I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

I couldn't finish this one sorry

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves was a really fun read! It made me realize how few books I read that have a very wintery setting but that setting was one of the things that stood out here. In my head I kept picturing Hoth from Star Wars. Like Star Wars, I really enjoyed to pairing of this harsh planet and sometimes primitive elements with the advanced technology that very clearly grounded the story in the future or another universe. It it both familiar and fantastical.

Our MC is a force to be reckoned with and I really enjoyed her journey, even when I wanted to share the heck out of her for her stubbornness.

If you like cold settings, high stakes, orphan thieves, dogs, and just a great adventure - pick this one up!

Thank you Wednesday Books for an early copy of this beautiful book.

Full Review now life at www.readandwander.com

Sena is alone; her parents are dead, and she has no one, except a sort-of relative whom she calls aunt, but who isn't really. A child of two worlds - one technological, one natural - Sena struggles to survive in either. Sena's mothers were racers, participating in a dog-sled race similar to the Iditarod, but updated for life on another planet. Racers compete to be the first to retrieve and deliver a rare ore needed throughout the galaxy; Sena's mothers died in such a race, which is why Sena refuses to participate, instead living on the fringes of society and doing whatever she must to survive.

Sena is a fascinating, intricate character, with some resemblance to other orphans such as Oliver Twist, but still her own unique person. Throughout the novel, Sena fights to retain her own integrity as a person, while holding everyone she can at a distance, trying to avoid being hurt in the present the way the loss of her mothers hurt her in the past. Join her as she learns, grows, and tries to fit into her world - you'll be glad you did! I do hope that the author, Meg Long, writes another book - I'd like to know what happens to Sena next.

I am providing this review in return for being given a preview copy of the novel by NetGalley.

COLD THE NIGHT, FAST THE WOLVES was a thrilling ride, a tale of survival that had Balto, Hunger Games, and Mad Max vibes at times. One thing I loved about this book was that there wasn't really a romance. Instead, the true love story of the novel was between outcast Sena and fighter wolf, Iska, who find themselves forced to take to the icy tundra of Tundar in an infamous race as they run from a crime boss intent on revenge. I ADORED ISKA. ADORED HER. She was the best part about the book. She was cute and sweet and made my heart go awwww. And to see her bond with Sena, who you can't help but like? Priceless. That was the big thing that kept me reading, but if that isn't enough, there's more. Long's worldbuilding transcends genre and combines elements of sci-fi with fantasy creatures and was so well-imagined. The stakes are so high as Sena, Iska and their ragtag little crew must fight for survival in an unforgiving wilderness. Sena's character development is phenomenal and I loved seeing her grow in this story. I also adored Remy and Pana and the relationship these women forged with Sena and each other. While the beginning of this book is a little slow, once it gets going, it just doesn't stop. It was a real page turner for me. COLD THE NIGHT, FAST THE WOLVES is about unexpected relationships being the one thing we didn't know we need to survive, and I highly recommend this fun debut novel!

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. *

This is such a unique reading experience and i loved that, because it's scifi, it left off on a place where there could be further exploration of this universe the author created.

I would explain this book to someone as Han Solo meets Balto. Our main character is very much a Han Solo- a cheeky, down on her luck racer who has a furry companion and has to pull off a mission. Han Solo is obviously much more scifi than this, but this IS light scifi which really added something special to this book and what the author created I felt was really unique. Fans of Skyward by Brandon Sanderson will likely enjoy this.

However, if you are into survivalist stories then this will also appeal to you. The cross appeal here is great.

This is also quite possibly the MOST perfect winter read. This book will make you feel borderline frostbitten in it's descriptions of cold. And the creepy forest factor is ON POINT.

I think the exploration of grief here was fantastic, and although her mothers are both deceased by the start of the book i appreciate that it had casually queer lesbian parents and their queerness wasn't made a huge deal.

I also appreciate that there was no romance here. It wouldve felt superfluous and the author was able to focus time on other things and develop them, and I really appreciate it.

If Han Solo teaming up with Balto (complete with angry bear and all) sounds good to you, read this immediately.

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves was a pleasant surprise for me. The description sounded interesting and like it had a lot of potential, and it didn’t disappoint. This YA story tackles gritty and real topics in a science-fiction world. For me, the world-building was one of the stars of the story. The reader is pulled into a cold, frozen planet where the money can be made by participating in a race each year to harvest exo-carbon from a remote location.

Sena lost her mothers to the race when she was young, and she’s been on her own to figure out how to survive. That involves thieving and stealing from tourists who come to the planet, but when she lands herself into trouble with one of the undercity bosses on the planet, she’s left caring for an injured fighting wolf while navigating a complicated relationship with a scientific team that wants to race just to study the exo-carbon.

I don’t want to go into the plot, since I don’t want to spoil anything, but I have to say that the found family aspects of this story were another favorite, second only to the world-building. I did knock off one star for pacing. There were parts of the book that felt like they were longer than necessary, and I didn’t feel the urge to continue reading as strongly as I wanted to. But this was an enjoyable read and I’m so glad that I read it.

Warning: This book discusses some sensitive topics that may be triggering for some readers including death of a loved one (past), physical trauma, torture, and injuries/blood.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book frustrated me. It had some much potential that just did not come to pass. The world building was interesting but had parts that just made no logical sense and were inconsistent. I am trying to avoid spoilers but some of the information that comes about on her family doesn’t fit. Also, while everyone grieves differently, the MC just makes really poor choices for most of the first half of the book. It is just frustrating to read, and it doesn’t make any sense but Sena’s choices continue to not work and yet she keeps doing it. Also, not the author’s fault but the blurb covers the first 55% of the books so there are no surprises for most of the book and even the ending isn’t very surprising. The most interesting back story is told very shot for Remy and it is sad that the character with the most depth/nuance does not get more screen time. I would read her story. By the end I was just happy for it to be over, which is usually a 2 stars for me but I gave it three for a first book and the description of the scenery, the lack of a love triangle, and Iska the wolf.

Decent read but character beginning leading up to the sled race took forever. Ending of the book should have been in the middle, ideas introduced at the end were much more interesting. Would have loved to learn more about living under the lake. Would still try the book in the series but not my insta-buy list.

Although i didn't feel as though as this book was for me. I did enjoy this. I just think it took way to long to get to the actually race.

When I first started reading #coldthenightfastthewolves I thought, oh, I’m not really into sci fi anymore. However, the story of Iska and Sena quickly grabbed my interest and made me want to keep reading to see how they would get out of the many traps and problems they were encountering. This is a great young adult story with strong women characters that happens to be set on an icy planet in an unspecified solar system. The ending is completely satisfying and I could see reading another installment if there would happen to be one. Thank you to #netgalley and #wednesdaybooks for this copy to read and review.

This is a book that is right up my alley. A girl and her animal companion against the world! I was very excited to receive this ARC, and I can't wait to read more from this author. Highly recommend!

This is not my usual reading, but it was an exciting, atmospheric ride. I got swept up in the harsh icy climate of this setting and the relationship between a girl and a wolf. The story was slow at times, but I was still invested in the main character Sena and the world.

I really can't say enough about the world-building here. It's seriously the biggest draw and a good chunk of the reason why this book is rated so high for me. Watching Sena navigate the dark, sci-fi city and do what she had to to survive and then the vast tundra of the race—it was just fascinating.

And I seriously loved Iska, the wolf. I'd usually rather go for romances or at least friendships, but the relationship between a girl and a wolf turned out to be almost as compelling. The other human side characters were great, too.

As I said, this story was kind of slow to start, and I can see where this book wouldn't be for everyone. The race aspect (easily the most exciting part) doesn't start until halfway through and if you're not already intrigued enough, you may not get there.

Overall, a fun (though harsh and at times violent) read and I don't regret the time I spent reading it.

4.5 STARS

Sena wants nothing more than to escape the cold.

Unless you’re a corpo, though, chances are you don’t have the funds to escape this frozen planet. As a result, she’s spent the last few years stealing to survive, supplementing her income where she can in pursuit of her wild, distant dream.

That all changes, though, when she steals a fighting wolf from the most feared syndicate boss on the planet. With his ire chasing her across the frozen land, she finds her only escape lies in the race that killed her mothers, the race that has killed countless others since its inception. If she survives the race, she might be able to find a home on another world.

If she survives. That’s the hardest part, and that’s the part that must come first.


Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is an exercise in trust.

Nothing is freely given in Sena’s world. Everyone has a price, and success is a matter of how much you can afford to pay. She’s been scraping to get by for the last few years, and what little trust she has to offer is fading alongside her dream of leaving the icy planet. As a result, she keeps to herself, hiding behind towering walls and locking her heart behind as many doors as possible.

But then there’s Iska, the wolf she is forced to heal. The wolf she finds herself fleeing the Ket with. What began as a matter of contract evolves into something dangerous, and I love the way Sena struggles to make sense of what this could be.

It’s been so long since she’s felt love and trust that she doesn’t know how to recognize it anymore, and it hurts her almost every time.

It also sets her up for an arc I can’t resist. Found family is at the core of Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves, as Sena learns who she can rely on to survive the brutalities of the race. Not every member of her team is a friend, or even an ally, but each danger they face reveals who is worthy of Sena’s trust. More important, who is worthy of her love.

Of course, this puts Iska the wolf at the forefront. She begins as the bane of Sena’s existence, but as they grow closer, my heart grew about three sizes. Call me a predictable sap for loving the “ferocious animal loves and protects only one person” trope, but it’s true! I adore it! And Meg Long gets incredible mileage out of it, to the point you cannot have the girl without the wolf, nor the wolf without the girl.


While Sena’s walls are sometimes too high, I appreciate her flaws.

Sena’s shortcomings are the backbone of this story, too. Her growth seems to follow the pace of the race, only accelerating as thing rush closer and closer to the finish line. For all the assumptions she makes, the grudges she holds, the trust she refuses to give, there are always opportunities for her to make a different choice, to start again. Whether she realizes it or not, she’s making critical changes to her cruel, frozen world, simply because she lets her walls down long enough to try every now and again.

And she does it without an ounce of romantic love, which nearly had me cheering! Not once does she make her choices trying to obtain the romantic attention of someone else. All the love she receives, all the love that she gives, stems from a familial love. It’s based on trust and devotion, and choosing family despite the dangers at hand. No matter how many times Sena thinks she’s doing this for herself, it’s never quite true; there’s always someone else she’s protecting, someone else she’s trying to save.

Can you blame me for loving this book? Choosing love and compassion even when it feels impossible is one of my favorite features a book can have!


If you want to read Mad Max: Ice Edition, starring Angry Girl and Her Very Good Dog, Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is the book for you.

I know, that’s a very specific sort of desire. Maybe you didn’t even know you wanted all these things in a single book. But they’re here, and they’re delightful and gritty and raw. And maybe just a bit chilly, seeing as it’s ice for miles and miles and miles.

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves releases tomorrow, January 11th, and it’s a scifi standalone with incredible heart. Do yourself a favor, and pick this book up when you have the chance. It’s a perfect fireside read, and more importantly, it’s a first glimpse into a universe I hope we get to explore more in the future.

Also, Iska is the best girl, and I want her to get the biggest doggy treat in the world. She deserves it. 🐺


CW: violence (including gun violence), loss of a loved one, racism, animal abuse (dog fighting), animal death, graphic injury

This was a very interesting and engaging book, it got my attention from the first chapter and kept it to the very end.

Cold The Night, Fast The Wolves was an adventure from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed this wild ride.

