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Pyotra and the Wolf

Elna Holst (Goodreads Author)

3.65 · Rating details · 31 ratings · 30 reviews

For the space of a breath or two, that wolf had entranced her, mesmerised her, made her believe—the impossible. And that was all it took.

Nothing about this wolf was as it should be.

Pyotra Nikolayevna Kulakova lives in a small Russian settlement in the northern Siberian taiga, where the polar night lasts for a good month out of the year and the temperature rarely reaches ab ...more

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Paperback, 382 pages

Published February 15th 2021 by NineStar Press

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Feb 17, 2021 Lex Kent rated it liked it

Shelves: dark-fantasy, f-f-adventure-fantasy, f-f-ninestar-press, f-f-paranormal

This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were parts and concepts that I really liked, and then there were some things I didn’t really care for. I was really excited to read this because the musical tale, Peter and the Wolf, was an important part of my childhood. As a child of the 80’s, my parents imparted on me the importance of vinyl since cassettes had such awful sound. I had an early childhood musical education that taught me things like why the Beatles and Stones were two names everyo This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were parts and concepts that I really liked, and then there were some things I didn’t really care for. I was really excited to read this because the musical tale, Peter and the Wolf, was an important part of my childhood. As a child of the 80’s, my parents imparted on me the importance of vinyl since cassettes had such awful sound. I had an early childhood musical education that taught me things like why the Beatles and Stones were two names everyone knew, and I learned why Stevie Nicks and Debbie Harry were goddesses. While my parents were teaching me this important rock education, I think they realized they needed music that was for children too. That is where Peter and the Wolf came in and I believe it was one of the versions by the Boston Pops Orchestra that my parents got me. The music was incredible, especially on vinyl, and I remember getting so swept up in the fantasy of the story. So to get to read a sapphic version of this tale, that meant so much to me as a kid, well I was really excited. I wish I could say that my expectations met my enjoyment level.

I would have never even thought of someone writing a sapphic version of this tale so I give Holst a lot of credit for that. While this story felt quite different over all, there were a few touches that brought back some memories for me. This book was actually broken up into three parts. The first part was all about Pyotra, the wolf, the small village Pyotra lived in, and the arctic tundra of Siberia. This is where the book really shined for me. The setting was wonderful. I almost had to get up and turn the space heater on since it seemed so deliciously cold. I also loved the relationship between Pyotra and her wolf. I loved watching it evolve and turn into something more. This was a sapphic werewolf tale with a different spin and I was really enjoying it. If there was maybe one or two chapters added to the end of part one, just to tie things up, so the story would end as a novella instead of a full book, I would have loved this and rated it at least 4 stars and probably even higher. The problem I had is when the story changed in part two.

In part two, the story really seemed different. And to be honest, it gets a little weird. If you read my reviews you will know how much I love weird, but this was more like unsettling-weird then different/unique-weird. One of the main issues is we go from being in the POV of two really great and dynamic characters, to being in the POV of a villain and a bunch of secondary characters. For one, some characters actually had 3 different names they could be called, most had at least 2, so I had to stop reading to figure out, or just actually guess, whose head I was in. Anything that stops me from reading, that breaks my flow and makes me backtrack, I very much dislike. I get sucked out of the story and it ruins the whole fantasy of it so it’s a big reading pet peeve of mine. The other big issue is I just didn’t care for any of the secondary characters at all. They all seemed really bland to me, even the duck which was disappointing, so I just wanted to get back to Pyotra and her wolf.

There is a good romance in this book for the most part. Like I mentioned, part one was really great. However, when the romance progresses to just a lot of passionate sex, I started to feel a tad off. I love shifter books, any animal but especially werewolves, but there is a bit of a line to watch between a human having sex with another human, and not an animal. To be clear, I’m not saying this book had animal/human sex, but at times it felt like it went right up to that line and started to put a foot across. I don’t know, maybe it’s me, but instead of the sex scenes always feeling steamy, they felt a tad off as the book went on.

I think in the end this really is the tale of two different books. Part one, is great and just really well written. If the rest of the story had followed in a similar vein, this would have been such a positive and gushing review. The rest of the book just didn’t work for me and I spent more time confused, and bewildered, then I wanted to. Holst really can write, and I give her such props for taking on a retelling of this wonderful tale. I just wish that this would have been a better fit for me. I really wanted to love this.

A copy was given to me for a honest review. ...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Jude in the Stars rated it it was amazing

Elna Holst is a chameleon. She’s like a talented forger (albeit with honest intentions), dressing up her writing in the original author’s. In a couple of strokes, she carried me away into Jane Austen’s world with Lucas , and just as easily I just spent a few days in Siberia with Pyotra and her wolf. The way Holst describes the scenery, the sounds, the lights (or lack thereof, in the constant night), the pervasive cold. That last one in particular, the cold, which only highlights how warm Volk ( Elna Holst is a chameleon. She’s like a talented forger (albeit with honest intentions), dressing up her writing in the original author’s. In a couple of strokes, she carried me away into Jane Austen’s world with Lucas , and just as easily I just spent a few days in Siberia with Pyotra and her wolf. The way Holst describes the scenery, the sounds, the lights (or lack thereof, in the constant night), the pervasive cold. That last one in particular, the cold, which only highlights how warm Volk (the wolf) is.

Pyotra and the Wolf is a sapphic retelling of Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, one of the musical tales I have listened to most, first as a child, then as a parent. I loved all the ways Holst made the story hers. In her version, Pyotra lives in a remote settlement in Siberia. Since wolves killed her mother and sorrow took her father, it’s been her, her grandfather Boris and her much younger brother Sergei. When she arrives home to find a wolf holding her brother’s neck in their jaw, fury takes over and she gets ready to shoot, only to be inexplicably moved by the wolf’s eyes. The wolf runs away and Pyotra goes after it. She finds out soon enough that this wolf is no ordinary wolf.

I’m late to the Elna Holst party. I read one of her Tinsel and Spruce Needles Romance novellas a couple of years ago, which I enjoyed, but I wasn’t wowed at the time. Since then, and in rather quick succession, I’ve read In the Palm, Lucas and now this latest novel, and Holst is now definitely in my favourite authors’ hall of fame.

Each book I read becomes my new favourite. They’re so brilliant I’m not sure I have the words to explain why. They delight me, they disturb me, they make me feel smart. I wrote in my review for Lucas that it made my brain cells dance with joy and Holst did it again.

Both Pyotra and Volk are delightful characters. Pyotra is a badass, a young woman who won’t let fear dictate her life, especially not when it comes to taking care of and protecting her brother. I loved seeing her character grow, question what she thought she knew about life, family, duty. She’s stubborn and driven in the best way, ultimately. Volk is fascinating for completely different reasons. Who would have thought dual personalities, human and wolf coexisting, could be so sexy? That’s another thing I loved about this book, how sensual and sexual it is.

On a side note, as someone with sensory issues, I’ve been very surprised recently – first in Aurora’s Angel by Emily Noon, now in this book (both about shapeshifters) – to realise that an overdeveloped sense of smell can be sexy, like really really sexy.

When they first meet, Volk is in wolf form and I know this will sound weird but the chemistry is already palpable. There’s a reason Volk was close to Pyotra’s house, and it has everything to do with chemistry. As they get to know each other, the chemistry keeps growing, taking many forms. Volk wants Pyotra in different yet similar ways depending on whether she’s in her human body or in her wolf. Pyotra loves both the wolf and the woman.

While the pace didn’t work as well for me in the last third (approximately) of the story and the thrill wasn’t as high, it picked up again towards the end, bringing the story to a close on an ideal high note.

The ease with which Elna Holst plays with the English language fills me with glee. That she does so while telling compelling stories makes it even more perfect.

