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Don't Call the Wolf
A forest, besieged. A queen, unyielding. Fans of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black will devour this deliciously dark Eastern European-inspired YA fantasy debut.
When the Golden Dragon descended on the forest of Kamiena, a horde of monsters followed in its wake.
Ren, the forest's young queen, is slowly losing her battle against them. Until she rescues Lukasz--the last survivor of a heroic regiment of dragon slayers--and they strike a deal. She will help him find his brother, who vanished into her forest...if Lukasz promises to slay the Dragon.
But promises are all too easily broken.
This gorgeously imagined stand-alone fantasy takes readers on a journey full of simmering tension, lush romance, and evocative folklore--perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood and The Wrath & the Dawn.
When the Golden Dragon descended on the forest of Kamiena, a horde of monsters followed in its wake.
Ren, the forest's young queen, is slowly losing her battle against them. Until she rescues Lukasz--the last survivor of a heroic regiment of dragon slayers--and they strike a deal. She will help him find his brother, who vanished into her forest...if Lukasz promises to slay the Dragon.
But promises are all too easily broken.
This gorgeously imagined stand-alone fantasy takes readers on a journey full of simmering tension, lush romance, and evocative folklore--perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood and The Wrath & the Dawn.
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First published April 28, 2020
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November 12, 2025
Five stars all the way!
"Evil wrapped itself around the little village. Evil walked the crumbling streets…It looked down from the rafters with glowing eyes"Ren, the seventeen-year-old forest Queen, spent her entire life fighting monsters in her forest and protecting the remaining human villages within its bounds.
And then, from that darkness, rose a queenShe's a shifter and can transform into a lynx. She was raised by her fully lynx family, thus she has many wild and monstrous habits that cause the very villagers she protects to hate her.
Lukasz is the youngest of the ten original Wolf-Lords (they're all brothers) and he, alone, is the last one left alive.
They looked, in a word, barbaricWhen the Golden Dragon came to the forest (Ren's forest) and took over, killing all of Lukasz's people and sending the ten Wolf-Lord brothers out of the forest.
For a time, the Wolf-lords traveled across the country, slaying various beasts that plagued the lands but the city people hated them and one-by-one each of the brothers were drawn back to the mountain in the forest, never to be heard of again.
Lucasz's last brother goes into the forest and, distraught, Lucasz follows him weeks after. He discovers Ren - a desperate queen in a desperate situation - and after a quick bargain, they team up to defeat the dragon.
But fate...has other plans.
First came the fangs. Then came the fur. Then came the fury.This book was really good - it didn't stumble in any of the major pitfalls that I see a lot of YA falling into.
No love triangle, no quirky side characters - this book had a purpose and it stuck to it.
The adventure was exciting! I was deeply engrossed in the plot and eagerly watched it unfold.
The creatures in this book gave me some serious Witcher vibes - with their wildness and their types - which really gave that book that extra oomph.
Ren was a fabulous main character - I loved her wild fierceness and stubbornness. And I think Lukasz complimented her really well. They made for a dynamic duo.
I read it in a single night (450+ pages) which doesn't often happen! All in all, I'm really happy to have had a chance to read this gorgeous book!
With thanks to the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review
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June 12, 2020
"Don't call the wolf from the forest."
I should have listened to the title of this book because, yikes, I was stunningly disappointed with this. It tries so hard to be a Leigh Bardugo-type fantasy but it ISN'T because there really is no definite, interest-grabbing plot. It tries so hard to be super magical but ends up throwing too many creatures and myths at you without taking time to develop them into the world of this book . . . which even then the world isn't that greatly-written, either. There are some pretty moments and some decent lines scattered throughout, but overall as I read this book I liked it less and less. It just tries too hard to be great but ultimately fails into a lengthy, tangled mess with a truly laughable finale that is just . . . too happy. And while there is blood and guts in here, it feels a bit fake cause it's like a kids fairy-tale someone tried to make "mature" just by slapping some violence into things. And the romance??? Wow, terrible cliches everywhere. So, yeah, color me highly disappointed with this.
I received a digital ARC from HarperTeen via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Quotes in the review and reading updates were taken from an uncorrected ARC copy.
I should have listened to the title of this book because, yikes, I was stunningly disappointed with this. It tries so hard to be a Leigh Bardugo-type fantasy but it ISN'T because there really is no definite, interest-grabbing plot. It tries so hard to be super magical but ends up throwing too many creatures and myths at you without taking time to develop them into the world of this book . . . which even then the world isn't that greatly-written, either. There are some pretty moments and some decent lines scattered throughout, but overall as I read this book I liked it less and less. It just tries too hard to be great but ultimately fails into a lengthy, tangled mess with a truly laughable finale that is just . . . too happy. And while there is blood and guts in here, it feels a bit fake cause it's like a kids fairy-tale someone tried to make "mature" just by slapping some violence into things. And the romance??? Wow, terrible cliches everywhere. So, yeah, color me highly disappointed with this.
I received a digital ARC from HarperTeen via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Quotes in the review and reading updates were taken from an uncorrected ARC copy.
June 11, 2020
Don't Call the Wolf was a story inspired by Polish mythology with all the wisp-like trappings of a fairy tale. The ambiance of the monster-ridden forest and the themes of fate, loyalty and kindness drew me in and I was enjoying it until the last few chapters where I felt let down by an ending that was too rushed and didn't make that much sense.
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Ren was the human-lynx shifter queen of her forest, fighting a losing battle against the monsters and the Golden Dragon plaguing her lands. She was loved by the animals she presided over and reviled by the humans in the nearby village as a monster. The help she needed came in the form of a dragon slayer called Lukasz- the last of the Wolf-Lords. Seventeen years ago his family had fled their home as the Golden Dragon descended upon it and ever since, one by one, his brothers returned in an attempt to slay it only to be never seen again.
I liked the fairy tale structure of the book with the regular flashbacks to Lukasz's brothers and the story behind each one's disappearance. It created an ominous sense of fate and inevitability that constantly made me wonder if their quest was futile as so many had failed before them which kept me on edge. I also loved the aspects from Slavic folklore such as the strzygi, nawia and even Baba Yaga.
My main issue was that the ending of the book felt so contrived and rushed in what was attempt to surprise the reader and invert the usual tropes but just didn't make any sense and disappointed me.
I would recommend Don't Call the Wolf to anyone who loves stories inspired by fairy tales and folklore or books that explore themes such as what makes a person a monster and if people can be born evil or if they are made but be warned that the ending may disappoint.
Thank you to HarperTeen for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Ren was the human-lynx shifter queen of her forest, fighting a losing battle against the monsters and the Golden Dragon plaguing her lands. She was loved by the animals she presided over and reviled by the humans in the nearby village as a monster. The help she needed came in the form of a dragon slayer called Lukasz- the last of the Wolf-Lords. Seventeen years ago his family had fled their home as the Golden Dragon descended upon it and ever since, one by one, his brothers returned in an attempt to slay it only to be never seen again.
I liked the fairy tale structure of the book with the regular flashbacks to Lukasz's brothers and the story behind each one's disappearance. It created an ominous sense of fate and inevitability that constantly made me wonder if their quest was futile as so many had failed before them which kept me on edge. I also loved the aspects from Slavic folklore such as the strzygi, nawia and even Baba Yaga.
My main issue was that the ending of the book felt so contrived and rushed in what was attempt to surprise the reader and invert the usual tropes but just didn't make any sense and disappointed me.
I would recommend Don't Call the Wolf to anyone who loves stories inspired by fairy tales and folklore or books that explore themes such as what makes a person a monster and if people can be born evil or if they are made but be warned that the ending may disappoint.
Thank you to HarperTeen for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
September 14, 2025
Slavic Folklore retelling
I am human. I am animal. I am monster
Atmospheric YA fantasy that draws on Slavic folk tales. Dense with grotesque creatures, and a forest that takes on a character of its own. At times a little heavy with the world building, but always feeling authentic to what I know of the original legends, and with strong characters who have a sense of duty and teamwork.
I am human. I am animal. I am monster
Atmospheric YA fantasy that draws on Slavic folk tales. Dense with grotesque creatures, and a forest that takes on a character of its own. At times a little heavy with the world building, but always feeling authentic to what I know of the original legends, and with strong characters who have a sense of duty and teamwork.
![Profile Image for Namera [The Literary Invertebrate].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1647896333i%2F31792110._UX200_CR0%2C96%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
August 27, 2019
ARC received in exchange for an honest review - thank you!
Probably the one thing you should know is that Aleksandra Ross can WRITE. The prose in Don’t Call the Wolf is absolutely gorgeous, dark and lyrical without being purple, like (dare I say it) Leigh Bardugo herself. The writing is basically most of the reason this book gets 4 stars.
In giving this rating, I’m forgiving a range of plot holes and clichés, which will be detailed below. The best way to think of this book is as a fairytale – with all the positives and negatives that entails.
