Hey there, Michelle! After receiving your latest newsletter I realized I had never written you, and thought I’d sit down and write to you to make my younger self proud. I found The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness as a tween thanks to my mother, a librarian, who saw that our library had gotten rid of its copies of the first five books which she then took and passed along to me. No one I knew had read them but they quickly became my favorite series growing up, instilling my life long interest in anthropology. I would pass on those copies to my siblings and so many friends and they made some of my closest childhood friendships all more dear. There are so many ways The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness has changed my life, but I think maybe the biggest way is how Torak taught me was to always look for another option and to not settle with the world I’m given, but instead dream of what it can become. I will always remember the end of Spirit Walker when I feel stuck. Thank you so much!! I am currently studying art and writing and my childhood was speckled with creative responses to The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, but I think most notable are when I illustrated the first three books with over thirty illustrations as a 14 year old (my art has sure changed a lot since then) or when I attempted to recreate Torak’s winter tunic. Below is a photo of myself as a teen in the tunic, modeled after what research I could find, and holding my family’s dog who looks just a bit like Wolf (although his legs are much to small). I will end my rambling response by asking the question I wondered about a lot as a child – would you ever consider writing or producing a book that explores ancient North America from a fictional setting? I always thought that’s a story I’d love to read.

Once again, thank you for the gift you have given us all in literary form!

Best,
~Lucene

Dear Lucene, what a lovely message – and that picture too! I particularly like your younger self’s clan-tattoos, and the quartered circle on the forehead, which is exactly as Torak received it from Fin-Kedinn at the end of Outcast.  I’m really delighted that the Wolf Brother books have had such a positive influence on your life.  As for your question, well: I’ve no current plans to write anything about ancient North America.  But having said that, I often find myself returning to the folklore and myths of the Americas, particularly those of the Arctic and the Pacific North-west.  So who knows what the future will bring?  In the meantime, I’d like to wish you all possible good luck for your art and writing studies.  Thanks so much for getting in touch.  And may the guardian run with you!  Michelle