Initial Thoughts
I was so excited when the publisher reached out about reading this book. It had been on my radar for so long.

Some Things I Liked
Multiple POVs. So I saw the POVs and interlude chapters were criticized for being too much but I actually really enjoyed them. I liked that we got to see what was going on in multiples places of the setting at once.
The romance. This is pretty clearly a Beauty and the Beast / Hades and Persephone retelling. I really enjoyed that element and actually loved both sisters romance plots.
Dark themes. This book is definitely more adult than YA simply because of the language, age of characters, and subject matter. The story is heavier in politics and has alludes to a decent amount of tragedy regarding the other second daughters.

Series Value
I already requested the next book in the series. I can’t wait to read it. I loved the writing style and will definitely read more of this author.

Audiobook Value
So I actually listened to this as an audiobook. I loved the narrator. But, one thing I’ll say is that the interlude chapters were a bit clunky narrated. I think this might be better read than listened to.

Final Thoughts
This book might have taken me a while to finish but it’s not for lack of enjoyment. I really loved the story and writing here.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This fantasy fiction tells the story of two sisters who need to sacrifice their lives to a magical forest, renowned to be evil in order to save the kingdom. Love plays a role but also duty and the chance to rise to expectations.

I had to push myself to read more than the first few chapters as I do not like sentences that describe strong emotions with physical pain, like « Red’s lips were raw from biting…Copper tasted sharp on her tongue ». The author included many metaphors like this and it takes away from the seriousness of the moment.

The magical beings were not easy to comprehend and did not always make sense in the plot. But the author managed to bring me in and I got immersed in the battle between the different factions.

It hooked me enough to want to read the sequel but I do not think I would recommend it to others.

I took a long time to read this, not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because I was in a reading slump for months and I was scared this wouldn't live up to the hype I'd built for it in my head. I'm so happy to say that I adored it. The world, the writing, the relationship between the sisters Red and Neve, and the found family of the Wilderwood. But I especially loved the romance, the fall of Eammon and Red and the way it worked within the bounds of the Wilderwood. I really cannot wait for the sequel, I'm so excited to see how certain Things develop!!!

Rating: 4-4.5 stars probably

I have many, many mixed feelings about this book. The premise is super interesting, but there’s just something about the lore and flow that put me off.

Red was raised knowing she was for the Wolf of the Wilderwood. As a second daughter, her sacrifice is part of a generations long bargain that keeps the shadow creatures at bay. However, Red’s sister, Neve, is adamant that her twin will not die in the woods.

On her twentieth birthday, Red is given to the woods, but what she’s always been told, what is preached as legend, turns out to be entirely wrong. The Wilderwood is dying, and the wolf is actually bound to it, desperately trying to keep things together.

As Eammon and Red grow closer, and Neve more desperate, the Wilderwood waits for them to make a choice.

The first quarter of the book was a heavy lore dump, and to be totally honest, I couldn’t keep up. I wasn’t expecting such a high fantasy setting, so the information about the Wilderwood, the five kings, the Second Daughters, even the names of people and places, went in one ear and out the other. I tried to process it, but I found that to detract more from the story and I just gave up. Some things got easier to understand as the book went on and Red learned the truth, but that didn’t cover everything. I still can’t tell you the difference between the Wilderwood, the Shadowlands, and the Edge. They all seem exactly the same, with more emphasis on one shared aspect.

The story was also very belabored. There’s a lot of repetition: the same fights, the same vagueness, the same back and forth saving. There were spikes when things got interesting, but then it would plateau for an inordinate amount of time and I’d get bored again.

The characters helped, but only just. Red, Eammon, Neve- they all kind of felt hollow. There wasn’t more to them than surface facts: Eammon protects the Wilderwood with his blood; Red is a Second Daughter and is trying to help Eammon protect the woods despite his reluctance; Neve is doing anything to get her sister. Despite all these main and side characters, I didn’t really care for them. The Wilderwood seemed more important than any of the characters.

All of that also funnels into Red and Eammon’s relationship. I don’t mind a good slow-burn, and theirs was excruciatingly slow, but I just…didn’t care. When things finally evolved, I wasn’t whooping in celebration, I was more perturbed than anything. It’s not really miscommunication, because the pair don’t really communicate, but Eammon blatantly refuses to tell Red what she can do to help him, despite her essentially begging to help. It takes her so long to realize what she needs to do that it’s kind of embarrassing when she finally gets there. Coupled with that, the two don’t actually seem to talk much about anything other than the Wilderwood. Even when their conversations very on personal it’s still the repetitive “I’m the Wolf” and “I’m a Second Daughter”; they only ever talk about the Wilderwood, the myths / legends, and Neve. Not much of a basis for a relationship if you ask me.

I think the premise was interesting, but the actual story got away from Whitten. I’m interested to see if the second book will be any better since things have been figured out and the lore explained. It’s not all about the Wilderwood anymore, and I want to see how a more character-central plot works for Whitten.

Thank you to Orbit Books for granting my wish!

For the Wolf is the first book in a new YA Fantasy series by Hannah Whitten- great for fans of fairytale retellings!

The book follows Red, a Second Daughter of Valleydan, who must be sacrificed to the Wolf of the Wilderwood. Red knows her role, and she doesn’t mind it because she’d rather sacrifice herself to the beast than endanger her loved ones, again. But the Wilderwood is a mysterious place, indeed, where the ruthless Wolf of legend is actually a man, and Red’s unfamiliar magic is far from a curse.

This book is everything I enjoy about classic fairytales, seamlessly woven into one story. While there is inspiration from familiar favorites like Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, and Disney’s Frozen franchise, For the Wolf is a completely original tale that surprises the reader with unique twists and turns.

It’s first and foremost a story about love: romantic, platonic, and familial. But it’s also a story about what lengths we’ll go to preserve that love. Because everything comes at a price, what is the value of love? Is any love worth the loss of a life, the betrayal of a comrade, or the fall of a kingdom? Whitten grapples with these difficult, deeply personal decisions and considers their effect on both the individuals making them and the larger society as a whole.

While I absolutely adored the book, I found myself skimming the first few Valleydan interludes because I preferred the Red/Wolf storyline. But I soon became invested in both plots as the story progressed and the puzzle pieces started connecting.

Overall, this is a fantastic first installment in Hannah Whitten’s new series. I’ll definitely be reading its sequel as soon as it releases next year!

4.5/5.0

I received a free ARC from NetGalkey in exchange for an honest review.

Fantasy is not normally my genre but the cover and the description drew me in. I definitely got some Beauty and the Beast vibes from this book. The story was interesting (although it did seem a little long at time). I enjoyed the characters. It’s the first in a series, so I’m not sure if I will read the sequels or not. 3.5

I'd like to call this a fairy-tale mashup. Hansel and Gretel meets Little Red meets Beauty and the Beast. Definitely a true YA novel, although at 31 I enjoyed it as well. I will definitely be reading future books set in this series/universe.

A dark retelling of what seems like little red riding hood meets beauty and the beast. It was ok but nothing breathtaking, it overall felt a little slow. Maybe give it a try and see what you think.

DNF around 25%. I found it really hard to engage with this book. I believe others will enjoy it and I did enjoy the world-building, the story just wasn't for me.

3/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books, Orbit for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A stunning debut, romance and dark fantasy. An innovative retelling that integrates political intrigue and dark magic. Well written and evenly paced. This is a fairytale for adults.

With For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten, the cover gives off such a Red Riding Hood vibe, that I knew I had to read it. Thankfully, I was not disappointed in the slightest. Red is every bit as strong as you would expect, and the Wolf is, well, pretty damn intimidating and frustrating and tragic and good and complex and...

For the Wolf isn't just Red's story, however. We also get to meet her twin sister, who is the exact opposite of Red in almost every way. This means that her portions of the story, while important for building the main conflict of the series, are less...impressive...than Red's. Neve is insipid and uninspiring, and you want to just roll your eyes and groan at the ease with which others manipulate her.

Thankfully, Neve's scenes are small interludes from Red's adventures. Red has such a passion for life and for duty that it is infectious. Plus, she can differentiate between the few versus the many, something Neve is wholly incapable of doing, which means she fights for what is right for all and not just for her. She is willing to sacrifice her own happiness if it means that her country will be better for it. Better yet, she does not back down from fear or intimidation. In other words, she is my kind of girl.

With a supporting cast of memorable characters, lots of action, and plenty of romance, For the Wolf exceeded my expectations in every way. So much so that I am now going to be stalking Ms. Whitten for information about the sequel because, as is always the case in series, the wait is going to be a long one!

If you were to ask me to sum up my thoughts about this book in one word, I'd choose jawdropping. There are so many aspects of this book that I liked. From how "Beauty and the Beast" is incorporated in it but with a darker twist.

Red and her sister, Neve's dynamics were interesting to read. How Neve is the Queen but isn't willing to give up Red to the Wolf for the sake of their kingdom. They really made the story going. I was expecting Eammon, the Wolf in the story, to be portrayed as some brooding, egoistic, and self-centered character but imagine my surprise when he is the exact opposite of those. It was refreshing to read. There were themes that really piqued my interests and thoughts, one heavily regulating in the book is the Valleyda people's obsession with religion. I read some really gruesome details that center through that. It was really engaging.

This book was a mix of the Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast. It’s the story of Red who gets sent as a sacrifice to The Wolf who resides in the Wilderwood in the hopes of keeping the monsters away and potentially getting back the missing gods. It also follows her sister who is next in line to become the queen and what she’ll do to get her sister back.

After reading this book, I can say that I probably wasn’t the proper audience for it. A magical forest that’s shrouded in mystery. Creepy monster. Earth and blood magic. Family split apart but unwilling to accept it. These are all concepts that I love and had the potential of being great but I wasn’t a fan of the execution.

This book, unfortunately, had some of my least favourite tropes in it and I think that had a heavy impact on how I felt about it. I hate when characters withhold information for unnecessary or ridiculous reasons. The ‘Wolf’ character was doing just that. He was withholding so much information from Red in order to ‘protect’ her but in doing so ends up putting everyone, including Red, in more danger. I feel like many issues and unnecessary tension could have been avoided with a couple conversations. I also dislike when characters are fed misinformation that the reader is aware is wrong. Instead of causing tension, it really just causes frustration.

I found that the main characters also had zero chemistry. It just didn’t make sense to me that these two were compatible since they hardly seemed more than acquaintances. The Wolf avoided Red for most of the book and when they did talk it ended up being a few sentences before they became awkward teenagers unable to look at each other. It is supposed to be a fantasy romance book but there was little to no romance.

Some of the side characters were pretty fun though and I would have liked to have learned more about them. This is true with the antagonists as well. I found them quite interesting but I still don’t know much about them. I’m sure this will be explored more in the next book. I will say that the ending was pretty intriguing and it sets it up really well for the sequel.

I felt like this had very similar vibes to These Feathered Flames and would recommend this to anyone who liked that book.

I love fresh fantasy and this is so fresh. I absolutely adore how the classic princesses are woven into this one character of red and how she makes herself so much more than a princess. I love that there is romance without helplessness and I love the world's created. The writing is good. It's not great but there are moments of greatness. I would definitely recommend this book and I really hope if it is a series like I've heard, that the next one is close behind.

When Red, the Second Daughter, is slated to fill an ancient sacrificial ritual by offering herself up to the mysterious, terrifying Wolf and his enchanted forest the Wilderwood, she learns that fairytales aren't always quite as they seem.

There is no doubt that Whitten is a talented author. She does a great job at setting the scene for Wilderwood and weaving wordy and intricate descriptions. The main reason I didn't really enjoy this novel as much as I would have liked was due to its slow pacing. At nearly 500 pages, <u>For the Wolf</u> isn't exactly a quick read. And it's made more daunting by the fact that the first 300 or so pages are very cyclical in nature-Wilderwood is discussed, Eammon is attacked, Red wants to help but is told she can't-wash, rinse, repeat. While I enjoyed the blossoming romance between Red & Eammon and like the characters of Fife & Lyra, the Neve chapters (as well as Raffe, Arick, Kira, etc.) all fell flat for me. I'm not sure this is a series I will continue on with, but I will definitely read any standalone novels Whitten puts out because her writing ability is there, this fantasy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood meets Beauty & The Beast just wasn't for me.

If Beauty and the Beast and Little Red Riding Hood had a baby, the result would be something akin to Hannah Whitten’s debut dark fantasy novel. From the beginning, the reader is thrust into a unique magical realm where bargains are made with a forest and not everything is as it seems. Duty, obligation, and familial love are all themes that permeate throughout the book.

Beautifully written and an absolute delight to read. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this new series. For fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale, this is one you won’t want to miss.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for a free digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

For fans of Naomi Novik this one is for you!

For the Wolf is about a set of twin royal sisters. The first daughter is meant for the throne. The second the Wolf. On her 20th birthday Red goes to meet her fate in the Wilderwood and the Wolf, but things are not as she expected them.

I really enjoyed the world building in this book. The magic system was really cool, and I dug the protective magic forest. The characters (especially Neve and Arick) seemed a little one note to me. But the ending was great and I will definitely be picking up the second book in the series when it comes out. Highly recommend to all strong female lead fantasy fans out there.

I wasnt sure at first diving into Ms. Whittens "For the Wolf" but I was pleasantly surprised to be entertained by this dark fantasy. The richness of the Wildwood was exciting to read about for me because I really enjoy when an author sets the scene very vividly.
Ultimately, I was pining for Red and Aamon to get together obviously. Not only the romance but the chapters where we move back to Valleydan, really kept me rapt. This is SUCH an entertaining debut.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for this free e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This lushly imagined, dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast draws you into its heart.

Redarys is the second daughter. The first daughter is for the throne, the second daughter must be sacrificed to the gods and the Wolf. Red has known her fate as long as she could remember. But now, the time of reckoning has come. She must fulfill the pact and venture into the Wilderwood, from which no second daughter has ever returned. Though her sister Neve and Red's lover Alerick urge her to flee, Red is determined to go, as she feels dangerous magic within her drawing her to the wood.

The Wolves aren't very wolf-like in this book; in fact, they're more like forest guardians. In the Wilderwood, the trees are alive and hungry. In the middle of the forest, in a run-down castle invaded by the forest, the Wolf makes his home. He can't keep the forest pushed back forever, though, and his failure will have dire consequences for everyone alive.

This has a great slow-burn romance. No matter how much he tries to push her away, Red finds herself drawn to the solitary Wolf. She's determined to break through his walls and discover the secrets of the desolate Keep he calls home.

Meanwhile, Neve refuses to give up on Red, so she falls under the spell of a Priestess who hints that she may be able to break Red free of the curse of being second daughter. Neve finds herself in the center of a rapidly-changing game filled with power-hungry players. The book expertly weaves together the two perspectives and shows how actions in one place have consequences in the other.

The mythological magic system roots you in the story, keeping the tension high. I really enjoyed this addition to my fantasy collection and am already excited for the sequel next year!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.

For the Wolf is a fantasy story about two sisters, one destined to be sacrificed to the mysterious Wolf of the Wilderwoods, and the other destined to rule their people but desperate to get her sister back. It mostly follows Red, the sacrifice sister as she discovers a power in herself, the darkly magical woods, and the Wolf that's actually a misunderstood hot bad boy. It also follows her sister Neve's obsession with freeing her sister from the wood and the dark path she goes down when she's willing to do terrible things to get her sister back. It's got spooky magic forests, blood magic, fierce heroines, plenty of romance, and a cliffhanger. I'm excited to read the rest of Red and Neve's stories in For the Throne!