Wereworld: Rise Of The Wolf by Curtis Jobling

Wereworld: Rise Of The Wolf by Curtis Jobling

(Puffin, 2011, PB, £6.99, out now)

Every now and then a genre can be reinvigorated by a title. Fantasy for younger readers is one such genre, and is in constant flux, changing and developing constantly – dictated either by publishers reacting to market trends or by authors with fresh ideas. Enter Wereworld: Rise Of The Wolf, the debut novel from Curtis Jobling, and the first in a series. Werewolves are fringe players on the goth-rom scene and have never had the impact of, say, vampires. Steve Feasey’s teen-targeted Changeling series puts the werewolf at the centre. But Curtis Jobling’s Wereworld takes lycanthropy one step further, splicing it into a fantasy setting; the realm of Lyssia is a land where the aristocracy are were-creatures, expanding on the werewolf concept in an imaginative way. There are were-bears, were-lions, were-rats, and so on.

Jobling is perhaps better known for his animation successes – he is the creator and designer of no less than Bob the Builder, and, more recently, Raa Raa The Noisy Lion. Which makes the impact of Wereworld even more impressive. From his map (created by Jobling himself), to his world’s politics and societal hierarchy – this author has clearly been at work on his ‘universe’ for some time. He’s built a wonderfully convincing arena for his characters and an involving quest for Wereworld’s young hero, Drew Ferran. He starts the story as a simple teenage farm boy, living out at a small farmstead on the Cold Coast, near the market town of Tuckborough, with his family; father Mack, mother Tilly, and brother Trent. Drew is beginning to feel changes at work within him, but this is no puberty. He is wracked by nausea and fever that come and go by the day.

When Mack and Trent are away for the market at Tuckborough, the Ferran farmstead is attacked by a huge, mysterious creature. The moon is high and full and Drew and the creature fight, as a change overcomes the young –

Nope, I’m not going to ruin it for you, even though you should be able to guess what happens to Drew. The attack on the farmstead is described in evocative, bloody detail, and this is where Drew’s life changes.

You really need to read this book. I refuse to ruin your enjoyment of Drew’s adventure with a continuous list of spoilers. It’s epic, taking in dark forests, far away kingdoms and castles, feuding families, romance, bloody combat and thrilling adventure, political plotting and uprisings – and plenty more. In short, it is one of the most impressive fantasy novels I’ve read in I-can’t-remember-how-long, and a stunning debut novel. I feel confident in stating that Wereworld is the next big thing.

Andy ‘Howling’ Jamieson, Editor

To read Andy’s interview with author Curtis Jobling, click here.