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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
3 stars
The book reminds me a lot of White Fang by Jack London.
We have the story of a friendship between a girl and a wolf. They need to compete in a race in order to pay their debts and make enough money to move in a better, warmer place.
The race turns out to be quite an adventurous journey and Sena, the girl, develops a strong bond with Iska, the wolf.
This was a nice story, but it was lacking substance. The subject of the dead, lost mother is milked to no end and apart of the adventures during the race, there is little to no action.
I believe this book is well fitted for a young audiance.
The book reminds me a lot of White Fang by Jack London.
We have the story of a friendship between a girl and a wolf. They need to compete in a race in order to pay their debts and make enough money to move in a better, warmer place.
The race turns out to be quite an adventurous journey and Sena, the girl, develops a strong bond with Iska, the wolf.
This was a nice story, but it was lacking substance. The subject of the dead, lost mother is milked to no end and apart of the adventures during the race, there is little to no action.
I believe this book is well fitted for a young audiance.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's a fine YA read based on the Ititerod on an aline planet. Thinley veiled world building.
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The sci Fi world building was a little hard to get into, but I really like the characters and the adventures. Once the race starts I really couldn't put it down!
So first of all, I somehow missed that this was set on another planet. I thought it was in Russia or maybe Alaska, but nope this is sci-fi. That does not take away from this for me, but it made for some. My advice is to pretend that it’s in Russia or Alaska and read it anyways. I feel so lucky that the second book of the year was also a five star read. Admittedly it did start a little slow, but once the story got rolling it really went. I loved it, I loved the characters of Sena and Iska, and all the side characters too. I really hope this becomes a series!
This is full of strong character development along with a strong action packed storyline. I’m not gonna lie I ugly cried at the end. Twice in a row.
*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*
This is full of strong character development along with a strong action packed storyline. I’m not gonna lie I ugly cried at the end. Twice in a row.
*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*
adventurous
mysterious
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
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Tundar is a frozen planet with hostile terrain and wildlife, and the only remotely interesting thing that happens is the annual, very dangerous sled race. Racers compete for the chance to mine a valuable mineral and get rich, but the trail is long and treacherous. After her mothers died in the race, Sena Kohorsen vowed she would never enter it and her only goal is to make enough money to get off Tundar. But when she gets into more trouble than she can handle with the local gangster and flees with his prize fighting wolf Iska, the race might be her only way out. In exchange for getting them to the finish line, a team of scientists offers her a way off the planet, and Sena, determined to do whatever it takes to leave, agrees, returning to the one place she promised never to go again.
This book started out rather slow, with what I felt was an unnecessarily long time spent on showing the reader the city and Sena’s situation. The setting of this book was an interesting one however, and I really enjoyed the world-building. The contrast and conflict between the rich corporations and the scavvers, people who prefer to live off the land, made for an intriguing backdrop. The race itself took quite a bit of time to start, but once it did, it was pretty much non-stop action. It was also refreshing to read a book with no romance after such a long time and just focus on the adventure. I liked the narration style and it worked very well for this type of story, showing rather than telling and allowing the reader to visualize everything that was going on. The combination of sci-fi and adventure/survival story was very well done, and with the cool advanced technology hinted at here, there is a lot of potential for this world to be expanded further.
Sena was a character who was rather frustrating to follow at the beginning when all she seems to be doing is making terrible and reckless decisions, but as she begins to get closer to the research team and build friendships with them, she became a much easier character to root for. Out in the frozen tundra, all the knowledge she has from her mother became excellent tools for survival and it was fun to watch her navigate the many challenges that the race trail posed. Her developing bond with the wolf Iska was one of my favourite parts of this book and it was so beautiful how they slowly grew to trust and protect each other no matter what.
While Sena became easier to like as the story progressed, I felt like she didn’t actually grow much as a character despite her long journey and building trust with Iska and new friendships. There were several side characters who seemed promising but they weren’t developed enough and ended up being rather two dimensional, making it hard to connect to them in any way. Apart from that I hope the pacing is improved in the final version and that the race is expanded to take up a little more of the story too.
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves was an easy read, fast-paced and exciting, and I’m glad I started my 2022 reading year with it. The ending, while a bit abrupt, wraps up things rather well, but it does leave room for a sequel which could be interesting if it explores the other planets. I would definitely recommend this for sci-fi fans.
3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Tundar is a frozen planet with hostile terrain and wildlife, and the only remotely interesting thing that happens is the annual, very dangerous sled race. Racers compete for the chance to mine a valuable mineral and get rich, but the trail is long and treacherous. After her mothers died in the race, Sena Kohorsen vowed she would never enter it and her only goal is to make enough money to get off Tundar. But when she gets into more trouble than she can handle with the local gangster and flees with his prize fighting wolf Iska, the race might be her only way out. In exchange for getting them to the finish line, a team of scientists offers her a way off the planet, and Sena, determined to do whatever it takes to leave, agrees, returning to the one place she promised never to go again.
This book started out rather slow, with what I felt was an unnecessarily long time spent on showing the reader the city and Sena’s situation. The setting of this book was an interesting one however, and I really enjoyed the world-building. The contrast and conflict between the rich corporations and the scavvers, people who prefer to live off the land, made for an intriguing backdrop. The race itself took quite a bit of time to start, but once it did, it was pretty much non-stop action. It was also refreshing to read a book with no romance after such a long time and just focus on the adventure. I liked the narration style and it worked very well for this type of story, showing rather than telling and allowing the reader to visualize everything that was going on. The combination of sci-fi and adventure/survival story was very well done, and with the cool advanced technology hinted at here, there is a lot of potential for this world to be expanded further.
Sena was a character who was rather frustrating to follow at the beginning when all she seems to be doing is making terrible and reckless decisions, but as she begins to get closer to the research team and build friendships with them, she became a much easier character to root for. Out in the frozen tundra, all the knowledge she has from her mother became excellent tools for survival and it was fun to watch her navigate the many challenges that the race trail posed. Her developing bond with the wolf Iska was one of my favourite parts of this book and it was so beautiful how they slowly grew to trust and protect each other no matter what.
While Sena became easier to like as the story progressed, I felt like she didn’t actually grow much as a character despite her long journey and building trust with Iska and new friendships. There were several side characters who seemed promising but they weren’t developed enough and ended up being rather two dimensional, making it hard to connect to them in any way. Apart from that I hope the pacing is improved in the final version and that the race is expanded to take up a little more of the story too.
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves was an easy read, fast-paced and exciting, and I’m glad I started my 2022 reading year with it. The ending, while a bit abrupt, wraps up things rather well, but it does leave room for a sequel which could be interesting if it explores the other planets. I would definitely recommend this for sci-fi fans.
The mob drama/setting at the start didn't really grasp me, but once the race started it definitely had my attention and moved this from a 3star to a 4star review for mw.
The protagonist of this YA novel reminds me strongly of Katniss Everdeen: a teen girl, cold and toughened beyond her years, forced to enter into a deadly spectacle where she puts her wilderness survival skills to good use and gradually comes to open up and realize depending on others doesn't have to be a weakness. In this case, the sci-fi action takes place on a future colony planet that has been ravaged by exploitative corporations, worsening the already-icy temperatures and dangerous storms. The path to the most profitable mining region, inaccessible to heavy-duty spacecraft and reached only by genetically-engineered wolves pulling sleds behind them, has become an annual event with an entire cottage industry around it -- from the locals training to participate in the race, to their off-world patrons, to the audiences watching the drone feeds and gambling on every team's odds. While it's not as bloodthirsty as the Hunger Games, the competitors are encouraged to sabotage one another's operations en route, above and beyond the inherently treacherous terrain.
The worldbuilding doesn't provide too many cultural details on this society, but debut author Meg Long brings the harrowing setting to life in viscerally descriptive prose. As our viewpoint character reluctantly gets drawn into this contest that killed her mothers, she finds herself torn between their two respective worlds: the population of racers who are at least tacitly supporting the capitalistic forces of climate change and the tribe of settlers who have renounced those ways and retreated to seek harmony with nature. She also bonds closely with the feral wolf that a local gangster has asked her to train as a prizefighter, a tender relationship that forms the true emotional core of the story. When she ultimately frees the animal and flees the settlement, she has no choice but to join a group of friendly scientists as they embark on the race, helping them towards their research site and hoping to earn enough credits to travel literally anywhere else in the galaxy.
That mission only starts about halfway through the plot, but both before and after this point, it's an absolute pulse-pounding rush. I am very impressed, and although the volume has been marketed as a standalone, the ending is open enough that I'd happily come back for a sequel. Maybe by then I'll have finally stopped feeling the chill from this one.
[Content warning for frostbite, violence against animals, amputation, and gore.]
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The worldbuilding doesn't provide too many cultural details on this society, but debut author Meg Long brings the harrowing setting to life in viscerally descriptive prose. As our viewpoint character reluctantly gets drawn into this contest that killed her mothers, she finds herself torn between their two respective worlds: the population of racers who are at least tacitly supporting the capitalistic forces of climate change and the tribe of settlers who have renounced those ways and retreated to seek harmony with nature. She also bonds closely with the feral wolf that a local gangster has asked her to train as a prizefighter, a tender relationship that forms the true emotional core of the story. When she ultimately frees the animal and flees the settlement, she has no choice but to join a group of friendly scientists as they embark on the race, helping them towards their research site and hoping to earn enough credits to travel literally anywhere else in the galaxy.
That mission only starts about halfway through the plot, but both before and after this point, it's an absolute pulse-pounding rush. I am very impressed, and although the volume has been marketed as a standalone, the ending is open enough that I'd happily come back for a sequel. Maybe by then I'll have finally stopped feeling the chill from this one.
[Content warning for frostbite, violence against animals, amputation, and gore.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
Hi! Okay so it took me a while to gather my thoughts together for this one as well as a few other books I've read recently...
Overall I loved the concept of this book! It was a highly anticipated book for myself. I would even say a 5 star prediction. Sadly, it wasn't a 5 star for myself but I think it definitely would be for others. It gave Balto meets Hunger Games vibes. I personally liked it more than I liked the Hunger Games but its because its based on animals. The LGBT rep was nice to see since it was normalized. The animal companion trope was everything, I loved it so much.
In general, I'm really happy I picked this book up. However, it was very slow going and I think had a lackluster type of ending. Like it was intense but the last chapter I guess just lacked something for me. I also think this book would trigger a lot of people with the animal violence that's within the book. I normally steer clear of that but the author did it in a way that it was gruesome but bearable to get through. It was talked about as a fact of life on this planet but not in a way that makes it seem like its okay if you get what I mean? (Gotta say I am not the most articulate so sorry about that.) It had a few things that irritated me as a person but overall I think was a great debut novel. I can see myself reading something from Meg Long in the future.
Hope this review helps :)
Overall I loved the concept of this book! It was a highly anticipated book for myself. I would even say a 5 star prediction. Sadly, it wasn't a 5 star for myself but I think it definitely would be for others. It gave Balto meets Hunger Games vibes. I personally liked it more than I liked the Hunger Games but its because its based on animals. The LGBT rep was nice to see since it was normalized. The animal companion trope was everything, I loved it so much.
In general, I'm really happy I picked this book up. However, it was very slow going and I think had a lackluster type of ending. Like it was intense but the last chapter I guess just lacked something for me. I also think this book would trigger a lot of people with the animal violence that's within the book. I normally steer clear of that but the author did it in a way that it was gruesome but bearable to get through. It was talked about as a fact of life on this planet but not in a way that makes it seem like its okay if you get what I mean? (Gotta say I am not the most articulate so sorry about that.) It had a few things that irritated me as a person but overall I think was a great debut novel. I can see myself reading something from Meg Long in the future.
Hope this review helps :)