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quadrille 's review for:
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves: A Novel
by Meg Long
(I’m behind on reviews, so just writing some quick ones to catch up—)
A friend got this book onto my radar because of my newfound but ferocious obsession with the Iditarod, and truly, this hit the spot. The author was initially inspired by one of Blair Braverman’s atmospheric Twitter stories, and I love seeing the shared DNA and where that inspiration came back into play.
And all of the elements here are so far up my alley: Science fiction! Plucky young YA heroine wrestling with familial grief and a desire to get off her godforsaken planet! A girl and her slow bonding with her giant wolf! A harsh Arctic environment on a gritty outpost at the ass end of nowhere! A cutthroat annual sledding race! It’s truly the most Juliebait all gathered together in one package, and it’s a fun, engaging ride. I also appreciate that there’s no romance, because the core relationship here is Sena and her wolf — and to another extent, her relationship and remembrance of her dead mothers, and her wrestling with their legacy, her half-indigenous background, and her position caught between two worlds.
Not 5 stars because it never really hammered my heart hard — it’s just kind of standard YA fare — but you could do far worse. It’s a really solid sci fi debut with good worldbuilding, an atmospheric setting, and some nice characters. Really excited to see what Meg Long does next.
A friend got this book onto my radar because of my newfound but ferocious obsession with the Iditarod, and truly, this hit the spot. The author was initially inspired by one of Blair Braverman’s atmospheric Twitter stories, and I love seeing the shared DNA and where that inspiration came back into play.
And all of the elements here are so far up my alley: Science fiction! Plucky young YA heroine wrestling with familial grief and a desire to get off her godforsaken planet! A girl and her slow bonding with her giant wolf! A harsh Arctic environment on a gritty outpost at the ass end of nowhere! A cutthroat annual sledding race! It’s truly the most Juliebait all gathered together in one package, and it’s a fun, engaging ride. I also appreciate that there’s no romance, because the core relationship here is Sena and her wolf — and to another extent, her relationship and remembrance of her dead mothers, and her wrestling with their legacy, her half-indigenous background, and her position caught between two worlds.
Not 5 stars because it never really hammered my heart hard — it’s just kind of standard YA fare — but you could do far worse. It’s a really solid sci fi debut with good worldbuilding, an atmospheric setting, and some nice characters. Really excited to see what Meg Long does next.