Ulrik by Steven E. Wedel

ISBN: 1-933274-17-4

Ulrik stands somewhere between the traditional horror werewolf and the newer urban fantasy werewolf. This follow up to Murdered by Human Wolves starts firm and fast with Shara, who some believe is the famed Mother, a female werewolf who can birth live young. Except Shara has given it all up, taking a serum to prevent her monthly changes so she can raise Joey, her werewolf son that other werewolves think proves her role, or represents an end to their familiar life style. As three, or more, werewolf factions prepare to fight, Shara must decide who to trust to save her son, not to mention herself.

First a warning, as part of a series Shara’s tale is not complete in this book. Also, I, at times, found Shara to be a wishy-washy characters as her drive to protect her child becomes quite sidelined once she is reunited with him and she promptly chooses to spend all her time with other people.

The pacing is slower than most urban fantasies, giving Ulrik a more epic fantasy/horror feel. Other book elements truer to horror are the multi-person, third person point of view, the way the characters are sympathetic, but the reader is not fully immersed in the characters and a two-step-removed angle to the love story. The werewolves themselves are also closer to traditional horror werewolves than the people with fur more commonly found in urban fantasy.

However like urban fantasy the politics of the pack and personal vendettas are the driving forces of the story, creating a complex plot greatly affected by the characters’ action or in action. The characters may not be immersive, but the werewolf culture and history are very important to the story.

In all Ulrik reminded me, in theme, style and characterization, very much of S.P. Somtow’s Moondance, which while not my traditional favorite style of shape shifter novel is one I find myself reading over and over again with just as much enjoyment every time.