𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑒.
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑜𝑙𝑓.
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑏𝑒 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑.
For the Wolf follows the story of sisters Neve and Red as they are bound by the ancient tradition of giving the second daughter to the Wilderwood. Red, as the second daughter, has accepted her destined fate for the Wilderwood. Even though she’s heard stories about the Wilderwood, Red has no idea what she’s getting herself into. This is a dual POV book that is full of mystery, magic, and romance.
This story is a combination of a Beauty and the Beast and Red Riding Hood retelling. I really loved the intricate world building that Hannah Whitten built in this book. I honestly did not expect this book to have such an interesting play on the original Red Riding Hood tale. I was ecstatic to have gotten an early copy of this book and was not disappointed.
The magic system was slowly introduced as the book began. However, it really became intricate as the plot picked up speed. I did feel confused by the additional details for the magic system in the last fourth of the book. The plot really picked up speed in the last parts of the book which sort of rushed through the new magic system additions. The intricate magic system combined with the element of religious politics absolutely drew me in. As the book progressed, it had an almost gothic feel to the plot which was absolutely delightful. I loved the amount of foreshadowing in this book as well. It made the book completely unpredictable which really kept me immersed in the story.
I also really enjoyed each of the characters she built in this magical world. Red is a headstrong, outgoing, and resilient character with a giving heart. I really connected to her characters determination and strong will throughout this plot. Red’s character development was fun to read about, but also hinted at some more things coming in the next book (yay!). Neve is a first daughter, destined to be queen but loves her sister dearly. I loved the way that their relationship was written with the push and pull of sisterly love. I also really enjoyed the side characters in this book with their witty banter. I am such a big believer in side characters adding the best levity to a good book and I was not disappointed.
I would definitely recommend this book to those who love retellings with a dark twist!

Here we are with “Red Riding Hood” themed book number two of the month! As I said before, I always get a bit nervous when there are many books coming out around the same time that explore a similar fairytale or theme. They can’t all be good. Right?? Well, second verse same as the first with this one! Except, I think I liked this book even better than “The Wolf and the Woodsman!”

For centuries it has been know: the first daughter is for the throne, the second daughter is for the wolf. It has been many decades since the last second daughter was born and sent duly to her fate in the dangerous Wilderwood. But it is Red’s fate to once again live out this piece of history. While her sister, Neve, the heir to the throne, is aghast at the future before her beloved Red, Red herself is thankful to be locked away from the people she loves, people she fears she may injure with the dark magic growing within her. But once she finally makes her way beneath the shadowy bows of the forest, she begins to learn that the tales have twisted throughout the years and not everything is as she once thought. Neve, for her part, works diligently to save her doomed sister, and between these two, long-sleeping forces will begin to awaken.

Well, that was something else! I really like how this is now the second of these books I’ve read this month and both have had very little to do with the original “Red Riding Hood” tale. Not that I have any problems with that story, but it would have been a challenge to read three re-tellings in a month. So far, I’ve actually read zero retellings! Both of these books have only resembled that story in their use of names and the infamous red coat. Instead, imagine my surprise and joy when I got a bit into this and realized that not only was I not reading a “Red Riding Hood” retelling but I was, in fact, reading a “Beauty and the Beast” adaptation? And, like the best retellings, it was also unique and fully its own.

Much of what made it similar to “Beauty and the Beast” could be found in the basic concept and in the small call-backs littered throughout the story. You have the mysterious, other-worldly love interested, locked away in a gloomy castle, forgotten (or in this case, warped) by history. There’s the unknowing heroine, thrust into this magical world with no compass to guide her, missing a beloved family member back home (this time a sister rather than a father). And then there were small details, like the use of a glass mirror to view other places and the placement of a library as central to much of the interaction between the heroine and hero. So, very much Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” hints.

But this is not a kid’s fairytale. The woods itself was a character, and a dark, unknowable one at that. The violence of the woods’ history is clear from the beginning and the painful measures that are required to contain it sap the strength from the Wolf, the guardian of this place. Red’s own connection to the woods and the Wolf is no less comfortable. While she begins to understand the toll the woods takes on the Wolf, she sees that any help she has to offer will come with a similar price.

I was also surprised to see that Neve had her own POV chapters in this book. While Red definitely has the majority, Neve has a distinct arch and story of her own. It was equally compelling, if also frustrating in that we, the reader, have more information than Neve does and can see the pitfalls before her. But, as always, I love a book that focuses on a strong sisters relationship, and I like that Neve was not a passive character here, simply accepting her sister’s loss as fact but instead working against it.

The romance was also very sweet. The book took its time to develop this relationship properly, devoting appropriate page time for each party to work through their own personal challenges. The pieces of the puzzle and mystery behind the Wolf and the Wilderwood also only come together slowly as the story plays out. Overall, this slow pacing worked well, balanced out by the high stakes tension that looms in the ever-present danger presented by the woods itself. My one mark against the book, however, is that towards the end, the story seems to come to a head but then regroups and ramps up for what feels like a second ending tacked on. Both are necessary for the story itself, but it just read a little strange, erring a bit too close to feeling resolved to let the reader really easily step back in for heightened action all of a sudden.

I really enjoyed this book. Fans of fairytale re-tellings, particularly “Beauty and the Beast,” should definitely check it out. It’s the first in (I think) a duology, so expect another book to come, but it’s not a killer cliffhanger either.

Rating 9: Dark, twisty, and romantic. Just how I like it!

(Link will go live June 18)

Every so often, a book you've really been looking forward to not only turns to not only be an enjoyable read but something so deeply excellent that it turns you into a strange sort of literary carnival barker, trying to shove a particular title into the hands of everyone you know and blindly tweeting recommendations at strangers. Such is my experience with Hannah Whitten's For the Wolf, a dark, thrilling reimagining of "Little Red Riding Hood" that deserves to be at the absolute top of your must-read lists this summer.

Whitten's debut fantasy novel is enchanting from beginning to end, mixing folktale, horror, and fairytale elements to create something that feels entirely brand new. It features complicated female characters, a charming if prickly romance, and rich, thoughtful worldbuilding. And once you start reading, it's almost impossible to put down. (Confession time: I finished this book in just a little over a day.)

Complex themes of sacrifice, loyalty, love, and duty twine together to form something simultaneously beautiful, strange, and vaguely terrifying at times. Whitten's prose is lush and immersive, her storytelling skills propulsive enough to make the occasionally familiar beats of the story feel fresh and original.

Truly, this novel one of the best things I've read in 2021 thus far, and given what happens at the end, For the Wolf's sequel - titled For the Throne - may well exceed it. I know I can't wait to find out.

4.5/5

The first daughter is for the throne. The second is for the wolf. All her life Redarys has known that as the kingdom’s second daughter her sole purpose is to be sacrificed to the Wilderwood and the Wolf keeping its gods captive. Though her sister Neve rages against her fate, Red has accepted it, plagued by an unknown power and determined to never hurt those close to her again. As the only second daughter born in centuries, Red has all the more reason to go, but when the day arrives and she feels the woods pulling her forward, she finds that the legends she’s been told are not entirely true. For one, the protection offered by the Wilderwoods is weakening, and the Wolf is just a man as much of a captive as she is. Red is exactly what the woods have been waiting for, and her power is the key to set them free. That is if Red can learn to control it before the forest weakens and the gods overtake it and destroy her world for good.

Well, there's nothing quite like one of your most anticipated reads of the summer being just as good as you had hoped. Boy have I been loving this trend of cursed forests, crumbling estates, and wolves, and this dark fantasy debut blended those perfectly. For the Wolf is a novel shrouded in political turmoil and rooted in folklore, an extraordinary story that had me feeling caught right from the start and did not relent until right at the very end. Don’t even get me started on the slow-burn romance, it’s all-consuming and underlying tension had me aching for more, while at the same time begging for respite. Brooding monster boyfriends really are the move what else can I say. Eammon is everything to me. Besides the romance, the exploration of sisterhood and sacrifice was by far the most compelling part of the novel. I loved the complicated familial relationships and dynamics examined on par with everything else that was going on — Specifically, the points of view for Red and the interludes for her sister Neve, which contrasted nicely against the plot development. Neve’s perspective was easily the most interesting to me as it provided a nice break from Red’s point of view and was beyond entertaining. Not that it at all prepared me for the third act, which hit me like a truck coming out of nowhere. All that’s left to do now is wait for the second and final book in the series: For the Throne, coming out next July. I’ll just be over here screaming about this book in the meantime.

In her haunting fantasy debut inspired by Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast, Hannah Whitten has carved out her place in adult fantasy, with rich prose and detailed imagery that makes no apologies. Comparing this to Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale is certainly appropriate, and there is no doubt that readers who enjoyed both will be desperate to sink their teeth into this amazing story. Honestly, after reading this I want nothing other than to disappear into a cursed forest and explore ruined castles for hours. Applications are open for those interested in joining me.

Trigger warnings: death, violence, gore, blood, anxiety/panic attacks, self-harm

This is the adult fantasy debut I have been unashamedly lusting after since I first heard of this book last year. And honestly? There is truly no better feeling than a most anticipated release knocking it out of the park.

For hundreds of years, the bargain with the Wilderwood has been simple: one daughter for the throne, the second for the Wolf. The forest claims the second daughter born to the crown as penance to keep the monsters at bay. None can enter the forest but the Second Daughter, and the Second Daughter never leaves. On her 20th birthday, Redarys is the fourth sacrifice to the Wilderwood, and the hopes of the land rest on her shoulders, that she will be the one to free the Five Kings trapped within and return them as gods. Destined to sacrifice herself, Red's entire life has revolved around this terrifying moment. She does not expect to last more than a day, but what awaits her within the Wilderwood is so much more than she ever hoped to believe.

The story is told in uneven dual POVs. As the title suggests, Red is the star of this first book. As the daughter chosen for the Wolf from the moment of her birth, her tale is arguably the most intriguing. She is unique in that she has had a little bit of the Wilderwood's magic in her since she was 16, when she and her twin sister tried to burn the forest down and it said no💖. How that magic progresses and alters Red's role in the story when compared to past Second Daughters is so darn interesting. I really liked Red. She never let herself be tethered because of the forest that has always waited for her, and so her loyalty and love burn so bright when she does let someone into her heart. It's what makes her relationships with other characters in the book, such as Eammon, her sister and Arick, so compelling. There's a lot of fight within her, and a bit of snark that I always appreciate in a character.

Red is the main character, yes, but the book is also broken up with shorter interludes that feature her twin sister Neve, the First Daughter. Destined for the throne instead of the Wolf, she is desperate to get her sister back once she learns Red might actually still be alive. I wasn't too interested in Neve's chapters for in the beginning, but once it hit a certain point where her obsession with freeing Red from the forest started to spiral into madness slash villainy, I was so invested.

The writing for this dark fantasy was gorgeous. It is consistently atmospheric and elegantly gruesome. Blood and bones and roots and rot. This may sound weird without context but the dark and beautiful writing felt like a warm hug to me, mainly because Whitten's writing style felt very similar to my own. It made for a story I could easily immerse myself into for hours at a time. While I did find the middle a little slow in terms of pacing, and a few events felt a little repetitive, it was still terribly engaging and sunk its claws deep into my brain. At around the three quarter mark, I couldn't put it down.

As promised, this book was wonderfully romantic. Monster soft boyfriends are always great for me to read, as are the fierce girls who fall in love with them. Did it feel a little YA still? Yes, at times it did, especially in the first half. I can hardly fault it for that when it was rewritten from YA to Adult--I enjoyed it either way. The relationship between Red and Eammon was truly sweet. Their connection to the Wilderwood made their romance so intriguing and angsty.

There is closure with how the book ends, but there is still a lot of story to explore. For the Throne must focus more on Neve, like this did for Red, and after what happens to Neve in the end, I cannot wait to see how this pans out.

Reading this book was honestly an amazing experience! The author has a true gift with words and I loved how she described everything so beautifully, from the Wilderwood right down to the characters themselves. I fell in love with the main character, Red and even more with The Wolf. Overall this book was an escape to a beautiful fantasy world and I am so excited to read the second in this series!

I recommend this book highly to those that love romance, fantasy, world building and strong main characters!

For the Wolf is one of the first adult fantasy books I've read. A Red Riding Hood retelling that also strongly reminds me of Beauty and the Beast,, I found the concept to be extremely intriguing. With glorious world-building, beautifully vivid imagery, I know fantasy lovers will adore this one. Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with some of the characters at times, and it took me a little while to get invested. That being said, I can't wait for Book 2!

I really enjoyed this book. It had gothic and monster boyfriends so who doesn't want that? It's adult fantasy which was a nice change from my normal ya fantasy. The writing style was a little generic and hard to get through.

Thank to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been 30 years since I’ve read fantasy. I left it behind as a teenager. But I recently signed up for the Forever Love Letter newsletter and For the Wolf was available as Read Now so I thought what the heck. The book was a combination of Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast. I wanted to hear amd read more about the Wolf’s library, naturally. I’ve always been fascinated by wolves so to have one be the love angle I thought sure! At times my interest did wane a bit, but I kept reading. I think it has all the good elements of thst readers look for in a fantasy book: conflict. Spells, evil, a challenge, and a sacrifice. There is another book planned but I’m not sure if it’s for me.

A dark and twisty re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood. A bit slow to start, but, ultimately, quite a satisfying novel with more to follow in the planned series.

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

Red, the second daughter, has known her purpose was to be sacrificed to the wolf of the Wilderwood. If her offering is acceptable the wolf will release the kings, returning the Gods to their people. Red's twin Neve, heir to the throne, wishes her to flee but Red fears that if she stays she will hurt those she loves again. Red hides a dangerous power; a curse from the Wilderwood on her sixteenth birthday that she is unable to control. Red soon discovers that not all the tales are true: men are monsters, monsters are men, curses are callings, and some dark things are meant to be held in the shadows.

For the Wolf is the first book in the Wilderwood duology and an enchanting dark fairy tale for YA. The gorgeous cover art and a plot that promised a Red Riding Hood retelling completely pulled me in. I wanted to love this novel so much, and although it was enjoyable it wasn't quite what I was expecting. One of my issues with the novel is that the character building felt minimal which makes it hard for me to really connect and or care about any of them. The "magic" of the novel is also left only partially explained with new aspects being added throughout the story. It feels like a really slow buildup for a bit of an underwhelming ending. That being said I did enjoy how the story attempted to reimagine Red Riding Hood including: Her name (Red), the sacrificial color/cloak of her people (red), and being sent to a wolf in a magical forest. Unfortunately, that's where the similarities end and instead become a little more Beauty & the Beast with a hint of other fairy tales sprinkled in along the way. Because this is a duology, the second novel still intrigues me and I have hope that it will pull everything together and provide a more captivating read.

A story where the second born daughter of the queen is sent as a sacrifice to a Wolf, in hopes that the kings of old will return.

Instead of that being the case, Red (second daughter) finds that the Wolf isn't so much a nefarious villain who is going to eat her, but a creature whose blood keeps the evils of the woods at bay.

This book lost me around half way.

I really wanted to love this. Fairy tale retellings are right up my alley. And just look at that cover 😍 I also absolutely adored The Bear and the Nightingale and every entry in the Winternight Trilogy. With an abandoned castle, a misunderstood Wolf, even a library, the Beauty and the Beast vibes here were especially strong.

Unfortunately, this got off to a slow start and never really recovered for me. The writing is gorgeous and lush, and for a debut novel, Whitten has crafted a rich, detailed world. But I never really connected with Red. We spend a lot of time inside her head, yet she still felt flat to me. And both the lead characters’ self-sacrifice and over-wrought sense of responsibility was stifling and just a bit too angst-filled for my taste. The romance was fine; I would’ve preferred a YA fantasy (and this definitely was YA) that wasn’t anchored by whether the lead characters seemingly-doomed romance will or won’t make it.

Perhaps because I couldn’t get fully invested in the leads, there was a decided lack of forward thrust. Pacing dragged, and the changing scenes (Valleyda Interludes, into the village) kept it going for me. In fact, I found the court machinations of the priestesses more interesting than what was going on in the Wilderwood. Speaking of which, with the talk of trade routes, political intrigue and agreements between Valleyda and surrounding kingdoms, a map would be awesome 😄

Though this book was maybe not for me, I think Whitten landed the ending, especially as a setup for Book 2. I would definitely be open to giving the next entry a try.

Many thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars for impressive world-building, deftly-written prose and sticking the landing.

This was a mix between Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast. It was unique, and I love the lore and world that Hannah Whitten has created. I love fairytale retellings, and this was compelling. I couldn’t put it down! It is dark and magical. I would love to see what else this author can do. I will be purchasing a copy for myself, and I will be recommending it for my library.

For the Wolf // by Hannah Whitten

This book obviously is based on a fairytale. Between Red and the Wolf, it's not trying to hide that fact. But, while reading this, not only did I get Red Riding Hood vibes, it also reminded me of Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, and even Princess Mononoke! That last one especially with the responsibilities of the main character towards the woods, the magic born from their connection, and the darkness it lends to the entire book. Because - do not be mistaken: this is definitely not a light-hearted Disney story!

While it was difficult to hold out hope for a happy ending, the story still - or maybe because of that - kept me intrigued the entire way through as I had a difficult time seeing how it could end well. The characters' frustrations and hopelessness felt so realistic, which may make it a strenuous read for some, but to me it was very different from my usual reads so I found it interesting to follow along. I like books that invoke strong feelings, even if they aren't exactly happy ones. The prose was well done without being too flowery, pretty but functional. I was able to imagine the scenery so well without getting caught up in it and being distracted from the plot. While the characters did feel a little cliched here and there, I still found them well-developed and believable. Their feelings made sense and were well incorporated into the storyline.

I love learning about magic systems and do hope that book 2 will go into a little bit more detail about this than we got this time around. The setup and contrast is interesting but I do have to be honest and admit that I didn't entirely understand what was going on when she herself finally understood (for lack of better wording to avoid spoilers). I am planning on rereading that section to see if it gets clearer upon repeat. Overall though, I really enjoyed the plot and am looking forward to book 2. It was difficult to skip the sneak peek for it but I am making myself be patient until I can read it all!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This! Is! It!!!! I cannot wait to get my hands of a physical copy of this novel. I want to read and reread this until my eyes burn

I loved this SO MUCH. The prose is gorgeous and lush, the world dark and intriguing. Magical, creepy forests is one of my all-time favorite tropes in fantasy, and this book delivered on it in spades. There are shadow creatures, somewhat sentient trees, and a brooding, monster boyfriend - plus, so much romance! I'm so glad I preordered this one.

Okay, but a little about the the book: Red is the Second Daughter, which means that it is her destiny to be sacrificed to the Wilderwood and the Wolf who resides there. This sacrifice will bring back the gods of her world, or so everyone believes. The Wolf, named Eammon, is cursed in his own way and not at all what Red is expecting. While at the Wolf's keep, Red learns more about the truth of the Wilderwood, their gods, and her own magic.

I would highly recommend this to fans of Naomi Novik (particularly Uprooted) or YA fantasy fans looking to branch into adult fantasy. Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 solid stars for Whitten's debut novel. Whitten's prose throughout this novel was very enchanting and I enjoyed it very much. The main character, Red, was well developed making the overall story more character driven than heavy on plot. I'm still shocked that this book is shelved as adult fantasy, I personally feel it fits more with mature YA fantasy. This novel was super dynamic and intriguing at the beginning but was slow through the middle however the last 20% was thrilling. The conclusion has me excited for book 2 and I will definitely be continuing on with this series. This fairytale has themes of self-sacrifice, family values and free will.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

“I’d let the world burn before I hurt you.”

This adult, gothic reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood somehow reminded me of not just Little Red Riding Hood but also Beauty and the Beast and Snow White too. For the Wolf has all the things I need to get invested in a story. Retelling, romance, mystery, elemental magic, enchanted forest, complicated relationships - I got all these just from reading the first chapter.

Fascinatingly twisted from the start, the mystery was more than enough to make me keep reading. I’ve always loved a story set in an enchanted forest/woodland and For the Wolf has all of what I loved and more with its magical world building. Played with the combination of myth, folklore and fairytale, a fantasy lover would love this story that has an eerie and spooky atmosphere.

And while I fell in love with the theme of the story and its promising start, my feelings slowly changed mainly due to the excessive amount of exposition that left me confused at times. I also find conflicts that could have been resolved through proper communication is not my favorite.

Perhaps because of the image that Little Red Riding Hood planted in my head, I expected more angst and banter from Red and Wolf. I got more interested with the secondary characters and I wish there was more of Raffe.

I loved the setting and the overall aesthetic and I’m still interested to know what happens next because I’m definite that For the Wolf is just the beginning of a more twisted and darker world.

Thank you so much to Hachette Book Group Canada and Netgalley for providing me an E-ARC and a finished copy to review!

Trigger Warnings provided by the author:
-Self harm for magic use (cutting)
-Parental neglect/emotional abuse
-Mentions of physical symptoms that might be triggering to those with emetophobia
-Anxiety/panic attacks
-Parental death
-Gore
-Mild audio/visual hallucinations
-Religious abuse
-Medium-heat romance (non-explicit)

When I read the blurb for this book, I was incredibly excited to read this debut novel. Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing at 20%.

While the premise of the story is promising, I felt that, at least for the first 1/5th of the book, the writing was overtly focused on creating a dark, gothic atmosphere rather than characterization of the protagonists and furthering plot development. The pacing was quite slow up until this point. While the prose is deftly written and transports the reader with ease into the physical setting of the story, the focus on this aspect of the world-building came at a detriment to other aspects of the book. For this reason, I was unable to connect with the characters and become invested in the plot.

Though this book was maybe not for me, I look forward to seeing what works Hannah Whitten has in store for the future! I would definitely give another book a try.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.