ARC provided to Les Rêveur for an honest review. ...more

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Feb 09, 2021 Carolyn McBride rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2021sapphicchallenge, adventure, lesbian-fiction, lesbian-spec-fic, lesbianromance, fantasy

From reading “In The Hand”, I knew Elna Holst was a talented and skilled author, but I was unprepared for the deft ways she made the legend of Peter and The Wolf her own. Her novel is the first time I’ve read a story set in Siberia, which I found to be a refreshing change. I felt as though I was truly there, out on the snow and ice and under the Aurora Borealis. Holst’s description of the wolves (both “hers” and the attacker) were like word paintings. She’s so good at it, I’d say she’s almost a ...more

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Feb 06, 2021 lauraღ rated it it was ok

Shelves: arcs, f-f, lgbtqia, fantasy

No tale had ever told her she could rely on the generosity of wolves, the eaters of grandmothers and lambs and piglets, the trickers of blue-eyed girls in carmine riding hoods.

But she had a debt to pay, and she would pay it.

2.5 stars. I'm so sad that I didn't enjoy this the way the first half of the book made me think I would. Because it was a really good first half! But unfortunately, the story really fell apart for me in the latter half, there were some storytelling choices that I just personally really dislike, some things that made me ??, and just generally, I didn't get the story that I thought I was getting from the synopsis.

First, the good. Really lovely writing and atmosphere. The little I know about the original story comes from Wikipedia, but I immediately fell in love with the setting, the story and the protagonists. It's rooted in the real world, but like any good retelling, there were glimmers of fairy-tale-esque details. I felt firmly rooted in the Siberian taiga. I flew through those first several chapters. Pyotra's first meeting with Volk, the chase, the push and pull, and kind of back and forth they had as they slowly began to learn about each other? I loved it. I would have adored it if the entire book was about them in the forest, developing a romance and understanding one another.

That isn't to say I dislike the actual plot of the book, which has to do with family and bonds and a rescue mission. What I didn't gel with was how it was told. Starting in Part Two, we began to get a lot of other POVs, and it felt super clumsy and strange, and I just wasn't as interested in those characters as I was in Pyotra and Volk. I rarely enjoy getting the villain's POV in books; letting the reader know everything the villain is doing while the heroes search them out is not a narrative choice I love. And that was what we got here. Not only the villain, but a bunch of secondary characters as well. I feel like if they were going to take up so much of the story, they should have been on page from the beginning, or we should have known of their existence sooner. As it was, it felt so tonally weird, to just have that shifts. I did end up liking a couple of those characters, so it wasn't all bad, but again: they took up so much space and time. A lot of the plot things were a bit muddled and confusing, and it lost me several times. I ended up being too confused to actually enjoy myself. :/

Romance makes up a big part of the story, though idk if this would actually be classified as a romance. Which is a shame; for me, at least. I really liked Pyotra and Volk's relationship, and I have a feeling I'd have enjoyed this more if it was a straight up dark fairy-tale romance. The fast pace of the relationship didn't really bother me (I tend not to mind insta-love in fairy-tale/fantasy settings) and they had some great moments. It did get a little... intense? I can enjoy shifter romances, but abo is my least favourite trope of all time, and while it didn't go there, it didn't not go there? Aha.

Definitely not a bad book; just not quite what I thought it would be, and not totally for me.

☆ Review copy provided via the author. Thank you! ...more

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Feb 13, 2021 Christina rated it it was ok

2 stars. "It was okay." Kind of disappointed, to be frank. The first half of the book lead me to believe this would receive a much higher rating. After that, however, the structure of the book changes and the omniscient narrator begins diving into half a dozen secondary characters who we hadn't met up until that point, and it made the novel feel very disjointed and - I'm sorry to say - uncomfortable and bizarre. I did not enjoy ANY of those points of view and while I understood the chosen direct ...more

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Feb 22, 2021 Kate (Feathered Turtle Press) rated it liked it

Shelves: lgbt-2021, lgbt-ff, february-2021

A very, very, very, very steamy sapphic retelling of Peter and the Wolf, with an odd second half.

The Good
– Sympathetic lead
– Descriptive, lyrical prose
– Strong opening chapters
– Nenets / Siberian Indigenous rep
– Lots of steamy sex scenes
– Strong characterization
– Strong setting descriptions

The Bad
– Lots of reiterating
– Slow first section
– Uneven pacing
– Second half feels completely different from first

(I received an advanced copy of Pyotra and the Wolf in exchange for an honest review. Thank you ...more

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Feb 05, 2021 R.J. Sorrento rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs-book-reviews, lgbtq

Perfect for a winter read! I felt the Siberian chill in this atmospheric queer retelling of Peter and the Wolf. The plot unfolds slowly and mysteriously as we get to know Pyotra, a young woman who has lost most of her family except for her dear brother and her grandfather. She is surviving as best as she can until she is faced with a wolf, unlike any other she has seen. What follows is a quietly beautiful and sometimes steamy love story with plenty of twists and turns. I really loved Pyotra and ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 Ariel (ariel_reads) rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley-arcs

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 plo ...more

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Jan 25, 2021 Jordan rated it it was amazing

Thank you to the author for sending me this e-arc! This was a fantastic read—a Russian fairytale retelling with lesbian werewolves! The plot was well done and fast paced. The characters were well crafted and interesting. The smut was also very steamy. 10/10 would recommend.

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Jan 22, 2021 Amy Marsden rated it really liked it

I received an ARC I'm exchange for an honest review.

This is a sapphic retelling of the Russian fairy tale Peter and the Wolf. I love queer retellings of classic fairy tales, so I was excited when the author contacted me about this!

We follow Pyotra as she hunts down the wolf that attacked her little brother with every intention of shooting it in revenge. Except the wolf didn't attack him, she saved him, and the wolf isn't an ordinary wolf, she's Volk, a werewolf. Pyotra comes to this conclusion ...more

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Jan 31, 2021 M G rated it it was amazing

The writing was creative and the story was fascinating. I did look down at one point and panic that there was only 10% left of the book, and it seemed a lot more needed to be wrapped up. In that way the ending felt rushed because I was so invested in the story. The main characters Pyotra and Volk were easy to get behind. And the drunk werewolf on a plane was one of the more entertaining scenes I've ever read. It was a nice breather from the serious action. Content warning of some serious murder ...more

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Jan 24, 2021 Angelina rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs, lgbtqia, read-in-2021

Rating: 3/5

Pyotra and the Wolf is a Russian inspired queer retelling with a f/f relationship front and center! The beginning of this story is my favorite! It's so atmospheric and the character introduction is so strong!

While shapeshifters and werewolf romances are not usually my favorite thing, Pyotra and the Wolf managed to keep me intrigued with the relationship!

Content Warnings for graphic violence and on the page sex.

The second half of this book is the main reason why I had to lower my rat ...more

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Jan 30, 2021 Audrey S rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Pyotra and the Wolf is a book that made me so very happy with all of the choices that were made! It is a queer retelling of the Russian fairytale ‘Peter & the Wolf’ except very sapphic, and very sexy.

Pyotra lives in an isolated village on the edge of Siberia and from the first page the atmosphere sinks into you and never leaves (Never for a moment do you not feel the cold in your mind, or the sharpness in the air.) One night Pyotra, spots her younger brother being attacked (she thinks) by a wolf ...more

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Feb 10, 2021 Entazis rated it liked it

Shelves: lesbian, lgbtqia-main-characters, netgalley, slavic-fantasy, werewolves

Pyotra and the Wolf is an interesting take on queer fairy tale retellings and paranormal romance, giving us interesting characters, especially the titular Wolf who is an amazing example of a woman shapeshifter. It’s also a steamy, sensual love story between two women with graphic sex scenes.

The beginning of the Pyotra and the Wolf is a very atmospheric piece of a hunt. This whole part was very interesting, and had some peaceful moments of solitude in the long Siberian nights, with atmospheric de Pyotra and the Wolf is an interesting take on queer fairy tale retellings and paranormal romance, giving us interesting characters, especially the titular Wolf who is an amazing example of a woman shapeshifter. It’s also a steamy, sensual love story between two women with graphic sex scenes.

The beginning of the Pyotra and the Wolf is a very atmospheric piece of a hunt. This whole part was very interesting, and had some peaceful moments of solitude in the long Siberian nights, with atmospheric descriptions of the wintery landscape. It also had that vagueness typical for fairy tales, where characters don’t really act rational and the world around them has that dreamy quality. Where love can be very fast, very intense.

The dynamics of Pyotra and Volk were also what made the book easy to read, their relationship portrayed from the starting animosity and distrust, to banter and an energetic and fierce love. However, there were parts that were dragging for me personally, mostly because the author kept going back in the narration, showing the same events first from Pyotra’s, then from Volk’s perspective.

While I’m usually a fan of multiple POVs, this was a very jarring decision. You can show what another character feels and thinks without going back in the plot to show that. This sort of a narrative choice slowed down the already slow pace, and at moments it was hard for me to read.

The second part of the novel slips into a different genre, more of a paranormal romance than fairy tale retelling, completely with bringing in the new cast of characters with their POVs, dynamics, backstories and pacing. While I don't mind the genre switch, the tonality and pacing changes and the late introduction of new characters are definitely an issue, and while I find it interesting when authors play with narration, I think this could’ve been a bit more polished and better balanced.

That said, I absolutely enjoyed the romance. Volk is a fantastic werewolf character—constantly encompassing both wolf traits and human, giving us a dangerous but loving woman. The fact that Pyotra is not shown as a vulnerable, weak human compared to her werewolf lover, but instead a woman that can hold down her own, capable and smart, was what made their relationship even more interesting. ...more

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Feb 07, 2021 Lily Marr rated it really liked it

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my unbiased review.

Pyotra lives in a remote village at the edge of Siberia. A surprise encounter between the MCs brother and a wolf flips her world upside down.

I want to start off by saying that I LOVE retellings of classical stories but I had never heard of this Russian fairytale before so that prevents me from commenting on the retelling aspect of this story. The writing is creative, the setting description is well established and easy to imag ...more

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Jan 24, 2021 Aj Smith rated it it was amazing

This book is pure magic and once again Elna Holst has shown that she can weave many spellbinding threads into a tale that is truly enchanting. Saying that Pyotra and the Wolf is based on Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale, with ever deeper layers like matryoshka dolls hints at its greatness but doesn't do it justice. The seemingly eternal darkness of the polar midwinter and the Northern Lights, make the barrier between the living and the dead seem thinner in the Taiga than anywhere else.

I have lo ...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Ellen Jane rated it really liked it

An atmospheric, intense, and sensual read! Elna Holst delivers a sapphic retelling of the classic tale, Peter and the Wolf, and it truly did feel like reading a fairytale-turned-novel. Without spoiling the story, Pyotra returns home to find a wolf fishing her younger brother out of the ice—to eat or to save, she can’t quite tell. But the wolf’s eyes captivate her, leaving her unable to shoot her rifle. Almost immediately, she regrets this decision, setting out to chase the wolf all the way to th An atmospheric, intense, and sensual read! Elna Holst delivers a sapphic retelling of the classic tale, Peter and the Wolf, and it truly did feel like reading a fairytale-turned-novel. Without spoiling the story, Pyotra returns home to find a wolf fishing her younger brother out of the ice—to eat or to save, she can’t quite tell. But the wolf’s eyes captivate her, leaving her unable to shoot her rifle. Almost immediately, she regrets this decision, setting out to chase the wolf all the way to the unforgiving landscape of the tundra.

