Hannah Whitten

I must be tough to please with fairytale retelling these days. For the Wolf is pitched as Red Riding Hood meets Beauty and the Beast - both fairytales which I love. Definitely got way heavier Beauty and the Beast vibes, though.

What I loved -
The cover is so pretty! And the premise sounded so cool - first daughters destined for the throne, younger daughters destined to be given to the ‘Wolf’ in the a living forest called the Wilderwood, to release the 5 kings from their imprisonment.

I loved the atmosphere of a creepy, living forest that demands blood magic to survive (as someone who’s currently playing through the Dragon Age video games again, this was exciting!).

The beginning and end were well done and both hooked me.

And I liked the prose. I got a great sense of the setting and what I was “looking at” while reading. A bit purpley at times but overall lyrical.

What I didn’t love -
The pacing! The middle 60% was so slow and I felt it was way too dragged out at 400 pages. Now, I don’t mind a slow story if it’s told well and holds my interest and maintains tension. Unfortunately this story didn’t do that and I found myself skimming or re-reading parts of it and wondering when it was going to end (I know I could have DNFed it, but I’m stubborn sometimes). This book could have had 50-100 pages cut out and I don’t think we’d lose much.

The characters were okay, but not very memorable. I felt both Neve and Red had similar personalities and while they were both technically adults, they came off as stubborn bratty teenagers many times. I wish I had more sense of their closeness other than simply being told they were sisters, so therefore they should love and sacrifice for one another. Not every sibling relationship is good, so I would have liked more showing in this instance and really feel their bond. The supporting characters weren’t really fleshed out and I started getting confused who was who at times, and instead seemed like they were just there to move the plot forward.

The romance was also just alright. I didn’t feel much in chemistry between Red and Eammon. There also seemed to be a very large age gap between the two (Red is 20 and Eammon sounded like he was a few hundred or thousands of years old), which really isn’t for me. Again, I was told they loved and would do anything for each other, but I didn’t quite understand the love they had, except that they fell in love only because they were stuck together.

This was told mostly in third person from iRed’s perspective, with chapters mixed in from Neve’s.

Overall, 3 stars. Enjoyed it for what it was, but I wasn’t invested in the story and characters like I wish I was. Not sure I’ll pick up For the Throne (book #2), but from the sample chapter I read, it seems like it could be a more interesting read.… (mer)

For the Wolf was one of my favourite reads last year, so I was really looking forward to the second book in this duology. In fact, For the Throne was probably one of my most anticipated reads this year.

This second book picks up right where the first one ended. I didn't re-read For the Wolf before starting this one, but it might be worth doing if you have the time as, outside of the main characters, I had a hard time remembering who was who for a few chapters.

The book mostly follows Neve, Red's sister, while she is stuck in the Shadowlands with Solmir, but there are also some chapters in Red's POV as she struggles to find a way to save her sister and even some showing Raffe's POV. Neve was by far the most interesting character, and I loved getting to know her more deeply than before, exploring her complexities and witnessing both her incredible strength and her touching vulnerability.

The author does an amazing job with the atmosphere. It was dark and chilling and just absolutely perfect. I could almost feel the Shadowlands as Neve and Solmir made their way through them to try and destroy them and the Old Kings. I also really liked the original way in which some classic folklore tropes and elements were woven through the story, and the addition of the gods was a very welcome one for me.

Action on the surface wasn't quite as captivating as that in the Shadowlands for me, and I did find that rather a lot of it was too slow-moving to really hold my interest. I still love Red and Eamonn, but some of the other characters failed to really grow on me and, by the end, there were a few too many couples going around. Some of the surprising twists were also not so surprising after all, which was disappointing as I love being surprised!

Still, I really liked the ending and was very satisfied with it as a conclusion to this duology even if this second book didn't quite live up to the first one for me. Hannah Whitten was a fantastic discovery and I look forward to reading many, many more of her books in the future.


I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.… (mer)

For the Wolf was one of my most highly anticipated reads for the year and, boy, did it deliver! I loved this book from its first page right up to its last and it easily earned its rightful spot as one of my favourite reads this year so far.

Redarys is a Second Daughter and all her life she's known what that means: her only purpose is to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wilderwood so that he will return their old kings-turned-gods to her world.

The First Daughter is for the throne.
The Second Daughter is for the Wolf.
And the Wolves are for the Wilderwood.

But Red soon discovers that not things aren't always what they seem, and old myths and legends sometimes lie. The Wolf is in fact a man struggling to hold together the now crumbling Wood, the last remaining barrier between Red's world and an evil beyond imagination.

For the Wolf brings together familiar fairy tales and original mythology to create a complex and rich world. I could definitely see elements of Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast, and even spotted a little Snow White in there! This book takes well-known tropes and elements and gives them an original twist, creating a highly entertaining and engaging read that had me gripped throughout.

I personally loved the characters and the way they changed throughout the book as more and more is revealed about the Wilderwood and its purpose, the kings, and the mysterious shadows slowly creeping into the world.

Red is definitely the centre of the book, whether we're following her POV or looking at her sister Neve's attempts to find a way to bring Red back. I really enjoyed seeing Red grow and accept her role in the wood... and at the Wolf's side. While at first she seems passively resigned to her fate, her full strength quickly comes through as she works hard to find her own place in the world. Red is headstrong, witty, independent and fiercely loyal to the people she loves: basically, everything I love in an MC. The romance is definitely a slow burn and Eammon, the Wolf, is the perfect tall, dark and brooding gentleman.

I also really liked Neve's interludes. I found her to be a very interesting character, and in some ways even more complex and intriguing than Red. I'm so curious to see what Neve'll get up to in the next book! The entire cast is fantastic, and I loved all the secondary characters. I wish we'd gotten to see a bit more of some of them, but maybe I'll get my wish in the second book.

The world building was also perfectly on point! The Wilderwood gave me definite [b:Uprooted|22544764|Uprooted|Naomi Novik|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550135418l/22544764._SX50_.jpg|41876730] vibes, as did some of the writing. I'm in love with the author's writing style and the way she crafts gorgeous and deliciously creepy descriptions. The pace did slow a fair bit around the middle mark, which made it feel as though certain sections were dragging on with not much happening. It picked up again though and the ending was incredibly fast-paced and gave me ALL the feelings at once.

For the Wolf is one of those books that reminded me why I love fantasy so much. Magic, an eerie wood, legends and traditions, and an incredible cast of characters come together in this beautiful and unforgettable tale. Can't wait for the second book!

Find my reviews on Book for Thought.

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.… (mer)