One of my most highly anticipated 2022 reads, my first reaction upon reading the premise of Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves was "wow." It was exactly like something I'd have eagerly devoured in my adolescence, with its animal sidekick, gritty planet and deadly race. In many ways it reminded me a bit of The Hunger Games, though this is not dystopian, but in fact sci-fi. Long's story starts with Sena stealing money from the wrong guys, and a chase sequence that leads her straight into the arms of syndicate leader Kalba.
The first few chapters captivated my interest: I liked the icy setting, and I loved just how mean and cruel the world Sena lives on can be. Long's writing left something to be desired for me; I'm never a fan of first-person, present-tense at the best of times, but it was also quite dry and spent most of the narrative telling, rather than showing. However, I can often overlook qualms with writing-style -- after all, it's something completely subjective, and just because it isn't my cup of tea doesn't mean it won't be someone else's.
The concept is fantastic. I had a bit of an obsession with sled racing (particularly the Iditarod) as a child, and I kept thinking, I can't believe no one's capitalized on this idea before! I'm sad to say that the execution did not meet my expectations. The actual race doesn't even begin until the 55% mark! The pace was painfully slow, and in my opinion, so much could've been cut. A huge portion of the scenes that take place before the race could've been cut, and would've made for a much faster, more satisfying read. That wasn't actually my main issue with the story, though: it was Sena herself.
All of the characters feel very one-dimensional (aside from, perhaps, Remy, one of her sled-race teammates), but Sena suffers the most from this since the book is told through her eyes. Although she often tells us the grief she's still experiencing from the loss of her mothers, the narrative feels distant from her actual feelings and experiences. I also didn't like that the only LGBT representation in the book is Sena's mothers, who are both dead long before this narrative begins. Sena is one of those boringly tough female YA protagonists; she is rarely allowed to display any softness or tenderness, as if in fear that she'll be seen as "weak." She's not sympathetic or likable, particularly after one incident with Iska that left me speechless. How was I supposed to relate to her, or empathize with her, after she did something so shockingly cruel?
I hate giving books low-star ratings, and they have to truly be earned, but I'm disappointed to have to say that Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves was not enjoyable for me. Many people will love (and do love; simply take a look at the reviews on Goodreads) this novel, but I simply couldn't become immersed in it. I'm sure many edits will take place, but the core problem is with Sena's character, and I just couldn't bring myself to root for her. I do want to reiterate how original and fresh the actual concept is (and I absolutely love that we're seeing some YA sci-fi!), and I will be interested to see what else Long comes out with. It's worth remembering that this is a debut, and therefore I'm sure that Long will grow as a writer in the years to come!
Although I can't personally recommend this, as it was not a pleasant journey for me, I do think that those who have an interest in sledding, deadly quests and gritty sci-fi should give it a shot.
No comments:
Post a Comment