A Wolf for a Spell is a howling good time.
Okay, now that my punny bone has been satisfied, let’s get to business.
I am so grateful to TBR and Beyond Tours and Karah Sutton for giving me the chance to review this book. I knew just from the synopsis that it had the potential to be a new fairytale favorite. (Though I did try to remain unbiased. I swear.)
Listen to this synopsis and tell me it doesn’t make you want to run through the forest howling at the moon.
Synopsis:The Girl Who Drank the MoonmeetsPaxin this fantastical tale of a wolf who forms an unlikely alliance with Baba Yaga to save the forest from a wicked tsar.
Since she was a pup, Zima has been taught to fear humans—especially witches—but when her family is threatened, she has no choice but to seek help from the witch Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga never does magic for free, but it just so happens that she needs a wolf’s keen nose for a secret plan she’s brewing... Before Zima knows what’s happening, the witch has cast a switching spell and run off into the woods, while Zima is left behind in Baba Yaga’s hut—and Baba Yaga’s body! Meanwhile, a young village girl named Nadya is also seeking the witch’s help, and when she meets Zima (in Baba Yaga’s form), they discover that they face a common enemy. With danger closing in, Zima must unite the wolves, the witches and the villagers against an evil that threatens them all.
There is so much more to this story than the synopsis suggests. (Which I guess is kind of the point of a synopsis.)
I love fairytales. And Karah has managed to take an old Russian fairytale baddie and turn her into a sympathetic and lovely character.
In more ways than one.
The big bad wolf isn’t as heartless as the stories have told us.
Baba Yaga isn’t the evil child eating crone of legend.
And handsome princes aren’t always as chivalrous as they seem.
But I’m not going to share anymore about the specifics. (Technically I can’t because it is against the TBR and Beyond Tour rules. XD )
For now I am just going to share a few of my favorite things about this little gem of a book.
1.) Baba Yaga!
Yeah, I know that’s a little vague. But I have always had a certain soft spot for this particular fairytale witch. Ever since I watched Bartok the Magnificent as a kid, I’ve wanted more Baba Yaga inspired stories. Unfortunately, they are hard to find. So this book was super refreshing.
2.) All of the characters were great.
There wasn’t a single character I didn’t sympathize with. Even the bad guy had a truly believable and sympathetic, if horrible, reason for doing what they were doing.
3.) The magic was fun.
I like when authors take magic into new directions and explore new elements of what magic can be and what it means for those who use it. Karah does that in this book.
4.) The ending was bittersweet.
I like when things end the way they usually do in real life. With good and bad things mixed together. With loss of the old, and a birth of something new. It’s a beautiful way to end a book and Farah’s ending made me want to cry and smile at the same time.
5.) The imagery and descriptions are lovely.
Like the characters, the scenes themselves were crafted in a very well done way. I enjoyed feeling like I was in the story, encountering each new space with the character. They were all super inventive too, taking things from real life and legend and creating something new.
My overall rating for this book is:
4.75 stars! (In official site reviews this will be rounded up to five stars, btw.)
The reason for the small reduction in rating is the overall pacing of the first third of the story could have used some work in my opinion, and the rules of the magic (while fun) weren’t always super consistent. I am not sure how to explain my thoughts on this more clearly without giving away major elements of the story but I hope it is sufficient to say that I, personally, thought those two things could have been a bit better.
When you read the book, let me know if you can tell what I mean and/or if you agree with me about it. I am not allowed to share spoilers in this post, but I am allowed to in the comments. ;) I’d love to discuss this book with you!
To finish things off, here is everything you need to know about this book, book tour, and talented new author. Thanks for joining me for this review and I hope to see you next time!
Book Info:
A Wolf for a Spell by Karah Sutton
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Publishing Date: December 1, 2020
Book Links:
About the Author:
Karah Sutton has loved Baba Yaga, ballet, and blini ever since she had to do a research project on her Russian heritage in the third grade. Her hunger for adventure inspired her to move from Kentucky to New Zealand, where it was rumored she would find talking trees and the occasional wood elf. Karah spent four years as a bookseller before she turned to writing her own fiction. A Wolf For a A Spellis her first novel.
Author Links:
Tour Schedule: Check out all of the stops on the tour by clicking here!