Children of the Wolf is a thriller about a woman whose father is in prison for murdering people and who is dealing with that trauma.
Apparently, I’m in my thriller and horror books season. I have been really enjoying all the spooky and dark books. This book was perfect for that vibe. Children of the Wolf focuses on the daughter of a man who murdered a lot of people and is dealing with the trauma of her childhood and watching her father hurt her brother. With the father in prison, Liv and her brother are trying to live normal lives and deal with their traumas. This book has a unique premise that slowly draws you in.
Don’t forget to follow my Bookstagram to stay updated on all my reading: https://www.instagram.com/kels.reading/
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).
Children of the Wolf Overview
Title: Children of the Wolf
Author: Abby Geni
Pages: 320 Pages
Publish Date: September 15th, 2026
Genre: Thriller
My Star Rating: 4/5 stars! (I loved this book and would recommend it to everyone!)
Grab Your Copy Here: https://amzn.to/3SJCiML
Synopsis from Amazon
As an adult, Liv leads a quiet life, tending to the beekeeping business that supports her and her brother. But when a dead body is discovered in her town, she is forced to grapple with a legacy of violence from when she was small.
As a child, she shared a home in rural Iowa with her brother Finn and their father Ulf. Swedish-born Ulf, a direct descendant of the infamous Erik the Red, raises his children as if they are Vikings. They are homeschooled, speak only Swedish, learn swordplay and archery, celebrate the Norse holidays, and worship the old gods with blood sacrifices.
But when Liv is fourteen, her family’s sanctum is broken apart by an FBI raid. Separated from their father, Liv and Finn must learn to adapt to normal life.
Now, twenty years later, Liv and Finn have changed their last names and moved to Haven, Michigan. Through her work as a beekeeper, Liv meets Penny, a secretive, unusual, beguiling woman. Just as her life is beginning to open up in new ways, Liv notices a strange and upsetting pattern in the area around Haven: men are disappearing. As she tallies up the missing, she senses disturbing similarities to her own father’s crimes.
While she’s thrown back into the uncertainty she felt after Ulf’s arrest, Liv, struggling to hold on to what she knows to be true, must decide how to proceed: whether to involve Finn and Penny in her suspicions, leave the whole matter alone, or take action to solve—and stop—the same kind of violence she always hoped to escape.
My Review of Children of the Wolf
First off, let me thank Abby Geni, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of Children of the Wolf. It was a dark and twisty thriller that had me on the edge of my seat.
Recently, I have been enjoying thriller and horror books, so this book was right up my alley. I loved the Viking lore and learning more about the heritage while reading.
I loved the relationship between Finn and Liv, and how their childhood trauma shaped their lives. They seemed to understand each other without really communicating in the normal sense. Geni writes their relationship and interactions so beautifully and tenderly.
There were some twists that I didn’t see coming. It was slow-paced at the beginning, but once everything started coming together, it really picked up. I just didn’t understand where the story was going.
This book is great if you want a beautifully written, dark, twisty book with family trauma and murder. I wish I could tell you more, but I don’t want to give away the story.
Thriller Book Reviews
- That Night by Gillian McAllister Book Review
- Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead Book Review
- Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth NetGalley Review
- Imposter by L.J. Ross: A NetGalley Book Review
Final Thoughts
I hope you find this emotional and twisty thriller book as interesting as I did. I think Children of the Wolf is a unique book with an interesting premise. If you read this book or have any questions about it, let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from all of you!
Lastly, if you enjoyed this review, pin it for later on Pinterest. I appreciate all the love and support.
Thanks for reading,
Kel
