Learn to Howl series
by Jennifer R. Donohue
Reviewed by Galen Strickland
Posted March 7, 2024
Edits and Addenda on July 21 and December 11, 2024
1. Learn to Howl / 2. Baying the Moon / 3. The Company of Wolves
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Learn to Howl is the seventh of Donohue's books I have read within the past five months. Five were novellas, this being the second novel, and also the beginning of a trilogy. In some ways it is similar to her Run with the Hunted series, but with one major twist. All of the main characters are werewolves, but again, with a twist. Forget Lawrence Talbot, or those American guys in London and Paris. These werewolves are not created from the bite or scratch from another werewolf. It is all genetic, although there are differences between various families. They are not limited to transforming under a full moon. They can change at will, day or night, any time of year, and they become indistinguishable from normal wolves. No intermediary steps; no bipedal human/wolf hybrid. In the Culver family all children are girls, and almost all are werewolves, even though they may not exhibit that nature until their teen years. It is not necessarily related to puberty, or if it is it might be inhibited by certain drugs or herbal concoctions. For the main character, Allie (full name Alleluia), her first transformation didn't occur until she was seventeen. It happened as a result of trauma, when she was attacked by a boy after a party. She doesn't recall all the details of that encounter until later, when she is relieved to find out she had not killed the boy.
The werewolf gene skipped Allie's mother, perhaps because she was one of a set of twins. Her twin, Dulcie, and her other siblings Rachel and Sela, are werewolves. Allie lived with her parents and two young brothers in Alabama. After the attack, when her mother realized Allie had transformed, she packs her up and takes her to her sisters in New Jersey, dropping Allie off unceremoniously, not bothering to talk to her sisters. It is the first time Allie knew she had aunts other than her father's sisters. She has a rough time adjusting, since her mother had not told her anything about the family situation, what she might expect, hoping of course that it wouldn't happen. Rachel is the oldest, very abrupt and domineering. Dulcie is more reassuring and supportive. Sela is shy, and mostly incommunicative. Things continue in a hapazard fashion for a few weeks, Allie frustrated because the others think she should know what they expect of her. The only thing she had managed, other than knowing how to transform at will, is developing her heightened senses of smell and hearing, along with a little more strength. Then Rachel asks her to perform a task, to bail out her daughter Morgan from jail. Yet another new thing for her to accept, a werewolf cousin.
The major action begins when Allie and Morgan return to find their house on fire, the other women missing, and quite a bit of blood. They manage to retrieve a few things before they run, and after Morgan had searched in the woods, where she saw a departing truck she is sure she could identify. The Culvers had had conflicts with the Ward family over the years, but nothing this serious. All of the Ward werewolves were men. Bill Ward is able to convince Morgan that truck had been stolen, and he has a suspicion of who may have taken the Culver women, so they join forces to go after them. This is the part that reminded me a bit of Run with the Hunted, particularly the second story, where they had to rescue one of their team from government agents. In this case it is a secretive medical experimentation group known as Silvernail. The Wards had been surveilling them for quite a while, so they go to one of their facilities in Pennsylvania, but only Sela is there. Rachel and Dulcie may be somewhere in Georgia, so they head south.
Allie is telling her own story, so it makes sense there is little information about her situation in the beginning, and by the end of this book she is still learning. I expected some betrayal by the Wards, and there may have been a little in Georgia, since they were more interested in what information Silvernail had on them, less interested in the Culvers. Morgan had forced their hand into taking action, and there was noticeable tension between them. Only a couple of the Wards were sympathetic to them, one a computer tech who provided them with intel from stolen computer drives. I expected Joe Ward might be inclined to join up with the Culvers full time, since his family was very condescending to him. I won't reveal why that might be though. Something that might surprise, even disappoint some readers; most of the story has the characters as their human selves. They had to be cautious not to reveal themselves to others, especially when they might be on security cameras. On more than one occasion I though Allie might accidentally transform due to stress and worry, but that didn't happen. This is a combination of werewolf coming-of-age tale, and high action and suspense. Several sympathetic characters, others that will irritate you, some that will fill you with suspicious dread. Recommended. I will follow up on the series soon, the second book due in July..
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Posted July 21, 2024
My review will be brief to avoid spoilers. The cover image to the left looks more like a bear, but I assume it is supposed to be John Doe, a real wolf (not werewolf) that Allie rescued from the Silvernail labs in Georgia. She is the one who gave him that name, not Silvernail, when she bought a collar and name tag later. She also constructed an enclosure for him, but occasionally takes him out for walks in the woods, but she knows it is in the wolf's best interest to find a sanctuary. Both the Culvers and the Wards have several different sanctuaries of their own, and they are forced to move after conflicts with Silvernail.
It is not clear how long the Wards had known about Silvernail, but that was new information for the Culvers in the first book. They had been content to remain isolated in the Pine Barrens, then Silvernail found them. Rachel resented Morgan's impestuosness, her insistence on taking action. The older Wards may have felt the same, wanting to remain undercover for as long as possible. But it is no longer possible, and Morgan wants to take the fight to Silvernail, no matter how uneven the odds. Allie is still learning how to be a werewolf, how to integrate with another family, made more stressful when she learns disturbing news about her mother. She isn't sure she likes Morgan, but she does trust her, so goes along with her schemes, one of which ends with Allie being shot in the shoulder. With a silver bullet.
Again, some readers may be disappointed with so few scenes of them in their werewolf personas. Only once with Morgan and Allie, but it is possible some of the others did on other occasions but not depicted. They only did it in isolated situations. Silvernail knew about them, but they needed to keep that nature hidden from the general public. There are several scenes of intense action, of chase and pursuit, feint and attack, but this book ends on a much gentler note than I expected. I thought they were headed into another trap, but of course that trap might be about to snap shut, but we won't know until the third book, which is due later this year. I will pre-order as soon as it's available, and I recommend you catch up on the story before then..
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Posted December 11, 2024
At this time The Company of Wolves is only in the various e-book formats. It is obviously the end of a trilogy, but I hope it is not the last Donohue will write about these characters. To repeat what I have said in the previous sections of the review, these werewolves are not like others you have read about or seen in movies and TV. They can transform at will, day or night, any day of the year, no need to wait for a full moon. It is all genetic, not the result of another werewolf bite or scratch. Most can also refrain from transforming if doing so would expose them to the general public. Some readers might be disappointed that transformations do not occur as often as they expect or would like to see. This is more about how the characters learn to be their human selves, even if they also have to learn to adapt to their family group, or groups of families of other werewolves. In a similar manner to how we all have to try to fit into our family, and peer groups, while also navigating our place in the world beyond that.
The main character is Allie, who had been raised oblivious to her family's unique nature. Her mother was one of a set of twins, the werewolf gene having skipped her. She was very religious, praying Allie could remain free of the family 'curse.' In the second book Allie learned her mother had associated with Silvernail, one result being the 'vitamins' she regularly gave Allie, which inhibited the werewolf gene. Sometimes she may have forgotten them, skipping a day or two, or Allie neglected to take them, which led to her first transformation when attacked by a boy after a school party. The main reason I would welcome more in this series is I suspect Allie of being extra special to Silvernail's plans. Something I had not previously mentioned about her cousin Morgan is she is in a band, one from which she takes long breaks after recording songs and touring. Her band name is Howling, not too subtle a hint. They are an indie band, but with a considerable following. Morgan never transformed on stage of course, and I am sure none of the other band members know she is a werewolf, but she always howled like a wolf during performances.
When not mounting an action against a Silvernail facility, they did their best to stay undercover, utilizing multiple safe houses. Morgan decides to switch strategies. After getting a tracker implanted, she books an interview in New York, and records a livestream video announcing the band will perform four songs at the time of the interview. She wants Silvernail to grab her, then she can be tracked to wherever they take her. Only it is Allie they grab. At first I was thinking it was because Morgan's girlfriend Hunter had used wardrobe and makeup for Allie to look more like her cousin, since there was already a close resemblance. Silvernail obviously knew about Morgan, knew when and where she would be, so why didn't they snatch her? Was Allie just easier prey, or the one they really wanted? They keep Allie sedated, so she loses track of time, later learning she was held for two weeks. She eventually escapes, maybe a bit too conveniently? After exiting the building she is met by Morgan and Rachel, they transform and run through the woods.
I won't mention what causes them to think their ordeal with Silvernail is over, since it might not be. I can accept it if this is the end, but I do want to see more of how Allie grows into her wolf persona, and how her relationship with Joe might develop. Another thing I would like to see relates to one of my few complaints. Morgan is an asshole most of the time. Will she ever stop giving Allie grief? Will everyone else continue letting her get away with it? Will Allie ever gain the strength and confidence to make her stop? Also, will Allie ever reconcile with her mother? Should she, or will her mother fight against that? Too many things to think about for me to want this story to be over. Even if it is the end I will still look forward to other stories from Donohue. All of this series is recommended.
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