For the Throne (Wilderwood, Book 2)
Hannah Whitten
Pub date: 6/7/22
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Monstrousness is a curious thing. In it’s barest form, it’s simplest definition, a monster is merely something different than you think it should be. And who gets to decide what *should* be, anyway?”

It’s not often that I enjoy a second book more than the first, but it was just a stunning piece of storytelling. It gave me Snow White mixed with Hades/Persephone vibes because of the Shadowlands (i.e. underworld). A beautifully crafted and delicately woven mesh of magic, time, and inescapable destiny’s. Red and Neve are the heroine’s of the story and their connection and love as twins, was the perfect and necessary prescription to heal the broken world’s of the Wilderwood and Shadowlands. “…that’s what it takes. Matched love. A willingness to lay down your life for another”.

I loved the character redemption of Solmir and the self-acceptance for Neve. I don’t think I’ve ever tabbed a book as much as I did this one. The incredible dialogue and atmospheric settings had my imagination hooked and fully vested in the outcome of the story. I would definitely recommend reading these back to back because it really feels like one 900 page book, when they are read that way. It will help the reader have a better understanding of the world building, historical and magical components, and the characters.

Now, for Solmir and Neve. I loved that they found each other and had enough faith to choose each other, even in the darkness. “You’re worth reaching into the dark for”. And the I-love-you-so-much-I’ll-let-the-world-burn vibes are everyyyything, “…I realized I couldn’t kill you. Not even to safe the fucking world”. OH. MY. HEART.

Morally gray characters are my favorite because we are flawed. We all have demons and skeletons that are created based on our experiences and choices, and then we fight to hide and overcome those internal hauntings and regrets on our life’s journey. In the end, what matters is love, family, and friendship. That’s what this story is. It’s about the connections we have to the world and people around us. It’s interesting the way the book was ended. A happy-for-now, versus a true Happily-Ever-After; which is totally appropriate given the turmoil the characters went through. Happily ever after’s are not for this story, but you’ll fall in love nevertheless.

For the Throne is an epic journey that I was so excited for. This book is the second of the Wilderwood duology, picking up right where For the Wolf left off to tell Neve’s story as she searches for a way out of the Shadowlands with Solmir.

I loved falling back into this world!! These books are so beautifully written, and this one has some darker elements than the first, along with a dreamy, all-consuming atmosphere.

I was excited to revisit all of the characters from the previous book, to see how the story concludes. It was hard to imagine what the focus on Neve and Solmir would be, but it was a really nice exploration of darkness and light, and goodness and self worth. And I was happy to have just as much time with Red, Eammon, Fife, and Lyra.

I’m sad to have reached the end, but really enjoyed it!!

“𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝.”

𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦, 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲?

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

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧.

________________________

I had incredibly high hopes going into this book after the pure masterpiece that was For the Wolf, but I also knew that the chances of this book topping its predecessor was slim to none. And boy was I wrong!! This review will contain spoilers for the first book ONLY, so if you have not read For the Wolf please turn back now…

This book picks up right where For the Wolf left off with Neve waking up in the Shadowlands with none other than Solmir. Right off the bat their dynamic is absolutely riddled with tension as they set off to complete the tasks needed to destroy the kings once and for all and in turn return Neve to the surface. We are still treated to Red’s POV in her parallel side of the story “topside”, watching her own quest develop as she works with Eammon, Lyra, Fife, and Raffe to find a way to bring her sister back. A pleasant surprise was also a Raffe POV which comes in handy as we get to see an outsider’s perspective, watching the sisters as they fight to become more than what their destinies made them…except that in turn they may be becoming exactly what they were fated to be all along.

I knew I loved Neve’s character from the start, but this book firmly solidified that for me. She is the darkest form of morally gray you can think of…I don’t even know if morally gray is even the best term for her. She is a villain in her own right, but you have the deepest form of understanding as to why she is the way that she is that, in a sense, the book becomes both her villain origin story and the atonement arc of her morally gray redemption story.

Juxtaposed against that we have Solmir who is every bit the villain, but with morally gray scattered throughout. We learn so much more about him and, in true fashion for this world, the TRUTH behind the long believed history of the Five Kings and the part they played in the events surrounding the first Wolf and Second Daughter. His truth, however, does not absolve him as the choices he has made in an effort to destroy the kings while simultaneously saving himself have made him every bit the villain he was always believed to be. However at the crux of his narrative is the question asked repeatedly of everyone in this book: What makes someone a monster? Who can actually determine the definition of a monster without being monstrous themselves? And in turn, who decides who is “good” enough and what amount of “good” is deserving enough for redemption?

The side characters continue to shine and play an even bigger role in this book. Seeing some old faces, both friendly and otherwise, made this book all the more a continuation of the story as opposed to a follow up book of any kind, and the addition of some new faces worked to really bring the moral of the story and the story itself home.

One of the surprise hits of this book for me was the added banter between Neve and Solmir. They truly were cut from the same mold and where For the Wolf delivered a sweet, innocent, “first” young and tender love between Eammon and Red, this book delivered a sharper, quick-witted, more volatile, passionate, and hardened enemies to lovers attraction between Neve and Solmir.

The visual imagery continues to deliver in this book not only in the stunningly dark monsters and world of the (quite literal) upside down Shadowlands, but also in the characters themselves. Seeing Neve and Solmir compliment each other in darkness as perfectly as Red did Eammon in light, and then seeing how the sisters truly were and further became the mirror images of each other and of themselves was so beautifully articulated and illustrated page after page before leading you right to an ending that left me with my heart in my throat for at least the last quarter of the book.

I can’t honestly say the ending was happy, but it was truly perfect. In my heart I feel like it was happy, and the epilogue wraps up everyone’s storylines with an ambiguous happiness that give us the best form of closure that a world full of so much beauty, horror, blood, myth, and magic could possibly provide. It left me entirely satisfied, not wanting for any more, and missing this world and its characters the second I turned the final page.

If you read anything this year, make it this duology!! It is timeless, stunning, nearly flawless, and is unlike any other fantasy I’ve read saturating the market right now. Hands down, one of the best books of the year right here!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Orbit Books, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book free in exchange for my honest review. It was a joy and a pleasure reading this story!

I really loved For the Wolf, so I was nervous picking For the Throne up that I wouldn't connect with Neve's story as much. I felt so invested in Red and Eammon's story and the Wilderwood in the first book. These elements got a lot more page time than I was expecting, which was cool, but I'm happy to say that Neve won me over. I thought the Shadowlands that she traversed with Solmir was an interesting setting. The Old Gods were suitably creepy, and the issue of how to kill the Kings was compelling. There was a lot of pondering over what it meant to be good or evil and the value of a soul, which I found to be repetitive after a while, but it was interesting to have a protagonist truly wrestle with her morality. I was mostly ambivalent to Solmir at first, but their relationship grew on me throughout the book as well.

Unfortunately, while I liked the broad strokes of this story, the execution felt a bit haphazard to me.

One of my biggest issues with this book is that I just did not care about Raffe and Kayu's story line. By the end I saw the point of it, but the entire time leading up to that it just felt like a distraction from the main action. I honestly had a difficult time even remembering who Raffe was at the beginning since it's been a while since I read the first book, and Kayu was sort of just...there for the majority of the book. And Raffe's inner turmoil over his changing feelings for Neve just felt sooo repetitive. Obviously this is how a mind works, we turn a single thing over and over until we know how to deal with it, but on the page I just grew so bored.

And the gang going all the way to the Rylt just to fold Kiri back into the narrative for a couple of chapters felt entirely unnecessary to me. Her role was over by the end of the first book, in my opinion, and bringing her back added nothing to the story. It honestly just felt like a thing for Red and Eammon to do while they waited for Neve to return. As much as I love the Wolves, I could have done without it.

I also didn't care much for the ending. Neve and Solmir's final showdown with the Kings was way too drawn out and the back and forth over who was going to carry their souls only added to that feeling. I've also grown really weary of fake-out deaths in fantasy, and the emotional weight of the conclusion really hinged on that. I was pretty confident that Whitten wouldn't kill either of the twins off, so their sacrifice just didn't really resonate with me. But then to bring Arrick back??? Clearly the poor guy didn't deserve to die, but girl just commit to ONE death at least. Please. And the fact that he was the voice that Neve and Red kept hearing was such a letdown. I don't know what I expected for that reveal, but it certainly wasn't that.

Ultimately, I liked that Neve and Red's sisterly bond was the main driving force of the novel and I enjoyed their mirrored journeys, but some elements of the conclusion to this duology just fell flat for me. I can see myself picking up For the Wolf for a re-read in the future, but I'm not sure I would return to For the Throne.

For the Throne, by author Hannah F. Whitten, is the second and final installment in the authors Wilderwood duology. Key Characters: Neverah (Neve), Redarys (Red), Eammon, Raffe, Solmir, and Okada Kayu, a new character who definitely stirs things up. The story is told in multiple POV such as Red, Neve and Raffe. The book picks up right where For the Wolf ended. Neve and Red spend the book trying to find their way back to each other, all while adjusting to the newer version of their world they're now living in.

We've know for awhile that Red and Neve will do anything to save and protect each other and now it seems as though someone is pushing the sisters towards a common goal which no one quite knows what the end game will be. Neve finds herself in the Shadowlands, an inverted kingdom where the vicious gods of legend have been trapped for centuries and the Old Kings have slowly been gaining control along with Solmir, the so called Fifth King, who is on a mission to kill the Kings.

But to do that, they will both have to journey across a dangerous landscape in order to find a mysterious Heart Tree, and finally to claim the gods' dark, twisted powers for themselves. Both Neve and Solmir are more morally grey compared to Red and Eammon, but they each are trying to do what they believe is best. Meanwhile, Red and Eammon are literally Wilderwood and have become immortal. The key is that they are no longer fenced in by Wilderwood. They are able to travel to different parts of the world. Red, as well as Neve, are both hearing a strangers voice guiding them towards a similar goal.

As with Neve, Red seems to be driven to find a key to the Heart Tree and a reunion with her sister. Can the sisters survive the brutal journey ahead? And, who is the voice that seems to know about a Golden-veined woman, and a Shadow Queen?

The world-building is dark and vivid and immersive and has expanded from the first book. The romance between Solmir and Neve was more of a subplot than the relationship between Red and Eammon. It would also be considered enemies to lovers which many readers gobble up. I also think that the main subplot of this story is fate vs choice. There are choices made in this book that kick fate in the head and leaves it bleeding along the highway. Every character in this book has a choice including Raffe and Okada.

Overall, I am satisfied with how this series wraps up. It also explores many thought-provoking themes about love, loss, power, and the lengths people will go to protect the ones they care about.

THIS WAS JUST PHENOMENAL (initial thoughts upon finishing)
------------------------

Okay now that my initial book hangover has subsided somewhat THIS BOOK IS LITERALLY INCREDIBLE. I think I liked it more than the first one?? And I LOVE Red so this is saying something. Honest to goodness, the plot had me hooked the whole way through, I literally did not know what was going to happen. I love the trajectory of all the characters, I love Neve's internal growth throughout this story. Literally every thread comes together and it makes me happier than anything when a book is so well-plotted, well-characterized, keeps you on the edge of your seat, AND gives you a romance to die for. I cannot stress enough how amazing this was!!! READ IT NOW GO GO GO

For the Throne was such a great sequel to For the Wolf! I loved all the action and suspense and it was beautifully written!

4/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Normally, when I read an ARC, I wait a few days after I finish it to let it all sink in. This book, however, is quite the opposite. I finished For the Throne three minutes ago and I have FEELINGS.

I was a little hesitant towards this book, as sometimes the second book of a series for debut authors tends to go awry. And while I feel like this book has a darker vibe than the first, they paired so well together. In fact, I'd rate this duology as one of my top tens.

Whitten is a master at taking bits and pieces from old fairy tales, such as Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow White, and morphing them all together to create one masterful story. Her world building in the first book was great, but the imagery in For the Throne transported me to a place that my mind has never been. Part of me felt like little Simba in the Lion King going through the elephant graveyard. Surrounded by bones so large they don't seem real.

There were so many twists and turns in this book that I could not predict any outcome, whatsoever. It was a page turner, through and through. Well done.

Ok, will somebody please make this into a streaming series😍? In For the Throne, Whitten weaves together folklore, fairytales, and nightmares. Some parts made me think of the fire swamp and ROUS from The Princess Bride. Other parts gave me Stranger Things Upside Down vibes. It’s a story of gods and monsters. And who gets to decide what’s truly a monster?

While book one followed Red’s story with the Wolf, book two focuses on her twin, Neve. Neve must journey through the Shadowlands with Solmir, a fallen king who betrayed her and nearly killed her sister. While she doesn’t want to trust him, he’s her only chance of finding a way out of a dark crumbling underworld full of dangerous gods, monsters, and magic.

My favorite stories are the ones with antiheroes. I am 100% here for dark, broody, morally gray, and complicated. I also love a good enemies-to-lovers. This book has both, plus a whopping dose of high stakes action, magic, and monsters. The vivid detail made me feel like I was climbing the mountains of bones and battling beasts alongside Neve and Solmir. Red has an alternating storyline throughout the book, but Neve’s story was the main event.

Thank you to @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us books for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For the Throne - Hannah Whitten
4.5/5⭐️

For me, the best duologies set up a premise including an interesting world and compelling characters, set up stakes (including romantic stakes), burn it all to the ground and then build it all up again in ways that test the limits of the world-building and ultimately have their characters grow in ways the reader never expect but eventually appreciate. In For the Throne, the second in the Wilderwood duology by Hannah Whitten, Whitten manages to do that and more.

When we left our characters at the end of For the Wolf, Neve was stuck in the Shadowlands along with Solmir, a man of questionable morals who seems to care for Neve but nonetheless seems out for himself and his goals. Just like Neve in For the Wolf, Red is determined to save her sister and the friends she made in For the Wolf are along for the ride as well.

I still find Red the sister I like the best, but Neve is a fascinating character who has her own demons to work through. For the Throne largely takes place with Neve and Solmir battling through various tasks and monsters in the Shadowlands. It got a touch repetitive for me and I still find the world-building in these books to be kind of murky, but Whitten sticks the landing remarkably. I loved the meditation on goodness and what makes a monster and Neve's end was very satisfying to me. At first, I didn't quite buy the romance between her and Solmir but the ending was beautiful and earned.

I was very happy to still spend time with Red and Eammon as well as Lyra and Fife who I honestly could read an entire book about. Red and Eammon are still going strong and even though I think their storyline flounders a bit in the middle, I got very emotional every time they expressed their love for each other which was so hard won.

Ultimately this is a very well-written, well-done duology that just makes me even more excited to see what else (and what worlds) Whitten wants to explore.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit Books for letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Wilderwood series (For the Wolf is the first) and it did not disappoint! Red and Neve are now separated once again by magic, and they will do anything to get to one another. This book details their journey (from multiple POVs, but mostly Neve's) to end the evil magic that is the Shadowlands and destroy the Five Kings before they cause death and destruction in their world.

I think that I liked this book even more than the first! There was much more character development and more romance, both aspects that I loved from the first book that were even better here. The plot was very interesting - it took the classic good twin/evil twin duo and twisted it to fit a new story in this rich dark fantasy world. It also did not exactly go in the direction that I was expecting - I got about halfway through and thought I knew how the conflict was going to be resolved, but it was definitely more complicated than I originally imagined! My only complaint about this book is that the writing is sometimes really dense, which makes for great worldbuilding, but can hinder the flow of the plot and it made me lose my concentration on the story several times throughout. Like the first book, this is not a quick read and requires a lot of concentration to keep the world and characters straight. I would also recommend reading For the Wolf in close succession with this one, because there is a lot of detail from that book that becomes important in this one. If you are looking for a dark fantasy series (this is a duology), I would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I REALLY liked the fact that this book picks up directly after the events of the first book, so we didn't have to spend time rehashing things that happened "off camera". I absolutely devoured the first book so needless to say I was extremely excited to receive an eARC for the second one.
This started off a lot slower than the first one and it took me quite some time to get into it. This may be partly due to the fact that series where the main character switches are frustrating for me because I get so attached to and invested in an MC and then I have to re-invest in a different character when I just want to see what's happening with the other one. However there are some Red chapters sprinkled in to this book to help with that a little.
I started off being very annoyed at the MC (Neve) for how she acted in the last book, but as this book went on and I began to put myself in her shoes a little more, she definitely grew on me.
I loved the setting of the story, and the shadowlands felt like a creepy forest from an evil fairy tale. Definitely had a spooky vibe to it that I enjoyed. Overall, the story picked up for me at about the halfway point and I ended up really enjoying it! It had some great themes of how the world views "monsters" and I was smitten with the morally grey guy immediately, so I am definitely glad I got to read this book.

Once again Hannah gives a beautifully written fantasy! The whole plot line is incredible the way she ties things together. If you liked For The Wolf, you'll definitely want to read this next book as well.

Overall ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/ 5
Spice 🌶/ 5

I do not think I have read a sequel that has touched me down to my deepest roots like this one has in a very long time. It's haunting and monster filled, and utterly amazing.

“Red might be willing to walk into the mouth of a monster, but Neve was going to find a way to make the monster choke.”

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) Book 2 of the Wilderwood duology and it couldn’t have ended better! Neve is lost in the Shadowlands, a dangerous place full of creatures and dark magic. Red is grasping at all straws to get her out safely, without harming others she loves.

Neve and Red are separated and searching for each other while confronting dark gods, magic and creatures or people out to kill them. While book 1 focused on Red, book 2 highlights Neve. The POV go back and forth between the two and you get an idea about their thoughts, fears and obstacles barring their paths. I love their relationship and even though they are not together, the main theme of the book is their love for each other and what they’ll do for it.

Neve in the Shadowlands with Solmir was dark and immersive. Creatures, magic and powerful dark gods are threatening their lives and they learn to rely on each other. What started as an obligatory truce becomes much more. Solmir is revealed to be a giant cinnamon roll character with a dark and crusty outside with kindness and heart inside.

Red travels through the Wilderwood and beyond, picking up the pieces she needs to free Neve. Eammon accompanies her and we see how their relationship has grown. Her version of the world has expanded and they are slowly grasping their new reality.

“I haven’t been powerless a day in my life, and I won’t start now.”

Both women are strong characters who take matters into their own hands. While the men in this story compliment the women, they never overshadow them and the women shine through as strong, loyal and determined. Bring on the strong women!

I really would’ve liked a summary or recap of book 1. This book is so unique and immersive that it has a different feel than almost every other book I’ve read. So much happened in book 1 that it took me quite a bit to find my bearings again with the story. Whitten is very atmospheric in her writing and while that envelopes you in this world, it was also hard for me to picture.

Audio review: Truth moment here; I started both book 1 and book 2 by reading them and found the writing to be difficult to picture. Each time I ended up getting the audio about halfway through (thank you Macmillan Audio!) and started again from the beginning. Once listening to the audio, the world took shape for me and I was able to follow along better. Now this could definitely be to an amazing narrator or the small replay of the beginning. Either way, the audio was what brought the world to life for me. The narrator had the perfect voice for this dark and troubled world. She put just enough feeling into her voice and was able to portray their emotions so well.

General content summary: F words: 14, intimacy with few details (multiple), large spider, earthquakes, large creatures, a man breaking a woman’s neck, alcohol, physical fight with breaking bones.

From the author’s website (serious hand claps for the author for posting these!): blood/gore/general violence, mutilation (one instance), moderate sexual content, parental neglect/abuse, religious trauma/abuse, giant insects.

Thank you to Orbit Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies!

The book releases June 7, 2022.

For the Throne is the final installment if the Wilderwood duology. I just love how Hannah Whitten's brain works. It's not your normal fantasy. The fantastical storyline goes above and beyond!

In this continuation Red and Neve must find enough other again, along with the side characters we know and love. If you haven't read For the Wolf go pick them both up today. You won't be disappointed!

Thank you @orbitbooks_us and @netgalley for this arc!

For the Throne by Hannah Whitten
Wilderwood #2
Fantasy

Happy Publication Day!

Neve awakes trapped in the Shadowlands with the Kings of legend and rogue king Solmir. In order to leave this forsaken land of monsters, Neve and Solmir must journey to the Heart Tree and face the trapped kings. Meanwhile, Red and the Wolf, along with their friends, are searching desperately for a way to return Neve from the Shadowlands. The book alternates POVs between Neve, Red and Raffe.

I always count myself lucky but there are some days when I feel incredibly lucky and getting to read For the Throne prior to release was one of those days. This series as a whole is everything I want in a book; a fantastical world, enemies-to-lovers romance, morally gray character(s), and snappy dialogue.

This book might just be better than the first because we travel to the Shadowlands. When I read books, it plays almost like a film reel in my head. I can see the characters themselves (although I recast them alot in my head. Every male becomes Chris Hemsworth #sorrynotsorry) and every action they take. In the case of this book, I constantly wanted to press pause on the film and just explore my surroundings. The worldbuilding is descriptive and fascinating. The cast of characters are honestly people I want to befriend. The romance had me sighing in hope.

This book continues a trend for me in my recent reads exploring future generations experiencing the long-lasting consequences of historical decisions, albeit society or familial. For the Throne explores burdens to bear along with the idea of saving an individual at the risk of the greater population.
I really like how Red and Neve’s journeys are so very different on the surface but ultimately how they become a mirror of one another and yet never feel repetitive. Raffe’s arch could have benefited from a few more chapters in the beginning. The outcome was obvious and didn’t quite have the impact it could have had if more time was spent with him at the beginning and the reader had become invested.

There was a particular part of this book where Neve realizes her error of burning a book in a fit of rage because it didn’t contain what she needed was an error. The book did have what she needed she just didn’t know how to read it yet. I found this particularly poignant.

If you’re looking for your next read to curl up with on a rainy day or around a campfire at night, I highly recommend checking out the Wilderwood duology.

Thank you to Orbit Books for providing an advanced reading copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This final book in the duology was absolutely brilliant. I loved every second and I thought it was even more powerful than book one. I appreciate that it is a duology so it was fast just what I needed from this engaging world.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. There were moments that I was really engaged and excited for the action and others where I felt like I wanted to skim a section.

I adored Red and Eammon in For the Wolf so it was really nice to see them have a big role in this book especially since I though this was going to be mostly about Neve in the Shadowlands. I was surprised at how much I liked Neve and Solmir though and in particular, his growth. I typically like a morally grey character (especially a love interest) so this was right up my alley.

Overall, I liked it but think it could have been a little shorter. 3.5 stars from me.

Happy Pub Day to For The Throne! This is the stunning conclusion to the Wilderwood duology and I’m completely in love with these characters and captivated by this story.

The First Daughter is for the Throne…
The Second Daughter is for the Wolf…

Neve has been pulled into the Shadowlands where she is stuck with Solmir, the man who betrayed her and tried to kill her sister. Together, they must survive long enough to drag the kings back to the surface and destroy them once and for all.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s such a beautiful story of love and redemption. And while romantic love is a big part of this series, it’s sisterly love and devotion that really rules the storyline here. Neve and Red will go to the ends of the earth and beyond to be together again and I think their strength and loyalty to each other really shines through in this book.

The story is told in multiple POV, and while I enjoyed seeing Red, Eammon and Raffe again, my favorite parts were when we were in the Shadowlands with Neve and Solmir. I loved the chilling descriptions of both the landscape and the terrible creatures that reside there. The stories of old magic and vengeful gods are dark and gritty and I loved the contrast to the Wilderwood and Neve’s dark vs. Red’s light.

Neve really grows as a person in this story and I was able to relate to her character more than in the first book. And can we talk about Solmir? I know we’re supposed to hate him at first, but I think I loved him from the start. His relationship with Neve is so fragile, but steadily grows stronger with each trial they face together. He’s such a sad, tortured soul but his steadfast devotion to keeping Neve safe is heartwarming and I couldn’t help but root for them the entire time.

This book takes its time but the pacing and storytelling are perfectly done and I found myself thinking about it every time I had to put it down. Whitten is a gifted storyteller and I’m looking forward to reading more from her. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Hannah Whitten and Orbit books for the ARC to read and review.