I really, really enjoyed this book! It had the most amazing woodsy, creepy vibes and I felt absolutely transported into the Wilderwood. I also felt immediately attached to the characters; the sister bond between Red and Neve was beautifully written and easily captivating.

My one complaint was that the actual plot felt slightly unclear until the end of the book, but I think this was intended to be more of a character and setting-driven book anyway.

The romance/relationship between the Wolf and Red was also wonderful, and I loved it. ONE BED TROPE!

Hannah Whitten will become an auto-buy author!

Aaahhhh! This is everything I love in a fantasy! An evocatively written story and world, multi-layered characters, slow-burn romances, and a brooding "monster" of a hero. I am a simple girl, I like simple things... like brooding, self-sacrificial heroes. I don't apologize for it.

Anyway, this is like a Beauty and the Beast retelling meets a vague Little Red Riding Hood retelling meets...Treebeard from Lord of the Rings. I'm only half-kidding. Actually, the secret plant lover in me was all about this book. Wilderwood is a character in and of itself and I was here for it. A forest that is "alive"? I am here for it. People becoming part-plant? I am here for it.

I will say if you are expecting a literal wolf, you will be disappointed. This is definitely a figurative wolf so be prepared. That said, I feel like there are enough stories with wolves that I'm not a bit bothered by this. There are too many other magical, fantastical things happening here for me to care.

Lastly, I adore a good sister-bond book. This book is as much about magical worlds, a romance, finding your identity, as it is about the complexity of families. I am waiting on pins and needles to see what happens next! I cannot wait for the next book!

If any of the above sounds like it would land with you, then pick this up right away! 5 fantastical stars to this read!

Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Captivating, dark, and beautifully written, For The Wolf is not the Little Red Riding Hood retelling you would expect.

Whitten’s writing is deliciously descriptive and imagery is IMMACULATE. Red’s story is one you won’t forget. This is a book you do not want to miss out on!

A solid 5 stars!

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

You had me at Little Red Riding Hood meets Beaty and the Beast ❤️ I mean come on!! The First Daughter is for the throne. The Second Daughter is for the Wolf. And the Wolves are for the Wilderwood. Mannn, the love between our main character Red and her sister Neve was so moving, the way they were both willing to sacrifice for each other. I was here for this however I wish once Red got to the woods, the magic of it all had been better explained, I felt confused on how the magic of the woods worked and how it was connected to Eammon. On that note, I loved Red and Eammon together but their love was too rushed, I felt like they were strangers and then boom love and sacrifice for each other. That being said, once they were in love it was amazing! Their banter, their love everything was so good. I truly can’t wait for the next book!!!!

Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Wow. Absolutely wow. This book is amazing. I LOVE the characters and their interactions with each other and the way they grow and change throughout the book. This book is fast paced but filled with depth, magic and love. The care between the sisters and the growing care between Red and Eammon are well done and highlighted throughout the entire book.

Red is well written and my favorite character. She has so much depth to her and I love that her concern and love for her family and friends is so strong that she sacrifices herself for them. She doesnt care about the religion, she doesnt care about the myths and legends or the purpose of the Second Daughter. She cares about her loved ones and fears the sliver of the Wildwoods that grows within her.

Eammon is another character with so many levels. I love his obvious deep care for the Second Daughters and for Fife and Lyra. He is such a strong character that gives all of himself to see that people are not hurt.

I love that you get to see both sisters and their journey through this legend. The ending is PERFECT and I cant wait for the second book to come out.

For the Wolf left me breathless with how much I loved it. I found it to be a perfect debut fantasy with an intriguing plot, an enemies to lovers romantic vibe, lush writing, and lots of dark magic. Red and Eammon's dynamic was so much fun from the start, and I loved seeing how their relationship grew and where it ended up throughout the book. Their banter and dialogue kept me laughing a lot, and I love a book that is enjoyable in that way. Eammon is a really understated sort of hot, the tortured monster boyfriend of my dreams. Both of their characters development was masterful. I was fascinated with the worldbuilding and the lore surrounding the Wilderwood and the Wolf, and Whitten does a very good job dropping you there and taking you deeper and deeper into all the moving parts and forces at work in this book. I really enjoyed the bond between sisters Red and Neve, and how the author takes both of them in the opposite direction of where you expect their stories to go. Whitten's writing style is really poignant and attention-keeping, and I absolutely adored reading her work. With a Red Riding Hood meets BTAB vibe, For the Wolf is a story about duty, generational trauma and power, and the importance of letting others help you with your burdens.

For fans of Naomi Novik's Uprooted and Juliet Marillier's Heart's Blood, For the Wolf is a Beauty and the Beast retelling with hints of Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and Green Man mythology. The eldest, Neve was always intended for the throne, but being the second daughter, Red has been "For the Wolf" her entire life. With her approaching 20th birthday, she is sacrificied to the woods where she begins what is possibly the greatest adventure of her life. This book teeters on the edge of adult and YA fiction.

For the Wolf is delightfully creepy. Atmospheric. Unlike anything else I've read. I only docked a star because it doesn't have quite enough romance for me. Especially considering it is supposed to be adult. Also, his feeling for her could have been fleshed out more. We don't really know at what point he started having the feels for Red, and I have my theories, but it isn't mentioned

Red is the second daughter of the queen, a twin. She is being given to the Wolf so he might release the 5 Kings. I'm not sure why the people want them back so bad after all these centuries, but they worship them like gods and they have their own religious order. Her sister Neve is in love with a guy but arranged to be married to another. Neve has her own POV that crops up every now and then and she is the protagonist of the second book in the series. The Wolf is a selfless cupcake trying to save the world. A thankless job.

For the Wolf was my most anticipated release this June 2021 and I'm happy to say I ended up really enjoying the first book in this new series. For The Wolf reads like a dark fairy tale and is a unique story with a blend of Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and The Beast. In the first book of The Wilderwood series we follow primarily Red, the second daughter of Valleyda and a little bit of Neve, the first daughter and Red's older twin sister.

The setting: I loved the Wilderwood setting in this world. It hit the right blend of atmospheric and creepy. I hope the second book contains of map of the world because I would love to see an overall visual of every place mentioned.

The romance: I ended up loving the relationship between Red and her love interest. It's a slow burn with a lot of pain. Their roles in this world and the lore behind them were always interesting to read about.

The plot: The lore was great and I found myself always enjoying Red's chapters. The plot did end up being a little too predictable at times, especially when we followed Red's sister Neve. The ending had a lot of good twists and turns. I'm really looking forward to the second book, For the Throne, and seeing where this story goes!

Huge thanks you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

For the Wolf was not my cup of tea. I'm not sure what the intended audience for this novel is, but it felt very YA to me.
Initially, the mythology and world building were enough to keep me entertained and intrigued, but that quickly begins to fall apart as the main character, Red, begins to discover the 'truths' of her world.
Also, Red as the main character was eye rolling to me. She never felt likable or even understandable. Her motives didn't always make sense to me.
Honestly, this felt so similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses. Same idea of a main character getting taken away to a castle run by a not so pleasant hero love interest who isn't that bad once you get to know him and understand he has some baggage.
I constantly felt like I knew where the plot was going and found myself zoning out.

This is not the first time I've had a reading experience with this, where I start strong, get waylaid in the middle, and then have no opportunity to pick it up and finish even though I'm so close to the end. This kind of pattern always screws me up (I'm a one or two session reader, often just one!) and leaves me uncertain how I feel about a story. Enter, FOR THE WOLF.

I liked so much of this but was equally confused by just as much. This is a story that I definitely need to reread because I think it's possible this would be an easy four star if I had read it normally.

<i>People created stories to fill the gaps they didn't understand, and religion grew up around it like rot on a fallen tree.</i>

There are shades of familiar fairytales woven into the roots of this spooky forest magic story. But these parts are made equally their own thing. This is not YA but is written with similar YA beats, yet manages to be dark without crossing any 'can't turn back now' lines.

<i>All of them loved like burning, no thought for the ashes.</i>

While this had some absolutely lovely turns of phrase, a slowburn romance, and tons of forest aesthetic, I definitely lost track of some scenes or events as they played out, and I did find myself losing the thread of the worldbuiling (probably explained in the beginning and then just forgotten, because I'm dumb and was too slow to read this; though I also think the mythology is supposed to be uncertain and skewed and that doesn't help?), but I am definitely going to be keen for the follow up.

3.5 stars

I LOVED this! Whitten's writing is so lyrical and sophisticated, and she deftly weaves a woodsy, magical atmosphere that carries throughout the entire book. The main character, Redarys (Red) is the type of character I adore: calm in the face of danger, accepting of her fate, a badass who still has a softness about her. Her sister Neve, who also has a POV, is knife-edged and determined to change the predetermined. I adored her rage and willingness to do whatever it took, and I can't wait to read more about her in book two.

The plot balances romance and intrigue, and despite the element of darkness and the relatively closed setting, the story never feels claustrophobic. The self-sacrificing forest himbo of the story, the wolf-who-is-not-a-wolf, is grumpy but soft and I love him. There's a fairytale-like quality as the tension builds, and then the ENDING!!! Well. Let me just say you'll also be clamouring for the sequel.

This is a dark, richly imagined world where the Big Bad Wolf isn’t exactly what you were always told.

This is a world where the First Daughter is for the Throne, the Second Daughter is for the Wolf, and the Wolf is for the Wilderwood.

Twin sisters Red and Neve are devastated that soon Red will be sent to the Wilderwood forest as a sacrifice to the Wolf. Legend has it that the Wolf demanded that payment in exchange for keeping the monsters of the forest at bay. The people also want the Five Kings back, and they hope that this human sacrifice will appease the Wolf enough to free them. When Red arrives at the forest she discovers that her knowledge of the Wilderwood and the Wolf are mostly tall tales and soon she will have to harness her mysterious and budding powers to save her world.

This novel has the classic dark and brooding male love interest, the heroine who doesn’t need any man to save her, and a few evil villains added to the mix. It is a slowly paced tale with rich detail that never feels like information overload. I prefer fantasy with well-developed characters over heavy plot and world-building. This book struck a nice balance between fully imagined characters and a forest that literally comes alive.

I took one star off because, sometimes, I found the plot dragged. The romance wasn’t for me, but I’m sure others will enjoy it.

Still, I can’t wait for the sequel!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinions.

For the Wolf was one of my most anticipated reads of the summer and it was everything I was hoping for. Really, the only downside of getting the eARC to read and review is that now I have to wait even longer for the sequel, For the Throne.

For the Wolf was just the right amount of dark and mysterious, with great writing that keeps you wanting to find out all of the mysteries. I loved Red so much. She is spunky and strong and determined. She makes mistakes and she grows throughout the book. Her relationship with her sister, Neve is touching and is almost more interesting than the relationship she develops with Eammon.

And let's talk about that relationship for a moment. At first, I wasn't that interested in it, to be honest. It was a little slow and just wasn't that appealing. By the end though, I was heart and soul rooting for the two of them to figure out their issues.

Adults that grew up loving Beauty and the Beast will absolutely adore this book but I recommend it for anyone that likes atmospheric fairy tale inspired stories. It is going right to the top of one of my favorite reads of 2021!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ohhhh, this was good. "For fans of Uprooted" is very accurate; there are a lot of similarities to that book (which I also loved). But the similarities are good! I could also see some similarities to Echo North. There was so much to like here: atmospheric setting, creepy forest, cursed kings/gods, monster-y hero, sisterly love, misguided actions, a creepy cultish religion, sloooow-burn romance, MCs determined to save each other. It's hard to explain, but I liked the FEELING of the book. The plot was ultimately a little predictable, but I got no less enjoyment because of that. I loved the emphasis on choice and consent too, and how love without respecting the other person's choices can lead to some really bad decisions and outcomes.

I'm eager to read the next book!

“All of them loved like burning, no thought for the ashes.”

Probably needs some warnings for the amount of cutting and bleeding that goes on here too.

4.25-4.5 stars

I am genuinely confused about whether this is supposed to be YA or Adult, but regardless of intent, it reads like generic YA. Not brilliant YA - generic, meh YA.

I'm not a fan of grimdark, but this actually wasn't dark <i>enough</i>. At least, not by the 27% mark, which is when I DNF-ed it because reading it had become excruciating dull. It's not scary. It's not heartbreaking. Redarys is all angry self-loathing, which doesn’t interest me, and Eammon is no monster boyfriend. He's a brooding, self-sacrificing hero, which is absolutely fine, but not what I want after being promised a monster boyfriend.

If you're looking for a genuinely dark love-interest, I advise you to look elsewhere. If you want the angst-ridden heroine-eventually-claiming-her-power story that you've enjoyed in many other YA incarnations, then you'll probably enjoy this just fine; it's pretty much identical, just with different set dressing.

Absolutely not for me though. Nope.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

An intoxicating slow burn fantasy w/ romantic elements set in a forest that’s grasping & hungry, Hannah Whitten’s For the Wolf, book 1 in a trilogy, put stars in my eyes.

Redarys, or Red, is the second daughter of the Valleydan queen. As such, soon after turning 19 a mark will appear on her skin & she’ll be dispensed to the Wilderwood—a place where the monsters & five kings are held—as a human sacrifice.

Maybe the sacrifice will free the kings, maybe not. Either way, this long established custom of sending second daughters of the queen has held Valleydan and its neighboring countries together & fulfilled the initial terms set by the Wilderwood forest & a couple—the Wolf & the first Second Daughter—long ago.

Red will be delivered to the Wolf because of who she is.

But what her beloved twin sister & others don’t know is that Red is ultimately okay with going. That she possesses a violent power she lives in fear of, given to her by the Wilderwood.

What does that mean for the Wolf?

Watching the relationships change in this book—seeing the characters change—is captivating. The fierceness of them, the uncertainty, the hope. The terrifying slide of one major secondary character into her worst nature—a slide that initially starts out of love. The rapturous tension between the two leads as they fall, despite the forest’s waiting eyes & limbs.

& speaking of the forest. The imagery in For the Wolf has a power, a punch that propelled me through the pages. A sinister quality that’s complicated by Red’s growing awareness of what the forest is & what it wants.

A beauty & the beast retelling that entrances, For the Wolf is a 5 ⭐️ read for me.

5⭐️. Release date: 06/01.

About a month or so ago, yet another of one of the fabulous booksellers at my local indie excitedly told me about a book that she basically read in one sitting and couldn’t wait for me to read it. It was called: For the Wolf. I had already been excited to check out the book because the cover was designed by Lisa Marie Pompilio, who also designed two of my favorite covers of all time: The Ten Thousand Doors of January and The Once and Future Witches. I have yet to be disappointed by a cover she has designed (spoiler alert: her streak of designing killer covers for amazing books continues).

I was initially concerned that this was a retelling, and while there is nothing wrong with a retelling, they’re just typically not my jam. As it turned out, this was more of a story that lives somewhere between Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast but without settling into one story or the other. I loved that while I could feel the influence of both, the story felt unique and fresh. I loved the forest magic. I thought it was just so damn awesome to see a magic system that was plant based. And while I realize “plant based” sounds silly, I promise Whitten’s execution is wildly better than my lame description.

Beyond the magic, there is a little bit of something for everyone. Need something dark and atmospheric af, this book is for you. If you’re into slow burn romance, then look no further. Seeking out a tortured monster boy? Whitten has you covered. Did you say you wanted that tortured monster boy on his knees ..... oh, you are so covered. If you’re a fan of sisterhood stories, this too, is for you! Really, there are no great excuses not to read this book.

The book is released June 1 and I look forward to having more people join me as I impatiently wait to find out what happens next in book two!

Thanks to Orbit and NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I had to DNF this at 30%.

"For the Wolf" is a blended and darker reimagining of Beauty & The Beast and Red Riding Hood. Red is predestined to be sacrificed to the Wilderwood and its mysterious Wolf in exchange for the rest of the kingdom's safety from the dangerous Wilderwood. Red meets the mysterious Wolf and he's...not what the legends say.

The magic system and the forest's mystery/magic stuff was really confusing. The blood involved in its magic is interesting but it feels disjointed and not explained enough.

The writing style was pretty tropey and not really unique...then again this is a YA novel, so I shouldn't complain but...

"Her breath went icy in her lungs, her heart paused in her chest."

Stuff like that really pulled me out of the story. Along with plenty of annoying YA tropes, insta-love, love triangle, 'fierce' female protagonist that is actually a damsel in distress in disguise.....meh.

Thanks for the early copy and apologies for not being able to finish it. I think younger audiences will enjoy this and be less annoyingly critical like I am, ha.

First of all, let me say I had some high hopes for this book. A loose remix of Little Red Riding Hood? Count me in! And, "If you loved 'The Bear and the Nightingale', you'll love this." I LOVED "The Bear and the Nightingale". This book is NOT at that caliber.

I don't know why I even finished this book. Actually, I do know why. I kept hoping it was going to get better. It never did. Here is where is falls short:
- The magic system did not work for me at all.
- I can't handle that almost instantaneous love. Red & Eammon barely talk to each other and all of a sudden Red is in love with him. It's just a big eyeroll from me.
- I don't usually have a problem with a "slow burn" romance. But, boy, was this SLOW. Like, really really slooooooooow. The characters finally admit their feelings 85% INTO THE BOOK.

God, it was just so boring. I really can't believe I didn't DNF. It had so much potential, but it just fell short for me.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53418394-for-the-wolf