The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell

Wolf wilding is a dangerous job, and both Feodora and her mother bear the scars. But a far more dangerous presence prowls the wintry forests south of St Petersburg: the belligerent General Rakov. He loves pain. Laughs at misery. Enjoys roasting his enemies and torching their houses.

To Feo’s horror, Rakov kidnaps her mother - vowing to kill her as a traitor.

Raised wild in the woods, Feo has the simplest of plans: find the jail, spring her mother. An impossibe mission for a scabby-kneed hungry waif, surely. But she’s not alone. Lapping at Feo’s heels are four wild wolves and a deserter from the army. Together they strike a course north, making allies as they go.

Usually, I melt at the merest whisper of the word Russia, but this time I was left cold. The fairytale-feeling of the story undermined the tension for me (it begins Once upon a time…); Feo does little wolf-wilding, and the wolves behaved more often like saddle-free ponies.

That said, I am already devouring Katherine Rundell’s The Good Thieves, which crackles with spark and intrigue. More on that one soon.