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.

I absolutely love a retelling and this was a really enjoyable read!

As the second daughter, Red has always known she was meant to be a sacrifice for the Wolf and that her elder twin sister Neve would become queen. What I enjoyed most about this book was the relationship and love between the sisters, it was clear they would do anything for one another and they both truly believed that what they were doing was for the best of their other half.

This gothic retelling has elements of Little Red Riding Hood as well as the Beauty and the Beast. I was definitely invested in Wolf and Red, and I loved finding out more about the truth behind the myth through Wolf's history. At times it was a little slow and hard to get through, but it was all worth it for the ending – I can't wait to see what happens in For the Throne, it's been set up perfectly for a sequel and I wish I could read it right away!

If you like a fairytale retelling or a slow-burn fantasy with a dark twist, this is one for you.

3.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Orbit, for providing me with an e-arc of this book. My opinions are my own.

<i>The First daughter is for the Throne.
The Second daughter is for the Wolf. </i>

This sentence alone lured me in, into the Wilderwood, and made me want to dive into this book head first. This book is a dark spin on fairytale retellings. It has a dark, gothic-like feel to it, with the trees that seem to think for themselves and the ominous feeling that seeps throughout the story.

At the beginning of this book we meet Red and Neve, two sisters. Since birth they have known that one of them will be Queen, and one of them will be send into the Wilderwood as a sacrifice. The Wolf demands that the second daughter be sent to him, as a bargain to keep the shadow monsters inside their prison within the Wilderwood.
When Red enters the forest, though, she soon learns that the myths don't tell the whole truth.

I loved this book a lot! I love the eerie feel the writer sets in her words. I never quite felt at home within this world - and I mean that in a good way! I loved the beginning of the story, with Red preparing to go to the Wolf, and I loved the ending, which was action packed and left room for a very interesting sequel. The middle part felt a little slow to me at times, and confusing at others. I didn't fully understand the myth of the Wolf and the Five Kings and the Wilderwood at first. I didn't quite grasp what the differences were between myth and the actual situation. I understand that Red is learning this as she goes, but I could have done with a little more worldbuilding.

If you love fairytale retellings, this is one you can't miss out on! I loved how it's not 'just' a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but mixes more than one fairytale into the story, without making it feel like too much.

I will be on my guard while walking through forests with white-barked birch trees for a while, but at least reading this book was worth it ;-)

When I finished the book I was not sure how to rate it, because throughout reading I had mixed views on it. On the one hand, I really enjoyed the story (retelling of Red Riding Hood fairytale with magical elements, different characters and created world), but on the other hand, some parts took quite some time to push through. One day after I finished reading I think I will settle with 4 stars. This is exactly the book which I was reading and imagining as a film!
Now I really need to read the sequel, because when you finish the last page, oh my God (or better "Oh Kings", as it was said in the book), you just sit with the thought "Can I start the second part straight away, please?", because the ending leaves you with chills and craving to see next adventures of the characters.
What I really enjoyed is that in the middle the story is divided in two POVs - Red's and her sister Neve's - in order to come back together and then split again at the end.
Overall, I can say that the author created amazing debute novel! Hope that the second part will be as good as the first one or even better!
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

A slowburn romance, set in a cursed forest, with spooky lyrical descriptions, inspired by fairytales? Hold me while I SWOON.

I love how much Hannah Whitten loves to write, each sentence in this book weaves a beautiful, dark, biting fantasy together. Every inch of this book is pure magic.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I LOVED this book!!! As a Little Red Riding Hood retelling, it had so much more than I expected. FOR THE WOLF had romance (a big plus), action (another plus) and fantasy (Oh look, yet another plus) themes and I really fell in love. I loved the characters (especially Eammon for obvious reasons) and I really cannot wait for the second book in the series!!!!

If you love the 'Marriage of Convenience' trope, or the 'Only One Bed' trope, definitely give this book a read. But also for the general Fantasy reader (keeping in mind this is Adult Fantasy, not YA), Whitten has created a beautifully terrifying and vivid world for us to visit, so you won't regret it.

To be honest, there was one thing I didn't like, and that's just because of personal opinion but I felt it had slightly too much description, but not too much to put me off, so all's well that ends well.

As per usual, please make sure to check out the trigger warnings before reading this book.

"Fear makes us all do foolish things."

Being born the second daughter, Red has always been aware of her future. As soon she is of age, she is sent to the Wilderwood as a sacrifice to the Wolf.

Afraid of the power stirring within her, she willingly accepts her fate if it means she can keep those she loves safe. However, all the legends of the Wilderwood she thought to be true are not what they seem at all... Starting with The Wolf, who funnily enough appears to be a man...

The more time she spends in the Wilderwood, the more she begins to understand her power. However, as Red's connection to the forest grows, she can feel that something is amiss. Sensing a threat of darker powers at play, Red must learn to use her gift to prevent the downfall of her Kingdom.

So, this was an absolute TREAT to read! This is the gothic fairytale retelling I have been waiting for. This book is dark, it's grim and given I am riding that kind of wave at the moment, I really enjoyed it.

If you like brooding, monstrous males (I see you) and sentient forests with a sinister streak then hello! This book is a bit of you. 
As maybe one would expect with a fantasy story, there are of course some classic tropes to be found. To be honest, I thought they were incorporated into the story really well and none of them felt like they didn't fit or work with the plot.

If I was to be super fussy, I felt the pace slowed a little in the middle, but you can argue that it's setting the scene for what was to come. Either way, I was turning the pages to find out what happened next.

Overall a very refreshing gothic fantasy read and I would definitely recommend!

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

This book is called 'For the Wolf' and the cover (which is beautiful, by the way) shows a girl in a red cape. That, and the name of our main characters, is all the Little Red Riding Hood vibes you’re gonna get, because For the Wolf is actually a Beauty and the Beast retelling (gearing towards a Sleeping Beauty or Snow White retelling near the end). It definitely has a fairy tale vibe to it, only twisted and darker. Whitten was able to take what she wanted from these tales and wield it to make something new.

“Things once tied to magic don’t lose it easily.”

The story follows Redarys, the second daughter of the Queen of Valleyda. North of Valleyda we find the Wilderwood, a character in its own right, with its own desires, struggles, memories and power. Centuries ago, a bargain was made with the Wilderwood, whereby every second daughter is to be ‘sacrificed’ to the Wolf living in the forest on her 20th birthday. According to their religious believes, the Wolf will eventually deem one of the sacrificed second daughters acceptable and return the Five Kings (their Gods) to the kingdom. It’s Red’s turn to be sacrificed now.

Truths are twisted into stories as times goes by and, as Red enters the Wilderwood, we discover that, contrary to popular belief, the Wolf is not an evil monster, but more of a warden, deeply tangled with the forest, and the only one who can help it keep the real monsters within the confines of the Shadowlands. But something is very wrong with the Wilderwood and even the Wolf needs help. Though he will never admit it.

“I don’t think we’re ever ready to take on what our parents leave us. The places left rarely fit.”

I loved the level of personification given to the Wilderwood. It will do anything to ensure its own survival so you never know if it can be trusted or not, but it must certainly be respected. The whole atmosphere of it, the dark fairy tale vibes, and the world-building in general were great, but I found the pace to be very slow and I didn’t connect with the characters. To a point where I considered DNFing it.

The only reason I didn’t DNF this was because I wanted to know what was going to happen. The story was good but I felt nothing for the characters. I feel like the characters were flat, there was little to no development and I just couldn't care less about them. Hence, my enjoyment of the story was limited, no matter how much I liked the world or the actual plot.

Neve (Red’s sister) has a single goal: get her sister back and save her from the Wilderwood. Apparently that just made her clueless to everything else going on around her. Neve not figuring things out even when they there right under her nose bothered me to no end. I mean, there’s a limit to how dumb or blinded by grief someone can be. Her POV really slowed the reading for me.

Then we have Red, who could’ve gone back to her sister anytime she wanted even if it was to just let her know she was safe, but didn’t. Not even when their mother died or when she saw what Neve was getting herself into. Why? Because she was occupied falling in love. Everything could’ve been avoided if Red wasn’t so self-absorbed and dropped by the palace to stop her sister from worrying.

Overall, the idea of the characters was good. All of them, I feel all the secondary characters were necessary. Had they been done right. As I said, the idea was good, but the execution of them was lacking. They were flat, lacked personalities and could’ve been interchanged for any other character without anyone noticing. This book would’ve been great if I could’ve connected with the characters. The only one I felt a little something for was the Wilderwood.

As it is, and as much as I liked the premise, the setting and the overall idea of this book, I unfortunately don’t feel like it has grabbed my attention enough to read the sequel. I can definitely see other readers thoroughly enjoying this duology, though.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Orbit (Little, Brown Book Group UK) for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.

An exceptionally slow start but I'm glad that I persisted. This was a slow burn fantasy that reminded me of Beauty and the Beast. I love the concept of the Five Kings and the Shadowlands and the Wilderwood being a living entity and I cannot wait to read the next book!

Firstly, Thankyou NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group, U.K. for the e-arc of For the Wolf in exchange for my honest & unbiased review.
I’d heard that Hannah Whitten’s debut book was a Red Riding Hood retelling, but for me For the Wolf is so much more.
Redarys the younger twin sister to Neve is the second daughter, she will be sacrificed to the Wilderwood at the age of 20 in exchange of an age old bargain that rescued her kingdom Valleyda from all things dark and the shadow monsters!
The kingdom hope at each sacrifice of a second daughter that the Wilderwood will release the 5 kings, but of course it’s just not that simple!
Hannah Whitten delivers a fairytale retelling that goes beyond just one fairytale, there are definite hints and feeling of Beauty and the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty tears it’s head towards the end.
The story itself is told beautifully, calling on a number of traditional tropes, but done in such a way that they don’t feel cliched and I was engaged from start to finish.
I’d highly recommend this if you love retellings, atmospheric woodland stories, which do include the obvious, but also if you just love a great story well told. Now, hurry up and get book 2 finished, I want more!

This is the first book in the Wilderwood series and is the author's debut book. From the start, this book has a distinctive fairytale feel to it and I loved that about it. The world was a vivid one and I love the concept of the Wilderwood. The characters are well written and the plot was compelling throughout. I really enjoyed this one and I can't wait for the sequel. I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

For the Wolf is a beautifully written folk tale laced with notes of horror and compelling romance. It took me a little while to settle into the world, but once I had I was delighted to get lost there.

If you are anything like me and love books which grip you from the start, that are fast paced and devour quickly then I'm sorry to say that this book is just not it.

Over the course of 8 days I have been reading this (normally I can read a book in 2!) I didn't feel excited about reading more - there is so much content that simply just doesn't need to be there. It held no relevance and killed my interest.

I hate giving poor reviews and I'm sorry but this just didn't click for me.

I'm starting to feel like there's a formula out there in the author-net that tells authors what a fairytale retelling should look like, and it's just not working for me. If you've read one retelling of Red Riding Hood then you've pretty much read them all, because this fits the same formula as Uprooted did - and I liked it about as much as well.

For the Wolf is a story about two sisters. In this kingdom, the first born sister goes to the throne and the second born is a red-cape-wearing sacrifice to the dangerous wolf in the forest. The wolf appears to be striking the bargain as a means to offer protection from the forest in exchange for a girl, but it's not entirely clear what his motives actually are.

So Red (original, I know) is the second born daughter and is swiftly offered to the wolf. Thankfully, the wolf isn't anything like a wolf and is instead a troubled man with a complex past; there's an associated link between the wolf and trapped gods, but again that's pretty wooly too and didn't make a lot of sense for some time!

Anyway, it unfolds that Red is magical and the wolf has a lot of secret about the Wilderwood with its god-monsters. If you like angsty romance and (loosely) dark fantasy then you will probably like this. If you liked Uprooted then you will almost certainly love this. Sadly Uprooted wasn't for me, I like my fantasies to actually be dark, and the angsty romance left my "yes please" list about ten years ago.

Nevertheless, the writing is nice and reasonably compelling, but the story is just too cookie cutter for me.