Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves focuses on an ice-cold planet with a girl determined to get off it. Since her mothers passed away, Sena no longer has any family on the planet. Leaving the planet is easier said than done, especially once Sena crosses a local gangster. Now Sena has a debt to pay and the clock is ticking. Sena is then approached by scientists who offer to help if she can get them to the end of a treacherous sled race. While Sena has sworn never to participate in the race that stole her mothers’ lives, she may no longer have a choice. 

Sena is a determined, fiercely independent character who refuses to take the easy way out. Iska, the wolf that Sena encounters, was one of my favorite characters!! It was heartwarming to see how Sena and Iska developed such a close bond and fought to make it to the end of the race. Meg Long has put an incredible amount of thought into what it’s like to live in this type of extreme cold and it shows in the details of the tundra. I really liked how Sena utilized the survival lessons learned from her mothers, it was a nice connection. I found the beginning to be a little bit slow, but it really picks up once Sena meets Iska and the scientific team. Once the preparation for the race starts, you won’t be able to put it down!  

I would recommend this book for anyone who loves stories of survival, animal companionship, and fierce characters. This was a very fun read and I’m excited to see what Meg Long writes next! Thank you to Meg Long, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.