Release the Wolves by Stefan Bachmann

Release the Wolves Reviews

• 
  Amber

  "Release the Wolves" by Stefan Bachmann is a thrilling YA fantasy adventure. It follows Argo, a blacksmith’s apprentice, who faces terrifying monsters that rule his land. After his friend is killed and his sister goes missing, Argo embarks on a journey to find his sister and stop the monsters' attacks. He teams up with Ana, the princess and a secret monster hunter, to fight back. Their journey is full of suspense, twists, and courage.
  
  This book is perfect for younger readers who enjoy a fast-paced and exciting story. The characters are likable, with Argo's growth from a fearful blacksmith's son to a determined fighter being particularly compelling. Ana stands out as a strong, independent princess who adds depth and excitement to the plot. The unique chapter header art adds a fun touch and left me eager to see what the next art piece would be. Overall, "Release the Wolves" is a great read about friendship and bravery in a world full of dangers. I highly recommend this book to younger fantasy lovers or anyone who enjoys YA books.
• 
  Valarie - WoodsyBookworm

  The Promised Neverland meets The Witcher in this middle grade horror fantasy where children hunt monsters known as vestiges, creatures ruled by the mysterious Elduari - subjects of a powerful kingdom across the sea.
  
  This was an amazing blend of horror and young adult fantasy. If you can't tell by all my little annotating tabs, I really enjoyed this one! Argo, the young blacksmith, was such a relatable character and I really wished this book was longer to stay with him and remain in this incredibly dark magical world.
• 
  Hanya

  😍😍 MONSTERS THAT DESCEND ON THE LAND EVERY FEW GENERATIONS TO ROT OUT ANY CHANCE OF REBELLION?? Hurry uppp, 2022. I will read anything Bachmann writes. His books are always lowkey terrifying in like... a whimsical and aesthetically pleasing way, but this sounds more epic and fight-y, and I'm here for that.
• 
  Therearenobadbooks

  I pre-ordered this title and counted the days to get it.
  Amazing chilling horror fantasy. I have loved this author's style since his release of The Peculiars.
  Awesome characters, forging their path and fighting back against those who have been oppressing them for centuries.
  The first chapters set the mood. Horror/bit of gore/ creepiness and the monsters dive us into a non-stop quest of two characters trying to stop a calamity from happening.
  The blacksmith apprentice's bravery will lead him to uncover many secrets and fight beside a cool monster hunter with secrets of her own.
  Loved reaching the end and understanding the depth of the book title.
  This reads as a standalone, but I wish there would be more adventures from these characters.
• 
  C.J. Milbrandt

  Argo's people fear the Release, fearful times when monsters run rampant through the villages, killing as they go. So they patrol. And they hand down lore. Many people even worship the ones who trigger the release in the hopes they'll be kept safe. But there are those who rebel, hoping to put an end to the terrible cycle. When Argo's friend is killed by a new and clever monster during their patrol, it's a sure sign that another Release is nearing. He resolves to stop it.
  
  Complex world-building. Politics and religion mingled and mangled. Oppression and subjugation and rebellion. Bleak overtones and terrible bloodshed. This is dark fantasy with a generous helping of horror, so if suspense and scary stories are your vibe, Bachmann does it well. Fair warning: there are many tragedies, and the violence is graphic.
• 
  isa

  Rating: 4.5 ☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅️
  
  I give this book 4.5 stars because I ended up enjoying it a lot, and was very intrigued with the storyline. It has this fantastical-dystopian feel with a lot of darkness intertwined. During the book I went through a hate-love process, because the author ends up killing off a lot of characters, which was kinda sad, but after finishing it I decided that I liked it.
  
  After reading the first chapter, however, I could immediately tell that this book isn’t middle-grade, as it says. It’s bloody and gory, and YA for sure.
  
  The story is basically like this: Argo lives in a world controled by the Eldurai king and his followers, the Sleepers. In the past, when humans would rebel against them, the Eldurai would kill them all, making the humans live in constant fear. Argo sees these Sleepers as greedy humans who want power, and sees Eldurai as a predator he must destroy to live in peace. He meets Ana, a princess from the capital who hunts the Eldurai beasts, and they join forces to get to the city and warn the kindgom of an imminent Release.
• 
  a_court_of_booklove

  Thanks to MTMCtours & Stefan Bachmann for sending me a copy of "Release the Wolves" to review. 📖
  
  I hadn't read anything from Stefan Bachmann before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. The world-building was detailed and immersive, and the characters were well thought out. The story was fresh and unique, with a great flow. There were moments that had me jumping out of my skin 😱. To say Stefan Bachmann knows how to build suspense is an understatement.
  
  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys spooky villains, lots of tension, and an exhilarating, well-written fantasy 📚✨.
• 
  Anne

  It's hard for me to rate this one. I quite enjoyed it, but I also like Gothic/darker stories. This would have been a perfect fit for my Edgar Allen Poe era.
  
  "Release the Wolves" is considered a middle grade book for ages 10-12, but because of the content, I wouldn't give it to anyone younger than 13 or 14. Within the first few pages, Argo and his friends come across a little girl who was killed, floating in the water. (At first I thought this was unnecessary but later learn the importance). Argo's best friend is then killed by a monster and it is heart wrenching. The monsters are scary and later learning the true nature of the monsters makes this a teen read for sure.
• 
  Joanna

  This wasn't that horror book for me but for middle graders, I think it is.
  It's a fast-paced and very interesting plot. The children hunts monsters and creatures.
  I liked the main characters and their friendships.
  It was very well written. I mean the world-building got me hooked from the beginning.
  It was suspenseful and creepy.
  
  I kinda wanted this book to be longer. I loved the chapter's art. It was creepy and interesting.
• 
  AllyP Reads Books

  I loved this book. I didn't realize it was a kid's book when I checked it out from Overdrive. I only saw that it was when I went to add it to my currently reading shelf on Goodreads. Even after that, I did not feel like I was listening to a kid's book.
  I do think the use of the teleportation amulet was used way too often for the characters to get out of bad situations. Other than that it was great!
• 
  rachel x

  The book is set in a conquered land where every few generations hordes of bloodthirsty monsters are unleashed in an attempt to keep the population subdued; the hero is a young hunter trying to find his sister and possibly start a rebellion.
  
  this sounds amazing
• 
  bookishforbeginners

  “Sometimes it doesn’t matter if people are good or bad, just that they’re the same kind of hurt”
  
  An unexpectedly beautiful story. This is written for ages 8+ so there is no romance but it’s a great thriller fantasy that’s worth the read!
• 
  Dan

  3.75
• 
  Alice

  Interesting worldbuilding and great style, it just didn't quite click for me via audio. Felt a little short for what it was trying to do.
• 
  Jeremy

  I loved this dark fantasy world and how our main character grew their friendship over the course of the book. The monsters that this somewhat alien race of the Elduari use to keep the humans subdued and in line are fascinating and when you learn how they create them, you will be shook. It was a fantastic and relatively quick read for me, which was just what I needed.
  
  Argo and Ana feel somewhat like foils of each other at the start, given their backgrounds and attitudes about the world, but this changes over time and you can see them getting to understand each other better. Their character development is really well-done.
  
  This feels a lot darker than a typical middle grade book and I was shocked at some of the violence and deaths that happen. I would say this should be appropriate for a kid at the older end of the middle grade scale or a bit more YA aged.