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ariel_reads's review against another edition
4.0
This was an excellent fairytale-inspired retelling with a prominent queer romance. I loved reading this in winter-- being able to cozy up and read this book while imagining the snowy Siberian landscape was a lovely feeling. The characters feel as though they guide the story; they are each very distinctive and the various narrative tones switch well between each point of view. I wish we had some of Pyotra's brother's perspective prior to the second half of the book, but overall it worked. The plot itself moves along quickly, but the end seems to get a little squished with some new added perspectives that I feel only existed to move the plot along without much further depth. 3.5 rounded up to a 4 stars due to a slight rushed feeling in the second act. Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read, and I'll definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy fairytale retellings, queer romances, and quick adventure reads. I'll be posting a review of this on my instagram page as the publishing date draws a little closer. Some content notes to be aware of: animal death, on-page details of sex, kidnapping, confinement, violence, blood, and gore. A huge thank you to Netgalley and NineStar Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
pamelausai's review against another edition
3.0
Holst really thought : I'm going to take a classic, Russian fairytale but I'm going to retell it with queer characters and a no-holds barred look at femininity. AND GUESS WHAT. THEY DID. THEY THOUGHT THAT AND THEN DID IT.
"Pyotra and the Wolf" is a sapphic retelling of the Russian symphonic classic, "Peter and the Wolf". Pyotra, the titular character, lives in Northern Siberia, and an encounter on the tundra between her brother Sergei and a wandering female wolf suddenly turns her otherwise idle life upside down. Save for the pacing at the beginning, there are three main things I really enjoyed reading this novel.
1) SETTING. I love, love setting, and once Holst established the snow-frosted trees and bitingly cold snowy winds of the Siberian tundra, we never left. Holst then further infuses the Siberian tiaga with the Russian diminutives, phrases, and the rich folklore that is woven throughout the relationships between characters.
2. YES to representation. In addition to a f/f relationship firmly in the spotlight, Holst's novel also features an m/m relationship. Pyotra and Volk's relationship in particular was well-developed - and the SMUT IN THIS NOVEL. That's all I'm going to say...
3. This point is more personal - women are not held to a hyper-idealized standard in this novel. And that includes the navigation of certain bodily functions. I can count on one hand that number of times menstruation has been addressed AND candidly discussed in contemporary fiction. So thank you, Holst, for including an initially awkward but ultimately endearing exchange, where periods are normalized between the fictional couple.
Recommended for the Winternight trilogy meets Hunger Games #vibes.
Thank you to Elna Holst, Nine Star Press, and PrideBookTours for a #gifted copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
"Pyotra and the Wolf" is a sapphic retelling of the Russian symphonic classic, "Peter and the Wolf". Pyotra, the titular character, lives in Northern Siberia, and an encounter on the tundra between her brother Sergei and a wandering female wolf suddenly turns her otherwise idle life upside down. Save for the pacing at the beginning, there are three main things I really enjoyed reading this novel.
1) SETTING. I love, love setting, and once Holst established the snow-frosted trees and bitingly cold snowy winds of the Siberian tundra, we never left. Holst then further infuses the Siberian tiaga with the Russian diminutives, phrases, and the rich folklore that is woven throughout the relationships between characters.
2. YES to representation. In addition to a f/f relationship firmly in the spotlight, Holst's novel also features an m/m relationship. Pyotra and Volk's relationship in particular was well-developed - and the SMUT IN THIS NOVEL. That's all I'm going to say...
3. This point is more personal - women are not held to a hyper-idealized standard in this novel. And that includes the navigation of certain bodily functions. I can count on one hand that number of times menstruation has been addressed AND candidly discussed in contemporary fiction. So thank you, Holst, for including an initially awkward but ultimately endearing exchange, where periods are normalized between the fictional couple.
Recommended for the Winternight trilogy meets Hunger Games #vibes.
Thank you to Elna Holst, Nine Star Press, and PrideBookTours for a #gifted copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
raychelbennet's review against another edition
I'm not going to rate this one. I skimmed the last 40% to get the plot and understand the story, but overall this one just wasn't personally for me. Because of that, I feel like it would be unfair for me to rate it. I think a lot of people would like it and I really enjoyed the queer Peter and the Wolf retelling aspect. I just didn't expect it to be like...werewolf erotica. Just not for me!
geminipenguin's review
2.0
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had high hopes for this book a queer retelling of a fairy tale? Sign me up! But for me this one fell a little short of expectation. It was so slow to start, but I held out because some of the scenery was good and I wanted to see how this particular author handled the wolf reveal. I figured once Pyotra knew the wolf she was hunting was a shifter things would get more interesting - and they did for a while. The sex scene was okay and I think for the situation Volk and Pyotra had pretty good chemistry.
Around the 60% mark this just fell for me. It felt like things slowed down I just wasn't that invested in the characters. All the new perspectives threw me for a loop and made this hard to follow. I mean, I understood bringing the perspective of 'Volk's cub,' but beyond that I could've done without them. So, I ended up DNFing this book 3/4 of the way through. I'm giving it two stars, because I really liked Volk's character.
I had high hopes for this book a queer retelling of a fairy tale? Sign me up! But for me this one fell a little short of expectation. It was so slow to start, but I held out because some of the scenery was good and I wanted to see how this particular author handled the wolf reveal. I figured once Pyotra knew the wolf she was hunting was a shifter things would get more interesting - and they did for a while. The sex scene was okay and I think for the situation Volk and Pyotra had pretty good chemistry.
Around the 60% mark this just fell for me. It felt like things slowed down I just wasn't that invested in the characters. All the new perspectives threw me for a loop and made this hard to follow. I mean, I understood bringing the perspective of 'Volk's cub,' but beyond that I could've done without them. So, I ended up DNFing this book 3/4 of the way through. I'm giving it two stars, because I really liked Volk's character.
queerbillydeluxe's review
4.0
This was a really interesting take on Peter and the Wolf. The relationship and sex were both well done, but the ending seemed rushed. I could have done without the part with the brother though. I wanted a whole book just about Pyotra and Evane.
kaiablackbeak's review
3.0
3.5 stars
I didn’t expect where this book went. Based on the description, I should’ve probably figured out that this was a werewolf story, but I didn’t, and I certainly didn’t expect it to be set in the present day, and not a few hundred years ago like I’m used to. I debated rating this 3 or 4 stars, but eventually settled on 3.5 because while I read it very quickly and did enjoy it, it was very confusing in many parts of the book.
The characters were all very fun, and I loved that it was a sapphic werewolf book, and full of queer characters, but it was very fast paced, and could’ve slowed down a bit.
The book opens up right at the conflict, with Pyotra’s younger brother being bitten by a wolf, specifically a werewolf, and Pyotra’s flight to hunt and kill the wolf. It shifts with the second part of the book, introducing new characters, and opens up pretty confusingly.
I found the ending was very rushed, and could have been done slower. There wasn’t anything of Pyotra and Volk arriving to where Pyotra’s little brother was, saving him, and leaving. In the perspective of another character, they arrive, the chapter ends, and everyone is out and safe. I would’ve liked a little more in the epilogue showing Volk’s new pack, rather than abruptly ending and letting us infer what would eventually happen.
I didn’t expect where this book went. Based on the description, I should’ve probably figured out that this was a werewolf story, but I didn’t, and I certainly didn’t expect it to be set in the present day, and not a few hundred years ago like I’m used to. I debated rating this 3 or 4 stars, but eventually settled on 3.5 because while I read it very quickly and did enjoy it, it was very confusing in many parts of the book.
The characters were all very fun, and I loved that it was a sapphic werewolf book, and full of queer characters, but it was very fast paced, and could’ve slowed down a bit.
The book opens up right at the conflict, with Pyotra’s younger brother being bitten by a wolf, specifically a werewolf, and Pyotra’s flight to hunt and kill the wolf. It shifts with the second part of the book, introducing new characters, and opens up pretty confusingly.
I found the ending was very rushed, and could have been done slower. There wasn’t anything of Pyotra and Volk arriving to where Pyotra’s little brother was, saving him, and leaving. In the perspective of another character, they arrive, the chapter ends, and everyone is out and safe. I would’ve liked a little more in the epilogue showing Volk’s new pack, rather than abruptly ending and letting us infer what would eventually happen.
leahsbooks's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.0
So let me start this by saying I have no idea what led me to think that this was going to be a YA book, but it most certainly was NOT. It’s a queer retelling of Peter and the Wolf, but the beginning gave me some serious The Bear and the Nightingale vibes. It’s set in Siberia, and it was the perfect winter story to read while sipping a hot cup of tea while wrapped in a fuzzy blanket.
