Ohh! I am a sucker mysterious prophetic phrases that EVERYONE in the kingdom must obey for REASONS otherwise it's doom and turmoil for all. I have no idea why, maybe these book-hooks are like old-timey advertising jingles that are made to get stuck in you head. I still have a jingle for laundry detergent stuck in my head from when I was a wee lass and hum it every time I do the laundry.

The first daughter is for the Throne.
The second daughter is for the Wolf.

ooh... it holds such tantalising promise. These are the words that underpin the story. These are the word you're reminded of with every turning of the page. These are the words that pop into your head when you're at the supermarket and see a tiny wee dog and think "lol. Your ancestors were once great wild wolves that roamed free and lorded over the countryside... wolves... throne ... daughters.. hey, remember that book you're reading / read?" Thanks brain. Whatever the psychology of association, it works. I am a sucker.

For the Wolf was pitched as a dark fantasy fairy tale retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. And it looks like the marketing boffins may have had a change of heart as the synopsis appears to have changed since I first looked at it. And rightly so. If you read any reviews you'll immediately know that any supposed link to Little Red Riding hood is tenuous at best. The main characters name is Red and she has a red cloak... yep. Don't worry, everyone who read the book was rolling their eyes too.

It's hard for a book to crawl back into your good graces after you've been spectacularly lied to in the first instance. The rest of the book isn't particularly bad, more so that it wasn't very original or memorable. Apart from angsty-emo teens, a confusing magic system that involved cannibalistic trees and a whole lot of blood-letting, and the heroine having a nice red coat, not much else stands out.

The first daughter is for the Throne.
The second daughter is for the Wolf.

Such a shame. Those words held such promise.

Recommended for fans of: Wicked Saints, Blood Heir, The Sisters Grimm

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.

First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley and Orbit for providing me with a digital ARC of this book to review! I will try to keep this review spoiler free, but I make no promises so read with caution.

FOR THE WOLF is the first book in the WILDERWOOD duology. The second novel, FOR THE THRONE is set to release sometime in 2022.

I enjoyed reading FOR THE WOLF, but I did't love it. I enjoyed the plot, its pace, and the magic system/fantasy setting.

In the book we follow Redarys (or Red), the Second Daughter of her kingdom, who by an ancient pact made with the gods, is meant as a sacrifice for the Wolf. When she turns 20, she has to go to the Wilderwood to be sacrificed. The story starts just before her 20th birthday. Red's (older) twin sister Neve, tries to convince Red to flee and not give her life up to the Wolf. But Red believes that her sacrifice is the best thing for herself and those around her. So she goes.

The dynamic between Red and Neve was really interesting. Neve, the elder sister, is the one meant for the throne. Neve is their mother's favourite and fits right in at court. Red, on the other hand, has never felt like she fit in. Despite their differences of circumstance, the two sisters have a close bond. Red's love for her sister drives the majority of the plot and I loved it. Even though the reader barely gets snippets of their childhood, their bond never felt superficial.

Red does, however, dance on the line of the "I am not like other girls" protagonist. From the outset, her differences are highlighted. Are they valid differences due to circumstance? Yes. But it's also her general character and the fact that her character is built on her being so different to those around her which ocassionally makes her read like a stereotypical protagonist. I don't know how to phrase this properly, but yea she was just unique enough to not be annoying in her "I am not like other girls"-ness.

When Red goes to the Wilderwood as a sacrifice she meets the Wolf. The Wolf is someone everyone believes to be a monster, who demands young sacrifices (the Second Daughters) and has taken the gods hostage. The Wolf is actually quite the opposite of a monster, Red soon learns.

The Wolf, Eammon, is actually a tall, broody, moody, slightly god-like, not-quite human. This character, too, dances the fine line of being the stereotypical YA love interest (despite this book not being YA).

The Wolf and the Second Daughter find out that they are not so different from each other either. Both are in positions which they had no control over getting into. Despite their love story being quite typical too, I enjoyed their romance a LOT.

To move on about the characters and their relationships, the story features an interesting setting. There is a religious system in place which the reader gradually learns more about. The Wilderwood and magic are intrinsically tied together. Although in the beginning I was a bit confused about how the world worked in this book, you learn more and more as you go along. I found this to be one of the most interesting parts of the book.

Although there are quite a few aspects to the book which I enjoyed immensely, I have an issue with two things: the story is quite white and quite straight. There were 2 POC side characters, if I remember correctly. And there was no on-page rep for any non-straight characters. Nowadays, if books with fantasy settings don't have diversity in characters and sexualities, I get a little disappointed. I prefer reading books that include this. Especially because, like, you can imagine all these amazing magic systems and can come up with a religion, but you don't think about gay people? I don't know if that makes sense, but that is how I feel....

All in all, I did enjoy this book as I did give it 3.5 out 5 stars and I would recommend it if the synopsis speaks to you. I will probably read the sequel. It just didn't wow me like I thought it would. (I would still die for Eammon though).

I am Big Sad!

This book has been on my shelves since forever (read: January), and I was really looking forward to reading it.
The blurb sounded super promising and Little Red Riding Hood is a fairy tale that's been underutilized in retellings. It's always just Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast (I was about to say and Rapunzel, but I don't think I've read a Rapunzel retelling aside of the Cinder series yet. Drop some recommendations if you have any). Still, this wasn't really LRH as far as I can tell (despite her name being Red), but yet another Beauty and the Beast situation with the added bonus of a human sacrifice.
It sounded dark and gritty and like high stakes and tension.

Yeah, it wasn't. I didn't even finish it. I dropped it about a third through.
The setting was okay, I guess, even though the "cursed forest" where a "monster" lives that turns out to be just some dude has been done quite a few times before (last I remember reading A Curse so Dark and Lonely, even though that had the added bonus of fucking Harper and a whole second dimension). The human sacrifice I mentioned was Red walking into a forest and falling on her face, and that was it.
This was, summarized in one word, generic. Super generic, if I'm using two. There's like five characters that could've replaced Eammon, and I would've enjoyed this far more if we had had a different main character.

It's unfortunate that with a pretty interesting setting (the trees are trying to eat people, how cool is that?!) Whitten did not manage to deliver interesting characters and a good plot. Also, the pacing. It didn't really work for me, and sucked out any kind of tension the book may have had.

Two stars for the potential, but nothing more.



@NetGalley and Orbit: Thank you guys for this ARC!

I’m so glad I finally got to this, even though I had it planned for June. There was some slight formatting issue with the e-ARC, so it took a bit longer, but I’m glad I persevered. This is written like a gorgeous fairytale, with dark and disturbing twists and turns. The writing is lyrical and really invokes the spirit of the place. The Wilderwood is a whole character itself, and I loved the atmosphere it created. While the premise obviously sounds inspired by Red Riding Hood, this tale focuses on sisters, and destiny, and sacrifice, and is so much more than just that! I highly enjoyed this, and am intrigued to see where we go from here in For The Throne, the sequel due to come out next year!

This was a very well written and immersive retelling of a well known fairytale.with folklore thrown in . It had twists and turns aplenty . Every time you thought you had it figured out there was a new twist. And you weren't sure where the storyline was leading .The wolf was a character shrouded in mystery, the relationship between he and Red slowly developed and their chemistry sizzled off the pages. This was an enjoyable read with magic and fantasy elements and character's that you cared about .

I really wanted to love this one, but for me it fell into the overly familiar/overdone aspects of fairytale retellings, and while the writing itself was beautiful and certainly the highlight of the book for me, the author knew how to pull you into the story they were weaving with their words alone, it just didn’t manage to capture my interest enough to make me invested. It also didn’t have quite the vibes or rather inspiration that I was expecting from the summary and cover, and I would definitely say it fell more into beauty and the beast than little red riding hood, which left me a little adrift. There was so much potential here, and I think that perhaps for those less familiar with retellings or with more of an interest in them, then this will be a fantastic book, it just fell a little short for me.

Once upon a time in the kingdom of Valleyda, there was a girl for the Wolf. In other words, there was the so-called Second Daughter (literally the second daughter of the Queen) known as Red, Redarys in full name, who is to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wilderwood. Same as other Second Daughters before her. The purpose of this sacrifice is to keep the monsters away and hopefully secure the return of five Kings, their gods.

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

The catch is that the Wolf is not some kind of horrendous monster but just a caring and lonely man, who smells like coffee and library!!!, has scars on his soul (yeah, he is hunted by his past) and more problems he can handle. At least, not without a help. Specifically, not without a help of our brave and fierce heroine. Red and Eammon were so great together! I would love to see even more of their interactions (more communication, specifically), even though I am satisfied with how they found a way to each other. My heart beat for them. And don't even let me start on their first meeting. That was so funny! Their romance was so nerve wrecking in the best way. I rooted (see what I did there ;-)) for them from the start.

