A Wolf for a Spell by Karah Sutton

In A Wolf for a Spell, wolves join forces with humans and the earth itself to defeat a foul plot against all.

A Wolf for a Spell by Karah Sutton. Knopf, 2020, 312 pages.

Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15

Recommended for: ages 12-15

Zima fears humans, as all wolves do, but with particular reason. Humans wiped out most of her family, leaving big brother Grom in charge. Zima longs to prove herself to Grom, whose new responsibilities have made him cold and distant. So, when her littermate Leno is hurt, Zima boldly seeks help from the terrifying witch Baba Yaga. Meanwhile, Nadya the orphan is hoping that her best friend Katerina will take her along to serve at the palace once Katerina marries Tsar Alexander. Katerina is a poor orphan as well, but so wise and beautiful that the Tsar has set his heart on her. Meanwhile again, Baba Yaga has her own plans, and when Zima comes for help in healing Leno, the witch swaps bodies with her. Now the witch is traveling as a wolf and the wolf as a witch! And a sinister force is shaping up to threaten them all, for Tsar Alexander’s interest in Katerina has nothing to do with love.

The complex plot neatly unfolds with no lags in the action. Baba Yaga is a character drawn from Russian folklore (complete with the magic hut on chicken legs). Having a witch as a sympathetic character is problematic, but it’s clear that this witch draws her power from nature, not from satanic powers. It’s a pagan understanding that meets no Christian counterpart, for this is the mythical Russia, not the real one. With that in mind, A Wolf for a Spell is an enjoyable tale of deceit and treachery and love and triumph, in which even a witch can learn something: ”Of all the evils in the world, the greatest was the temptation of the easy path over the right one.”

Overall Rating: 3.75 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3
• Artistic/literary value: 4.5

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Teens may also enjoy Egg & Spoon, another Russian-inspired fantasy (featuring Baba Yaga) by Gregory Maguire. For a more historical take on Czarist Russia, see our review of Lara’s Gift.
• A Wolf Called Wander, by Roseanne Parry, is real-life adventure from the title character’s point of view.

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