Did not know what to expect going into this book, but ended up quite enjoying it. A fusion of elements, a sci-fi setting on an alien ice world where contestants compete in a yearly dogsled race to claim a valuable mineral.

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for providing me with an early review copy of this book!

So right off the bat, I enjoyed this book, and I’m surprised because I actually wasn’t all that fond of the main character. Sena is a bit too cynical for my taste, it makes sense with her life experiences but sometimes it was a bit too much. The secondary characters though? I absolutely LOVED! And I have a lot of hope for the sequel because it seems to be going really interesting places.

The setting was exciting, I can honestly say it’s completely unique to my knowledge, and I really liked the dog sled race across an unpredictable frozen tundra where any manner of things could happen. Once the race element started in the book it was super fast paced and a really fun read, leaving you always guessing what will happen next. If you enjoy YA sci-fi books I think this one will definitely be enjoyable, especially if you like dogs. Lots of cute doggo moments in this story.

This story genuinely took me by surprise with its fast-paced and emotionally crafted plotline. Most survivalist-based stories take their time to drive things to slow desperation, but this book was desperate from the start. The stakes felt high, and Long managed to prevent that from getting old. The relationship between Sena and Iska the wolf made me feel so much more than I expected. The world was written in such a fantastic way, I felt like I could taste the snow while I was reading (on a very hot Texas summer day!).

I am so excited to get a final copy of this when it releases in 2022. The found-family aspects had me crying. The world and its horrors, both human-made and not, had me on the edge of my seat. Not only is Sena a fantastic character to read, but our side characters were also lush and full of life to read. This was hands down one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Full review November 15th, 2021.

This is such a good thrill ride of a book. If you like high stakes thrills and a girl who just wants to find her found family this is for you.
It's got dog sledding, high stakes chases, and more. A good read if you enjoy having adrenaline on a constant 100.

Okay, first of all, thank you very much to Wednesday Books for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves was not even on my radar yet but it was everything.

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long tells the story of Sena, who just wants to save enough money to get off her planet and go somewhere new. Somewhere where she doesn't have to be constantly reminded of the planet's infamous sled race that killed her mothers and left her an orphan. When Sena's bad luck leads to a chance encounter with a fighting wolf, Iska (who Sena wants absolutely nothing to do with), everything changes. Out of options, Sena's only path forward, and Iska's only chance of survival, is to compete in and finish the race.

This book had so many of my favorite troupes including found family and animal companionship. The relationship between Iska and Sena was handled perfectly as well. There is no magical first connection. In fact, when Sena first meets Iska she is almost mauled. But in learning to trust each other, Sena begins to heal from the pain of losing her mothers and Iska overcomes her past of being born and raised to fight in the pits.

In conclusion, I absolutely adored this book. And, yes, I cried. Bawled my eyes out while hugging my own dogs. This story has the heart of Balto only set in a Mad Max type world and I cannot recommend it enough.