Twenty-one-year-old Lukasz Smoków is the last of the Wolf-Lords. Seventeen years ago, he and his nine older brothers fled the Mountains that were their home when the evil Golden Dragon descended on it. Then they made their name in the land as dragon slayers, the Brygada Smoka, part of the Wrony – the king’s army. But slowly, one by one, his brothers have all vanished into the Mountains – and now Lukasz is the only one left.
When he loses his sword hand in a tussle with a dragon, Lukasz decides he has no choice but to go into the Mountains himself, following the footsteps of his older brother Franciszek. There’s a chance Franciszek is still alive and Lukasz is determined to save him. But the advent of the Golden Dragon has resulted in plenty of other evil creatures infesting the forest. There are vila, nocnica, rusalki, and worse, strzygi, which are born from the bodies of dead humans. Lukasz’s journey is almost over before it can begin when he’s dragged into the water by a rusalka.
Then he’s saved by Ren.
Seventeen-year-old Ren is the queen of the forest, sometimes a girl and sometimes a lynx, running wild with her lynx brother Rýsz and a talking wolf named Czarn. There is nothing she hates more than humans. They come into her forest and destroy it, and try to entrap the supernatural creatures who call it home. Yet she saves Lukasz anyway, and they make a deal: he’ll kill the Golden Dragon terrorising her forest if she leads the way. Together with an enigmatic Wrony soldier named Koszmar, a colourless girl named Felka, and the scientist Jakub whose face Ren ruined, they set out for the Mountains. Along the way they encounter gods, demons, and everything in between.
So, yes, the writing was stunning.
There are SO MANY phrases I plan to highlight once I get my hands on a print copy. The scene where Lukasz is drowning, and they go underwater into the rusalka’s lair? Fabulous. Almost everything was beautifully and emotionally described. I honestly can’t get enough of Ross’s prose style. In this respect, it was incredibly fairy-tale-like and atmospheric, all about gossamer and magic and bones and kisses.
The Polish mythology was also brilliant. We get everything thrown at us, little flashes of all the kinds of creatures which inhabit Slavic folklore. I hugely enjoyed reading about them. There’s also an interesting author’s note at the back which goes into more depth about the origins and pronunciations of all the words.
The world-building, I was broadly fine with. It isn’t great – all the action happens either in the forest/Mountains or Miasto, the capital of their country Welona. There’s no discussion of magic. Ross set up the bones of a really interesting world and I’d have loved to explore it more. Nevertheless, I was able to suppress most of the questions I had and I enjoyed what we did get.
Unfortunately, I had several issues with its content.
The book’s conception of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ was, at times, disappointingly simplistic. Ren got given a lot of screen time to be a multifaceted character, both cruel and kind, and that was great. But I felt deprived of the same nuance when it came to the other characters. There are some excellent secondary characters, and (avoiding spoilers) what happens to one of them makes me feel infuriated and let down. He didn’t deserve what happened to him. It felt like a case of ‘evil people come to bad ends’ and we constantly got told he was evil EVEN THOUGH HE NEVER ACTUALLY DID ANYTHING EVIL so I guess that’s why he had to go the way he did.
The ending was also ridiculously deus ex machina . A huge bunch of things happen in rapid succession, most of which aren’t explained very well and shouldn’t even be possible. Prior to that the book had spent a lot of time setting up the atmosphere, and I hated to see how it was wrecked by a careless and unrealistically fairy-tale-like ending which didn’t make sense at all. Like (again avoiding spoilers) there’s something which they need to kill the Golden Dragon, and it’s been missing for a thousand years and nobody has been able to find it, but then Ren just… does? Not even in a weird location? Am I supposed to believe it evaded the detection of a millennia of people but not her? Little things like that began showing up regularly once we neared the end of the book.
Ren is a little bit of a Mary Sue and that got annoying really fast. She’s stupendously gorgeous (we’re told on multiple occasions that she’s ‘perfect’ and ‘flawless’) and EVERYONE LOVES HER. EVERYBODY. Even Baba Jaga, yes, that Baba Jaga, falls under Ren’s spell for no discernible reason whatsoever. Lukasz, of course, was a goner (almost literally, what with the rusalka) the moment he laid eyes on her. The romance, especially at the beginning, did have a heavy sense of ‘two attractive people are attracted to each other and thus let there be love.’
Overall
It feels like the author realised she was taking up too many pages so she rushed the end. That’s by far the worst bit of the whole book. Apart from that, I loved the beginning/middle, and the insanely quotable writing definitely makes this book a must-read.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
Probably the one thing you should know is that Aleksandra Ross can WRITE. The prose in Don’t Call the Wolf is absolutely gorgeous, dark and lyrical without being purple, like (dare I say it) Leigh Bardugo herself. The writing is basically most of the reason this book gets 4 stars.
In giving this rating, I’m forgiving a range of plot holes and clichés, which will be detailed below. The best way to think of this book is as a fairytale – with all the positives and negatives that entails.
Twenty-one-year-old Lukasz Smoków is the last of the Wolf-Lords. Seventeen years ago, he and his nine older brothers fled the Mountains that were their home when the evil Golden Dragon descended on it. Then they made their name in the land as dragon slayers, the Brygada Smoka, part of the Wrony – the king’s army. But slowly, one by one, his brothers have all vanished into the Mountains – and now Lukasz is the only one left.
For a thousand years, our people have run with wolves and slain dragons. We are heirs to gold and fire, baptised 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.
When he loses his sword hand in a tussle with a dragon, Lukasz decides he has no choice but to go into the Mountains himself, following the footsteps of his older brother Franciszek. There’s a chance Franciszek is still alive and Lukasz is determined to save him. But the advent of the Golden Dragon has resulted in plenty of other evil creatures infesting the forest. There are vila, nocnica, rusalki, and worse, strzygi, which are born from the bodies of dead humans. Lukasz’s journey is almost over before it can begin when he’s dragged into the water by a rusalka.
Then he’s saved by Ren.
Seventeen-year-old Ren is the queen of the forest, sometimes a girl and sometimes a lynx, running wild with her lynx brother Rýsz and a talking wolf named Czarn. There is nothing she hates more than humans. They come into her forest and destroy it, and try to entrap the supernatural creatures who call it home. Yet she saves Lukasz anyway, and they make a deal: he’ll kill the Golden Dragon terrorising her forest if she leads the way. Together with an enigmatic Wrony soldier named Koszmar, a colourless girl named Felka, and the scientist Jakub whose face Ren ruined, they set out for the Mountains. Along the way they encounter gods, demons, and everything in between.
So, yes, the writing was stunning.
There are SO MANY phrases I plan to highlight once I get my hands on a print copy. The scene where Lukasz is drowning, and they go underwater into the rusalka’s lair? Fabulous. Almost everything was beautifully and emotionally described. I honestly can’t get enough of Ross’s prose style. In this respect, it was incredibly fairy-tale-like and atmospheric, all about gossamer and magic and bones and kisses.
The Polish mythology was also brilliant. We get everything thrown at us, little flashes of all the kinds of creatures which inhabit Slavic folklore. I hugely enjoyed reading about them. There’s also an interesting author’s note at the back which goes into more depth about the origins and pronunciations of all the words.
The world-building, I was broadly fine with. It isn’t great – all the action happens either in the forest/Mountains or Miasto, the capital of their country Welona. There’s no discussion of magic. Ross set up the bones of a really interesting world and I’d have loved to explore it more. Nevertheless, I was able to suppress most of the questions I had and I enjoyed what we did get.
Unfortunately, I had several issues with its content.
The book’s conception of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ was, at times, disappointingly simplistic. Ren got given a lot of screen time to be a multifaceted character, both cruel and kind, and that was great. But I felt deprived of the same nuance when it came to the other characters. There are some excellent secondary characters, and (avoiding spoilers) what happens to one of them makes me feel infuriated and let down. He didn’t deserve what happened to him. It felt like a case of ‘evil people come to bad ends’ and we constantly got told he was evil EVEN THOUGH HE NEVER ACTUALLY DID ANYTHING EVIL so I guess that’s why he had to go the way he did.
The ending was also ridiculously deus ex machina . A huge bunch of things happen in rapid succession, most of which aren’t explained very well and shouldn’t even be possible. Prior to that the book had spent a lot of time setting up the atmosphere, and I hated to see how it was wrecked by a careless and unrealistically fairy-tale-like ending which didn’t make sense at all. Like (again avoiding spoilers) there’s something which they need to kill the Golden Dragon, and it’s been missing for a thousand years and nobody has been able to find it, but then Ren just… does? Not even in a weird location? Am I supposed to believe it evaded the detection of a millennia of people but not her? Little things like that began showing up regularly once we neared the end of the book.
Ren is a little bit of a Mary Sue and that got annoying really fast. She’s stupendously gorgeous (we’re told on multiple occasions that she’s ‘perfect’ and ‘flawless’) and EVERYONE LOVES HER. EVERYBODY. Even Baba Jaga, yes, that Baba Jaga, falls under Ren’s spell for no discernible reason whatsoever. Lukasz, of course, was a goner (almost literally, what with the rusalka) the moment he laid eyes on her. The romance, especially at the beginning, did have a heavy sense of ‘two attractive people are attracted to each other and thus let there be love.’
