Publisher's Weekly
A pair of silver fangs with a long and frightening provenance serves as the catalyst for one man's transformation to a werewolf in this gripping tale. San Francisco psychologist and art collector Benjamin Byrd first comes across the fangs when he meets alluring Johanna Fisher, soon to become his lover, who introduces him to a renowned collector of curious artifacts. From the moment Byrd sets eyes on the fangs, he is mesmerized. Recurring dreams of a beast ''padding in the darkness'' after him have haunted and terrified Byrd since childhood; once in possession of the fangs, however, he becomes utterly unafraid, waiting, ''as though for an old friend,'' for the beast to find him. And find him it does. Awaking from his dreams of the beast, Byrd is not in his bed but on his back lawn, shivering and afraid and yet, somehow, keenly alive, deliciously sated. Only when he starts to fear that he may harm Johanna in this altered state does Byrd begin to regret his terrible new power. But Johanna has secrets of her own, secrets that her lover cannot begin to imagine. Cadnum, an award-winning poet, spins lyrical prose. Lushly plotted and suspensefully told, this is genre storytelling at its finest.
Library Journal
Psychologist and artifact collector Benjamin Byrd, plagued by dreams of running at night, acquires a set of fangs that enables him to change into a wolf-like creature. This bare plotline cannot do justice to Cadnum's beautifully crafted and altogether fascinating novel of werewolves and their struggle for survival in a world that seeks to destroy them. As Byrd's metamorphoses recur, Cadnum ( Sleepwalk er, LJ 2/15/91) explores his character's psyche as man and beast with prose that demands savoring, even as it hurtles the reader toward a series of suspenseful climaxes. Like Anne Rice's vampire novels, Cadnum reforms a hackneyed theme into something magical and memorable. Highly recommended for popular fiction collections. Another recent novel with a similar theme is Dennis Danvers's Wilderness, LJ 3/15/91.--Ed.-- Eric W. Johnson, Teikyo Post Univ. Lib., Waterbury, Ct.
School Library Journal
YA-- Ben Byrd is a southern California psychologist whose career seems to be following the path of his broken marriage. His downhill slide is stopped, however, by a strange set of teeth in a silver base that, like dentures, fits in a human mouth. The man tries on this ghoulish piece of dentistry, and begins to dream that he is a creature of limitless power. This strength is carried over to his professional life, salvaging his practice. After a brutal midnight romp, he can no longer deal with the guilt brought on by his animal self. With the help of another of his ''kind,'' he learns that the true spirit of the wolf is not that of a senseless killer, but that of an intelligent, soulful beast who shuns the corrupting works of man. Cadnum communicates the power, the grace, and the fury of Saint Peter's Wolf. YAs are sure to identify with Ben's frustration and helplessness as his life begins to escape his control, and they will be compelled to follow his reaction to the horrific situation as it evolves from a mindless rage into a confident understanding of his new inner strength and physical power. --Phillip Clark, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Genre: Horror
A pair of silver fangs with a long and frightening provenance serves as the catalyst for one man's transformation to a werewolf in this gripping tale. San Francisco psychologist and art collector Benjamin Byrd first comes across the fangs when he meets alluring Johanna Fisher, soon to become his lover, who introduces him to a renowned collector of curious artifacts. From the moment Byrd sets eyes on the fangs, he is mesmerized. Recurring dreams of a beast ''padding in the darkness'' after him have haunted and terrified Byrd since childhood; once in possession of the fangs, however, he becomes utterly unafraid, waiting, ''as though for an old friend,'' for the beast to find him. And find him it does. Awaking from his dreams of the beast, Byrd is not in his bed but on his back lawn, shivering and afraid and yet, somehow, keenly alive, deliciously sated. Only when he starts to fear that he may harm Johanna in this altered state does Byrd begin to regret his terrible new power. But Johanna has secrets of her own, secrets that her lover cannot begin to imagine. Cadnum, an award-winning poet, spins lyrical prose. Lushly plotted and suspensefully told, this is genre storytelling at its finest.
Library Journal
Psychologist and artifact collector Benjamin Byrd, plagued by dreams of running at night, acquires a set of fangs that enables him to change into a wolf-like creature. This bare plotline cannot do justice to Cadnum's beautifully crafted and altogether fascinating novel of werewolves and their struggle for survival in a world that seeks to destroy them. As Byrd's metamorphoses recur, Cadnum ( Sleepwalk er, LJ 2/15/91) explores his character's psyche as man and beast with prose that demands savoring, even as it hurtles the reader toward a series of suspenseful climaxes. Like Anne Rice's vampire novels, Cadnum reforms a hackneyed theme into something magical and memorable. Highly recommended for popular fiction collections. Another recent novel with a similar theme is Dennis Danvers's Wilderness, LJ 3/15/91.--Ed.-- Eric W. Johnson, Teikyo Post Univ. Lib., Waterbury, Ct.
School Library Journal
YA-- Ben Byrd is a southern California psychologist whose career seems to be following the path of his broken marriage. His downhill slide is stopped, however, by a strange set of teeth in a silver base that, like dentures, fits in a human mouth. The man tries on this ghoulish piece of dentistry, and begins to dream that he is a creature of limitless power. This strength is carried over to his professional life, salvaging his practice. After a brutal midnight romp, he can no longer deal with the guilt brought on by his animal self. With the help of another of his ''kind,'' he learns that the true spirit of the wolf is not that of a senseless killer, but that of an intelligent, soulful beast who shuns the corrupting works of man. Cadnum communicates the power, the grace, and the fury of Saint Peter's Wolf. YAs are sure to identify with Ben's frustration and helplessness as his life begins to escape his control, and they will be compelled to follow his reaction to the horrific situation as it evolves from a mindless rage into a confident understanding of his new inner strength and physical power. --Phillip Clark, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Genre: Horror
Visitors also looked at these books
Used availability for Michael Cadnum's Saint Peter's Wolf