The Wolf's Hour Author:Robert McCammon On the eve of D-Day, a British secret agent with unique powers goes behind Nazi lines.Michael Gallatin is a British spy with a peculiar talent: the ability to transform himself into a wolf. Although his work in North Africa helped the Allies win the continent in the early days of World War II, he quit the service when a German spy shot his lover... more » in her bed. Now, three years later, the army asks him to end his retirement and parachute into occupied Paris. A mysterious German plan called the Iron Fist threatens the D-Day invasion, and the Nazi in charge is the spy who betrayed Michael?s lover. The werewolf goes to France for king and country, hoping for a chance at bloody vengeance.« less
I hadn't read a McCammon novel for some time but when I do, I always seem to enjoy them no matter how preposterous the story may be. McCammon is known for his horror stories and his novels have been favorably compared to Stephen King. This one is a great WWII adventure with the protagonist also being a werewolf! Michael Gallatin was born in Russia to a noble family during the reign of Czar Nicholas and Alexandra and it is rumored that his biological father was actually Rasputin. Then the Russian revolution happens and Mikail's (his Russian name) family is killed by revolutionaries but he manages to escape by being bit by a werewolf and taken into their fold. The novel uses two time periods to tell Michael's story: his life growing up amid the werewolves and his life as a spy for Britain during WWII. It's a very long story at over 600 pages but it never failed to keep my interest with Michael fighting Rommel in North Africa and then being sent on a mission that could affect the Allied invasion on D-day. His adventures involve the resistance in France which eventually leads to Berlin and some very bad Nazis who are developing a weapon that could stop the allies. Michael gets involved with several women along the way and of course his ability to change into a wolf doesn't hurt. Overall, a very engaging read from McCammon that I enjoyed quite a lot.