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The Ghost Wolves #2
Blood Binds the Pack
Join the fight for the people and power of Tanegawa’s world in this “enormously fun” space western and sequel to the award–winning Hunger Makes the Wolf (Tor.com) War is coming to Hob Ravani’s world. The company that holds it in monopoly, TransRift Inc, has at last found what they’re looking for—the source of the power that enables their Weathermen to rip holes in space and time, allowing the interstellar travel all of human society now takes for granted. And they will mine every last grain of it from Tanegawa’s World no matter the cost. Since Hob Ravani used her witchy powers to pull a massive train job and destroy TransRift Inc’s control on this part of the planet, the Ghost Wolves aren’t just outlaws, they’re the resistance. Mag’s miner collective grows restless as TransRift pushes them ever harder to strip the world of its strange, blue mineral. Now Shige Rollins has returned with a new charge—Mr Yellow, the most advanced model of Weatherman, infused with the recovered mineral samples and made into something stranger, stronger, and deadlier than before. And Mr Yellow is very, very hungry.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 6, 2018
17 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Alex Wells
13 books83 followersAlex Wells is a writer, geologist, and sharp-dressed sir. They’ve had short stories in Strange Horizons, Lightspeed, Daily Science Fiction, Shimmer, and more. They are an active member of SFWA, the Northern Colorado Writer’s Workshop, and Codex.
Alex loves movies, nerdy things, cats, and writing, and blog about all this and more depending on my mood. They are also a host on the Skiffy and Fanty podcast, where they talk about movies and other nerdy scifi and fantasy things.
http://www.risingshadow.net/library/a...
Alex loves movies, nerdy things, cats, and writing, and blog about all this and more depending on my mood. They are also a host on the Skiffy and Fanty podcast, where they talk about movies and other nerdy scifi and fantasy things.
http://www.risingshadow.net/library/a...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
February 6, 2018
There is a distinctive sensation I get from visiting Tanegawa’s World, the planet where Alex Wells’ Hob Ravani novels are set – like walking against the wind, sand grinding between my teeth. It’s a pitiless, unrelenting tableau of salt and grit and thirst, and, like the best planets, its inhabitants are at the mercy of its disposition. It shapes your body, colonizes your mind. So much of the conflict in Blood Binds the Pack (and its predecessor, Hunger Makes the Wolf) is generated by need to control or be consumed by what radiates through the rock and soil of Tanegawa’s World and the power it possesses to capacitate or to corrupt, that the novel ends up being much more than the raucous sci-fi western it advertises itself to be. It’s the kind of worldbuilding that earns its own subgenre classification – geopunk, maybe? (I know the “punk” suffix gets overused a lot in delineating genre fiction, but if ever a series deserved to be punkified, I think “space witch mercenary biker gang” is it.)
I went into Blood Binds the Pack a little tentatively; sequels are tricky buggers that often try to side-step the anxiety principle by aiming to please rather than supersede. Thankfully, Wells doesn’t recoil in the face of expectation – they seem more inclined to give it the finger. Blood Binds the Pack does not follow Hunger Makes the Wolf so much as challenge it to a wrestling match and show up with a game plan for victory. Yes, there is more action, higher stakes, a faster pace – but more than that, Wells levels up their skills across the board. Character moments are deeper and fleshier, and the culture and lifestyle of the miners on Tanegawa’s World is more deftly explored. Themes that matter to Wells, particularly labor rights, are emphasized with greater breadth and clarity.
Blood Binds the Pack picks up not long after the end of Hunger Makes the Wolf. Despite suffering setbacks at the hands of Hob Ravani’s Ghost Wolves, the TransRift corporation made further strides to consolidate their hold over the Interstellar government and erode citizen rights, using as leverage their monopoly over the Weathermen, inhumanly powered beings that make faster than light travel possible. Now that TransRift has discovered the source of the Weathermen’s power – the mineral amritite – they hatch a scheme to turn the miners on Tanegawa’s World into little more than indentured slaves to obtain it.
Hob is still the central figure in Blood Binds the Pack, but her adopted sister Mag (who spent much of Hunger Make the Wolf as a prisoner of TransRift) has a larger and more proactive roll. While Hob and the Ghost Wolves look to swipe the source of TransRift’s power out from under them, it’s up to Mag to organize the various mining towns into a unified front against TransRift’s brutal disregard for their rights and safety. This storyline forms the moral centerpiece of the novel – essentially, the reason the Ghost Wolves have been transformed from a muscle for hire outfit to an activist militia. That’s why it’s a little disappointing that Mag should bear the most morally questionable choice in the novel, one involving a TransRift collaborator: a choice that still doesn’t sit right with me and a problem that I feel Wells fails to adequately address.
For better or worse, though, Tanegawa’s World isn’t the kind of place where you spend a lot of time and energy second guessing yourself. It’s a place where you take action or suffer the consequences. It’s a world that somehow ended up with the heroes it deserves, as if something deep in its core pushed them into coughing up what it needed from them. Blood Binds the Pack is framed, ingeniously, around a countdown to the day when its final conflict comes to a head. Full-blown rapture is pretty much the only road this story could have travelled down, and Wells, who writes like they’ve never met a bear they didn’t want to poke, has their hands firmly on the wheel.
I went into Blood Binds the Pack a little tentatively; sequels are tricky buggers that often try to side-step the anxiety principle by aiming to please rather than supersede. Thankfully, Wells doesn’t recoil in the face of expectation – they seem more inclined to give it the finger. Blood Binds the Pack does not follow Hunger Makes the Wolf so much as challenge it to a wrestling match and show up with a game plan for victory. Yes, there is more action, higher stakes, a faster pace – but more than that, Wells levels up their skills across the board. Character moments are deeper and fleshier, and the culture and lifestyle of the miners on Tanegawa’s World is more deftly explored. Themes that matter to Wells, particularly labor rights, are emphasized with greater breadth and clarity.
Blood Binds the Pack picks up not long after the end of Hunger Makes the Wolf. Despite suffering setbacks at the hands of Hob Ravani’s Ghost Wolves, the TransRift corporation made further strides to consolidate their hold over the Interstellar government and erode citizen rights, using as leverage their monopoly over the Weathermen, inhumanly powered beings that make faster than light travel possible. Now that TransRift has discovered the source of the Weathermen’s power – the mineral amritite – they hatch a scheme to turn the miners on Tanegawa’s World into little more than indentured slaves to obtain it.
Hob is still the central figure in Blood Binds the Pack, but her adopted sister Mag (who spent much of Hunger Make the Wolf as a prisoner of TransRift) has a larger and more proactive roll. While Hob and the Ghost Wolves look to swipe the source of TransRift’s power out from under them, it’s up to Mag to organize the various mining towns into a unified front against TransRift’s brutal disregard for their rights and safety. This storyline forms the moral centerpiece of the novel – essentially, the reason the Ghost Wolves have been transformed from a muscle for hire outfit to an activist militia. That’s why it’s a little disappointing that Mag should bear the most morally questionable choice in the novel, one involving a TransRift collaborator: a choice that still doesn’t sit right with me and a problem that I feel Wells fails to adequately address.
For better or worse, though, Tanegawa’s World isn’t the kind of place where you spend a lot of time and energy second guessing yourself. It’s a place where you take action or suffer the consequences. It’s a world that somehow ended up with the heroes it deserves, as if something deep in its core pushed them into coughing up what it needed from them. Blood Binds the Pack is framed, ingeniously, around a countdown to the day when its final conflict comes to a head. Full-blown rapture is pretty much the only road this story could have travelled down, and Wells, who writes like they’ve never met a bear they didn’t want to poke, has their hands firmly on the wheel.
Read
November 13, 2017THIS. WAS. MAGNIFICENT. An absolute riot of a SF/fantasy alt-Western, set on a remote desert world where a greedy technology corporation is coming up against both magic and the power of unionising. Also biker witches and female friendships. This book *rocks*.
It's tremendously exciting. I was at a family event and had to go hide in the bathroom to finish it. The chapters are marked as a countdown towards Day 1, which isn't stressful when you start on Day 70 or whatever but by Day 6 and counting you're chewing your nails. The adventure is compelling, the stakes high, the writing vivid, and the characters fantastic. What a read. Gleee.
It could probably stand alone but since book 1 Hunger Makes the Wolf is also fantastic too, you should absolutely start there to get to know the cast and world. I loved that book, but this is better; Wells goes from strength to strength as a storyteller.
A note on diversity: the cast here are a wide range of racial backgrounds, mostly generally brown--we're a few centuries into an Earth diaspora, and race isn't an issue. Nor is sexuality: there are queer characters throughout and only one hint, with a trans character, of that having been a problem in the past (it is not now). This is not because Tanegawa's World is some kind of unrealistic utopia: it is very clearly because people have moved on to being dicks about other things instead. The power relations and fear of the unknown are located in the corporation vs the miners, the company loyalist vs the unionists, the witchy vs the normal, with some old fashioned misogyny as a possibility. This is because Wells has a lot more grasp of power relations, culture, history, and realism than the "don't shoehorn in diversity!" crowd who think dragons and starships are plausible but different social mores aren't.
And another thing: hope. This book is set on a tough world with people fighting desperate odds, but what will save them if anything will is their connections with one another. The found family of Ravani's Pack, Hob and Mag's intensely loyal friendship, the union of the miners standing for one another, the understated but lovely love affairs: those things are fragile and vulnerable but all they have against the power of the soulless corporation, and it is inspiring and hopeful and uplifting in a way that I really needed these days.
You may gather I liked this. I got an ARC from the publisher because I am a jammy cow: I recommend this wholeheartedly to everyone, and go get book 1 while you wait.
It's tremendously exciting. I was at a family event and had to go hide in the bathroom to finish it. The chapters are marked as a countdown towards Day 1, which isn't stressful when you start on Day 70 or whatever but by Day 6 and counting you're chewing your nails. The adventure is compelling, the stakes high, the writing vivid, and the characters fantastic. What a read. Gleee.
It could probably stand alone but since book 1 Hunger Makes the Wolf is also fantastic too, you should absolutely start there to get to know the cast and world. I loved that book, but this is better; Wells goes from strength to strength as a storyteller.
A note on diversity: the cast here are a wide range of racial backgrounds, mostly generally brown--we're a few centuries into an Earth diaspora, and race isn't an issue. Nor is sexuality: there are queer characters throughout and only one hint, with a trans character, of that having been a problem in the past (it is not now). This is not because Tanegawa's World is some kind of unrealistic utopia: it is very clearly because people have moved on to being dicks about other things instead. The power relations and fear of the unknown are located in the corporation vs the miners, the company loyalist vs the unionists, the witchy vs the normal, with some old fashioned misogyny as a possibility. This is because Wells has a lot more grasp of power relations, culture, history, and realism than the "don't shoehorn in diversity!" crowd who think dragons and starships are plausible but different social mores aren't.
And another thing: hope. This book is set on a tough world with people fighting desperate odds, but what will save them if anything will is their connections with one another. The found family of Ravani's Pack, Hob and Mag's intensely loyal friendship, the union of the miners standing for one another, the understated but lovely love affairs: those things are fragile and vulnerable but all they have against the power of the soulless corporation, and it is inspiring and hopeful and uplifting in a way that I really needed these days.
You may gather I liked this. I got an ARC from the publisher because I am a jammy cow: I recommend this wholeheartedly to everyone, and go get book 1 while you wait.
February 13, 2018
Here are things I look for in books
-Good queer rep
-Diverse characters who aren't tokens or stereotypes
-A well-built, carefully-thought-out world that walks that fine edge between too much info and not enough
-Characters who are friends, who have real connections with each other, who have different but equally important relationships with different characters
-No all-consuming romance
-Romance that ISN'T the usual cis straight girl-meets-boy story
-Characters acting the way real people act
-Girl characters who are allowed to be wrong, who are allowed to be messy without being condemned for it
-FOUND FAMILY
-No gratutious, Game-of-Thrones-esque torture porn violence for violence's sake. No worrying constantly about character deaths that exist only to SHOCK READERS
-An author who cares about their characters and trusts their readers
"Blood Binds the Pack" fulfills my wishlist.
"Hunger Makes the Wolf" was an amazing, amazing book filled with lovable messy characters. "Blood Binds the Pack" takes you right back to those lovable messy characters AND MAKES YOU LOVE THEM EVEN HARDER.
Hob is amazing. Mag is amazing. They are both amazing in different ways and they are presented as equal, their different strengths and skills and weaknesses presented without judgement. They are allowed to mess up and make things right. They are allowed to get angry and to be forgiven. And "Blood Binds the Pack" gives you more of an insight into secondary characters who become more important to the story--especially Anabi, who I loved so frigging hard.
My one critique is that I feel like the end leaves a lot of loose plot strands dangling but I hope that just means we're going to get another book, and another trip into Hob and Mag's world. I for one would even sit next to a Weatherman if it meant I could return, although I'd be sure NEVER to look him in the eye.
-Good queer rep
-Diverse characters who aren't tokens or stereotypes
-A well-built, carefully-thought-out world that walks that fine edge between too much info and not enough
-Characters who are friends, who have real connections with each other, who have different but equally important relationships with different characters
-No all-consuming romance
-Romance that ISN'T the usual cis straight girl-meets-boy story
-Characters acting the way real people act
-Girl characters who are allowed to be wrong, who are allowed to be messy without being condemned for it
-FOUND FAMILY
-No gratutious, Game-of-Thrones-esque torture porn violence for violence's sake. No worrying constantly about character deaths that exist only to SHOCK READERS
-An author who cares about their characters and trusts their readers
"Blood Binds the Pack" fulfills my wishlist.
"Hunger Makes the Wolf" was an amazing, amazing book filled with lovable messy characters. "Blood Binds the Pack" takes you right back to those lovable messy characters AND MAKES YOU LOVE THEM EVEN HARDER.
Hob is amazing. Mag is amazing. They are both amazing in different ways and they are presented as equal, their different strengths and skills and weaknesses presented without judgement. They are allowed to mess up and make things right. They are allowed to get angry and to be forgiven. And "Blood Binds the Pack" gives you more of an insight into secondary characters who become more important to the story--especially Anabi, who I loved so frigging hard.
My one critique is that I feel like the end leaves a lot of loose plot strands dangling but I hope that just means we're going to get another book, and another trip into Hob and Mag's world. I for one would even sit next to a Weatherman if it meant I could return, although I'd be sure NEVER to look him in the eye.
December 13, 2017
I've been excited about reading this since I read the first book, Hunger Makes the Wolf, so it's safe to say I had very high expectations for it!
Well, I wasn't disappointed and I think I enjoyed this even more than the first book. It has so many good things about it I almost don't know where to start my review!
Hob has to be my favourite thing about the book. Her badass attitude and her witchy fire powers make her fun to read. Her ability to admit her own faults (especially her lack of education and emotional intelligence) and know where she is out of her depth and her confidence in leading and speaking out when she knows she is right makes her one of the most compelling female characters I've read.
I also love the genuine friendship between Hob and Mags. It's refreshing to see a female friendship like this in a book and it's nice that the author has just let it be and not added any strain or mistrust into it. It's also nice that it's not all one-sided as seems to be the case in a lot of books, where one character exists just to help and support the other. Mags and Hobs have a mutual respect / support relationship where they help and look out for each other.
Mags brings a serious side to the book, leading the workers fight against a company that thinks it owns them and is risking their lives to mine for the amirite. It balances out Hobs fun and all-out action and makes a story that has real depth and meaning to it.
The writing style is plain and simple and it really suits the style of the wild-west influenced setting. It's easy to read and easy to visualise and insanely readable, I was excited to get home each evening so I could sit down and start reading.
I think after the awesome buildup the ending let it down a little bit. I felt like a lot happened off page that I wanted to see. I wanted to know more about the world and the amirite and what's at the centre and it was a bit lacking in answers to that. But like I said I had very high expectations and this is the only fault I can find with the whole thing.
At the risk of sounding like I'm gushing, I properly loved this book! I'm hoping there will be another book in the series to pick up some of the loose ends, and because I'm simply not ready to be done with this world and these characters yet.
Blood Binds the Pack will take you on a high-octane ride across the sands of Tanegawa’s World with Hob's misfit band of mercenaries. It's a lot of fun to read and stands out as something a bit different. Recommended to anyone that likes sci-fi based future fun and action.
I received a free copy from the publisher in return for an honest review.
Well, I wasn't disappointed and I think I enjoyed this even more than the first book. It has so many good things about it I almost don't know where to start my review!
Hob has to be my favourite thing about the book. Her badass attitude and her witchy fire powers make her fun to read. Her ability to admit her own faults (especially her lack of education and emotional intelligence) and know where she is out of her depth and her confidence in leading and speaking out when she knows she is right makes her one of the most compelling female characters I've read.
I also love the genuine friendship between Hob and Mags. It's refreshing to see a female friendship like this in a book and it's nice that the author has just let it be and not added any strain or mistrust into it. It's also nice that it's not all one-sided as seems to be the case in a lot of books, where one character exists just to help and support the other. Mags and Hobs have a mutual respect / support relationship where they help and look out for each other.
Mags brings a serious side to the book, leading the workers fight against a company that thinks it owns them and is risking their lives to mine for the amirite. It balances out Hobs fun and all-out action and makes a story that has real depth and meaning to it.
The writing style is plain and simple and it really suits the style of the wild-west influenced setting. It's easy to read and easy to visualise and insanely readable, I was excited to get home each evening so I could sit down and start reading.
