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Midnight's Sun: A Story Of Wolves
The wolf Meshiska gave birth to five cubs on the night before full moon. Outside the den a storm was lashing the spruce trees. The sky and the land had become part of each a scatterwind night swirling with fragments of black and white. Snow became darkness and darkness snow, and any creature lost between the two found a rock or a tree and lay down beside it, to wait until the world had formed again.'Into this bleak landscape, Athaba is born, a young wolf destined for great adventure. Exiled from his pack for breaking its rigid codes of behaviour and showing too much imagination, Athaba becomes a 'raven wolf', a lonely scavenger living on scraps and his wits.Survival in the icy wastes is hard and dangerous without the comfort and protection of the pack. Injured, and stranded far from home, Athaba is forced to strike up an uneasy alliance with his natural a man. Together, but ever wary of each other, the wolf and the solitary hunter start their long walk home across the wilderness.It soon becomes clear that the man must learn to be a wolf if he is to survive in the wolf's world. Athaba has to use all his imagination to learn new skills and strategies to fend for himself and his new pack for he discovers that men are frail, and often very ignorant!
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
6 people are currently reading
796 people want to read
About the author
Garry Kilworth
224 books118 followersGarry Douglas Kilworth is a historical novelist who also published sci-fi, fantasy, and juvenile fiction.
Kilworth is a graduate of King's College London. He was previously a science fiction author, having published one hundred twenty short stories and seventy novels.
Kilworth is a graduate of King's College London. He was previously a science fiction author, having published one hundred twenty short stories and seventy novels.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 11, 2011
Certainly well worth the read, but how interesting it is fluctuates a bit through the book.
It starts off a bit slow, especially when compared to the excellent Hunter's Moon. After about 50 pages or so, it really gets going, eventually coming near the level of awesomeness I expected of it.
Then *something* happens (not spoiling anything here), which causes the middle part of the book to be a bit long-dreaded, a tad too unbelievable, and so on. It just wasn't it.
At about three-quarter of the book, that part is over and the story gets *really* good, finally reaching the level of awesomeness that Hunter's Moon had throughout the whole book.
That last quarter really saves the book, although I might have been spoiled because I've already read Hunter's Moon. This just didn't live up to my expectations, though it was still, for the major part, awfully good.
What also helps is that this isn't a kiddie book, anyone under 12-15 mustn't get their hands on this.
To sum it all up: yes, Hunter's Moon is way better, but anyone with an interest in (talking) animals will probably enjoy this one also.
It starts off a bit slow, especially when compared to the excellent Hunter's Moon. After about 50 pages or so, it really gets going, eventually coming near the level of awesomeness I expected of it.
Then *something* happens (not spoiling anything here), which causes the middle part of the book to be a bit long-dreaded, a tad too unbelievable, and so on. It just wasn't it.
At about three-quarter of the book, that part is over and the story gets *really* good, finally reaching the level of awesomeness that Hunter's Moon had throughout the whole book.
That last quarter really saves the book, although I might have been spoiled because I've already read Hunter's Moon. This just didn't live up to my expectations, though it was still, for the major part, awfully good.
What also helps is that this isn't a kiddie book, anyone under 12-15 mustn't get their hands on this.
To sum it all up: yes, Hunter's Moon is way better, but anyone with an interest in (talking) animals will probably enjoy this one also.
June 4, 2015
I liked this book. Lovely writing, you can tell the author has done a lot of research and knows what he's writing about. The plot is interesting, and it was fun to follow the lives of these wolves. It's very hard to find a book quite so interesting and moving as this one. I liked the mythology, which was also a big part of the book. The only problems I had with it were that the plot can sometimes be garbled or things can happen for no apparent reason and that serve no purpose in the story, as well as CONSTANT TYPOS in the kindle version. It drove me crazy, though the book was still readable with them.
Overall, I'd reccomend this book, as well as the author's other animal books, most notably Hunter's Moon, which I have also read.
I read this on kindle.
Overall, I'd reccomend this book, as well as the author's other animal books, most notably Hunter's Moon, which I have also read.
I read this on kindle.
November 12, 2021
I was very disappointed with this book, since I loved 'Hunter's Moon' and 'Frost Dancers' by the same author. He does not seem to have done any research before writing - almost all aspects of the wolf behaviour, pack structure and so on are wildly incorrect. Additionally, the wolves' folk tales are just unimaginative rip-offs of human stories like 'Little Red Riding Hood', suggesting he couldn't think of any ideas of his own. Don't bother reading this if you have any knowledge of wolves - it will irritate you too much!
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October 3, 2024DNF after chapter 3
After "Hunters Moon" I didn't have high expectations for this one but since I already owned it I figured I might as well give it a try.
Wolf packs do not behave the way they are portrayed in this book. I think part of the issue may be the age of this book and what research was available at the time but I was still annoyed to see what is basically alpha/omega dynamics play out in this novel.
I could have lived with inaccurate wolf social dynamics but then we get introduced to the Spanish inquisition plotline and I peaced out. I've got 0 interest in reading another book about canid catholicism.
After "Hunters Moon" I didn't have high expectations for this one but since I already owned it I figured I might as well give it a try.
Wolf packs do not behave the way they are portrayed in this book. I think part of the issue may be the age of this book and what research was available at the time but I was still annoyed to see what is basically alpha/omega dynamics play out in this novel.
I could have lived with inaccurate wolf social dynamics but then we get introduced to the Spanish inquisition plotline and I peaced out. I've got 0 interest in reading another book about canid catholicism.
September 5, 2017
Yet another book I obtained on kindle for my holidays was Midnight’s Sun by Garry Kilworth. I loved this book when I first read it, its quirky style and darker tone making it quite different to the other books I’ve read. In any situation, this book is unique. Its tone often sways between atmospheric stoicism and dark humour, with some moments leaving me simply stunned with a single line. You get the sense that the world in which the characters live is an extremely harsh one.
This book is aimed at an audience of 16+, as there is some swearing and suggestive themes.
Be aware, there are minor spoilers ahead!
With vivid descriptions in locations and an in-depth method of storytelling, I found that there was never a dull moment- however, that also meant that reading was quite stressful and I was always itching to get back to reading… I’ll let you decide whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing!
However, one problem wasn’t necessarily with the writing itself, but occasionally managed to take me out of the moment; and that was with the proofreading. There were occasional spelling and grammatical errors scattered throughout the book.
The characters were all multidimensional and interesting, and each one ages and grows as time passes along with their views and goals evolving, especially when it came to the main character, Athaba. Athaba is always changing, and over the course of the book he grows from a young pup to an old, battle-scarred and world-weary creature… and his personality and goals change to reflect that. In direct contrast to Athaba, the main antagonist grows and develops in unique and unexpected ways as attitudes change around him. At times, I found myself equally hating him and rooting for him. Even the side characters, who come and go frequently, are often explored in depth.
There is real consequence in this book: characters will die as time passes, happiness is usually short lived, and scars remain for the rest of these characters’ lives.
Similarly, the lore and culture of the wolves is very unique, immovable in the face of change and unforgiving to those who don’t conform to their idea of a perfect norm. It’s extremely harsh, with “for the good of the pack” being the main and most memorable law, often used to excuse chilling scenarios. In-depth legends of the wolves are often explored. Whilst many are unique, some are simply retellings of fairytales from the big bad wolf’s point of view, which puts a unique spin on classic fairytales and paints humans as the bad guys instead. Unfortunately, whilst these stories are usually very well-placed and offer greater insight into wolf culture and lore as well as a break from the action, they also become a flaw with the book as things get more intense. They were sometimes placed at the end of cliffhangers over the course of the finale, and whilst the stories told are enjoyable, I don’t particularly care about a magical stoat and her wolf friend when Athaba is ON THE BRINK OF DEATH (exaggeration).
