Kit writes...

Hello Miss Paver,

I've been a fan of your Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series for 16/17 years and am recently revisiting them. Wolf Brother is the first and only book I remember reading where I was immediately sucked in by the first sentence, and Spirit Walker is the only book in recent years I've read all the way through in 1 day. I absolutely love this series and I can't wait to read the sequel 3 for the first time.
Some lead up info for my Q: I'm in the process of learning Dutch and had the thought that it'd be fun to have the goal of being able to read the Dutch translation of Wolf Brother and the other books, and I was able to find in the Wikipedia article that a Dutch translation of the series was made, but I can't find the name of it or the printing house for the life of me.
So, my question is, would you happen to know the name of either the series or publisher, or what the best way to get a translation of your books would be?
Even if you don't, I appreciate your reading this and am sending well wishes to you and yours.
Thank you,
Kit(he/they)

Michelle Replies...

Dear Kit, Thanks for your question - and I'm so pleased that you enjoyed the books as a child, and it's great that you still are!  The first six books were originally published in Holland and Belgium by the house of books: sometimes abbreviated to thb, www.thehouseofbooks.nl. Wolf Brother was called "Torak en Wolf", its ISBN ws 9044312235, and the series title was "avonturen uit een magisch verleden". It was translated by Ellis Post Uiterweer, who translated the other five books as well.  I've got all this from my copy of the Dutch volumes,  but I have a hazy recollection that the house of books may have been taken over by another publishing house, I can't recall which.  I hope the information I've given you will help you track down a copy.  Maybe abe.com or similar could help?  Anyway, good luck - and good luck with your Dutch studies, too!  With best wishes, Michelle

Karolina and Iza writes...

Dear Michelle Paver,

We (together with my sister) would like to thank you for the series of books which you have written ‘Chronicles of Ancient Darkness’. We read this series when we were children and it is like the ‘Harry Potter’ series for us - we grew up with it and it had a big influence on us.
Especially the advice that Torak heard from Fin-Kedinn, when he was overthinking about his problems, to focus only on one mesh at a time, during the process of making a fishing net. This advice we still apply now in our own lives and advise it to others.
We hope that you will read this message.

Thank you.
Karolina and Iza from Poland

Michelle Replies...

Dear Karolina and Iza, Thank you so much for your lovely message, and  I'm absolutely delighted that you've enjoyed my Chronicles of Ancient Darkness stories!  I'm particularly pleased that you liked and have been helped by Fin-Kedinn's advice to Torak.  Fin-Kedinn has always been one of my favourite characters, and I often think about the various things he has told Torak, Renn and Dark, over the course of the series. (That might sound a bit weird, given that I created him; but it's true.)  Thank you both again so much for getting in touch - and may the guardian run with you!

With very best wishes, Michelle

Daniel writes...

Hi Michelle

I first read Dark Matter sometime ago (maybe 6/7 years ago) and I remember not only at the time what an unbelievable chilling read it was, but how it haunted me with my own imagination and imagery thereafter. I've not been able to read it since yet it remains in my top 10 books of all time.

I have now just finished Wakenhyrst. Long overdue I'll admit as life gets in the way but a week away and you've drawn me in again. Your writing is fantastic and eloquently broken down in its structure of prose and diary entries.

I guess part of this is praise, a hope one day I can get the time in to get a signed copy from you, but really the question is how do you build suspense on pages?
In other media forms, music, acting, lighting, words (or the absence of) do so well, but you seem to do this phenomenally well I'm sure many of your readers agree.

I have read many many books across a broad spectrum and I liken your story telling to the Eddings fantasy tales and the twists and turns of Dean Koontz ,but neither and beyond have captured the chilling imagery you seem to put into my brain, and the satisfaction having not read cover to cover in a while that you have delivered.

Whilst I haven't read your teenage fantasy I encourage my girls to read them and I hope they see the same art that I do.

Bravo. I hope I can maybe catch you in the lake district or Lancaster once upon a time. I look forward to your next tale.

Michelle Replies...

Dear David,

What a wonderful message to receive!  I'm delighted that you've enjoyed not only Dark Matter, but Wakenhyrst, too; and I'm particularly pleased that my imagery has proved memorable.  Your question about how I build suspense is an excellent one, but I find it very hard to answer.  For me, building suspense is partly objective, that is, planning what the reader should be told and when, as well as what questions to raise in the reader's mind, and when. But then the subjective bit comes in.  By that I mean the imagery and the other details and events which just seem to well up from the unconscious, particularly as one gets deeper and deeper into writing the story, and identifies more strongly with the characters.  You can't plan for that, and it's my favourite part of writing; but it's also the most mysterious.

There you go, I've had a stab at answering you.  Thank you so much for getting in touch - and I really hope that you continue to enjoy my stories.  With very best wishes, Michelle

August writes...

I have recently finished Ghost Hunter and I am loving every book, I finished outcast in 3 days and it will be my favorite book forever. I thank you for the amazing journey you have given and are still giving me, your creativity is unmatched. Now I was wondering if there will be more content on this series, I am aware at the attempts of the TV series and we can all hope it works out. I also know Wolf Bane is the final book, I have yet to reach it but I will get there pretty soon I am sure. But will there be anything else? Anything like a board game or some additional art (Just examples)? I and probably many other people never want it to end ha! Thank you for reading and have a great day!

Michelle Replies...

Dear August, it's brilliant to know that you're loving the books so much!  You are quite right that Wolf Bane is the final book - and I'm afraid that I don't have any plans to write more Wolf Brother stories .  I explained why in a previous answer to a reader (Josiah, back in February), but briefly, I feel that I've reached a natural end, and that in Wolf Bane I've given Torak, Renn and Wolf a good send-off. As for the proposed tv series, sadly, that isn't going to happen (for more on that, see my answer to Tereza, back in May), and there are currently no plans for adaptations.  If that changes, I'll post on my website.  Nor are there any board games or additional content - although there's lots of fan art online (see my website wolfbrother.com for some amazing stuff).  I think the thing to celebrate, though, is your response to these stories, which is clearly heartfelt and intense.  Relish that.  Not everyone has the ability to get so involved in a story.   And remember, you can always experience it again by re-reading the books.  They'll always be with you.  Thank you so much for getting in touch.  With very best wishes, Michelle

Joseph writes...

I love your books, I have dearly since a tender age, and when I found out later in life they were narrated by Ian McKellen I was flabbergasted and went to listen to them and was in awe at the first books narration. But for some reason Spirit Walker and Soul Eater aren't available in the US (?) or for some reason they can't be found, bought or streamed anywhere online. The 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th+ etc. are available but not Spirit Walker and Soul Eater which are ones I have a lot of nostalgia for. Frankly it felt like a miracle when I found out Ian McKellen narrated the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, and it feels as though two different childhood wonders collided together, I'm in love with his readings of all the other books. Is there anyone you can talk to or anything you can do to make the Spirit Walker and Soul Eater audiobooks available? Is there a reason why these two audiobooks aren't available or is it just some kind of marketing error we can't have those 2 books but all the other ones? I hope so, I really want to hear them. It's heartbreaking I can't get them and I'm desperate, lol. I would pay a lot of money to just have the two in audio form but I literally can't get them anywhere.

Michelle Replies...

Dear Joseph, I'm delighted that my stories have meant so much to you, and I do really feel for you about not being able to get hold of the Spirit Walker and Soul Eater audiobooks . You're not the first reader to point out this anomaly. Unfortunately, I can't explain this, and to date,  I haven't been able to get an explanation (or remedy) from my publishers.  I can only suggest that you write to them and add your voice to those of the other readers who have asked about this.  I'm so sorry that I can't help - and thank you again for getting in touch.  With very best wishes, Michelle