The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan, Text Publishing, RRP $40, ISBN 9781921656927, Available now.

I’m not going to lie to you, this is such a good read, I’m considering swearing. As in, ZOMG this is the FO’SHIZZLE! (No one says that anymore, right? I’m so behind.)

But ZOMG YOU GUYS!! First I was like “Yeah, werewolves, we’re all doing the mythical creatures with your vamps and your weres and your fairies and your elves” and then I was all like “Huh, Nick Cave has endorsed it. Hmm.” and then I was all like read read read and then… ZOMG YOU GUYS, SO GOOD!

Ahem.

What I’m trying to say is The Last Werewolf is the smartest, funniest, most alive thing you’ll read all year. It’s so well written, so well plotted and so well played. Self aware literature without the self-consciousness – this is almost the impossible dream and Mr Duncan, sir, I must applaud you.

Story? Jake Marlowe, two hundred year old werewolf, and the last. The werewolves have been hunted down. Jake is weary and tormented and welcoming of his own seemingly inevitable death. Somewhere along the way, though, the vampires have gotten involved, and when Jake makes an unexpected discovery he begins to wonder why…

(How’d I do?) I’m not going to go further into the plot than that because the story is an enormous part of what makes The Last Werewolf such an immensely enjoyable and visceral read. There’s twists, there’s turns and there’s some rather brutal moments that grab the reader.

It’s also full of humour, all of it very dark (the best kind really).

I might have bombed a couple of their labs back in the day, but couldn’t believe this was a belated revenge attack. Vampires don’t go in for that sort of thing. Not on any kind of principle but because nine out of ten times they just can’t be bothered. All motivation derives from the primary fact of mortality. Take mortality away and motivation loses its … motivation. Thus vampires spend a lot of time lounging around and staring out of the window and finding they can’t be arsed.

If you’re going to read one mythical creature book this year, make it this one.