DNF @ 35%

This hurts me. This was one of my most anticipated releases this year. I pre-ordered a physical copy and was over the moon when I received an eARC a couple days before the release date. The first couple chapters started out really strong, and I even remember thinking this could be a 5 star read for me. The magic wore off at ~100 pages in and I started getting aggravated with the drawn out exposition the clunky world building. The plot slowed, the characters dulled out, and the world felt hazy and unappealing. I've let this book sit undisturbed on my desk for over a week which is bizarre considering the synopsis convinced me to pre-order a physical copy! I may revisit this in the future but for now i dont have the energy to push through what now feels like a 2 star book when other fantasy romance books on my tbr are yelling at me to give them a chance instead.

Wow! What a fun book! This book focuses on the story of two sisters, Neve and Redarys, who are princesses. Neve is the first daughter and Redarys or Red is the second daughter. The second daughter , when she receives the mark, is sacrificed to the Wilderwood. The main story follows Red and what happens to her once she enters the Wilderwood and the secondary story follows her sister, Neve, as she tries to save Red from the Wilderwood. Adventure and romance! Would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy with a bit of romance! Look forward to the next book in the series. Happy reading!

The Wolf may claim the second daughter, but the forest demands her blood!

This book has been my most anticipated since I saw the cover late last year, a dark gothic retelling of red riding hood, and I was sold. I would recommend this book highly to anyone; it was extremely good for a debut, not perfect but so good!
Reading this book gave me many things that I wanted and extra as we see glimpses of the sister (aka the first daughter), and I could feel dread grow as I could see the manipulation being used on the first daughter in the moments we saw. The story and treat in this book was interesting, if not as dark and urgent as I wanted (the description wasn't urgent and nerve-wracking enough for me). My only other comment is that the bond between Eammon and Red was slow, I am not ashamed to say I wanted more hot, dark and heavy, but that can be for the next book!

This is a beautifully written twist on Little Red Riding Hood meets Beauty and the Beast with a sprinkle of Snow White and Rose Red. It makes my fairy tale loving heart go pitter-pat.

This is billed as an adult dark fantasy, though I can see it bridging the gap to YA readers as well - maybe it belongs somewhere in the new adult range? If I had to pin a (long-winded) label on it, I'd call it an NA dark fantasy romance. I feel like the themes of Red leaving home (at age 21) to fulfill her destiny and meet her fate, as well as Neve's storyline of coming into her power as the next ruler of their small and frozen country really fit into that being out on your own as an adult with nobody shielding you, making your own choices and dealing with the consequences that I feel is the niche that the NA category really speaks to.

At first I didn't really like the interlude chapters that give snapshots of Neve's story arc, probably because I was resentful of any time at all taken away from Red and Eammon's story and just wanted to get back to them as quickly as possible! But then as all the pieces began to fall into place, I was just drawn inexorably into this amazing, gorgeous story. I found myself shouting at Neve during her chapters (mostly "What do you think you're DOING?!")

The descriptions in this book are so lush and vivid, with characters that felt real and solid, okay, often also bloody. There were moments when I could swear I smelt the twilight green of the forest, or heard the branches rustling and leaves crackling underfoot. And then there's the interweaving of the various relationships and politics and power structures. Absolutely breathtaking.

I CANNOT WAIT for the next book, For the Throne, though the major storyline does wrap up within this first book so you could read it as a standalone if you choose.

OH MY GOD! JUST OH MY GOD! THIS WAS SO GOOD! A PERFECT READ! DEFINITELY ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITES! This was really good! From the writing style (easy to read, not hard for non-native English speakers), to the character development, to the entertainment, to romance- EVERYTHING WAS VERY VERY GOOD! Looking forward to reading other books by this author!

This story is just not for me. It feels very young adult and angsty. The plot is not making sense to me and I'm not interested enough to continue and figure it out.

The first daughter is for the kingdom, the second for the woods. Red has always known that she would be sent to the Wolf, to the woods. Due to a prior incident, she is glad to go, to protect those she loves. What she finds in the Wolf and the woods isn’t what she expected though.

For the Wolf was kind of described to me as a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, which is some ways, yes. We have Red, we have Wolf. But that’s where the similarities end, and I think it’s almost an unfortunate comparison to call this a retelling. It is it’s own standalone story with just a touch of influence. If I had of just been told about a magical story with a daughter being given to the Wolf, I woul have gone in with different expectations, and would have fallen in love with the story immediately. Instead it took me some time to separate what I was told, and what I was reading, so it took a bit to fall in love.

Thankfully though, I did fall in love with the story. Some of the characters get a little bit whiny, and I wasn’t a huge fan of all of them. There is some over the top romance that didn’t really do much for me. But the magic. Oh, the magic system. The woods were a character unto themselves, and the magic that the characters gain from it was brilliant. I loved reading about it, I loved watching them learn about it, I loved how much the magic grew as the story went. The affects of the forest, and the breeches, and the forces of good and bad playing against each other. Everything about that was wonderful, and I could read about it forever. I am glad this isn’t a standalone book, because I am very much looking forward to more of the Wilderwood.

I’ve not read the other books this has been compared to, so I can’t say much on that, other than I am curious to read those now as well. But this was a unique story with unique magic and world building that I really enjoyed. If you’re looking for a type of environmental magic system, this is one I could highly recommend. I especially recommend it if you’re a fan of romance in your fantasy books, and broody characters.

This was one of the books I was really looking forward to reading, but it just didn’t quite meet the high bar that I had set for it. There wasn’t anything specific that wasn’t good about the book, it was more that it just wasn’t a great fit for me as a reader. Here’s a little bit about why:

I went into this expecting a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but found out that it was definitely more of a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Beauty and the Beast, but I was looking forward to reading something different from the usual. I haven’t read as many Little Red Riding Hood stories, and was super hyped for it. It was more than a little misleading.

The story was super slow paced for a significant portion of the book. The beginning got me intrigued, but then once Red went into the forest, time slowed down exponentially. Any momentum was lost, and it felt like the story dragged. I stopped getting excited to pick up the book, because it was just more of the same, waiting for things to happen. The biggest break in the monotony was finding out what was going on with Neve, Red’s sister. It felt like there was so much that could have been left out without even missing anything.

Normally I don’t mind some romance, but I just didn’t truly feel a great connection between Red and the Wolf. Red’s character felt so closed off, that it was tough feeling her connect to anyone other than her sister. It was surprising to see how much of an emphasis there was between Red and the Wolf, especially when it became a main plot in the book. I had more questions about the magic and the Kings and what the priestesses were up to and the way the religion worked, but nope, instead we focused on the romance.

I guess it just boils down to the fact that I wanted … more from the story and just didn’t get it. The writing was beautiful and atmospheric, and the idea of a sentient forest was intriguing. There were a bunch of plot twists that I never saw coming, and it ended on a cliffhanger that I did see coming.

I couldn't put this book down.

Such a great story . I found it to be very well done and I now can't wait for the next book.

For the Wolf felt more like a beauty and the beast retelling where the MC is sent off to live with the wolf.

It was slow paced and lengthy which I didn't mind at all since sometimes I like slow reads.but I didn't care for the love interest as much.

I loved the MC - her bravery , determination and all that was something I loved about her.

I definitely look forward to see what else then author has in store as this story has a lot of potential.

Might be a good choice for a young adult or new adult reader who likes darker fairytales; similar in style to Uprooted by Naomi Novik or anything by Gregory Maguire.

I know it's not meant to be young adult, but it reads like a young adult fantasy to me. I was very excited to dive into this, but in a strange twist of timing I happened to start Uprooted by Naomi Novak on audiobook almost exactly when I started reading this book. They were so similar in the beginning- a girl sent into the woods as a sacrifice to a man with a mysterious name ("the Wolf" here, "the Dragon" there) where she discovers her magic and finds herself falling in love with said mysterious man- that I had to stop reading one of them because I couldn't keep them straight. Uprooted won because I was enjoying it more.

**mild spoilers below**

Overall, I thought this book was okay. The story was interesting enough, but the characters lacked depth and the writing was often clunky and repetitive. For example, the event that led Redarys to think she was a danger to her sister was alluded to so many times in the first three chapters that I wondered if that was the only backstory the characters had. I found the love story unbelievable and rushed; how convenient is it that Red didn't love the man who loved her, which freed her up to fall in love with the Wolf? Why does she even fall in love with him? Why does the whole plot, which revolves around two sisters, culminate in a big mega-boss fight between two men while the women are side-lined? Almost every heroic action Red takes is to save Eammon, and the feminist in me prefers my female-centered stories to revolve less around doing things for and because of the men in the female protagonist's life and more around her own actions and motivations. Other readers may not feel the same.

I do think that young adult/new adult readers might enjoy this book more than I did; they might be less put-off by the writing and characters than I was. Thirteen or fourteen year-old me would have loved this.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has everything I could possibly want in a novel: a dark haunted forest, religious conflict and Court intrigue, slow-burn romance, and a story about sibling love. For the Wolf is a beautiful debut. I loved it

I will say that I don’t think this book should be compared to Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale. For the Wolf leans much further into gothic horror. I think Alexis Henderson’s Year of the Witching or Uprooted by Naomi Novik is a more apt comparison.

“The First Daughter is for the throne. The Second Daughter is for the Wolf. And the Wolves are for the Wilderwood.”

For the Wolf is a lush retelling of Red Riding Hood. In a country where the second daughter is sent as a sacrifice to the Wolf in the Wilderwood, Red has known her destiny since infancy. While loved ones plead with her to evade her destiny, Red not only acknowledges it, but welcomes it. She knows her place is in the woods. To remain among her loved ones would put them all in danger. As her 20th birthday approaches, Red prepares to leave everything and everyone behind, bringing only a bag of books with her. However, everything she thought she knew—about the wolf, the Wilderwood, and the second daughters—all turns out to be wrong. This is a story about a girl with mystical powers, an enchanted forest filled with monsters, and a Wolf with legends for parents. With brief interludes to show what is happening with Neve in the castle, For the Wolf places readers under the spell of the Wilderwood—unable to leave. This book is so much more than a fairytale retelling; rather, this is a story involving sisterhood, religion and cults, romance, sharing burdens, and bargaining for the well-being of others. With rich imagery, this story is told with words but echoes in the mind of the reader.

Marketed for fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale, Whitten’s For the Wolf is everything I ever wanted. I saw some parallels to A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the Wolf reminded me of the Dragon from Uprooted. This may be a Red Riding Hood retelling on the surface (i.e. red cloak and the wolf), but it definitely reads more as a Beauty and the Beast retelling (without it being a case of Stockholm syndrome). The end is wrapped up well while at the same time having a cliffhanger. I very much look forward to reading the sequel, For the Throne, to find out what happens with Red and Neve.

Really enjoyed this dark, bloody adult fantasy!

This is a gory retelling of Red Riding hood with fantastic world building, and a memorable female lead in Red. Her strength, in spite of all the rumors and mistrust she grew up with, was fantastic, and I loved watching her grow. I appreciated the slow burn romance between the leads and I'm glad the author didn't rush things along with them.

Just be aware that this is a really dark and bloody retelling, including self-harm cutting practices for magic, which I skimmed over those parts.

Also there were some parts in the middle that got a little confusing as to what exactly was happening.

Overall this was a well-made dark fantasy, and I look forward to seeing what happens next!

Trigger warnings: magic system involves self-harm(cutting), gore, parental neglect

Thank you Netgalley for the ebook arc.

I am not normally a fan of Beauty and the Beast, but For the Wolf delivers these vibes in an intriguing way! The romantic tension, the plant and dark magic, the friendships within the castle - all of it entranced me. While it's slower paced than I expected - and something that you might wanna prepare yourself for - once I adjusted I was obsessed. The world building, in particular the magic, just captured my intrigue. There is magic running through Red's veins with darkness, a potentially destructive force that keeps the shadows at bay. But also a magic she will have to learn to embrace, or else.

Entrenched in secrets, Red must figure out what she is willing to sacrifice for love, her future, and the kingdom. The forest truly becomes its own character in For the Wolf and is oozing with intrigue and darkness. Whitten is just getting started with the promises of this magic and the last chapters had my heart racing! Another favorite element had to be the slow burn romance. I'm not going to lie, some scenes had me almost shaking Red, but it all came together with yearning and tension. If you have the patience for slower romance story lines, then this will be perfect for you!

This YA fantasy adventure/romance plays off of expectations set by Little Red Riding Hood, with a lot of additional support from Beauty and the Beast. Refreshingly, it throws away the most grating aspects of that trope—the romantic hero here isn't gruff or thoughtless, doesn't coerce our heroine's magically-imposed presence, and in fact, out of concern for her, attempts to immediately send her home. What a delightful twist—and how weird to realize that a considerate love interest seems like a twist! The absorbing magical romance plays out against a backdrop of religious fervor and political machinations, and the whole thing is much cooler and more layered than I was expecting. I'm not even mad about having to wait for a sequel!

Agothic-style adult fiction that reimagines Little Red Riding Hood. It is twisted, a decent mystery to keep you going, and a magical world that combines myth, folklore, and fairytale.

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose-to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he’ll return to the world’s captured gods. Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can’t control, at least she knows that in the Wildwood, she can’t hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn’t learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wildwood-and her world-whole.

Review
For a debut novel, I believe that Whitten has done a fairly decent job. It isn’t easy to take characters and themes from a fairy tale and transform them into an altogether new fiction. With this regard, I found the characterizations and their psyches fascinating. The plot is well-paced and keeps you curious and engaged adequately. There was a musical touch to the narrative as the magic woven into the tale plays on the mind.

Verdict
Not really a page-turner by definitely a book that keeps you going. Pick it up if you love magical tales. Go for it!

"The sounds of rush and ruin collected, became a bellow and the Wilderwood lunged."

If the premise sounds a bit like that of Uprooted, don't worry. I thought the same thing! There are definitely similar beginnings, but the story unfolds in a much different way. I think my favorite thing about this story is how it took the fairy tale you know and then evolved it to be this much bigger world with much higher stakes.

By the way, it's not Red Riding Hood. I mean, there are the red cloak, Wolf and woods themes, but it's really Beauty and the Beast. And not a hideously ew, why does she even like this terrible person/aggressive jerk way. It was an exquisitely romantic read.

But wait, there's more! Action and villains and interesting side characters and subplots and magic. The MAGIC. Think Throne of Glass as far as worldbuilding. Yeah. I cannot believe this is the beginning of a series and you know what? Found your audience right here.

“𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲.”—Hannah Whitten

Red is born a second daughter to the crown, and that means by the age of twenty, she must submit herself to the Wilderwood and let it claim her. She can feel its dangerous magic in her core, humming, calling to her. What’s more, she wants it. She wants to escape the world and the danger she poses, even if those who love her are willing to do anything to keep her from it. She gives herself over to the Wolf. He can tell she’s different from the second daughters who’ve come before. Perhaps different enough to save them. But something dark stirs in the trees, and Red’s sacrifice might not be enough.

Among the Beasts and Briars meets Beauty and the Beast in this tale of one woman’s sacrifice to the Wilderwood. I was intrigued from the first page. This story is best described as a dark fairytale. An enchanted wood, an evil that threatens to consume it, and a dash of romance, all crafted on the backbone of a Beauty and the Beast storyline. There’s even a hint of Little Red Ridinghood, but nothing like the story you’re used to.

This was a fun read! Not quite what I expected, but still fun. It follows three main characters, Neve, Red, and the Wolf. Each was unique, well crafted, and imperfect. I loved their struggles and the twin sisterhood bond between Neve and Red. However, Neve’s character frustrated me …a lot. Mainly because Red asked Neve to let her go, for reasons that Neve didn’t understand, and Neve wouldn’t accept that. It was Neve’s meddling that put Red in so much danger once she entered the forest. I understand why Neve did it, but it still irked me.

I adore woodland settings, especially with enchanted woods and a threat of evil. The Wilderwood had a mind of its own, and the darkness threatening to destroy it was ominous. Where did the darkness come from, you might wonder? Well, that’s up for contention. The people of Valleyda believe the wood itself is inherently evil. It is said that the Wilderwood trapped five kings within, and that only the sacrifice of a second daughter can free them. But every legend has two sides. And this one might not be the correct one.

Red enters the Wilderwood hoping she is worthy enough to free the kings. Hoping that her sacrifice will matter. While three previous second daughters were sacrificed long before Red’s time, something in her makes her different. I loved the way she and the Wolf were forced to work together to protect the wood, but eventually, even that wasn’t enough. She was forced to discover what the difference was between her and the other second daughters. And eventually come to understand the power of choice. Once that happened, she was forced to MAKE her own choice.

“𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀…𝗜 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗹𝗳, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱.”—Hannah Whitten

While the romance and plot was slow in starting, I loved Red and the Wolf’s dynamic once it did. I appreciated the way Red fought for the Wolf. She didn’t simply back down each time he asked her to. She wasn’t willing to let him suffer for her sake.

“𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗯 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆𝗱𝗮. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗸𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲’𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗸. 𝗔𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲’𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗶𝘁—𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀—𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀.”—Hannah Whitten

While this was a bit more YA than adult, it was a lovely read. It ends on a little bit of a cliff hanger. So I’ll definitely be picking up the next book “For the Throne” when it comes out. Can’t wait to see what happens. I’d say this story will be perfect for anyone who loves the Beauty and the Beast storyline, dark woodland settings, sister bonds, and strong female MCs. 𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝟰/𝟱⭐️

A big thank you to Orbit for providing me a publication copy in advance for an honest review.

“The first daughter is for the throne
The second daughter is fit the wolf.
And the wolves are for the wilderwood.”

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this!

Everyone has accepted Reds fate to the legendary wolf including red herself who has been drawn to the woods for year's. Everyone that is but her first love and her sister. Both refuse to accept Red's fate. But their outrage goes unanswered as Red's fate is sealed.


I loved the romance in this novel, Eammon is amazing. A little rough around the edges but all the best characters are.
And red is fierce and relentless I love her. One of the best things about this novel is the atmosphere, the writing is as alive as the words themselves. I'll end this review here otherwise I might give too much away but I loved this novel.