The Sea Wolves (Jack London #2)

The Sea Wolves is the second book in The Secret Journeys of Jack London by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, illustrated by Greg Ruth. These authors have taken the already fascinating life of Jack London and added a supernatural element, telling stories that read like London's own books.

When Jack had had enough of the Yukon and the Gold Rush, he boarded the same ship, the Umatilla, that took him to Alaska to make his way back to San Francisco. When the ship is attacked by pirates seeking gold, Jack realizes that the pirates are killing people in their beds. Jack yells and challenges one of the pirates to alert other passengers to the danger.

Unfortunately for Jack, after a short fight, he is thrown overboard and ends up on the pirate ship. While the other prisoners from the Umatilla are locked in the hold, Jack has caught the captain's attention as the only passenger to fight back. Though Jack is unsure if he will be kept alive long, he is told the ship needs a cook.

Jack's uneasy time is made worse when he and the only woman on board, Sabine, are locked into a cabin one night. The cabin is the only secure place on the ship during a full moon - because the crew of pirates are all werewolves.

Golden and Lebbon have created an historical supernatural adventure surrounding one of America's heroes - using legend and lore woven in with the facts of London's life. Readers who like the supernatural but are looking for a story with more depth than some of the latest vampire books, look no further.

Golden, Christopher and Tim Lebbon. (2012). The Sea Wolves. New York: Harper.

The Wild (Jack London #1)

The Secret Jouneys of Jack London: The Wild by Christopher Golden and Lebbon and illustrated by Greg Ruth is a story Jack London’s travel to the Yukon Territory in search of gold.

At the age of seventeen, Jack left San Francisco with thousands of others in search of Alaska gold. The trip was funded by his brother-in-law who accompanied him on the journey. The set off with hope and a good set of supplies on a ship bound for Dyea. But once they arrive at port, they realized that many of the people around them would gladly kill them to get their possible gold.

From Dyea it was necessary to travel by foot or horse over a mountain pass, cross a lake on a home-made boat, and then float that home-made boat down one of the largest rivers in North America – all while carrying everything you might need from food to clothing to tools. And all before the winter sets in and freezes everything in sight – including you if you do not have shelter and firewood.

Written in the style of London’s own books, The Wild is an historical adventure that will suck you into the story so well you will feel the cold of Alaska. Golden and Lebbon have combined a story of the period with Native legends. This is the first in a series of tales about Jack London by Golden and Lebbon; I will be reading them all.

Golden, Christopher. (2011). The Wild. New York: Harper.