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adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sena survives by picking pockets and avoiding anything related to the racing system that fuels much of the planet's livelihood. That system cost Sena her mothers. Unfortunately, one of the local crime lords has an eye on Sena, despite her best intentions, she gets trapped in his snare. The race becomes a way to escape him and a way to escape with the wolf that shares her mother's name. Sena is a prickly protagonist, haunted by what she has lost and the discrimination she gets for being half "scavver" (a more back-to-the-earth type of group on this frozen planet that tries to live with the elements, rather than change them).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Violence, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves started off strong and didn't let up until the very end. Wolves are one of my favorite animals, so I loved every minute spent with Iska. I don't know how Meg Long did it, but I feel like I just came back from an adventure on another world! The world of Tundar was so vivid, it was easy to imagine being in the icy wind and snow, and surrounded by the dark, dangerous woods. Every creature jumped off the page.
If you're looking for a YA sci-fi novel with romance, this isn't it. If you don't normally read sci-fi but want to try, this is the perfect novel. If you're looking for a book with an immersive world to get lost in, I highly recommend Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves.
If you're looking for a YA sci-fi novel with romance, this isn't it. If you don't normally read sci-fi but want to try, this is the perfect novel. If you're looking for a book with an immersive world to get lost in, I highly recommend Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Torture
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars. This was a good story, and well written. The world the author built is interesting but not overwhelming and while it’s a harsh world it still ends hopeful. For me, the beginning was a little bit rough. We meet Sena, a seventeen-year old who has undoubtedly had a hard life. While I would say it makes sense considering her background, it was still hard to watch her making bad decisions and self-sabotaging for the first 25% of the book. Additionally, the race doesn’t actually start until around the 50% mark so while the writing kept me interested I did get impatient to actually see the main event start.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Balto in Space! A found-family adventure on a treacherous ice planet, where the stakes are high and anything on this planet could kill you. Sena’s tendency to blame herself for everything (even things far behind her control) resonated so much. No romance, just friendship with her wolf and her team of scientist friends.
CW: violence, classism & in-world racism, injury (people and animals) including frostbite
CW: violence, classism & in-world racism, injury (people and animals) including frostbite
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Classism
medium-paced
The world this book was set in is really interesting and I enjoyed many of the characters (though Sena’s angst sometimes frustrated me). I was underwhelmed however by the plot and the pacing. The story was very slow for the first two thirds, and then felt rushed at the end. Overall it was a pretty enjoyable read, but not one I’m likely to read again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Everytime you think the bad things are over something new and bad happens. If you want to know if it will have a happy ending or not check behind this spoiler tag: It has a happy, hopeful ending even if not everything has gone well.
I finished the whole thing so it can't be that bad but seriously don't read/listen if you're looking for something lighthearted.
I finished the whole thing so it can't be that bad but seriously don't read/listen if you're looking for something lighthearted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Characterisation - the characters are realistic, flawed, and interesting. I like Sena's friendship with Kaasen, Remy and Pana, and her growing friendship with the wolf Iska. They are strong, brave, kind and loyal to each other. Remy has a great sense of humour! And Pana is really nice too. Sena is resourceful, clever and determined. Her relationship with her adopted aunt Kirima is touching and heartfelt. :)
Sena's grief about her mothers' deaths in race sledding is handled sensitively and realistically, with empathy and tact.
World building - world building is detailed, unique and believable. The world of racing in snow is so well researched! What I like best are the wildlife descriptions, about the wolves and bears, along with the monsters.
I found it fascinating that the exo carbon on the planet is used for many things, including helping clothes repel electricity. Also refreshing to read a dystopia where technology isn't heavily centred (the technology doesn't always work because of the icy weather).
Issue of racism and colonisation against Scavvers is handled empathically and realistically, which I deeply appreciate.
Plot - plot is action packed, and driven by the main character's actions. Medical wounds are treated realistically but not explicit, which makes the story easier to read.
The plot is a mixture of fast and slow pacing. Action scenes are fast paced and exciting. Scenes where the characters are learning survival skills or bonding are slower paced, which helps make the story more believable.
Ending - the ending is uplifting and hopeful. It makes sense and is well earned by Sena.
Highly recommended!
Sena's grief about her mothers' deaths in race sledding is handled sensitively and realistically, with empathy and tact.
World building - world building is detailed, unique and believable. The world of racing in snow is so well researched! What I like best are the wildlife descriptions, about the wolves and bears, along with the monsters.
I found it fascinating that the exo carbon on the planet is used for many things, including helping clothes repel electricity. Also refreshing to read a dystopia where technology isn't heavily centred (the technology doesn't always work because of the icy weather).
Issue of racism and colonisation against Scavvers is handled empathically and realistically, which I deeply appreciate.
Plot - plot is action packed, and driven by the main character's actions. Medical wounds are treated realistically but not explicit, which makes the story easier to read.
The plot is a mixture of fast and slow pacing. Action scenes are fast paced and exciting. Scenes where the characters are learning survival skills or bonding are slower paced, which helps make the story more believable.
Ending - the ending is uplifting and hopeful. It makes sense and is well earned by Sena.
Highly recommended!
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Death, Racism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation