Author: Aleksandra Ross

Aleksandra Ross is a Polish fantasy writer whose debut draws on the landscapes and folklore of her background. Don’t Call the Wolf follows Ren, a forest queen with antlers, and Lukasz, the last surviving member of a band known as the Wolf-Lords. Their paths join when a Golden Dragon threatens the forest and Lukasz offers a bargain that could help each of them recover what has been lost. Ross builds the novel through alternating perspectives and timelines, connecting Ren's defense of magical creatures with Lukasz's grief and unfinished duty. HarperTeen published the adolescent fantasy. Its imagery includes rusalkas, leshys, shifting woods, and other elements associated with Polish and Slavic traditions, but the emotional structure remains centered on belonging, memory, and the danger of accepting inherited labels. The title captures that tension: names such as wolf, queen, and monster can protect a person, misrepresent them, or become roles they must choose for themselves. Ross uses a quest framework while giving the forest a presence in their decisions.