“Wolf Warrior” by Erin Tunney

Wolf Warrior

Erin Tunney
Pegasus Publishers (2026)
ISBN: 978-1806932689
Reviewed by Rachel Dehning for Reader Views (08/2026)

The fantasy novel Wolf Warrior is the second book in Erin Tunney’s Beast Heart series, which begins soon after its predecessor, The Wild Shepherdess. This sequel continues to follow Clara, a young lady who had a unique and disheartening upbringing (shared in book one) that has shaped her into her current role as a leader, as she uses her gifted powers to face foes new and old together, all with the same agenda: to have the most power to take over the land and/or sea.

In Wolf Warrior, Clara meets and faces creatures under the sea, such as selkies and leviathans, learning more about potential allies and enemies, and is sent on a side quest to save an entire race that results in some answers for lingering questions, meeting new mythical creatures, and producing more unanswered questions to be addressed in future books in the series.

Wolf Warrior meets all the criteria for a fantasy novel, and keeps the momentum strong from where it left off in The Wild Shepherdess.  There’s plenty of magic and supernatural forces from Clara and other side-kicks, entertaining and believable characters ranging in appearances and race/species (including dragons!), rich world-building in multiple settings (land and sea), and a continuation of a character-driven quest or conflict with many antagonists, both old and new. There is so much action from start to finish; so if the reader enjoys action-packed journeys, they won’t be disappointed. The other side to this, though, is that though there is good descriptive writing, readers should be aware that this pertains to violent scenes, too. There is no spice (sex) or language in this book, as is sometimes common in other fantasy novels, so, besides the fighting, it’s okay for most mature readers.

The story reveals more about Clara and other characters, as a good sequel should, and I found the idea of her power to see “life threads” with people and animals so interesting; it made me think of the “life thread” handled by The Fates in the Disney movie Hercules, but obviously the concept in this series is slightly different. As a sequel, there are moments when the reader could get away with reading this book as a standalone, but, as in other series, the reader will gain the most knowledge, enjoyment, and immersion if they read The Wild Shepherdess first, with references to previous characters and situations. Wolf Warrior is relatively short for a fantasy novel, so it should satisfy readers, whether they are seasoned fans of Tunney’s Beast Heart series or trying it out for the first time.