I think after the awesome buildup the ending let it down a little bit. I felt like a lot happened off page that I wanted to see. I wanted to know more about the world and the amirite and what's at the centre and it was a bit lacking in answers to that. But like I said I had very high expectations and this is the only fault I can find with the whole thing.
At the risk of sounding like I'm gushing, I properly loved this book! I'm hoping there will be another book in the series to pick up some of the loose ends, and because I'm simply not ready to be done with this world and these characters yet.
Blood Binds the Pack will take you on a high-octane ride across the sands of Tanegawa’s World with Hob's misfit band of mercenaries. It's a lot of fun to read and stands out as something a bit different. Recommended to anyone that likes sci-fi based future fun and action.
I received a free copy from the publisher in return for an honest review.
July 31, 2022
Stars: 3 out of 5
I am ashamed to say that it took me almost 2 years to finish this book. According to Goodreads, I started reading on August 20, 2020... Well, I finished it on July 30, 2022. It's not the longest I had dragged a book on my currently reading list, but it comes close.
And you know what? I am not sure why it took me so long. I loved the first book. I devoured it in two days. I was fascinated by the world, the magic, the characters... Especially Hob and her band of ragtag Wolves and the Bone Collector.
And therein lies the problem, I think. I liked Hob. I wanted to follow her and maybe also find out what happened to Coyote and how he would cope with the changes. Unfortunately, I got very little of that in this book. In fact, I got almost zero on Coyote at all, which is really disappointing. I mean he is back with the Wolves and helping Hob, but we don't dwell over the profound changes he underwent at the end of the last book or the consequences for him. It's the same old Coyote, just with a lust for blood... That was disappointing. And I get that there is a bigger story there and that Coyote is only slightly important to it, but it was still disappointing.
The book is divided between three main POVs (with the inclusion of a couple unimportant ones here and there). We follow Mag, Shige, and Hob. Unfortunately, I couldn't care less for Mag even in the first book, and she gets a lion's share of page time in this one. Shige isn't much more interesting to me either. Listening to him whining about his upbringing and his fate and not doing anything to change it gets old fast. And listening to him dwelling in his jealousy for his brother who had actually left is even more irritating. As far as I'm concerned, he could have died in that desert and I wouldn't have shed a tear.
So this leaves only one POV I was excited to read... and Hob gets very little coverage. Of the three narrators, we stay with her the least until the final battle. I would be excited every time I got to Hob's narratives, but they would end up way too quickly and I would have to slog through Mag's troubles with the miners or Shige's ineffective meddling with TransRift while he was becoming the Weatherman's puppet... and my interest would disappear to the point where I would put the book down for a few months. And that's why it took me two years to read 416 pages.
I still think it's a decent book. I just wish we had learned a bit more about this strange world and that the characters I liked had a bit more screen time. But if you like Mag or Shige, you should breeze through this book pretty quickly and enjoy it.
I am ashamed to say that it took me almost 2 years to finish this book. According to Goodreads, I started reading on August 20, 2020... Well, I finished it on July 30, 2022. It's not the longest I had dragged a book on my currently reading list, but it comes close.
And you know what? I am not sure why it took me so long. I loved the first book. I devoured it in two days. I was fascinated by the world, the magic, the characters... Especially Hob and her band of ragtag Wolves and the Bone Collector.
And therein lies the problem, I think. I liked Hob. I wanted to follow her and maybe also find out what happened to Coyote and how he would cope with the changes. Unfortunately, I got very little of that in this book. In fact, I got almost zero on Coyote at all, which is really disappointing. I mean he is back with the Wolves and helping Hob, but we don't dwell over the profound changes he underwent at the end of the last book or the consequences for him. It's the same old Coyote, just with a lust for blood... That was disappointing. And I get that there is a bigger story there and that Coyote is only slightly important to it, but it was still disappointing.
The book is divided between three main POVs (with the inclusion of a couple unimportant ones here and there). We follow Mag, Shige, and Hob. Unfortunately, I couldn't care less for Mag even in the first book, and she gets a lion's share of page time in this one. Shige isn't much more interesting to me either. Listening to him whining about his upbringing and his fate and not doing anything to change it gets old fast. And listening to him dwelling in his jealousy for his brother who had actually left is even more irritating. As far as I'm concerned, he could have died in that desert and I wouldn't have shed a tear.
So this leaves only one POV I was excited to read... and Hob gets very little coverage. Of the three narrators, we stay with her the least until the final battle. I would be excited every time I got to Hob's narratives, but they would end up way too quickly and I would have to slog through Mag's troubles with the miners or Shige's ineffective meddling with TransRift while he was becoming the Weatherman's puppet... and my interest would disappear to the point where I would put the book down for a few months. And that's why it took me two years to read 416 pages.
I still think it's a decent book. I just wish we had learned a bit more about this strange world and that the characters I liked had a bit more screen time. But if you like Mag or Shige, you should breeze through this book pretty quickly and enjoy it.
July 11, 2018
3-1/2 stars and that's because the strike part went on way too long. I think at least 50-100 pages in the middle could have been removed and made the book a better read. But I kept persevering and finally finished it. Whew! It was a close thing to me just moving on but the last maybe 8th of the book finally started speeding along. The plot moved forward, the battles were more than skirmishes, and potential relationships finally went somewhere. So because of the ending I went up from 3 to 3-1/2 stars.
July 5, 2018
*cries* I can’t believe it’s over *sob sadness also joy*
As I was getting to the very last pages of this epic science fiction tale, it hit me like a flash - this is the first time a book has reminded me so clearly of my favorite SF author, Sheri S. Tepper. The social/political aspects, the weird fucking science aspects, all wrapped up in a complicated gorgeous tapestry of a story that you cannot fathom will all come together in the end, yet it does.
This duology is so good, y’all. Every single science fiction fan who hasn’t read it yet is missing out - but also I’m super envious that you still have it waiting for you to read. Get to it.
As I was getting to the very last pages of this epic science fiction tale, it hit me like a flash - this is the first time a book has reminded me so clearly of my favorite SF author, Sheri S. Tepper. The social/political aspects, the weird fucking science aspects, all wrapped up in a complicated gorgeous tapestry of a story that you cannot fathom will all come together in the end, yet it does.
This duology is so good, y’all. Every single science fiction fan who hasn’t read it yet is missing out - but also I’m super envious that you still have it waiting for you to read. Get to it.
August 25, 2018
I'd read Hunger Makes the Wolf (not just because there's a wolf in the title) and been interested in the author's willingness to have fallible characters and in an author in the US in 2018 who's actually willing to discuss labor issues and unions without falling into the lazy middle-class stereotypes of corrupt unions. Because companies apparently spring from the foreheads of noble CEOs like Athena sprang from Zeus'.
Blood Binds the Pack is, I think, an even better book. While there is a literal deus ex machina, there's even more of the difficulty and joy of familial and other bonds, as well as the struggles of building a labor movement. Wells provides a bibliography, covering 19th century mining disputes - if you want to know why one of the towns on the planet is named Ludlow, for example.
Blood Binds the Pack is, I think, an even better book. While there is a literal deus ex machina, there's even more of the difficulty and joy of familial and other bonds, as well as the struggles of building a labor movement. Wells provides a bibliography, covering 19th century mining disputes - if you want to know why one of the towns on the planet is named Ludlow, for example.
April 15, 2019
3.5 stars. I love this world and its characters, but I’m having a hard time giving this one a higher rating because the story moved so slowly with a little too much repetition. The ending is worth sticking it out and I suspect a lot of what went on in BBTP was set building for the 3rd book, which I eagerly await.
February 20, 2019
4.5 stars - This one is better than the first in the series, that's rare. If you like sci-fi/fantasy I think you should give this author a shot. I really like this world. Imagine a western, in space, incorporating biker mercenaries and some magic! It works, trust me. The characters are likeable too, with enjoyable female characters that have qualities wholly unrelated to their body parts, can you imagine? Sorry but as much as I love the genre, women more often than not have few characteristics other than curves, full lips, and flowing hair. There is also queer representation that feels genuine. I guess I really liked the genuineness overall, it made the story believable and brought you in. Time happily spent.
December 28, 2019
Multiple POV novel (one of the protagonists is a lesbian/queer woman). If you've been looking for more union organizing with your science fiction, this is the book you've been looking for! Memorable characters, gripping plot, interesting story - worth adding to your TBR, if you haven't already. Excellent followup to "Hunger Makes the Wolf."
January 30, 2018
I really loved Alex Well’s space punk, biker, science fantasy novel Hunger Makes the Wolf. It was truly one of a kind, involving so many different elements yet forming a seamless whole. I’m happy to say that Blood Binds the Pack is a fitting sequel.
Note before I dive into the review — this will contain spoilers for Hunger Makes the Wolf. Also, the books are best read in order and I don’t recommend reading Blood Binds the Pack first.
