I adored the beginning with its lush and description heavy writing and its emphasis on atmosphere before all. But after a while I found it indulgent and weirdly vague in what was going on. I also do not love plots that hinge on people just not using their words. The ending intrigues me enough though to want to read the second book in the series.

For The Wolf by Hannah F Whitten is the first book in the Wilderwood series. This is also Hannah’s debut, and the story is an inspired retelling of the classic fairytale The Red Riding Hood and Beauty And The Beast. For The Wolf tells the story of Red, the second daughter of the Queen. She is also the only second daughter that has been born in centuries and will be sacrificed to the Wolf as per the traditions of their kingdom. The plan is to free the five Kings whom they see as their Gods. Red’s Twin Neve as the first daughter will reign as a Queen after her mother. The two share a close bond and Neve refuses to sacrifice her sister and goes on her mission to save her sister from the barbaric tradition at any cost. Meanwhile, Red is relieved to leave her home behind and go to Wilderwood as she fears her strange power and the destruction it could cause if she let it loose. This makes her even more determined to leave behind her old life and start fresh and accept her fate. When Red meets the man behind the monster she realizes that the stories of the Wolf and the Kings are not as told and the more she gets to know the new place and her place in it, she learns secrets that could change everything. Will Red be able to handle her new world? Are the monsters going to stay behind with Red’s sacrifice?

I believe I am in the minority when it comes to the book. I have seen quite a few glowing reviews and it makes me sad that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped. Overall, if you enjoy fairytale retellings you must check it out and see if it’s interesting to you. For me, being a character-driven person, I like seeing the interactions, growth, and journey so much and that personal touch was missing. Also, the world and magic system and how things work were a bit confusing at times. Although there were moments that felt promising to me, it wasn’t followed through or executed properly. I am giving the book 2.5. The ending did feel a lot better and I am intrigued so that’s a good thing. I am also hoping the second book will deliver the punch I expected from this one. The book has potential, and I wish Hannah the very best and I hope she has a wonderful future ahead of her with her books. Make sure to check out the story and comment below if you have read this book and what your thoughts were on it.

Red has an uncontrollable power and afraid to hurt her family, she doesn't rebel against the town's decision to sacrifice her to the forest that takes from the living. The hypnotising beauty of dark woods is greatly captured while The Wolf, who has sworn to protect the kingdoms from the wrath of the monsters lurking in this forest, perfectly encapsulates the broody aura of a mysterious guy in this slow-burn romance. The tension, not only in terms of a plot driven by magic but also in terms of a love burning through the characters, entrances with intrigue. Despite being a little tiring with the pace, this debut hosts a writing that paints an atmospheric backdrop while taking inspiration from classic folktales.

Well, I did it. I finally finished. I can't explain why, but while I think she can write, it took me forever to get through this. Actually, I think I can explain.

The characters were a little flat, but the motivations are there. I think the details are too dense. She's too determined to begin her story and leave the smallest trail of bread crumbs for us to follow. The first half has very little real action.

The big climax doesn't quite work because we don't know the internal logic of the world to understand what is possible and likely to happen.

I didn't dislike this, but it did have too few scenes where we really understood the relationship between Red and Eammon, apart from that he smells like coffee and books and that just doesn't cut it.

I also found the Valeydan interludes to be odd - we either needed more of them or way less. I appreciate what the author was trying to do but don't think this worked with the number of them that we had.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I would read more from this writer, but probably not the second book in this series.

This was a good read with a great story brewing between Red and Eammon . The characters were developed well throughout the book. The dual POV increased the intensity of the story and added a new angle.
Adding to this was the good twists that made it a quick read. Although the world building was not as good as other fantasy books, the story made up for that.
Would definitely recommend!

