Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the advanced readers copy of this book!

The sequel to For The Wolf has been one of my most anticipated reads since I finished the first book. I couldn't wait to see where Hannah took us with Neve's story after the cliffhanger of an ending. I feel like I knew I would love this book as soon as I read the dedication "To anyone who grew thorns instead of flower - You had your reasons."

Neve's journey is both similar and different from Red's, and they are very much mirrors of each other. I loved exploring the new settings and characters, especially the Old Gods. We still get plenty of Red, Eammon, and the Wilderwood bunch that we all came to love in For The Wolf.

Neve and Red are unapologetically themselves and the honesty, vulnerability, brutality, and love these characters show touched me. I think a lot of people will see themselves represented in Red, Neve, or a mix of both.

The different types of love represented throughout the story is one of my favorite aspects because it felt true to life, while still feeling satisfying. The only downside of this book is that the series is now over. I look forward to reading more from Hannah and will continue to recommend the Wilderwood duology to everyone I know.

I really enjoyed reading both the first book in this duology, For the Wolf, and this fantastic sequel!

While the first book took a bit to get into, this book captured me from the first chapter, and I was so curious to see the many twists and turns Neve and Red's stories continued to take. The magic system continues to be one of the most interesting I've experienced in a fantasy book. I love how different the Shadowlands and Wilderwood are and how the magic manifests in both sisters. The gods and magical creatures in this book are both frightening and SO COOL. I will be thinking about them for a long time, even after finishing this book.

While I think this book is first and foremost a fantasy with a lot of attention paid to plot and character development, the romance in this book took me by surprise. I really enjoyed the banter between Neve and her enemies-to-lovers love interest and found it a very believable romance that was so fun to experience as a reader. I was rooting for them the entire time!

Like the first book, there are moments in this one where the plot moves slower, and I particularly had a harder time following some of the really action-packed scenes, but, it was above all a fantastic read that kept me on my toes and excited to see what would happen next. I look forward to seeing what Hannah Whitten writes next!

I really enjoyed the first o e and fell in love even more with this one. This was so, so good. I did indeed read this in a day and enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc copy of For the Throne in exchange for an honest review!

For the Throne is the second book in the Wilderwood series by Hannah F. Whitten. The book follows Neve, Red's sister and the first daughter. Whereas Red is for the wold, Neve is for the throne, and in this story we explore how Neve got lost in the Shadowlands and allied with the rogue king Solmir.

I absolutely loved how the characters and concepts portrayed throughout the book were written, and how Whitten created a dark and beautiful world that captivated readers. The romance was also portrayed really well, and I loved how Neve and Red were able to bond throughout the book and have a strong sisterly connection that wasn't present in book 1.

Overall, if you enjoy dark fantasies with romance, a strong sister bond, lots of enemies and foes around every corner, then this book might be for you!

For the Throne picks up right where the first book left off, throwing us into the Shadowlands along with Neve, and it's not interested in playing catch-up — which makes the duology tighter but also means you really should probably reread For the Wolf and refresh your memory before starting this book. Neve was a character who both fascinated and frustrated in Wolf, and I quickly fell in love with her and her thorns here. The excellent world-building of the first book continues, the plot intrigues and satisfies, and the romance is as twisted as I could desire, but the true heart of these books remains the sisters, as everything comes down to Neve and Red and their unstoppable love for each other. Which is as it should be.

My thanks to NetGalley and Orbit books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is epic. Gorgeous- dark and twisted… but gorgeous.

The journey that every character goes on in this book... ooof. So many twists and turns. So many feels.

I read the last 20% of the book clutching my chest.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read an advance copy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of For the Throne by Hannah Whitten. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC.

For The Throne is the second book in this series, and I loved it even more than For The Wolf. In this book, the world-building that was so detailed became even better. Neve and Solmir are unique OTP (one true pairing) who are perfectly matched by their faults. Watching them overcome their guilt and one-minded focus to find love with each other had me interested from start to finish. I love how intricate the character growth is for all the characters involved and highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy worlds with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.

For the Throne is the second book in the Wilderwood Duology by Hannah Whitten. Picking up from where we left Red and Neve at the end of For the Wolf, the tale of the fated twins continues.

I want to start out by saying that I really didn't like Neve in Book 1. I had a very hard time connecting with her character and I felt she was cold, petulant, and selfish. After finishing For the Throne, she has redeemed herself and I now realize those qualities were highlighted intentionally. Although my feelings left over from For the Wolf carried over to about a third of the way through For the Throne, I really enjoyed the book. The tension was prominent and the pacing of the story was slow at first, but it definitely built up speed as the story progressed. I fell in love with the mythology and worldbuilding and the depths the back story reached and the details were breathtaking. I understood that Red and Eammon were meant to take a smaller role in this book (as Neve, Solmir, and Raffe did in Book 1), but I still love them and wanted more. I wanted to hate Solmir, but I couldn't. There's something about how self-deprecating he was that I could connect with and there was a constant feeling of "there's more to this character that he's not sharing." Overall, a wonderful ending to the duology and I'm sad it's over.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a digital copy for review. The opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of the author or publisher.

Honestly didn’t think I would enjoy this more than the first one because Neve’s povs bothered me in first novel and I was like I don’t know if I will be able to stand this bitch for an entire novel. And I was happily wrong, I enjoyed her as a main character and her story better. I also liked how the story and world grew with this novel and wrapped up well. Although at times it felt repetitive I enjoyed the journey aspect.

This was so good!

The world and story grew so much deeper in this second book, and it was truly epic. The Shadowlands and the Old Ones were the things of dark, dangerous fairytales. And the Wilderwood and Wolves were so beautifully wild.

Neve and Solmir were such compelling, complicated characters! Tragic, conflicted, morally-gray characters are my favorite, so these two were instant favorites for me. I especially liked how Neve was portrayed—both sharp and soft, ruthless and compassionate. She felt very real.

The story's themes of what makes someone monstrous, how power affects a person, and how complicated love can be were handled so well, in my opinion. I liked watching the characters wrestle with these questions.

Also, the descriptions were vivid and beautiful, even when they were equally horrifying or foreboding. It really captures that fairytale vibe of beauty, wildness, and sometimes even horror.

I love when a story feels like it really could be the seed of a fairytale or legend, and this book definitely did that. I can't wait to read more by this author!

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book!
The story of Red and Neve continues and so exciting! What are the sisters willing to sacrifice for each other? Each are in different worlds and each one is trying to save the other. While most would say that Red is the better person, Neve also shows that she is good also.
Characters such as Raffe, Eammon, Fife and Lyra, return in this book, as well as some new important characters. The world building is still very good in this book and is such an important part of the story. I really enjoyed the first book and this sequel does not disappoint. If you like fantasy or if you liked the first book, definitely pick up this book and settle in for an exciting adventure!

Stay with me while I try to collect my thoughts into somewhat coherent sentences. I loved this book so much. This world, the characters, their journey, this story as a whole.

For The Throne was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022. And Whitten absolutely floored me AGAIN with her ability to weave deliciously dark, beautiful, and romantic tales. And when I say dark, I mean DARK. Whitten’s writing is nothing short of phenomenal. Her prose is gorgeous and I find myself hanging on every word and emotion.

This was a perfect ending to the Wilderwood duet. I think I cried through the last 15-20% with my hand firmly clasped over my mouth the entire time.

The relationship between Red and Neve is pivotal. And it made me feel so many things. Their love for each other and their willingness to do anything for each other just absolutely tugs at my heart.

Even though obviously this story centers around Neve, Red and Eammon’s relationship and the tender moments we get between the two of them warmed my heart and made me smile so big.

And Solmir, be still my heart. My weakness for the dark morally grey MC lives on. “You are good.” Ugh. I CANNOT. I love him.

So yes, this book was everything I hoped for and more right until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4+ This is a really solid second and final wrap-up to the series. Hannah Whitten does a great job writing so that scene is easily visualized and also with all of the emotion going through each character. There were a few plot points that didn't feel as fleshed-out to me as the rest, like they were put in to help manage other pieces of the story, but it wasn't enough to detract much from the book. This is a great duology that I have really enjoyed reading and I look forward to the author's future work.

From the first book by Whitten, I knew I had to read this one. Neve is a character who grows throughout this story as she battles her way back home.
I liked seeing our other characters make appearances too.
I look forward to more from these characters!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Wowowow. This duology is kind of incredible. Hannah Whitten is extremely talented and I will be thinking about these books for a long time.

For the Throne is the second installment in the Wilderwood fantasy duology. The first, For the Wolf, is a loose Little Red Riding Hood retelling follows Red, the second daughter to the kingdom as she sacrifices herself to the Wolf, only to discover a much larger world with magic and darker forces at play. For the Throne mostly follows her twin sister, Neve, and her journey to the Shadowlands, although we do get perspectives from all of the original characters.

While I ended up loving these books, it is long and the world is a bit complicated. BUT if you stick with it I hope you appreciate this thoughtful, magical story as much as I did. I think I enjoyed Neve’s journey more than Red’s as Neve had a much darker story. It’s hard to say too much without giving away the plot but you should definitely pick up this duology if you are a fan of dark fantasy, fairy tale retellings, sister bonds, romance, morally gray characters and an incredibly imaginative world, please read this!

After that cliffhanger ending in For The Wolf, I knew that I wanted to read For The Throne as soon as possible!

I found myself having a hard time connecting with Neve for the first part of the book, I didn't find that surprising though, as I didn't like her in the first book. However, I did find myself liking her more and more as the story went along. She really showed a lot of growth in herself and her relationships with others.

There were some slow parts as Neve and Solmir are traveling around the Shadowlands getting what they need to open the way home, but I was fascinated by the world and loved how everything was described. I think the mountain of bones was my favorite place, and right behind it was the upside-down castle! Neve and Solmir have these enemies / you might not actually be the most horrible person I have ever met / I may be catching feelings thing that just pulled me into their relationship. I loved how that relationship grew and changed throughout their journey.

During the whole book I never knew which direction the story was going to go and it kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see which old god or dead king was going to pop out next, and how Neve could possibly make it back home.

I can't wait to read the next book that Hannah Whitten comes out with!

It’s always interesting when you read a book that just so incredible feels like it has second book syndrome until you get to the end and it’s actually not a second book in a trilogy but in a duology and we are in a race towards the finish. I feel like the poor book didn’t get a fair treatment from me, because while I enjoyed book 1, it wasn’t my absolute favorite read ever. And the things that I really enjoyed from book one ended up taking a backseat in book two, which made it a little more difficult to enjoy.

What I wanted more from For the Wolf and what I therefore lost even more so from For the Throne was the connection between Eammon and Red. I mean we had it, but considering probably more than half the book focused on Neve (which, as I type this, I realize the For The Throne referenced the first daughter which is a cute naming convention but I didn’t realize it until… now), and not going to lie, she was my absolute least favorite part of book 1.

So, for what it was, I like it. I liked the plethora of characters (though there was one point where I was a little confused as to who everyone was), I liked the additional new characters, I liked how things got wrapped up. It was fine. But as someone who adores the “person who is sweet and then falls into a deep dark power” trope, Neve’s arc should’ve sat better with me, but instead, I found myself waiting to see where we would go with Red’s. And let’s be honest, Red’s arc was the typical book 2 fare - let’s go on an adventure hunting something only to, pretty quickly, turn back around and go home for the final showdown.

So. Yes. I liked it. If I had liked both of the sisters more, I think I would’ve appreciated the story of the two sisters quite better. But for what it was, it was fine. Enjoyable. Though a little… much at times.

Post will publish on June 7, 2022

Source: DRC via NetGalley (Orbit Books, Orbit)
Pub. Date: June 7, 2022
Synopsis: Goodreads
Other Books in the Series: For the Wolf (Wilderwood #1)

Why did I choose to read this book?

For the Wolf had such a cliffhanger ending that I had to get my hands on For the Throne. Whitten tends to ramble a bit in the middle of her books, but I already knew that her endings are to die for so I read this one all the way through even though it felt like running a marathon.I had to know how it all ended.

What is this book about?

Neve has taken in the darkness and must now traverse the Shadowlands in an attempt to find her way back home. She has a dark magic now that a fallen king, Solmir, helps her hold and control, and together they will try to take out the Kings for good. Whether or not Neve chooses to act to save the world or to save herself is the driving force of this book’s plot. Red and Eammon are still there too, but they are now the holders of the Wilderwood instead of its guardians. Red is working overtime to try to figure out how to get Neve out of the Shadowlands, and along the way they learn history and myth may be playing out right before their eyes.

What is notable about the story?

This book plays with the question of what is good and what is evil, and whether anything can exist in the gray areas in between. It also extends the idea of choice and agency from what we saw Red do in For the Wolf. Neve chooses to take in the darkness and is sucked into the Shadowlands, and eventually has to make other questionable choices to lead us to the ending.

Perhaps just as notable is the notion of saving others versus saving yourself. Part of this story is that Red cannot reach Neve to save her, and she cannot force Neve to choose to save herself. The frustration of the patience and control it takes to wait for someone to do what they need to do to be okay is such an important concept to raise here, and I’m glad Whitten did. Neve gets to choose her path, her fate, and her role in the resolution of this story. I think this less discussed version of agency is essential to the story: Neve needs to learn that you can’t always save others (no matter how hard you try or bleed), but you can control your own destiny. Sometimes trying to help can cause more harm than good and create a break in a relationship that is difficult to heal.

Was anything not so great?

Similar to my criticism of For the Wolf, I felt that the middle ran a little long here as well. Solmir and Neve traveling through the Shadowlands took a loooooooong time (purposefully for their relationship to grow, I get it) and the “I’m a Monster or am I Good?” discussion was almost as repetitive as the bleeding out in For the Wolf. This book also felt waaaaaay longer to read than For the Wolf. I read For the Wolf as a physical book, and I received For the Throne as an ebook DRC, so maybe the difference in format played a part in that feeling, but this book definitely took me longer to read even though I was reading it every day.

What’s the verdict?

Again, 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads because I got a bit bored in the middle, but this was an excellent conclusion to the duology and the inclusion of the “where are they now” epilogue was much appreciated. This is a set of stories you will enjoy reading. You will care about the characters and the world they are trying to navigate and save. Highly recommend: you won’t be disappointed.

Much like For the Wolf I had no idea what direction For the Throne was going to take me in for a good majority of the book, but I could not put it down.

While the sequel is just as beautifully written and absolutely captivating as the first book, I did struggle with liking the characters. I didn’t really like Neve much in FtW, and that didn’t really change until the last 20-25% ish of FtT—same went for Solmir and I almost always love the morally gray baddies. Their character growth does make them a bit more likable but they just weren’t my favorites.

Overall I really loved the story and thought it was a solid sequel and conclusion to the Wilderwood series.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to read this!

I will admit that I didn't love Neve in the first book. Every time the POV switched to hers, I found myself skimming trying to get through it as quickly as possible. However, the character development between Neve and Solmir in this book was phenomenal. It did take a bit for me to become immersed in the story and it was a slow start for me, but the writing and setting is beautiful and it's one of my favorite worlds.