Just a greeting – from someone who grew up in Sweden with the Wolf Brother books
Sofie writes…
Dear Michelle,
Hello! My name is Sofie, and I just wanted to write and give you my thanks.
My mom gave me the 1st CoAD book for Christmas back in 2011 when I’d turned 12 years old, and we both got hooked – I’m 25 now and I still love your books so, so much. I’ve re-read them now and then over the years and they’re always a thrill, they hold a proud place in my bookshelf. I hope to have my little cousin read them when he’s a bit older, because I think he’d love them just as much as I do. It was so exciting to hear that you’d released 3 new works for the series recently! I know it was a while ago now, but I just found out this winter and my mom and I are both going to read them like we did back in the day. The other week I let a classmate borrow my copy of part five, Oath Breaker, and she was sooo excited to have it, haha. As I understand it she just started reading them for the first time recently, and it’s given us something to be equally enthused about.
Right now I’m a university student who studies ancient religion and archaeology (by Umeå University in Sweden), and having read your books it’s just a little cherry on top to the whole experience. So interesting!! I’ve always been very impressed with the research you did in order to write this series, going out of your way to learn more about wolves for example, but it really is amazing seeing how well you breathe life into these ancient worlds. I love and adore your attention to detail, and the way your writing style makes everything so vivid and captivating without being overly lengthy or complicated. Your works have given me a huge love for culture, nature and art.
The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness will always be a series that’s dear to my heart, and I can’t thank you enough for what a gem you shared with us all. Thank you from me and mine in the past, present and future!
Best wishes to you,
Sofie
Dear Sofie, what a marvellous message to receive! I loved reading about how both the 12-year-old you and your mother both got hooked by my stories – and that you still enjoy reading them today, as an adult. I can imagine that when you re-read them now, with insight into archaeology and ancient religions gained from your course, you probably see all sorts of different things in themfrom when you enjoyed them as a child. (I often find that myself, for instance, when I re-read re-retellings of the Norse myths which were my favourites as a ten-year-old.) Over the years I’ve had many messages from people such as you, who first read the Wolf Brother books as children, and yet still enjoy them as adults. It’s actually not something I foresaw when I was writing the stories, but I love the fact that it happens.
I wish you every possible success with your University course – which sounds absolutely fascinating – and of course, many more hours with Torak, Renn and Wolf in the Forest! May the guardian run with you. Michelle
Upcoming Live Events With Michelle
Incredible… Inspiring… In Person!
Hay Festival Book Club – Dark Matter
Michelle in conversation with Danny Robins - this is a FREE online event!
Timeless titles to offer you a break from the day to day. Can't decide what to read next? Follow your curiosity and join Hay Festival on a journey to imagine the world anew through great literature. Unconstrained by genre or form these are our monthly picks of great books worth reading (or re-reading) right now.
Register to watch free online
Tuesday 14 October, 7–8pm BST
Wimbledon Book Festival
Michelle will discuss her incredible career, from finding inspiration for Wolf Brother on Wimbledon Common to her latest novel Rainforest, which weaves Mayan culture with themes of obsession, gender and rebirth.
The Witching Hour with Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Shepherd-Robinson – Waterstones Canterbury
Join Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Sheperd-Robinson as they discuss their stories in a brand new collection of ghostly tales called The Witching Hour.
Yeovil Literary Festival
An experience like no other. From a writer like no other...
Successfully published as an adult author, the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness (“Wolf Brother”) were her first books for younger readers, followed by her brilliant 5-part series set in the bronze age, Gods and Warriors. On the adult side, her first ghost story, Dark Matter, was a UK bestseller and won massive praise from reviewers and readers alike, as did her second ghost story, Thin Air.
Toppings Bookshop, Ely
It’s nearly Halloween! Where better to get in the Gothic mood than with Michelle’s spine-chilling world of the supernatural? Come along if you’re in the Ely area (book your place first) and enjoy a thrilling evening of shadows!
Venue: St Peter's Church
Broad Street,
Ely
Cambridgeshire CB7 4BB
Doors Open 6.40pm Start Time 7pm
Shadows and Spirits: Writing the Unseen
Step into the shadows with three masters of modern Gothic and supernatural fiction - Michelle, Syd Moore and CJ Cooke - as they explore why dark stories continue to captivate us. From haunted coastlines to Arctic wastelands, and from age-old folklore to the secrets of the human psyche, these acclaimed authors weave tales that blur the boundaries between the real and the uncanny. In this compelling conversation, they’ll discuss the enduring appeal of the Gothic, the influence of myth and landscape, and why stories of ghosts, spirits, and things unseen still resonate in today’s world. Expect insights, chills, and a celebration of fiction that thrives in the shadows. Tickets are limited so get them while you can!
Goldsboro Books
23-27 Cecil Court
London WC2N 4EZ
Time: 6.30pm (doors from 6pm)
Women in Horror Weekend
Come and celebrate Women in Horror Weekend with Waterstones Nottingham! Including author talks from the some of the best women writers in horror, a classic film screening and spooky goody bags and workshops from Lush Nottingham! Michelle will be in conversation with Julia Armfield on Saturday from 5;15pm onwards... See you there!
Waterstones Nottingham
1/5 Bridlesmith Gate
Nottingham NG1 2GR
Te. 0115 9470069
WINTER HAUNTS 2025
Online event! Ghost story, gothic and supernatural fiction day 10:30am - 6:30pm GMT... Michelle with Lucy Rose, Jess Kidd, Emilia Hart, CJ Cooke, Hollie Starling, Emma Glass. Connect with fellow fans of the strange, the eerie, and the otherworldly!
Oxford Literary Festival 2026
The Oxford Literary Festival takes place in venues across central Oxford, such as Blackwell's bookshop, the Bodleian Library, the Sheldonian Theatre, the Weston Library, and Oxford colleges such as Christ Church and Worcester College. The festival includes international authors, journalists, intellectuals, historians, and poets.