I thought it was fine. We already know the entire plot from the description, and there is nothing really surprising about this story of a normal man getting pulled along and turning into a monster.

My thanks to Amazon, Alma Katsu and Netgalkey.
I adore Ms. Katsu so thought I'd give this story a chance. Big mistake.
It wasn't the writing, it was the subject matter. Nazi's, Germans and werewolves. Not a fan of the time period or subject.
Katsu of course rocks! She's one of my favorite authors. Just, sometimes subject matter...?

Alma Katsu's The Wehrwolf is a fascinating exploration of human nature and how easy it is to fall into the darker parts of our minds and natures, even for good reasons. The Wehrwolf is the the story of Uwe, a German man living in a small town at the end of WWII. A loving husband, father, and member of the town, Uwe struggles with how best to protect his family and the German heritage (if not the current regime) that he loves. Tied together with Grimm's fairy tales, the story of Uwe looks at how easily goodness can be corrupted and altered beyond recognition, even as that change is slow. I loved the character development in this story. It was wonderfully deep for a short story and made the progression of the tale that much more intriguing. I loved the tie ins with Grimm's tales and the parallels to not only WWII, but also to present day United States as this was written in the wake of January 6th. Surprisingly, this is my first Alma Katsu book, though several have been on my "to be read" list for a while. Those will definitely be bumped higher on my list after reading this one.

The Wehrwolf by Alma Katsu is a true horror book,and one definitely worthy of being made into a 1950's nostalgia type movie. And while Dracula and Frankenstein are great,I'm talking more along the lines of the psychological thrillers/horror that played with your head like Sunset Blvd. Treasure of Sierra Madre (even though that was an excellent western), Rear Window, Virtigo, The Man Who Knew too Much, and so forth. The only difference is that yes, there would be a bit more violence, however, with the right director, not even that would be a problem.

The Wehrwolf is a book that talks about the good and bad that lives inside each and every one of us - our yin and yang - and daily the choices we are faced with, in deciding how we want our lives to go: what paths we want to follow. Do we choose to follow the path of good (yin) and live in harmony with our friends and family, or do we follow the town bullies and go down the Darkside (yang), destroying not just ourselves but everything and EVERYBODY we have ever loved.

Ms. Katsu is a true master at bringing all of our fears at in the open, making us face them head on, and taking a look at what our world COULD BE if we don't start doing our own parts and manning up and admitting when we do something wrong, then figure out how to fix that mistake instead of letting it compound into several more mistakes before it's too late to do anything about it in the first place.

Wehrwolf is the first book I have read by Ms. Katsu, and I am eagerly looking forward to reading as many other books of hers as I can.

When I saw that Alma Katsu, who is best-known as a writer of historical fiction/horror, but who is also a former intelligence analyst, was writing a short-story about Nazis and werewolves, my ears perked up. And this story doesn’t disappoint.

It truly is a modern-day fairy tale that reveals to the reader how easily a man’s heart can be corrupted, how far his corruption can quickly take him, how much his corruption may cost him, and the great lengths that he has to go to attempt to free himself from this corruption.

I appreciate that Alma didn’t force the reality of modern day fascism into the story, but rather left it barely hidden in the forest for the reader to find on himself.

A great story from a great story-teller.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Wehrwolf by Alma Katsu in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this short story by Alma Katsu, she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I love her in depth character development and storylines, even in a short story. This was an interesting take on the werewolf story and an insight to Germany of 1945.

I love how Alma Katsu can blend historical events with folklore to give us a tale that is both plausible and interesting. Woven into this story is an nod to Grimms fairytales, similar to what they once used to be before they were sanitized by western sensibility to make it more appetizing for children. This one is blood and gore and death. This is little red riding hood meets germanic werewolf lore meets the Nazis. It was a perfect tale to cozy up with and a warm cup of coffee with rain pattering outside.

This was a solid short story that kept me hooked from beginning to end. The main character, Uwe is superbly developed for such a short story, and the setting is built so well by the author that you get sucked right in. This wasn’t as spooky as I expected, but still a good werewolf tale for fall. The horror in this story lies in the main characters struggle with acceptance, and how it leads to him betraying his values and paying the ultimate price for doing so.

I don’t know where or when pairing werewolves and World War II started but over the years there have been many books and movies dealing with the subject: from Robert McCammon’s brilliant The Wolf’s Hour book to the over the top Overlord movie. With The Wehr Wolf, the talented Alma Katsu adds an excellent short story to this wonderful entertaining sub-genre.

