2.5 stars. Sigh. I loved For the Wolf but my one caveat with that book was my frustration whenever the story took me away from Red and brought me to Neve. This one was the reverse, but even more so, and it left me extremely irked.

I didn’t reread FTW before reading this, which was probably a mistake since I remembered little and couldn’t recall any fondness for the side characters, which resulted in anything focusing too much on them to annoy me. I immediately became interested by Neve and Solmir, and even the chapters with Red and Eammon (especially after the halfway point) were basically skimmed because I just did NOT care about their plot. Don’t even get me started on the absolute pointlessness of Raffe’s chapters.

This book also was just SUPER hard for me to follow. I never got a firm grasp on the plot or the worldbuilding, and I still don’t understand anyone’s powers. The overall plot of the Heart Tree I got, but everything involving the Wilderwood and the Kings was just messy and impossible for me to understand in any way. I ended up skimming most of the end because I was so lost and just wanted to get to the end.

All that being said, I think I actually prefer Neve and Solmir to Red and Eammon— I liked their banter and how their relationship grew, but I was immensely disappointed by the ending and how it was handled overall. At the heart of this story is the relationship between the two sisters, but I couldn’t even find it in me to care enough about them, and their climactic ending was also a let down.

I’ll be trying out Whitten’s next series but am really disappointed with how this one turned out.

Sadly, I somehow missed that this was a sequel so I was slightly lost when I started reading and was unable to finish. However, what I did read was good enough to Make me order the first book to read

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: violence, blood/gore

This is the second book in the duo logy, you must read For The Wolf first before diving into this one.

Because this is a sequel I don't want to say too much but this was such a satisfying ending. For The Wolf set up so many branches (see what I did there) that Hannah Whitten effortlessly weaved through the story. For The Throne wandered down those branches, intertwining them, exploring them, before resolving them in an exciting, twisting, ending that kept me guessing until the very end.

This is a story full of magic, fantasy, a story of sisters, a story of love when it seems impossible, found family and adventure. I adore Hannah Whitten's writing how she immerses you in the story, the natural conflicts of life, choosing between people you love, self-sacrifice in this incredible setting.

Cannot wait to read what she has coming next!

Steam: 2.5

Definitely reread For the Wolf before picking this one up. Strong character development and I appreciated how all the threads tied together. Gorgeous prose. but the pacing was a little off, I think because the book dove right in after the climax of Wolf without any real slowing for Neve, whereas time seemed to be flowing differently and very slowly for Red. It made the Neve and Solmir scenes seem rushed, and I did not feel that their story was developed nearly as well as Red and Eammon’s from Wolf.

That being said, I enjoyed the read and will probably go back to this duology for seconds!

I cannot express how thrilled I was to receive this ARC! I absolutely loved For the Wolf and For the Throne is just as good. It starts right where For the Wolf ended so I was excited to start it. I loved seeing more of the Shadowlands and exploring more of Neve, and Solmir's characters. The Solmir we knew is a firm bad guy with no moral grayness but that is why I liked him. He knows who he is and what he's done and owns it. However, rather than being evil for evil sake, we learn that he is firmly Machiavallen and that he had reasons and his motivation was actually good in any other story he would be a beloved morally grey character but in For the Wolf he is a firm villain so I loved seeing things for his point of view and learning about what happened with Eammon’s mother and him and seeing him turn from black to gray. Solmir is actually super complex and has an interesting backstory and I would love a book solely focused on him. Especially given his ending! I also really like Neve she is defiantly selfish and stubborn but not a bad person I loved seeing her struggle with her actions and with what she is willing to do to save Red. I also love that she is willing to admit that she made a mistake in For the Wolf but she owns that mistake as well as who she truly wants and who she is. There is nothing wrong with being a monster both she and Solmir get 10/10s. Seeing Eammon and Red and the whole gang was also super fun. Red and Eammon are super cute and I loved the ending for them and their friends they deserved their happily ever after. I also love that despite the stories Eammon has heard about Solmir and how Neve acted he immediately accepts Neve and does try to stick up for Solmir Eammon is truly a good dude a solid white knight that would burn the world for Red, something he and Solmir have in common. Red is also super cute and the world would burn the world down for Neve. The end had a little twist I didn't see coming but I did love it. I adore this series. The setting is gorgeous all the different points of view are super interesting I was surprised by how happy I was to see Raffe. I am trying not to be super spoilers but I do love the Shadowlands and wish we got to explore more of it. It is a super interesting setting and I loved the premise of it (although I found the Wilderwood prettier). I love Neve and Red’s relationship and the dynamic between the two magical lands and that only the sister was really needed to solve the conflict. I loved that Solmir and Neve owned their connection although I wish we saw more of that as well. The mythology of the world is also something I wished we learned more about the prophecy was super interesting so I wish we saw more of that. That is my biggest issue the book was far too short I want to see all the characters! happy and hanging out and learn more about the history of the worlds both the Old Ones and the Kings and the monsters. I need to reread this ASAP. Overall 9.5/10

Received the ARC of For The Throne (Thank you Orbit!) and it did not disappoint!

We follow Neve and Solmir as they join forces to try to defeat a common enemy. It still has the dark elements that the first book has, which I loved! The magic system was a bit confusing and I did have to reread some of the first book to refresh my memory. My favorite part of this book was seeing the love between the two sisters. You get a feel for it in the first book but in this one it brought me to tears! I do wish there was more chemistry between Neve and Solmir. I wanted MORE of them!!! The first half of the book was a bit slow but once I got to 50% I could not put it down! Overall this was a great follow up to For the Wolf.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
For the Throne
By Hannah Whitten
Available: 06/07/2022
🐺🍃👑
I haven’t been hung over from book since Crescent City 2...and after finishing this book I can honestly say, I need some hair of the dog...or the Wolf 😏
This book was incredible. I was sucked in from the dedication page. When I read it, my eyes got big and I was like...”Well, dang! $@!? about to go down!” As soon as I finished it, I immediately wanted to go back to page one and start all over again.
I identified with one of the main characters, Neve, on such a crazy level. It felt very similar to how I related to Nesta in A Court of Silver Flames. I loved her character, thorns and all. It really gave light to the harsh truth that we are guilty of doing terrible things because we believe it is the right thing to do. We all have light and dark inside of us.
Neve, will always hold a special place in my heart. She is a character that will stay with me for many years to come.
The way it ended, left me wanting more. Which is exactly how a book should end. Excellent job, Hannah! I loved it🥰

Blurb:
For the Throne is the conclusion to the For the Wolf Duology. It picks up exactly where the first book left off. Neve is the Shadowlands with the big baddy, Solmir, one of the ruthless Five Kings. As they make their way to the Heart Tree, Neve’s path to freedom, she finds herself slowly softening to her once enemy. But darkness is a tricky thing and can hide in even the most unexpected places, even in her own heart.
Red has changed. Having absorbed half of the Wildwood magic from the Wolf and learning her new powers, Red is struggling to figure out a way to save Neve from the Shadowlands.
Each of their journeys back to each other, takes both sisters down a path of light and darkness. Two paths that lead to the same destination. A destination that will change the course of their lives forever. But will love be enough to keep the darkness from not only tearing them apart....but destroying the ones they love and the world along with them?

Thank you, Orbit and NetGalley for the chance to read this arc!

While there were aspects I liked of this book, it unfortunately felt like a drag, and the main romance felt forced. There were a number of character decisions that didn’t make sense to me and I found myself rolling my eyes for.

However, the writing still is lovely, and I appreciated the efforts to weave our past protags in— always fantastic in a second book! Three out of five stars.

I loved For the Wolf, and so I went into this book expecting to love it. I was not disappointed. What I wasn't expecting was to love it more than I loved For the Wolf. In For the Wolf, I found Neve to be spoiled and selfish. She rubbed me the wrong way.

Neve's character growth in the novel was great. I loved her before the book was half-over. The writing was beautiful, and Hannah Whitten is amazing at building a world that draws readers in. Her characters are able to grow in a way that doesn't seem forced and the relationships they build make you fall in love with those side characters, too.

This book was everything I expected it to be, and then some more.

A perfect follow-up to For the Wolf. Neve is such a dark, complicated and brave female protagonist - I was in awe of her this entire book. This sequel was everything I hoped it to be, expanding on the characters I grew to love with book 1. I almost wish there was a third, but it wrapped up so beautifully that I leave just feeling fulfilled and happy :)

I am so grateful for an advanced copy of this book, after devouring the first.

The story of Red, Eammon, Neve and Solmir continue in For the Throne. With Neve trapped in the Shadowlands and Red and Eammon now being the entire Wilderwood between them, where do we go from here?

The story is mainly split between Red and Neve again, and their fight to find each other, worlds apart.

I didn’t care much for Neve in For the Wolf, but I definitely grew to like character, hell, even Solmir’s development throughout.

As for Red and Eammon, I could read them watching paint dry.

Another great continuation of the story. Wonderful series.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC for my honest review.
I’m torn between giving this book 3.5 or 4 stars. I absolutely loved the first book. This one was good, but I wonder if I didn’t love it as much because I physically read this one and listened to the first one as an audiobook. However, I will say this book still had me on the edge of my seat. I especially loved seeing Neve’s & Solmir’s journeys. We got hints of the start of their journeys in book one, but this author really did an amazing job with them here. I think I might even like them better than Red and Eammon? That being said, I would definitely recommend reading this sequel. I really liked the message and lessons it was giving. Plus, I loved reading more into this hidden world of gods and monsters.

STUNNING and EPIC conclusion to this incredible duopoly by Hannah Whitten. A continuation of For the Wolf, For the Throne follows Neve and her journey in the Shadowlands that exist as a mirror to the Wilderwood. Hannah Whitten continues to amaze with her incredible world building skills and descriptive writing- you become immersed into the world of Red and Neve and experience a new point of view in Raffe. This book evokes so many different emotions- despair, heartache, longing, forgiveness, redemption, and, above all, love. Once you start reading, you certainly won't be able to put it down. This duology is definitely one that can be read over and over again. I have already pre-ordered this book to keep on my shelf!

Thank you to NetGally for the ARC of For the Throne.

CW:
Blood
Gore
General violence
Mutilation (one instance)
Moderate sexual content
Parental neglect/abuse
Religious trauma/abuse
Giant insects

Thank you, Hannah Whitten, Hachette Book Group, Orbit, NetGalley, and Angela Man for this advanced reader copy and ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated books this year. I absolutely loved it. It gave me all the feels. Ripped my heart out and I wanted more. This story didn’t go anything like I thought it would. It was more than I could have imagined. This book focused on Neve and the Shadowlands. Red, the Wilderwood, and the rest of the crew were still present. There were some twists I didn’t see coming and I loved it. It was dark, beautiful, violent, and full of heart ache. I will recommend and reread it.

I loved how fast For the Throne dives right into the action following For the Wolf. It's like we just turned the page and got right back to it. This story focuses on Neve, the sister who is for the throne. Her journey to find herself and her way back to Red is filled with growth and adventure and suspense and ALL of the things we want in a good fantasy romance. Without spoiling things from either book, For the Throne is a complete and satisfying conclusion to this duology. I can't wait to see what's next from Hannah Whitten.

If you loved Bridget Kemmerer or Adrienne Young - you are going to want this book. You absolutely must read For the Wolf first. It had been almost a year since I read it and had to go back and flip through the book to remember the details of what happened. This is not a standalone read.

For the Throne is Neve's story. We find her stuck in the shadowland with the rogue king. Through trials of trust and betrayal Neve tries her best to find her way back to her sister, though she worries that her sister doesn't love her anymore after the events from the first book. We do have flashes and scenes of Red and Raffe, but the main force is Neve. I truly enjoyed this novel and the depiction of how love can be all sorts of things. I thought Neve's journey was honest and real. I think its the stronger novel in the series and would recommend fantasy lovers to give this book a try.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc.

4.5

I already have this book preordered and was looking forward to reading it, so I was very excited to receive an early copy. At first, I wasn’t loving it. I never cared for Neve’s chapters in the first. I soon became entrapped. The storytelling was just as good as I remembered. I also got more story with Red and Eammon, which I loved. The fine line between being good and becoming monstrous was so interesting. I enjoyed the descent. This book is worth having.!

"You could've run from it, but the two of you are for the Wolf and for the throne, and such things have a way of finding you even if you hide."

Friends—it felt like coming home to open up FOR THE THRONE and dive back into the world of the Wilderwood, the twins, and an impossible mission to regain balance for the sake of humanity. This book was familiar despite all the new introductions, both of characters and setting. Rather than a vicious yet enchanting woods, we get the colorless but no less vicious Shadowlands. There is no doubt in my mind that if you enjoyed reading FOR THE WOLF, you will love THRONE.

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘
Red and Eammon are quite possibly my favorite fictional couple, so I was desperate for more of their story. Whitten continued to give us tender moments between them. However brief these were, the depth in those words were truly impactful. Following the events of WOLF, Red and Eammon now held the power of the Wilderwood together in a balance. Their partnership made the Wilderwood and their relationship all the stronger. As the story progresses, and Red learns more about what is expected of her, readers will see the Wolves' relationship shift as Eammon takes up the supporting role Red previously held. It was both heartbreaking and beautiful.

In WOLF, Neve was somewhat painted to be a villain, even though all that she did was for the sake of her sister. I grew to understand her in THRONE, and to truly appreciate her, thorns and all. Her opinion of Solmir shaped my own, although I'll admit I liked him from the start. I reveled in their banter and was rooting for them the entire time. Solmir clearly cared for her from the very start, but it took time (and rightfully so!) for Neve to trust him and rely on him. The pair supported each other and their belief in the other's goodness was what enabled them to both do what needed to be done.

As I mentioned previously, THRONE introduces new characters to readers, most notably Kayu, a young woman who happens to be Neve's heir. The part she played in Red's quest for knowledge and Neve's struggle in the Shadowlands was important. Readers may have not known her as long as the others, but Whitten developed her backstory in a way that made her feel known. Kayu fit in quite well with the others, and I really enjoyed seeing her relationship develop with Raffe. I deeply admired Raffe's commitment to saving Neve, along with his steadfastness in protecting her kingdom.

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕻𝖑𝖔𝖙
However complex the plot of FOR THE THRONE is, it can be summed up through this quote: "a First and Second Daughter who loved each other so fiercely..." (rest of quote redacted to avoid spoilers). Every action taken by both Red and Neve were for each other. They both had friends and lovers, but the love each sister had for the other had the potential to either save or destroy the world. Whitten brought these strong emotions into her characters' words and actions, really enabling the reader to feel grief at the sisters' separation, hope for their happy endings, and most of all, the bond of family, whether blood or chosen. Unlike WOLF which predominantly focused on Red, FOR THE THRONE was really all of their stories—Red's and Eammon's, Raffe's and Kayu's, Fife's and Lyra's, and Neve's and Solmir's.

Despite how blown away I was with WOLF, and seeing all the snippets Whitten has been sharing on her socials, I was completely unprepared for where this book was going. The plot continually surprised me and had me devouring pages to find out what happened next. While I wouldn't call WOLF a light book, the darkness of THRONE was a stunning companion and really helped to reinforce the image of Neve as the dark balance to Red's light. I had come in with expectations of Neve and Solmir's relationship resembling the deeply romantic relationship of Red and Eammon, but that slowly crumbled as I got further into the story. While there was definitely love between Neve and Solmir, it was not romantic which was fitting given who they were individually and what they were going through together in the Shadowlands. There's nothing more I can say about the plot other than it was unexpected but altogether perfect.

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓔𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰
After reading the ending, but before starting the Epilogue, I was a little in shock. It would be insanely hard for me to criticize Whitten's writing, but I was a little upset. The plot, while completely engaging, really was all building up for a cataclysmic ending, which Whitten fully delivered. I was in absolute shock at how the conflict resolved. The aftermath, however, left me a little disappointed and desperately needing more.

But then I read the epilogue.

And everything was right in the world again. Apologies for the dramatics, but that is very much how I felt. The epilogue touched on each character's arc and ending, and was deeply satisfying. Each character had experienced great change, and would now have to learn how to live with the aftermath. Whitten acknowledged the challenge they would face, but also provided readers with hope and joy over the futures ahead of our beloved characters. Overall, bravo, Hannah.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Just like the first, a fun and immersive book! It's a great world to escape to for a few hours. Won't say more due to spoilers from both books but don't hesitate to pick it up!

**Minor spoilers for FTW**

Red and Eammon have managed the Wilderwoods, but Neve has been lost to the Shadowlands. Guided only by the once-king Solmir, can balance be restored? The incredible conclusion of the Wilderwoods, the Wolfs, gods and monsters, this book is beautifully written, enchantingly captivating, and will pull you in.

Whitten's writing continues to be incredible - witty, beautiful, and at times incredibly humorous (seriously, some of the one-liners are perfectly delivered and timed!) weaving the perfect conclusion to For the Wolf. She evokes such emotion, keeping you on the edge of your seat and sanity the whole time.

I loved the multiple perspectives and background we got on the secondary characters. The gothic vibes and fractured fairy tale scene is very well done. The romance is more steamy in this book but still generally fade-to-black.

Often I feel like in second books the first MC's are just ignored and I was worried we wouldn't get enough of Red and Eammon but that wasn't the case at all and I just fell in love with them all over again.

Highly recommend this book! Loved it!