Scan barcode
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
leahsbooks's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.0
So let me start this by saying I have no idea what led me to think that this was going to be a YA book, but it most certainly was NOT. It’s a queer retelling of Peter and the Wolf, but the beginning gave me some serious The Bear and the Nightingale vibes. It’s set in Siberia, and it was the perfect winter story to read while sipping a hot cup of tea while wrapped in a fuzzy blanket.
A chance encounter between Pyotra’s little brother and a tundra wolf sets off a chain reaction with massive consequences for the whole family. Pyotra winds up going after the wolf and playing a game of cat and mouse in the first part of the book, except that it isn’t exactly clear who is the cat and who is the mouse. And Volk, the wolf, isn’t what she appears to be either.
I loved how the perspective shifted between Pyotra and Volk. It kept me from getting bored, even though there wasn’t a ton of action. I still found it intriguing and seeing how their characters interacted. There were some graphic sexual scenes in the story, so be prepared! I wasn’t expecting it, but the queer romance was well-developed and slow-burning.
The second part of the story shifts perspective to that of Pyotra’s brother Sergei. I was truly invested in the story by this time, and was super curious about what was going on with him. But in the third (and final) part of the story, there were some additional POVs added. I didn’t get to know these characters as well, so I wasn’t as invested in them. Those characters and the ending itself all felt a bit rushed, but all in all, I enjoyed the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Murder, and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer
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
More...