The Mad Wolf's Daughter (Mad Wolf's Daughter Duology #1)

by Diane Magras (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

*A New York Times Editors' Choice*

One dark night, Drest's sheltered life on a remote Scottish headland is shattered when invading knights capture her family, but leave Drest behind. Her father, the Mad Wolf of the North, and her beloved brothers are a fearsome war-band, but now Drest is the only one who can save them. So she starts off on a wild rescue attempt, taking a wounded invader along as a hostage. Hunted by a bandit with a dark link to her family's past, aided by a witch whom she rescues from the stake, Drest travels through unwelcoming villages, desolate forests, and haunted towns. Every time she faces a challenge, her five brothers speak to her in her mind about courage and her role in the war-band.

But on her journey, Drest learns that the war-band is legendary for terrorizing the land. If she frees them, they'll not hesitate to hurt the gentle knight who's become her friend. Drest thought that all she wanted was her family back; now she has to wonder what their freedom would really mean. Is she her father's daughter or is it time to become her own legend?

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Publishers Weekly

Set in a rugged Scottish landscape in the early 13th century, debut author Magras's tale of courage and heroism centers on Drest, the youngest child and only daughter of Grimbol, the dreaded Mad Wolf of the North. As fierce Drest becomes a legend in her own right, she must confront difficult truths about her family's storied past. Always protected by her father and five brothers, Drest has never ventured far from the headlands she calls home, but when her family is captured by knights from Faintree Castle, she must rely on her warrior training and intellect to save them. Traveling with a wounded knight abandoned by the enemy contingent, Drest has five days to reach the castle and trade the knight for her family's freedom. Drest's drive to help those in need wins her devoted allies, including a canny boy named Tig and his raven companion. Empathetic, bold, and entirely herself at a time when women were dismissed as weak, Drest shines in this fast-paced adventure. Ages 9-12. 

Copyright 2018 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-Drest has just six days to save her father and brothers from the hangman's noose in this adventure tale set in medieval Scotland. As the daughter of the "Mad Wolf of the North," Drest is no stranger to a bit of scrapping, but when a band of knights, under the direction of a vengeful Lord Faintree, take her family's camp by surprise, she alone must save them. Drest is likable and headstrong character, and the composite of various regions in Scotland will appeal to tweens who appreciate atmospheric woodsy settings. Readers will learn, along with Drest, about feudal village life, contemporaneous attitudes toward gender, and the relationship between truth and legend. Drest's thoughts occasionally reflect some internalized misogyny; she is not like the other "frail women and girls" or "weak and feeble like every other lass." These particular statements aren't directly unpacked, but the young protagonist does engage in more illuminating conversations about gender with other characters. An allusion to rape that involves Drest's brothers ("Was it a tribute to drag the weavers' daughters into the woods-") is dismissed as rumor. The running theme of trust and family secrets propels much of the plot, and while most conflicts are rather neatly tied up, Drest's embrace of unlikely friendships and a new code of honor are well done. VERDICT A solid quest story for tweens with an interest in the Picts and medieval Scotland.

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

ALA/Booklist

Drest is a wonderfully fierce and feisty heroine, able and quick of wit, and she is joined by other sympathetic and complex characters. . . . The plot is packed with twists and turns, and the ending leaves enough to suggest a sequel.

Kirkus

Action-packed at every turn, the story leaves enough unresolved to leave readers hungry for the continuation of the epic adventure.

Review quotes

A New York Times Editors' Choice
Kids' IndieNext List pick
2019 ALSC Children's Notable List selection
A CCBC Choices List Pick
A Maine Library Association Lupine Award winner

A Maine Student Book Award Nominee
A Kentucky Bluegrass Awards Master List Pick, Grades 3-5
A Utah Beehive Book Award Nominee

Diane Magras
Diane Magras grew up on Mount Desert Island in Maine. The Mad Wolf's Daughter is her debut novel. She is the editor, writer, and chief fund raiser for the Maine Humanities Council. She volunteers at her son's school library, and is addicted to tea, toast, castles, legends, and most things medieval. Diane lives in Maine with her husband and son and thinks often of Scotland, where her books are set.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780735229280
Lexile Measure
670
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Puffin Books
Publication date
February 12, 2019
Series
Mad Wolf's Daughter Duology
BISAC categories
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV016070 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Medieval
JUV013070 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Siblings
Library of Congress categories
-

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