The Animals of Farthing Wood, whose epic journey to a new home was chronicled in their first eponymous adventure, return in this second story, in which they confront new dangers. Now residing in White Deer Park, they should be safe, but instead find themselves facing both a severe winter, with its accompanying food shortages, and the depredations of human poachers, who begin to enter the park after the Warden is injured. When Badger is hurt, and is taken in by the Warden, his absence is noted by the others, and Fox, still the leader, launches a search effort. Experiencing the suffering of hunger, the animals start raiding nearby human residences, but the danger of this is brought home to Fox when he and Vixen see another pair of foxes shot, and he must put a stop to it. Later in the book, when the hunters begin to encroach upon the park, shooting some of the majestic deer which give it its name, our vulpine hero comes up with a clever plan to foil the human enemy...

Like its predecessor, In the Grip of Winter is both an exciting and engaging animal adventure story, and a more philosophical meditation upon the beauty and importance of the wild, and the relationship, for both good and evil, between humanity and animal-kind. Needless to say, humanity doesn't always come off looking particularly good, although it is worth noting that the Warden provides a hopeful exception. The scene toward the end of the book, in which there is a connection made between him and the animals, as a group, is beautiful: "an expression came over his face of a wonderful compassion and affection that lit an answering flame in their own hearts. The moment passed, but there was a timelessness about it that was never to be forgotten." It is a moment, the narrator tells us, of magic, "a strange echo of an Ancient world that none of them could comprehend." I enjoyed this second adventure with these lovable animal characters - Fox is a personal favorite, of course! - and appreciated the opportunity to get to know some of their new neighbors, in the form of the animals of White Deer Park, including the Great Stag and his herd. I did wonder a bit, as it concerned the continuation of the 'Oath of Mutual Protection,' as it seems to only include the initial companions. After all, some of the animals - Adder, Weasel, even Fox and Vixen - wouldn't survive very long, if they didn't prey on ANY mice or rabbits. Dann never really addresses that, which seems to point to a weakness of the story idea. Leaving aside that quibble, this is recommended to anyone who enjoyed the first book! ( )