Book Review: Anne Rice's Wolf Gift

Anne Rice is writing horror/supernatural again.  The author best-known for Interview with A Vampire took a break from the genre to focus on Christian literature before moving away from organized religion in 2010.

She released Wolf Gift in February, 2012; the first in the series.  The story followed the adventures of Reuben Golding, a San Francisco Reporter.  Reuben is assigned a story on the sale of an old house in Northern California, and goes to interview the owner.  They're attacked, and Reuben is bitten by a "man-wolf" and as the story goes eventually turns into one.

That's where the usual tale takes an interesting turn.  Rice's take casts werewolves as superheroes.  They only take on the bad guys, and they retain the consciousness of a man, and remember everything they do as a wolf.  Reuben sees the transformation as a gift, instead of a curse; he can help people in need.  This finds him conflicted between his newfound gift, and the values he was taught through his Catholic upbringing. 

I stopped reading Anne Rice for a long time, and I'm thrilled she's writing horror again. This is a great kickoff to a series. It manages to set up the story without getting bogged down in minute details.  Rice's vivid descriptions portray the joy Reuben feels as the "wolf."  The characters introduced at the end are a great way to add the necessary explanation, and set it up for the next novels.

If you're looking for a different take on the werewolf myth, check out Wolf Gift, available at most book stores.