Overall
It feels like the author realised she was taking up too many pages so she rushed the end. That’s by far the worst bit of the whole book. Apart from that, I loved the beginning/middle, and the insanely quotable writing definitely makes this book a must-read.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
October 29, 2019
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)
Don't call the wolf tells us the story of Ren, a girl that is the Queen of the Forest and Lukasz, the last Wolf-Lord. In this world, Wolf-Lords are Dragon Slayers. Ren is a lynx shape-shifter and is trying to save her forest from the evil monsters plaguing it, especially the strzygi which are a sort of zombie creatures that are infesting the forest. Lucasz crosses paths with Ren in the forest and after that fated encounter the two of them become allies in their quest: she needs his help to save the forest, and he needs her help to find his brother. They are joined by a group of characters as they journey together.
Let me say this beforehand: this book has NOTHING of Leigh Bardugo's style or characters-alike. This is what I call wrong marketing. If anything, this should be compared to Naomi Novik because there's zero percent Bardugo in it, unless you count the Russian mythology.
About the characters, Ren was a complex, strong girl and I liked her a lot. However, I'm not particularly fond of the trope "everyone loves her because yes". There were characters in the group who barely interacted with her and yet they loved her...it just sounds too convenient for me. Nevertheless she was a great heroine, reversing the tropes of a damsel in distress and actively saving herself and others. I loved how she was brave and kind, stubborn but not to the point of being annoying, which is rare in heroines nowadays.
Lucasz was a cinnamon roll and I loved how respectful he was to Ren. It broke my heart the way he cared for his family. He had an amazing family and his backstory was the best. However, regarding Ren, his insta-love aka love at first sight, was a bit too much? It was way too fast. However, I enjoyed that the author did his relationship with Ren a slow-burn, and I really shipped these two. It was one of the cutest relationships in YA I've read in the past years.
The writing quality here is amazing and the world-building was absolutely awesome, from creepy monsters to shape-shifters and the forest and all the creatures felt like an old fairytale, very atmospheric and unique.
As for the supporting characters I loved Felka and the representation of strong female friendship she portrayed.
Koszmar was hands down my favorite character. Had he been one of the main I would have given this a much higher rating, because there was so many sides to him worth knowing and such underlying complexity that was never allowed to develop further. He was the kind of supporting character that of given the chance would have outshined the protagonist in a splendid way. I feel so sorry when a character with huge potential is left stagnant because of plot devices.
Czarn and Rhys were lovely but I couldn't feel their connection to Ren as I was supposed to. I had expected a stronger bond and stronger emotions.
I really enjoyed that the author put Jakub in the group and it was refreshing to see an older adult in the midst of teens and young adults.
I really enjoyed the pacing and the plot, however, even before the moment we got the Dragon's first POV I foresaw everything that was going to happen regarding the Dragons and hence, there were no twists to me regarding that matter. I wish I could have been surprised because the Dragon's plot was very predictable.
In sum, this book had good things and bad things. The end felt too convenient and Deus Ex-Machina. A certain character had an end that he did not deserve while others had a too much unbelievable happy end.
However, I cannot deny the little gem this book is. It is lovely and fairytale-like and the descriptions of the places and imagery are so well-done that there was never a dull moment in this book for me...it felt like a true adventure in a old fairytale book.
I'd recommend this to Naomi Novik's fans or fans of Grimm's fairytales.
Real Rating: 3,5 Stars
Don't call the wolf tells us the story of Ren, a girl that is the Queen of the Forest and Lukasz, the last Wolf-Lord. In this world, Wolf-Lords are Dragon Slayers. Ren is a lynx shape-shifter and is trying to save her forest from the evil monsters plaguing it, especially the strzygi which are a sort of zombie creatures that are infesting the forest. Lucasz crosses paths with Ren in the forest and after that fated encounter the two of them become allies in their quest: she needs his help to save the forest, and he needs her help to find his brother. They are joined by a group of characters as they journey together.
Let me say this beforehand: this book has NOTHING of Leigh Bardugo's style or characters-alike. This is what I call wrong marketing. If anything, this should be compared to Naomi Novik because there's zero percent Bardugo in it, unless you count the Russian mythology.
About the characters, Ren was a complex, strong girl and I liked her a lot. However, I'm not particularly fond of the trope "everyone loves her because yes". There were characters in the group who barely interacted with her and yet they loved her...it just sounds too convenient for me. Nevertheless she was a great heroine, reversing the tropes of a damsel in distress and actively saving herself and others. I loved how she was brave and kind, stubborn but not to the point of being annoying, which is rare in heroines nowadays.
Lucasz was a cinnamon roll and I loved how respectful he was to Ren. It broke my heart the way he cared for his family. He had an amazing family and his backstory was the best. However, regarding Ren, his insta-love aka love at first sight, was a bit too much? It was way too fast. However, I enjoyed that the author did his relationship with Ren a slow-burn, and I really shipped these two. It was one of the cutest relationships in YA I've read in the past years.
The writing quality here is amazing and the world-building was absolutely awesome, from creepy monsters to shape-shifters and the forest and all the creatures felt like an old fairytale, very atmospheric and unique.
As for the supporting characters I loved Felka and the representation of strong female friendship she portrayed.
Koszmar was hands down my favorite character. Had he been one of the main I would have given this a much higher rating, because there was so many sides to him worth knowing and such underlying complexity that was never allowed to develop further. He was the kind of supporting character that of given the chance would have outshined the protagonist in a splendid way. I feel so sorry when a character with huge potential is left stagnant because of plot devices.
Czarn and Rhys were lovely but I couldn't feel their connection to Ren as I was supposed to. I had expected a stronger bond and stronger emotions.
I really enjoyed that the author put Jakub in the group and it was refreshing to see an older adult in the midst of teens and young adults.
I really enjoyed the pacing and the plot, however, even before the moment we got the Dragon's first POV I foresaw everything that was going to happen regarding the Dragons and hence, there were no twists to me regarding that matter. I wish I could have been surprised because the Dragon's plot was very predictable.
In sum, this book had good things and bad things. The end felt too convenient and Deus Ex-Machina. A certain character had an end that he did not deserve while others had a too much unbelievable happy end.
However, I cannot deny the little gem this book is. It is lovely and fairytale-like and the descriptions of the places and imagery are so well-done that there was never a dull moment in this book for me...it felt like a true adventure in a old fairytale book.
I'd recommend this to Naomi Novik's fans or fans of Grimm's fairytales.
Real Rating: 3,5 Stars
March 18, 2020
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5 stars: ★★★1/2☆
"Perhaps it is easier to believe some are born evil, rather than admit that predilection exists equally in every one of us."
A sweeping tale of interwoven Eastern-European myths, Don't Call the Wolf is a dark and romantic fantasy for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy. With beautiful writing that brings to life not only unique characters but also a world writhing with old myth and monsters, Aleksandra Ross tells the tale of Lukasz, a wolf-lord and dragon-slayer who has lost all of his brothers to the mysterious dragon-destroyed mountains of their youth, and Ren, a misunderstood shape-shifter and queen of a cursed forest. Their stories intertwine when Lukasz goes searching for his brothers and the answers to his past, and Ren, wanting to save her forest from the monsters Lukasz has grown famous for killing, joins his quest. The two gain, and lose, other friends along the way as they discover more and more about their world and each other. Meanwhile, little is at it seems in this thrilling world of dragons, disaster, love, and choice. A magical triumph of epic proportion. You won't regret calling this wolf.
"They hold such darkness, these humans, but they still choose the light. Of all the things I love about them, I love this best."
3.5/5 stars: ★★★1/2☆
"Perhaps it is easier to believe some are born evil, rather than admit that predilection exists equally in every one of us."
A sweeping tale of interwoven Eastern-European myths, Don't Call the Wolf is a dark and romantic fantasy for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy. With beautiful writing that brings to life not only unique characters but also a world writhing with old myth and monsters, Aleksandra Ross tells the tale of Lukasz, a wolf-lord and dragon-slayer who has lost all of his brothers to the mysterious dragon-destroyed mountains of their youth, and Ren, a misunderstood shape-shifter and queen of a cursed forest. Their stories intertwine when Lukasz goes searching for his brothers and the answers to his past, and Ren, wanting to save her forest from the monsters Lukasz has grown famous for killing, joins his quest. The two gain, and lose, other friends along the way as they discover more and more about their world and each other. Meanwhile, little is at it seems in this thrilling world of dragons, disaster, love, and choice. A magical triumph of epic proportion. You won't regret calling this wolf.
"They hold such darkness, these humans, but they still choose the light. Of all the things I love about them, I love this best."
Read
November 29, 2021DNF at 17%
Well, I shelved this as "put aside for now" back in August 2020. I haven't picked it up again, and honestly, I'm not going to. Not for me, although I know others have quite enjoyed it, so if it sounds interesting to you then you should definitely give it a try.
Well, I shelved this as "put aside for now" back in August 2020. I haven't picked it up again, and honestly, I'm not going to. Not for me, although I know others have quite enjoyed it, so if it sounds interesting to you then you should definitely give it a try.
February 9, 2021
Thank you so much HarperCollins for providing me a free copy through Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.
