I was eager for this book but it was hard for it to keep my attention. There was a good amount of action and the story is well written and provides detailed descriptions of what’s happening. Still, at times it just wasn’t able to hold my focus. I’d definitely tell others give it a try but I guess it wasn’t for me.


Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Adventures continue for Sena, Iska and Remy in book 2: Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame. Swift the Storm is Remy’s story and it’s quite the history! I really enjoyed the action scenes throughout this book. There were some very repetitive themes throughout that became a bit distracting. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book!

3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5) Honestly, I’m not sure if this is book 2 for Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves or if Long wants it to stand on it’s own? It very well could stand on its own with very little information needed to fill gaps.

We have Remy as our protagonist. She is engineered from animal and human parts to create the best product for a corporation in control. She looks human, but her body can heal quickly, and she has better reflexes and strength than others. She also has a perfect memory which both haunts her and comes in handy. She is on the hunt for an old friend and gets herself involved in a rebellion which ends up being the fight of her life with her friends. Many adventures ensue and dangerous threats all while trying to beat the storm that is coming. The adventure is high and it was a fun ride.

“I realize this promise is more than just saving her from the immediate threat. It means I have to stop the coup.”

The book seemed overly long. While it was full of rebellion, action and strategy, I found my attention waning multiple times. I could put it down for days at a time without thinking about it. There were many times I was entertained and loved the adventure but there were many times I walked away from it without another thought. I also would have liked to experience more of the storm. It’s talked about through the entire book, this ominous storm that takes over the planet every few weeks. Landscapes are changed and people are killed. Once the storm finally came I felt I only got a glimpse. It’s in the title, give me more!

The “romance” aspect of the book really confused me. Throughout the story there were hints of something between two young women. Sometimes it played out as a friendship but many times it had me wondering if there was more? Then you add a male character in and there are hints with him too but nothing ever really happened? I’m not opposed to no romance, but I am opposed to being confused and I’m definitely confused.

“It doesn’t matter where or how you start. It only matters what you do to change things and where you end up.”

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the gifted copy!

The book releases January 17, 2023.

Let me preface this by saying I absolutely loved Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves. It was one of my favorite books of 2022, so I had high hopes for this one. Although enjoyable, I just didn’t love this one the same way. I just couldn’t connect with Remy the way I did with Sena. The plot was interesting, the writing was good even though it was repetitive at times, but the character development was lacking for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a digital copy for review.

I was a huge fan of this author’s first book, so I was overjoyed that I was able to read the sequel. While not quite as good as its predecessor, Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame was still an enjoyable read. I liked that we got to read from a different perspective in this one, although I think I like the character of Sena better. I liked the relationship between her and our main character Remy. I did not connect with Remy in the same way I connected with Sena and the character development took longer in this book, but I still liked her. This book would not have made as much sense as it did if Sena had been the narrator. Overall it did take me a bit longer to get into the story, but once I did I was hooked. The ending suggests there will be a third book, and if there is I will eagerly read it.

All in all, this was not as good as the first, but it was still enjoyable, and I would recommend to young adult fans, and those who love science fiction and exploring new worlds.

DNF @ 20%.
This book just wasn't for me. I didn't like the writing style and how we were immediately thrown into the action with no knowledge of the characters or what was happening.

**𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰. 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟕𝐭𝐡.

Remy, a genopath is on a mission to find her friend she lost on a planet, Maraas, that is on the brink of collapse. The planet is one big, hot and smelly jungle with a storm that comes every few weeks that is destructive. When she runs into her former squad-mate, who left her for dead in the jungle two years ago.  He offers to help her for a price. 

This is one that I was highly anticipating because I loved Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves. Unfortunately, this one fell short and I didn't enjoy it. It was a slow build which I usually don't mind but there was a lot of repetition when description the planet and Remy's past. I struggled to connect with the main character and found myself wishing we had more interactions with the side characters. The good news (maybe) is that this book was left open ended and I think there will be future books with these characters. I just don't know that I want to continue the series. 
I will say that the action scenes in this story were on point and I like that this series seems to introduce a new planet with each book.  While this story wasn't for me, I do think others might enjoy it.

Welcome to the Jungle
After the bitter cold of Meg Long’s Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves, Sena and her wolf, Iska, join Remy and end up on another planet. They face more mobster/syndicate bad guys on a planet of jungle heat and storms, where Remy will have to face her past to find a long-long friend.
I like the technology versus nature aspect. Actually, it’s also technology versus human. Remy has been genetically modified which causes its own challenges (enhanced memories) in addition to the upper hand it gives her (quick healing, increased senses, increased speed, etc.). There’s lots of action which I always enjoy, and our characters don’t back down from a challenge. An interesting setting. New animals like the ape bats that made me think of those critters from The Wizard of Oz and the Anacrocs (I got to read that scene again). A frenemy that you hope doesn’t betray her—ahem Kiernan.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday books, and Netgalley for an eArc of this book.
So, throw out a flash bomb, Remy, as I end this review with some cover love and five stars 😊.

Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame takes us away from the cold planet of Tundar to its complete opposite of Maraas, a hot and sweltering jungle planet. Remy Castell, a genetically engineered genopath, takes the lead on this journey, where we learn more about who she is, her enemies and her failures. Along for the ride are Sena, who has a bounty on her head, and her wolf Iska, loyally protecting both Sena and Remy.

Much like Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves, this sequel introduces a deeply flawed protagonist who makes the wrong decisions but is fiercely steadfast in her beliefs. Unlike the first book, we were already introduced to Remy but here we learn more about who she is and why she's so protective of her friends. I did enjoy that the primary focus was on Remy with Sena and Iska flitting around on the periphery but I would like to have seen more of Remy's interactions with Kieran since he was such a big part of her past.

I will add more after the pub. date!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame is the exciting sequel to Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves. The mysterious Remy has returned to the planet Maraas- where she experienced a devastating betrayal. This time, Remy joins Sena and Iska the wolf to uncover the truth behind a deadly coup that rocked the politics of Maraas. The planet is now ruled by an ominous corporation that seems to care only about profit and destruction. With the weather increasingly erratic, Remy must quickly decide whose side she is on and how far she will go for answers. You do not need to have read Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves to read this book, but you will enjoy seeing cameos of familiar characters and have more context.

The worldbuilding really stood out to me- the jungle of Maraas felt vibrant and vivid. Long uses all the senses to make you feel like you’re sweating in the heat of the jungle, crouched right behind Remy as she spies. The jungle, weather patterns, and infrastructure of the planet felt very well-thought out and treacherous. The plot was action-packed and there was never a dull moment. A couple of the plot twists seemed predictable, but I also thought they made sense for the story.

I loved the found family, rebel squad, and queer inclusiveness. In some ways, I enjoyed this book even more than the first due to familiarity with the worldbuilding and connection with Sena and Iska. Iska is fantastic and so happy we got to see more of her!! It was fun to see these characters in a different environment (the heat of the jungle vs the cold of the tundra). Kiran is initially such a mysterious character; I appreciated learning more about his motivations and friendship with Remy. I enjoyed meeting the new side characters, especially Lyria and Emeko.

I would recommend this for readers who enjoy Amie Kaufman and Susan Dennard. If you love stories with action-packed adventure, excellent worldbuilding, and a friendly animal companion, then you need to read this series! Looking forward to seeing what happens next for these characters! Thank you so much to Meg Long, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC.

Sometimes a YA book just hits different and takes you be pleasant surprise.

Meg Long has a style of writing that is beautiful and comfortable to digest and easy to read along with. I found myself enjoying the world building and the characters in ways that kept me focused and engaged. It's a relatively soft sci-fi all things considered, but this works in favour od the story rather than against it. The world doesn't need to be so beefy it distracts from Remy's character arcs and I feel this balance was good.

I think this book provides some interesting commentary on capitalism and consumption and what it means to rise to revolution. Remy's path leads her into unexpected places and it was fun to follow her and see her come into her own - to see her fail and succeed and fight. It was enjoyable, simple, and it didn't need to be more than that.

Overall I enjoyed this read and will be keeping my eye on Meg Long's future works.

What a fascinating story! I did not realize this author’s debut novel also was within this same world, but either way this book read well where it felt like a stand-alone. It left me wanting more and now I’m glad there is more to read!

The story was intriguing with fantastic pacing for the plot! I was really impressed with how well the author developed the story as the novel progressed. You clearly understood what was going on and who was who.

Remy was a an awesome protagonist to follow! The support characters were amazing as well. I really like this world and the different types of people within it.

This novel is a companion/sequel to Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves, set in the same world but on a different planet. Pretty much the diametrically opposite planet from Tundar, this time instead of a frozen wasteland the action takes place in Maraas, a steamy jungle planet. Remy is a genetically-altered human, or genopath. Remy crash lands on the planet with Sena and Iska on a mission to track down her former partner and betrayer Kiran in order to find her friend Alora. She stumbles into a strange world where the climate has gone crazy. Storms are being purposefully used to create disorder and conflict. She is drawn into an attempted revolution against the corporation running things. Excellent world-building and characterization, and non-stop action make this a thrilling read.

If you read Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves you are required to read this one. This is a sequel starring Remy from the first book as our genetically engineered badass woman who knows no bounds. Like half the time I was so shocked at what was happening and that ending was so explosive! I shed a bunch of tears and I really love the direction that the ending went. I really hope that maybe we get a third installment in this world. Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday books for gifting me this Arc. This was my most anticipated sequel of this year and it was everything I wanted it to be.

I adored the first book in this series, Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves. The sequel, Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame, is well-written but didn’t appeal to me personally as much.

In Cold the Night, the novel focused mainly on the heroine Sena and her new wolf-friend Iska competing in a cross-country dogsled race on a frozen planet. I’m a huge fan of wolves, adventure stories, and frozen landscapes, so it felt like the book was written just for me.

Swift the Storm takes us to a jungle planet, and gives us a new narrator, Remy. Remy appeared in the first novel, and she takes Sena and Iska with her to this new planet Maraas to try to find a friend she lost two years ago.

I found this one harder to get into. I’m not normally a huge fan of crime syndicate stories and stories of double crossing and corporate politics, so the emphasis on alliances and betrayals was less interesting for me than the survival focus of the first book. There’s also a lot of time spent on Remy thinking back to her previous failed missing and the lost of her friend, Alora.

I wound up deciding not to finish this one at the halfway point, unfortunately. It’s not a bad book, and I think it will find an audience among people who love a good YA spy/sci-fi story. But I found after a few weeks of letting it sit, I just wasn’t looking forward to continuing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for my review copy of this book.

An exciting sequel to Long's first book, Swift the Storm, Fierce the flame is an adventure from start to finish.

While I think the pace felt a little slow at the beginning to the middle, even with all the explosions and fights, the story picks up for a dramatic climactic finale that will leave readers eager for another adventure.

I loved Remy in Long the Night, Fast the Wolves, and her story was really interesting (even if you haven't read the first book, you will still be able to understand Remy's story). Following Remy as she figures out who she really is, even through all of her gene-mods and conditioning, is heartwarming really. The sacrifices she's willing to make for her friends and to do what is right is what makes her a character that readers will root for. Mix in an annoying ex-partner she blames everything on, and you've got a template for one epic book.

I really liked that the setting for this book was the polar opposite of the first one. And the bad guys plan was full of twists and turns that I didn't see coming which was a fun bonus. Perfect for Star Wars lovers and sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian fans, this is one book you need to add to your TBR!

I really, really enjoyed "Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves" and the character and world building that went into it. This sequel brings us to an entirely new planet and introduces an almost entirely new cast of characters. Luckily Remy brings along Sena and Iska with her, because they were my favorite part of the first book and I love their strong bond too much to part with, even for one book. Remy is a genetically modified human that is desperately searching for a friend she made an important promise to in the past. She finds herself in the middle of a revolution on a jungle planet with a huge storm that happens more and more frequently, and faced with another former partner, Kiran.

While you don't necessarily have to read the first book prior to this one, it would definitely help. I do feel it was harder to get into this book than the first, and I'm not sure if I didn't connect to Remy as well, or if it was the amount of character introduction and plot detail that happens in the first part of the book. That being said, it was still a very enjoyable story, especially when the pace started to pick up towards the end. I really did feel like I was stuck in a hot, humid jungle with Remy and Sena. The scavvers were really awesome to learn about and bring more insight into Sena. And once again, new inventive animals were introduced which I loved. Remy is definitely on a path of healing from past trauma during this, and as a result she has a hard time trusting people. Her relationship with Kiran is very complicated, and added an interesting look at her backstory. There are lots of flashbacks that occur in the story which does help us understand her thinking much more - even if I didn't always agree with it! Some plot twists I guessed, but it was still a fun journey overall to read about.

If you're a fan of YA sci-fi, or enjoy series like "The Murderbot Diaries," I think you would enjoy this book. And I would definitely go back and check out the first book in the series! Meg Long sets us up for book 3 and I look forward to continuing on the adventure. I received this ARC from NetGalley for my opinion, thanks to St. Martin's Press.

Actual Rating 3.5 Stars rounded up

my review is a little biased since I wrote the book. But, after going through many, many, MANY hair-pulling drafts and revisions, I can't help but be proud of where it ended up.

It's got a lot of my favorite tropes:
- genetically engineered kids fighting the authority that made them,
- a setting that's equally beautiful and deadly,
- unrequited love, ride or die friendships,
- girls with hidden identities and agendas,
- an evil villainess you love to hate
- and of course, more precious moments with the best wolf ever.

I hope everyone enjoys reading this stormy ride of a book.

It might be right up your alley if you love:
- The 100
- Black Widow
- Tomb Raider

thanks everyone for reading and reviewing! :)

Much like with the author's previous novel, Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame excels in world building and has a compelling writing style. Unlike her previous novel, however, I did not connect with the characters as much in this one. This may be a personal thing, but I feel like it stemmed from their writing as well. Regardless, this novel still has a dynamic plot and lots of good to it.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

I adored Cold, the Night Fast the Wolves so I was super psyched to read the sequel. I was a little bummed I have to admit that the POV had changed, but Remy quickly grew on me and the changing of the setting thrilled me. This book is every bit of action-packed as the first and with new, terrifying wildlife.

Look, I love this universe and I just want to find out more!