A chance encounter between Pyotra’s little brother and a tundra wolf sets off a chain reaction with massive consequences for the whole family. Pyotra winds up going after the wolf and playing a game of cat and mouse in the first part of the book, except that it isn’t exactly clear who is the cat and who is the mouse. And Volk, the wolf, isn’t what she appears to be either.
I loved how the perspective shifted between Pyotra and Volk. It kept me from getting bored, even though there wasn’t a ton of action. I still found it intriguing and seeing how their characters interacted. There were some graphic sexual scenes in the story, so be prepared! I wasn’t expecting it, but the queer romance was well-developed and slow-burning.
The second part of the story shifts perspective to that of Pyotra’s brother Sergei. I was truly invested in the story by this time, and was super curious about what was going on with him. But in the third (and final) part of the story, there were some additional POVs added. I didn’t get to know these characters as well, so I wasn’t as invested in them. Those characters and the ending itself all felt a bit rushed, but all in all, I enjoyed the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Cancer
kate401's review
reflective
slow-paced
3.25
<strong>A very, very, very, <em>very</em> steamy sapphic retelling of <em>Peter and the Wolf</em>, with an odd second half.</strong>
<strong>The Good</strong>
– Sympathetic lead
– Descriptive, lyrical prose
– Strong opening chapters
– Nenets / Siberian Indigenous rep
– Lots of steamy sex scenes
– Strong characterization
– Strong setting descriptions
<strong>
The Bad</strong>
– <em>Lots</em> of reiterating
– Slow first section
– Uneven pacing
– Second half feels completely different from first
<em>(I received an advanced copy of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56645899-pyotra-and-the-wolf">Pyotra and the Wolf</a> in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Elna Holst and NineStar Press for this opportunity!)</em>
<strong>Story</strong>—★★☆☆☆ (2.5 Stars)
Wolves orphaned Pyotra. First, a pack of wolves killed her mother. Then, her father drank himself to death in his grief, leaving Pyotra to raise her young brother and care for her blind, ageing grandfather alone. When she finds Sergei in the jaws of a wolf, Pyotra decides the wolf must die, even if it saved her brother. A wolf who’s tasted human blood cannot be left alive. So, Pyotra sets out, trailing the strange wolf through frigid weather toward the tundra.
The first few chapters establishing Pyotra’s situation and launching her on the wolf’s trail are rock solid. However, the next section drags. Pyotra and Volk (the wolf), only have fleeting interactions as they travel, and Volk doesn’t talk for most of them, which means we spend a lot of time alone with one or the other and their inner monologue. It’s a lot of thinking about how fantastic the other one smells or how unusual she is. Then they meet, realize Pyotra has left a potential crisis at home, head back, fall in love very fast, and then the plot changes entirely. Now there's a kidnapping and a creepy billionaire. Logically, the complication makes sense, and I enjoyed the upping of the stakes. But the switch from sapphic werewolf sex to an unhinged rich guy and his flaccid member is, uh, <em>jarring</em>.
<em>Pyotra and the Wolf</em> is tonally confusing in this way. Although Holst hits all the right plot beats at the right times, and both the intense romance and the creepy billionaire parts are written well as their own individual elements, the target audience for each does not seem to have much overlap. The person who picks up a steamy sapphic werewolf romance is unlikely to want to a glimpse into Oleg's sad, deranged mind, and vice versa.
My biggest frustration is one that crops up in books the most often: rehashing the obvious. Characters will frequently reflect on a scene or chapter, and well, unless the book in question is a big ol' SFF epic, there's no <em>reason</em>. It does not advance the plot or characters. It devalues the other lines because we do not know which lines are useful to the story, and therefore meaningful to us as readers.
Holst does a top-notch job with the Siberian setting. It's well-established and undeniably <em>Russian</em>. Descriptions for individual settings were also fantastic: Holst's attention to oft-overlooked senses like scent and temperature bring scenes to life.
<strong>Characters</strong>—★★★★☆ (3.5 Stars)
Pyotra is easy to like from early on: the combination of her hardships, her kindness, and her initiative makes her a sympathetic character who gets things done. (I found her particularly relatable when I read, <em>"[She] had lived with a droning terror at the back of her mind, which she hadn't any better name for than Things Could Happen."</em> Holy <em>shit</em>, that is my primary emotion these days.)
Volk is a solitary wolf who's become something of a wolf-hermit since she lost her wolf-wife. She is unflinching and socially abrasive, someone who longed to be wolf instead of woman, and looked forward to her turning.
Pyotra and Volk have a sort of “instalove” romance. From the start, they each stand out and feel a magnetic draw to the other. Now, instalove romance is a very YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) thing. If you enjoy fast connections in romance, there’s lots of steamy scenes, cuddling, and emotionally intimate moments very early between these two, so you’ll have plenty to enjoy. Volk is rather <em>wolfy</em> for several sexual encounters, which varied these scenes from "wolf gf with extra sharp teeth" hot to "okay, is that a wolf tongue doing that?" uhhh, weird.
Unfortunately, this quick connection means Pyotra sets aside her reservations about wolves early on, and there isn't much conflict or character growth for either Pyotra or Volk. They have a few conversations while travelling, but there are no problems chafing between them, nor internal issues to wrestle with.
I immensely enjoyed how well Holst characterizes <em>Pyotra</em>'s cast of characters: every single character, role big or small, feels not only like a real person, but a person I could pick out from a crowd. From Mariya Leonova, the general store owner, to Sergei, Pyotra's little brother, Holst establishes characters quickly and writes each with a distinct sense of self. I found myself protective over happy outcomes for most of the supporting cast after only knowing them briefly.
<strong>Writing Style</strong>—★★★★☆
<em>Pyotra and the Wolf</em> is written in third person, past tense, with chapters alternating between Pyotra and "The Wolf" for the first half, and incorporating the points of view of multiple supporting characters in the second half.
Holst has really lovely, lyrical prose which, combined with her attention to detail and broad vocabulary, tickles readers' senses and brings a vividness to scenes. The biting snow of the tundra, a lover's muskiness, the smoky air in a cabin come to the reader with ease. My only complaint is that sometimes the loveliness wins over how generally readable a paragraph or two are.
<strong>Themes and Representation</strong>—★★★★☆ (3.5 Stars)
<em>Pyotra and the Wolf</em> touches on themes of overcoming prejudice and the complications of one unfortunate thing happening so another, better thing can happen.
<em>Pyotra and the Wolf</em> has sapphic (likely specifically lesbian) representation in Pyotra and Volk, gay representation in two supporting characters, and Siberian Indigenous representation (specifically Nenets) in Volk and a supporting character.
<strong>Overall</strong>—★★★★☆ (3.5 Stars)
<strong>Recommended For...</strong>
Fans of werewolf girlfriends; fans of steamy romances; fans of mate romances; fans of instalove romance; fans of underrepresented retellings.
<a href="https://featheredturtlepress.wordpress.com/"><strong>>>More book reviews at Feathered Turtle Press<<</strong></a>
<strong>The Good</strong>
– Sympathetic lead
– Descriptive, lyrical prose
– Strong opening chapters
– Nenets / Siberian Indigenous rep
– Lots of steamy sex scenes
– Strong characterization
– Strong setting descriptions
<strong>
The Bad</strong>
– <em>Lots</em> of reiterating
– Slow first section
– Uneven pacing
– Second half feels completely different from first
<em>(I received an advanced copy of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56645899-pyotra-and-the-wolf">Pyotra and the Wolf</a> in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Elna Holst and NineStar Press for this opportunity!)</em>
<strong>Story</strong>—★★☆☆☆ (2.5 Stars)
Wolves orphaned Pyotra. First, a pack of wolves killed her mother. Then, her father drank himself to death in his grief, leaving Pyotra to raise her young brother and care for her blind, ageing grandfather alone. When she finds Sergei in the jaws of a wolf, Pyotra decides the wolf must die, even if it saved her brother. A wolf who’s tasted human blood cannot be left alive. So, Pyotra sets out, trailing the strange wolf through frigid weather toward the tundra.
The first few chapters establishing Pyotra’s situation and launching her on the wolf’s trail are rock solid. However, the next section drags. Pyotra and Volk (the wolf), only have fleeting interactions as they travel, and Volk doesn’t talk for most of them, which means we spend a lot of time alone with one or the other and their inner monologue. It’s a lot of thinking about how fantastic the other one smells or how unusual she is. Then they meet, realize Pyotra has left a potential crisis at home, head back, fall in love very fast, and then the plot changes entirely. Now there's a kidnapping and a creepy billionaire. Logically, the complication makes sense, and I enjoyed the upping of the stakes. But the switch from sapphic werewolf sex to an unhinged rich guy and his flaccid member is, uh, <em>jarring</em>.