Hob and Mags have dealt a blow to TransRift, destroying one of their Weatherman. Of course, the next one is now bound for Tanegawa’s World along with orders from corporate HQ to throw everything they have at obtaining more of that strange blue mineral found by Mags’s father. And as always, TransRift sees the miners as tools to be used and disposed of in pursuit of the profit margin. Hob and Mags may have won the last battle, but the war is just beginning.
However, they may have some possible help. Shige’s received word that a government inspector is being sent to Tanegawa’s World for the first time ever. His orders are to make this as bad as possible for TransRift… of course, Shige’s general approach is “the ends justify the means,” so it’s questionable whether or not he’ll be helping or making things a heck of a lot worse for Hob, Mags, and the workers.
At the beginning of each chapter is a number counting down how many days until the inspector is supposed to arrive on the planet. As the number drops, tensions rise. About half way through the book, I was having serious trouble putting it down. Mags and the miners start organizing a strike and TransRift is NOT taking it well.
Labor rights is an issue threaded through the book. While science fiction takes place in the future, it of course tends to reflect the problems of our present and past. The dire future laden with corporate abuse Wells creates is hardly unimaginable (or even that original when it comes to sci-fi futures), but Wells gives it an unique flavor. For one, mercenary bikers! Hob’s biker crew is pretty great, ya’ll.
I want to reiterate how much I love Hobs and Mags. Hobs is that tough-to-the bone sort of female protagonist, no nonsense, a straight forward badass. It’d be easy for her to be a stereotypical Strong Female Character, but Wells gave her enough development to be well rounded and distinct. It helps that Hobs (and the other characters) all have such distinctive voices. Mags is a quieter sort of character but no less memorable or powerful. Something happened to her in the TransRift labs last book, and she’s beginning to experiment with her own witchiness. Also, I was totally right! Mags gets a romantic subplot with another female character. I was thinking it would happen, and I’m so glad Wells proved me correct.
I don’t think I talked about it enough in my review of the first book, but I love the strength of Hobs and Mags’s friendship. It’s undoubtedly the most important relationship in a book, which makes a nice change from the preponderance of romance being put on a pedestal about friendship. It’s unfortunate that female friendship is so rare in science fiction and fantasy, but I’m planning to recommend Hunger Makes the Wolf to counteract that.
Blood Binds the Pack is a fantastic follow up to Hunger Makes the Wolf. I think there’s room for a third book if Wells ever wants to write one, but the two books could also stand alone as a duology. Regardless, I’m going to read whatever Alex Wells writes next.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
Note before I dive into the review — this will contain spoilers for Hunger Makes the Wolf. Also, the books are best read in order and I don’t recommend reading Blood Binds the Pack first.
Hob and Mags have dealt a blow to TransRift, destroying one of their Weatherman. Of course, the next one is now bound for Tanegawa’s World along with orders from corporate HQ to throw everything they have at obtaining more of that strange blue mineral found by Mags’s father. And as always, TransRift sees the miners as tools to be used and disposed of in pursuit of the profit margin. Hob and Mags may have won the last battle, but the war is just beginning.
However, they may have some possible help. Shige’s received word that a government inspector is being sent to Tanegawa’s World for the first time ever. His orders are to make this as bad as possible for TransRift… of course, Shige’s general approach is “the ends justify the means,” so it’s questionable whether or not he’ll be helping or making things a heck of a lot worse for Hob, Mags, and the workers.
At the beginning of each chapter is a number counting down how many days until the inspector is supposed to arrive on the planet. As the number drops, tensions rise. About half way through the book, I was having serious trouble putting it down. Mags and the miners start organizing a strike and TransRift is NOT taking it well.
Labor rights is an issue threaded through the book. While science fiction takes place in the future, it of course tends to reflect the problems of our present and past. The dire future laden with corporate abuse Wells creates is hardly unimaginable (or even that original when it comes to sci-fi futures), but Wells gives it an unique flavor. For one, mercenary bikers! Hob’s biker crew is pretty great, ya’ll.
I want to reiterate how much I love Hobs and Mags. Hobs is that tough-to-the bone sort of female protagonist, no nonsense, a straight forward badass. It’d be easy for her to be a stereotypical Strong Female Character, but Wells gave her enough development to be well rounded and distinct. It helps that Hobs (and the other characters) all have such distinctive voices. Mags is a quieter sort of character but no less memorable or powerful. Something happened to her in the TransRift labs last book, and she’s beginning to experiment with her own witchiness. Also, I was totally right! Mags gets a romantic subplot with another female character. I was thinking it would happen, and I’m so glad Wells proved me correct.
I don’t think I talked about it enough in my review of the first book, but I love the strength of Hobs and Mags’s friendship. It’s undoubtedly the most important relationship in a book, which makes a nice change from the preponderance of romance being put on a pedestal about friendship. It’s unfortunate that female friendship is so rare in science fiction and fantasy, but I’m planning to recommend Hunger Makes the Wolf to counteract that.
Blood Binds the Pack is a fantastic follow up to Hunger Makes the Wolf. I think there’s room for a third book if Wells ever wants to write one, but the two books could also stand alone as a duology. Regardless, I’m going to read whatever Alex Wells writes next.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
November 20, 2017
It is a rare thing, when a second book from an author surpasses the excellence of the first. I did not expect to be so swept away, but Blood Binds the Pack is a tremendous story. Everything you loved about Hunger Makes the Wolf is here—the weird west setting, the charming characters, the fight for lives and loves. But everything in Blood Binds the Pack elevates all that came before.
The world Hob and Mag inhabit is weird, weirder than they can imagine, and struggling to learn the truths makes it no less so. If you loved the Bone Collector the first time around, he's here. If you loved the Weathermen, they're also here—and are so deeply and beautifully disturbing. Hob and Mag have a friendship we rarely see in books, and it's explored here to wonderful depths. Wells polishes everything they brought in the first book—a stone now gleaming.
Beyond the motorcycle chases and explosions, beyond the fire frothing from the blood and the weird thing buried under a thousand feet of sand and stone, this book contains an immense, hammering heart that tells you it's awesome to be whatever you are; that you have to fight for your right; that you must kiss the person you are digging before time runs out. This book tells you that even though blood will be spilled, blood binds the pack, and the pack is life, the pack is love, the pack is forever.
The world Hob and Mag inhabit is weird, weirder than they can imagine, and struggling to learn the truths makes it no less so. If you loved the Bone Collector the first time around, he's here. If you loved the Weathermen, they're also here—and are so deeply and beautifully disturbing. Hob and Mag have a friendship we rarely see in books, and it's explored here to wonderful depths. Wells polishes everything they brought in the first book—a stone now gleaming.
Beyond the motorcycle chases and explosions, beyond the fire frothing from the blood and the weird thing buried under a thousand feet of sand and stone, this book contains an immense, hammering heart that tells you it's awesome to be whatever you are; that you have to fight for your right; that you must kiss the person you are digging before time runs out. This book tells you that even though blood will be spilled, blood binds the pack, and the pack is life, the pack is love, the pack is forever.
July 23, 2018
4.5 stars, I think.
By the end of this book, I was on the edge of my seat. Tensions had wound tighter and tighter, and I was pretty worried about both Mag and Hob by the big battle scene.
The beginning took a while, though, enough to knock off half a star. About a hundred pages in, I wondered if I cared. This is partly because some of the book is from Shige's point of view, and I just did not care about him. He seemed bloodless and not nearly as smart as he thought he was, and I wanted to hear more about how Hob was taking to being the leader of her renegade band of bikers. Hob is my favorite of all the characters. Mag's arc was somewhat predictable- she's witchy, people are suspicious of her. Plus she ends up organizing the miners' resistance. Detail work and organization isn't something I really like reading about, although I did appreciate the author pointing out that having a head for supply lines is pretty important when you live in the desert.
So, it's a bit of a slow start. But the ending was awesome and I'm all set for the next book now, please!
By the end of this book, I was on the edge of my seat. Tensions had wound tighter and tighter, and I was pretty worried about both Mag and Hob by the big battle scene.
The beginning took a while, though, enough to knock off half a star. About a hundred pages in, I wondered if I cared. This is partly because some of the book is from Shige's point of view, and I just did not care about him. He seemed bloodless and not nearly as smart as he thought he was, and I wanted to hear more about how Hob was taking to being the leader of her renegade band of bikers. Hob is my favorite of all the characters. Mag's arc was somewhat predictable- she's witchy, people are suspicious of her. Plus she ends up organizing the miners' resistance. Detail work and organization isn't something I really like reading about, although I did appreciate the author pointing out that having a head for supply lines is pretty important when you live in the desert.
So, it's a bit of a slow start. But the ending was awesome and I'm all set for the next book now, please!
March 1, 2018
★★★★1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
How do you follow-up a book like Hunger Makes the Wolf? Which took the elements of a biker-gang, oppressed miners (and other blue-collar types), magic, space travel, and corporate greed to create an action-packed, fun, suspenseful and surprising read. Well, you take that foundation, and build on it to create a book that takes those elements and does a better job with them.
The pressure on TransRift Corporation is mounting (even when they don't realize it), especially on their operations base on Tanegawa’s World. There's a growing level of unrest with the miners -- which they respond to in a way that hasn't worked for anyone since the opening of Exodus. There's the constant need for more resources, if possible, resulting in stronger and more efficient product. The government is sniffing around, wondering about what they're up to and how they're treating people. Meanwhile, the loose organization of miners in each city is getting stronger as are the ties between them. All in all -- it's a powder keg ready to blow.
Not having to create a world, Wells is able to spend more time on characters this time (at least that's my impression -- it's not like I was dissatisfied with the characters in Hunger). We see depths and shadings of character in people I wasn't sure where capable of depths and shadings -- and if we get that from beings like that, imagine what we get from the more fully-formed people.
When writing about the last book, I said that I wanted more with the Ghost Wolves as a whole, to get a better feel for them. I got that this time -- but not quite enough. I'm not sure what it would've taken, however. They seem more cohesive as a unit -- Hob taking to leadership, and the Wolves taking to Hob. It's a fascinating group -- and one I clearly can't get enough of.
There were plenty of mysteries, questions, enigmas wrapped in each other about the nature of the Weathermen, the Bone Collector, Hob's abilities (and those of others, too) and what TransRift Corporation has found in the mines left over from Hunger -- and Wells doesn't answer them all. Are some things clarified? Are some things better understood? Yup. Does everything get spelled out for the reader? Nope. I love the fact that there's a whole lot that we don't get to wrap our brains around, but that we just have to accept -- just like the characters. But it's done not in a way that you feel unsatisfied with what you're given.
There's even a little bit of sweetness to be found in friendship, family, and romance. Not so much that it becomes a "kissing book" or anything, it's just an added touch.
I find the politics a little hard to swallow and simplistic -- but I can't think of the politics of any SF book/world that don't strike me this way, honestly. At least not once they get beyond the most vague notions. I'm only mentioning it because it seems that important to the novel. Which is not to say that it detracts from things too much -- if I can suspend disbelief enough to buy the capabilities of the Weathermen, or a fire-throwing, one-eyed, space-biker; I can buy whatever the workers on Tanegawa’s World try to replace the corruption they've suffered under.
I get the feeling that this is going to be a duology -- there might be more stories to tell with the Ravani, or Tanegawa’s World, but they probably won't be as closely tied to these two. I'm satisfied with a duology -- we got a complete story and a very satisfying one. Wells started strong and ended stronger -- can't ask for more than that.
I'm excited to talk about this book and I want to say a whole lot more -- and feel like I should. But I'm not sure what else to say without giving anything away. Hunger Makes the Wolf was one of my favorites last year, and this is better. Ultimately, there's not much more to say than that.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
How do you follow-up a book like Hunger Makes the Wolf? Which took the elements of a biker-gang, oppressed miners (and other blue-collar types), magic, space travel, and corporate greed to create an action-packed, fun, suspenseful and surprising read. Well, you take that foundation, and build on it to create a book that takes those elements and does a better job with them.
The pressure on TransRift Corporation is mounting (even when they don't realize it), especially on their operations base on Tanegawa’s World. There's a growing level of unrest with the miners -- which they respond to in a way that hasn't worked for anyone since the opening of Exodus. There's the constant need for more resources, if possible, resulting in stronger and more efficient product. The government is sniffing around, wondering about what they're up to and how they're treating people. Meanwhile, the loose organization of miners in each city is getting stronger as are the ties between them. All in all -- it's a powder keg ready to blow.
Not having to create a world, Wells is able to spend more time on characters this time (at least that's my impression -- it's not like I was dissatisfied with the characters in Hunger). We see depths and shadings of character in people I wasn't sure where capable of depths and shadings -- and if we get that from beings like that, imagine what we get from the more fully-formed people.
When writing about the last book, I said that I wanted more with the Ghost Wolves as a whole, to get a better feel for them. I got that this time -- but not quite enough. I'm not sure what it would've taken, however. They seem more cohesive as a unit -- Hob taking to leadership, and the Wolves taking to Hob. It's a fascinating group -- and one I clearly can't get enough of.
There were plenty of mysteries, questions, enigmas wrapped in each other about the nature of the Weathermen, the Bone Collector, Hob's abilities (and those of others, too) and what TransRift Corporation has found in the mines left over from Hunger -- and Wells doesn't answer them all. Are some things clarified? Are some things better understood? Yup. Does everything get spelled out for the reader? Nope. I love the fact that there's a whole lot that we don't get to wrap our brains around, but that we just have to accept -- just like the characters. But it's done not in a way that you feel unsatisfied with what you're given.
There's even a little bit of sweetness to be found in friendship, family, and romance. Not so much that it becomes a "kissing book" or anything, it's just an added touch.
I find the politics a little hard to swallow and simplistic -- but I can't think of the politics of any SF book/world that don't strike me this way, honestly. At least not once they get beyond the most vague notions. I'm only mentioning it because it seems that important to the novel. Which is not to say that it detracts from things too much -- if I can suspend disbelief enough to buy the capabilities of the Weathermen, or a fire-throwing, one-eyed, space-biker; I can buy whatever the workers on Tanegawa’s World try to replace the corruption they've suffered under.
I get the feeling that this is going to be a duology -- there might be more stories to tell with the Ravani, or Tanegawa’s World, but they probably won't be as closely tied to these two. I'm satisfied with a duology -- we got a complete story and a very satisfying one. Wells started strong and ended stronger -- can't ask for more than that.
I'm excited to talk about this book and I want to say a whole lot more -- and feel like I should. But I'm not sure what else to say without giving anything away. Hunger Makes the Wolf was one of my favorites last year, and this is better. Ultimately, there's not much more to say than that.
Read
January 27, 2020This book has most of what I liked about Hunger Makes the Wolf - a bunch of characters, diverse in their backgrounds and outlooks, who are all trying to make life better on their weird-west company-run planet. It was telling a story about the place, as much as about the people, which is two-edged. It means we see the broad sweep of things, but it also means that I sometimes wished I had a more zoomed-in view of individual characters' stories. I did like what I got, though - it's a simultaneously fantastical and gritty story about fighting the power and coming out on top, and how it's worth it even though it comes with terrible costs. Hob and Mag are still great, and I loved getting to see more of them.
February 18, 2018
The mysteries of Tanegawa's World are unfolding as Hob Ravani and Mag scramble to protect their people and each other from TransRift's ambitions and a new strain of Weatherman. Alex Wells grabbed me with this unique world and phenomenal characters in Hunger Makes the Wolf, and every twist, every conflict, every stolen, whispered moment in Blood Binds the Pack drew me in deeper.
November 12, 2018
This was great! I'd kind of forgotten the first book, but this one caught me up again without being obvious about it. I guess the easiest way to describe it is Dune meets Organized Labor.
April 24, 2019
I love this series. This was my gym book for March and it was perfect for losing track of time. The characters are fantastic, and the winding way the plot spills out from their different perspectives was really satisfying. It's bloody and suspenseful, and the countdown worked super well as a framing device, while still letting moments of love and family shine through the gritty bits. UGH. It is so my jam. I would read a zillion more books in this series/by this author.
February 12, 2018
There's a lot going on here from compact script to a general strike to open warfare on a one company run mining world. When there's only one employer and they also control transport off the planet there's not a lot you can do. Or is there? It all depends on whether you have queer bike riding witches on your side.
August 31, 2021
Blood Binds the Pack is a wholly engrossing, exciting, and atmospheric jaunt through a world with diverse characters, a fascinating setting, and lots of fun action.
Right off the bat, I’ll say the plot, while quick-paced and cohesive, was a little disjointed to me, in that it felt like Hob took a backseat to driving the story - a lot of the story is reactionary for every character. Shinge’s story also didn’t do much for me. Yet, at the same time, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and couldn’t stop reading it. The allusion to workers’ rights issues gave the novel a sense of gravitas and it’s clear whose side we’re supposed to be on.
While the characters are a lot of fun and I liked all of them, no one really changed or developed over the course of the story - there was so much going on no one got a real chance. Hob and Mag’s main arcs were completed in Hunger Makes the Wolf, so in this novel, there wasn’t much we learned about them. That being said, I cared about all the characters and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them again. This novel was a direct continuation of the first, so all the main characters are back, including my favourite: the Bone Collector.
Hob’s trajectory with the Bone Collector was one of my favourite aspects of the novel, as their odd and compelling relationship built on that from the first book. Wells did a great job driving the tension between them and showing how they complement one another. This is a great novel about why you should never hesitate in telling someone how you feel.
Yet, despite the character development being a little static and the plot less compelling, the setting, prose, and readability (how much I was entranced by the novel) were a full five stars.
The setting is utterly fantastic with so many interesting facets. The planet itself is fascinating in not only its geographical and physical aspects but the details of the world-building were intricately woven. The Weathermen and how TransRift uses them, and how this relates to the rest of the universe, was expanded upon from what we learned in the first book, and the way magic was incorporated was believable and plot-relevant.
Wells also manages to impart this sci-fi western with lovely prose that was a strange but enthralling mix of visceral and ethereal - it suited the story and the setting. The dialogue felt authentic to the characters but wasn’t annoying in its twang, and the battle scenes were fun and exciting.
I really loved this book. I couldn’t put it down!
Right off the bat, I’ll say the plot, while quick-paced and cohesive, was a little disjointed to me, in that it felt like Hob took a backseat to driving the story - a lot of the story is reactionary for every character. Shinge’s story also didn’t do much for me. Yet, at the same time, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and couldn’t stop reading it. The allusion to workers’ rights issues gave the novel a sense of gravitas and it’s clear whose side we’re supposed to be on.
While the characters are a lot of fun and I liked all of them, no one really changed or developed over the course of the story - there was so much going on no one got a real chance. Hob and Mag’s main arcs were completed in Hunger Makes the Wolf, so in this novel, there wasn’t much we learned about them. That being said, I cared about all the characters and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them again. This novel was a direct continuation of the first, so all the main characters are back, including my favourite: the Bone Collector.
Hob’s trajectory with the Bone Collector was one of my favourite aspects of the novel, as their odd and compelling relationship built on that from the first book. Wells did a great job driving the tension between them and showing how they complement one another. This is a great novel about why you should never hesitate in telling someone how you feel.
Yet, despite the character development being a little static and the plot less compelling, the setting, prose, and readability (how much I was entranced by the novel) were a full five stars.
The setting is utterly fantastic with so many interesting facets. The planet itself is fascinating in not only its geographical and physical aspects but the details of the world-building were intricately woven. The Weathermen and how TransRift uses them, and how this relates to the rest of the universe, was expanded upon from what we learned in the first book, and the way magic was incorporated was believable and plot-relevant.
Wells also manages to impart this sci-fi western with lovely prose that was a strange but enthralling mix of visceral and ethereal - it suited the story and the setting. The dialogue felt authentic to the characters but wasn’t annoying in its twang, and the battle scenes were fun and exciting.
I really loved this book. I couldn’t put it down!
January 15, 2019
The first book was one of my favorite reads last year, and this conclusion to the duology is an equally brilliant book. The world has got awesome "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Dune" vibes. The found family of motorcycle gang mercenaries is crazy badass, and also I love them so much. The characters have interesting depths, and the plotting of the whole series is wonderfully paced. Such a great book.
July 30, 2020
A perfectly serviceable sci fi western, but not quite as compelling as the first.
August 22, 2019
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5
Sometimes a reader just doesn't connect with certain writers. That appears to be the case for me here.
As I started this book I had a sense of familiarity, but it wasn't so strong that I immediately recognized where it was from. A little further in and it dawned on me that this was a follow-up to a book I had read previously (no ... I don't always know when I'm reading a sequel as books are sent to my kindle and I generally read them in the order that they are put there). I looked back to see that I had indeed read and reviewed the first book and had given it a very mid-range rating. This actually made me more determined to give this a really careful read, so I started it over to really absorb what I was reading.
And still this didn't click with me.
Tough, female biker, Hob Ravani, is back, defending her distant planet from the mega-corporation TransRift Inc. TransRift has a monopoly on just about everything that anyone could need or want on the entire planet, but Hob and her 'Ghost Wolves' are a thorn in their sides. TransRift is trying to mine a strange blue mineral from Tanegawa's World - the mineral is the source of power that allows for interstellar travel by tearing holes in space and time. Only 'Weathermen' are able to make this work, but the mineral is the source of all the power. TransRift will tear the planet apart to mine this mineral in order to control this very needed substance, which would give TransRift control over the majority of all interstellar travel.
Only Hob and her associates can possibly stop this profit-hungry corporation.
The idea here is great, even if making corporate greed the motivating factor isn't particularly original. My problem with the book (as it was the first time around) is simply that I didn't care. Hob as a character doesn't appeal to me. I understand her anti-hero hero-ness, but I simply don't connect with her and I just don't care what happens to her or to this world. The future of the planet - essentially owned by the 'evil' TransRift - hinges on our care for Hob and her friends.
The writing isn't bad - it just didn't connect with me and I'll look for something a little different.
Looking for a good book? Blood Binds the Pack by Alex Wells is a follow-up to Hunger Makes the Wolf. If you enjoyed the first in the series, this will be just as good. If you didn't enjoy the first, this doesn't offer any redemption and this is not recommended for new readers to the series.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Sometimes a reader just doesn't connect with certain writers. That appears to be the case for me here.
As I started this book I had a sense of familiarity, but it wasn't so strong that I immediately recognized where it was from. A little further in and it dawned on me that this was a follow-up to a book I had read previously (no ... I don't always know when I'm reading a sequel as books are sent to my kindle and I generally read them in the order that they are put there). I looked back to see that I had indeed read and reviewed the first book and had given it a very mid-range rating. This actually made me more determined to give this a really careful read, so I started it over to really absorb what I was reading.
And still this didn't click with me.
Tough, female biker, Hob Ravani, is back, defending her distant planet from the mega-corporation TransRift Inc. TransRift has a monopoly on just about everything that anyone could need or want on the entire planet, but Hob and her 'Ghost Wolves' are a thorn in their sides. TransRift is trying to mine a strange blue mineral from Tanegawa's World - the mineral is the source of power that allows for interstellar travel by tearing holes in space and time. Only 'Weathermen' are able to make this work, but the mineral is the source of all the power. TransRift will tear the planet apart to mine this mineral in order to control this very needed substance, which would give TransRift control over the majority of all interstellar travel.
Only Hob and her associates can possibly stop this profit-hungry corporation.
The idea here is great, even if making corporate greed the motivating factor isn't particularly original. My problem with the book (as it was the first time around) is simply that I didn't care. Hob as a character doesn't appeal to me. I understand her anti-hero hero-ness, but I simply don't connect with her and I just don't care what happens to her or to this world. The future of the planet - essentially owned by the 'evil' TransRift - hinges on our care for Hob and her friends.
The writing isn't bad - it just didn't connect with me and I'll look for something a little different.
Looking for a good book? Blood Binds the Pack by Alex Wells is a follow-up to Hunger Makes the Wolf. If you enjoyed the first in the series, this will be just as good. If you didn't enjoy the first, this doesn't offer any redemption and this is not recommended for new readers to the series.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
February 23, 2018
Tanegawa is a planet under TransRift Inc's tight control, and no one is going to challenge their authority. At this very moment they are searching for the source of power which enables their modified human horrors, the Weathermen, to make interstellar travel possible. The company has no interest in the future of the planet, let alone their exploited miners who toil to generate the company's wealth.
But they haven't banked on Hob Ravani and her rag tag band of misfits, the Ghost Wolves, who have become part of the growing resistance. Along with her 'sister' Mag's miner collective, the planet is ready for a major battle between the oppressors and the oppressed.
As Shige Rollins returns to the planet with the most advanced model of Weatherman, Mr Yellow, things are about to get very complicated.
Blood Binds the Pack is the type of sequel where you wish you had read the first novel, Hunger Makes the Wolf. This is not because Blood Binds the Pack doesn't work well as a standalone book, but more because you feel you've missed out on another damn good read.
This is the type of world viewers of Deadwood or Firefly would find familiar, both in terms of frontier towns, the people inhabiting them, and the chosen few who live privileged lives, cossetted by every convenience advanced technology has to offer.
The book has a solid plot, but running through the whole narrative is an excellent cast of fully developed characters. Alex Wells has taken stereotypes from westerns and high-action sci-fi thrillers, playing with them in a thoughtful and very entertaining way. The result is a group of intriguing protagonists who in isolation can hold their own in a busy storyline, yet interact and network with other characters in interesting ways.
The relationship between the two lead female protagonists has been well thought out. Hob is the tough guy of the two, Mags the gentler, more thoughtful and strategic (although put her back up against the wall and watch her come out fighting). My favourite is probably Ghost Wolves member, Coyote, a violent man with an intriguing past and rather gruesome dietary requirements, yet he is soon knocked into obedience by Hob through her sheer force of character and acerbic rhetoric.
Make no mistake this is an action-packed thriller, but it also explores (through the sci-fi/fantasy medium) issues of those who seek equality and justice from those who control in an impossible situation.
Blood Binds the Pack was courtesy of Angry Robot via NetGalley
But they haven't banked on Hob Ravani and her rag tag band of misfits, the Ghost Wolves, who have become part of the growing resistance. Along with her 'sister' Mag's miner collective, the planet is ready for a major battle between the oppressors and the oppressed.
As Shige Rollins returns to the planet with the most advanced model of Weatherman, Mr Yellow, things are about to get very complicated.
