DNF at 45%

I was initially very excited for this re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood. The cover is beautiful, and who doesn't like a dark fantasy retelling? While I was immediately pulled into this book, about 1/3 of the way through I started to get bored. I felt that the plot dragged, and there was way more descriptive writing than action. While some of the writing was lush and beautiful, I felt there was too much of that, and not enough plot. I will say, the idea of the forest in this book--and the trees that are out for Red's blood--was my favorite part. It was a truly evil forest that I could picture perfectly.

While this book wasn't for me, I know many readers who enjoy descriptive writing, fantastical worlds, and political intrigue who would absolutely love this book. I'll be sure to recommend it to them!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher!

What a deliciously dark twist on a fairytale! The writing was great and face paced. It kept me wanting more and MORE! If life hadn't got in the way, I probably would of devoured thia book in a day.

I loved Red and Eammon together. The two side characters were great, too. I'd like to read more on their back story. It would make great novellas for the series. I also loved the magic and the atmosphere of the woods. I could picture exactly what the author was describing. It's written and described in a way that without much effort- the woods come alive. Literally.

I am looking forward to book two for sure!
Definitely recommend.

I really wanted to love this book. I was very excited to read it, but for me it fell flat. It couldn't hold my interest and ended up feeling more like work for me to get through it than something enjoyable. I am so happy to see others are enjoying it because the writing is good quality, it just wasn't grabbing me for some reason. I couldn't connect to the characters enough to care about their stories and journeys. The magic system felt confusing to me and the world building made things a bit boring for me at times. I have a feeling this book is building the foundations for the second book which will probably knock everyone's socks off because, like I said before, the writing is of good quality. I wish I could have enjoyed the ride a bit more than I did.

i loved the writing style and the characters. the politics were very interesting as well. I follow the author on instagram and like their posts. it's very much my aesthetic. anyway, i hope more people pick up this book

'Little Red Riding Hood' meets 'Beauty and the Beast' 3.5

Redarys has grown up knowing that her life is not her own. She is a Second Daughter, the cursed sibling that is destined for the Wolf--a mythical creature who tends to the mysterious and dangerous Wilderwood forest. Despite her sister Neverah's wishes for her to run, Red enters the forest on her 20th birthday as the sacrifice owned to the forest and the Wolf. However, the Wolf is not some grotesque beast destined to kill her, but a severe yet handsome man named Eammon who tends to the Wilderwood's needs--typically in blood. With her deep hidden magic, Red hopes to help Eammon in his task in healing the Wilderwood and possibly heal him as well.

Starting slow, but ending with a fantastic finish "For the Wolf" by Hannah Whitten was a delightful fantasy that has me hoping for more! With a little seasoning for those who crave spice, slow-burn-to-lovers trope alert. Overall, would definitely recommend to any fantasy lover and lover of fairy tale retellings.

For whatever reason, my dumb ass thought this was a standalone (cue the obvious, but laurel, it says right in the title that this is book 1!). Look. I never claimed to be smart or observant.

This was enjoyable, although it dipped into purple prose quite often, and the romance between Red and Eammon felt flat and rushed to me, and I really, really felt like it could have been pruned back a good hundred pages.

But still enjoyable!

Definitely note that this is not YA.

I desperately wanted to like this book. I did. Other reviewers raved about it online and persuaded me to request an advance copy of For the Wolf (thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books, for providing me with an ARC), which ended up languishing on my Kindle app for a month before I finally gave in.

This book contains everything that usually attracts me: a romance that shouldn't work, a dark fairytale retelling, a vaguely historical setting. But it left much to be desired, in its plot, its writing, and its world building.

My biggest issue is the world building. Whitten throws her reader in the deep end with For the Wolf's complicated world, which not only involves a complex magic system but also a complex political system. My head is still spinning from trying to untangle the intricacies of the Wilderwood. Whitten's writing style also adds to the confusion; the dual point of view between Red and Neve blurs the focus of the story and expands the novel's world to the point of bursting.

I also didn't find the characters outside the Wilderwood particularly compelling. Neve appears rather two-dimensional throughout her entire quest, and the actions of those outside the Wilderwood are frustratingly predictable. I would have preferred the entire story to be focused on Red and the Wolf.

Finally, the ending was far too clean for me. Had the ending been a little more ambiguous (or had I liked Neve more), I would have seriously considered picking up the next book upon its release. However, Whitten neatly ended this novel, and I don't find the state of affairs as they currently stand to be compelling enough for me to continue the series. That being said, I know some other readers absolutely adore For the Wolf, and I encourage everyone to give it a try.

A more complete version of this review, with spoilers, can be found on my blog, lelivreenrose.weebly.com.

A huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my complimentary copy.

This is the most riveting Red Riding Hood retelling I've ever read. The world building is rich and intricate, the heroine is fierce and independent, and the hero is wonderful.

Redalys is the Second Daughter. She has known her fate her entire life. She will be left in the woods- a sacrifice that will bring about the salvation of her people. The forest will swallow her- just as it has devoured all of the Second Daughters that came before her.

But Red finds a piece of quiet and sanctuary in the midst of the wood. She meets a tall, scarred stranger who is neither a villain nor the fearsome monster of legend. She learns that she wields the same kernel of power he does, and that her fate is completely entwined with that of the Wildwood.

The truth is far more complex than the stories she has been spoonfed. And there are those who want to bury and obscure it. As Red and Eammon fall in love, they learn what true sacrifice is and the power it has to change everything.

This story has a total gothic feel to it with lots of blood and shadows to go around. Red is determined to fulfill her destiny as a sacrifice to the weird killer forest, but find herself not only obligated to stay and fix what her ancestors had messed up but for the love of Eammon, the Wolf/ Warden of WIlderwood. Amidst her internal struggle with her magic and her feelings for the broody man who lives in the creepy wood, but her sister is scheming to find a way to rescue Red and ends up messing things up a whole lot more than she ever thought possible. But she had good intentions, you see. You can't fault her for that.

Awesome YA read, that felt more adult in some places then YA. This fantasy novel was so delicious. It’s not my usual genre so it was a fun adventure into something new for me!

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Listen, when someone says there’s a new retelling you know what I immediately do? ADD THE THING TO MY TBR. It’s both a Beauty and the Beast retelling AND a Red Riding Hood retelling. Like, YES. 1000x yes. I am here for any and all fantasy retellings with a good dose of romance and danger and doom.

Red is such a compelling character. She has been neglected and silenced all her life since she’s only intended to be a sacrifice to save the people, and nothing more. We meet her when she’s very much resigned to her fate, and even longs for it as she’s full of self-hatred. To see her journey and growth from owning her anger, claiming her story and re-writing it was powerful and compelling. She’s been told for too long she doesn’t matter beyond the purpose she will serve for the kingdom. And she’s afraid of the power running through her veins.

The magic system is blood magic, though it’s also very much tied to nature. I enjoy when books are so rooted in the setting so much so that the setting is almost a character itself. The prose feeds into that, which I really enjoyed. I just love nature, and books that both celebrate it and use it to add complexity or even darkness are my cup of tea.

The characters Red meets are just as riveting as she is. From the others in the Wolf’s domain to the Wolf himself. It made the story feel rich and fleshed out to have characters with unique and interesting backgrounds. And that leads me to the romance. *sighs happily*. It’s so cute. Like, the moment the characters first interacted I shipped them. From their sweet moments to their spicy moments, all were very much appreciated by me.

Where the book really dragged for me is the pacing and the repetitive nature of the plot. There are only so many times I can read essentially the same instance of magic or practicing magic and not wonder…where is this going? Where is the plot the book began with? The book felt way too long because of this, which is such a shame because aside from this I was really into it.

"For the Wolf" is a good retelling of two popular fairytales, with darkness, mystery, drama, and romance filling the pages. The ending was intense, and left an interesting opening for the sequel. But sadly a good portion of the novel dragged once Red enters the Wilderwood, filled with repetitive scenes that made the plot feel stagnant. Aside from that, however, I was really interested in the characters’ journeys, the political and magical conflicts, and of course the love story. If this sounds like your kind of book, I wish you happy reading!

Thank you so so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

For the Wolf follows Red, a second daughter of the King and Queen in a land where second daughters are for the Wolf. Meaning that she is to go into the Wildwood on the perimeter of her kingdom as a sacrifice to the mythical Wolf who maintains the forest. After her sister, Neve, promises to find a way to release her Red begrudgingly goes into the forest to meet her fate. Who/What is this Wolf Red finds herself offered to? And why is the forest seeping with decay and rot? Find out in the first in a new series, For The Wolf.

Guys, I cannot give this book enough stars. I cannot believe this is a debut! The characters are so spectacularly developed, the world is so rich with magic(which comes with a price!), and the plot is just *chef's kiss*. Red is the heroine you always hope for in novels but seldomly get. She is motivated by her fate, NOT mopey. The Wolf is such a complex onion of a character, and to delve too deep into who it is would do you an injustice. I'll leave it with I can't wait to see more of the dear Wolf and what they have in store AND to offer this world. Neve, Red's older sister, has a part to play in this story as well rather than being left behind. She seeks guidance from a local priestess in hopes of finding a way to free Red. Shenanigans and plots ensue in a world with exquisite magics, even dangerous ones.

If I could be so bold: Five thousand stars for this read. It's by far my favorite read of the year, knocking Bloodsworn down to second. I recommend this story for all readers willing to take on the daunting task of this monster, just be prepared to have the hunger of a Wolf for the sequel.

"Before her, a staircase, moss covering the first few steps, leading up to a balcony ringing the top of the tower. She could barely make out the impression of vines through the shadows, twining over the railing, dripping toward the floor."

A revisioning of Little Red in an extremely magical, alive forest. The world building of FOR THE WOLF was deep like the earth, twining like vines, and fresh like moss. I enjoyed the world and all the colors and smells and textures.

I did not connect with the characters or their relationships, though. The characters are strong and interesting, the romantic relationship a slow build (which I like)--and, it's a sister story (which I enjoy). But, I just didn't connect deeply with them; I just didn't get involved. I think the pacing was a bit slow for me and perhaps there weren't enough characterizing decisions. It was as if the characters simply reacted to the story versus the characters CREATING the story, the characters' decisions fueling the outcomes. I guess it just lacked a bit of life and fire within the characters, for me.

This is a highly personal, subjective perspective, though. I think many will connect with the characters. The world building truly is lovely and for that I recommend it.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book. It wasn’t keeping me interested. I was able to push myself to the 10% mark but just couldn’t keep going on like that. I just don’t think I was able to connect with the writing style

"The first daughter is for the Throne. The second daughter is for the Wolf." Red has always known she would disappear into the Wilderwood when she turned nineteen. Though she's angry and bitter, mysterious events have driven her to accept this fate. Her sister, destined to rule, will do anything to bring her home. The fate of the Wilderwood and of the world rests on the hearts and whims of these twins separated by a centuries-old bargain.

For the Wolf is brimming with rich, terrifying descriptions of the Wilderwood—gothic and nightmarish, but beautiful. I didn't know I needed so much gloriously creepy nature gore in my life until I read For the Wolf and The Jasmine Throne almost back-to-back. I feel spoiled to have read two such distinctive takes on a shared theme. Where The Jasmine Throne went for a sublime tone, of surrendering the self to power, For the Wolf went grotesque, with the feeling of dragging power from a reluctant force tooth and nail. That force was the Wilderwood, almost a character in its own right. Thanks to the haunting writing, I cared about the Wilderwood, about its goals and its wellbeing, almost more than I cared about anyone else. From bone-white trees to blood sacrifice to gothic crumbling castle, the setting was intensely atmospheric.

I had a few criticisms. Eammon, for one, was alluring, but he felt like the exoskeleton of an incredible three-dimensional character; complete on the outside, but hollow. There are simply not enough conversations to have built his relationship with Red thoroughly.

Neve's story is told through short interludes. Red’s story had moments of repetition and melodrama, while Neve’s was rich with dark imagery and layered circumstances that felt under-explored. I wish Neve had been a fully developed POV in her own right. The strength was that the contrast between Red and Neve—their emotional states, their internal journeys, their goals and plans—heightened the themes of each of their storylines and added tension to the plot.

Despite its flaws, I loved For the Wolf. It's well worth the read, and is excellent for YA readers entering Adult SFF. I'll be picking up book two as soon as it comes out!

3.5/5
This book is advertised to be a Red Riding Hood retelling, which made me so excited! I love the Red Riding Hood! Well it should have been advertised that the magic system is like Red Riding Hood for the beginning of the book, and the true fairytale inspiration is Beauty and the Beast. This caused my enjoyment of the book to decrease and made me not want to read the book. If I would have read this book without being told any fairytale inspiration I would have absolutely loved this book, but because I was told this was a Red Riding Hood retelling I was disappointed it was not.
Basically, the first daughter will be Queen, the second daughter must be sacrificed to the Wolf. We learn that the kingdom’s beliefs are not as true as they think they are, only the people within the woods know the full truth. I thought the magical woods were an interesting choice and could have helped to give Red Riding Hood vibes. The Beauty and the Beast vibes are present because essentially the main character is trapped with the Beast (AKA the Wolf) and there is a magical ‘curse’ that must be solved. Red Riding Hood involves a little girl traveling to Grandmother’s house in the woods with treats, where we have a troublesome Wolf cause chaos and typically a lumberjack. Those elements were not present in the book, sure we have the main character having to travel in the woods to the Wolf, but in Red Riding Hood the Wolf is supposed to be a character that causes issues.
The magic system is interesting. The characters are interesting. The presentation as Red Riding Hood is meh. I am interested in reading the second book because I want to see where the story will go.

I loved the cover for this book. Originally I thought this was going to be a little red riding hood retelling but it ended up being more beauty and the beast. The characters were okay but I felt like they were just a little flat. We didn't get to know much about them other than he's the "wolf" and she's the sacrifice. Their love for eachother seemed to grow very fast almost insta love. I enjoyed seeing the perspectives of both her and her sister back at the palace. The magic system in this book could have been explained a little bit better as I found it confusing at times. The ending for this book was a surprise and left on a cliffhanger. I'm interested in seeing how the characters grow and change in book two.

I just could not get into this book. Originally I was intrigued by the main character and the world she exists in. However, the slow pace of the book and the over-written nature of the content was just too much to overcome. The prose was overly detailed and the imagery was tiresome rather than enchanting. The plot was ultimately not that interesting, and the characters were not that engaging. It felt like a bunch of people in a contest to see who could be the most masochistic, and it become so repetitive that I was actually bored. Dark fantasy, moody haunted forest with a mind of its own…it just fell flat for me. The actual writing didn’t live up to my hopes for the story.

Dark, haunting, chilling and so flippin' good it hurts! I really enjoyed the experience of reading FOR THE WOLF. It's one of those books that you want to start all over again the moment you finish the last page. Needless to say, Hannah Whitten has a new fan!

I really enjoyed this dark, richly imagined world where the Big Bad Wolf isn’t exactly what you were always told. This novel has the classic dark and brooding male love interest, the heroine who doesn’t need any man to save her, and a few evil villains added to the mix. It's exactly my type of book. The pace is slow with rich detail and I felt really immersed in the fantasy world. Great world building IMO. The story book struck a perfect balance between three dimensional characters and a forest that literally came alive!