There was one consistency error that I noticed in this book and has to do with the number of pups. Midway through the book, Athaba has six pups, and it’s later stated that two died, but five are later shown to be still alive.
In all, I found Midnight’s Sun to be an enjoyable read. It was gripping start to end and the world and characters were consistently unique and engaging, and ever-changing. The author’s openness to heartbreak and death meant that nothing was out of the question and kept me hooked from beginning to end. It had its definite flaws, but its characters and world pulled me in and allowed me to look past that, which is a testament to the care and thought put into the story as a whole. Overall I’d give Midnight’s sun a 7.5/10.
For more reviews like this, visit my blog below.
https://beastsbirdsandbookworms.wordp...
This book is aimed at an audience of 16+, as there is some swearing and suggestive themes.
Be aware, there are minor spoilers ahead!
With vivid descriptions in locations and an in-depth method of storytelling, I found that there was never a dull moment- however, that also meant that reading was quite stressful and I was always itching to get back to reading… I’ll let you decide whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing!
However, one problem wasn’t necessarily with the writing itself, but occasionally managed to take me out of the moment; and that was with the proofreading. There were occasional spelling and grammatical errors scattered throughout the book.
The characters were all multidimensional and interesting, and each one ages and grows as time passes along with their views and goals evolving, especially when it came to the main character, Athaba. Athaba is always changing, and over the course of the book he grows from a young pup to an old, battle-scarred and world-weary creature… and his personality and goals change to reflect that. In direct contrast to Athaba, the main antagonist grows and develops in unique and unexpected ways as attitudes change around him. At times, I found myself equally hating him and rooting for him. Even the side characters, who come and go frequently, are often explored in depth.
There is real consequence in this book: characters will die as time passes, happiness is usually short lived, and scars remain for the rest of these characters’ lives.
Similarly, the lore and culture of the wolves is very unique, immovable in the face of change and unforgiving to those who don’t conform to their idea of a perfect norm. It’s extremely harsh, with “for the good of the pack” being the main and most memorable law, often used to excuse chilling scenarios. In-depth legends of the wolves are often explored. Whilst many are unique, some are simply retellings of fairytales from the big bad wolf’s point of view, which puts a unique spin on classic fairytales and paints humans as the bad guys instead. Unfortunately, whilst these stories are usually very well-placed and offer greater insight into wolf culture and lore as well as a break from the action, they also become a flaw with the book as things get more intense. They were sometimes placed at the end of cliffhangers over the course of the finale, and whilst the stories told are enjoyable, I don’t particularly care about a magical stoat and her wolf friend when Athaba is ON THE BRINK OF DEATH (exaggeration).
There was one consistency error that I noticed in this book and has to do with the number of pups. Midway through the book, Athaba has six pups, and it’s later stated that two died, but five are later shown to be still alive.
In all, I found Midnight’s Sun to be an enjoyable read. It was gripping start to end and the world and characters were consistently unique and engaging, and ever-changing. The author’s openness to heartbreak and death meant that nothing was out of the question and kept me hooked from beginning to end. It had its definite flaws, but its characters and world pulled me in and allowed me to look past that, which is a testament to the care and thought put into the story as a whole. Overall I’d give Midnight’s sun a 7.5/10.
For more reviews like this, visit my blog below.
https://beastsbirdsandbookworms.wordp...
September 13, 2023
Overall, 'Midnight's Sun' is a solid book. The plot was engaging and I was kept interested throughout the whole read. The main characters, Athaba and Skassi, have intriguing character development that I found myself pleased to follow. The callbacks to the canid mythology and religious aspects seen in Garry Kilworth's 'Hunter's Moon' were a nice touch. My main grievance with this book is the inaccurate behaviors of wolf behavior in regards to pack ranking and mentality. As someone who is aware of how wolf packs are actually structured in the real world, this was a bit irritating. 7/10.
