I’ve been a die-hard Holst fan since reading her novella In the Palm, so of course I’m going to jump at her newest release. Pyotra and the Wolf is a retelling of the symphonic Russian fairy tale Peter and the Wolf. If you listen to the fairy tale, which I did immediately after finishing Pyotra (and remembered listening to it from childhood), you can see the small nods towards the original.
Here’s a quick plot—
After a wolf pulls Pyotra’s brother, Sergie, from a wet and frozen grave, a hunt, framed in misconception, is pursued. Pyotra follows the wolf in below freezing weather into the Siberian taiga, set on slaying the beast. What she doesn’t know is that the wolf is actually Volk, a female werewolf. Volk is entranced by Pyotra and although the young woman is set on taking her life, Volk can’t keep away. What ensues is an epic adventure. After finding out that Sergie’s life is once again in danger, Pyotra and Volk race to save him and make some friends along the way.
This is a perfect winter read. The temperature in my neck of the world has reached about -2 degrees Fahrenheit so far, which pales to the -30 in this book, but definitely sets the perfect ambiance. The setting here was vividly described; I nearly got wind-chill just from reading it. I loved how it juxtaposed the steamy love scenes which were also described in luscious detail. The relationship between Pyotra and Volk was full of the animalistic need associated with werewolf romance stories.
The pacing in this novel gradually picks up speed as the action unfolds. Told in three parts, we see different points of view as the story progresses and quickly learn that some of these characters are not who they seem. I enjoyed the way Holst humanized everyone. The relationships between characters were often more complicated than what they first appeared. I was especially interested in Volk’s internal narrative describing her relationship with her previous mate, the woman who had turned her. We know that Volt used the wolf as an escape but come to see that it was not as romantic as it might have seemed. Holst was subtle here and I appreciated the delicate touch.
There’s some truly beautiful writing in this novel. If you’re a fan of the werewolf storylines, enjoy lusty romances, or are looking for an original take on a Russian classic, then Pyotra and the Wolf could be for you! It comes out February 12th, 2021.