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maya_hall's review
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
daanin's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
whatsmacksaid's review
4.0
Interesting structure, and not what I expected based on the book's summary--the second half of the book is the race, while the first is everything that leads up to it. Regardless, the tension and stakes are extremely well plotted.
blondapst's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
beccaand's review against another edition
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Violence, Animal death, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
maroonmoonwolfe's review
It's an interesting concept for a plot but the main character does drive me insane. She seems overly dramatic about how her mother's have died and how much she hates the races and the wolves, but nothing more is said about how or why not even little bait lines. And that's all I've really learned in the first third of the book. It feels like nothing much happens and she keeps making super dumb decisions when it comes to constantly pick pocketing.
bookishblondegirl's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars!
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves, was an engaging read with a break-neck pace and memorable characters. I'm a sucker for stories that feature an animal companion/focus on the bond between a human and animal, so when I saw that this story included a wolf 'sidekick', I knew I'd probably be into it. Sena is living on a desolate planet that is split into two areas: the high-tech, Corpos, urban city; and the wintery, dangerous woods. She longs to leave the planet behind, along with the memories of her mothers' deaths and the much-anticipated sled race that they participated in. Fate has other plans, for when Sena encounters an injured fighting wolf, Iska, everything changes.
I thought that the world-building in this novel was well-done; it gave us enough information to feel familiar with the setting, but still was concise enough the the plot didn't feel slowed down. Dystopian stories can sometimes feel generic, but added aspects such as genetically engineered creatures, the sled race, and others gave the setting a unique feel. As hinted at, I love stories about animal companionship, so unsurprisingly the bond between Sena and Iska was my favorite part of the story. I thought it was intriguing that the author didn't make their bond immediate and uncanny. The girl and the wolf learn to trust each other through mutual respect, which leads to their undying loyalty to one another.
As far as the actual story, I enjoyed the manner in which things unfolded, and liked the side characters (Pana and Remy) who became Sena's found family of sorts. Another interesting aspect of this was the lack of romance; which I actually enjoyed. Sometimes I feel like authors (especially in YA stories), feel almost obligated to include a romance. Meg Long may very well add romance in the next installment, but I think her choosing to focus on developing Sena as a character and the relationship b/w Sena and Iska was a great move. I'm interested to see where the story will go, as the ending made it clear that this series is going to be about more than just a sled race! All in all, a solid read with a gorgeous cover!
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves, was an engaging read with a break-neck pace and memorable characters. I'm a sucker for stories that feature an animal companion/focus on the bond between a human and animal, so when I saw that this story included a wolf 'sidekick', I knew I'd probably be into it. Sena is living on a desolate planet that is split into two areas: the high-tech, Corpos, urban city; and the wintery, dangerous woods. She longs to leave the planet behind, along with the memories of her mothers' deaths and the much-anticipated sled race that they participated in. Fate has other plans, for when Sena encounters an injured fighting wolf, Iska, everything changes.
I thought that the world-building in this novel was well-done; it gave us enough information to feel familiar with the setting, but still was concise enough the the plot didn't feel slowed down. Dystopian stories can sometimes feel generic, but added aspects such as genetically engineered creatures, the sled race, and others gave the setting a unique feel. As hinted at, I love stories about animal companionship, so unsurprisingly the bond between Sena and Iska was my favorite part of the story. I thought it was intriguing that the author didn't make their bond immediate and uncanny. The girl and the wolf learn to trust each other through mutual respect, which leads to their undying loyalty to one another.
As far as the actual story, I enjoyed the manner in which things unfolded, and liked the side characters (Pana and Remy) who became Sena's found family of sorts. Another interesting aspect of this was the lack of romance; which I actually enjoyed. Sometimes I feel like authors (especially in YA stories), feel almost obligated to include a romance. Meg Long may very well add romance in the next installment, but I think her choosing to focus on developing Sena as a character and the relationship b/w Sena and Iska was a great move. I'm interested to see where the story will go, as the ending made it clear that this series is going to be about more than just a sled race! All in all, a solid read with a gorgeous cover!
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.
ameserole's review
5.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves was such a fun adventure to dive into. In it, you will meet Sena and she's 17 years old and kind of a little bad ass. She lives in a tough place that kind of reminds me of Alaska but that's mostly because of the dog racing. While this town isn't the safest place to ever live, Sena knows the in's and out's due to her being a great thief. She wasn't really on anyone's shit list until she took a prized wolf from someone bloody important.
Now Sena had some likable traits to her but she made so many terrible decisions throughout the book. The entire time I kept thinking she was going to say '..but did you die?' after everything went chaotic. She never did but I said it to myself every now and then to spice things up. I'll even admit that she definitely knew her way around the frozen tundra and I think that's all because of her mom. This knowledge alone definitely helped keep her safe and the party she was with during this race.
As for the party? Well I think the two certain assholes definitely need to deal with some consequences if we ever get a sequel. I'm also glad another certain asshole met my friend karma. Oh and the Iska. It was beautiful and I almost slipped a tear of joy from my eyes.
I'm not sure what the heck is going to happen after that little cliffhanger but I really hope that we get another book. If not, I will be very disappointed in myself for getting my own hopes up because this definitely can't stay being a standalone. I just wont allow it. It's unacceptable in my eyes.
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves was such a fun adventure to dive into. In it, you will meet Sena and she's 17 years old and kind of a little bad ass. She lives in a tough place that kind of reminds me of Alaska but that's mostly because of the dog racing. While this town isn't the safest place to ever live, Sena knows the in's and out's due to her being a great thief. She wasn't really on anyone's shit list until she took a prized wolf from someone bloody important.
Now Sena had some likable traits to her but she made so many terrible decisions throughout the book. The entire time I kept thinking she was going to say '..but did you die?' after everything went chaotic. She never did but I said it to myself every now and then to spice things up. I'll even admit that she definitely knew her way around the frozen tundra and I think that's all because of her mom. This knowledge alone definitely helped keep her safe and the party she was with during this race.
As for the party? Well I think the two certain assholes definitely need to deal with some consequences if we ever get a sequel. I'm also glad another certain asshole met my friend karma. Oh and the Iska. It was beautiful and I almost slipped a tear of joy from my eyes.
I'm not sure what the heck is going to happen after that little cliffhanger but I really hope that we get another book. If not, I will be very disappointed in myself for getting my own hopes up because this definitely can't stay being a standalone. I just wont allow it. It's unacceptable in my eyes.
brikacey's review
4.0
This book was surprisingly quite pleasant for something I had never heard of before. I guess I should take a risk with mystery books more often.
I'm a dog and animal lover, so I was attracted to the idea of a book about canines without many of the classic dog book tropes. This novel is packed with action, a kickass heroine, a steam punk vibe, and wholesome puppy content. Its unique setting had both puppies and ice goblins, and how can you complain about that? As a Montana citizen, it was really cool to read about an ice world setting while it was simultaneously single digits outside. I could relate to Sena, the protagonist, just a little while I was standing outside in the cold, waiting for my dog to poop in between chapters at night.
My biggest complaint about this novel was that the pacing was a bit odd at times. Less important scenes would take longer to flesh out than critical plot twists, and it was a bit odd at times.
Overall, I had a really good time, and I'll be watching for what Meg Long does in the future. This was certainly a win for a new author, and I'd recommend this book to my friends who were looking for a change from their typical fiction novel.
I'm a dog and animal lover, so I was attracted to the idea of a book about canines without many of the classic dog book tropes. This novel is packed with action, a kickass heroine, a steam punk vibe, and wholesome puppy content. Its unique setting had both puppies and ice goblins, and how can you complain about that? As a Montana citizen, it was really cool to read about an ice world setting while it was simultaneously single digits outside. I could relate to Sena, the protagonist, just a little while I was standing outside in the cold, waiting for my dog to poop in between chapters at night.
My biggest complaint about this novel was that the pacing was a bit odd at times. Less important scenes would take longer to flesh out than critical plot twists, and it was a bit odd at times.
Overall, I had a really good time, and I'll be watching for what Meg Long does in the future. This was certainly a win for a new author, and I'd recommend this book to my friends who were looking for a change from their typical fiction novel.
meghanns2001's review against another edition
3.0
Really it’s probably 3.5 ⭐️. There was a lot of repetitiveness that could have easily been left out. We got the point the first dozen times some things were mentioned. I liked the relationship between Sena and her wolf, and I liked Remy. I will read book 2 and see if it’s any better.