The first daughter is for the throne.

The second daughter is for the wolf.

The wolves are for the Wilderwood.

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten was for sure one of my most anticipated reads of the year. It was stated as a red riding retelling and I was giddy with excitement. As a child it was one of my favourite fairy tales…the innocence of Red and the wicked ways of the big bad wolf…tell me who could resist? Hannah Whitton’s writing was hypnotic and melodic. I was transported to a world that made the impossible possible.

The author had the ingredients that would surely blow my mind. A Red Riding Hood retelling. Sentient trees. An age-old tradition. It’s shrouded in myth and foreboding, and I couldn’t wait to get into the guts of the story. Red is the second daughter of the Royal Family and as tradition and protocol insist, the second daughter must be sacrificed to the wolf who resides in the Wilderwood. Red has a burden to bare and she feels this is the necessary outcome to protect her sister Neve, from something that happened three years ago…something that occurred in the very woods she will be sacrificed to.

For the Wolf is an ambitious fantasy that examines the intricacies of sibling relationships, long-standing traditions, the influence of faith and religion and mythology. They all interconnected, and it gave a well-rounded situational reasoning behind the plot. Neve and Red clearly have a close and connected relationship to the point that one will sacrifice themselves to save the other. Its not often that you experience such a selfless relationship in fantasy, and it enhanced the story for me…it made it more human. Whitten’s perfect prose was what really stood out. The imagery, the descriptions and the magic brought it all to life.

As much as I wanted to love For the Wolf, there was just a few things that weren’t connecting with me. I wasn’t really enjoying the character of Red all that much. Yes, she’s going through a shitty time and yes it must be exceedingly difficult knowing that you are going to be sacrificed to a wolf, but jeez, was she angsty, kind of self-entitled and a bit of a brat. It seems like everyone is bending over backwards for her while she wants to stay firm with her decisions…urgh.

The other thing that really occurred to me about halfway through the book was how little it really resembled a Red Riding Hood retelling BUT I really noticed similarities between this story and Beauty and the Beast. I think it’s been mismarketed a tad.

Thank you Orbit Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read For the Wolf; sadly this isn't a book I felt able to finish but I appreciate the opportunity all the less.

I really really tried to like this book and to keep going with it but I just found that I began to skim pages, hoping to get to an interesting bit or something that would hook me into this book but I just couldn't find it. I feel like the author was trying to make the book creepy and atmospheric, which is all well and good, but at 50% into the book I felt we should have more than that and have some idea of a plot. All I know is the second daughter gets sacrificed and they have to bleed on some trees. I read 50% of this book and that's all I can sum it down to.

I hadn't realised this was an Adult book but honestly at times it felt like YA and this is part of where the problem lie that it didn't quite seem to know what it wanted to be.

Sadly this wasn't a winner for me but i'm sure others will love it.

Out 3 June 2021.

I can’t actually say anything negative about this book. It was fine. The characters were interesting, as was the plot - I just wasn’t in the right mood to read it, so it took me over a month to finish it.
I’ll pick it up another time and give it a second chance because I think I could really enjoy it.

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

Wow.

When I saw that this book had been compared with Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale (two of my favourite books!) I was apprehensive - but this book deserves to be up there!

For The Wolf is an engrossing, magical and soulful story which will be difficult for lovers of fantasy and slow burn romances to put down. The characters are well rounded and likeable, the plot is rich and layered and the setting is glorious. I would be running to live the in the Wilderwood too!

I enjoyed the depth the author has gone into in terms of the myth and magical system of the story - the way that the connections of the Wilderwood and the Shadowlands work was not predictable and was refreshing to read.

Eamonn and Red's story is beautiful. I really enjoyed the fact that they didn't behave stereotypically - a woman can save the man too! - and the male characters were loving and protective without being toxic and alpha. Again, the romance was really refreshing and handled with great care.

If you enjoy fantasy, slow burn romance, with strong female characters and respectful males - you will really love this!

I can't wait for book two.

For The Wolf by Hannah Whitten is an intense fantasy tale that teases the reader with hints of the familiar, but is something wonderful in its own right.
The tradition has held for centuries, the first daughter is for the throne, the second for the Wolf. For the first time in over a century the Queen has two daughters, and both know their fates. As the oldest twin Neve is destined to rule while her younger sister Red will be sacrificed for the good of the country, in an effort to appease the Wolf who patrols the Wilderwood on the edge of the kingdom, and protects it from the Shadowlands and the monsters that lie beneath. If the sacrifice is pleasing enough, the Priestesses hope that the Wolf will release the Five Kings who were taken prisoner centuries before. While the myths and traditions that have developed over the intervening years have shaped the fates of several princesses as well as that of the nation as a whole, Red and Neve will discover that the truth that lies behind them is darker than either of them ever believed.
This is a powerful work of fantasy that opens strongly with a dramatic encounter in the woods, where we meet the sisters . The majority of the story is told from Red's perspective, but even after she travels into the Wilderwood we do get some brief interludes from Neve's perspective. As I mentioned previously there are aspects of the story that hark back to familiar fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast and even Snow White, but the author does a fantastic job of breathing new life into these old stories and using them as a jumping off point into something different, but just as dark and macabre as the original Grimm's tales. I do feel that the pace slowed a little in the beginning and although the author clearly put a lot of effort into building a world with its own customs, history and religion, some of these details were not made clear for the reader soon enough, so much so that I struggled to maintain interest in the middle of the book. Once more of the background was made clear, it meant the story made a lot more sense and I was more engaged as the book came to its dramatic conclusion.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

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

For The Wolf follows Redarys (Red) as she approaches her birthday and awaits the arrival of ‘the mark’ which will call her to the Wilderwood as a sacrifice to the Wolf, thereby saving her kingdom from monsters of legend.

When she enters the wood, Red is surprised to find that the Wolf is a man not the monster she has heard stories of, that magic is real and that there is so much more to the legends than she had previously been taught.

This story is beautifully crafted and builds a fascinating supernatural world, with fairytale elements (similarities to both Red Riding Hood and Beauty & the Beast) but a more mature approach to romance, the way the characters interact and darker themes.

There is so much drama and tension, Hannah Whitten keeps you hooked and rooting for both Red and Eammon as the story develops.

It also ends on quite the cliff-hanger and I really can’t wait for book 2!

Hopefully, that will include a map of the kingdom – it would be great to see more of the world the author envisions in later books.

Okay! This was a surprisingly enjoyable book! Very atmospheric and perfect for killing time. I am not familiar with the original red riding hood storyline so I cannot comment on that. I am definitely interested enough to continue and recommend this book to anyone who wants to forget their surroundings for a few hours.

Thanks to #NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in return for a fair review.

For The Wolf is a skilfully woven fantasy, with echoes of fairytales you think you recognise, whilst being at its heart a wholly original story. Themes of blood and sacrifice, with cutting and bloodletting used to fuel a Magic system rooted in nature (pun intended).

Twin sisters, one set to ascend to the throne, one to be a sacrifice.
Red is the Second Daughter, fated since birth to be a sacrifice to the Wolf of the Wilderwood, in return for containing the monsters in the Shadowlands beneath the wood. The full purpose of the sacrifice is unclear, lost in the passage of time, but the Priestesses say perhaps this time the sacrifice will be enough for the Wolf to release the Five Kings taken prisoner by the Wilderwood 400 years before. Red and her sister Neve don’t believe in the old stories, but they are soon to find out the deeper hidden truths that lie beneath the legends. Monsters are real, but sometimes the biggest monsters are people!

I really enjoyed every moment of this novel, the well drawn characters dealing with trauma and emotional turmoil, carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. I loved the romantic elements, underpinned by strong themes of choice and consent.

Firstly, thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC! Much appreciated and honoured at the same time!
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I did enjoy the ending much more than the beginning. It took me forever to finish it. The writing style is very poetic and the author really went into describing the surroundings. Great description but it might have been a bit shorter. It really depends on what you personally like! I do enjoy a good description but so many mentions about the forest just made me sight.
Lets talk about the plot. Be aware that there a lot of bleeding and cutting is mentioned in the book! I did not have any problem with that, but some people might.
Red, The Second Daughter, was an interesting character. I wouldn't put her in a strong female protagonist category thou. More like caring about others one? She was meant to be sent off to the woods because she was the second daughter but the reason Red didn't go against it, was to protect her family from herself and her magic.
Neve, Red's sister, meant for the throne. Her main purpose was to bring her sister back. But I do not think that we really needed to read her point of view for like the first 200 pages. It felt like reading the same story twice. She did earn my attention at the end of the book. Neve actually ended up sacrificing herself and ended up in the Shadowland. It hit a chord and sparked my attention to look forward to the sequel!
The Wolf. He doesn't stand a chance against my older book boyfriends. He was really caring and kindhearted, which is just not my type. He did his best to take care of Red from day one, even though she might have not realised it at first. Red grew more as a character but Wolf opened himself, showed that he as vulnerable as the rest of the characters. Especially thinking about all the myths people made about him being a cruel murderer, who refused to release the Kings.
It did feel like a fairytale. I might not have enjoyed the first few pages but I did not expect the ending! It kinda left us with a cliffhanger but the author gave us some clues of what to expect in the sequel.
If you enjoy a slow burn romance and a poetic take on the surrounding - I would definitely give it a go! It might not be the quickest read but it will be hard to put it down!

I read the ARC for “For the Wolf” in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the feeling this book gave me. You know a book is going to be good if the feeling is right and I had it with this one. It is about a dark magical forest and gave me the same feeling as “Uprooted” by Naomi Novik.

If I have to compare it to classical stories though, it would be a mix between the Red Riding Hood and The Beauty and the Beast, and I loved the remake into a lot darker setting and more magic.

The Female Main Charachter is called Red and is a really relateable characters, though sometimes I didn‘t quite understand some of her thoughts. As could be said for The Wolf. I really liked him and he will be one of my book boyfriends from now on, but sometimes some of his thoughts also were kinda baffling.

What i really loved was the whole history of the forest and how it affected the believes of the people. And also how far people would go for the ones they love or what they believe in.

Overall I loved the book and I am excited to read the second book.

Hannah Whitten weaves a captivating debut through a blend of two classic tales: Beauty and the Beast and Little Red Riding Hood, seamlessly put together into an un-put-down-able adult fairy tale that touches the themes of love, loss, and duty.

Truly a masterpiece that deserves to be in everyone's TBR list.

I have received an eArc of this book through NetGalley in exchange of a honest review.

The review is the following and will be published May 21st both in English and Italian on Instagram, my personal blog and Goodreads (all links on my profile), to comply with the publisher will of not posting any review before two weeks from the release ( If I can post it before, please, let me know).

"For the Wolf" it's not an YA and I'm glad of it. It was what draw me in reading this book and I'm happy to see it wasn't disproved. However, even if it' isn't an YA in its fullness, it has some YA elements, especially when it comes to the main romance.
But I'll start from the beginning.

The book is advertised as a retelling of Red Riding Hood but that's not quite right. If you have been drawn to it because of that you could have a minor disappointment. If you didn't want to read it for the same reason, don't worry, because it's a really mild retelling. The main elements that have been taken from the tale are the characteristic red cloak, a forest and the name "Wolf". The rest is an original tale with elements from Snowhite and The Beauty and The Beast (kind of).
It was clear for me that the author wanted to set an atmosphere halfway between a fairy-tale and a horror story. The description of the woods and some events are written as if trying to obtain a horror and upsetting vibe, but it wasn't quite reached.for me.
The story it's kind of predictable, but not too much, so you are able to enjoy the twists.

However the main issue for me was the narrative rhythm and scarce worldbuilding. The latter is quite poor, but I'll explain myself better.
I see a recent trend in fantasy books confusing worldbuilding with mythology. But myths are just a part of worldbuilging. An important part, certainly, but not the only one.
A compelling world building is one that shows the reader lots of aspects of the world the story is set in: geography, well-described settings, etc. It's also one that gives the idea of a large world with its political and economical mechanisms and history. Hannah Whitten does a nice job in the historical and mythological part, but it's kind of repetitive focusing on three or four elements. Maybe it will be deepened in the other books, but the approach to worldbuilding here doesn't convince me.
Then, the geographical part it's quite poor. We have three settings and the one that it's described best is the forest, but I feel that there could have been more to it, especially if some repetitve concepts were left out.

Here I come to the second issue: the rhythm of the story. It started quite well. A bit of info dumping but that's is often normal and necessary even if I appreciate more a different and diluted approach. The thing is that this info dumping continued through 30% of the book, some concepts were repeated too often when it was n0t necessary and some conclusions where easy to draw for the reader, while for Red it took almost the entire book. This last part could be ok if well told, but I felt it wasn't compelling as it could have due to the repetitions, as I've said before. I found the pace slow and sometimes a little bit boring with little insight on events and characters to justify it. Again,i f some concepts that had already been written hadn't been repeated it would have worked better, at least for me.

Next; the romance. The pair Red-Wolf it's quite obvious from the start and that's totally fine, it could be the reason you would want to read the book. The "problem" here is that it's again quite repetitive in its dynamics: getting close-walk through the forest-danger.-getting apart and so on. It becomes quite frustrating reading about Red saying the same things to the Wolf over and over. And I think that when they finally get there, this incredibile love that has presumably grown can't be felt so much by the readers. And that's maybe because even if it's a character driven plot the glimpses on the characters psychology are focused on the same elements over and over.
That is also linked to the next thing: the relationship between Red and Neve. It should be the strong link that stirs the plot, but it's based on the reader inconditional trust that this relationship is strong as it's been said. You do not have time to really appreciate the love between the two sisters, you can only take the author's word on that. It's like it's being said: "They are sister and they love each other. Accept it. I can't show it to you now through in depth memories and all". And we are talking about a 464 pages book, so there should have been time.

So, those are the critical points in the book, according to me: rhythm (even if it gets better in the last 20%), worldbuilding (too scarce even for a first book), some writing regarding relationships. There are some nice ideas and the style is good, but overall it could have been better structured so that every aspect could be enjoyed and repetitions avoided.

That been said, I don't think this is a "bad" fantasy book. I have read some bad-written, bad-developed fantasy novels and this is better than those. I didn't really liked it, even if I was ready to love it, as always with the books I read.
The horror elements are a nice touch, I wish they would have been better placed and more vividly described I hope it will happen in the sequels.
The mythology and magic linked to the forest is well thought but I hope it will be deepened (for example more insights on the religious system, because it's quite strange how it could stand like this. Again the reader it's asked to trust what's been said even if the info are little and the historical facts are superficial).
The secondary characters have the potential for developing and seem quite interesting so I hope it will be given them some space to be known by the reader.
I also hope to see more about Neve and Red past because it was only mentioned focusing on the same points. The same goes with the Wolf.

I will read the sequels to see where they will end and I'm curious about that, but this is not a book I would recommend to those who love a balance between a well written world building and in depth character developement as do I.
However I think it could be enjoyed as a light read from those who appreciated "The Lunar Chronciles", even if it's quite diffrent from those and even If I appreciated more "Cinder" than "For The Wolf".

The overall vote Is 2.5/5
I didn't dislike it, but I didn't like it either. It's almost there but not quite; I am curious to see how the author will grow.

For the Wolf is a story of a Second Daughter 'Red' who has to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in order to keep her town safe and in hopes of the Wolf finding her a good enough sacrifice that he will realise the captured Gods, that were taken from the world centuries ago.

Red gives herself over to the Wolf in hopes of being able to control a power the Wood had given her. At least in the Wood she can protect those she loves by never being the one to hurt them, but now she just has to survive the Wood and the Wolf.

But not all is at it seems when Red finally meets the Wolf and discovers the past she has been taught is not one that is completely true. Now armed with the truth and learning to control her power she must decide how to use her gifts and who she can really trust.

I think this was described as a 'Red Riding Hood' retelling , but for me I'd describe this as Red Riding Hood meets Beauty and the Beast, there's little elements of both and I can say I really enjoyed these aspects.

I loved the world building, there's some really nice descriptions and sentences through out. It took me a while to really come to grips with the magic system and what was happening in the Woods though.

Red was a favorite character, I loved her bravery and her will to do good to matter what. The connection between her and the Wolf was really well done, I was rooting for them both from the very beginning, even though it was slow burn I was still all for it.

I got through this one pretty quickly, the pace for me was just right. Enough action going on that I was never bored, but still enough character development going on that I became really invested in Red and the Wolf.

The dark and atmospheric moments really had me captivated. There's nothing I love more than a tortured monster, especially one who gets on his knees.

The ending has me desperate for book two, I cant wait to pick it up, I hope book two has an equally pretty cover!

I really enjoyed this one, I didn't put the thing down. This is a definite one to recommend.

Thank you so much to Little Brown Book Group, Orbit UK and Netgalley for an E-arc of this.

For the Wolf gripped me immediately. It opens a few days before Redarys’ ceremony, in which she will be dedicated to the Wolf and sent to the Wilderwood as a sacrifice, in the hopes the the Five Kings that disappeared 400 years before will finally be released from the forest that holds them prisoners. As the Second Daughter, she has been raised for this, but Red has another reason for submitting to this ceremony she doesn’t believe in: for four years, ever since her and her twin sister Neve rode out to the Wilderwood in the hopes of destroying it, she has had a shaft of it embedded within her, a strange magic she keeps caged because it always seeks a way out, and she does not want to hurt anyone around her. So even with her sister and her friends trying to get her to run while she can, she takes the path into the Woods.

When Red does enter the forest, she finds that a lot of what the stories say is not true: the Wolf is not a monster but a man, and he is working hard to keep the forest intact and the lands beyond it safe from the monsters it imprisons. Red hadn’t expected to live beyond her first day in the Wilderwood, let alone start to enjoy her time there, and maybe even enjoy the company of Eammon, the Wolf.

Eammon is the perfect dark, handsome, and tortured soul, but at his core he is incredibly caring and all his agony comes from putting everyone before himself to keep them safe, and the dynamic between him and Red and she tries to take on some of his burden was sweet torture to read. I expected, from the start, that this would be a slow-burn romance, and I was not disappointed. I flew through all the Red and Eammon scenes, while wanting to savour them at the same time. I will definitely be rereading this more slowly sometime in the future, when I’m not also worrying about what comes next in the plot.

One thing I didn’t expect from this story was how dark it would be; while the Wilderwood isn’t quite what Red was led to believe, it is still a primal and violent force, and the shadows it holds back are real enough. The scenes in which these shadows break through their prison gave me goosebumps, and Whitten does a great job providing just enough of a description that the reader’s mind will fill in the rest, which makes it scarier.

This darkness woven in with the golden legend of the Kings and the original Wolf and Second Daughter create a tense atmosphere, in which both characters and readers are looking for the truth behind the myths, and Red and her sister Neve are trying to come to terms with them on their different sides of the world.

All of this – compelling characters, dark settings, legendary creatures, a tortured romance – is pulled together by exquisite writing that flows with imagery yet moves the story along seamlessly. I absolutely could not get enough of this book, and I expect the bittersweet feeling it has left me with will stay with me for a while. Book two, For the Throne, cannot come soon enough!

For the Wolf is a brilliant debut filled with lush atmosphere and dark elements. Marriage of convenience is one of my favourite tropes that the author used so well to craft her debut! (full rtc closer to release date)

For the Wolf started out strong, but petered out. The early chapters where Red was contemplating her impending sacrifice were really great, and even the first few chapters of Red in her new environment were intriguing but as there was more worldbuilding the characters fell flat. It was hard to emotionally invest in them, and for me the romance was developed too quickly. The occasional chapters that showed what was happening elsewhere in the story were necessary but fairly uninteresting. While I think the author is great at creating a mood, I can't say this interested me enoug

This is the first of the Wilderwood novels and Whitten has stated it will be a duology.

"For the Wolf" nods to Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast and other fairy tales. Essentially, Redarys (Red) is destined to be sacrificed to the Wolf by virtue of being the second born daughter. It's rotten luck given she is a twin. The practice is intended to keep the world safe from the Wilderwood and the Shadowlands, as well as potentially returning the Five Kings who have been missing for centuries.

Yes, there's a misunderstood male and, yes, our protagonist falls in love with him. And, yes again, this would usually put me off. But although it's a necessary facet of the plot - after all, this is rooted in traditional fairy tale conventions - Whitten hasn't let it dominate the narrative. I enjoyed the depiction of other relationships, which aren't as conventional. For instance, the Queen's coldness towards her daughters, particularly Red, is quietly brutal. Why get close when Red is never destined to be hers because she's ringfenced for the Wolf? It adds an interesting dimension to the characters' decision making. Fife and Lyra, two inhabitants of the Wilderwood, have an unusual but refreshing bond:

"Well. Not like that, not really. It's complicated... Lyra isn't one for romance. Never has been. But she's the most important person in my life, and has been for centuries now. That's enough."

I also really appreciated the way that Whitten depicted trauma and its aftermath. Sure, the Wolf is predictable in that he doesn't deal with his trauma, broods and thinks he has to take on the burdens of everyone else as some sort of punishment. I’ve definitely read that before. But Whitten also shows the reluctance of people to leave a place of trauma even when the freedom is afforded to them. She shows characters righting traumas suffered by others, both through risky actions and introspective reflection. And, most powerfully of all, Whitten has a welcome take on self-forgiveness:

"You saved her." Eammon's voice was low, earnest. "None of it was your fault."

"I don't even think of it in terms of fault anymore." Red hunched over her crossed arms. "It happened. I have to live with it."

Probably the aspect I most enjoyed was the effort spent by Whitten on world building. It's been a rushed flaw in some of the recent books I've read but Whitten takes her time. The spaces are many and complicated; we're taken with Red as she learns the Wilderwood isn't as she expected it to be. There are some passages that made me audibly “Oooh” because the language and description is just exceptional. Whitten frequently turns a phrase that makes me envious. My favourite: "Red didn't pick at the quiet." So simple. Perfect.

The implication of the sequel's title, “For the Throne”, is that we get to learn more from Neve's point of view - the other twin. I am hoping that it doesn't pick up where it left the story and that it actually goes back a little way so Whitten can show what was happening in the other places as the plot crescendoed.

4.5 stars

For The Wolf is a dark, fairytale retelling that follows two sisters; One destined to be a sacrifice to the Wilderwood, and the other who will stop at nothing to save her.

Even though the story is split into two POVs, we mainly follow Red, the Second Daughter, who has been destined since birth to travel to the Wilderwood and be a sacrifice to the Wolf, in the hopes that it will free the mythical Kings lost to her kingdom. But not everything she has been told is true, and she’s about to find out that there are some twists in the stories they’ve been fed all their lives.

First off, for a debut novel the concept and overall plot are really interesting! The magic system is intricate and unique and the world building was really fun to read about. Despite the story being marketed as a Red Riding Hood retelling, there is elements of multiple classic fairytales and it was fun to pick up all the little references scattered throughout.

The characters themselves, while likeable for the most part, were a little bit vague. Looking back at my time reading, with the exception of Red & Eammon, I couldn’t describe what the characters look like or any nuances of their personality. This book definitely felt more like a plot driven story, but maybe that will change with the second book.

My main issue was the pacing. This book was a slow starter, with the first 200 pages or so focusing on world building and explaining the magic system of the Wilderwood. However, the last 100 pages felt incredibly rushed with so much happening that I felt I didn’t have time to process the ‘dramatic’ moments that should have had more impact.

Overall, this is an impressive debut and I look forward to seeing how this story develops.

Best premise I’ve seen for a book in a long time. Really loved the characters and the storyline, lovely writing. Great for fantasy lovers and those who love a fairytale retelling. This is Uprooted meets Little Red Riding Hood/Beauty and the Beast.

3.5 stars

For the Wolf was an amazing debut with many great ideas, and I can't wait to see how the author's work develops in the future!

I absolutely adored the concept, and frankly, I even liked the way the story unfolded and developed. Personally, I just had some issues with the characterization, which may just be because I recently read a book with a similar premise, and I enjoyed the way the relationship between the twins and their mother was handled a tad bit more. I wish some social interactions were explored a little more in-depth, especially the way their mother interacted with them (Did she ever intend on having twins? Probably not, she never wished to have a daughter that would need to go to the Wolf, right?)
For my taste, the pacing was a little too slow at times, and too quick at others. Especially when it comes to Neve's POV, it just felt like certain important parts were left out - I understand that this was a deliberate choice, but it left me confused as a reader at times.

I have to mention that I very much enjoyed the dual POV and the slow unravelling of the story! Red's relationship with the Wolf was a great slow-burn, and the Wilderwood felt unsettling and mystical in the absolute perfect way.
Really, my only qualms with this are that at times, the characters didn't feel fully fleshed-out to me and that the pacing of the plot wasn't super enjoyable at times. I 100% believe that Whitten will greatly improve in these aspects as her writing career goes on, and I personally cannot wait to see where this series and her writing goes. She has certainly shown that her ideas are intricate and captivating, so I'm beyond excited to see her grow!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts! I`ll publish this review to my Goodreads two weeks before release, as instructed.