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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sci-Fi meets dog sledding. Survival meets found family (and one of them is a fighting wolf).
I loved it.
I loved it.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
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
4/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: fantasy, sci-fi, high stakes, human-animal bonds, contests
The premise of the book sounded interesting and exciting, but I kind of struggled to really connect with any of the characters. Sena has obvious reasons to dislike the race, and also to be passionate about the vonenwolves, but at the same time she can be difficult to get along with. The other characters, aka the "team of scientists," also tend to lack the kind of depth I would like to see, though perhaps that's due to the size of the cast.
Sena, as mentioned, is very passionate about the vonenwolves and very passionate in the other direction about the sled race. She cares for the vonenwolves and wants to ensure they're being treated well and are in good condition, a passion and talent she inherited from one of her mothers. Unfortunately for her, this also puts her in direct opposition with one of the biggest gangsters in the town/city. Sena has a lot of perseverance and once she puts her mind to something, she's determined to see it through, no matter how unlikely she thinks success will be.
Remy was the only other character I really feel like we got a good feel for. She has her own reasons for wanting to be on Tundar and plenty of secrets to boot. She and Sena get along fairly well, which is good since Sena doesn't really get along with most people. Remy also adds a bit of lightness to the story and is able to both scheme and joke. I look forward to seeing more of her story in the second book.
There's little to no romance in this book, so that's refreshing for a fantasy book. That being said, there also isn't really a ton of character relationships going on either. Sena thinks a lot about her mothers, so their relationship and her love for them (and vice versa) comes through, but she keeps her distance from most of the other characters, including her aunt. The scientist team has some interesting dynamics that I think could be interesting to explore deeper, and perhaps they will come up in book 2.
I get why the scientist team wanted to bring their scientific equipment along, but it was frustrating at times having to read how much they clung to their ideas while completely ignoring Sena's advice, despite the fact that they came to her for help. Sena's advice proves true, of course, since she does know what she's talking about. I know I've mentioned that Sena doesn't get along with a lot of people in the book, but a lot of that is due to stuff like this, where she gives asked-for advice and then is ignored by people who think they know better.
That being said, I liked the environment and world Long set up in this story. It definitely felt like winter to me when I was reading it. The world Sena lives on is harsh, filled with a deadly tundra and even deadlier gangsters. I liked the feel of the town/city Sena lives in and it felt real and interesting (think Winter, White and Wicked mixed with The Raging Ones). The woods on the edge of town could've used a bit more of an explanation I think, but at the same time they don't play a huge role in things so I don't know if a more in-depth explanation really matters.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think some additional time getting to know the characters or more on-page character interactions would've been nice, but I enjoyed the fast pace of the book and the world that Long created here.
Recommended for people who like: fantasy, sci-fi, high stakes, human-animal bonds, contests
The premise of the book sounded interesting and exciting, but I kind of struggled to really connect with any of the characters. Sena has obvious reasons to dislike the race, and also to be passionate about the vonenwolves, but at the same time she can be difficult to get along with. The other characters, aka the "team of scientists," also tend to lack the kind of depth I would like to see, though perhaps that's due to the size of the cast.
Sena, as mentioned, is very passionate about the vonenwolves and very passionate in the other direction about the sled race. She cares for the vonenwolves and wants to ensure they're being treated well and are in good condition, a passion and talent she inherited from one of her mothers. Unfortunately for her, this also puts her in direct opposition with one of the biggest gangsters in the town/city. Sena has a lot of perseverance and once she puts her mind to something, she's determined to see it through, no matter how unlikely she thinks success will be.
Remy was the only other character I really feel like we got a good feel for. She has her own reasons for wanting to be on Tundar and plenty of secrets to boot. She and Sena get along fairly well, which is good since Sena doesn't really get along with most people. Remy also adds a bit of lightness to the story and is able to both scheme and joke. I look forward to seeing more of her story in the second book.
There's little to no romance in this book, so that's refreshing for a fantasy book. That being said, there also isn't really a ton of character relationships going on either. Sena thinks a lot about her mothers, so their relationship and her love for them (and vice versa) comes through, but she keeps her distance from most of the other characters, including her aunt. The scientist team has some interesting dynamics that I think could be interesting to explore deeper, and perhaps they will come up in book 2.
I get why the scientist team wanted to bring their scientific equipment along, but it was frustrating at times having to read how much they clung to their ideas while completely ignoring Sena's advice, despite the fact that they came to her for help. Sena's advice proves true, of course, since she does know what she's talking about. I know I've mentioned that Sena doesn't get along with a lot of people in the book, but a lot of that is due to stuff like this, where she gives asked-for advice and then is ignored by people who think they know better.
That being said, I liked the environment and world Long set up in this story. It definitely felt like winter to me when I was reading it. The world Sena lives on is harsh, filled with a deadly tundra and even deadlier gangsters. I liked the feel of the town/city Sena lives in and it felt real and interesting (think Winter, White and Wicked mixed with The Raging Ones). The woods on the edge of town could've used a bit more of an explanation I think, but at the same time they don't play a huge role in things so I don't know if a more in-depth explanation really matters.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think some additional time getting to know the characters or more on-page character interactions would've been nice, but I enjoyed the fast pace of the book and the world that Long created here.
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is about a girl living alone on a frozen planet that befriends a wolf and must complete this insane race to try and earn enough money to leave the planet.
I wanted to like this book but I had a hard time getting into it.
I wanted to like this book but I had a hard time getting into it.
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
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
I loved Julie of the Wolves when I was younger and this book stirred the same emotions and some new ones as well. This was such a well-thought-out book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC which I received in return for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC which I received in return for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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:
No
I went into this book very blind, not exactly knowing what I was getting into and very quickly I learn that this is within the sci-fi realm. I say that because me and sci-fi are not friends, the futuristic talk and tech is just way over my head...but this book makes all of that very understandable and even enjoyable. I did have to google a few things but overall the techy talk wasn't too overwhelming and I would definitely recommend this as a "intro to sci-fi" read.
I loved the story, very Balto-esque and absolutely loved the relationship between Sena and the wolf. I really enjoyed the journey and the found family we experience. I will definitely be reading book 2 that comes out soon, so excited!
I loved the story, very Balto-esque and absolutely loved the relationship between Sena and the wolf. I really enjoyed the journey and the found family we experience. I will definitely be reading book 2 that comes out soon, so excited!