Maiden of the Wolf: Hallowmere    by Tiffany Trent & Angelika Ranger Order:  USA  Can Mirrorstone, 2008 (2008) Paperback     Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto The fourth installment in the Hallowmere series, Maiden of the Wolf, takes a different turn from the previous novels. Instead of following Corrine, the story follows Ilona as she tries to rescue the rathstone from a different rath. Also, Tiffany Trent is not the only author of this novel, and Angelika Ranger introduces a different style that still works well with the series. After parting from her friends and stepping through the portal, Ilona Takar finds herself in a rath of her native Hungry, but centuries earlier. This rath is ruled by the evil Countess Bathory, whose ruthless quest for youth leads to massive amounts of bloodshed. A vampire, Countess Bathory believes that the blood of young girls will keep her alive, and sends her soldiers out every night to find her fresh blood. Ilona is captured by the Wolf unit and taken to Castle Cachtice. Ilona is too manly for the countess, who relegates her to the kitchen. When Ilona leads a revolt in an attempt to rescue the young maidens, Countess Bathory decides Ilona would be a better soldier than a maid and, instead of torturing her, lets her join the Wolves. The leader of the Wolves, Varco, takes Ilona under his wing. Although Ilona detests what the soldiers do, she knows this is her only chance to free the maidens and find the rathstone. Like all the Hallowmere books, the action in Maiden in the Wolf starts immediately and does not end until the last page. However, Ilona is a different character than Corrine, so it works that Ranger brings a slightly different writing style than Trent. Ranger's style is a little more rugged and not as poetic as Trent's, which works very well for Ilona's personality. Also, Maiden of the Wolf is a little gorier than the previous novels, but not quite as dark and scary. Plus, as the action in the first three novels tended to move around a lot, the action in Maiden of the Wolf has to all be at one location because Ilona cannot leave until she finds the rathstone, and the rathstone is not leaving Castle Cachtice. Maiden of the Wolf and author Angelika Ranger are wonderful additions to Tiffany Trent's Hallowmere series. The slight change of style breathes new life into a long series that could otherwise lose its power. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews