I picked this book up as part of my coursework in my Children’s Literature class mistaking Tanith Lee for another author I had read (obviously, this was some time ago, I’m going to say 10 years now). I’d heard of Tanith Lee, of course, but I was mistaking her for someone else. So, it turns out that I was completely unfamiliar with Mrs. Lee’s work up until now.
I found “Wolf Tower” to be a fun and engaging read. It would be a good start to ease young readers into fantasy fiction as it doesn’t have an epic, world-shattering plot, and the fantastic elements it employs aren’t too weird–they all seem to fit logically within the world Tanith Lee has created. Speaking of which, the world in which the story takes place is not dissimiliar to our own, making it even easier to get into the story without having to learn a bunch of strange geography.
The protagonist, Claidi, is a likeable, if downtrodden, girl who grows emotionally during the story into a likeable young lady. The way she deals with events and other characters is admirable and can serve as a good example for young readers.
The story itself is interesting and Tanith Lee does a fine job keep us guessing as much as Claidi who is really telling the truth, and indeed, what that truth is. The ending is satisfying, yet leaves things open for a continuation of the story, and I found myself wondering “What happens next?”