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motaki's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Gore
Moderate: Addiction, Murder, and Alcoholism
Minor: Blood, Cancer, and Grief
notthatlibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Violence, Sexual content, and Child abuse
Moderate: Gore, Death of parent, and Animal death
Minor: Addiction, Cannibalism, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
entazis's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Pyotra and the Wolf is an interesting take on queer fairy tale retellings and paranormal romance, giving us interesting characters, especially the titular Wolf who is an amazing example of a woman shapeshifter. It’s also a steamy, sensual love story between two women with graphic sex scenes.
The beginning of the Pyotra and the Wolf is a very atmospheric piece of a hunt. This whole part was very interesting, and had some peaceful moments of solitude in the long Siberian nights, with atmospheric descriptions of the wintery landscape. It also had that vagueness typical for fairy tales, where characters don’t really act rational and the world around them has that dreamy quality. Where love can be very fast, very intense.
The dynamics of Pyotra and Volk were also what made the book easy to read, their relationship portrayed from the starting animosity and distrust, to banter and an energetic and fierce love. However, there were parts that were dragging for me personally, mostly because the author kept going back in the narration, showing the same events first from Pyotra’s, then from Volk’s perspective.
While I’m usually a fan of multiple POVs, this was a very jarring decision. You can show what another character feels and thinks without going back in the plot to show that. This sort of a narrative choice slowed down the already slow pace, and at moments it was hard for me to read.
The second part of the novel slips into a different genre, more of a paranormal romance than fairy tale retelling, completely with bringing in the new cast of characters with their POVs, dynamics, backstories and pacing. While I don't mind the genre switch, the tonality and pacing changes and the late introduction of new characters are definitely an issue, and while I find it interesting when authors play with narration, I think this could’ve been a bit more polished and better balanced.
That said, I absolutely enjoyed the romance. Volk is a fantastic werewolf character—constantly encompassing both wolf traits and human, giving us a dangerous but loving woman. The fact that Pyotra is not shown as a vulnerable, weak human compared to her werewolf lover, but instead a woman that can hold down her own, capable and smart, was what made their relationship even more interesting.
The beginning of the Pyotra and the Wolf is a very atmospheric piece of a hunt. This whole part was very interesting, and had some peaceful moments of solitude in the long Siberian nights, with atmospheric descriptions of the wintery landscape. It also had that vagueness typical for fairy tales, where characters don’t really act rational and the world around them has that dreamy quality. Where love can be very fast, very intense.
The dynamics of Pyotra and Volk were also what made the book easy to read, their relationship portrayed from the starting animosity and distrust, to banter and an energetic and fierce love. However, there were parts that were dragging for me personally, mostly because the author kept going back in the narration, showing the same events first from Pyotra’s, then from Volk’s perspective.
While I’m usually a fan of multiple POVs, this was a very jarring decision. You can show what another character feels and thinks without going back in the plot to show that. This sort of a narrative choice slowed down the already slow pace, and at moments it was hard for me to read.
The second part of the novel slips into a different genre, more of a paranormal romance than fairy tale retelling, completely with bringing in the new cast of characters with their POVs, dynamics, backstories and pacing. While I don't mind the genre switch, the tonality and pacing changes and the late introduction of new characters are definitely an issue, and while I find it interesting when authors play with narration, I think this could’ve been a bit more polished and better balanced.
That said, I absolutely enjoyed the romance. Volk is a fantastic werewolf character—constantly encompassing both wolf traits and human, giving us a dangerous but loving woman. The fact that Pyotra is not shown as a vulnerable, weak human compared to her werewolf lover, but instead a woman that can hold down her own, capable and smart, was what made their relationship even more interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cannibalism, Gore, Murder, and Violence
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