Whatever lengths we travel, Lukasz, whatever worlds we visit: we shall be buried in the shadow of the Mountains, beneath the blessings of wolves. We are heirs to gold and fire, baptized under ice, destined to inherit a tradition as ancient as the hills themselves. The fairy tale that made this story so captivating at the start eventually became a crutch for glazing over conflicts with the wave of a wand.įor a thousand years, our people have run with wolves and slain dragons.

Sure, this is a fairy tale, but it’s also a novel: this is a medium that gives the author space to delve into characters and plots. Instead, the story is glazing over the details of some characters’ motivations and events. You’re no longer looking upon the world in wonder.

However, there are some points (especially in the latter half of the book) when the magic loses its sparkle. This is the classic fairy tale forest on another level, and it’s amazing. Ross is able to convey the beautiful monstrosity of the forest. The world of Don’t the Call the Wolf is brimming with strange new creatures. She will help him find his brother, who vanished into her forest… if Lukasz promises to slay the Dragon. Until she rescues Lukasz-the last survivor of a heroic regiment of dragon slayers-and they strike a deal. Ren, the forest’s young queen, is slowly losing her battle against them. When the Golden Dragon descended on the forest of Kamiena, a horde of monsters followed in its wake.

I’m definitely going to pick up whatever she releases next because damn, I’m in love with her prose.ĭon’t the Call the Wof is a retelling of the Polish fairy tale The Glass Mountain (I was able to find an online version of it here, but full disclosure: I’m not well versed in Polish folk tales).

The issues that I found in Don’t Call the Wolf’s plot and character development are things that I believe Ross will be able to improve upon in the future. I’m so excited that Ross’ writing is already a standout in her debut novel. This is the first book where I can say that I absolutely loved the author’s writing style enough to still enjoy the book despite my issues with the plot and some characters. The trees curled around each other like lovers, tangled overhead like beasts at war, it was as if any sunlight that found its way down here was trapped forever.Īleksandra Ross’ prose perfectly evokes the magic of fairy tales haunted by ghosts and bizarre creatures. Thank you to Harper Collins and Edelweiss+ for providing us with a free advanced reader copy

Don't Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross