Thoroughly entertaining read! Somewhat typical of what i imagine the men's adventure genre to be, but very well done and a wonderful pulling together of flashbacks and different chapters of a present-day adventure.

James Bond crossed with The Wolfman, set during World War II. Great stuff.

Michael Gallatin is a Russian-born, British secret agent. Michael has been sent on a mission, beyond enemy-lines, to find out information on the top-secret Nazi plan, Iron Fist. This is to ensure the D-Day landings go off without a hitch. Oh, and Michael is also a werewolf.

Throughout The Wolf's Hour we learn of Michael/Mikhail's origins, and how he became a werewolf. The Wolf's Hour felt a bit like Metal Gear Solid at times; one man going it alone in enemy territory with plenty of villains after his blood. And there are many villains in the book, each striving to cause utter chaos, and each coming up short against Michael. The ultimate dastardly plan, however, would make David8 from Prometheus/Alien Covenant very proud.I

Overall, a great book that would have worked with or without the werewolf plotline.

“If you make friends with pain, you have a friend for life.”

I have always been the type of person who preferred werewolves over vampires in the great grudge of which monster is better. So it amazes me a bit that I never read this book before now! I'm very glad, however, that I finally did because once again McCammon blew my mind.

The mingling of history and horror is fantastic, and McCammon just does it so well. The way he seamlessly wrote Michael Gallatin into history, it's almost as if these events could have happened. Or, well, could have happened within reason, obviously. I loved the book from beginning to end, and I'm eager to read more!

A delight to read!!!
My rating: 8.5/10

One of THE best Werewolf fictions. Period.
The nice build-up and fast-paced story keep you glued to the book. A definite page-turner. Michael Gallatin, a son, a man, a spy, a friend & a werewolf, is a well-written character, with adequate importance to side characters also.

Action-packed with surreal fighting scenes description. Must-Read if you are a fan of mythological folklores.

Story-wise and writing are way above another similar genre novels.

Crap. Reads like a bad 80s action movie. Something like Teen Wolf meets Commando. It is pulpier than pulp.

Exciting book and an enjoyable read. I have a hard time classifying it as horror though. Even though it has a werewolf in it I would call it a mix of espionage and supernatural animal documentary.

I have some unanswered questions:

What happened to Petyr?
How did Michael make the transition from wolfpack to British commando?
Were there anymore werewolves out there?

Another great book by McCammon. But although the top listed genre is horror, I'd be loathe to classify it as such, for all that the MC and several other characters are Werewolves.
Instead you have here a historical spy thriller set during WWII, brimful of action and the occasional fang and claw. And it's a ripping yarn! There's also the obligatory backstory of how the MC ended up a werewolf in the first place, which I appreciated, as I always enjoy a good origin story.

Looking forward to reading the sequel now!

We are all familiar with the old adage, Time and Tide wait for none, and this truly applies to me. I am that grasshopper that starts working at the last minute; be it studying for exams or completing tasks or even reading books. Procrastination is something that is like second skin to me and I have to admit that I am not proud of it. Only true procrastinators will understand the futility of advising us with dire consequences. It is as I said part and parcel of our lives. Why am I taking about procrastination and the adage here? Well, this book is one such procrastinated effort!

At the beginning of 2015, my dearest buddy Manu and I decided to exchange 12 recommendations, with the promise that we shall read all twelve this year. Now my buddy is a diligent soul and has completed several of my recommendations but me the great procrastinator always put off reading these books by saying there are 11 months, then 10, then 9 and so forth; am sure you get the drift. We are now in the final month of the year and I finally realized that I have read only 4-5 of the recommended 12. Naturally, I decided to rush to the finish and wanted to get as many done. This book was one such effort and I must say that the rush to the finish line isn’t going to happen, despite the facts that the books recommended by her are truly superb.

Coming to this book in particular, I have to say that this is my second book by the author and I totally loved it. Set in the backdrop of the World War II, this book is a spy thriller with a supernatural element. The combination itself is deadly and when you add Robert McCammon’s writing to it, it is transformed into something so sublime and superior that you are left with a feeling of awe that is reserved for those books that move you.

Moving seamlessly between the past and present, McCammon brings to the reader a treat in the form of words, which can be described by using only superlatives. Let us start with the theme; I love WWII books and I love supernatural elements, especially werewolves. When a book has both together, it has enough to intrigue me to read it. McCammon’s genius comes from the fact that he hasn’t used the stereotyped supernatural element, which is all strong and invincible, but has produced a hero who is capable and yet susceptible to pain and death like all others. There is honesty in this particular caricature of the wolf-man and it is so brutally honest that it will appeal even those who aren’t really fascinated with the supernatural theme.

Michael Gallatin, the main character in this book, is your average guy but he is also a werewolf. Robert McCammon gives life to Michael and his descriptions of how he turned into a werewolf and how he learnt to accept it are truly transcendent. I believe that this part of the book, the past, is filled with pathos that is heart wrenching and yet so beautiful that you are wont to stay there forever. The honesty and superb caricature is continued when the author talks about Michael, the spy. For a person like me, who is fed on the various superhuman werewolves, this was a bright spot and a perfect change. I have to say here that the author while writing the wolf parts has truly gone into the mind of the wolf and written it as if he were a true wolf, which is something truly magical.
Moving onto the parts about the Nazi regime, I have to say here that this part was brutal and really painful to read. I have read a lot on the Holocaust and the Nazi regime and have felt the horrors but McCammon’s soulful writing brings to life those horrors in such a way that you feel as if you are experiencing it. When reading these parts, I actually wanted to kill them with my bare hands and this was only because of the realistic writing of the author.

While the book deserves all the praise that it gets in this review, I won’t say that this book is without its faults. One major problem that I had with this book was the movie-like writing in the action sequences, especially the climax scene. Don’t get me wrong, I totally loved it but felt that it read more like a movie script than a book. It kept me at the edge of my seat even when I felt it to be unrealistic, especially the final scenes, which I felt took away a little from my enjoyment and made me give a rating lower than a complete 5. However, despite this small issue of the climax and action scenes, I truly enjoyed this book and the experience it gave me as I wandered through the Nazi lands and war affected regions of Europe and experienced everything through the eyes of Michael and his friends.

At the end of my review, I would like to thank Manju for recommending this book to me. While I can’t promise that I will finish all your recommendations by the end of this month, I will try and get to all by Jan/Feb next year.