The story is about Sena, a seventeen-year-old orphan who lives on a planet made entirely of snow and ice and full of creatures who will kill you if given the chance. Sena grows up being ostracised for her heritage and feels utterly alone. She makes a living through pick-pocketing and vows to never take part in the yearly race that she lost her parents. That is until she has no other choice.

I loved the characters and I never questioned our main protagonist's motives, feelings, or reactions. I absolutely adored the found family aspect and especially the relationship between Iska the wolf and Sena. Iska and Sena's relationship was my favorite part of the book.

The world-building was top notch and I had no trouble picturing myself on Tundar in the snow and ice; participating in the race. I appreciated the detail that was given to the inhospitable surroundings as well as daily societal life in the beginning. I felt it added more believability to Sena's actions in the story.

This book sunk its teeth in and wouldn't let go until I finished reading.
Solid 4.5 stars
* An eArc was provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts.

(1/25/2022) 4.5 stars.

A girl desperate to escape must face the ghosts of her past in order to survive. Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is a young adult, sci-fi story with a strong female protagonist forced to live in a harsh environment, not just because the planet itself is rough, but the people on it are harsh as well. The descriptions are so vivid, the situation so dire. The story was exciting and you root for the protagonist the whole way through. A wonderful story. Thank you Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this book ahead of time.

This book was a lot of fun! Pitched as the Iditarod/Balto but on a different planet, this book definitely delivered what it promised. Sena is a teenage orphan living on a planet who's whole community has been built around corporate mining interests that involves a dog sled race a la the Iditarod. After her moms die racing, she swears to not get involved in the race and does her best to raise the funds to get off planet.

Where this book excels is in the world building and the atmosphere. The teenage orphan living in a world made worse by corporate greed is pretty typical in YA SFF, but I still loved learning the details of how and why the world functions the way it does and the icy, cold setting itself is not something I see very often. I also loved the descriptions of the environment and the way the fight for survival bled through the pages. And of course I loved the bond between Sena and Iska, her wolf.

Where I struggled a little was the pacing. While this book reads very quickly, the book's summary tells us that Sena is going to race despite not wanting it but the race doesn't actually start until around 55% of the way into the book.

Overall, I had a great time reading this and would highly recommend to those who are already fans of dystopia or survival stories or those who are just looking for something with a unique wintery setting.

I have to say I was nervous when I sent in my request for this book and then even more nervous when it got approved. But I am proud to say I enjoyed every minute of it. I love reading books where it takes me to another world and with amazing characters as well. I would write more but then I would be spoiling it. But I give this book 5 Stars and I can't want to be able to get a physical copy of it cause I want to do a re-read of Cold The Night, Fast The Wolves.

In Meg Long's debut, the young adult science fiction novel Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves, young Sena has lost both of her mothers to the brutal sled races on her frozen planet. Since then she's had to be scrappy, creative, and above all, tough.

That means making tenuous alliances, honing her pickpocketing skills, and maintaining a cursory relationship with her aunt in order to get by.

When she angers a local warlord and becomes eager to escape her world, she's relieved to secure promises of transport out--but the earnest scientists who would help her have one condition: she must help them take part in the planet's most infamous sled race (so they can conduct their research on the properties of the resources being plundered by greedy corporations--"corpos").

When Sena finds herself desperately on the run from certain death, she and her injured young fighting wolf, Iska, leap at the slim chance of surviving that icy journey in hopes of leaving this greedy, corpo-driven, ecologically damaged planet for good.

But first she'll have to trust others for the first time and leave herself vulnerable to them--and she'll need to look out for her oddball team instead of only thinking of herself for once.

In Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves, Long offers an intriguing story of brutal conditions, determined survival, hard-earned loyalty, grudging friendship, and a stubborn overcoming of various vivid dangers. I was hooked by Long's world-building, her evocative, immersive descriptions of the cold climate, and by tough, grumpy Sena, who has a big heart and a soft spot for Iska, her personality counterpart in wolf form.

I received a prepublication electronic copy of this book courtesy of Wednesday Books and NetGalley.