<em>Pyotra and the Wolf</em> is tonally confusing in this way. Although Holst hits all the right plot beats at the right times, and both the intense romance and the creepy billionaire parts are written well as their own individual elements, the target audience for each does not seem to have much overlap. The person who picks up a steamy sapphic werewolf romance is unlikely to want to a glimpse into Oleg's sad, deranged mind, and vice versa.
My biggest frustration is one that crops up in books the most often: rehashing the obvious. Characters will frequently reflect on a scene or chapter, and well, unless the book in question is a big ol' SFF epic, there's no <em>reason</em>. It does not advance the plot or characters. It devalues the other lines because we do not know which lines are useful to the story, and therefore meaningful to us as readers.
Holst does a top-notch job with the Siberian setting. It's well-established and undeniably <em>Russian</em>. Descriptions for individual settings were also fantastic: Holst's attention to oft-overlooked senses like scent and temperature bring scenes to life.
<strong>Characters</strong>—★★★★☆ (3.5 Stars)
Pyotra is easy to like from early on: the combination of her hardships, her kindness, and her initiative makes her a sympathetic character who gets things done. (I found her particularly relatable when I read, <em>"[She] had lived with a droning terror at the back of her mind, which she hadn't any better name for than Things Could Happen."</em> Holy <em>shit</em>, that is my primary emotion these days.)
Volk is a solitary wolf who's become something of a wolf-hermit since she lost her wolf-wife. She is unflinching and socially abrasive, someone who longed to be wolf instead of woman, and looked forward to her turning.
Pyotra and Volk have a sort of “instalove” romance. From the start, they each stand out and feel a magnetic draw to the other. Now, instalove romance is a very YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) thing. If you enjoy fast connections in romance, there’s lots of steamy scenes, cuddling, and emotionally intimate moments very early between these two, so you’ll have plenty to enjoy. Volk is rather <em>wolfy</em> for several sexual encounters, which varied these scenes from "wolf gf with extra sharp teeth" hot to "okay, is that a wolf tongue doing that?" uhhh, weird.
Unfortunately, this quick connection means Pyotra sets aside her reservations about wolves early on, and there isn't much conflict or character growth for either Pyotra or Volk. They have a few conversations while travelling, but there are no problems chafing between them, nor internal issues to wrestle with.
I immensely enjoyed how well Holst characterizes <em>Pyotra</em>'s cast of characters: every single character, role big or small, feels not only like a real person, but a person I could pick out from a crowd. From Mariya Leonova, the general store owner, to Sergei, Pyotra's little brother, Holst establishes characters quickly and writes each with a distinct sense of self. I found myself protective over happy outcomes for most of the supporting cast after only knowing them briefly.
<strong>Writing Style</strong>—★★★★☆
<em>Pyotra and the Wolf</em> is written in third person, past tense, with chapters alternating between Pyotra and "The Wolf" for the first half, and incorporating the points of view of multiple supporting characters in the second half.
Holst has really lovely, lyrical prose which, combined with her attention to detail and broad vocabulary, tickles readers' senses and brings a vividness to scenes. The biting snow of the tundra, a lover's muskiness, the smoky air in a cabin come to the reader with ease. My only complaint is that sometimes the loveliness wins over how generally readable a paragraph or two are.
<strong>Themes and Representation</strong>—★★★★☆ (3.5 Stars)
<em>Pyotra and the Wolf</em> touches on themes of overcoming prejudice and the complications of one unfortunate thing happening so another, better thing can happen.
<em>Pyotra and the Wolf</em> has sapphic (likely specifically lesbian) representation in Pyotra and Volk, gay representation in two supporting characters, and Siberian Indigenous representation (specifically Nenets) in Volk and a supporting character.
<strong>Overall</strong>—★★★★☆ (3.5 Stars)
<strong>Recommended For...</strong>
Fans of werewolf girlfriends; fans of steamy romances; fans of mate romances; fans of instalove romance; fans of underrepresented retellings.
<a href="https://featheredturtlepress.wordpress.com/"><strong>>>More book reviews at Feathered Turtle Press<<</strong></a>
notthatlibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Cannibalism