Andar is a post-apocalyptic coming-of-age story, told from the point of view of a juvenile wolf, Kalamu, who is travelling a bleak landscape with his old parents in a desperate search for food and water.  This story reads as if intended for the young-adult market, but with frequent use of strong language I would recommend this adventure story for a more mature audience.

The sense of tension is well-drawn, with danger lurking behind every mound of earth.  There is no reprieve from the violence and the sense of impending doom, so there is little hope to be found in the barren moors the family is crossing.

The landscape, tone and plight of the wolves remind me of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. While the writing overall is very good, there is an occasional odd phrase that could be cleaned up to keep the fantastic atmosphere intact.

The fight scenes are plentiful, but they are sensitively told with excellent description of injury and death without wallowing in the gore. The dialogue, too, is skillfully written and an important element in characterizing the fearful young wolf, his protective mother and distant father. While I reveled in the engaging dialogue it was sometimes hard for me to tell who was speaking.

The tension in the story is high and the suspense is drawn-out in this coming-of-age story but I would have liked to have seen Kalamu grow a bit more. However, he does seem to find some hope at last, although at the highest of costs. Andar is a riveting fantasy adventure novel with excellent atmosphere, dramatic tension and sensitive characterization.

Pages: 87 | ASIN: B08W8QFQ78