Very grateful to have received an Arc of this book and I cannot wait for the sequel.
This book is the story of two sisters, a wolf, an Wilderwood and the Shadowland. One sister, Red, is for the wolf, while her sister, Neve, is for the Throne. Red has know all her life that she should not form attachment as on her 20th birthday she will have to go to the Wilderwood and be sacrificed. Her sister, Neve rebels against this fate, but Red is resigned and feels that this is the only way to protect her sister from her new power.
Surprisingly, The Wolf is not the monster she expects, and the Wilderwood is not the evil place the legends told off.
I loved the slow burning romance between Red and Eammon and really enjoyed seeing both of them developing and coming to accept their fates.
I have also enjoyed the dual perspective, Red's time in the Wilderwood and her sister's machinations back in the castle trying to get her sister home.
The book kept me hooked and the twists came fast and and well written.
I think the world building could do with some more depth as I was still unsure about certain aspects of the story: Who created the Wilderwood, why is Eammon tangled in it, how is the shadowlands poisoning it, what is the difference between Eammon's magic and his blood? Why some works only certain times?

Overall, a great read and I cannot wait for the sequel.

An amazing read by an exciting new talent - really invested in the characters, especially Neve, and I'm looking forward to the sequel!

trigger warning
<spoiler> trauma, grief, child neglect, self harm, human sacrifice </spoiler>

The First Daughter is for the throne, the Second Daughter for the Wolf.
Redarys always knew she would be given to the Wilderwood one day, but since nobody lived to tell the tale, she still does not know what she should expect.

As human sacrifice, Red as she is called is wearing a scarlet cloak when she goes to the wolf, but that is the main picture that comes from Little Red Riding Hood. The fairytale is more an inspiration than this really being a retelling.

I liked that every decision the protagonist, her twin sister or their mother made, even years back, was influenced by the tradition of giving the second eldest daughter away, should it so happen that there is one. Red doesn't have a great relationship to her mother, because that woman always knew she'd be expected to respond with dignity to watching her own flesh and blood cross the borders of the Wilderwood, from where nobody returns alive.

Somehow, this book didn't grip me. I only read on because, well, I had started it and since I had so many new books started, I knew I'd have to finish some before starting something else. I felt reluctant to pick it up because I did not develope a relationship to the characters and the plot didn't grip me.
Three stars is rounded up and I consider it to be generous.
I'd be interested in how the series progresses, but not enough to want to read on. It's more like if I had a summary of the further installments rn, I'd read that and call it a day.

No recommendation.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

For the Wolf is a darkly atmospheric fantasy tale full of magic and romance, which I quite enjoyed, for the most part.

This is a high fantasy story with an interesting world, several nods to fairy tales we all know and love (such as Beauty and the Beast!) and a dark and chilling atmosphere in a mysterious forest, which I loved. It features a romance between a wizard and a young woman slowly coming into her power, which is one of my favourite tropes, I really enjoyed reading about that. This book is very heavy on the romance, so that's something you enjoy in your fantasy, you'll probably love this! It also doesn't shy away from gore, as the magic system is based on blood magic, so beware of that going into it.

Unfortunately, I found that I liked the concept of the story more than its execution; this book should have made for a tale I would adore, as it has so many elements I love, yet I didn't find myself caring all that much for the characters, nor for the stakes of the story, which is a shame. Moreover, the narrative skipped over elements that had an enormous impact on the plot, leaving me quite confused several times, as I felt like I had missed something big, and I really dislike that. I think I would have been content following the story of Red and Eammon in the Wilderwood without the political elements going on into the background, but maybe that's just me.

All in all, For the Wolf is a promising debut, and I'm curious to see what Hannah Whitten will write next, once she's done with this duology. I didn't love the book as much as I wanted to, but the aesthetics sure were on point.

I think the best thing about this book is how atmospheric it is. It really does suck you in and make you curious about the characters. The magic system in the story is pretty unique and takes some time getting used to, especially with the mystery surrounding the main leads' use of magic, but that intrigued me even more.

The characters are very well rounded, and their arcs throughout the story are great. I love Eammon and Red's relationship so very much! The growth from strangers to lovers is excellently done!

I do think that the book is slow though. The first 35-40% seemed to drag a whole lot, but then it got interesting, albeit at a slower pace than I expected. Overall though, it was a good reading experience!

3.5 stars
The title and blurb of For the Wolf scream Little Red Riding Hood but it is actually more Beauty and the Beast than Little Red Riding Hood. Red and the Wolf might be from LRRH fairy tale but everything else in the story is from BatB – the forest, the trees, and the vines, the castle (the Keep), the library, the mirror, and even the cursed beast. Which makes this retelling even more appealing to me because I loved BatB the most among the fairy tales I know.

For the Wolf features a tale as old as time indeed. The plot is cemented to century-old dealings between kings and magical creatures in Wilderwood, and later, to the captivity of the said kings. Right from the beginning of the story, with Red’s preparation as a sacrifice, it is easy to tell that the legends she knew aren’t accurate. Everything is vague and mysterious and I love that. I love stories that are filled with secrets, just waiting to be discovered by me, the reader, along with the main characters. Some parts of the story are easy to predict, like the things about the Wolf. Not only because it was already stated in the blurb that he is more of a human than a monster. Aside from that, there are lots of things about the Wolf that are easy to predict. I know exactly who he’s going to be to Red. Like I said, this is a BatB retelling, so go figure. There is even one thing that involves the Wolf and Red that I guessed right from the start. But that doesn’t mean, I didn’t enjoy reading the story. Despite having predictable parts, For the Wolf still has lots to offer to the readers and yes, it’s not perfect, but I was glued to my Kindle till the end. I wanted to know what will happen to Red and Wolf’s story, which is also a love story. Of course, it is. 🙂

I love Red. I admire her strengths and principle. I was on her side with her real reason for going to the forest. She did it because she had no choice, it’s the only thing that she thought she could do for the greater good. I think it’s nice that the author didn’t just force Red to go with the flow, being a sacrifice because it was what she was born to do. I’m glad that the author gave Red another reason to go to the forest. That spoke a lot about Red’s character. She’s defiant but willing to risk her life for the people she loves. She has fears but never lets them control her. I loved how determined she was to help the Wolf because it’s what needed to be done, and not only because, you know, she’s beginning to fall for him. I love how she doesn’t just say yes to what the Wolf says, even though normally she should’ve because the Wolf knows more about Wilderwood than her. She always has something to say and I admire that because it’s her life, and she shouldn’t be told how to live it. Aside from those qualities, Red loves to read. It’s another thing that makes this one a retelling of BatB, because Red is like Belle. There are even scenes in the library. I love the first scene in the library with the Wolf. 🙂

As for the Wolf, I was so excited to meet him right from the beginning. I knew he wasn’t what the legend says. Also, I’m sorry I can’t say his name because it would be a spoiler. The legends say he’s Ciarran and I would leave it at that. The Wolf didn’t surprise me as much as I wanted him to. But that’s okay, I still liked him. I found him very noble and heroic. His dedication to his duty is top-notched, and I felt for him at the final battle. I just hoped he has his own POV in the story as well. It would’ve been nice to read what going on in his mind.

Instead, aside from Red’s POV, I get POVs from Neve, Red’s older sister and the one that is For the Throne. That’s also the title of the second book in the series and will feature Neve’s story. I’m not sure if I liked Neve, to be honest. I was so tempted to skip her POVs every time. Though I can say, she’s a great character and very well-written. What happened to her by the end of the story is really intriguing and that made me excited for the next book. There are several characters in the book that also need to be mentioned. There were Raffe and Arrick, both were vital to the story and Raffe will definitely show up in the next book. There were Fife and Lyra as well. Though I think these characters were not very fleshed out. Same with the antagonists in the book, who I’m not going to mention because it would be spoilers. Because one of them didn’t seem to be an antagonist until halfway to the story. The top villain’s identity wasn’t even established until the last quarter of the book. The name was already mentioned throughout the book but not really as a villain and only showed up later in the story.

I love the world-building, it is one of the best parts of the story. The fictional world that the author created is very well-constructed. It’s very rich and beautiful. And the backstories, the histories, the legends – I love them all. I even liked all the reveals and the twists that came along those histories. In fact, despite the danger in Wilderwood, I want to stay there. I want to stay at the Keep, for sure. But then again, the ending showed a new face of Wilderwood, and now, I’m not sure what it is anymore. That just made it more interesting though.

I must say that my main problem in the book is the pacing. At times, it’s really good and suspenseful but most often, it’s very slow. Also sometimes, I feel like the writing is too purple. There are also instances that the narrative seemed to be telling rather than showing and at times, it even info-dump. Which, I guess, wasn’t surprising because a big part of the story is a legend that has many secrets.

For the Wolf is not perfect but I love its characters and the concept. I can’t wait for the next book and revisit the world of Wilderwood and the surrounding kingdoms. And that is saying a lot, because like I said, I wasn’t sure if I liked Neve, who is the heroine of the next book. Also, I think Neve’s story would be a retelling of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. I hope I’m right.

I read this books in one sitting, it captivated me from the very beginning. A tale of sisterly love, epic romance and dark forest magic, I can't wait for the next instalment.

Absolutely adored this amazing book, I can’t believe it’s a debut and I can’t wait for even more (for this tale and from the author) it kind of crosses red riding hood and beauty and the beast, which I love they are two of my favourites and I love a fresh look or retelling of them. Hannah’s writing was lovely and her world building wonderful , can’t rate this highly enough, go read it

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

The first daughter is for the Throne. The second daughter is for the Wolf.
And me, I’m just for this incredible book!
You know that gut feeling that you rarely get when you just know you will love a book before you even read it; this book gave me that in spades. And boy was I right!
Red is a second daughter, born to be sacrificed to the Wolf in Wood with the blind faith that he will return the world’s captured gods. But when she goes to the Wolf, she finds a man instead of a monster and a way to use the power within her for good.
From the very get-go, this book sunk its roots into me and has not let go. A strong, flawed, and magical heroine and a brooding, gentle, and wildly misunderstood man are at the heart of this book. While the story is steeped in magic and myths, the bonds between the characters are what really bring this book together.
One thing that really surprised me was that despite the title giving off ‘Red Riding Hood’ retelling vibes, it ended up being a ‘Beauty and the Beast’ retelling. The story itself is so well written; the world being built is magnificent and intricate and oh so magical.
I can not wait to read the next book!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#FortheWolf #NetGalley

Se ha puesto de moda narrar los cuentos de hadas más tradicionales con algún que otro cambio, quizá otra localización o intercambiando el género en los personajes. For the Wolf sigue esta tendencia, si bien la portada es un tanto engañosa porque parecería relacionado con Caperucita Roja, pero en el interior vemos que no es así, que es otra forma de contar La Bella y la Bestia.


El ritmo del libro es pausado, casi parsimonioso, mientras la autora nos va explicando la historia de dos hermanas mellizas de estirpe real condenadas a un futuro muy dispar por su orden de nacimiento. Entrelaza la leyenda con la situación real de manera muy acertada y rodea toda la narración de un halo de atemporalidad que le sienta bien a la fábula, aunque hay que hacer un pequeño ejercicio de suspensión de la incredulidad precisamente por ese desigual fluir del tiempo.

Desde tiempos inmemoriales la primera hija de la realeza heredará el trono, mientras que la segunda será entregada en sacrificio al Lobo. Este hecho marca la infancia y la vida de Neve y Red, modificando tanto su relación con los demás a la vez que fortalece los vínculos entre ellas. Cuando Red llega a los 20 años y ha de ofrecerse al Lobo, lo ve casi como una liberación, como la culminación de lo que lleva esperando toda la vida. Su hermana intenta retenerla y no cejará en su empeño de recuperarla, pero no todo es lo que parece y las leyendas aúnan mentiras y medias verdades que nadie ha sido capaz de descifrar.

Hannah F. Whitten ha escrito una novela muy deudora de los cuentos tradicionales, no solo por la trama si no también por las herramientas utilizadas para su elaboración. La novela es de desarrollo lento y de forma pausada seremos testigos de la relación entre Red y el Lobo, y de cómo una figura monstruosa no ha de ser necesariamente quien cometa los actos más despreciables. Como digo es un libro pausado y tranquilo, y quizá por ello se ha quedado un poco en terreno de nadie en cuanto a promoción y difusión. Es una fantasía que parece un poco antigua a pesar de haberse publicado este mismo año, si me permitís la comparación.

De hecho, al tratarse de la primera novela de una duología, me resulta muy llamativo que la novela acabe como lo hace, porque deja el camino expedito a la continuación pero tampoco hace que estés deseando leerla, es un final satisfactorio por sí mismo. Creo que esta novela de debut se ha quedado un poco a medio camino de lo que pretendía conseguir y no sé si leeré la segunda parte.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group and Netgalley for this ARC.
N.B. It was an ARC when I got it - sadly my TBR pile exceeded my grasp and the book has since been published.


