This was an interesting exploration of what makes men behave monstrously in times of war told through the werewolf legends of German folklore. I found the 'group-think' elements of the narrative fascinating and enjoyed the story as a whole, but felt that the character development was a little lacking. Overall, a good read if you have a spare hour or so.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

4★
“Germany, 1945
It started with a splash of crimson blood on snow.”

This short story is something like one of the grim stories from the original Grimm's Fairy Tales, on which many readers were raised. The Brothers Grimm grew up in the area where this takes place, near the Reinhardswald, a wooded area that is now a nature park.

In 1945, Uwe Fuchs is pulling his sledge into these dark woods to collect firewood. There are almost no animals left either on farms or in the woods, all hunted to feed the starving villagers.

But there are wolves, and Uwe found not only a splash of blood, but the mangled body of what was probably an itinerant Romani (gypsy). He is sure this was the work of wolves, not the feared American or Russian soldiers who are said to be on their way.

“The one story from the Reinhardswald that no one disputed was the tale of the ‘Werwolf.’ The only matter open to argument was whether the Reinhardswald had been home to the first tale set in Germany, because there were many stories of werewolves throughout the country.”

At night, Uwe reads to his little girl, whose favourite fairy tale is one we know as Little Red Riding Hood. She loves the wolf! He, on the other hand, has seen the bloody body and is nervous.

Gathering firewood, he is on high alert, listening.

“Uwe snorted at his foolishness. He was a grown man with no time for fairy stories. Yet it had been fairy tales that led Germany into war, the Nazis wanting everyone to believe Aryans were descended from mythic god-men and that they could regain godlike powers if their blood were pure enough.”

Suddenly, Uwe is aware of an enormous silver wolf, watching him. It is a giant. But it turns and walks away.

The men of the village meet, and Uwe, who has always felt like an outsider, finds he belongs to the group, and his life changes forever. It is horrifying and unreal, yet it is all too real.

I thought it read as if it had been translated from another language, but it hasn’t. In fact, I now think that the style may have helped give it a fable-like quality, a Grimm’s fairy tale for today.

The author adds a note about her background: which I hid under a spoiler in my Goodreads review, but I don't think it's necessary.

“As an intelligence analyst in the 1990s, I worked on genocides and mass atrocities. One thing I learned from that experience was that no one involved in this kind of violence believed they were wrong. They always felt justified—until, like Uwe in this story, they were forced to confront the consequences of their actions.” (hide spoiler)

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this most original story.

Published by ‎ Amazon Original Stories on September 27, 2022

“The Wehrwolf” is a long short story but probably too short to be called a novella. The story is set in the German forest where the Brothers Grimm collected folklore to weave into their fairy tales. While the stories were later sanitized to appeal to the delicate sensibilities of city kids, Alma Katsu suggests that sturdy Germans of the forest were accustomed to seeing their children mauled in the woods and prepared their kids for the agony of life by terrorizing them with gruesome stories. Perhaps the Grimms unwittingly prepared Germans to accept Hitler and the Nazi Party.

Hans Sauer has returned from the front at the war’s end. Perhaps he is a deserter, although he claims he returned to protect his village from approaching allies. His return coincides with the gruesome death of a Roma in the woods, a man apparently torn apart by animals. Hans wants Uwe Fuchs to join his band of villagers in protecting the village. The Nazis have encouraged such local militias to defend the Homeland.

Uwe is uncertain about joining Hans, but he’s curious when Hans claims to have killed Russian soldiers. The bodies seem to have been attacked by animals. Uwe refuses to listen to the entreaties of his wife because he wears the pants in the family. The importance of marital equality, or maybe just "listen to your wife," might be one of the tale's intended lessons.

To be initiated into the band, Uwe is locked into a cellar with Jurgen Jäger, about whom dark stories are told. When Jurgen ties an old leather belt around his waist, he becomes a monster. A myth associates the belt with the devil, but to Uwe, it looks like an ordinary belt that might be found hanging in any barn. “A simple thing can turn you into a monster,” Uwe thinks, a thought that is presumably another of the story’s lessons. After Uwe is initiated, Hans can turn him into a werewolf simply by donning the belt.

Uwe’s disregard of his wife’s advice leads to an ending that is worthy of one of Grimm’s uncensored stories. Suffice it to say that Uwe learns and then teaches a lesson.

Like a fairy tale, the story invites the reader to draw obvious conclusions. While Uwe doesn’t want to accept the fact that he’s a monster, a reader might conclude that Uwe’s decision to join a militia to fight in support of a Nazi government is what makes him a monster. Not surprisingly, a willingness to kill Russian who are fighting Germany easily translates into a willingness to kill Germans who do not meet a standard of normalcy demanded by the werewolves. Apart from the irony of Aryan werewolves judging others for being abnormal, the story teaches another lesson: Those who give themselves the power to condemn others will inevitably misuse that power to enforce shared bigotry.

There are other lessons here about resisting the temptation of evil even if it makes us feel strong, the triumph of empathy over supremacy, and the immorality of vigilantism and unregulated militias. If this is a modern fairy tale, I’m not sure I would want a small child to read it, but it would have value for older kids and adults with weak minds who are attracted to authoritarian militias. I’m recommending it to everyone else for the polished prose.

RECOMMENDED

I’m a big fan of Alma Katsu’s work, I love the way that she weaves horror into history (not that history isn’t filled with enough horrors as it is). A quick little under 100-pager as Halloween approached seemed like a fabulous idea.

The short story is a particular beast. The author doesn’t really have the time to tell a complete story filled with detailed and developed characters. The story must move quickly, the characters have to be straight forward or there isn’t much of a point. There is no time for dilly-dallying.

Personally, I love the short story that leads me down the garden path, only to have that shocking twist at the end; you know the ones where you have to kick yourself and wonder how you did not see that coming.

Katsu had a different purpose with The Wehrwolf. She had a point to make, a message for her readers. Katsu is drawing parallels between history and today, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Wehrwolf is more about the message than it is about the story; and in this Katsu did a great job.

*4 Stars

The laugh-out-loud funny title was of course what made me pick up and read this novella, hoping that the story would be just as tongue-in-cheek and not taking itself too seriously, but everything about this was mediocre - even the angst, my daily sustenance and comfort. The writing felt boringly flat if not soulless, the bits about German culture and lore read extremely stereotypical (and I should know), and the most important bit of short fiction was missing: some gripping twist. As this was my first Alma Katsu read, I was expecting something more refined from an author I kept hearing about incessantly, but the werewolf plot played out the way any 12-year old would make it up to be. Sorry to say there is nothing worthwhile to mention about this.

The Wehrwolf by Alma Katsu is a dark historical horror set in a small town in Germany in the 40's. The writing is immersive and gripping. I really enjoy Katsu's work and this was no exception. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy.

This is a story about monsters born & made.

This was a quick, but effective story. It explores the idea of monsters & the desire to cling to the illusion that ends justify means- with a creature feature twist that I enjoyed.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Amazon for the eArc!

As World War II draws to a close, the members of a small German community are drawn into a dark plot to keep their village safe from the encroaching Allied forces...

I'm usually not one to read things into my Horror story plots, but it was hard to miss the January 6th allegory in THE WEHRWOLF, even before Katsu spells it out in her afterword. The notion of good people being drafted into nefarious deeds doesn't completely wash with me, as it absolves them of personal responsibility. Oh, you were just going along with the crowd, and you didn't really mean to attempt a violent overthrow of the government? Yeah, no. So as much as Katsu makes her protagonist, Uwe, a sympathetic character, I will always have a hard time accepting the "good" Germans who didn't approve of their leader attempting genocide and world conquest. Like today, when I see average Russians attempting to dodge Putin's draft, you kind of have a responsibility to stand up to evil...if you don't, you're complicit.

My own worldview aside, this was a very well-written spin on the traditional werewolf yarn, and it was going along well until the ending, which made perfect sense, but felt incredibly rushed. It probably could have used another 20-30 pages to breathe properly. Aside from that, it's a ripping October read.

I absolutely loved this story and I haven't stopped recommending it to people since I finished it.

The Wehrwolf shows how diverse horror fiction can be. Alma Katsu delivers a lesson about humanity, wrapped up in folklore surrounding how werewolves are made. The characters and the setting are all so well-developed that this short story reads like a well-thought-out novel in just a few pages.

I was so absorbed in the story that I did not see the ending coming at all and it completely blew me away and left me devastated, but the morality behind it will stay with me for a long time to come.

If you only ever read one book by Alma Katsu, read this one! Although, all of her books are great.

The small German village of Scharweg is terrified by the advancing Allied troops; though most no longer believe the Nazi messages of martial superiority, the villagers are convinced the enemy troops will hurt and kill them.

One of the villagers, a known bully and possible deserter, whips several young men up, convincing them to form a militia to defend the village. One of these men, mild-mannered farmer Uwe Fuchs, is reluctant, but eventually succumbs, and is transformed, during a ritual, into a powerful, deadly being.

Is dealing with one possible threat ever enough for a bully? And why do good people, or apparently good people, willingly look away when terrible things happen around them? These are questions author Alma Katsu asks in this short story. Genocides require the complicity of the aggressor’s people. Exhortations and justifications built on myths, legends, nostalgia and national pride, allow many to look away from, and support, brutality and atrocity. Alma Katsu shows us just how easily Uwe is swayed, and willingly participates until the personal cost is too high. But that even a seemingly good man is taken in by the idea of strength, and being a member of a group of strong men, is enough to throw out his scruples. It’s a sad conclusion, and an entertaining short.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Amazon Original Stories for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The year is 1945 in a very small village in Germany where mostly farmers and old people are living right now since all the men of age are out fighting in the war. Uwe Fuchs has been a hard working farmer all his life raised by his widowed mother and now has a wife and child whom he adores. When a dead body of an ally soldier is discovered by Uwe while he was collecting wood in the forest one of his neighbors, Hans Sauer decides the men need to create a guerrilla group to fight off any ally soldiers who want to take over their village. Poor Uwe is a simple man but has always felt intimidated by Hans since he was never a brute or strong like most of the men although he could hold his own if need be. Hans has always been more of a bully and has been putting pressure on all the men to do their duty and join the group but Uwe's wife is completely against it. There is also an old folk legend about the forest and werewolves that none really believed except as children while growing up but Uwe will soon find out that sometimes behind legends there is always a bit of truth and his neighbor Hans has been keeping many secrets and by the time Uwe realizes he has made some grave mistakes it may be too late to save himself.

I just love Alma Katsu! The historical writing intertwined with the supernatural is always engaging and enjoyable to read. The characters and the atmosphere of her writing are spot on and never overdone in all of the books that I've read so far. Uwe was such a terrific character and I could understand his dilemma and his questioning his own manhood. This was a short story which was long enough to leave no stone unturned because of the quality of great storytelling. This book was cleverly written and would make an interesting and creepy movie in the future. I highly recommend to all horror readers although not too scary yet still carried tremendous depth within the pages.

I want to thank the publisher "Amazon Original Stories" and Net galley for the opportunity to read this short story by Alma Katsu and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 4 HOWLING 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

Alma Katsu is an exceptional writer so I looked forward to reading her novella The Wehrwolf. It seems quite different from her novels, but tells a good story. I sure felt sorry for Uwe at the end.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is a wonderful story! Even better than a Grimm’s fairytale. Adventurous but sad. I felt like I was there. The author really knows how to bring history and horror together. Well, the history was also horror, as everyone knows. I feel there’s a lesson to be learned from the story, no matter what side you are on.

If you love supernatural reads, history or both, you will love this. I don’t read much historical stuff but I loved it. I’m more into supernatural reads. And I thought this was what the book would be. But it was a mixture. With history being so horrific, it was hard to tell where one began and the other left off. If you don’t like supernatural but love history, you will love this too. I will for sure be reading more of this author!

I really liked the author’s note at the end. Although her one opinion on one part could also be pointed back at the other side as for blaming either democrats or republicans. But I respect how she feels and just as she says, no one thinks they are wrong all through history when they commit atrocities. And history repeats itself. Look at us now. We are going back in time instead of forward. I can’t imagine how bad it will get before the next election. I hate politics but whatever side wins, let’s all pray we get some new people in the running that are really good for the country. None of the old and none of the present.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for allowing me this opportunity.

