Scan barcode
A review by monetp
Don't Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross
4.0
"They hunted dragons and made blood pacts with wolves." ~ [b:Don't Call the Wolf|40245031|Don't Call the Wolf|Aleksandra Ross|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1561401927l/40245031._SY75_.jpg|62524866]
An ideal standalone fantasy adventure for fans of [b:A Game of Thrones|13496|A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562726234l/13496._SY75_.jpg|1466917], [b:A Court of Thorns and Roses|16096824|A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546406962l/16096824._SY75_.jpg|21905102], and [b:The Bear and the Nightingale|25489134|The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1)|Katherine Arden|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1470731420l/25489134._SX50_.jpg|45268929]. Fans of Norse and Greek mythology will especially love all the folklore and magical references in this story. The dragons really reminded me of GoT, and the whole winter atmosphere too. Dragon stories are my favorite fantasy stories and this novel did not disappoint! My favorite chapter was when we got to see through the Dragon's perspective, something that I hope to see in more fantasy books in the future!
The only reason this wasn't five stars is because of the slow start. Warning: it took more at least 100 pages to become invested in the story. There is so much world-building that it is a really confusing book at first. It doesn't help that the book is told from multiple POVs. However, if you hang in there, you're in for AMAZING battle scenes at the end, as well as exciting plot twists. I DID NOT SEE THAT ENDING COMING AT ALL! It's been a while since a book has surprised me as much as this one. Final thought: Can we just agree that the quote "'I’ve only ever loved nine people.' Then he added: 'You’re the tenth.'" is one of the most beautiful love declarations EVER?!
Some of my favorite quotes:
"She breathed in the clean, woody air, and with it came a sense of relief. She hadn’t realized how tightly wound she was—hadn’t noticed the sense of dread hanging over her. It was so constant that she often forgot how heavily it weighed on her."
"We are heirs to gold and fire, baptized under ice, destined to inherit a tradition as ancient as the hills themselves. Whatever lengths we travel, Lukasz, whatever worlds we visit: we shall be buried in the shadow of the Mountains, beneath the blessings of wolves."
"Ren’s throat burned. She was the queen. It was her duty to protect her animals, and she couldn’t even do that."
"The three of them were standing on the topmost balcony, overlooking the rest of the library. Even in the moonlight, the library was alive. Birds hopped among the tooth-marked shelves, collecting shredded pages and gold leaf for their nests. Bats hung, snuggled together, from the chandeliers overhead."
"'Ren,' he said quietly, 'don’t you see? Of all the monsters to set foot in your forest, by far the most evil has been man.'"
"'I have always looked like a queen,' she said, pulling him closer. She found the buckle on the belt, readjusted it so the sword lay comfortably against her hip. Then added, 'I am just not the queen you expected.'"
"'We are two queens alone in the world and meeting for the first time,' said the Baba Jaga. 'Let us speak of something other than men.'"
An ideal standalone fantasy adventure for fans of [b:A Game of Thrones|13496|A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562726234l/13496._SY75_.jpg|1466917], [b:A Court of Thorns and Roses|16096824|A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546406962l/16096824._SY75_.jpg|21905102], and [b:The Bear and the Nightingale|25489134|The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1)|Katherine Arden|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1470731420l/25489134._SX50_.jpg|45268929]. Fans of Norse and Greek mythology will especially love all the folklore and magical references in this story. The dragons really reminded me of GoT, and the whole winter atmosphere too. Dragon stories are my favorite fantasy stories and this novel did not disappoint! My favorite chapter was when we got to see through the Dragon's perspective, something that I hope to see in more fantasy books in the future!
The only reason this wasn't five stars is because of the slow start. Warning: it took more at least 100 pages to become invested in the story. There is so much world-building that it is a really confusing book at first. It doesn't help that the book is told from multiple POVs. However, if you hang in there, you're in for AMAZING battle scenes at the end, as well as exciting plot twists. I DID NOT SEE THAT ENDING COMING AT ALL! It's been a while since a book has surprised me as much as this one. Final thought: Can we just agree that the quote "'I’ve only ever loved nine people.' Then he added: 'You’re the tenth.'" is one of the most beautiful love declarations EVER?!
Some of my favorite quotes:
"She breathed in the clean, woody air, and with it came a sense of relief. She hadn’t realized how tightly wound she was—hadn’t noticed the sense of dread hanging over her. It was so constant that she often forgot how heavily it weighed on her."
"We are heirs to gold and fire, baptized under ice, destined to inherit a tradition as ancient as the hills themselves. Whatever lengths we travel, Lukasz, whatever worlds we visit: we shall be buried in the shadow of the Mountains, beneath the blessings of wolves."
"Ren’s throat burned. She was the queen. It was her duty to protect her animals, and she couldn’t even do that."
"The three of them were standing on the topmost balcony, overlooking the rest of the library. Even in the moonlight, the library was alive. Birds hopped among the tooth-marked shelves, collecting shredded pages and gold leaf for their nests. Bats hung, snuggled together, from the chandeliers overhead."
"'Ren,' he said quietly, 'don’t you see? Of all the monsters to set foot in your forest, by far the most evil has been man.'"
"'I have always looked like a queen,' she said, pulling him closer. She found the buckle on the belt, readjusted it so the sword lay comfortably against her hip. Then added, 'I am just not the queen you expected.'"
"'We are two queens alone in the world and meeting for the first time,' said the Baba Jaga. 'Let us speak of something other than men.'"