I really enjoyed this one! I loved the atmosphere and the overall vibe of the book (and I’m a sucker for a retelling!). Thank you so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing this Arc!

If you like fairytales with a dark twist, then give this a go!

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten is a retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, set within a matrilineal society where the First Daughter is for the Throne and the Second Daughter is for the Wolf.

Redarys, or Red is the Second Daughter who must go the Wilderwood before her 20th birthday and surrender to her fate. By giving the Second Daughter to the Wolf the hope is that he will prevent the shadow creatures from escaping, and may ultimately release the mythical Five Kings from the Shadowlands.

Red meets the Wolf on her arrival in the Wilderwood and to her surprise, he is not the monster portrayed in the stories she has heard. He's actually a rather lovely, though somewhat angsty heart throb called Eamonn.

Red's twin sister, the First Daughter Neve, is left behind to take her place upon the throne, but in her grief for her sister sets in motion a plot to release her which will put them both in mortal danger.

Red does battle with the rising magic inside her, knowing that if she can master it, she can help Eamonn maintain the Wilderwood and prevent the shadow creatures from breaking free. Thus begins the "will they, won't they" love story of the monster being tamed by the beautiful maiden that we all know and love.

Without giving too much more away, fairy tale retellings have become hugely popular lately, and I have to say this one is one of the better ones. It was pacey, with great female characters who definitely do not require rescuing, unless it is from themselves. The world building is great and the tortured love story between Eamonn and Red is bound to inspire a thousand fanfics.

This book is the first Wilderwood book and I liked the little tribute to the story of Sleeping Beauty with Neve's story arc, which might be a hint of things to come for her? Whatever happens next I am very much looking forward to the next Wilderwood tale.

Sometimes you don’t mourn people so much as you mourn who they could’ve been.”

For centuries the second born daughter of the royal family is given to the Wolf. Sacrificed in hope that the Wolf will release the lost kings from the forbidding Wilderwood. Redarys “Red” is the second daughter and she’s reached the age to be sacrificed. Surrendered to the forest and the mysterious Wolf, Red learns not everything she’s been told is the truth, and it’s possible, she might be a saviour in more ways than one.

For the Wolf was gothic, wistful and rather irresistible. The story unfolds through Red’s perspective with interludes that focus on her sister, Neve.

Whitten weaves a story with an atmospheric and macabre energy - a girl destined for sacrifice, honorific clothing to signify it all, chaplain to worships lost kings and past daughters, and then to a derelict castle overgrown and earth trodden, and dark altars channeling darker forces.

The Wilderwood is a powerful entity in of itself. I was surprised by the level of personification given to the Wilderwood. It’s a powerful entity with desires, memories and power in of itself. I wasn’t at any point certain if it was to be trusted or not, but certainly respected.

I liked Red’s character. She started off the typical female heroine of many fantasy tales with some bite to her, but by the end, her character development was clear and it was really satisfying to see her become more at peace with herself, expunging her fears and moving to take control of her own life.

Whitten definitely succeeded in writing a love interest that causes a good swoon. He is the perfect concoction of moody, distant, guarded yet gentle and deeply caring. He has lived for so long carrying loss and burdens on his own, that he not only finds it difficult to trust another person, but finds it hard to delegate any tasks - which was an excellent source for conflict. I liked how Red didn’t cower to Eammon, and instead went toe to toe with him.

And there are really good side characters that add interesting dimensions to the story, with the exception of Kiri. Her dialogue was cringeworthy and she offered nothing to the story but irritation for the reader, which I suspect Whitten knows, which for me would make it worse. The glimpses we’re given of the better characters struck my curiosity, especially Lyra and Fife (the Wolf’s companions), and they all for the most part felt worthwhile support to the story. I’m very, very intrigued about Lyra and Fife’s ongoing story and their histories.

The only thing that irked me at times was it lacked in its originality. It’s undeniably a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast - even down to two sidekicks for the Wolf/Beast - along with smidges of Sleeping Beauty and Red Riding Hood. The pace is slow burn as well, which made parts of the story feel a bit sluggish, when paired with the feeling of having heard/read a similar story before.

For the Wolf is extremely romantic. Love connects and motivates all the characters in one shape and form. Red and Eammon’s relationship was somehow gradually developed yet happened all at once, which worked for me. There is a sex scene toward the end of the book; it’s on page but it’s not too explicit and is really enjoyable, especially once invested in the characters and the romance.

My favourite part of For the Wolf was the relationship between Red and Neve and its subsequent development across the story. They both start from a place of love and commitment to each other - with Red desperate to keep Neve safe and Neve desperate to save Red from her destiny - but it quickly evolves beyond those roots. Through individual and combined lenses, we see the sisters journey through their love, fear, control and ultimately power.