This had potential, but sadly it needed more polish.
A reimagining of the polish fairytale The Glass Castle with a sprinkle of Eastern Europe lore.
CHARACTERS:
At first the two MCs were great.
We have Ren, a lynx shapeshifter raised in the cursed forest by a family of lynxes, who doesn’t know how to “behave” like a socially skilled human and can only “understand” the animals and the creatures of the forest ...her lack of social skills was an interesting angle, which gets promptly discarded after she spends a couple of days in the company of people.
The other main protagonist is Lucasz: he’s the last of the Wolf Lords (a tribe of dragon killers) and at the beginning of the story he has ruined his career of dragons killer because he’s basically a cocky rushing idiot: he loses function of his dominant hand in an accident with a dragon (that could’ve been avoided if he had done some research)...which leads to him abandoning society so he can trail his brother (the one who amongst all of the siblings has a semblance of brain) who has left him a few days ago so he can journey to the Wolf Lords’ ancestral home and be a family again.
There are also a bunch of secondary characters whose sole agenda is either to provide funny commentary, make heart eyes at Ren (which until yesterday was believed to be a ruthless monster), be a literal walking encyclopedia, or exist as the metaphorical red shirt.
Special mention goes to Baba Yaga and Leszy (which is the god of the forest): such potent characters, and so underused.
The villain of the story and the conflict overall felt underwhelming and predictable. It was just not compelling.
WORLD-BUILDING AND PLOT:
The world building felt a bit rushed and confusing: it felt like we were dropped in the middle of the battlefield and had no idea what the factions and alliances were.
Some elements of the story were seriously interesting but ended up being underplayed (like the bond between the last of the Wolf Lords and the last of the wolves that partnered with them while they still lived in the Blue Mountains), while others kept being shoved down the throat (Ren is Queen of the forest, we get it!).
The plot resembles a lot like a Dungeons and Dragons campaign: there’s a party of characters with different skills, the setting is a creepy forest, there’s a goal and an enemy to deal with, and a bunch of NPCs ready to pop up and provide clues to advance in the story.
The beginning is very interesting and it sets up the tone very nicely, but then as the story progresses, it loses that spark and by end of it you’re left incredulous by the amount of Deus Ex Machina and the unbelievably cheesy ending.
WRITING:
There is something about the writing that bothered me: while it’s well structured and it flows pretty smoothly, it didn’t feel like it belonged to a fairy tail story...it felt too, I don’t know how to describe it properly, maybe modern?
I especially noticed this in the dialogues and inner monologues of the characters.
FINAL NOTE:
An okay book if you go in thinking of it as a fantasy rather than the fairytale it was labeled as.
The lack of interest in the characters on my end penalized the story a lot.
This had potential, but sadly it needed more polish.
A reimagining of the polish fairytale The Glass Castle with a sprinkle of Eastern Europe lore.
CHARACTERS:
At first the two MCs were great.
We have Ren, a lynx shapeshifter raised in the cursed forest by a family of lynxes, who doesn’t know how to “behave” like a socially skilled human and can only “understand” the animals and the creatures of the forest ...her lack of social skills was an interesting angle, which gets promptly discarded after she spends a couple of days in the company of people.
The other main protagonist is Lucasz: he’s the last of the Wolf Lords (a tribe of dragon killers) and at the beginning of the story he has ruined his career of dragons killer because he’s basically a cocky rushing idiot: he loses function of his dominant hand in an accident with a dragon (that could’ve been avoided if he had done some research)...which leads to him abandoning society so he can trail his brother (the one who amongst all of the siblings has a semblance of brain) who has left him a few days ago so he can journey to the Wolf Lords’ ancestral home and be a family again.
There are also a bunch of secondary characters whose sole agenda is either to provide funny commentary, make heart eyes at Ren (which until yesterday was believed to be a ruthless monster), be a literal walking encyclopedia, or exist as the metaphorical red shirt.
Special mention goes to Baba Yaga and Leszy (which is the god of the forest): such potent characters, and so underused.
The villain of the story and the conflict overall felt underwhelming and predictable. It was just not compelling.
WORLD-BUILDING AND PLOT:
The world building felt a bit rushed and confusing: it felt like we were dropped in the middle of the battlefield and had no idea what the factions and alliances were.
Some elements of the story were seriously interesting but ended up being underplayed (like the bond between the last of the Wolf Lords and the last of the wolves that partnered with them while they still lived in the Blue Mountains), while others kept being shoved down the throat (Ren is Queen of the forest, we get it!).
The plot resembles a lot like a Dungeons and Dragons campaign: there’s a party of characters with different skills, the setting is a creepy forest, there’s a goal and an enemy to deal with, and a bunch of NPCs ready to pop up and provide clues to advance in the story.
The beginning is very interesting and it sets up the tone very nicely, but then as the story progresses, it loses that spark and by end of it you’re left incredulous by the amount of Deus Ex Machina and the unbelievably cheesy ending.
WRITING:
There is something about the writing that bothered me: while it’s well structured and it flows pretty smoothly, it didn’t feel like it belonged to a fairy tail story...it felt too, I don’t know how to describe it properly, maybe modern?
I especially noticed this in the dialogues and inner monologues of the characters.
FINAL NOTE:
An okay book if you go in thinking of it as a fantasy rather than the fairytale it was labeled as.
The lack of interest in the characters on my end penalized the story a lot.
February 25, 2024
I get what it's trying to do: throwing names of things at you so, eventually, you manage to pick it up and follow along, but this book just tries to shove so many creatures and legends down your throat without getting into much detail in any of them and without giving you much time to process that my head just hurt.
It's so sad, because I really think the story has potential, but it was mediocre at best and the characters have no real depth. Also, I think this has helped (not in a good way) to increase the reading slump I was developing. Great.
I have the feeling that this would be better as a movie than as a book.
It's so sad, because I really think the story has potential, but it was mediocre at best and the characters have no real depth. Also, I think this has helped (not in a good way) to increase the reading slump I was developing. Great.
I have the feeling that this would be better as a movie than as a book.
April 24, 2020
THIS REVIEW & MORE → Paws and Paperbacks
ARC received through #booksfortrade on Twitter.
It’s no secret that I love any kind of fairytale retelling. Don’t Call the Wolf is a magnificent debut novel centered around a Polish fairytale, The Glass Mountain, full of adventurous quests, wolves, dragon hunters, and magical forests. I expected to really enjoy this book, but I did not expect to fall completely in love with the story.
What is this book about? Don’t Call the Wolf follows Lukasz, a young man from a long history of dragon hunters, and Ren, the self-proclaimed Queen of the Forest, as they strike a bargain to defeat the Gold Dragon and save the forest.
What did I like? Aleksandra Ross can write. Her prose was absolutely beautiful and fit perfectly for a fairytale retelling. From stunning descriptions to the dark, atmospheric vibes her writing portrays, it’s easy to become lost in this magical story. The writing in Don’t Call the Wolf is half the reason I love this book so much.
The story is told through the POVs of both Lukasz and Ren, and I have nothing bad to say about either protagonists. In the beginning, Ren was distrustful and wild, but she gradually began to open up to others as the story went on while maintaining her fierceness and bravery. Her arc was handled flawlessly and because of that I think it had a much more meaningful impact both on the story, as well as on me as the reader. Lukasz was amazing. After losing his nine other brothers and suffering a debilitating injury, Lukasz finds himself alone in the world, lost and vulnerable. I loved reading his chapter and was so incredibly easy to root for him and want him to find nothing but happiness.
What didn’t I like? My only issue was the final conflict. The twist definitely caught be off guard–in a good way!–but it felt like it was wrapped up way too quickly. I appreciated the author’s intent not to have long, drawn out action sequences (because those can get tiresome), but the last battle was paced too fast compared to the rest of the book.
Overall thoughts: Don’t Call the Wolf had me enchanted from the first chapter. The incredibly writing and wonderful characters help create a magical fairytale retelling that was so easy to fall in love with.
ARC received through #booksfortrade on Twitter.
It’s no secret that I love any kind of fairytale retelling. Don’t Call the Wolf is a magnificent debut novel centered around a Polish fairytale, The Glass Mountain, full of adventurous quests, wolves, dragon hunters, and magical forests. I expected to really enjoy this book, but I did not expect to fall completely in love with the story.
“If ever you are lost, or alone, or frightened, remember that this is your home. These Mountains will always call you back.”
What is this book about? Don’t Call the Wolf follows Lukasz, a young man from a long history of dragon hunters, and Ren, the self-proclaimed Queen of the Forest, as they strike a bargain to defeat the Gold Dragon and save the forest.
What did I like? Aleksandra Ross can write. Her prose was absolutely beautiful and fit perfectly for a fairytale retelling. From stunning descriptions to the dark, atmospheric vibes her writing portrays, it’s easy to become lost in this magical story. The writing in Don’t Call the Wolf is half the reason I love this book so much.
The story is told through the POVs of both Lukasz and Ren, and I have nothing bad to say about either protagonists. In the beginning, Ren was distrustful and wild, but she gradually began to open up to others as the story went on while maintaining her fierceness and bravery. Her arc was handled flawlessly and because of that I think it had a much more meaningful impact both on the story, as well as on me as the reader. Lukasz was amazing. After losing his nine other brothers and suffering a debilitating injury, Lukasz finds himself alone in the world, lost and vulnerable. I loved reading his chapter and was so incredibly easy to root for him and want him to find nothing but happiness.
“But tonight his mind was burned, his veins were black, and his arms were full with the creature he loved, and tonight at least, he was still human.”
What didn’t I like? My only issue was the final conflict. The twist definitely caught be off guard–in a good way!–but it felt like it was wrapped up way too quickly. I appreciated the author’s intent not to have long, drawn out action sequences (because those can get tiresome), but the last battle was paced too fast compared to the rest of the book.
Overall thoughts: Don’t Call the Wolf had me enchanted from the first chapter. The incredibly writing and wonderful characters help create a magical fairytale retelling that was so easy to fall in love with.
June 29, 2020
This was entertaining and unique!
The world and lore building were really good and I loved the MC + her chosen family. However, I just think for a standalone novel it tried to incorporate too much, and came off too vague at times. Some of the lore just wasn't explained in enough detail. That said the first half of this book was great, but as the story progressed into insta-love territory and a lackluster ending -I had to give this one 3 stars. Overall, it was a good first novel and I would read another book from this author.
The world and lore building were really good and I loved the MC + her chosen family. However, I just think for a standalone novel it tried to incorporate too much, and came off too vague at times. Some of the lore just wasn't explained in enough detail. That said the first half of this book was great, but as the story progressed into insta-love territory and a lackluster ending -I had to give this one 3 stars. Overall, it was a good first novel and I would read another book from this author.
August 15, 2020
«Не зови волка»
– книга, вдохновлённая западнославянской мифологией и бытом. О чем она? Итак, в далеком царстве, далеком государстве все было хорошо, но однажды появился Золотой дракон, разрушил королевский замок, убив королеву и юную принцессу, и улетел на Стеклянную гору. С тех пор минуло семнадцать лет, за которые многие рыцари, стремившиеся отомстить дракону, нашли свою кончину, а нечисть начала мучить мирный народ. И задача наших героев, храбрейших и отважнейших, – убить дракона и вернуть людям безопасность.
Про героев. Повествование ведётся от двух людей. Лукаш – последний из Волчьих лордов, семьи драконоборцев, живущей в горах. Семнадцать лет назад он и его братья спустились к людям, чтобы спасать их от хлынувших полчищ драконов. Трагедия Лукаша в том, что за эти годы он потерял всех братьев и остался один в мире, так и не принявшем его. То ли автору удалось его лучше прописать, то ли наши темпераменты совпали, но главы от лица Лукаша было читать приятней всего, я понимала мотивацию его действий.
К Рен , главной героине, у меня куча вопросов. С самого начала она подаётся нам как девушка-оборотень, способная быть то рысью, то человеком, но абсолютно не относящаяся себя к презренному роду людскому. Более того, нам сразу заявляют (а потом постоянно повторяют), что она – королева леса. И если сначала я восприняла это отстранённо, то потом у меня пошли вопросы. Как она стала королевой? Она явно не из королевской рысьей семьи, иначе к ее названному брату обращались тоже по титулу. Тогда как она ею стала? Пришла, как бандюган в 90-х, выбрала территорию и решила крышевать местных за мзду? К сожалению, автор этот момент не раскрыла.
Более того, Рен – типичная Сьюха. Большую часть жизни она провела в рысьем обличии, в нем же сражалась с нечистью, но она в мгновение ока самостоятельно разбирается, как пользоваться винтовкой и выкашивает мертвецов, а потом ей отдают единственный меч, способный убить Золотого дракона и возлагают эту миссию на неё. В принципе, почему бы и да? Что сложного в том, чтобы этой зубочисткой размахивать, правда? Распрекрасная пани ещё и влёт, абсолютно играючи, очаровывает Лешего и Бабу Ягу. Что и говорить, талантливый человек талантлив во всем.
Характеры второстепенных персонажей прописаны хуже: есть учёный-исследователь, есть просто любопытная смелая девушка и неоднозначный майор, и у каждого из них своя трагедия. Особенно у последнего. Мужчина с непростой судьбой, раскрываемой мимоходом, который вроде бы себе на уме, но никому зла не причинил, а его все сторонятся как чумного. Особенно было обидно за него, когда одна мамзель отказалась от его шинели. Зато потом хором стенали: «ах, мой милый друг!».
О тексте. Такое ощущение, что книгу особо не вычитывали. То в винтовке заканчиваются патроны, и ею приходится махать как дубинкой, то через минуту из неё же уже дают очередь по мертвечине. Мечи, покрытые кровью не ржавеют. Из какого адамантия они сделаны, что коррозии не боятся? Или в фентезийном мире Александры Росс коррозия не по канону?
Внутренние условия мира тоже не соблюдены: герои крестили толпу мавок, избавив тем самым их от незавидного существования, но большинство из них явно просроченные, больше семи лет по земле бродят, т.е. уже зло необратимое. Существо, у которого только зубы по два метра обычному человеку, оказывается, можно не напрягаясь поцеловать в лоб. Да и в целом присутствует шероховатость повествования, в котором некоторые события описаны отрывками и сперва воспринимаются как какой-нибудь ночной кошмар героя.
И хищники-вегетарианцы. Чем же они там питаются, простите за любопытство? Святым духом, или там у себя в волшебном лесу прелести фотосинтеза открыли? Наивность уровня Диснея.
Какое-то маленькое у них королевство - замок, лес, да деревня. И вообще система «королевство в королевстве» это реверанс в сторону Речи Посполитой?
В книге есть немного рассуждений о природе зла у человека, но она не раскрыта. То он [один из персонажей] прекрасен, потому что умер человеком, то он всё-таки ужасен, потому что вопреки всему зло расцвело. Финальная черта не подведена, нет завершающей мысли.
И конец очень выбивается из общего повествования. Если до этого все шло в минорной тональности и битва с драконом казалась последним ярким событием перед тем, как герои окажутся перед побитым корытом, то внезапно грянули фанфары и зазвучала музыка из Диснея и резко все стало хорошо. Об этом особо не говорится, но, видимо, люди быстро забыли, кого считали монстром и все стали жить дружно, как завещал кот Леопольд.
После такого перечня недостатков я сама удивилась, какую оценку хотела изначально поставить. Видимо, Лебединый трон настолько выбил меня из колеи, что даже посредственная работа кажется без малого шедевром. Но скажу и о плюсах: автор использовала много разномастной нечисти в книге (правда, в тех же драконах в книге разобралась, наверное, только автор, для меня они превратились в пернато-чешуйчатую мешанину); лес был достаточно интересным (правда, нам не объяснили, почему он такой одушевленный и склонный к игре в чехарду). Самый запоминающийся момент - посещение героями Зала Смокуви. Вот тут было что-то необычное и неизбитое, но как же этого мало. Какой-то славянской атмосферы я не почувствовала даже несмотря на то, что герои постоянно распивали водку (эй, товарищи! У нас пальму первенства отнимают!). Ну и язык неплох. Вернее, он не ужасен и не косноязычен, как у кое-кого, он совершенно стандартный. Но на безрыбье и рак камчатский краб, да?
Вот так и оказалось, что радость от книги, прочитанной за два дня, а не за несколько недель, улетучилась, и никакой дилеммы в оценивании больше нет. С учетом перечисленных недостатков можно было бы поставить оценку и ниже, но Лукаш был хорош. 3/5
Про героев. Повествование ведётся от двух людей. Лукаш – последний из Волчьих лордов, семьи драконоборцев, живущей в горах. Семнадцать лет назад он и его братья спустились к людям, чтобы спасать их от хлынувших полчищ драконов. Трагедия Лукаша в том, что за эти годы он потерял всех братьев и остался один в мире, так и не принявшем его. То ли автору удалось его лучше прописать, то ли наши темпераменты совпали, но главы от лица Лукаша было читать приятней всего, я понимала мотивацию его действий.
К Рен , главной героине, у меня куча вопросов. С самого начала она подаётся нам как девушка-оборотень, способная быть то рысью, то человеком, но абсолютно не относящаяся себя к презренному роду людскому. Более того, нам сразу заявляют (а потом постоянно повторяют), что она – королева леса. И если сначала я восприняла это отстранённо, то потом у меня пошли вопросы. Как она стала королевой? Она явно не из королевской рысьей семьи, иначе к ее названному брату обращались тоже по титулу. Тогда как она ею стала? Пришла, как бандюган в 90-х, выбрала территорию и решила крышевать местных за мзду? К сожалению, автор этот момент не раскрыла.
Более того, Рен – типичная Сьюха. Большую часть жизни она провела в рысьем обличии, в нем же сражалась с нечистью, но она в мгновение ока самостоятельно разбирается, как пользоваться винтовкой и выкашивает мертвецов, а потом ей отдают единственный меч, способный убить Золотого дракона и возлагают эту миссию на неё. В принципе, почему бы и да? Что сложного в том, чтобы этой зубочисткой размахивать, правда? Распрекрасная пани ещё и влёт, абсолютно играючи, очаровывает Лешего и Бабу Ягу. Что и говорить, талантливый человек талантлив во всем.
Характеры второстепенных персонажей прописаны хуже: есть учёный-исследователь, есть просто любопытная смелая девушка и неоднозначный майор, и у каждого из них своя трагедия. Особенно у последнего. Мужчина с непростой судьбой, раскрываемой мимоходом, который вроде бы себе на уме, но никому зла не причинил, а его все сторонятся как чумного. Особенно было обидно за него, когда одна мамзель отказалась от его шинели. Зато потом хором стенали: «ах, мой милый друг!».
О тексте. Такое ощущение, что книгу особо не вычитывали. То в винтовке заканчиваются патроны, и ею приходится махать как дубинкой, то через минуту из неё же уже дают очередь по мертвечине. Мечи, покрытые кровью не ржавеют. Из какого адамантия они сделаны, что коррозии не боятся? Или в фентезийном мире Александры Росс коррозия не по канону?
Внутренние условия мира тоже не соблюдены: герои крестили толпу мавок, избавив тем самым их от незавидного существования, но большинство из них явно просроченные, больше семи лет по земле бродят, т.е. уже зло необратимое. Существо, у которого только зубы по два метра обычному человеку, оказывается, можно не напрягаясь поцеловать в лоб. Да и в целом присутствует шероховатость повествования, в котором некоторые события описаны отрывками и сперва воспринимаются как какой-нибудь ночной кошмар героя.
И хищники-вегетарианцы. Чем же они там питаются, простите за любопытство? Святым духом, или там у себя в волшебном лесу прелести фотосинтеза открыли? Наивность уровня Диснея.
Какое-то маленькое у них королевство - замок, лес, да деревня. И вообще система «королевство в королевстве» это реверанс в сторону Речи Посполитой?
В книге есть немного рассуждений о природе зла у человека, но она не раскрыта. То он [один из персонажей] прекрасен, потому что умер человеком, то он всё-таки ужасен, потому что вопреки всему зло расцвело. Финальная черта не подведена, нет завершающей мысли.
И конец очень выбивается из общего повествования. Если до этого все шло в минорной тональности и битва с драконом казалась последним ярким событием перед тем, как герои окажутся перед побитым корытом, то внезапно грянули фанфары и зазвучала музыка из Диснея и резко все стало хорошо. Об этом особо не говорится, но, видимо, люди быстро забыли, кого считали монстром и все стали жить дружно, как завещал кот Леопольд.
После такого перечня недостатков я сама удивилась, какую оценку хотела изначально поставить. Видимо, Лебединый трон настолько выбил меня из колеи, что даже посредственная работа кажется без малого шедевром. Но скажу и о плюсах: автор использовала много разномастной нечисти в книге (правда, в тех же драконах в книге разобралась, наверное, только автор, для меня они превратились в пернато-чешуйчатую мешанину); лес был достаточно интересным (правда, нам не объяснили, почему он такой одушевленный и склонный к игре в чехарду). Самый запоминающийся момент - посещение героями Зала Смокуви. Вот тут было что-то необычное и неизбитое, но как же этого мало. Какой-то славянской атмосферы я не почувствовала даже несмотря на то, что герои постоянно распивали водку (эй, товарищи! У нас пальму первенства отнимают!). Ну и язык неплох. Вернее, он не ужасен и не косноязычен, как у кое-кого, он совершенно стандартный. Но на безрыбье и рак камчатский краб, да?
Вот так и оказалось, что радость от книги, прочитанной за два дня, а не за несколько недель, улетучилась, и никакой дилеммы в оценивании больше нет. С учетом перечисленных недостатков можно было бы поставить оценку и ниже, но Лукаш был хорош. 3/5
January 21, 2022
3.5 stars
This should be a five star read. Why?
Because of the strong plot that interwoves Polish folklore so seamlessly in a great story with amazing characters.
And because the writing style is pretty much perfect.
So many characters (and yes, I'm thinking about the ten brothers) and I was invested in them all; sure, some more than others, but they grow on you, LOL
The siblings relationship was heartbreaking to read. Both of them. The wolf-lord one with his brothers. And the one of Ren and Rhys.
The romance... well since I've turned into a love grinch, lol, I wouldn't have minded if it had taken a lit bit longer... like, by the end of the book? ;)
LOL I'm being mean, because this is a very quiet romance, so what I'm saying may give readers other ideas, but that was what I felt.
Ren is after all, different. So, a little more time between the "I'm going to kill you" to "I like him" would have been nice.
Even though Baba Jaga agrees that he's a handsome devil, or something of the type.
But she also says:
“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.”
Right?! This! This was what I wanted and less mooning over Lucasz!
Yes, she's seventeen but she had been living mostly as a lynx until he came around!
About what happens in this story, well there some dark moments. Very dark ones.
There's a character that and then the author completely destroys him.
I hated that. Not because of the fact that he dies (well, other author, would probably give him a spin-off!), but because something worse happens to him _YES, I KNOW!_ and oh, look there goes all character development... because he was "bad at heart" or something of the type.
Really lame, hated it. Heartbreaking and gruesome to read what happens to him.
And then what finally sealed this story rating: the last part, that follows the magical mountain fairytale or something of the sort? The glass mountains and the gold apples?
Yeah, that should have beendeleted .
That was some bullshit!
Also, apparently I'm stupider that I thought I was, because most of what happens next, doesn't make any sense to me!
That's some ex-deus machina bs to happen!
Didn't like it, basically I felt that it was idiotic and that none of that should've happen. *stops yelling*
This should be a five star read. Why?
Because of the strong plot that interwoves Polish folklore so seamlessly in a great story with amazing characters.
And because the writing style is pretty much perfect.
So many characters (and yes, I'm thinking about the ten brothers) and I was invested in them all; sure, some more than others, but they grow on you, LOL
The siblings relationship was heartbreaking to read. Both of them. The wolf-lord one with his brothers. And the one of Ren and Rhys.
The romance... well since I've turned into a love grinch, lol, I wouldn't have minded if it had taken a lit bit longer... like, by the end of the book? ;)
LOL I'm being mean, because this is a very quiet romance, so what I'm saying may give readers other ideas, but that was what I felt.
Ren is after all, different. So, a little more time between the "I'm going to kill you" to "I like him" would have been nice.
Even though Baba Jaga agrees that he's a handsome devil, or something of the type.
But she also says:
“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.”
Right?! This! This was what I wanted and less mooning over Lucasz!
Yes, she's seventeen but she had been living mostly as a lynx until he came around!
About what happens in this story, well there some dark moments. Very dark ones.
There's a character that and then the author completely destroys him.
I hated that. Not because of the fact that he dies (well, other author, would probably give him a spin-off!), but because something worse happens to him _YES, I KNOW!_ and oh, look there goes all character development... because he was "bad at heart" or something of the type.
Really lame, hated it. Heartbreaking and gruesome to read what happens to him.
And then what finally sealed this story rating: the last part, that follows the magical mountain fairytale or something of the sort? The glass mountains and the gold apples?
Yeah, that should have been
That was some bullshit!
Also, apparently I'm stupider that I thought I was, because most of what happens next, doesn't make any sense to me!
That's some ex-deus machina bs to happen!
Didn't like it, basically I felt that it was idiotic and that none of that should've happen. *stops yelling*
Read
February 18, 2020okay but enemies-to-lovers will never not entice me.
RTC!
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
A huge thank you to HarperTeen for the e-ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
RTC!
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
A huge thank you to HarperTeen for the e-ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
May 18, 2021
I truly believed, in the very depths of my soul, that this was going to be 5 stars. The writing in this is absolutely gorgeous. I mean just brilliant in its imagery and how well it creates atmosphere. Aleksandra Ross can put a sentence together like a prodigy, I'm on the FLOOR by how incredible her prose is.
The story, however, is so boring I could've used the book as a pillow. It kills me to say that, because I wanted so desperately to love this. However, when you pair a meandering journey narrative with Ross's incredible imagery, you end up with a lot of pretty pictures that don't really line up. I never quite understood why anything was happening to the characters, or why the characters were doing certain things. This novel was a beautiful painting, but I didn't understand what it was supposed to portray.
Every part of me wants to give this at least 3 stars because you just cannot beat Ross's writing, but this book put me in such a reading slump that I can't justify it.
The story, however, is so boring I could've used the book as a pillow. It kills me to say that, because I wanted so desperately to love this. However, when you pair a meandering journey narrative with Ross's incredible imagery, you end up with a lot of pretty pictures that don't really line up. I never quite understood why anything was happening to the characters, or why the characters were doing certain things. This novel was a beautiful painting, but I didn't understand what it was supposed to portray.
Every part of me wants to give this at least 3 stars because you just cannot beat Ross's writing, but this book put me in such a reading slump that I can't justify it.
Want to read
May 31, 2018POLISH FOLKLORE!!!!! 2020 can‘t come fast enough
July 18, 2020
Everything about this - the world, the characters - was absolutely lovely. And yet, I haven't been more bored reading a book in a long time.
Review to come // 3 stars
Review to come // 3 stars
January 10, 2022
I have no idea what to say about this book. The plot and characters were amazing, and if it weren't for the creatures/monsters and the negative content (profanity and violence), it would be five stars all the way. I certainly enjoyed it - more than Shadow and Bone, approximately the same as Holly Black's The Cruel Prince trilogy, less than Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword. (All three of those are fairly comparable to Don't Call the Wolf, and I'd recommend this book to their fans.)
The romance was very well done - no love triangle, and no clear cliche trope in use - and I want to see more of this kind of romance in YA fiction, especially fantasy. I loved the main characters, Ren and Lukasz. It's pronounced Loo-kash, by the way. (As per the author's pronunciation guide at the end, she changed the L from how it would commonly be pronounced, Ł, which is pronounced as W. Woo-kash.)
The characters were very well done. The two MC's motivations were perfect for the story, and everyone else had such conflicting reasons to be in the forest that I had no idea who I was supposed to like/hate for almost the entire story. Is that a bad thing? I don't know. It kind of depends.
The plot was intriguing and full of action. So full of action that I lost track of everything that was happening multiple times! The narrator shifted perspective fairly often, and there's also a sort-of-second storyline going on with Lukasz's flashbacks.
As for the worldbuilding - I'm not going to lump the monsters in with this category - it was pretty cool. I was a little confused about the geography of the kingdoms, because there's three main realms: the castle and the village, the forest, and the rest of the kingdom (ruled by King Nikodem). But it doesn't matter too much, as all three kingdoms get along in relative peace, especially at the end.
The world in and of itself is really cool. The author does an excellent job of describing the forest and conveying just how creepy everything is in this story. (I wouldn't call it scary; definitely creepy. This book isn't for the fainthearted.) Her world is magical, but not all of it is the good kind.
And that brings me to the monsters. I really don't know what to say about these. Apparently they're based on Polish mythology? Which explains the strange names? My main concern with them is the spiritual kind. So I guess I don't love the Polish mythology. Anyways, the monsters were incredibly creepy. And frightening. They were my least favorite part of this entire book, even though they're kind of the point.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to mature YA readers. It was pretty good.
Content: violence, profanity, and super creepy monsters. Lots of super creepy monsters.
The romance was very well done - no love triangle, and no clear cliche trope in use - and I want to see more of this kind of romance in YA fiction, especially fantasy. I loved the main characters, Ren and Lukasz. It's pronounced Loo-kash, by the way. (As per the author's pronunciation guide at the end, she changed the L from how it would commonly be pronounced, Ł, which is pronounced as W. Woo-kash.)
The characters were very well done. The two MC's motivations were perfect for the story, and everyone else had such conflicting reasons to be in the forest that I had no idea who I was supposed to like/hate for almost the entire story. Is that a bad thing? I don't know. It kind of depends.
The plot was intriguing and full of action. So full of action that I lost track of everything that was happening multiple times! The narrator shifted perspective fairly often, and there's also a sort-of-second storyline going on with Lukasz's flashbacks.
As for the worldbuilding - I'm not going to lump the monsters in with this category - it was pretty cool. I was a little confused about the geography of the kingdoms, because there's three main realms: the castle and the village, the forest, and the rest of the kingdom (ruled by King Nikodem). But it doesn't matter too much, as all three kingdoms get along in relative peace, especially at the end.
The world in and of itself is really cool. The author does an excellent job of describing the forest and conveying just how creepy everything is in this story. (I wouldn't call it scary; definitely creepy. This book isn't for the fainthearted.) Her world is magical, but not all of it is the good kind.
And that brings me to the monsters. I really don't know what to say about these. Apparently they're based on Polish mythology? Which explains the strange names? My main concern with them is the spiritual kind. So I guess I don't love the Polish mythology. Anyways, the monsters were incredibly creepy. And frightening. They were my least favorite part of this entire book, even though they're kind of the point.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to mature YA readers. It was pretty good.
Content: violence, profanity, and super creepy monsters. Lots of super creepy monsters.
April 15, 2020
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
In Don't Call the Wolf, I really liked the world building. There's dragons, which are always an instant-win for me, but also other Eastern European folklore creatures such as rusalkas and Baba Yaga. Told in dual POV, Don't Call the Wolf examines loyalty and family. There are questions of our origin and those who have been led astray. Unfortunately, the romance felt too disjointed and I was left with more questions than answers.
Thematically I enjoyed some of the questions Don't Call the Wolf asks - are we truly the monsters we think we are? And the world building was fabulous, but the chapters delving into the past were confusing at first and at the end of the day I felt like I had a better sense of Lukasz than Ren. For the majority of the book I was reading because of the world, but I wasn't sure what was happening in the plot. By the time more things start occurring, I was left with many questions as well.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
In Don't Call the Wolf, I really liked the world building. There's dragons, which are always an instant-win for me, but also other Eastern European folklore creatures such as rusalkas and Baba Yaga. Told in dual POV, Don't Call the Wolf examines loyalty and family. There are questions of our origin and those who have been led astray. Unfortunately, the romance felt too disjointed and I was left with more questions than answers.
Thematically I enjoyed some of the questions Don't Call the Wolf asks - are we truly the monsters we think we are? And the world building was fabulous, but the chapters delving into the past were confusing at first and at the end of the day I felt like I had a better sense of Lukasz than Ren. For the majority of the book I was reading because of the world, but I wasn't sure what was happening in the plot. By the time more things start occurring, I was left with many questions as well.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
Want to read
June 6, 2018This is Polish folklore and my heritage is Polish so super interested! Hope it's good! The premise sounds intriguing.
dnf
May 9, 2020Really sad about this DNF both because I was really into it for the first 20% or so and because I read almost 300 pages, but I've gotten to the point where I dread having to read more because I swear nothing has happened in at least 100 pages.
There's a lot that's great about Don't Call the Wolf: the writing, the world, and some really creative fantasy elements. What was needed was some pruning. There are too many elements going on, so the book feels scattered, and there's not enough time spent developing the characters that actually matter because so many unimportant characters get introduced. I gave up when I hit the Leszy, a magic bear god thing that mostly reminds me of Tom Bombadil in the amount that it's not needed, aside from the fact that it has all of the answers very conveniently.
I also agree with most of the reviews, even the positive ones, that the romance is a massive detriment to this book. Ren and Lukasz are inexplicably drawn together but have absolutely zero chemistry. The book keeps trying to make it happen, and it's painful.
There's enough that I liked about Ross' debut that I will definitely try her next book if the plot sounds fun. In fact, I place some of the blame for this on the editor, because wow this needed to be edited down.
There's a lot that's great about Don't Call the Wolf: the writing, the world, and some really creative fantasy elements. What was needed was some pruning. There are too many elements going on, so the book feels scattered, and there's not enough time spent developing the characters that actually matter because so many unimportant characters get introduced. I gave up when I hit the Leszy, a magic bear god thing that mostly reminds me of Tom Bombadil in the amount that it's not needed, aside from the fact that it has all of the answers very conveniently.
I also agree with most of the reviews, even the positive ones, that the romance is a massive detriment to this book. Ren and Lukasz are inexplicably drawn together but have absolutely zero chemistry. The book keeps trying to make it happen, and it's painful.
There's enough that I liked about Ross' debut that I will definitely try her next book if the plot sounds fun. In fact, I place some of the blame for this on the editor, because wow this needed to be edited down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2020
Ok so first it has the word Wolf in the title so I had to read it.
Second, it's inspired by Polish Mythology (Love anything Slavic) and it was written like a fairy tale (in my opinion).
Third, it has shapeshifting AND a Human-Lynx shifter Queen.
I loved so many things in this book especially the writing style, which in my opinion was the strongest part of this book. The weakest being the plot (weird uh?). But just because the ending felt rushed.
But I looooved all the Slavic folklore aspects in the story such a Baba Yaga for instance! The flashbacks kept me intrigued (flashbacks from one of the character's brothers who have all disappeared). It was really well done as it really kept me on the edge and wanting to know more.
Second, it's inspired by Polish Mythology (Love anything Slavic) and it was written like a fairy tale (in my opinion).
Third, it has shapeshifting AND a Human-Lynx shifter Queen.
I loved so many things in this book especially the writing style, which in my opinion was the strongest part of this book. The weakest being the plot (weird uh?). But just because the ending felt rushed.
But I looooved all the Slavic folklore aspects in the story such a Baba Yaga for instance! The flashbacks kept me intrigued (flashbacks from one of the character's brothers who have all disappeared). It was really well done as it really kept me on the edge and wanting to know more.
November 4, 2021
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed it. I loved most of it. I was a little jarred by the happy ending , it felt a little out of place or otherwise I would have given it 5 stars. I’m pretty confused by the other negative reviews. I’m not sure we read the same book.
I think she is a great writer and her next books will be even better as she grows as a writer.
I really enjoyed it. I loved most of it. I was a little jarred by the happy ending , it felt a little out of place or otherwise I would have given it 5 stars. I’m pretty confused by the other negative reviews. I’m not sure we read the same book.
I think she is a great writer and her next books will be even better as she grows as a writer.
tbr-unreleased
August 15, 2019Thank you HarperCollins and HarperTeen for the ARC.
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Blog | Twitter | Instagram | BlogLovin’
May 4, 2020
3.75/5
This was more romance than action which isn't what I was expecting or TOTALLY wanting (which caused my brain to drift off a few times) but I actually enjoyed this. The main character and the romantic interest were definitely likable characters and I enjoyed their backstories.
This was more romance than action which isn't what I was expecting or TOTALLY wanting (which caused my brain to drift off a few times) but I actually enjoyed this. The main character and the romantic interest were definitely likable characters and I enjoyed their backstories.
May 22, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3,5 stars
August 7, 2020
3.5 stars
March 7, 2020
I adored this gorgeous fantasy novel. It feels like a fairytale, but one of the original versions, with truly scary monsters and lots of bloodshed. It also feels like a unique fantasy quest novel, again one that is dark and devious. I loved the characters and loved how they oh so slowly came to like each other and learn to work together. I loved the twist at the end. I loved the magic, the monsters and the evil the characters must face, which brings them all together. But most of all, I loved the world that has been build and the beautiful, descriptive writing that ties it all together and brings it to life.
Ren is Queen of the Forest. With her lynx family and wolf friends, she tries to stave off the ever encroaching press of monsters and darkness that seeks to suck the life out of the forest. They must also avoid humans, who don’t understand them and who cause more harm than good. Lukasz, the youngest of ten brothers is now alone, the last of the Wolf-Lords to traverse the world, fighting monsters and evil. The brothers were exiled from their homeland after the Golden Dragon arrived and over the years, each of the brothers has felt the call to return and try and take their home back from the dragon. Now Lukasz must also return. But as he and Ren reluctantly join forces, they realise their goals are not so different from the other’s.
Ren is a queen. She has the ability to turn from girl to lynx and back again. This power helps her fight back the monsters that ravage her forest. She is strong, kind but a fierce leader. Lukasz, for all his Wolf-Lord glory is vulnerable. Alone, missing his brothers and injured. Ren seems an unlikely ally. But, he needs her. She needs him. He just hasn’t told her that he won’t be able to deliver on his promise. They hardly see eye to eye and never agree to anything and have to start over so many times and yet for all that they make a great team. It was so wonderful to watch them grow closer, to have to trust each other. Theirs is a slow, quiet romance, but it was the perfect addition to the story.
Through short flashback chapters, we readers also get to know Lukasz’ brothers and a bit of their history and travels since leaving their mountains.
While this book is a complete story and the perfect standalone (love that in a fantasy novel), I’d love to return to the world created here and can’t wait to see what Aleksandra Ross writes next.
Each time I put this book down I was very eager to pick it back up again. The world captured between the pages, while scary and I’m not sure I’d like to live there, was enchanting and somewhere I was very happy to return (so long as I didn’t have to actually be here, facing those monsters myself.)
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to share it with our library’s fantasy fans.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
Ren is Queen of the Forest. With her lynx family and wolf friends, she tries to stave off the ever encroaching press of monsters and darkness that seeks to suck the life out of the forest. They must also avoid humans, who don’t understand them and who cause more harm than good. Lukasz, the youngest of ten brothers is now alone, the last of the Wolf-Lords to traverse the world, fighting monsters and evil. The brothers were exiled from their homeland after the Golden Dragon arrived and over the years, each of the brothers has felt the call to return and try and take their home back from the dragon. Now Lukasz must also return. But as he and Ren reluctantly join forces, they realise their goals are not so different from the other’s.
Ren is a queen. She has the ability to turn from girl to lynx and back again. This power helps her fight back the monsters that ravage her forest. She is strong, kind but a fierce leader. Lukasz, for all his Wolf-Lord glory is vulnerable. Alone, missing his brothers and injured. Ren seems an unlikely ally. But, he needs her. She needs him. He just hasn’t told her that he won’t be able to deliver on his promise. They hardly see eye to eye and never agree to anything and have to start over so many times and yet for all that they make a great team. It was so wonderful to watch them grow closer, to have to trust each other. Theirs is a slow, quiet romance, but it was the perfect addition to the story.
Through short flashback chapters, we readers also get to know Lukasz’ brothers and a bit of their history and travels since leaving their mountains.
While this book is a complete story and the perfect standalone (love that in a fantasy novel), I’d love to return to the world created here and can’t wait to see what Aleksandra Ross writes next.
Each time I put this book down I was very eager to pick it back up again. The world captured between the pages, while scary and I’m not sure I’d like to live there, was enchanting and somewhere I was very happy to return (so long as I didn’t have to actually be here, facing those monsters myself.)
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to share it with our library’s fantasy fans.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
February 19, 2025
4.5
"For under those silver bones, among those forgotten heartbeats, beneath that bewitching spell, even then, Ren felt like they were the only people left alive.
And in that moment, in that place: they were."
*clears throat* AAAAAAAAAA, what?!? That ending was so unexpected!!! I'm not gonna lie I didn't know ANYTHING about Polish folklore before this book and I had no idea what to expect but this, this treasure, succeeded every expectation I may have had. *chef's kiss* it was beautiful. Everything was great from the world building to the characters to the plot and the writing style. Tho seriously, I love her writing style. Omgosh. 💕
The only thing I had a minor issue with was sometimes I would have to re-read things bc they got confusing and while this didn't take a way from the story as a whole it did happen more than once.
Basically, if she writes another book, I'll be reading it!!
**
OVERVIEW
"When the Golden Dragon descended on the forest of Kamiena, a horde of monsters followed in its wake.
Ren, the forest’s young queen, is slowly losing her battle against them. Until she rescues Lukasz—the last survivor of a heroic regiment of dragon slayers—and they strike a deal. She will help him find his brother, who vanished into her forest… if Lukasz promises to slay the Dragon.
But promises are all too easily broken."
POSITIVE ELEMENTS
Strong messages of good vs evil and being a light in the darkness.
SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS
Lots of magic and monsters. Mentions of gods and prayers.
VIOLENCE
Lots of battles and death (semi-detailed). Fighting with swords and guns. A few scenes were people have to get stitches (semi-detailed). The Wolf-Lords fight dragons. Fire, burns, injury, talk of death (semi-detailed). Lots of contemplation of death and loss. The monsters are kinda scary (lots of them started as humans).
SEXUAL CONTENT
A few kisses. Sexual tension and touching (not inappropriate).
LANGUAGE
"D--n" and "h--l" said throughout the books. "Bullsh-t" and "goddd--n" said a few times.
DRUGS/ALCOHOL
Poison. Alcohol is drunk and some people get tipsy/drunk. A man has to drink whiskey to numb pain while he gets stitches.
OTHER NOTES
Great story. The monster aspect may be a little much for younger readers. Recommended 14+ for violence and language.
**
~Happy Reading~
"For under those silver bones, among those forgotten heartbeats, beneath that bewitching spell, even then, Ren felt like they were the only people left alive.
And in that moment, in that place: they were."
*clears throat* AAAAAAAAAA, what?!? That ending was so unexpected!!! I'm not gonna lie I didn't know ANYTHING about Polish folklore before this book and I had no idea what to expect but this, this treasure, succeeded every expectation I may have had. *chef's kiss* it was beautiful. Everything was great from the world building to the characters to the plot and the writing style. Tho seriously, I love her writing style. Omgosh. 💕
The only thing I had a minor issue with was sometimes I would have to re-read things bc they got confusing and while this didn't take a way from the story as a whole it did happen more than once.
Basically, if she writes another book, I'll be reading it!!
**
OVERVIEW
"When the Golden Dragon descended on the forest of Kamiena, a horde of monsters followed in its wake.
Ren, the forest’s young queen, is slowly losing her battle against them. Until she rescues Lukasz—the last survivor of a heroic regiment of dragon slayers—and they strike a deal. She will help him find his brother, who vanished into her forest… if Lukasz promises to slay the Dragon.
But promises are all too easily broken."
POSITIVE ELEMENTS
Strong messages of good vs evil and being a light in the darkness.
SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS
Lots of magic and monsters. Mentions of gods and prayers.
VIOLENCE
Lots of battles and death (semi-detailed). Fighting with swords and guns. A few scenes were people have to get stitches (semi-detailed). The Wolf-Lords fight dragons. Fire, burns, injury, talk of death (semi-detailed). Lots of contemplation of death and loss. The monsters are kinda scary (lots of them started as humans).
SEXUAL CONTENT
A few kisses. Sexual tension and touching (not inappropriate).
LANGUAGE
"D--n" and "h--l" said throughout the books. "Bullsh-t" and "goddd--n" said a few times.
DRUGS/ALCOHOL
Poison. Alcohol is drunk and some people get tipsy/drunk. A man has to drink whiskey to numb pain while he gets stitches.
OTHER NOTES
Great story. The monster aspect may be a little much for younger readers. Recommended 14+ for violence and language.
**
~Happy Reading~
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