Like Wolves is an episodic novel set in the nineteenth century, a tumultuous time when Texas fought for independence, war broke out between the United States and Mexico, and the Comanche Empire brought westward expansion to a grinding halt. Under pale blue skies; soldiers marched, rangers patrolled, and settlements burned. In the vast expanse beyond the Texas frontier, men lived and died for power, fealty, cultural hatred and revenge. In this maelstrom of conflict, Piamupitz the Owl, ancient and wicked, a destroyer, a devourer, a taker of children and eater of the lost—sees in the dark, her eyes fixed and focused on the movements of men and the beasts of the field. On a cold Spring night, with patches of snow still gleaming in the moonlight, Piamupitz hears the pain of a young man's heart and visits the grieving warrior, making strong medicine, granting the man's lust for destruction and spiritual power as she guides him on a course to raid across Texas and Mexico, forever changing the lives of all he encounters. Devastated by the loss of his wife and child, Storm Crow makes a pact with Piamupitz, who promises him power if he marks himself in white mud adorned with black symbols, and takes the war trail south. Lost in grief, consumed by rage, his mind and soul slipping into a new, grim reality, Storm Crow takes his vengeance out on the world around him. Fearless and blessed by dark powers, he amasses a following of young men eager to accompany him on raids and gain wealth and prestige in their exploits, forming a large war party that sweeps the Texas frontier, penetrating Mexico, burning a trail of destruction in their wake.
