Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting author Wade Walker at a publishing conference. After we discussed our mutual admiration for Dark Shadows, Hammer Horror films, and werewolf fiction, I was intrigued to read his debut novel, Bite of the Wolf. Although not a nineteenth-century Gothic work like I usually blog about, Bite of the Wolf plays in interesting ways with many classic Gothic elements, updating them for the twenty-first century.
The novel begins when Val West, who works for a secret American government organization, is on assignment in Transylvania where he is attacked and bitten by a werewolf. Of course, this means he will soon transform into one himself. The twist comes when the secret organization he works for decides they can use that in their favor by turning him into secret agent LoneWolf; this requires providing West with a suit he can wear under his clothes. His coworker Borge will be able to control the suit, thus preventing West from becoming a werewolf except when it is deemed favorable. West has then become a sort of bionic werewolf working for the government on secret missions. Regardless, he hopes to be cured of his werewolfism by capturing the werewolf that bit him so experiments can be done on it to come up with a cure.
I won’t give away the novel’s entire plot, but I will assure the reader it is full of twists. I especially appreciated how West was sent to exotic locations. With a bit of a nod to James Bond, West is rather a ladies’ man, and he continually gets himself into dangerous situations. From Tangiers to the casino in Monte Carlo and back to Transylvania, West tracks down smugglers and, ultimately, some criminals with Nazi connections, which leads to the final dramatic showdown. Yes, the novel is set in the present-day, but West connects with some treasure hunters looking for Nazi gold, which results in surprising revelations.
The only negative criticism the book has received to date is that Walker treats Transylvania like it is its own country and not part of Romania. This is a fair criticism from a political and geographical perspective, although Walker is clearly relying on a fictional tradition about Transylvania that goes back to the nineteenth century. Furthermore, Walker clearly did extensive research into Transylvania’s geography as evidenced by the many references to different locations. I was also surprised by all the research he must have done in regards to weapons, Nazi history, and, of course, Gothic and, in particular, werewolf literature. In fact, I was surprised that the villain turned out to be a historical person since I had never heard of him.
Walker fills Bite of the Wolf with interesting new twists on traditional Gothic motifs. For example, at one point, a bat is seen flying through the Transylvanian night sky. As it approaches, it looks like quite a large bat, but then turns out to be a drone. The organization West works for has secret bases spread around the globe and located under such Gothic landmarks as Highgate Cemetery in London and cemeteries in France. Of course, West will have a final battle in which he turns into a werewolf. What is interesting about this final scene is that while throughout the novel we are aware that the full moon’s effect on West is to transform him into a werewolf, when he is severely beaten and it appears he is likely to die, the rays of the full moon not only transform him but restore him to his previous vigor. I especially found this detail interesting since in early vampire fiction, if the vampire was placed in the light of the full moon, he could be brought back to life, as happens in Polidori’s The Vampyre (1819) and several of the other Lord Ruthven vampire stories, as I’ve explored in my book Vampire Grooms and Spectre Brides.
Of course, every good hero has a female love interest, and Val West is no different. He befriends Tanya, a young woman who finds she’s on the wrong side. He tries to help her while going after the man she works for, who is involved in treasure hunting. Throughout their time together, West keeps from Tanya his secret that he is a werewolf. When she finally learns the truth, some astonishing things happen that I won’t give away. But one of my favorite parts of the book came after the climax when Tanya and West are alone together in the Transylvanian forest. Trust me; it is more than you would expect, and I’m not talking just about sex.
Bite of the Wolf is filled with plot twists, heroism, and suspenseful moments that make you think the villain just might win—and what a wonderfully evil villain he is! Even though he’s out for world domination like many another evil character, his plan to achieve it is original and masterfully depicted. Finally, plenty of humor makes all the good guys likeable.
The novel ends with West being told about other possible missions he might be sent on. I hope that means one or several sequels. Walker did tell me he was working on another book. I’ll be looking forward to it.
For more information about Bite of the Wolf, visit https://www.codenamelonewolf.com/
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Tyler Tichelaar, PhD, is the author of The Gothic Wanderer: From Transgression to Redemption, Vampire Grooms and Spectre Brides: The Marriage of French and British Gothic Literature, King Arthur’s Children: A Study in Fiction and Tradition, Haunted Marquette: Ghost Stories from the Queen City, and many other fiction and nonfiction titles. Visit Tyler at http://www.GothicWanderer.com, http://www.ChildrenofArthur.com, and http://www.MarquetteFiction.com.
The Gothic Wanderer