A dark and dangerous story inspired by the fairy-tale of Little Red Riding Hood. Whitten utilises the iconic features (a girl in a red cloak, a wolf, a forest) but is not restricted by them. The novel takes these notions and runs with them, creating a rich and imaginative world that subverted all of my expectations.

I was pleasantly surprised by the effective, steady world building. . The story of the Wilderwood unfolds itself gradually like a unfurling bud as we learn about the world's culture, geography and mythology. For me this is infinitely better as preferable to a massive history/exposition dump at the beginning of the book (which unfortunately is found in a number of new fantasy novels).

The heroine, Red, is feisty and bold without being obnoxious. We're given enough insight and detail into her motivations for her choices to feel believable. I found Red very relatable and down to earth, and am so glad the author didn't fall into the trap of creating an incredibly annoying, overly sassy protagonist in an attempt to create a "strong and unconventional" heroine. She asks a lot of questions and refuses to just accept things as they are, determined to help and play her part.

Additionally, I really enjoyed the emphasis on the sibling bond and friendship between Red and Neve. But I wish we could have had more scenes between them too establish this either initially or through things like flashbacks to their childhood. Although the strength of their familial bond and love for each other was clear, it would have been nice to see it in action a bit more rather than just being told the extent of it predominantly through their grief at being separated and determination to save each other.

One of the novel's big strengths, in my opinion, is Eammon (The Wolf) and the nature of his and Red's relationship. I loved the characterisation if Eammon as a kind of gentle giant. Although he could still be considered your classic tall, dark, and brooding (as many of our favourite fantasy crushes are) there's a clear vulnerability to him that I found incredibly endearing.

The relationship between Red and Eammon is a tantalisingly slow burn. Built on trust and guilt and a desire to help, their bond grows slowly like ivy creeping up a wall. Gentle but steadfast and binding. Brick by brick their shared pain and shared responsibility brings them inextricably closer, their lives and their hearts slowly intertwining. The push and pull of their relationship as Red fights to get Eammon to let her help, while refusing to acknowledge the extent of her feelings, creates an exquisite, fizzling tension that is almost palpable.

The fact that the main conflict of the novel is highlighted relatively early on does not undermine the climactic last few chapters. In fact, the dramatic irony created through the parallel narratives (we often switch between Red and Neve's perspectives) is very cleverly done. It creates both suspense and dread as we draw closer to the novels climax and the showdown that we know must be to come.

For the Wolf ends without a full resolution, and with a very clear cliff-hanger leaving room for a sequel. I think this is an amazing debut from Whitten and I'm incredibly excited to see where this series goes! I can't wait to see how Red and Eammon's relationship develops and I'm hoping Raffe and Neve might feature more prominently, but I'll just have to wait and see.

Essentially, this is YA red riding hood.

I just couldn't finish this book. I managed to force myself to read forty percent through, but in the end I just gave up. I can tell you (spoiler free) that it is nothing like 'The Bear and The Nightingale'. The plot moved at a glacial pace, and every YA trope you can think of was shoved into this. The plot sounded good, in theory but I couldn't quite make myself read that far.

For the Wolf, Hannah Whitten

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy

I was so looking forward to this but the beginning...well, I had to restart a few times because, honestly, it was a slog. Once past that though it was a fantastic read, I'm so glad I didn't give up, and I really want the next book Now!

I loved the Wilderwood scenes, they really were the best part. The slow burn romance, the Fife and Lyra interactions, the other characters, descendants of those caught in the past, and of course, the Wilderwood. A wood like no other, sentient, but focused on survival at all costs, and that's meant the deaths of second daughters in the past.
What I wasn't keen on was the Neve, Kiri part of the story, at least in the early stages. When the end grew near the two parts melded and became one but until then it was as if I was reading two different stories, only tangentially connected. It was hard jumping from one story arc to the other.
There were some terrific characters here, some horrific moments in the Wilderwood, and lots of things to learn, superstitions and stories, some of which were true, others not. I hadn't read the connection to Red riding Hood, thankfully, as I don't like re-imaginings of traditional stories and would have not requested this. To me, the only connection really is superficial, Red's name and cloak, the woods and Eammon being known as The Wolf.
Its a fantastic read, once past the beginning I was gripped. Its very intense at times, lots of gritty drama and details, and the fabulous slowly unfolding romance. I am so hoping its not long to wait for more!

Stars: Five, If you struggle at first, stick with it, its so worth it. Fabulous, dramatic, intense story. And a gorgeous slow burn romance.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

* 3.5 stars.

The writing in this book is beautiful. It is viscerally verdant in building the Wilderwood, and any fan of fairytales will be entranced. However, where this book struggled for me was the middle. It starts off strong, promising much, and concludes in a suitable epic way, but I did find myself lost in the mire between Point A and Point B, which made getting through this book a bit of a slog. Aside from this, I did enjoy the book and am interested to see how things continue in the sequel!

(Many thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.)

The first daughter is for the throne and the second daughter for the wolf.
Red as the second daughter born into royalty is destined to be sacrificed to the wolf in the Wilderwoods in hope that it will secure safety for her kingdom and return the 5 capture gods.
As Red turns 20 the mark of the Wilderwood appears in her arm, a calling mark, drawing her to the forest. Her sister Neve, the first daughter, destined to be queen try’s to get her to run from the forest and the tradition of the sacrifice but Red refuses. When it is time for Red to be sacrificed she is almost glad to go as she knows that she has power lurking within her, power that she once unleaded, power she can’t control and that is a danger to those she loves. She knows once she is in the Wilderwood her power can’t touch those she cares about. However when she enters the Wilderwood she soon finds out that the legends she has been told are lies, the wolf is a man, not the enemy she thought she would find and her power isn’t what she first thought it to be either. She must learn to control her power or it will swallow her, and the monsters trapped in the wilderwood will be free and will devour the the world.

I went into this book thinking it was just a red riding hood retelling but it’s much more than that. It pulls in strands from other fairy tales such as Snow White and has blown the traditional red riding hood story wide open, creating its own unique story whilst still keeping that traditional fairy tale feel throughout. The book has a dark, gothic and slightly creepy at times atmosphere and the author really focuses on the character development and relations, every character has a backstory, they are there for a reason which really helps to flesh out this book.

I struggled with the first quarter of this book, I found it to be confusing, it wasn’t bad but it kept throwing up more questions than answered and it felt like the same questions were coming up over and over making it a bit repetitive. Sometimes asking more questions than you get answers to is good but in this case it just got frustrating. However you do get the answers you are looking for further on so don’t be put off, it just takes a while.

I liked the slow burn romance in this book, although you could almost argue that it was a triangle if you Include the Wilderwood, it is so deeply in twined with the characters that it felt like it’s own being. The romance wasn’t over powering and didn’t take away from the other story elements going on.

After reading this book I’m intruded to see what the second book will bring

This book was absolutely fantastic! In true fantasy setting, we have a wilder wood that is magic, a protector of the wood (the wolf) and enemies and friends.
Red is the second daughter of the queen this means that on her 20th birthday she will be sacrificed to the wolf in the hope he well send the Kings back and keep the kingdom safe from monsters. However, the stories are not always true. The Wilderwood doesn’t take Red straight away and she meets the wolf who is a handsome man.
Red is a strong female character who makes her own decisions, she does nit want protection but wants to help to set things right. As the story develops, Red begins to understand her own power and begins to question everything she thought she knew. Unfortunately, her sister thinks she needs saving which leads to more problems.
This book has a sequel coming out on 2022 which I will definitely be reading.

I really enjoyed the atmospheric setting of this book, the writing is beautiful and brought to life the Wilderwood with folklore and vivid imagery. The relationships between characters was brilliantly done and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, For the Throne after the cliffhanger ending.

I loved the premise of a darkly gothic red riding hood and instantly added For the Wolf it to my 'to buy' pile, delighted to get an Earc through Netgalley. And parts of it did live up to my expectations - and parts of it really didn't.
Red is the Second Daughter of the Queen and therefore fated from birth to enter the wood once an adult to be sacrificed to the wolf who lives there, keeping back the shadowlands. Only by doing so will the woods continue to keep back the shadows, and many hope this sacrifice will also allow the return of the mythical five kings, captured centuries ago. Meanwhile Red's twin sister, Neve, will be Queen, affianced to the man who loves Red and will do anything to save her from her fate. But Red knows she can't be saved, that the power of the wood is in her and that it is dark and violent and dangerous. Only by going to to the woods can she hope to control it - if she survives. And she thinks she's reconciled to not.
But when she gets there her will to live is stronger than her fear and she finds home with the wolf, Eammon, a man who has lived for centuries, with wilder stronger magic than Red's own, holding back the darkness with blood. But her sister, her lover, and her friend haven't given up hope of Red's return and are willing to do whatever it takes to save her.
The beginning was intriguing, the end exciting but I struggled with the middle which seemed overlong and repetitive with more forest and blood imagery than I could take. I enjoyed the chapters which returned to Neve, but the time in the wood battling sapplings and thorns seemed neverending at times. A shorter, better paced middle and a tough edit of the description would have turned this from only just three stars to four for this reader.

Irresistibly folkloric and full of fawn-worthy fairty-tale imagery, For The Wolf invites you to flip a transfixing and transporting fable in this trance-inducingly immersive fantasy (a few issues with file formatting aside). Rendered in visceral colour and rich in cloying visuals, Red and Neve's viewpoints make for a captivatingly refined and airy reimagining that abounds in remarkable curveballs and artistic reconceptions. Whitten has delivered an ethereally descriptive debut demonstrating the rougher edges of age-old allegories, as enchanting as they are eldritch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit/Little, Brown Book Group UK for kindly passing on this arc! 💫

There was a lot of anticipation built for this book and for me I felt that may have been too much expectation and I would never have been satisfied no matter how good this book actually is, my failing aside I enjoyed a lot of this book but not all of it, perchance I am but the intended audience

For the Wolf is an enchanting, dark fairytale that enthralled me from the first page through its haunting atmosphere and exquisite storytelling.

The book is set in a fantasy world, that has been dominated by a creepy, sentient magic forest for ages, that leaves its inhabitants caught in a cycle of sacrificial traditions demanded by mystical entities and religious fanaticism for dark, power-hungry gods.

Traditional folkloric and fairytale elements were beautifully combined to create an unique, original tale that gives the story a feel of epicness and magic. Instead of being a retelling of a single fairytale parts from well-known tales like Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast and Snow White were weaved together. I was reminded of Naomi Novik's Uprooted combined with the ominous, chilling atmosphere that dominates stories like The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab.
I'm sure this book will get the recognition it deserves from lovers of the genre like myself. I adored the setting so much, it was everything I wished for from this book and more.

The story was brutal and gritty, but at the same time slow,atmospheric and centered around romance as well as bonds of family and friendship. I loved the complex, realistic characters and their dynamics. The slow-burn romance (with typical tropes like marriage of convenience and only one bed) was really cute and made me think of the feel-good romance vibes in An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson. While it wasn't what I was expecting it would be at all I loved it nonetheless.

I enjoyed the easy to read writing style full of touching, lovely prose, but not too overloaded with.
Although it's a rather slow-paced story that focuses more on atmosphere and characters than action, I was taken in right from the start and binged through these over 400 pages like crazy.
It's a fantastic debut novel and I have really high expectations for Hannah Whitten's future books. I can't wait for the sequel!

This was one of my most anticipated releases for this year, so thank you so incredibly much to Netgalley and Orbit UK for the opportunity to read this amazing book pre-release in exchange for a honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated releases for this year and I was over the moon when I found a copy in the mail one morning, thank you so much to the publishers and author for letting me have the chance to read the arc for this book.

“Red, I’d let the world burn before I hurt you.”

I wanted to go slow with this read and savour it a bit. It is a chunky read at over 400 pages but if you love a good slow burn romance then this will hit the spot. For the Wolf is an adult fractured retelling of Red Riding Hood with touches of other fairytales within such as Beauty and the Beast and Snow White but it is a very unique story. It is very descriptive and thus creates a very atmospheric read, a creepy forest with huge fairytale vibes, magic and a sweet slow burn romance between Red and the wolf. As I said before, I took my sweet time with this book, I didn’t want to rush and be greedy, I wanted to savour this one because you only read a book for the first time once. It was a beautifully written book and I felt enthralled the entire time I was reading it, I struggled to put it down at some parts and just had to read another chapter.

The First Daughter is for the Throne and the Second Daughter is for the Wolf. Red (Redarys) was born as a Second Daughter and her fate sealed before she even took a breath in the world. As a Second Daughter she is to be sacrificed with a hope that she will be enough for the Wolf to return the five captured kings. When her mark appears on her wrist and the pull of the Wilderwood is felt, Red is ready to go and almost relieved by it because she knows that she will be protecting all those that she loves – her sister mainly – from the horrors of the Wilderwood as well as the dangerous power growing within her. When the day comes that she finally meets the Wolf, he isn’t what she expected. The Wolf is a man and isn’t the enemy and there is a darker evil afoot in the Wilderwood and the only chance that she has of stopping this evil horror brewing is to accept each other’s help and face it together.

Honestly, you will not be disappointed if you pick up this book. A marriage of convenience, slow burn romance, a single bed and forced proximity – For the Wolf is all of this and more. It is a dark crafted story that takes a hold of you from the very first page. I seriously cannot wait for the sequel to this and it is not even out yet!

Review is up on my blog and Goodreads.
Thank you again!

What a disappointment.

I had high expectations for this book and it didn't live up to them.
The first 80/90 pages were interesting and I was loving the atmosphere, but after that the story slowly became boring and repetitive. Only towards the end something happened. I think the author focused too much on the setting and the dark atmosphere, penalizing the characters. They were flat and I didn't feel any emotions towards them. I also expected a different kind of story and maybe this is the reason why I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped.

For the Wolf gave me all of the creepy fairytale vibes I hoped for, and then some. Though The Wilderwood is intended to be a scary, murdery, forest, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to visit somewhere more.

Things I liked:
♥ Hannah Whitten wrote one of the most atmospheric books I’ve ever read and, though the writing was lyrical and gritty to the extreme, the plot didn’t drag for it as it so often does in atmosphere-heavy books. The balance between description and plot was spot on, and the pacing was well done.
♥ The Wilderwood essentially being a character in its own right was so incredibly done. You can’t help but empathize with it and I grew to love it as much as the human(ish) characters.
♥ I really enjoyed the dynamic between Lyra and Red. It was great to see a strong friendship between two unapologetically strong women. As characters, they were really well fleshed out and I really enjoyed learning about them (I also would very much love a book about Lyra’s history and how she came to be on The Wilderwood!)
♥ Can I just say the vibe? Because I really loved the vibe. I wasn’t expecting quite so much horror but I loved it. The blend of fantasy and horror worked SO well with the setting of The Wilderwood and it was sufficiently creepy.

Things I Disliked:
♡ I wonder if I went into this book with slightly off expectations in terms of romance because I found myself a little let down by it. There’s just wasn’t as much as I’d hoped for. The story was much more about Red and Eammon’s relationship with The Wilderwood than it was about their relationship with each other and, though I enjoyed that, I found myself feeling a little unfulfilled by the romance side of things.
♡ Though the book was predominantly from Red’s POV, there were ‘interludes’ from Neve’s. I didn’t dislike Neve’s POV, but the switch between them kept taking me out of the story since they were quite infrequent. I think if it had been a total 50/50 split, I wouldn’t have struggled with it, but the sporadic switching was a bit distracting for me.

Overall, this book was pure magic. As someone who feels most at home when surrounded by trees, For the Wolf felt a lot like stepping into paradise. And that ending… needless to say, I’ll be counting down the days until For the Throne is in my hand.

Content warnings, taken from the author's website: self-harm for magic use (cutting), parental neglect/emotional abuse, mentions of physical symptoms that might be triggering to those with emetophobia, anxiety/panic attacks, parental death, gore, mild audio/visual hallucinations, religious abuse, medium-heat romance (non-explicit)