Outcast

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series

Author: Michelle Paver

Book 4 in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series

Pages: 224

Published: 2007

Age: 11+

For two moons Torak has hidden a terrible secret - and now it is revealed. He bears the mark of the Soul-Eater, and must pay the price. Cast out from the clans, he is alone and on the run: cut off from his best friend, Renn, and his beloved pack-brother, Wolf.

He flees to the haunted reed-beds of Lake Axehead, where he is hunted by the Otter Clan, taunted by the Hidden People, and, as soul-sickness claims him, he falls prey to an even greater menace. Tormented by secrets and broken trust, he uncovers a deception that will turn his world upside down.

About the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series

Books in series order

  1. 1.Wolf Brother(2004)
  2. 2.Spirit Walker(2005)
  3. 3.Soul Eater(2006)
  4. 4.Outcast(2007)
  5. 5.Oath Breaker(2008)
  6. 6.Ghost Hunter(2009)

Reading age: 11+ years

This series should be read in order.

Thousands of years ago the land is one dark forest. Its people are hunter-gatherers. They know every tree and herb and they know how to survive in a time of enchantment and powerful magic. Until an ambitious and malevolent force conjures a demon: a demon so evil that it can be contained only in the body of a ferocious bear that will slay everything it sees, a demon determined to destroy the world.

Only one boy can stop it - 12 year old Torak, who has seen his father murdered by the bear. With his dying breath, Torak's father tells his son of the burden that is his. He must lead the bear to the mountain of the World Spirit and beg that spirit's help to overcome it.

Torak is an unwilling hero. He is scared and trusts no one. His only companion is a wolf cub only three moons old, whom he seems to understand better than any human. Theirs is a terrifying quest in a world of wolves, tree spirits and Hidden People, a world in which trusting a friend may mean risking your life.