You'll find these romantic tropes in there:
- marriage of convenience
- only one bedroom
- forced proximity

Let me say that what I absolutely love in books are creepy woods, and For the Wolf delivered. I just love woods that want to chew your bones. I loved the atmosphere of the Wilderwood and of Eammon's house. Overall, the book is very atmospheric. Hannah Whitten knows how to work with words for you to stop and read the same sentence or paragraph for the 3rd time just to enjoy the sheer beauty of it, and how to make you feel all sorts of emotions. It was a rather slower-paced story, at least in the first half of the book, but I did not mind at all. I enjoyed the atmosphere and when the story started to speed up a bit I fell in love.

Beside the magical wood, I really enjoyed the theme of dangerousness of religion. I even put down one beautiful quote centered around it: "People created stories to fill the gaps they didn't understand, and religion grew up around it like rot on a fallen tree." .................. A little SPOILER here: it made me ask myself why are the priestesses in fantasy books always such evil b********. Just recall Ianthe from ACOTAR for example.

At last, I want to mention that I think this book is indeed perfect for the fans of Uprooted by Naoni Novik. Plus, the author interwoven the story not only with the elements from the Little Red Riding Hood (that is kind of obvious) but also Beauty and the Beast and even Snow White which you will understand when you'll read it. I very much liked that. I love retellings.

The only thing that would deserve more attention was the world-building, but since the nature of the story centered about one evil wood, I understand it. Nevertheless, the village still could be developed more... it's traditions, culture, citizens. Plus, I would love to learn more about Eammon´s friends. It would make the book even longer, but I would not mind at all. I just kind of want more of everything 😁 because I enjoyed the book very much.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. The ending left me anticipating the second book. I am excited to continue the story and learn more about this world, and it's characters as well.


Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So this is another disappointment in this year for me.

Honestly I think at this point it might seem that I'm giving low ratings to new releases out of spite! But I swear I'm not doing it on purpose. It's just that fantasy releases this year all seem to be pretty disappointing ( I'm just hoping that Naomi Novik would save the year with The Last Graduate )

So before going into this, I read some low ratings reviews and I was mostly prepared for what type of book this was. I didn't expect it to blow me away or anything. But I did expect it to be something compulsively readable, fun and entertaining. Especially because I'd heard the romance plays a big role in the story. ( though I knew it was going to be slow burn )

And my expectations were mostly right, until they weren't. Until 50% I was planning to give this 3 stars rating. Meaning, there was nothing great about this book but I had fun with it.
But somewhere around 60-70% this book lost me. I can be quite forgiving of debut authors, but I can't forgive characters being stupid and that stupidity being the actual force that brings the climax. This is what I call lazy plotting.

So this is what bothered me: Red and her people believed their whole life that the forest and the person living in it are evil ( the forest had some fancy name but I can't be bothered to remember ) after Red goes inside it, she realises that what she thought before was wrong. But at one point she has to go back to her sister and asks her to stop doing what she's doing, because it is bringing disaster. Now let's just remember that 1) all of her sister's actions are based on the assumption that the wolf and the forest are both evil. and 2) her sister is being manipulated by some evil priestesses. those people actually tell her that Red is not herself and after spending so much there she's probably possessed ( not the word they used but kinda the same meaning )

So what do you think Red should do keep her sister from messing things up? She could, of course, talk to her sister privately and explain to her the things that happened to her ever since she stepped into the forest, the things she's seen that led her to do the things she is doing now. so that her sister could see things from her point of view and actually believe what Red is saying.

Or Red could like a stupid heroine in a stupid fantasy book written by an amateur author who can't be bothered to actually do smart plotting, so she relies on misinformation and miscommunication to drive the plot. Basically all of that problem could've been solved if Red actually had explained her point of view. But instead of that, she just acts like she's possessed, basically confirming her sister's worst assumption, instead of explaining her side of the story, just keeps saying you should do this because I say so.

This actually leads her sister to be more strongly on the side of the priestesses and actually believes everything they say. this again, leads to disasters in the climax and the set up for the next book. Here's the thing, I can be pretty forgiving of debut authors for a lot of mistakes, but I can't forgive stupid plotting. There is no way for me to say this nicely: heroine's actions were simply idiotic, and what is worse is that they were idiotic only because the author needed something to bring disaster in the climax.


As if that isn't bad enough, there is also one more illogical thing that bothered me. So in this book there is this ancient, immortal being that is in love ( or lust ) with Red's sister, even though he just came here to use her? like how that works? Now this person is some sort of evil mastermind, and spent years working on his plans, and suddenly he's a lovesick boy for naive girl who is barely an adult ( I think she's 18 but can't remember )?
I can almost believe anything in fiction if it is properly explained and justified. But this plot point just comes out of nowhere? It has no explanation, it's just there without any reason and you guys have to just believe it because otherwise there would be no villain slash love interest for the next book.

So in summary, this book pissed me off and I encourage everyone to stay away.

For the Wolf is one of those books that you want to keep reading, but you also put off picking back up because you don’t want it to end. It take prickly Red and isolated Wolf and creates a shared space dynamic that forces them to get to know one another, despite the Wolf’s reluctance. Red quickly learns that the Wolf of the legends and nightmares is a myth, and the man before her has been doing so much, for so long, by himself, to keep everyone safe.

The characters summoned up in this book are so fully fleshed you could picture them in the room with you. From the smell of books and leaves and coffee, to the changes that are wrought on the body by the Wolf’s continued attempts to keep the wood under control, they are so very much alive. It’s a beautiful thing, and a wonderful skill, that says so much about the author and her capabilities.

The storyline is a meandering tale that seems to reach multiple peaks, each higher than before, with drama unfolding almost constantly. I read the last hundred pages in a single sitting, unable to look away from what was unfolding, and in desperate need to know what was coming next.

Knowing there will be a next book is a combination of reassuring, as I want more of the characters, and terrifying, because what more can they really be put through? I’ll be awaiting publication eagerly, ready to see more of this truly fantastic world.

For the Wolf is an utter triumph, and the fantasy book world is a better place for it being on the shelves.

This enjoyable novel takes recognisable elements from other fairytales (Red Riding Hood, Snow White & Rose Red, Beauty and the Beast, the Snow Queen etc.) and blends them all together into something new which works very effectively. I liked the arc of Red fulfilling her destiny and discovering what exactly happens to the Second Daughters who are, from birth, promised to the Wolf in the Wilderwood, and I liked the arc of her sister, the First Daughter, who from birth is raised to one day be Queen. The plot in itself wasn't anything new, but the setting and the magical world created felt quite fresh and well thought out, although I think I could have done with more time being dedicated to the lore of the world in which it is set, more understanding of how the magic works, as the success of so many fantasy series lies in the world building, and sometimes I felt a bit confused about it all. That said, I would like to read the next books in the series.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

You'd think from the title, the book cover, the red cloak, the main character being named Red, that this was a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood- I did.
For The Wolf is very much a Beauty & The Beast retelling, the enchantments, the romance, the choices and motivations.
I wanted to be annoyed, I wanted to roll my eyes at the predictability and maybe I did at the beginning, but despite myself I loved it, loved it ALL!

For The Wolf is told through the linear present tense view points of twin sisters, Redarys and Neverah. One destined to rule Valleydan and the other to be sacrificed in it's name. Nobody knows what happens to the second daughters who are thrown to the wilderwood at the mercy of The Wolf, only that they never return.

Part of the beauty in this story is uncovering the truth of the Wolf and the wilderwood so I won't talk about that here.

I mentioned predictability earlier, by that I only mean the very base arc of the storyline.
The world-building and lore of Valleydan are fantastic, well developed but not so heavy handed that a reader can't easily follow.

The sister's dual plots are intriguing and Whitten had me equally invested in each of them, I didn't find myself wishing for more of one than another as is often the case with multiple POVs.

Whitten's writing flows at a good pace and with the fairytale wonder you'd hope for in a good retelling, however I did find a few repeated phrases, character habits and metaphors a little irksome at times.
All of which is instantly forgiven when you come to the grand finale. Every reader knows that feeling- you don't want the book to end but you can't stop yourself racing through the pages. The final chapters of For The Wolf blew me away.

You could read For The Wolf as a stand alone if you wanted to, I for one have definitely been hooked and will be excitedly pre-ordering the next installment For The Throne.

For the Wolf is a novel jam-packed with almost every fantasy element I adore: magic, monsters, determined heroines, grumpy eldritch love interests who somewhat resemble Adam Driver, forests, and a hearty helping of myth. It's no surprise that I pre-ordered a copy of my own as soon as I finished reading it!

