Review: Even better than First Chosen
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 15, 2013
This is actually the first M Todd Gallowglas book I purchased.  The title grabbed me and wouldn't let go.  Then I found out it was the 2nd of the series, so I started with First Chosen instead.  I'm very glad I read them in order.Once We Were Like Wolves picks up where First Chosen leaves us.  Julianna has come out of all the conflicts victorious enough to satisfy the reader, but there are many realistic things she did not conquer, and her very existence has changed.  We go through all the emotions with her as she tries to decide if the gods sticking their noses into human business is a good thing or something heinous.  We meet new characters in Wynd, Korrin, Nathan, Aurell, and Allister.  We meet the Stormcrows.  We see more of how the society of the world is structured in the order of precedence of nobility and common folk, the conquerors and the indigenous people of the land.  And we learn more about the gods, the system of magic, and the priestly orders.But, like First Chosen, we have fight scenes that further the story, characters meeting and battling their suspicions while good fights against evil, Julianna learning to be a leader, machinations on both the celestial and mortal planes, and the new edition has very few typos.  To me, Wolves feels more fast-paced than First Chosen, and it feels like there is even deeper character development, and again it stands up really well to re-reading.One of the things I really like about Once We Were Like Wolves is that the bad guys are well-rounded and feel like real people.  They have their tender moments, their worries, their ambitions.  We can almost see why they chose the path they did.  I really hate one-dimensional villains, so these villains are refreshing.Overall, I like Once We Were Like Wolves better even than First Chosen, but Arms of the Storm is still my favorite of the series (so far).