It’s 1945 and World War II is in it’s final days. Though Uwe Fuchs managed to avoid being pressed into service and he, his wife, and daughter have lived in relative peace in their remote village. Now with the Allies on the march to total victory, the war is coming to them. But there are those in the village that still wish to fight for The Fatherland…and they have a secret weapon. And it isn’t long before Uwe is recruited into the fold…err…pack and must struggle with himself and the beast within. The Wehr Wolf is a highly entertaining story that you’ll easily be able to finish in a single sitting. 4.5 Stars Thanks so much to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Wehr Wolf.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3E6WNYYLRGA6Z/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Alma Katsu is an incredibly talented author, who’s ability to intertwine historical atrocities and supernatural horror is amazing.

This short story takes Germanic folklore, World War II, and an isolated town and combines them all together to answer the question of how does a person become a monster?

Uwe Fuchs and his wife and daughter live in a small town in a Germanic forest. And the Allied soldiers are moving towards them as Germany is losing the War. Fuchs wants to protect his family, but Hans Sauer, the man who wants to start a militia has a worrying reputation.

The beginning is kind of slow as we get to know Uwe’s family and community, but when animal attacks start, the story picks up speed. The brutality of the werewolf attacks is visceral and bloody on the page and can be a little off putting. But it’s also a necessary part of the story. Katsu asks the question of what causes a man to do do horrific things, and illustrates it. A charismatic leader playing to the worries of his people can influence a community.

An excellent horror story for anyone to want a tale with a little more to chew on.

I Enjoyed Reading It More Than I Thought I Would

This short story opens in 1945 Germany as the allies are advancing through Germany. The author mixes German legend about werewolves and a real effort to mobilize German citizens into resistance groups that would operate behind enemy lines. This effort was called Operation Werewolf. The result is an intriguing and poignant short story about man’s conflict with the results of his decision.

Reading this short story just for the main storyline, the response in the common vernacular probably would be meh. I did find one interesting fact. I dug a little deeper as the method of changing into a werewolf used in this short story as it seemed to facilitate the storyline a little too well, and I had not seen or read it before. I looked it up, and its use was first recorded in an actual case in the late 16th century! Thus, my werewolf knowledge was expanded from reading this short story.

I judge short stories weighted not by the main storyline but the quality of the B- and C-storylines. Uwe, the main character is well developed with his personality, and his values for both family and country. He agrees to join the local resistance group but first must be initiated. When he discovers that he now is a werewolf, the internal conflict begins and progresses between his revulsion of what he is and the thrill of changes to his body, even when in human form. Reading the internal conflict and how it affected Uwe as a human and as a werewolf captured my attention and kept all the way to the end where Uwe finally resolves this issue.

For the aspects that some readers find objectionable, first there are not one vulgar word. Rude and impious words can be counted on the fingers of one hand. There are not any intimate scenes. There are quite a few descriptions of werewolf attacks as they occur through the thoughts of Uwe and the results of those attacks. So, reader be forewarned.

Due to the new aspects of werewolf lore and the excellent portrait of Uwe’s internal conflict were the major reasons I thoroughly enjoyed reading this short story. While I liked ending, it also made me sad. This is the first work by this author that I have read. I will have to see if I will read further based upon the description of the work, but I still recommend reading this short story for the aspects I just mentioned above. I rate this short story with five stars.

I received a free e-book version of this short story through NetGalley from Amazon Original Stories. My review is based only by my own reading experience of this short story. I wish to thank Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to read and review this short story early.

Terrifying, riveting and vicious, The Wehrwolf had me on the edge of my seat and watching every corner. Seriously, this might be short, but it packs a massive punch and a vicious bite.

Alma Katsu has come highly recommended to me by a trusted source. My husband has been raving about her ability to take a historical event and make it even more horrific. As soon as I read the synopsis of The Wehrwolf, I was not only intrigued, but thought that it was high time that I sampled Katsu’s writing for myself.

The Wehrwolf takes place in a small village in Germany near the end of World War II. Katsu weaves local folklore with this wartime story. The German folklore presents a frightening scenario, but mixed in with the events of World War II, it elevates the level of horror. It speaks of people who are influenced by power, strength, and belonging, and when men are turned into monsters.

The reader is introduced to Uwe Fuchs, his family, and a small group of townspeople. Uwe is an average man who has lived a modest life caring for his family. When danger encroaches his forested community, some of the men decide to take matters into their own hands.

With any short story, the author has limited time to pull the reader in and give them that shocking moment that is pivotal to a short story or novella. While I may not have had that shocking moment per se, I did find the story interesting, and the ending to be very well done. The Wehrwolf was a tale of folklore, history, and a story that is rife with meaning.

