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ellemnope 's review for:
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves
by Meg Long
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5 stars.
A Jack London feel with a strong female protagonist on a harsh and fairly violent planet. There was a bit of a slow start to this adventurous dystopian sci-fi, but once the ball got rolling, I was wholly engrossed. A tense narrative centered on an icy planet where an annual, deadly sled race takes place. Sena is basically alone to survive in an area that sees her as someone who doesn't belong. The skills taught to her by her mothers prior to their disappearance during a past race wind up serving her well, but she also has a knack for getting into serious trouble.
The plot moves great once it gets going, with a lot of tense activity and an atmospheric feel to the gripping action. Great worldbuilding along with a stellar character arc for Sena. There is a lot of social commentary and climate discussion built into the plot that relates well to the modern world. It's a creative approach to current events built into a story that captured my attention quite well. And holy crap the atmosphere. I live in Minnesota, so the cold winter is something I'm very familiar with. This captured it fantastically as I sat in my house, bundled in blankets with temperatures well below zero outside.
There is some loss of logic in pieces of the plot in a way that makes the story feel a bit on the magical realism/fantastical side, but overall things make sense and follow in a way that keeps the tale moving well. There were points where I felt like every extreme was being taken, but I have to say...it worked. I'm a fan and I'm impressed by this debut.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
A Jack London feel with a strong female protagonist on a harsh and fairly violent planet. There was a bit of a slow start to this adventurous dystopian sci-fi, but once the ball got rolling, I was wholly engrossed. A tense narrative centered on an icy planet where an annual, deadly sled race takes place. Sena is basically alone to survive in an area that sees her as someone who doesn't belong. The skills taught to her by her mothers prior to their disappearance during a past race wind up serving her well, but she also has a knack for getting into serious trouble.
The plot moves great once it gets going, with a lot of tense activity and an atmospheric feel to the gripping action. Great worldbuilding along with a stellar character arc for Sena. There is a lot of social commentary and climate discussion built into the plot that relates well to the modern world. It's a creative approach to current events built into a story that captured my attention quite well. And holy crap the atmosphere. I live in Minnesota, so the cold winter is something I'm very familiar with. This captured it fantastically as I sat in my house, bundled in blankets with temperatures well below zero outside.
There is some loss of logic in pieces of the plot in a way that makes the story feel a bit on the magical realism/fantastical side, but overall things make sense and follow in a way that keeps the tale moving well. There were points where I felt like every extreme was being taken, but I have to say...it worked. I'm a fan and I'm impressed by this debut.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *