Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Wolf by Wolf (Wolf by Wolf, #1)

by Ryan Graudin

From the author of The Walled City comes a fast-paced and innovative novel that will leave you breathless.

Her story begins on a train.

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, they host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The prize? An audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball in Tokyo.

Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele's twin brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move.

But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and stay true to her mission?

Reviewed by ammaarah on

4 of 5 stars

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""She-wolf. An interesting choice."
"I didn't choose it," she told him. "It chose me.""

What an interesting premise!

Wolf by Wolf analyses the "What ifs?". What if the Allies had been defeated? What if Hitler had won World War 2? What if a victim of lab experiments had the ability to change their appearance? What if that character had a mission to assassinate Hitler?
 
Wolf by Wolf is not just an alternate historical fiction retelling with science-fiction elements, it's a story of loss, pain, grief, survival and the triumph of the human spirit. We experience Yael's life in the death camps as a young child and her teenage years as a member of the resistance. We also get a sense of Yael's trauma and losses. Yael is a skinshifter who can change her appearance and she doesn't know her identity under all those faces. Yael is a likable, brave and smart heroine. She is a survivor who ultimately tries to do the right thing.  

Yael needs to win a grueling motorcycle race that stretches from Europe to Asia to get close enough to Hitler and assassinate him. The motorcycle racing is a little repetitive at times. While competing, Yael meets many characters and has to figure out who is friend and foe along with realising that people and relationships are more than what is shown on the surface. Most of secondary characters aren't well-developed, but a few are interesting. One of them is Luca, an unpredictable character and I'm interested to see what his role will be in  Blood for Blood.

Wolf by Wolf is a fast-paced story with an extremely interesting premise and a strong character who's trying to survive and figure out her place in the world. I really enjoyed Wolf by Wolf.

"These were the names she whispered in the dark.
These were the pieces she brought back into place.
These were the wolves she rode to war."

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 27 April, 2020: Finished reading
  • 27 April, 2020: Reviewed