Acknowledgements There are a few people who’ve played their part in my writing of Wereworld, either knowingly or unwittingly, so it’s only right that I briefly mention them now. I fell in love with storytelling via a misspent youth engaged in role-playing games, more often than not running the things. Thanks to all the guys I’ve gamed with down the years, in no particular order (and I’m bound to miss someone): ‘our kid’ Mark, Andy J., Big Stu, Doctor Andy, Kinnon, Jesus Joe, Nick, Wayne and all the gang from art college who stayed up playing Cthulhu when they should have been partying, including Ian, Bru, Ed, Ron and Sparky B. Of course, my folks thought I was studying when I was at college as opposed to pulling all-night gaming sessions so I also need to mention the incomparable and always supportive Kath and Mel. Cheers to Andy Glazebrook for fiddling with my map (I shouldn’t be allowed near Photoshop), and Jon Hancock, the most passionate (and hairy) children’s book specialist I’ve ever known. Also thanks to my awesome test-readers who gave me the earliest feedback: Rich Dolan (he’s lost friends with his critiques), Tom Martinek (read between blowing things up for ILM), Patricia Brennan (should have been painting puppets) and my darling Emma (be gentle with me!), plus the children of her various Internet weirdo friends who were the target audience. Cheers, chaps! Thanks to my brilliant agent John Jarrold for believing in this crayonboy and taking me on, and a massive debt of giddy thanks to Shannon Park, my editor. Without Shannon’s unwavering belief and constant advice, a great deal of which she sent my way before Puffin even picked this up, Rise of the Wolf may never have happened.