Overwinter (novel)
Encyclopedia
Overwinter is a werewolf
novel
by David Wellington. It is the sequel to his previous werewolf novel Frostbite
, though this novel is only available in print; it was not first published online like some of his other novels.
in search of a cure for the curse of lycanthropy that has afflicted them both. Along the way they are joined by Dzo, the personification of the Inuit muskrat
spirit, and Lucie, the French
werewolf who gave Monty the curse of lycanthropy
. They are pursued by Varkanin, a Russian
hunter who has blue skin from silver poisoning
that renders him nearly-immune to werewolf attacks, who is in the employ of the Canadian
government that wants the werewolves killed so they can sign an oil
development agreement with a foreign energy company. The search for the cure to the werewolves' condition is complicated by Chey's gradual loss of her human identity to her increasingly wolf-like nature.
, including unusually wicked teeth. Even in human form, the werewolf is notably stronger, faster and more resilient than a normal human of its physique.
Werewolves in either form have only a hazy recollection of events in their other form. Though the lupine form hates its own human form as much as (or more than) other humans, there is a slight mental connection, and the lupine form will often try to complete a task that the human form was engaged in when it changed. Still, some werewolves in human form are known to think of "their wolf" as a separate entity.
Unlike many representations of werewolves, one form does not "morph" into the other. Rather, it is as if the body becomes ephemeral and a new body is created, at every change. As a result, werewolves seem to be unaging, as a new perfect body (healed of injuries) is created for it at moonrise and moonset. Werewolves are also apparently immortal, as a dead werewolf (in either form) will return to life with the next change, unless silver
is employed to kill it.
Silver is the nemesis of werewolves, as even a relatively light binding of silver chain cannot be broken by one. The effects of long-term contact with silver, or of silver weaponry, are not yet clear. It is known that contact with silver bindings in lupine form can leave a lasting mark when the werewolf regains human form.
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by David Wellington. It is the sequel to his previous werewolf novel Frostbite
Frostbite (novel)
Frostbite is a werewolf novel by David Wellington, published in serial online in July, 2006 and in print in 2009.-Plot summary:Frostbite takes place in the remote wilderness of Alberta...
, though this novel is only available in print; it was not first published online like some of his other novels.
Plot summary
The novel picks up shortly after the end of Frostbite following werewolves Cheyenne “Chey” Clark and Montgomery “Monty” Powell as they travel toward the Arctic CircleArctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
in search of a cure for the curse of lycanthropy that has afflicted them both. Along the way they are joined by Dzo, the personification of the Inuit muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
spirit, and Lucie, the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
werewolf who gave Monty the curse of lycanthropy
Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy is the professed ability or power of a human being to undergo transformation into a werewolf, or to gain wolf-like characteristics. The term comes from Greek Lykànthropos : λύκος, lykos + άνθρωπος, ànthrōpos...
. They are pursued by Varkanin, a Russian
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
hunter who has blue skin from silver poisoning
Argyria
Argyria is a condition caused by improper exposure to chemical forms of the element silver, silver dust, or silver compounds. The most dramatic symptom of argyria is that the skin becomes blue or bluish-grey colored. Argyria may be found as generalized argyria or local argyria...
that renders him nearly-immune to werewolf attacks, who is in the employ of the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
government that wants the werewolves killed so they can sign an oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
development agreement with a foreign energy company. The search for the cure to the werewolves' condition is complicated by Chey's gradual loss of her human identity to her increasingly wolf-like nature.
The nature of werewolves in Overwinter
Werewolves in Overwinter have only two forms; human and lupine. They cannot control the change, and take on lupine form at any time that the moon is above the horizon, regardless of the moon's phase. The lupine form is similar to a normal wolf, but significantly stronger and more aggressive, bearing an intense hatred of humans. They have elements of the dire wolfDire Wolf
The Dire Wolf, Canis dirus, is an extinct carnivorous mammal of the genus Canis, and was most common in North America and South America from the Irvingtonian stage to the Rancholabrean stage of the Pleistocene epoch living 1.80 Ma – 10,000 years ago, existing for approximately .- Relationships...
, including unusually wicked teeth. Even in human form, the werewolf is notably stronger, faster and more resilient than a normal human of its physique.
Werewolves in either form have only a hazy recollection of events in their other form. Though the lupine form hates its own human form as much as (or more than) other humans, there is a slight mental connection, and the lupine form will often try to complete a task that the human form was engaged in when it changed. Still, some werewolves in human form are known to think of "their wolf" as a separate entity.
Unlike many representations of werewolves, one form does not "morph" into the other. Rather, it is as if the body becomes ephemeral and a new body is created, at every change. As a result, werewolves seem to be unaging, as a new perfect body (healed of injuries) is created for it at moonrise and moonset. Werewolves are also apparently immortal, as a dead werewolf (in either form) will return to life with the next change, unless silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
is employed to kill it.
Silver is the nemesis of werewolves, as even a relatively light binding of silver chain cannot be broken by one. The effects of long-term contact with silver, or of silver weaponry, are not yet clear. It is known that contact with silver bindings in lupine form can leave a lasting mark when the werewolf regains human form.