11/21/2022
Teenage genopath Remy Castell, who has been genetically engineered to become the perfect spy, seeks revenge against her ex-partner in this thrilling adventure by Long, set in the same universe as Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves. Accompanied by her new friend Sena and Sena’s wolf companion Iska, Remy follows her ex-partner Kiran’s trail across multiple planets before tracking him back to the storm-wracked jungle world where he once left her for dead. Remy is finally able to exact her punishment, but vengeance becomes the least of her worries when she’s drawn into an ongoing power struggle between a ruthless corporation and myriad criminal syndicates. Hoping to turn the tides in his favor, Kiran promises to divulge the location of her captive best friend in exchange for Remy’s help in securing power. Told via Remy’s ardent first-person narration and brimming with action, shifting alliances, and intrigue, this bustling continuation to Long’s broader literary canon follows charismatic protagonists navigating internal turmoil and emotionally turbulent relationships while rapidly bounding from one adventure to another. Characters are described as having varying skin tones. Ages 12–up. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM Partners. (Jan.)
"Told via Remy’s ardent first-person narration and brimming with action, shifting alliances, and intrigue, this bustling continuation to Long’s broader literary canon follows charismatic protagonists navigating internal turmoil and emotionally turbulent relationships while rapidly bounding from one adventure to another." - Publishers Weekly
"Now that’s what I call a ride! With her sophomore novel, Long has created the perfect mix of intrigue, tension, and high-stakes action. A pitch-perfect companion to her debut, Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves, perfect for those looking to catch up with Remy, Sena, and Iska—or those looking for a new sci-fi adventure that stands up all on its own." - Kate Dylan, bestselling author of Mindwalker
"Long’s ability to make a setting almost a living, breathing creature is impressive, and it certainly transports you away from your comfy chair and into a ruthless jungle." - Cracking the Cover
Praise for Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves
"The perfect winter read might just be this inventive and atmospheric debut." —Buzzfeed
"Fast and furious...The worldbuilding is intricate, and the icy setting is so detailed that readers will feel the need to bundle up as they speed through to the exciting and satisfying conclusion." —Kirkus Reviews
"Whether Iska is helping Sena cross a wasteland or thawing her heart, the bond between girl and wolf is lovely and touching. Readers will root for them as they’re swept along on their wild ride." —BookPage
"Vivid, dangerous, and absolutely exhilarating, Cold The Night, Fast The Wolves imagines a world teeming with predators both animal and human, telling a captivating story of survival alongside a heartwarming bond that grows between girl and feral fighter-wolf." —Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
"Wholly unique and unexpected, this cut-throat story of survival kept me on the edge of my seat. Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is a beautifully written, dangerous debut that packs one heck of a punch." —Adalyn Grace, New York Times bestselling author of All the Stars and Teeth
"The worldbuilding in Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is so amazing that for DAYS, I was walking around feeling I was being besieged by blizzards in an icy wasteland. It is a deeply immersive sci-fi book, and I can't WAIT for everyone to get their hands on it!!" —Xiran Jau Zhao, New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow
"The winter survival aspects of the race are intense and heart-pounding, and animal lovers will appreciate Sena’s bond with vonenwolf Iska." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“If you want to immerse yourself in a world of ice and a bitter race that might end in death, you’re going to want to add this book to your list.” —The Nerd Daily
02/01/2023
Gr 9 Up—In this companion novel to Long's debut Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves, Remy Castell has dragged her new friend Sena and Iska the wolf to the world of Maraas to find Remy's ex-partner, Kiran. Remy hopes to reunite with her old friend, Alora, whom she abandoned years ago because of a choice that Kiran made for her. Kiran agrees to help his former partner, but she must take part in the fight to overthrow the ruling corpos of Maraas before he will give her any information. The action heats up as Remy makes her choice to join the coup to help the many over continuing a selfish search for the friend that she lost. Remy and Kiran are genopaths who were engineered by Nova to have superhuman strength. The Assembly worlds consist of various combatting groups including Nova, corpos like TerraCo, syndicates, and scavvers. Readers will have to navigate a vocabulary that is singular to the world that Long creates. It is not necessary to read Long's first novel before this one, though following the politics of this world is not always an easy task because so many factions and their leaders are introduced. The main characters are one note, and their individual idiosyncrasies are repeated endlessly. VERDICT Purchase only where the first novel has fans; readers will be more enthralled with the characters in dystopian titles like The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey or Legend by Marie Lu.—Elizabeth Kahn
2022-10-11
This follow-up to Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves (2022) changes the focus to a different character—and a different planet.
Remy Castell is a genopath, genetically engineered by the powerful Nova organization to be the perfect spy and to follow orders, but a mission two years before put her on the path to meeting a girl who became a friend and helped her cut ties with Nova. When that mission went awry, her newfound friend, Alora, disappeared, and the only person who knows her whereabouts is Kiran, the fellow genopath and ex–squad mate who betrayed Remy. After tracking Kiran to the planet Maraas, Remy and her companions, Sena and the wolf Iska, find a world changed for the worse and a dangerous rebellion brewing. Then Kiran makes an offer: help with the revolution and he will tell her where Alora is. Remy finds it hard to believe that this self-serving, agenda-driven boy will not betray her again. Top-notch worldbuilding that delves into the complex dynamic between different factions, an interesting jungle setting, and fast-paced action sequences form the foundation upon which Remy’s strong character development occurs in this story about agency and self-determination, friendship and keeping promises. The previous book’s protagonists, Sena and Iska, play secondary but important roles. Main characters are assumed White; some secondary characters have brown skin.
A riveting sequel that promises more to come. (Science fiction. 14-18)
Vivid, dangerous, and absolutely exhilarating.”