The Review:

I judged this book by its cover, and I was not disappointed.
The book itself and its weird woodsy setting is as gorgeous as its cover image.

For The Wolf is a fairytale retelling set in an eerie magical forest and a dark and foreboding castle full of secrets. You'd be forgiven for expecting a Little Red Riding Hood tale based on the name and cover, but this one has a little more in common with Beauty and the Beast when you get into it. The wolf is not quite the villain the folklore sets him out to be, and Red (full name, Redarys) is no shrinking violet. There isn't a grandmother to be found anywhere.

Instead, this book is about a young woman who has to go live in the Wilderwood and be sacrificed to a monster (as part and parcel of an evil tradition, but this is at least for an actual reason that does get an explanation).

Luckily, the monster isn't as monstrous as all that, and Red and Eamonn could actually do some good together if he could just stop brooding for 5 minutes.

There's not much I can say about the plot without spoiling some careful element of the story, so instead I'll just say that the characters are well-drawn, the lore is interesting and fresh, there are some good twists and turns along the way, and I'm deeply excited for the sequel For The Throne.

I really enjoyed this! I thought the concept was super unique and I love the idea of a sentient forest. An excellent spin on an existing trope and it really worked for me. Definite Naomi Novik vibes!

I like magical forests and wolves, queens and kings, and power and sacrifice. I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book. I did wish there were more Neve chapters as she was my favourite twin. I liked the plot and the mysteries wound into it. I liked the different and interesting magic in this book. I would have loved more chapters with Raffe. Where I stopped liked it was when Red chose a man she had known for a couple of months over the sister shad loved and known for 20 YEARS. Why must the female character chose the male character every time. It’s not realistic and is frankly enraging. She abandoned her sister twice for some guy she had just met. I thought in 2021 we had evolved past that cliche plot. I will read the second book only because I want to know Neve’s fate. More than the first half of the book was 5 stars for me, but the last part I am generously giving 3 stars even though it is a one star .

DNF @ 20%

I loved the concept of this book from the blurb. However I found it a bit meh and I didn’t find myself interested enough in the book to want to continue reading unfortunately.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

“𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬… 𝐈 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐟, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝.” ~ 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒉 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏, 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒍𝒇

𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: For the Wolf
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Hannah Whitten
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Adult, Fantasy
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

I'm so confused because I'm so gutted this book wasn't for me. Maybe it's just my mood because I usually love slow-burn stories?? Because, if you look at it from this perspective, it holds everything I normally love???

𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
✔ forced proximity
✔ slow-burn romance
✔ royal main characters
✔ sisterly bond
✔ dark fairytale retelling
✔ magical woods + dark atmosphere

I don't know why I couldn't love this??

𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• Loved the premise as it sounded so promising
• Liked how certain things were described, very vivid and memorable.
• Dark, atmospheric read with magical woods.

𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
Despite this book possessing many qualities I usually like, I couldn't enjoy this read? I’ll do my best to articulate why...
• I found it hard to connect with the characters and follow the story due to its slow pacing (which is strange because I like slow pacing??) and consistent yet sharp attention to very specific details (e.g. a character’s exact movement…)
• The convoluted magic system and a lacklustre world-building didn’t help my enjoyment with this book. Maybe it’s my two brain cells getting tired from working but the world-building felt messy. What was the reason that characters believed/thought/acted the way they did? It would certainly help if we, as readers, knew!!!! It felt like I’m a horse with a carrot on a string dangling in front of my face, fooling me into continue onward, turning the next page in hope to discover what was going on??
• Characters withholding crucial information!!! And due to not knowing what’s going on, the MC lacks agency and the first part of the book felt like you’re meandering through a slog with no real destination and no map to get out.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me and I’m so gutted that is the case.

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: fans of romance fantasy, fans of beauty and the beast retellings, fans of slow-burn romance

𝐂𝐖: gore, self-harm for magic use, parental death, parental neglect (emotional abuse), religious abuse, anxiety/panic attacks

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐣𝐨𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