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The Wolfschild and the King Review: On Tour with Celebrate Lit

Friday, November 13th, 2026 by Heather Greer Start the Conversation

About the Book

Book: The Wolfschild and the King

Author: Saraiah Dunmar

Genre: Christian Fantasy

Release Date: January, 2026

By the time Zaera reaches her sixteenth spring, she is longing for the end of her rite of passage. Having survived eight long years among wolves in the wild, she is finally worthy to marry whatever young man is sent to find her and bring her back to her tribe. So when an injury results in rejection by both the suitors and her wolves, she is left crushed, alone, and hopeless—and bitter at the so-called Author-King, the tyrant god who cares nothing for mortals, who has either completely ignored her or deliberately ruined her life.

Then a young foreigner finds her and offers her a place among his people, and Zaera seizes the opportunity to find acceptance and love. But new problems arise. How long will it be before someone she loves is killed or captured in the minotaur raids that take place every summer? Why won’t their king do anything to protect them? What is behind the strange natural phenomena that have begun to erode the balance of nature? And most importantly, will Zaera’s new family reject her when they discover she hates their beloved Author-King?

With a growing rift between her and those she holds dear, and secrets pointing to a crisis greater than anyone could have imagined, Zaera is faced with a choice: take matters into her own hands by fleeing back to the lonely freedom of the wilderness, or follow the path laid out for her by the unseen hand writing the story of her life.

MY THE WOLFSCHILD AND THE KING REVIEW:

Beautiful, mysterious, and complicated. That’s the world the author has created in this story. Though the inhabitants may be unfamiliar in their physical appearances and abilities, their struggles with life and hurt and hope are all too real. It’s easy to see ourselves and the people we know inside the pages of the book.

I enjoyed the allegory aspect of the story, though in many ways it is more bluntly expressed than other classical Christian allegories. While it includes all the expected fantasy elements like magic, mythical creatures, and lands that don’t run like our own, the feel of the story is more like the Pilgrim’s Progress than The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in how openly the allegorical aspects are handled. Within Narnia, a person without faith could read it and come away believing it only a beautifully entertaining story with meaningful lessons for life. Within The Wolfschild and the King, even a person without faith would easily see the Christian faith element. I don’t say this as a negative, just a comparison for reference.

I applaud the author for not turning away from the big faith questions. Wrestling with why bad things happen if God is a loving God is not an easy thing to do. And while I felt like Zaera came to the cusp of understanding that not all who followed the Author-king led perfect only to completely move past finding out the truth and cling to her “I’m the only one who suffered” mentality, I think even that portrayal can be realistic. Many who are hurting can’t accept that others can hold both hurt and faith in a loving God at the same time. So, they don’t get to know the hurts of others unless those hurts have given them the same outlook.

The setting of the story is beautiful, and the author does a great job painting the picture of life in these lands. The characters are well-rounded and feel real to the story. There are times when we’re told things instead of being shown them in a more immersive way. These times tend to slow down the story instead of keeping a reader ready to turn the next page. And there are a few times when the point of view is a little muddled as we hop from one person’s perspective to another’s without any break in scene or chapter. But the story itself is strong and moving and full of real life in the middle of the fantasy.

I struggled with giving this story a star rating. There are so many things I loved about it, but there are a few technical things that deserve attention too. I landed somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars and rounded up to four. It’s a good story that I think fans of the fantasy genre or allegorical writing will enjoy.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Saraiah Dunmar didn’t set out to be a writer. But the stories in her head had other plans. Inspired by tales that weave faith and fantasy together, she seeks to write stories that serve as a mirror of the truth, rather than merely an escape.

She currently writes books set in the world she made up as a teenager. Like Peter and Susan, she got too old to visit that world herself, but writing about it is the next best thing. Or possibly even better.

Her love of the outdoors, the ocean, animals, music, and other languages and cultures means that there will probably be a fair mix of all of the above in her stories. And she also loves her Lord Jesus Christ, and the great Story He authored as the Creator and Savior of the world. She hopes her stories honor Him and point others to truth.

More from Saraiah

It’s a little daunting to share a story and a world with strangers, especially when that world has been such a part of me for so long!

I began worldbuilding in middle school, and the world of this story took on its present shape when I was probably in high school. Three of the characters in this book—Zaera, Davead, and Aiedelvais—have been around for nearly as long. In the nearly two decades since then, there have been so many changes. The world has changed, the characters have changed (even their names are different)—and I myself have changed!

In the early days, God was not a direct part of the world. He was part of my life of course, but it seemed sacrilegious to have a god figure in my made-up world. Perhaps that was why none of the early story attempts never really stuck. But then I was introduced to several excellent Christian fantasy series, and I was completely captivated at how the blend of faith and fantasy could be used to illustrate Biblical truths and provide a mirror in which to look at our own lives. I wanted to do that, too.

Stories of redemption, surrender, and sacrifice have always moved me. And then one day a concept of this book’s conclusion came to mind. Like a tiny, dormant seed, it stayed with me for several years. That seed eventually became Chapter 28. And when that seed finally sprouted and I realized I had what looked like a viable story concept, I pulled out K. M. Weiland’s guide to outlining novels and decided to give it a shot. Three years later, the book was finished.

I hope you enjoy Zaera’s story! Wherever you are in your journey, I hope it encourages you to look for God’s unseen hand in your own life. For He is truly the best Author of the best stories!