The Wolf of Cape Fen was such a treat! Once I started reading, I was so intrigued, I could not put it down! With a well-layered mystery that is both close to home for our heroines, Eliza and Winnie, and also affects their whole town, an intriguing antagonist that may or may not be a villain, and unique magical twists, this book is like nothing I have ever read before, and I loved it! I was so invested in Eliza’s story, I really did not predict the ending. And I DID pay attention tone dreams! Eliza is a protagonist that I can relate to, always trying to do the right thing and protect her family, and I loved her character ARC. I look forward to more wonderful stories from Juliana Brandt!

First Frost has touched Cape Fen, and that means Baron Dire has returned. For as long as anyone can remember, Baron Dire has haunted the town come winter, striking magical bargains and demanding unjust payment in return. The Serling sisters know better than to bargain, lest they find themselves hunted by the Baron’s companion, the Wolf.

I loved this book. Even though the story is slowly paced, the lyrical writing makes the story completely immersive. The relationship between the sisters is also very sweet and well done. I would absolutely read another book by Juliana Brandt and will recommend The Wolf of Cape Fen to any readers who love lush, literary middle grade.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one wasn't quite for me. I tried to get into the story, but there seemed to be just too much filler in between the exciting parts. I ended up skimming, and won't be posting a full review.

This beautiful book came out last week and I wanted to feature it, but wanted to wait for my physical copy. Due to COVID, that still hasn’t happened 😩 but I have the digital copy so I’m moving forward.
I’ve actually been lucky enough to have read an early version of this, so my love for this story runs long and deep. And this final version buried itself even deeper.
Cape Fen is a place of neighbors, family, love, magic, bargains, and sometimes fear. Baron Dire returns to the town every winter to make bargains and demand unjust things in return. If you don’t pay, the Barron’s Wolf will come get you...and sometimes you are the payment.
When sisters Eliza and Winnie discover Winnie might be payment for a bargain, Eliza goes out in search of what the bargain is and who made it. And oh the secrets she finds out along the way. About her town and her own life.
This story has a lovely tone, it could be so dark, but @julianalbrandt has so many sparks and slivers of light throughout it shines. Her prose is gorgeous and the story from beginning to end is purely satisfying.
Highly recommend this middle grade read and anything from this author that follows.

Not gonna lie, that cover totally got me. And then the blurb, because who doesn’t love stories about siblings trying to save siblings? You won’t find any complaints from me!

The Wolf of Cape Fen is a heartwarming story of sibling bonds, the power of dreams, and the nature of curses with a sweeping mystery that led to growth in all the characters.

While I did love the main characters (what’s not to love about two spunky girls who are doing their best), it was really the mystery that stole my attention. Especially since things aren’t quite what they seem, and there’s something bigger and deeper happening at Cape Fen.

My Thoughts:

- It’s so easy to love these characters. Eliza really just stole my heart, because she’s such a little character having to face big emotions and not quite sure how to parse them. Despite her age, she’s carrying the world on her shoulders, and she doesn’t know any other way. Eliza’s arc was absolutely beautiful and one I could really connect with, because she has to learn how to not shoulder everyone else’s problems and actually ask for help. This was a character journey that I not only enjoyed, but felt at my core.

- Winnie is the perfect balance for Eliza. Where her sister is all business and responsibility, Winnie is more whimsy and understanding. She somehow manages to be both wise (in that unintentional kid way) and adorably naive. It was a brilliant contrast to her sister, but made her character entirely her own in a way that made it hard not to like her. She’s funny and adorable and so very much a little kid and a little sister, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a bit of truth to what she says sometimes.

- There’s a heavy theme of dreaming throughout this book, and each chapter starts with what one of the characters is dreaming, and I just absolutely LOVED this. At first, this won’t make much sense, because it starts very generic, with the moon and the Wolf. Once you get into the story, though, these dreams start to have so much meaning to them. They’re gorgeous and eerie and offer a deeper, albeit brief, look into the characters. Slowly, things start to piece together and make sense the more you learn about what the island residents dream, because here, dreams have power. All I can say here is: pay attention. Don’t skip these sections. They have so much meaning.

- The name of the game here is secrets: everyone’s got them, and no one wants to share them. The residents of Cape Fen are super extra good at keeping secrets. The real nitty-gritty, important things are hidden away, which made this book all the more thrilling to read. Part of the fun of this book is trying to piece together and discover what all the characters don’t want to say. It’s middle grade, so eventually, most things are spelled out, but if you’re careful reading and pay attention to the hints, you’ll take away so much more from this book.

A completely original story that isn't just about two sisters but an entire town's destiny. The author balances the slow pace of the story with detailed imagery. The various sometimes anonymous dream descriptions above each chapter adds to the air of mystery. As the reader you'll find yourself questioning who the true villain of the story is. Ages 10 and up.

The Wolf of Cape Fen is moody and slightly surreal. A fun and entertaining read. The ending was unexpected and poetic.

An enjoyable read! I liked the world and the sister relationship, plus the in world myth of the story.

Excellent and suspenseful fantasy that, though seemingly placed in America, gently draws on legends from a variety of Celtic cultures. The "mystery" is likely to be solved by the reader long before the author reveals it, but the beauty of the prose and the development of the tale renders this moot. The only weakness in my opinion are the somewhat dubious motivations of the estranged aunt and uncle. While they explained within the book, the extremity of their motivation and the lack of lead up to it made me wonder if I had perhaps missed another book in the same world or series (this does not appear to be the case though).

Lyrical writing and an immersive story make this an ideal read for fantasy lovers. Brandt has created a world that forces the reader to keep guessing as the fantasy elements are slowly revealed. The shorter length is fantastic and much needed for today’s young readers as most fantasy trends longer and can be a challenge for young readers who haven’t developed stamina. I highly recommend this great story of family and standing on your own.

I'm always nervous when a book comes along with a beautiful cover, fascinating blurb, and hype from my colleagues. What if it isn't everything I've dreamed?

Worry not. With WOLF OF CAPE FEN, dreams really do come true.

WOLF is a fresh, atmospheric mashup of genres, set on a close-knit island in 1911 that just so happens to be under the spell of Baron Dire. Yet at its core this book is a mystery, as Eliza tries to unravel a complicated web of bargains to stop her sister, Winnie, from being named as a price. There are wonderful themes of sisterhood, sacrifice, and yearning in this book, and Brandt's writing has placed her firmly on my Will-Always-Read list. I felt like I truly lived in Fen, magic and gossip and all.

I particularly appreciated how clever the mystery was. Brandt scatters clues everywhere but nothing is too obvious. Readers are left to untangle Dire's rules alongside Eliza, with extremely satisfying results. Occasionally, I worried that the rules were becoming a little TOO tangled, but I'm glad Brandt trusted her readers enough to keep the mystery mysterious. I also appreciated how nuanced Baron Dire was for a villain - he has flaws and sympathies like everyone else, and I hugely enjoyed the relationship he had with Eliza. Eliza, too, is a wonderful heroine: smart, sensible, and bogged down by the pressures of having a missing mother, anxiety, and a very precocious sister.

Overall, it's a big recommend from me! I'd love to see more of these fresh, magical adventures in MG. THE WOLF OF CAPE FEN should make readers of all ages and genres happy. 5/5.