Blood Binds the Pack is the type of sequel where you wish you had read the first novel, Hunger Makes the Wolf. This is not because Blood Binds the Pack doesn't work well as a standalone book, but more because you feel you've missed out on another damn good read.
This is the type of world viewers of Deadwood or Firefly would find familiar, both in terms of frontier towns, the people inhabiting them, and the chosen few who live privileged lives, cossetted by every convenience advanced technology has to offer.
The book has a solid plot, but running through the whole narrative is an excellent cast of fully developed characters. Alex Wells has taken stereotypes from westerns and high-action sci-fi thrillers, playing with them in a thoughtful and very entertaining way. The result is a group of intriguing protagonists who in isolation can hold their own in a busy storyline, yet interact and network with other characters in interesting ways.
The relationship between the two lead female protagonists has been well thought out. Hob is the tough guy of the two, Mags the gentler, more thoughtful and strategic (although put her back up against the wall and watch her come out fighting). My favourite is probably Ghost Wolves member, Coyote, a violent man with an intriguing past and rather gruesome dietary requirements, yet he is soon knocked into obedience by Hob through her sheer force of character and acerbic rhetoric.
Make no mistake this is an action-packed thriller, but it also explores (through the sci-fi/fantasy medium) issues of those who seek equality and justice from those who control in an impossible situation.
Blood Binds the Pack was courtesy of Angry Robot via NetGalley
February 18, 2018
This book is the sequel to Hunger Makes the Wolf and I devoured them both in no time. I loved this series so much I didn't even stop to take notes as I read. I'm already making a list of people I can gift it to.
Tanegawa's World is a desert planet owned by a large corporation called TransRift. The primary industry is mining. It's a harsh life for the residents, who are at the corporation's mercy for the necessities of life. The Unions are essential in making sure safety standards are met and workers are properly paid. Even then, it is a desperate kind of power and weak in the face of the corporation's control. Little is done to aid those blacklisted by the company, some of whom end up joining gangs of bandits and mercenaries.
The Ghost Wolves are one such gang of mercenaries. This tight-knit group of bikers take what jobs they can to eke out a living and stick it to the company wherever possible. Of these reprobates, Hob Ravani is on the bottom rung. Taken in by the head of the Ghost Wolves, she accidentally betrayed the gang and now must prove her worth once more. She is given that chance when she finds Ol' Nick's brother shot dead in the desert.
The series has a Western flavour to it, but subverts some of the more problematic tropes and trends of the genre. The cast is diverse, featuring a host of PoC characters. Same-sex relationships are normalised. There's even some disability representation, with both Hob and Nick Ravani missing an eye each... though I concede the series could have benefited from more representation in this area.
The Lone Gunman is a trope that gets short shrift; everything about the series emphasises collective power. This is particularly the case in Blood Binds the Pack, where the Union comes into more direct opposition with the company. However, it can be seen in numerous other ways. The Ghost Wolves rely on teamwork for survival; bad things happen when a member goes out solo. But it goes beyond survival. There's a strong found-family vibe to the mercenary gang.
It also plays into Hob's friendship with Mags, Ol' Nick's niece. It was so delightful to see such a strong female friendship on the page. It's not without its bumps--Hob, particularly, makes mistakes that strain things. But they never give up on each other, and as the women rise in influence their friendship has an impact on the communities around them. It was also a joy to see a friendship between such different women. In many ways, they are opposites, but they hold true to each other.
In addition to the Western genre, science fiction and fantasy are also blended in. There's something mysterious about Tanegawa's World that causes electronics to fritz and encourages the development of strange powers in certain members of the community. The elemental magic was one of my favourite parts of the story. Hob's fire manifests in fairly traditional ways: she lights cigarettes with the snap of her fingers and throws the occasional fireball. However, other powers manifest in some different and creative ways. The Bone Collector is particularly fascinating, turning to stone at will and moving through the sand. His relationship with Hob is fascinating and continuing readers may be delighted to hear he gets more time in the spotlight throughout Blood Binds the Pack. The latter book also has an instance of Air magic that manages to be a fascinating and powerful piece of representation.
The story is told in third person, predominantly focused Hob and Mags, though we also hear from certain Wolves and pick up more characters along the way. The changes in voice between perspectives are subtle, but effective. The pacing also works well, interspersing some wonderful moments of connection between the characters in amongst the action. Hunger Makes the Wolf comes to a dramatic and satisfying conclusion. Blood Binds the Pack manages to increase the stakes and the tension through an effective countdown at the start of (and sometimes within) each chapter.
All in all, Hunger Makes the Wolf and Blood Binds the Pack form an addictive duology that has become a new favourite.
This review first appeared on Earl Grey Editing.
Tanegawa's World is a desert planet owned by a large corporation called TransRift. The primary industry is mining. It's a harsh life for the residents, who are at the corporation's mercy for the necessities of life. The Unions are essential in making sure safety standards are met and workers are properly paid. Even then, it is a desperate kind of power and weak in the face of the corporation's control. Little is done to aid those blacklisted by the company, some of whom end up joining gangs of bandits and mercenaries.
The Ghost Wolves are one such gang of mercenaries. This tight-knit group of bikers take what jobs they can to eke out a living and stick it to the company wherever possible. Of these reprobates, Hob Ravani is on the bottom rung. Taken in by the head of the Ghost Wolves, she accidentally betrayed the gang and now must prove her worth once more. She is given that chance when she finds Ol' Nick's brother shot dead in the desert.
The series has a Western flavour to it, but subverts some of the more problematic tropes and trends of the genre. The cast is diverse, featuring a host of PoC characters. Same-sex relationships are normalised. There's even some disability representation, with both Hob and Nick Ravani missing an eye each... though I concede the series could have benefited from more representation in this area.
The Lone Gunman is a trope that gets short shrift; everything about the series emphasises collective power. This is particularly the case in Blood Binds the Pack, where the Union comes into more direct opposition with the company. However, it can be seen in numerous other ways. The Ghost Wolves rely on teamwork for survival; bad things happen when a member goes out solo. But it goes beyond survival. There's a strong found-family vibe to the mercenary gang.
It also plays into Hob's friendship with Mags, Ol' Nick's niece. It was so delightful to see such a strong female friendship on the page. It's not without its bumps--Hob, particularly, makes mistakes that strain things. But they never give up on each other, and as the women rise in influence their friendship has an impact on the communities around them. It was also a joy to see a friendship between such different women. In many ways, they are opposites, but they hold true to each other.
In addition to the Western genre, science fiction and fantasy are also blended in. There's something mysterious about Tanegawa's World that causes electronics to fritz and encourages the development of strange powers in certain members of the community. The elemental magic was one of my favourite parts of the story. Hob's fire manifests in fairly traditional ways: she lights cigarettes with the snap of her fingers and throws the occasional fireball. However, other powers manifest in some different and creative ways. The Bone Collector is particularly fascinating, turning to stone at will and moving through the sand. His relationship with Hob is fascinating and continuing readers may be delighted to hear he gets more time in the spotlight throughout Blood Binds the Pack. The latter book also has an instance of Air magic that manages to be a fascinating and powerful piece of representation.
The story is told in third person, predominantly focused Hob and Mags, though we also hear from certain Wolves and pick up more characters along the way. The changes in voice between perspectives are subtle, but effective. The pacing also works well, interspersing some wonderful moments of connection between the characters in amongst the action. Hunger Makes the Wolf comes to a dramatic and satisfying conclusion. Blood Binds the Pack manages to increase the stakes and the tension through an effective countdown at the start of (and sometimes within) each chapter.
All in all, Hunger Makes the Wolf and Blood Binds the Pack form an addictive duology that has become a new favourite.
This review first appeared on Earl Grey Editing.
February 9, 2018
Blood Binds the Pack nicely wraps up the story begun in Alex Wells' earlier novel, Hunger Makes the Wolf. Definitely grab that one first - it was a real blast to read. And this one makes for a fun sequel. Biker gang witches in space continue to rock!
This second book in this apparent duology keeps the focus on Hob, "witchy" leader of a mercenary biker gang on a desert planet lightyears away from Earth (and government oversight), and on Mag, equally (but differently) "witchy" organizer of a labor movement trying to help the miners who've been oppressed by the TransRift Corporation - owners of the planet and virtually everything on it. Two very different women with very different motivation, yet their friendship is a central focus of both characters. I liked that - female friendship isn't often a guiding factor in a sci-fi novel.
The supporting cast is interesting, ranging from a biker whose grip on himself/reality has recently become rather tenuous, to a woman whose witchiness has led her to elective muteness because she's afraid of the scream that will come out if she tries to speak, to an inhuman creation little understood, even by those who had a hand in his creation, to a smooth government functionary who thinks almost solely of the duty he was bred to carry out, with several other interesting characters rounding out the pages.
I don't want to give away any spoilers here, so I won't give any details about the conclusion that the plot rockets toward at the speed of a space bike on the salt flats, but I found it mostly satisfying. It fits the characters and their story. There's wiggle room left to continue, to give us more Hob and Mag and Coyote and Bone Collector, if Wells should choose... but the story stands complete to this point. And it was a fun ride to get there.
All in all, an enjoyable book and a fitting sequel for its predecessor. I'll be on the lookout for other things by this author. He's got a knack for writing stories that are just plain fun to read.
This second book in this apparent duology keeps the focus on Hob, "witchy" leader of a mercenary biker gang on a desert planet lightyears away from Earth (and government oversight), and on Mag, equally (but differently) "witchy" organizer of a labor movement trying to help the miners who've been oppressed by the TransRift Corporation - owners of the planet and virtually everything on it. Two very different women with very different motivation, yet their friendship is a central focus of both characters. I liked that - female friendship isn't often a guiding factor in a sci-fi novel.
The supporting cast is interesting, ranging from a biker whose grip on himself/reality has recently become rather tenuous, to a woman whose witchiness has led her to elective muteness because she's afraid of the scream that will come out if she tries to speak, to an inhuman creation little understood, even by those who had a hand in his creation, to a smooth government functionary who thinks almost solely of the duty he was bred to carry out, with several other interesting characters rounding out the pages.
I don't want to give away any spoilers here, so I won't give any details about the conclusion that the plot rockets toward at the speed of a space bike on the salt flats, but I found it mostly satisfying. It fits the characters and their story. There's wiggle room left to continue, to give us more Hob and Mag and Coyote and Bone Collector, if Wells should choose... but the story stands complete to this point. And it was a fun ride to get there.
All in all, an enjoyable book and a fitting sequel for its predecessor. I'll be on the lookout for other things by this author. He's got a knack for writing stories that are just plain fun to read.
February 15, 2018
It’s a four star due to feminism and portrayal of gender roles outside of the norm (although I do wish Hob weren’t the only female Wolf I can recall, I’m mighty tired of ‘the only woman’ characters.)
Otherwise though, this is a solid three star book for me. Good but not great.
Why? Well, most of the character growth occurred in the prior book, as well as the scariest scenes with Mr Green and the unionizing-type story arc turning individuals into a combined force. This book doesn’t so much build on the story as execute on the already created platform. So, instead of examining new things, it’s a bunch of action showing people and places we already know. The problem is, I either want more character growth, or more world growth or more unionizing growth...a bunch of action doesn’t satisfy me in and of itself.
It’s well written action. It’s Hollywood movie action even. I prefer to think though rather than being left breathless.
On the thinking front, I was confused by several story points — why in a book where we acknowledge the working class’ humanity, warts and all, are 100% of the security soldiers dehumanized as unremitting bad guys? Surely many of them had working class parents? (This really bothered me.)
Also, why do none of the characters from science backgrounds ever appear to consider ethics, morals or consequences? Wouldn’t a few of them think beyond their jobs? Most scientists I know are deeply ethical.
Why do the inspectors, who we hope will catch the bad guys in the act, carefully pre-announce their arrival so there’s plenty of time for bad guys to construct cover ups?
Why, when we’ve been lead to think this book will show the importance of the working class pulling together, does the big final battle swing on factors that have next to nothing to do with the working class?
I guess I expected more complexity in the circumstances and the characters. The author is good at showing fully fleshed people. I hope she’ll write more of them, and maybe let a wider range of characters be fully fleshed.
Otherwise though, this is a solid three star book for me. Good but not great.
Why? Well, most of the character growth occurred in the prior book, as well as the scariest scenes with Mr Green and the unionizing-type story arc turning individuals into a combined force. This book doesn’t so much build on the story as execute on the already created platform. So, instead of examining new things, it’s a bunch of action showing people and places we already know. The problem is, I either want more character growth, or more world growth or more unionizing growth...a bunch of action doesn’t satisfy me in and of itself.
It’s well written action. It’s Hollywood movie action even. I prefer to think though rather than being left breathless.
On the thinking front, I was confused by several story points — why in a book where we acknowledge the working class’ humanity, warts and all, are 100% of the security soldiers dehumanized as unremitting bad guys? Surely many of them had working class parents? (This really bothered me.)
Also, why do none of the characters from science backgrounds ever appear to consider ethics, morals or consequences? Wouldn’t a few of them think beyond their jobs? Most scientists I know are deeply ethical.
Why do the inspectors, who we hope will catch the bad guys in the act, carefully pre-announce their arrival so there’s plenty of time for bad guys to construct cover ups?
Why, when we’ve been lead to think this book will show the importance of the working class pulling together, does the big final battle swing on factors that have next to nothing to do with the working class?
I guess I expected more complexity in the circumstances and the characters. The author is good at showing fully fleshed people. I hope she’ll write more of them, and maybe let a wider range of characters be fully fleshed.
January 5, 2019
Builds on the themes of book 1 and raises the stakes, big time. Blood Binds the Pack returns us to the wild, dusty desert of Tanegawa’s World and the roiling cauldron of forces jockeying for control of unusual planet. Hob is back, more firmly rooted as the Ravani and the head of the Ghost Wolves, the infamous biker mercenaries that haunt the deserts along the stretch of mining towns, and racking up a higher bounty from TransRift thanks to their exploits. Mag is fighting hard, organizing the miners against the unfair labor practices of TransRift and their enforcers, the Mariposa security outfit, trying to keep her people together as the threats from the Company continue to escalate and people start dying. On top of that, a new, upgraded Weatherman arrives to restore some of TransRift’s lost power, but has his own hidden agenda that puts everyone at greater risk than ever.
Wells’ world is fascinating and inhabited by marvelous characters you can’t help but cheer on. Hob and Mag may be more settled in their roles, but the world won’t let them get comfortable for a second, and they need every ally they can get to survive against seemingly impossible odds.
The story revisits and builds on the themes of worker’s rights and organizing, the notion that we’re stronger when we stand together, and that sometimes that strength comes from our differences, as well as our similarities. There’s a lot of heart in this book, even during shootouts and raids, there’s a strong sense of family for the Wolves and miners. A fantastic read. I look forward to seeing what Alex Wells does in the future (dare I hope for a book 3?).
Wells’ world is fascinating and inhabited by marvelous characters you can’t help but cheer on. Hob and Mag may be more settled in their roles, but the world won’t let them get comfortable for a second, and they need every ally they can get to survive against seemingly impossible odds.
The story revisits and builds on the themes of worker’s rights and organizing, the notion that we’re stronger when we stand together, and that sometimes that strength comes from our differences, as well as our similarities. There’s a lot of heart in this book, even during shootouts and raids, there’s a strong sense of family for the Wolves and miners. A fantastic read. I look forward to seeing what Alex Wells does in the future (dare I hope for a book 3?).
August 14, 2019
I really enjoyed this book and can't figure out for the life of me why it took so long to read it! I think I have to blame the weather because it seems when it's really humid, I cannot concentrate on any book for longer than 15 minutes. Sadly.
Now this is the second of the Ghost Wolves books, and I adored the first one, this one was just not quite as wonderful by a smidge but I think that's because of my problems with the heat. Again, as in the first book, the beginning half of the story starts slow, and I find myself wondering if I'd read this book on the heels of the first one (read that one over a year ago) if I wouldn't have found it so. It this that makes me think the plot line with Shige and the Mr Yellow, the Weatherman, held more import than I gave it. But anyway, come the halfway point the story picked up with a vengeance.
Our favourites are back and although I'd have liked more interaction with Hob and the Wolves, it was good to see how she'd taken complete control of her people. I also would have liked more with her and Mag, but that's not the way the story went - they each had a job to do to take care of their folks.
Mysteries were solved and my suspicions about the Bone Collector turned out to be true. Go me!
I loved the world-building and most of the characters and I was truly sad when the story ended because I wanted more action, more plotting, more raids, more fighting for the right reasons. I wonder if the author will ever revisit Tanegawa's World? I hope so, cause I'll sure be there to read about it.
Now this is the second of the Ghost Wolves books, and I adored the first one, this one was just not quite as wonderful by a smidge but I think that's because of my problems with the heat. Again, as in the first book, the beginning half of the story starts slow, and I find myself wondering if I'd read this book on the heels of the first one (read that one over a year ago) if I wouldn't have found it so. It this that makes me think the plot line with Shige and the Mr Yellow, the Weatherman, held more import than I gave it. But anyway, come the halfway point the story picked up with a vengeance.
Our favourites are back and although I'd have liked more interaction with Hob and the Wolves, it was good to see how she'd taken complete control of her people. I also would have liked more with her and Mag, but that's not the way the story went - they each had a job to do to take care of their folks.
Mysteries were solved and my suspicions about the Bone Collector turned out to be true. Go me!
I loved the world-building and most of the characters and I was truly sad when the story ended because I wanted more action, more plotting, more raids, more fighting for the right reasons. I wonder if the author will ever revisit Tanegawa's World? I hope so, cause I'll sure be there to read about it.
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