I

This was a fast moving novella, perfect for the Halloween season. I enjoyed it while reading, but it has proven to not be memorable. If you want a quick, seasonal read, this will fit the bill!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, all reviews and opinions are my own!

Alma Katsu truely has a way of taking the orinary and making it horrifying. The Wehrwolf again takes us into an alternate past where the horrors are a bit more than human.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I've read Alma Katsu before, and forgot how much I like her novel. This was a quick reminder. Short story with everything. Great characters, great pacing, great story, and even some history. Will need to read more from Alma Katsu. #TheWehrwolf #NetGalley

The Wehrwolf is a short story by award-winning author, Alma Katsu. It’s 1945 and young husband, father and farmer, Uwe Fuchs, like many in Scharweg, believe that the war will end soon. They are unconvinced by the Nazi propaganda and believe Germany is losing. But a band of young men led by Hans Sauer, whom Uwe remembers as a school bully, and who has reputedly deserted his army unit, are trying to drum up support for a guerilla resistance group. The village women, children and elderly won’t be safe from the rampaging allied troops, they claim.

Hans cleverly plays on the fervent desire of husbands and fathers to protect their families and their country. His band, though, are no longer ordinary farmers: Hans has found a source of power that makes them invincible. And it’s something that, once initiated, the men begin to crave. Eventually, Uwe is drawn in. Katsu’s powerful little tale demonstrates how ambitious people, anywhere at all, given unfettered access to power lose all trace of integrity to become righteous thugs.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories.

"The Wehrwolf" by Alma Katsu is a definite Must Read for Fall 2022.

Do not let the title dissuade you from reading this novella. I guarantee it is unlike any werewolf tale you have previously read.

Alma Katsu chose to set the story in Germany just as WWII was coming to an end.Choosing this moment in world history as the setting of her tale was nothing less than inspired.

I have rarely encountered books that focus on the lives of ordinary German citizens at that moment in time, most of whom had no say in what the country's government had chosen to do and wanted no part in the hate and the genocides.

The main character is Uwe Fuchs - a simple man, a good man. A man who loves his family above all else. The question is not what he will do to keep his family safe, but what won't he do? I think we can all relate to that.

The Wehrwolf held me rapt. Once begun, this tale is impossible to put down.

The characters are so real that you will find yourself wondering if somehow the author went back in time to observe them firsthand.

Alma Katsu's previous career working for the CIA and the NSA has given her a perspective that us mortals could never comprehend. She knows evil and she knows people - their motivations, their fears, their very souls. She probably knows people better than they know themselves. It is this intense knowledge that kept me riveted by her story.

The Wehrwolf is very much worthy of 5 out of 5 Stars. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

*** Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free advance copy of this book. ***

A decent little book, good for a one sitting read. Very fun and did a good job of not overstating it's welcome.

Few writers can deliver a monster story like Alma Katsu. Why? Because she understands what makes monsters scariest: When they're at their most human.

At the conclusion of World War 2, Uwe returns home to his village and learns of dark secrets at hand. The legends of the forest have come home to roost in the most terrifying of ways, and dark creatures stalk the wilderness. It turns out these creatures are all too close to home and they wish Uwe to join them.

Ostensibly, this is to turn the tide of the war, but in truth, the war is already lost. These are angry men, banding together to slake their hunger for death and to enact their fantasies of domination where they are able to do so. Katsu presents the werewolf as a metaphor for the 'mob mentality,' of angry young men who have convinced themselves they are disenfranchised and lash out brutally as possible. It is a needed and poignant message.

While Uwe is sympathetic, Katsu ensures she refuses to wholly modernize him. While not a Nazi himself, Uwe unequivocally shares in some of their philosophies (noting his pride in his daughter's 'Aryan beauty'). But when the horror starts, it comes from one key source: the savagery that already lies within Uwe and the people around him.

Katsu is too keen a mind with human nature and that makes her writing frightening.