There is an intensity to the two characters and the way they come together that had my sensory-sensitive self falling in love from the start. I don’t read a lot of books about shapeshifters, so I’m not sure if this is an unusual take or just missing in my experience, but there was such a visceral, raw, powerful feel to Volk’s wolf side that I was enthralled just to see the world through her eyes. Wolf and woman mingle together within Volk's character in a stunning and electric combination (add in a dash of dismissing gender roles/norms, and I'm sold!) And Pyotra is such a match for her. Smart, fierce, determined—and still with an emotional and vulnerable side that she doesn’t shy away from. Watching the two women work out where they stood truly felt like watching two wolves slowly circling each other.

I would say what stuck with me most, though, was the atmosphere. The book has a quietness to it in the beginning that starts to rise in tension as the book propels forward, which honestly FELT like a snowstorm. The gentle flurries, the deadened sound, the rising loss of senses mixed with urgency. The atmosphere mimicked it so well, particularly that steady rise in urgency, that I was utterly swept away and engaged in the pull. There are also many beautiful lines throughout. I don’t want to quote too many for spoilers, but this one in particular lingers:

“The human turned its gaze from her neck to her eyes and… Volk lost herself, found herself, lost herself again.”

As the book approaches the second half, the pace quickens remarkably and the atmosphere does switch to one of urgency and unexpected revelations. The stakes rise very quickly in this second half, and the pages fly by.

Overall, this was an engaging and beautiful story that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys werewolves and sapphic retellings with steamy, on-page sex and compelling depth to the main characters. Thank you to the author for kindly providing an e-ARC for an honest review. ...more

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Feb 02, 2021 Jessica rated it really liked it

Hello hello to this smutty sapphic werewolf story! Elna Holst brings us a wlw retelling of a classic Russian fairytale. I do not know the original story so I can't comment on that aspect of the book, but I can comment on how much I enjoyed this story. The main character thinks her brother is being attacked by a wolf, but it isn't a wolf, its a shifter, and she isn't attacking. Fun tropes like there only being one bed and it being cold outside work perfectly in this story and lead to some smut. T ...more

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Feb 15, 2021 Laetitia Brunell rated it it was ok

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. After Pyotra's brother is bit by a wolf she embarks on a perilous journey into the Siberian wilderness to hunt down and kill the wolf. What follows is a tale of self discovery and adventure. I love queer retellings so was excited to read this. Unfortunately it didn't really work for me, the first half was more what I was expecting, it was very slow and atmospheric and focused on Pyotra and Volk's relationship. The ...more

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Feb 23, 2021 Fieke rated it liked it

Shelves: lgbtqia-plus-rep

RTC

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Feb 04, 2021 Natalie rated it really liked it

"Pyotra and the Wolf is a queer retelling of Sergei Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale, structurally influenced by matryoshka dolls and memory castles. This is a story of darkness and light, love and loss, beast and human. Whichever way the spinning kopek falls."
Nine Star Press

I'll be the first to admit that this is first lesfic novel I've read featuring a romance with shapeshifters and werewolves. Elna Holst contacted me on instagram offering me a copy of the novel and I was intrigued by the que ...more

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Jan 19, 2021 Giorgia Larocca rated it really liked it

First of all, I'd like to thank the author for letting me read this before everyone else 💖 as anyone who knows me can tell, I have a soft spot for queer retellings of classic stories, and Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" is such a staple of my childhood (90s kids might remember the animated version) that I was nothing short of excited at the prospect of reading this novel. Combining steamy romance with Russian folklore, Holst delivers us a gripping adventure through the Siberian tundra, w ...more

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Feb 02, 2021 Pamela Usai rated it liked it

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 ...more

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Feb 01, 2021 Raychel added it

Shelves: fantasy, lgbtq, retelling, 2021-read

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! ...more

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Jan 29, 2021 Avery rated it it was ok

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 oka ...more

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Feb 28, 2021 Kristel Greer rated it really liked it