*4 Stars

"The point of... 'The Wehrwolf,' is to show the danger that exists when we refuse to learn from history. And the main lesson history has to teach us is that it's easy to slip the skin of humanity and become a monster."

What an incredible piece of literature! I've been wanting to read Katsu for awhile, but I just haven't gotten around to it, but she just might be the next author I read. I was blown away by her writing and instantly entranced by the plot. She does what few authors fail to do- write a short story that doesn't feel incomplete. While I would definitely read a longer work on the world she created in "The Wehrwolf," I was also satisfied with it as a whole. Katsu is a phenomenal writer who makes some great social commentary. I'll withhold this opinion until I've read one of her novels, but I'm pretty sure Alma Katsu is going to become one of those authors whose work I will buy sight unseen.

Alma Katsu's The Wehrwolf is a poignant page-turner and a welcome addition to werewolf fiction. While the story is fairly straightforward, its setting in Germany near the end of the Second World War captures the fear and hysteria that gripped the local population at the time and lends itself well to the metaphor Katsu draws to our own time. Say one thing about Katsu, she doesn't mix-up or confuse with her metaphors. This story is a direct commentary on the current western political climate and does an excellent job of showing how one man's confidence issues lead to a simple decision that cascades into a nightmare. The horror here is less the monsters, and more the lesson that small things can lead to horrific consequences. In this way, her story resuscitates the morality woven through Grimm's Fairy Tales, adding new texture and nuance that results in an alchemical mix that is more than the sum of its parts. A book club or university-level English class might have fun pairing Wehrwolf with Red Riding Hood and reconciling the moral arguments in each against the time of their writing. For us day-to-day readers, The Wehrwolf is worth the price of admission - check it out.

this book was a ARC for me from NetGalley. This is just an honest, consumer review**

Books like this are the reason why I fell in love with reading. The introduction grips me to want to figure out who died, what happened and I turn into an investigator. Also, at 150 pages, it’s the perfect sweet spot for length. I loved that the little red riding hood was intertwined into the story, it was a perfect execution. Furthermore, I am a big fan of the 40’s and 50’s, so this was a must read for me. I enjoyed that it followed the realism of Germany & Russia in the 40’s while still portraying the story well. It gave me ‘an American werewolf in London’ vibe, if you have ever watched that movie.
The way Reinhardswald was explained gave me amazing imagery and now I want to dive it to other works by this author.
The encounter with the wolf had me on my toes! Probably my favourite part in the whole entire book. My only critique would be to make short chapters. For me and a lot of others that I have spoke to that read a ton, we love short chapters. It makes the reader feel as though we’re reading faster & it creates a want to keep reading. Just a thought. Nonetheless, I gave this book a 5 star!

Alma Katsu never misses. I loved this short offering. Thanks net galley for the advanced digital copy.

I've always loved Alma Katsu's books! This one sends a good message, too, whether you want to see it as "history repeats itself" or as "pay attention to and learn from history." Her writing has always been wonderful and this one was no different. She does a great job giving you the full picture and descriptions. I do wish it was longer, but I liked it for what it was!

First of all, I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC.

"A simple thing can turn you into a monster."

This book was definitely a big surprise for me. I went into it, expecting another typical horror book but this story is so much more than that.

The story follows Uwe Fuchs, who lives in a little German village with his wife and daughter in 1945. Losing the war is effecting everyone, even in this far away place and while everything seems normal, there's something sinister and evil lurking in the shadows at night.

I loved the dark fairytale vibe, the werewolf (or in this case wehrwolf) folklore and all the gory, bloody stuff!

I felt for Uwe through the whole story, he was just a normal man, trying to protect his family while he struggled with his feelings to do something for his people, his country.

I think we all know how powerful the wanting to fit in, be accepted and be part of something can be. Uwe was no exception and in the end he had to learn the consequences of his choices and actions.

Evil can corrupt even the best and most caring men. They'd justify their actions, saying that "it's for the bigger good" even if normally they'd be horrified of what they had done.

I finished this book earlier today and I caught myself thinking about it all day.

This book is without a question a 5/5 ⭐ for me.

So, if you're looking for a horror book that has all the bloody elements you like, but also an important message about human nature, this one is for you!

Alma Katsu writes solid historical horror and this short story is no different. Set during the German occupation, this is certainly not your typical werewolf story. I don't know if this helps or hinders the book. I enjoyed the folklore element, but found the characters to be lacking and two-dimensional. Much like a fairytale, the focus lay more with the overall moral than the characters, This is a quick, decent read, but I won't be going back to it.