The gradual drawing of lines between one side and the other provided a mounting palpability and excellent momentum toward a tense climax and what can only be described as a harmonious cliffhanger, promising that the story is far from over. I’m very, very intrigued about what’s coming next and where the characters will end up. Here’s to the wait For the Throne! 👑

Thank you kindly to Orbit Books UK and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC, in exchange for this honest review.

This is a fairytale fantasy delight!

Effortless writing, engaging characters and a mixture of threads from well known fairytales. “For the Wolf” does not disappoint,

After falling in love with the cover of this book, I so wanted to love the story too, but unfortunately this book didn’t feel the easiest of reads, despite a lot of good to say about it.

I’ll start off with what I loved, beyond the cover which is gorgeous. The writing of the Wilderwood is brilliant, this wood with the sentinel trees and this creepy atmosphere, it was really well done, the wood is shaped and written like a character in itself and this world is built really vividly in your mind. There were times when I really loved the writing. I also liked Neve, I found her a promising character and I really wished for more of her because she felt so complex and torn. When I started reading this book I thought/hoped the love story would be between sisters and the way it started created such a beautiful bond that I looked forward to seeing. Sadly this only ended in disappointment.

What I didn’t like, well we’ll start with the biggie, Red was a character I just really struggled to like, she is hugely selfish. Throughout the book Neve has one goal, to get he sister back, to save her sister, that love makes her vulnerable to being manipulated and exploited in fact but she persists, even pushing away Raffe, who she has loved for a long time. However, Red falls in love with the Wolf/Eammon and literally nothing else matters. Very quickly in, you discover that the stories of the dangerous Wolf are all myth and that actually Red can leave any time she wants. But she doesn’t. Red stays in the woods, not even briefly leaving, because she is falling in love with the Wolf, because he needs her. All of Neve’s problems (and Arick’s also) actually would have been avoided had Red just come back, even fleetingly, to tell her she was safe and happy. She every now and then clings to the cloak her sister gave her but does nothing to ease the heartbreak she knows her sister must be feeling. Even when she gets to see how her sister is doing, seeing her tired, having lost weight, talking about blood letting, their mother dying, she doesn’t go back to her. In fact the only time she actively goes to her sister is to stop her doing something that threatens her harmony with her boyfriend and it drives the entire reunion. There are even times when the bad guy has to remind Red about her sister and Red, after only talking about things that involve herself and her love, goes “is she alive?”. Truly I could not read another book where this character is made out as heroic while repeatedly not choosing this sister who sacrificed everything in an effort to save her. She chooses the boy every time and it’s a YA annoyance that I thought I would be avoiding in this one.

That brings us onto the Wolf/Eammon, the single most emo pain in the a$$, moping about loneliness while continually shutting people out and going cold on them, he’s called a martyr in jest in the book but it’s insufferable. The guy is weak and can’t manage but he’s constantly telling people not to help him, despite the fact they will die anyway if he fails. Total logic. The writing I loved when talking about the wood, I hated when talking about the Wolf. If you turned reading about his hair into a drinking game, you would be getting your stomach pumped. The hair is I’m his eyes, the hair is black, the hair is long, his hand is running through his hair, his hair is falling out of its tie ... please stop. Similarly, there’s only so much you can read about someone cutting their hand and bleeding, the pacing was incredibly slow getting to the conclusion.

I really wanted to love this book but I found the protagonist too selfish and the love interest too cliche and while I would love to know Neve is ok and her story in the next book, I couldn’t handle more of the romance unfortunately. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this.

For the Wolf is the Little Red Riding Hood retelling you didn’t know you needed. It follows princess Redarys who has always known her destiny was to be sacrificed to the enchanted Wilderwoods and the Wolf.

I instantly fell in love with this story. The eerie ambiance, the ‘Wolf’, the creeping shadow beasts, and the bloodthirsty woods… and the writing was beautiful, with a lyrical quality to it and just so enchanting. These sorts of stories always have a way of attracting me to them, and they’re some of my favorites.

Redarys, or just Red, is the Second Daughter. In this world, that means she is to be offered to the Wolf and the Wilderwoods before she turns 20. But the story the people of her kingdom pass down as religion is far from the truth, and she finds nothing is as she expected. Least of all, the Wolf himself. Eammon was such a kind, selfless bookworm, I loved him!

While Red accepted, and even welcomed her fate for her own reasons, her loved ones couldn’t accept her fate, and heedless of the dangers, they set out to find a way to release her, setting dangerous things in motion...

Neeve, Red’s sister is the First Daughter, the heir to the throne. She and Red are twins. We got to see a few chapters from her perspective, though I have to say the contrast of her grief to the excitement and allure I felt in Red’s chapters was a bit jarring. I always paused the book before or during Neve’s chapters, and I just didn’t like her very much. (*The following book is “For the Throne”, so I assume Neeve will be the main character, and we’ll still get some chapters from Red’s perspective.)

Overall, For the Wolf was everything I was hoping for and more! It was enchanting, dark, intriguing, and a very exciting story, and I really enjoyed it! I strongly recommend it!

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

Redarys or ‘Red’ is a second daughter and due to a centuries old bargain, in her twentieth year she must be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wilderwood. In doing so, Red’s kingdom hopes the wolf will return the five kings, their Gods.

But the stories aren’t entirely truthful and the Wolf, isn’t the monster he’s portrayed as. For the Wilderwoods are actually a Prison and the Wolf, it’s Warden. Over time the Wilderwoods are weakening and Red must help to strengthen it before Sinister forces break free.

Deeply spellbinding and vividly detailed, I loved how Hannah Whitten blends Horror and Dark Fantasy with fairytale elements from Red Riding Hood,Beauty & the Beast and Snow White to create a captivatingly original story.

The detail in the eerie woodland setting was breathtakingly atmospheric and the shadow creatures felt like they could’ve crawled straight out of a Guillermo del Toro movie.

I loved the development of the slow burn relationship between Red and Eammon (The Wolf), it felt organic and more realistic as opposed to the Insta love trope that’s commonly used. I also loved how well written many of the characters are; Lyra, Fife and Neve especially.

I personally thought it started a little slow but picks up as Red meets the Eammon. The POV also alternates between Red in the Wilderwoods and Neve (Red’s twin sister) in Valleyda, which was incite-full —allowing us a glimpse at the emotional fallout to Red’s sacrifice.

The ending was incredibly well written and action packed, setting up the sequel nicely. Since it’s called For The Throne I assume it will be Neve’s story with some POV chapters from Red’s perspective.

Lovers of Dark Fantasy and Fairytale inspired novels will be hard pressed not to give this a read.

I also wanted to thank Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC

For The Wolf is a captivating new fantasy, about a second born princess who, in order to keep her land safe, is sacrificed to a monstrous forest and the Wolf living within it.

The world building was fantastic, and I was sucked in from the first page. This book has an incredible dark fairytale vibe and a torturous slow burn romance that had me devouring it in a day. I'm already champing at the bit for the sequel!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

For the Wolf follows Red, a second daughter who has been promised her whole life as a sacrifice to the wilderwood and the mysterious wolf who lives there, in order to appease an ancient treaty. Red leaves behind her life in Valleydan, including her twin sister Neve and her estranged mother to venture into the woods to answer to call of an ancient power. Once she arrives in the forest she discovers ancient secrets and old powers rising, and discovers that the forest may ask more of her than she has ever given before. Excellently written with a haunting atmosphere and compelling characters, For the Wolf is a 2021 release you do not want to miss!

Set in the magical Wilderwood, a mystical forest, the atmosphere of the book is absolutely impeccable. I will always have a little piece of my soul that craves the wilderness and healing nature of forests, especially having grown up near a national park and exploring forests every weekend. There is something so truly transportive about a magical forest setting, and I loved the slightly creepy notes of the Wilderwood, as well as how it is almost its own character, influencing events and shaping the characters destinies.

I really loved the romance in this book, which is pretty shocking for me to love a hetero relationship this hard!! I was literally sqealing the first time they kissed aha. The love interest, Eammon, was a really sweet character and I alwys love the tropes of a) someone being sent to be married to a scary monster who turns out to be a sweet little cinnamon roll who is pretty much a prisoner themselves (yes i know this is very specific but it gave me major warbreaker vibes and I LOVE IT) and b) a marriage of convience between friends who eventually fall in love. The progression from relectuant allies, to friends, to lovers was such a great natural evolution of the relationship. Also I think the forest was kind of a third wheel in the relationship lol but it added an extra element of depth seeing how much they both love the forest and how this contributed to their love for each other.

Another element of the book I really enjoyed was the relationship between the sisters, Red and Neve. I liked how we kept seeing Neve's story through the interludes, I thought this added a lot of depth to the book and interesting politics, as well as Neve being a fascinating character and having a bit of a downfall arc, and exploring through her eyes both how power corrupts but also how easy it is for evil people to exploit and manipulate vunerable young women. Both sisters really strive to find and reunite with each other, however while their motives may be pure they don't go about achieving their goals in the right way (especially Neve lol). Also seeing them spend time apart from each other and find their own paths while still wanting the best for each other was really rewarding.

Sacrifice was a big theme of the book, and I think this was something very well explored and so fascinating. Also the concept of a sacrifice freely given is worth so much more and can be so much more healing was a great concept to discuss, as well as highlighting how important consent is.

In conclusion a stunning debut novel from Hannah Whitten, full of creepy magical forests, strong sisterhood bonds, an adorable romance, excellent prose and an ending that will leave you extremely hyped for the next installment.

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!