I was sent a copy of this book for review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
Pyotra is a lonely woman living in Siberia. Her mother was murdered by wolves and her father drank himself to death. When her brother Sergei falls through the ice and then attacked by a wolf, she sees red and decides to hunt down the wolf. As she treks through the wilderness after the animal, she gets the sense that this is no ordinary wolf. We switch to the POV of the wolf and she is in fact named Volk. She is not me I was sent a copy of this book for review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
Pyotra is a lonely woman living in Siberia. Her mother was murdered by wolves and her father drank himself to death. When her brother Sergei falls through the ice and then attacked by a wolf, she sees red and decides to hunt down the wolf. As she treks through the wilderness after the animal, she gets the sense that this is no ordinary wolf. We switch to the POV of the wolf and she is in fact named Volk. She is not merely a wolf but a shapeshifter or werewolf and she has been drawn to Pyotra for some time. One night when another wolf attacks Pyotra, Volk comes to the rescue and is injured. Pyotra tries to help her and in doing so realises that Volk can understand her.

Soon after Volk is triggered into changing back to human form. Pyotra though shocked and scared at first is drawn to Volk. Their attraction is strong and their desire and need for each other sees them embark on a vigorous sexual relationship. Their bond grows quickly but when Volk finds out she accidently bit Sergei while trying to rescue him she panics. Sergei will now become a werewolf and they don’t have long before he turns. This leads both women on a journey of vulnerability and self-discovery as join forces to help Sergei. But as they get closer to Pyotra's home outside events and sinister forces will send them in a dangerous direction neither had foreseen.

This was a 🌟🌟🌟🌟 passionate Sapphic retelling of Peter and the Wolf. It was an emotionally charged and beautifully poignant tale of two lonely women coming together to find love and healing. It was striking how the intensity of their bond was palpable and though the sex scenes were graphic at times I felt they were appropriate to the plot. My only issue was I felt the two parts of the book were separate distinct plots that didn’t mesh completely. I would have liked a longer epilogue as the story suddenly seemed to resolve and the ending felt a little unfinished and abrupt. Overall a powerful and moving story with a creative twist on a classic tale with a stunning romance at its heart. ...more

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Mar 01, 2021 I can't read straight added it

Shelves: sapphic-2021

To say that I did not like this book would be an understatement, for this reason, I am not going to rate it.

The atmosphere is extremely charming, the Siberian taiga is not often seen in books. This and a captivating start had given me hope. Pyotra, a very young inhabitant of a small settlement in Siberia, begins her adventure to "avenge" her little brother attacked by a wolf. The wolf has something strange and Pyotra begins her journey in search of revenge and answers.

The first part is definitel ...more

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Mar 03, 2021 Mr Pink ink rated it liked it

Shelves: adult, ebook, fantasy, indie, owned, paranormal, review-copy, romance, lgbt, pride-book-tours

Thank you to Pride Book Tours & the author for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Pyotra, along with her blind grandfather and baby brother, lives in the Siberian taiga, where wolves are often roaming; since her mother was attacked, and killed,by wolves, Pyotra has never been particularly fond of them. Until, returning from the shops one day, Pyotra sees her little Sergei in the jaws of a big, white wolf.

After reviving her brother and ensuring ...more

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Jan 31, 2021 Alejandra rated it liked it

* Thanks to NetGalley and NineStar Press for providing an advance copy for review purposes *

Pyotra lives in the Siberian taiga with her grandfather and her little "duckling" brother. She is not particularly keen on wolves, since her mother passed away after being attacked by a pack of them, so she is intent on revenge when she catches a wolf holding on to her brother on a hole on the edge of a frozen lake. After taking care of her brother wounds, Pyotra follows the wolf into the wilderness with ...more

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E.G. Jönsson rated it it was amazing
Feb 03, 2021

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About Elna Holst

Elna Holst

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Often quirky, always queer, Elna Holst is an unapologetic genre bender who writes anything from lesbian lust and love stories to the odd existentialist horror piece. Find her on Instagram (@elnaholstwrites) or Goodreads (yes, you're right here). ...more