A solid four stars, Whitten's prose is better than I expected, and her side characters are intensely likable. I do wish the magic had got going sooner, I was getting impatient, but the emotional arcs of Red and Eammon feel complete, which is impressive right out the gate.

WOW! Just Wow!

A dark fantasy folklore tale about cursed forests, bindings, bad creatures, magic, thrones and priestesses. Has a good dose of slow burn type of romance too. This retelling seems to combine elements from different fairytales creating a completely different story!

The setting is dark and atmospheric changing between a palace and an enchanted forest. The writing is beautiful throughout the book and captivating.
I like the family bonds that are strong within the story and one of the pillars that the story leans to. The pace and the action in the book for me were the right ones. Not too much to put you off but enough to provide you with the information to built the image in your mind.

This book is really more than I was anticipating and I’m so happy that I had the chance to read it! Can’t wait for book two!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For the Wolf was one of my most anticipated books of this year. I fell in love with the theme, the atmosphere, the dark forest with its own will and, of course, with Eammon. Even though I kind of expected that it will be The Red Riding Hood retelling, the book was more like a combination of The Red Riding Hood and The Beauty and The Beast.
The most interesting part of the book for me (except for the dark forest part) was the relationship with Red and Neva, the sisters' love and all those sacrifices they had to do. This storyline was mixed with the political one and I like it even more.
The romance was a bit problematic for me. I really love slow burn romance but Red and Eammon had too little communication and sometimes it was hard to believe their relationship. Eammon was my favourite character and he probably changed the most in the book.
"Because the monsters are real and even the Wolf needs help sometimes."
But it would be great if Fife and Lyra could get some more space in the book because I liked them very much.

The ending of the book was a bit forced and predictable for me but since the book ended with a cliffhanger, I NEED to read the sequel. I'm really curious about some magic explanation and political context in this story.

If you're a fan of atmospheric books, For the Wolf is a great choice! Beautiful descriptions, the feeling of the forest mist while you're reading, it's almost as you could touch those books in Eammon's library.
3,75/5 and I can't wait for the sequel!

This felt like a YA/adult fantasy crossover, in the best possible way! Full of magic and myth this was a pleasure to read. I love the character of Red and her close bond with her sister which reverberated throughout the book along with her courage and determination. Eammon is equally alluring as the fairytale 'Wolf' bond to the magical Wilderwood. The romance factor was definitely high and done really well. I will definitely hand sell this title and look forward to seeing where the series goes from here.

I really enjoyed this book! At first I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it but it really grew on me. I loved the magic system and how Red adapted to her new life in the Woods. I also enjoyed reading from the point of view of Red’s sister, as we got to see both what was happening in the woods and outside in Red’s old life.

I loved the relationships formed in this book and I can’t wait to read the sequel next year!!

Monster boyfriends are here to stay!

For the Wolf is Hannah Whitten's dark fantasy debut novel featuring a sentient forest, a half-monster emo boyfriend and two sisters whose sisterly love makes them do stupid things that will probably get everyone killed. Have you ever seen a more award-worthy cast?

I love when people think they are doing the right thing or being noble, and instead, they are just screwing everything up. Give me more of that angst, please. Feeling this conflicted about characters made the story even more captivating. I honestly don't know what I enjoyed more, the sentient woods trying their best or the pining romance. All that swooning and caressing and looking just kept giving me the feels. My heart won't survive any more slow-burn any time soon after this.

Anyways, as I said, brooding monster boyfriends are on the move, and I am here for it. Eammon was such a sweetheart. If you flinched when Beast turned at the end of Beauty and the Beast, THIS is the book for you. And I know that because this was the book for ME.

Besides, all those Snow White references? I see you For the Throne, and I will be ready.

I was utterly hooked on this book from the moment I picked it up!
It has every trope I love, and Hannah’s writing was just phenomenal!
It was atmospheric and dark without falling into tropey vibes.
I enjoyed the multi povs and found every character as interesting as the others.
The romance was everything and the build up to it was perfection.
The ending was just right and I am so excited for the next book!
I can’t wait to read more by Hannah!

This book started off so well and I was hooked right away. I loved the whole world and the atmosphere the author created with the woods. However once we got to the bottom of the mystery I felt a little disappointed. The book lost its momentum for me and although I loved the characters I found myself losing interest. Saying this I would like to read more books from this author as I loved the beginning of this book and would be interested to see what else this author can do.