I think a huge part of why I gave this book lower rating is because of the current slump I am in. I did enjoy Neve’s story. It was fascinating and strange, even if I really had no clue what was going on for much of the book. The story was slow to get going and felt kind of plodding for the first half.

I did like how it ended, but it also felt like it took far too long and some of it felt a little too repetitive. Red’s story, on the other hand, mostly felt unnecessary. For the first half she and Eammon didn’t seem to do much more than look through books.

Unlike For the Wolf, For the Throne didn’t feel as steeped in fairy tales. Instead, Neve’s story felt like it took on a life of its own, one that was actually centered on the mythology of her world. I loved that it shed the fairy tales and loved that it places the sisters on center stage.

As a story of sisters, For the Throne hit every note, but the romances left me feeling dissatisfied. There were three that really stood out. There’s Red and Eammon who are now happily and deliriously married. Honestly, they felt so lovey dovey it made me feel like I was wading through a field of sweetness. It’s nice to know they’re so happy, but it felt like it took that a step too far to the point where they felt even more irrelevant during the first half of the story.

Then there’s Neve and Solmir who were so slow I barely believed how it ended. It felt like their romance was a little forced and maybe they might have made for really good friends. Overall, I just had a hard time believing them and I wish a romance between them hadn’t been written in.

For the Throne is a satisfying ending to the duology. It’s a lovely story of sisters and what they’ll do for each other despite all the other people they love and who love them. I wish more of what happened in this book had been hinted at in the first book to really tie them together, otherwise I couldn’t help feeling like that was Red’s story and this was Neve’s and that was enough to hold them together.

This dark adult fantasy duology follows two sisters, princesses Neverah (Neve) and Redarys, known as Red. It picks up right after the end of the first book, with Neve waking up in the Underworld with Solmir by her side. Together, they take a journey through the upside-down realm full of shadows and monsters.

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

By the way, It's got two points of view with the occasional third POV of Raffe. There is one observation about the POVs I would like to share with you. Interestingly, while I was reading the first book of the duology, I was more interested in Red´s point of you which changed in this sequel, where I enjoyed Neve´s parts more. I think Hannah Whitten truly knows how to work this concept to the story's advantage.

Very rarely can the entirety of fault be held by one person.

If you ask me, For the Throne is dark, so very dark - definitely darker than the first book - but still a very beautiful and indeed heart touching story. It is a journey through dark and deep woods with eldritch forest monsters lurking behind the upside down trees and I could not love it more. I've seen it described as part folklore, part fairytale, and part horror story, and I absolutely agree with that. Hannah Whitten is a master at creating a wonderfully gloomy and eerie atmosphere sprinkled with folklore. It is in fact drenched in it. The prose is gorgeous, and I was tremendously happy to sink into the Underworld realm and all its danger, shadows and darkness. It is truly a captivating story. Overall, this duology is highly atmospheric fantasy with a classic fairytale feel - a must read for all the fans of dark fantasy books.

It was impossible to know all the corners of the world. There was always some wrinkle left unironed, something tripping you up in your understanding of how things went and your place in them.

What makes it truly special are the themes hidden behind the layers of thorns, piles of bones, and gore. Both For the Wolf and For the Throne are books full of interesting and thought-provoking ideas. Like how destructing and self-destructing can be to blindly follow a notion that somebody else needs your help despite the person telling you to leave it be. Sometimes - as we've seen at the end of the first book - it has truly dire consequences. Listening to the people you love and letting them make the decisions for themselves is important, maybe the most important thing of all. I believe that the idea the book explores is that you can offer them a helping hand but then it is up to them if they choose to reach out and get it. Neve learns this the hard way. Now she is forced to face it and question her true nature, asking herself if she did the right thing or if she's actually the villain here. And she's not the only one to do so. Both Neve and Solmir are plagued by their previous actions and the question if they can become the heroes of the story and save Neve´s kingdom and its people.

Saving someone else was a wall you couldn’t scale unless they threw you a rope.

Plus is also that while there are a few romantic relationships throughout the duology, it shows that romantic love does not actually solve everything. Plus, as already mentioned, loving somebody does not mean that you get to make decisions for that said person, it means to offer a helping hand and let the other person still go their own way if they chose so. All in all, while feeling love for each other, all of those characters are still their own people, making their own choices. They keep their individuality and learn to respect each other. Opposite to what you can often read in books, sharing trauma with somebody does not immediately mean that you two are true soulmates (or whatever) and the book explores this idea so well. When you take a good look at the duology, you'll find that it is actually not a tale of romantic love but of a strong and deep sisterly bond. And while both of the main romances intrigued me, I love that.

Heroes and villains and the spaces between, a prism that changed reflections depending on the angle you turned it.

Another captivating thing about this duology as a whole is the way it works with religion and religious beliefs. Red, Neve and everybody else in their world grow up with the conviction that the Kings were good and sacrificed themselves to save the people. The message here is not to trust everything you are told, as this religious narrative that everyone lives by is a total lie. In Valleyda, religion serves as this tremendous tool of power and means of control and I am all here for it. I love how the book turns the religious narrative upside down, making the bad guys actually the force of good and the supposed good guys a menace to be dealt with.

For the Throne is a truly captivating book with an incredible atmosphere, well rounded and believably flawed characters, intriguing plot and many deep thoughts. Safely said, I cannot wait to read another book by Hannah Whitten. I cannot wait for what she comes up with next.

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

I was nervous going into this sequel as the first was such a good read, however I shouldn't have been worried, this was an excellent sequel. In fact in was exactly how a sequel should be; we got answers from questions that developed in the first book, a satisfying ending that was still slightly open and some twists I didn't expect. I was mainly worried about Neve's voice and how much I didn't like her in the first book. but Whitten managed to turn this around and make her an interesting and complex protagonist. We still got lots of Red, Eammon and the forest which were my favourite parts about book one. This book was as equally compelling in atmosphere as the previous installment and I think it's something Whitten's writing really shines in. The only downside for me was the romance, in the first book it was fun and believable, in this is felt forced and unnecessary. It's not good when you're pleased that they main couple aren't completely together by the end of the book, I think the ended actually benefited from there not being a complete HEA for Neve in the romance department.
Overall this was an excellent sequel and is definitely a book I'll be using to show an example of how to write book two and do it well.

Even better than the first one! There's been a great impprovement from the author, and even if the book is not completely perfect, it is definitely worth a shot!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Red and Emmon have finally contained the threat of the Five Kings but at a steep cost. Red's sister and Queen have been trapped in the Shadowlands, but Neve has an ally, the rogue king Solmir. Together they must journey across a dangerous landscape to find the mysterious Heart Tree - and finally claim the gods' dark, twisted powers for themselves.
In the first book, we mostly had been in Red’s POV, however, in this second book, it was mainly from Neve’s POV, as she travels across the shadowlands. Because of this, I don’t think I connected to the book as much as I did in the first book, and I struggled to get through it.
But like the first book, Hanna’s writing was brilliant, she had a fantastic way of creating atmosphere and tension, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what she will do next.

For the Wolf was one of my favourite reads last year, so I was really looking forward to the second book in this duology. In fact, For the Throne was probably one of my most anticipated reads this year.

This second book picks up right where the first one ended. I didn't re-read For the Wolf before starting this one, but it might be worth doing if you have the time as, outside of the main characters, I had a hard time remembering who was who for a few chapters.

The book mostly follows Neve, Red's sister, while she is stuck in the Shadowlands with Solmir, but there are also some chapters in Red's POV as she struggles to find a way to save her sister and even some showing Raffe's POV. Neve was by far the most interesting character, and I loved getting to know her more deeply than before, exploring her complexities and witnessing both her incredible strength and her touching vulnerability.

The author does an amazing job with the atmosphere. It was dark and chilling and just absolutely perfect. I could almost feel the Shadowlands as Neve and Solmir made their way through them to try and destroy them and the Old Kings. I also really liked the original way in which some classic folklore tropes and elements were woven through the story, and the addition of the gods was a very welcome one for me.

Action on the surface wasn't quite as captivating as that in the Shadowlands for me, and I did find that rather a lot of it was too slow-moving to really hold my interest. I still love Red and Eamonn, but some of the other characters failed to really grow on me and, by the end, there were a few too many couples going around. Some of the surprising twists were also not so surprising after all, which was disappointing as I love being surprised!

Still, I really liked the ending and was very satisfied with it as a conclusion to this duology even if this second book didn't quite live up to the first one for me. Hannah Whitten was a fantastic discovery and I look forward to reading many, many more of her books in the future.

I knew after reading the first book in this series I had to get my hands on the second arc, and Im so grateful that I did!! All the tension and slow burn really lived up to the expectations I had. A beautiful;y written fantasy book, I can't wait for the next in the series.

I have been so excited to read this book, The second book from this duet series.
I love the authors writing. So dark and atmospheric.
I have loved the premise of both books. Who doesn’t love these fairytale retellings as an adult?!

Thank you for my earc Orbit!
I loved for the wolf so was excited to get to this!
I did find the pacing a little on the slow side but overall I really enjoyed my time with this book!
I look forward to more from this author!

Having enjoyed the first book of this duology, I was looking forward to reading this one, but unfortunately it didn't live up to expectations. The writing is pretty, and I like the woodsy, dark beauty of the prose, but I just really didn't care for the main storyline of this sequel, in particular the romance between Neve and Solmir. I found Neve's relationship with her sister Red, and how much they fight for each other far more compelling, and would have found this book purely focused on them more interesting.

(Many thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.)

Wow! What a great way to follow For the Wolf!
I really enjoyed the slow burn of the first book but this one’s pace seemed to suit me much better and I really enjoyed that.
While the twists and turns of the novel are definitely enjoyable, my favourite part was seeing the characters grow, seeing how Neve had to face the consequences of her actions and how it changed her.
The gothic atmosphere, the sisterly relationship driving the story and the fantastic narrative make this a great conclusion to the duology!

For the wolf was so good, I loved the slow burn romance, the mystery of the magic and world and the depth of the characters. I was apprehensive going into for the throne, and although I prefer the first book, this one is only just behind it! The pacing in these books is perfect and you can feel the tension, the anger, the betrayal, everything that the characters are going through. Hannah Whitten is a brilliant writer and I can't wait for foxglove king!

This second time around I faced the same issue I had with For the Wolf. The narrative was significantly better this time, but the pacing was off. Everything happened so slowly that I just didn't feel compelled to continue as fervently as with other books. I understand and can see reasons for so many people to love this doulogy but, in the end, it just wasn't for me, although I will certainly be looking forwards Whitten's next book, The Foxglove King.

A great book, very much like the first but darker. I think if I were to recommend the book to someone I would certainly suggest they read the first one then the second one to give context and to grow to love the characters. But as the second in the series this book was brilliant.

I was absolutely dying to read this sequel and I wasn't disappointed with it.
The story continues on from where it left in the first book with characters we are already familiar with, this time it's more about Neve and her journey back to her sister.
I loved the writing style of this author and adored this book. Looking forward to seeing what she creates next.

Another wonderfully atmospheric book from a new favourite author,

I absolutely adored For the Wolf and its sequel, I am happy to say, did not disappoint.
Like Red, I absolutely fell for Neve and felt like her character which was both interesting and flawed, and as magical as she became she was also deeply human.
I am happy that we stayed with Red and Eamon as well as several other characters for the first book, but I do wish we had dived even further into Neve and her adventures with Solmir. However the separate points of view did allow me to continue to fall in love with my favourite character aka the Wilderwood.

I adored the writing, and though the pace was a little slower then the first book I enjoyed the darkness and grittiness of this sequel immensely,
However, unlike the first books end, the ending of Throne left me feeling a little at a loss, and felt very much like it tied up too quickly and a little too 'nicely.'

However I cannot wait to read much more from Hannah Whitten, as I will devour anything she comes up with.

Loved the first book and couldn't wait to dive into this one. Was not disappointed. Devoured within a few day a definite couldn't put down. Would read more from this author!

trigger warning
<spoiler> self harm, self mutilation, mention of suicide, memory loss, earthquakes </spoiler>

Now that the Second Daughter has been claimed by the Wolf, the First Daughter gets claimed by her fate.

After my lukewarm review of book one you could ask why I would read on, and the thing is, the story and the characters have grown on me after finishing book one and I kept wandering back and thinking about them.
So when I got the chance to request an arc to book two, I did.

I scratched that itch, and it turn out I basically have the same things to say about book two. This is a fine ya fantasy duology. Nearly everyone gets paired off and we have lots of enemies-to-lovers subplots going on, which annoyed me. It felt repetitive. What else annoyed me was that it felt like the author didn't know where to end the story, but I guess if you're in for the romance the ending that was chosen fits, and I just was not.

Again, this is not a Red Riding Hood retelling. It simply takes the idea of a young woman wearing a red cloak and meeting the wolf, and runs with it. Which is totally fine, just if you're really looking for a retelling, this is not the story for you.

If you love ya fantasy heavily leaning on romantic ties, this one is for you.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

For the Throne was one of my anticipated new releases for this year and I enjoyed it a lot!

I LOVED For the Wolf so so much but unfortunately this one didn’t live up to it for me. Maybe it was me so I’ll reread it in the autumn and see If I change my mind.

What was most disappointing was the moment Neve and Solmir finally get intimate we never got any details! Seriously the whole slow burn tension and we get nothing when the spice finally happens…I don’t need a really smutty scene but I thought with how Red and Eammon’s relationship was written (hot stuff 🥵) we’d get the same for Neve and Solmir, but no 😞 I just feel cheated haha. Rant over!

I really loved the story and the adventure of this one and as much as I loved Red in the last book I loved Neve just as much in this book so I was really pleased. I wasn’t disappointed at all that we didn’t see as much as Red and Eammon because Neve and Solmir were everything!
I also love how both sisters were both fighting to save one and other in each book.


For the Wolf still remains my favourite but I’m pleased with how For the Throne ended for the story :)

Thankyou so much for this ARC

For The Throne is the follow on to this fantasy world started in For The Wolf. If you read and enjoyed he first book, then certainly read the second one. Hannah Whitten creates a rich fantasy world filled with the darkness of the Wilderwood, touches of folklore, pieces of fairytales and a new plot trajectory to end the Shadowlands.

I must admit after finishing this novel, I felt the same as I did reading the first. I loved the concept, the characters and the world within which their story unfolds. Yet I was never fully immersed in the reading and I am not sure if that is simply a matter of pace, which I feel differs throughout the novel. If you enjoy a fantasy fairytale world then both books are worth reading,