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Where other werewolf novels are popcorn: fluffy and insubstantial, M.D. Lachlan's Wolfsangel is a banquet. It is the werewolf story as it was never told before. In an age of romanticized werewolves, Wolfsangel is gritty and raw with power.

Wolfsangel is the story of two boys, identical twins, and how their destinies affect the destiny of their people. Separated at birth by the witches in an attempt to defeat the god, Odin, one boy, Feileg, is raised by wolves and the other, Vali, is raised as the prince of a mighty Norse tribe. While Feileg learns to hunt and survive the elements, suppressing his human nature, Vali learns about fighting and boasting and kingship. When Vali falls in love with a commoner, instead of the princess he is betrothed to marry, the princess's father sets him a task: bring back the wolfman who is harassing travelers and merchants within the kingdom and he will dissolve the betrothal. This causes the beginning of the intertwining of the lives of these two young men.

When his love is kidnapped, Vali has no choice but to rely on Feileg, the captured wolfman, to help him hunt her and her captors down. Thus begins a journey, both physical and supernatural, to the ends of the earth and beyond, and to the depths of the human psyche. In transformation from man to wolf, we discover what truly makes us human.

Lachlan's use of Norse mythology in Wolfsangel is a new and refreshing take on the werewolf genre. It also allows a change of setting and pace from the typical werewolf genre. Instead of being all about action or a love story, Wolfangel enters the deeper mythos about life, society, humanity, and a person's place in the natural order of things.

Lachlan's characters are very believable and very well fleshed out. The secondary characters are not overlooked. Furthermore, the setting is incredibly realistic and wonderfully described. Lachlan's Norse world makes the reader feel that he has a window into the past. The plotting is tight and there is plenty of suspense. This is not a novel that tips its hand: Lachlan has truly discovered the secret of leaving the reader guessing. Even the ending is not necessarily what the reader would suspect.

In sum, an excellent read, and one that will age well. I can see this book remaining current, and becoming a classic. It will be read for many years to come.