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molly_noa 's review for:
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves: A Novel
by Meg Long
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.