August 9, 2018
Picked up this book in a second hand book store. Adore this book!! This is what literature is all about!! Wonderful Read!!!! An unforgettable experience which drew me in from page one and has remained with my 12 years after the first reading. This novel is one in a million.
February 20, 2023
Even if you don't like wolves or animal fantasy, you owe it to yourself to read this book. It effortlessly captures a wolf's worldview, celebrates the not-unique to humans trait of thinking outside societal boundaries, and massages the readers mind with beautiful, descriptive prose. There are numerous lovable and memorable characters too. It will get you to think differently about the world, that's assured.
However, the book isn't entirely flawless.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The ending makes it crystal clear that this story wasn't finished. The confrontation with the main villain is one of the most anti-climactic things I've ever read, and the main character barely puts in any effort to defeat him or save his family. I understand the climax is geared more towards an emotional struggle than a physical one, but everything wraps up way too neatly and easily. The villain almost idolizes the main character, and while it would make sense for him to lie to his followers about his relationship with "the legend", once their alone its obvious that his admiration is genuine, which makes no sense considering how they considered each other mortal enemies when last they knew each other, and how extreme and unmoving the villain is in his opinions.
The main character never gets a chance to try and change his mind, duke it out in a desperate, symbolic fight to the death, nothing, the danger is over in literally an instant. This book would be a classic if the ending was 100x better than it was.
However, the book isn't entirely flawless.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The ending makes it crystal clear that this story wasn't finished. The confrontation with the main villain is one of the most anti-climactic things I've ever read, and the main character barely puts in any effort to defeat him or save his family. I understand the climax is geared more towards an emotional struggle than a physical one, but everything wraps up way too neatly and easily. The villain almost idolizes the main character, and while it would make sense for him to lie to his followers about his relationship with "the legend", once their alone its obvious that his admiration is genuine, which makes no sense considering how they considered each other mortal enemies when last they knew each other, and how extreme and unmoving the villain is in his opinions.
The main character never gets a chance to try and change his mind, duke it out in a desperate, symbolic fight to the death, nothing, the danger is over in literally an instant. This book would be a classic if the ending was 100x better than it was.
October 15, 2023
I loved this book. It starts off a little bit slow but it eventually picks up. It does get a bit slow in the middle again but the end is fast-paced and action packed again.
I loved Athaba, the main character and I loved the fact that at one point he teams up with a human, helping him survive and that at the end of the story that human returns the kindness by hesitating when he had a chance to shoot him.
I also loved the legends sprinkled throughout the book, it really added to the story.
All in all a pretty great story with a pretty interesting world and characters.
I loved Athaba, the main character and I loved the fact that at one point he teams up with a human, helping him survive and that at the end of the story that human returns the kindness by hesitating when he had a chance to shoot him.
I also loved the legends sprinkled throughout the book, it really added to the story.
All in all a pretty great story with a pretty interesting world and characters.
December 1, 2021
The story of a wolf who, after being exiled from his pack, forms a tentative relationship with a human lost in the wilderness. The author does not seem to know much about wolves, as there are numerous factual errors – for example, the pack is ridiculously large, every pack member has a mate, and it’s implied that wolves commonly attack humans – but the story is fairly entertaining if you can overlook these.
November 16, 2019
Oh man war das eine Reise. Ich habe mega lange gebraucht dieses Buch zu lesen, aber das war es so wert. In dem Buch steckt so viel Weisheit aus dem man so viel lernen kann. Ich kann absolut nachvollziehen, warum dies das Lieblingsbuch meiner kleinen Schwester ist und ich bin ihr sehr dankbar, dass sie es mir in die Hand gedrückt hat.
September 14, 2023
Not the worst wolf book I’ve read. Other than the outdated wolf behavior and ridiculous plot with a conservation overtone, it was like reading a disjointed memoir of a very intelligent wolf. It’s worth reading once.
July 2, 2024
It's eh, okay, I guess? After reading Hunter's Moon by the same author, which was really good, I had pretty high hopes for this one, but this is just...kind of meh.
We spend 90% of this book with the exact same character, Athaba, and not a lot of with other wolves, and that's inherently kind of a problem because I for the life of me couldn't get into Athaba as a protagonist. I thought he was an uninteresting character from start to finish. He doesn't change all that much throughout the story (most of his plot is about getting to a certain physical goal, rather than any personal growth). Some of the wolf characters around him were mildly interesting when compared to him (e.g. Raghistor, his mentor), but most of those characters are barely in the story and most of it is just Athaba alone (or with his human Koonama). And because I wasn't invested in the main character the rest of the story really didn't interest me much. Hunter's Moon had much better character writing than this.
The subplot of Athaba briefly "adopting" a human man he gets stranded with into his pack was kind of interesting but that's really the biggest compliment I can give the book.
The way this book handles wolf pack dynamics is also way off (even by dominance theory standards) but I'll give that a slide because it's an older book and it's at least a mildly interesting deviation from the norm, even if incorrect. The pack dynamics and lore in this story honestly interested me more than the main plot or character.
Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/20...
We spend 90% of this book with the exact same character, Athaba, and not a lot of with other wolves, and that's inherently kind of a problem because I for the life of me couldn't get into Athaba as a protagonist. I thought he was an uninteresting character from start to finish. He doesn't change all that much throughout the story (most of his plot is about getting to a certain physical goal, rather than any personal growth). Some of the wolf characters around him were mildly interesting when compared to him (e.g. Raghistor, his mentor), but most of those characters are barely in the story and most of it is just Athaba alone (or with his human Koonama). And because I wasn't invested in the main character the rest of the story really didn't interest me much. Hunter's Moon had much better character writing than this.
The subplot of Athaba briefly "adopting" a human man he gets stranded with into his pack was kind of interesting but that's really the biggest compliment I can give the book.
The way this book handles wolf pack dynamics is also way off (even by dominance theory standards) but I'll give that a slide because it's an older book and it's at least a mildly interesting deviation from the norm, even if incorrect. The pack dynamics and lore in this story honestly interested me more than the main plot or character.
Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/20...
August 25, 2025
DNF. There were some aspects I thought were great and not so much. Some of the author’s writing style, such as his choices for metaphors and how he portrays his characters, were not to my liking. In the end, I lost interest. The story itself was great for the most part, but its execution wasn’t.
March 10, 2022
A wolf story with extremely unrealistic wolf behaviour, and a silly and uninteresting plot. Wolf fans who know anything about wolves will cringe reading it.
October 7, 2022
Set in the same world as Hunter’s Moon, Midnight’s Sun follows a wolf in the Canadian wilderness who is cast out from his pack for violating their customs, serving as a decently engaging read that never quite reaches the heights of its predecessor. [6/10]
September 22, 2015
4.5 stars omg. this dragged in the beginning but picked up so much halfway through i couldn't put it down. i love the spiritual undertones in Garry's books and the fact that this is obviously set in the same world as Hunter's Moon because the mythology ties in directly with the fox mythology. i can't believe these books aren't more widely known.
March 6, 2011
Kilworth def is able to write a believable Wolf, and his prose is excellent, but the structure didn't really do it for me. Introduces new ideas too late into the book and as a result the conclusion isn't very effective.
May 6, 2016
This was one of my first 'big' books I read as a child and I still remember it fondly. Would love to read it again and get a new perspective. I highly recommend this. Brilliant story and wonderfully written.
August 7, 2016
I loved this book, it was my first real foray into the world of wolves. This novel taught me a Myriad of their ways, habits, instincts and hierarchies. The knowledge base helped me to understand my new dogs Alaskan Malamutes, their similarities are amazingly mirrored!
February 2, 2024
Just as good as Hunter’s Moon! Once again the author takes great care in details concerning wolf lifestyle and behaviour. I wasn’t quite sure where the plot was headed but was pleasantly surprised. I have also purchased Garry Kilworth’s Frost Dancers and hope it will also live up to expectations.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews