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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-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:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
adventurous
dark
hopeful
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
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is a YA fantasy debut by Meg Long . Filled with dangerous terrain, storms, monsters, betrayal, unexpected kindness, death, survival, and friendship.
Sena lives in a frozen land where she doesn't belong as the daughter as a corporate racer mother and a scavver mother. Corporate racers are the wealthy of the planet who are greedy with the natural resources while the scavver's live in the wilds respecting nature and taking only what is necessary to survive. Since her mothers perished competing in one last race in order to take them off planet for a better life, Sena was determined to never work with the racers or their wolves ever again. Bad decisions land her not only in the race but also fighting for her life, her newly acquired wolf and people who are turning into friends.
"I'm not ready to die yet. I didn't come this far and escaped death so many times to give up on the side of a mountain."
This one had me hooked from the beginning and that's all thanks to our lead heroine Sena. She was fantastic and had my attention from the first pocket she picked. Usually I need romance in my YA fantasies, but this has zero, and I didn't miss it at all. Sena with her wolf by her side was a strong enough character to carry the story. She starts off as a lone wolf herself and learns the meaning of friendship. There's also a whole cast of solid side characters too along her journey.
In the end, Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves was a highly entertaining why a fantasy novel. I'll definitely be looking out from more by author Meg Long in the future.
TW: violence, death, animal abuse + violence
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is a YA fantasy debut by Meg Long . Filled with dangerous terrain, storms, monsters, betrayal, unexpected kindness, death, survival, and friendship.
Sena lives in a frozen land where she doesn't belong as the daughter as a corporate racer mother and a scavver mother. Corporate racers are the wealthy of the planet who are greedy with the natural resources while the scavver's live in the wilds respecting nature and taking only what is necessary to survive. Since her mothers perished competing in one last race in order to take them off planet for a better life, Sena was determined to never work with the racers or their wolves ever again. Bad decisions land her not only in the race but also fighting for her life, her newly acquired wolf and people who are turning into friends.
"I'm not ready to die yet. I didn't come this far and escaped death so many times to give up on the side of a mountain."
This one had me hooked from the beginning and that's all thanks to our lead heroine Sena. She was fantastic and had my attention from the first pocket she picked. Usually I need romance in my YA fantasies, but this has zero, and I didn't miss it at all. Sena with her wolf by her side was a strong enough character to carry the story. She starts off as a lone wolf herself and learns the meaning of friendship. There's also a whole cast of solid side characters too along her journey.
In the end, Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves was a highly entertaining why a fantasy novel. I'll definitely be looking out from more by author Meg Long in the future.
TW: violence, death, animal abuse + violence
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was originally drawn to Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves because it sounded like an incredible mix between a survivalist sled dog adventure and YA science fiction. But this one leans very heavily into the first part, and the science fiction aspects are more hidden. I think if I had known that going into this one, I would have enjoyed it more.
Also, the first half of Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is incredibly slow. Although it’s beautifully atmospheric, I still took breaks from it because I was struggling to engage with the story. Fortunately, once the action started, this book became great. The race itself was the highlight of the story, with Sena, Iska, and the other racers facing impossible odds.
Overall, this novel is a story of loneliness, grief, and how you can find family in unexpected places. Long manages to make the frozen tundra come alive, and the dangers feel real. So even though the first half of this one wasn’t my favorite, I still enjoyed this book as a whole.
*Disclaimer: I received an advance digital copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Also, the first half of Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is incredibly slow. Although it’s beautifully atmospheric, I still took breaks from it because I was struggling to engage with the story. Fortunately, once the action started, this book became great. The race itself was the highlight of the story, with Sena, Iska, and the other racers facing impossible odds.
Overall, this novel is a story of loneliness, grief, and how you can find family in unexpected places. Long manages to make the frozen tundra come alive, and the dangers feel real. So even though the first half of this one wasn’t my favorite, I still enjoyed this book as a whole.
*Disclaimer: I received an advance digital copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves focuses on an ice-cold planet with a girl determined to get off it. Since her mothers passed away, Sena no longer has any family on the planet. Leaving the planet is easier said than done, especially once Sena crosses a local gangster. Now Sena has a debt to pay and the clock is ticking. Sena is then approached by scientists who offer to help if she can get them to the end of a treacherous sled race. While Sena has sworn never to participate in the race that stole her mothers’ lives, she may no longer have a choice.
Sena is a determined, fiercely independent character who refuses to take the easy way out. Iska, the wolf that Sena encounters, was one of my favorite characters!! It was heartwarming to see how Sena and Iska developed such a close bond and fought to make it to the end of the race. Meg Long has put an incredible amount of thought into what it’s like to live in this type of extreme cold and it shows in the details of the tundra. I really liked how Sena utilized the survival lessons learned from her mothers, it was a nice connection. I found the beginning to be a little bit slow, but it really picks up once Sena meets Iska and the scientific team. Once the preparation for the race starts, you won’t be able to put it down!
I would recommend this book for anyone who loves stories of survival, animal companionship, and fierce characters. This was a very fun read and I’m excited to see what Meg Long writes next! Thank you to Meg Long, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sena is a determined, fiercely independent character who refuses to take the easy way out. Iska, the wolf that Sena encounters, was one of my favorite characters!! It was heartwarming to see how Sena and Iska developed such a close bond and fought to make it to the end of the race. Meg Long has put an incredible amount of thought into what it’s like to live in this type of extreme cold and it shows in the details of the tundra. I really liked how Sena utilized the survival lessons learned from her mothers, it was a nice connection. I found the beginning to be a little bit slow, but it really picks up once Sena meets Iska and the scientific team. Once the preparation for the race starts, you won’t be able to put it down!
I would recommend this book for anyone who loves stories of survival, animal companionship, and fierce characters. This was a very fun read and I’m excited to see what Meg Long writes next! Thank you to Meg Long, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Just not for me. I struggled getting and staying invested in anything that was going on.
adventurous
dark
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
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I first requested an arc of this book because it has the word "wolves" in the title. I never thought that I liked survival-type books. But then I read this book, and realized that it's probably because every survivalist book I've ever read is about a white dude conquering nature, with detailed descriptions about boring survivalist crap. This is not what Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is at all.
The story takes place on an icy planet far from the solar system's sun where greedy corporate overlords take advantage of the barely-surviving masses by coercing them into competing in a deadly sled race. The main character Sena is forced into the race through a series of questionable (but understandable) choices. The book contained a lot of social commentary, but it didn't feel shoehorned in. The main character, Sena, is learning about the injustice of this system alongside the reader.
And speaking of, Sena had one of the better character arcs I've read in a while. The book is very plot-driven, but there was still a lot of space for characterization and relationship development. At the beginning of the book, Sena is cold and prickly, unwilling to get close to anyone; to survive the race, she must learn to form meaningful relationships, both human and non-human. I loved how the book focused on platonic friendships rather than romantic relationships.
One complaint I have is that the first half of the book dragged a little. I think some of the exposition could have been condensed or cut out completely. The ending also felt a little rushed. Otherwise, I really enjoyed my experience reading this book.
I first requested an arc of this book because it has the word "wolves" in the title. I never thought that I liked survival-type books. But then I read this book, and realized that it's probably because every survivalist book I've ever read is about a white dude conquering nature, with detailed descriptions about boring survivalist crap. This is not what Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is at all.
The story takes place on an icy planet far from the solar system's sun where greedy corporate overlords take advantage of the barely-surviving masses by coercing them into competing in a deadly sled race. The main character Sena is forced into the race through a series of questionable (but understandable) choices. The book contained a lot of social commentary, but it didn't feel shoehorned in. The main character, Sena, is learning about the injustice of this system alongside the reader.
And speaking of, Sena had one of the better character arcs I've read in a while. The book is very plot-driven, but there was still a lot of space for characterization and relationship development. At the beginning of the book, Sena is cold and prickly, unwilling to get close to anyone; to survive the race, she must learn to form meaningful relationships, both human and non-human. I loved how the book focused on platonic friendships rather than romantic relationships.
One complaint I have is that the first half of the book dragged a little. I think some of the exposition could have been condensed or cut out completely. The ending also felt a little rushed. Otherwise, I really enjoyed my experience reading this book.
adventurous
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced