Talk about an absolutely breathtaking book. The writing alone was enough to make me fall in love - and then you add a brilliant plot and swoon-worthy characters and it’s everything I could possibly ask for in a fantasy novel.

I was fascinated by the Beauty and the Beast-esque retelling that morphed into something entirely its own as the story went on. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect next and I loved every second of it. It was unpredictable and gripping!

The magic system was phenomenally creative. I mean, blood magic isn’t uncommon in fantasy - but blood and earth magic combined into something dark and vicious but also beautiful??? Now that is incredible!

I was absolutely shocked and pleasantly surprised to read a BatB retelling that didn't have a manipulative, possessive, or even abusive "beast" character. Eammon was a consent king and I appreciated every minute of it.

It got to the point where even when I would wind up slightly confused by what was happening, I still absolutely had to know what came next. It had me on the edge of my seat.

Now, I’m desperate to know what kind of wood and shadow will follow Red, Eammon, Neve, and the rest of the cast into the next book.

[CW: Graphic: Blood, Death, and Self harm, Moderate: Death of parent and Torture, Minor: Cursing and Sexual content]

This book intrigued me but the execution was too prosy for me, and I can't always focus on high fantasy narratives. I didn't finish the book but what I read of it is well-written and interesting, and I may come back to it eventually! DNF (but will probably read at some point)

This books stradles the line between 3 and 4 stars for me! While the formula was pretty typical of YA, the relationships saved it for me. Both the one between Eamon and Red and the sisterly bond between Red and Neve. Sometimes, duel pov's can be hard, but this managed to hook me into both story lines eventually. I felt Red's was stronger, but Neve's picked up speed in the second half. Definitely looking forward to the sequel!

I am in love with this book. Completed in a few days. It's filled with action packed magic and a slow burn romance. I really enjoyed that this had magic and story centric plot. Also that it switched character views in chapters between them. Felt like I was reading multiple sides of a story of a world that is complex. Also that romance wasn't the main plot but enough to keep me very interested and wanted a happy ending.

Monsters in the woods, prophesies, and creepy forests? Sign me up for a good time.

For the Wolf is inspired by a number of different fairy tales as well as new lore original to the world. With the iconic red cloak and a monstrous wolf in the forest, the story has strong “Little Red Riding Hood” vibes. But it’s also got elements of “Beauty and the Beast” with the romantic relationship and the setting once Red enters the Wilderwood. I was honestly expecting talking teacups to appear at any moment, though there is an excellent library for all your goblincore dreams.

This is a solid debut novel. There were some moments where the plot dragged a bit or characters did stupid things. But they didn’t bother me that much and I really enjoyed reading For the Wolf. Whitten did a great job at bringing the atmosphere of the Wilderwood to life and I really enjoyed the development of the romantic relationship. No spoilers but there were some angsty moments where I had to pause and make a cup of tea.

Would totally recommend this book for anyone who loves fairytales and unique retellings of them, creepy castles in haunted forests, and a tender, brooding love interest.

Unfortunately I DNF this book at about 30%. I honestly couldn’t get into the plot and found Neve’s point of view more interesting.

First I would like to thank NetGalley for sending me this E-arc!✨

"I would let the world burn before I hurt you"

- The First Daughter is for the throne👑
- The second Daughter is for the Wolf🐺
- and the Wolf is for the Wilderwood🌲

I went into this book with a really good feeling about liking it. Little red ridding hood meets beauty and the beast!

I really enjoyed the concept of the first daughter/second daughter and what it means to be each. We do get the POV of both of the daughters which I wasn't anticipating but I am glad we got. Our two sisters are Redarys and Neverah aka Red and Neve. We are in the town/kingdom of Valleyda which backs up to the Wilderwood. These woods are quite alive.

We soon meet Eammon and hello SWOON. I loved him from the start. This man smells PERFECT. Books, Coffee, and fall leaves. SIGN ME UP. Eammon and Red's relationship is a slow burn. So if you were looking for enemies to lovers this ain't it. (I enjoyed the slow burn and I think their relationship is beautiful). He is super respectful; hello we love a consent king. He is also super selfless... ugh I loved him.

It seems that the people of Valleyda are always hoping for their kings back (hence they sacrifice the second daughter). Their kings are in the Wilderwoods prison aka called the Shadowlands. Yeah... sounds like we shouldn't bring them back from a place like that. Do they succeed? Read to find out...

There are a lot of passionate people in this book. That makes them blind and they often end up paying the price for it.

The world building was really cool and I enjoyed it. I would LOVE a map for the second book because it was hard to visualize location of everything.

"Maybe I don't mind them thinking I'm a monster"

Please PLEASE look at the trigger warnings. There are a lot of mentions of cutting ones self.

Congrats to the author on this fantastic debut novel!! Can't wait to read more! ❤️

was it perfect? no. was it wonderful? spectacular? show-stopping? no. no. no. but it sure was entertaining! there were certain small elements that kept me from giving a higher rating, like how they refer to each other. it would’ve been a lot more meaningful if they had called each other “redarys” and “wolf” in the beginning and then switched to “red” and “eammon” unless it’s like an emotional moment, but they switch back and forth all the time and that takes the meaning out of it. the twists were a little predictable but it was still super fun to read and I’m hooked enough to read the sequel when it comes out.

This book wasn't necessarily bad, but it wasn't exactly good either. The overall atmosphere was interesting and I enjoyed the writing, but the actual story fell rather flat for me. I honestly didn't care about a single one of the characters beyond a superficial level. Red's entire story felt very circular in so far as she kept on complaining about the same things and no progress was ever really made. Neve was almost interesting, but her character developed at such an odd pace that it was hard to actually care about what was going on with her. Many of the side characters were interesting but still felt rather one-dimensional. I couldn't quite understand the timeframe, because it all seemed very quick but Red and Eammon moved rather quickly if that was the case. A lot of aspects of the story were hypothetically really exciting to read, but nothing ever seemed quite developed enough. I felt like at times, it was using the fact that it is vaguely a Beauty and the Beast retelling as a crutch and was too afraid to really venture further out of that idea. I feel like I've been complaining a lot in this review and it honestly wasn't a bad book, I just felt like a lot more could've been done with the story.

Dnf at 62%. I tried so hard to finish this since it was an ARC and I love fairy tale retellings but the story and the characters really didn’t grab me. It was unclear to me why and how the characters kept doing what they were doing and I found it hard to stay invested.

I agree with others that this is a solid 3.5. I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It has all of the ingredients for a compelling story, and it did keep me reading. Although the obvious base is Red Riding Hood, there are elements of other stories; Beauty and the Beast, Snow White (although the 'queen' role is taken by the protagonist's sister and altered somewhat for the narrative), even a couple of nods to Sleeping Beauty. However, as some others have commented, the world building is occasionally laboured and repetitive, and there are times that I felt it was the author, rather than the narrative, that was holding back information. It's something that should have been untangled by a good editor, so it's a shame, as the story is solid, and the reweaving of well-worn tales is clever. Despite all of this, I am curious about the second instalment, and will read it, though I'd like to see tighter editing on the next volume.

I was really excited for this book. I love fantasy. I love fairy tale retellings. I loved the premise. However, it just didn't work for me. The first 50 pages really sucked me in, but then after that I just got bored. There was so much world building and explanation that the story just got drowned out.

CW: death of parents, violence, grief, blood (knives/cutting on page depictions/details - not self harm related)

For the Wolf was an intriguing and entertaining fantasy novel. I was instantly drawn into the story and the magical Wilderwood. The cast of characters was varied and complex and I loved that their individual motivations weren’t always black and white. That tangled morally grey area where there are no clear winners or losers and there is always a price to be paid.

I really enjoyed how the relationship evolved between Red and the Wolf and the book definitely gave off Beauty and the Beast vibes, even though the imagery was more Little Red Riding Hood. I also loved the secondary characters, Lyra and Fife, and appreciated how family/found families were such a large part of the story. The initial pacing of the book was on the slower side as the world and magic were outlined and established, but things really started to pick up in the second half. I enjoyed the interlude chapters that gave us updates and glimpses into what was happening in Valleydan as well. I felt that the majority of the main conflict was resolved in the book, so I wouldn’t classify the ending as a cliffhanger, but there are definitely plot points that are unfinished and will (hopefully) be answered in For the Throne. Please also check the CW’s, as some of the events and details may be upsetting for some readers.

*I voluntarily read a review copy of this book*

I listened to the Audible audiobook

For the Wolf reminded me of Red Riding hood, a bit of beauty and the beast, A Curse so Dark and Lonely (which is a B&B retelling), and some From Blood and Ash vibes as well with her being "set apart from birth" for a special purpose and the Wolf reminding me of Hawke. But, I liked him more than Hawke so-yay! I also felt there was a nod to LOTR with some characters we meet later who are good with a bow and arrow and have silver hair and intricate braids.

Usually, with all this mixture of elements that remind me of other books, I get frustrated and annoyed but not this time!

I think that's because For the Wolf didn't feel like a bunch of stuff thrown in just for the fun of it. I could tell it was well thought out and everything made sense and wasn't copy-catting other stories. I love the writing style and how natural the world-building and plot progression felt. I had the urgency to keep going just like I always do with my favorite reads. I enjoyed it and I'll be looking forward to the next one. Wish it was ready to read now!

I really enjoyed this take on beauty & the beast. The pacing was a bit off in some places but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. Redarys is a great main character, it was refreshing to have a lead born into a life others fear and not constantly whine about it. She knew her fat and she did what she had to do to protect her people and then her new family. Will pick up from this author again.

I don’t know what I was expecting going into this book, but this was not it. I was pleasantly surprised, but I was also really confused most of the time. This was definitely a slow burn novel. It takes a while for the reader to really understand what’s really going on in this world. I enjoyed the romance storyline, but I’m still not sure what was going on in that forest. I think I liked the idea of this book more than the actual book. If you enjoy a dark, romantic fantasy then check this one out!

Thank you to ReadForever Pub and NetGalley for this gifted copy!

When Redarys, second daughter of Valleyda, is sacrificed to the Wolf of the Wilderwood, she learns that the Wilderwood is a lot different than she expected. After the sacrifice, her twin sister Neve will do anything to bring her sister back.

Overall, the book was okay. It was creepy and the alternative take on the fairy tale was intriguing. I don’t usually go for fairy tale renditions, but it really wasn’t reliant on the fairy tale if you’re worried about that. I think the world building could use a bit of clarification, as it seemed that some loose ends weren’t tied up or characters were underdeveloped. This book did take me awhile to get through, but I was super burnt out from work in June so I don’t think that’s entirely attributed to the book, but it also wasn’t a page turner. I found the pace quite slow which meant I found myself wanting to pick up other books instead of this one. It did feel a bit repetitive in certain parts and the middle part of the book dragged on, but I decided to push through and finish it. The ending did pick up in pace a little, but ultimately the whole plot line fell flat for me. In conclusion, it didn’t quite do it for me, but it might do it for you.

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

Initially intrigued by the premise of the story, I didn't realize it was a YA story and found myself unwilling to move past the first chapter or so. May not be great timing?

This was so much more than I hoped for. It was a Little Red Riding Hood retelling like no other. The way the author weaved the two worlds together felt like I was reading a fairy tale of old. Can't wait for more in the series.

I really enjoyed this! I wasn't expecting the plot to be as romance driven as it was and that was a very nice surprise. There is not nearly enough romantic fantasy out there, imo. I thought that I was getting a dark-fantasy/fairytale retelling but this is a love story set in a Euro-inspired fantasy world full of magic and courtly intrigue and complicated family dynamics. And a forest that is alive. The Wilderwood and the atmosphere it creates is one of my favorite parts of this book. This book is the beginning of a series and I am excited to read the next and see where the story goes. I do think there is even more potential with the second book because the weakest parts of this one, for me, were the world-establishing bits, so with that out of the way the potential increases. Also, the next book will focus on Neve and she is an interesting character who could be more 3-dimensional and well-developed than Red ends up being.
If you like romantic fantasy give it a go! If you are looking for dark fantasy and/or don't like to mix your romance and fantasy, this is maybe not for you.