Don’t Call the Wolf had the world building I have been craving, but I felt like the plot was too loose. The premise had me hooked, inspired by “The Glass Mountain” and featuring dragons! But ultimately I was left with more questions than answers.
Summary
A fierce young queen, neither human nor lynx, who fights to protect a forest humans have long abandoned.
An exhausted young soldier, last of his name, who searches for the brother who disappeared beneath those trees without a trace.
A Golden Dragon, fearsome and vengeful, whose wingbeats haunt their nightmares and their steps.
When these three paths cross at the fringes of a war between monsters and men, shapeshifter queen and reluctant hero strike a deal that may finally turn the tide against the rising hordes of darkness. Ren will help Lukasz find his brother…if Lukasz promises to slay the Dragon.
But promises are all too easily broken.
Review
(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.
The forest in Don’t Call the Wolf became its own character. And normally that’s something I can’t get enough of, but the plot wasn’t a strong enough driving force to keep me captivated. I wanted to ship the romance more, but I wasn’t sure what each of the characters gave to each other, or like what they shared. There was an interesting dynamic where Ren is seen as monstrous to the villagers, whereas Lukasz is seen as a hero because of his status killing dragons. But I wasn’t sure that they really transcended these roles.
If you’re interested in the world building and a story with dragons, you can find Don’t Call the Wolf on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound & The Book Depository.