobununga, and there are large scale mythology-level events/conflicts that echo the climax of TL@MC. But it's very definitely a different book without a single human point-of-view (that I remember).
Speaking of point-of-view: the book's written in an unusual style that's part fairytale/story telling and we do slide from one point-of-view to another in-paragraph on occasion. Also, we're given a handful of minor points-of-view alongside the main one (Blacktail).
It's an engaging tale that takes us in unexpected directions. It's at many times pretty gory with violence from and against animals. Although there's an over-riding "humans bad" message, it's delivered from an animal point-of-view and the harsh justice can seem ... harsh ... given the reader's greater (or different) understanding of the various encounters.
Like TL@MC there's a deeply uncompromising thread running through the story with harsh justice dispensed, the good/innocent suffering as they're variously steamrollered by chance, malice, or in the name of a greater cause.
The net effect is touching, horrifying, and entertaining. In many places it's impossible - as with any well written account of animals suffering because of our deeds - to not be moved. But the undercurrents of humour, and the wildly unpredictable paths Hawkins' imagination takes us down, mean that this is far from a mawkish look at animals enduring the cruelty of men.
It's one of those books I'll have to sit with to fully understand my feelings about it - but there's zero doubt that it's a 5* read, so I can hit the rating button right now.
You should all get excited for this book and hope that Mr Hawkins doesn't keep us waiting 10 years for another one.
It's very definitely a stand-alone though, so you'll not be left hanging. It's a completely complete story that has left me satisfied and with plenty to think on.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
.
Want to Read
January 30, 2026ur telling me the author of library at mount char is releasing another book after TEN YEARS?? and it’s like a funky wolf pov?? we used to pray for days like these
Want to Read
January 23, 2026My hopes and prayers have been answered. September can’t come soon enough.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Reading for a future issue of Booklist
4.5
Three Words That Describe This Book: animal point of view, dark fantasy quest/journey, nature is not happy with us
First things first, this is not Library at Mount Char, it is very different but it is also very good. It is lyrical and fairytale/mystical. But it is also practical in many ways.
Blacktail a wolf who is out for revenge against all humans is the main narrator. He is not the only narrator, but he is the main one. No humans get the pov only animals.
This book makes us humans look VERY bad. All of us. And Hawkins meters out judgement and punishment on all humans through Blacktail and there is no mercy. None. I cannot stress this enough. Even humans who we readers think don't deserve to die, will be brutally hunted by Blacktail. Animals are hunted too, but it all makes sense through Blacktail's world view-- which is very clear to readers.
To see him react to seeing "car" kill animals and leave them on the pavement -- killing just for fun and not a reasons. To see the way he looks at houses, people's impact on the land. His reaction to pets who he calls slaves. How the animal work interacts and communicates and the sprits and witches that bind them all. It is riveting and original.
I also loved that Hawkins uses Blacktail's journey to break the story into vignettes. Each of his stops/passing theough a new territory, gives readers the chance to meet new animal characters. The rhythm of this keeps the story moving a a good pace.
There is one "good human" here and kudos to Hawkins for sticking with the POV and Blacktail's sense of right and wrong because wow is it uncomfortable for the human reader.
Seething with rage and seeking vengeance -- appetite for revenge not satiated, only growing. This is a violent, in tour face revenger novel.
The storytelling has a mystical/dark fairy tale feel.
Very similar to Watership Down by Adams in the storytelling, the dark fantasy, the environmentalism, but it is dark and filled with blood thirsty revenge of Pearl by Josh Malerman. A great mix of the two.
I thought about Lord of the Rings as well. Frodo's quest seems impossible but it is dire. Many will help or hurt him along the way.
4.5
Three Words That Describe This Book: animal point of view, dark fantasy quest/journey, nature is not happy with us
First things first, this is not Library at Mount Char, it is very different but it is also very good. It is lyrical and fairytale/mystical. But it is also practical in many ways.
Blacktail a wolf who is out for revenge against all humans is the main narrator. He is not the only narrator, but he is the main one. No humans get the pov only animals.
This book makes us humans look VERY bad. All of us. And Hawkins meters out judgement and punishment on all humans through Blacktail and there is no mercy. None. I cannot stress this enough. Even humans who we readers think don't deserve to die, will be brutally hunted by Blacktail. Animals are hunted too, but it all makes sense through Blacktail's world view-- which is very clear to readers.
To see him react to seeing "car" kill animals and leave them on the pavement -- killing just for fun and not a reasons. To see the way he looks at houses, people's impact on the land. His reaction to pets who he calls slaves. How the animal work interacts and communicates and the sprits and witches that bind them all. It is riveting and original.
I also loved that Hawkins uses Blacktail's journey to break the story into vignettes. Each of his stops/passing theough a new territory, gives readers the chance to meet new animal characters. The rhythm of this keeps the story moving a a good pace.
There is one "good human" here and kudos to Hawkins for sticking with the POV and Blacktail's sense of right and wrong because wow is it uncomfortable for the human reader.
Seething with rage and seeking vengeance -- appetite for revenge not satiated, only growing. This is a violent, in tour face revenger novel.
The storytelling has a mystical/dark fairy tale feel.
Very similar to Watership Down by Adams in the storytelling, the dark fantasy, the environmentalism, but it is dark and filled with blood thirsty revenge of Pearl by Josh Malerman. A great mix of the two.
I thought about Lord of the Rings as well. Frodo's quest seems impossible but it is dire. Many will help or hurt him along the way.
Want to Read
April 14, 2026Y'ALLLLLLLL IM SOOOOO DAMN READY (this book has been pitched as watership down and another thing i forgot but OMG YALL. THIS IS MADDDDD cause if u have watched watership down its so dark for a show about rabbits 😭😭)
Want to Read
May 8, 2026Omg, OHH MAH GAWDDDD. You know sometimes I would randomly think "Library at Mt Char was such a banger, has he written anything else yet?", and then I would check and it would just be that darn Linux manual. NOT TODAY, I'm so excited.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews