The first daughter is for the throne. The second is for the wolf.

This book had all the things I love in a book Dark Magic, Romance, mystery, & interesting main characters.

Twins Neve & Red were born in a world where one would rule Valleyda and the other would be a sacrifice for the wolf. Neve was destined to rule while Red must be brought to the wolf in the Wilderwood. Where the wolf isn't a monster but a man that is just as trapped in the curse as the sisters.

We go on the journey of finding out how the curse and the magic that binds it work.

The Magic system was interesting in the fact that magic exists from The Wilderwood but is also wielded by the protectors of the woods through blood magic (which could be a trigger due to the need for cutting).

I love a good romance especially if the romance has a forced marriage. I like to see the struggle of watching the characters falling in love.

This story has a gothic horror vibe. So if you love suspense & gothic magic. This story is for you.

I would recommend this book if you love a Little Red Riding Hood with a twist of Beauty & the Beast retelling.

The first thought that comes to mind about this book is that it is wonderfully unique. Intended to be a Red Riding Hood retelling, this story gives me more Beauty and the Beast vibes, and the mixture of the two classics is beautifully handled. The writing is fantastic and magical, and the world is vast and mysterious. Red is plunged into a mystical forest with a figure she’s only ever heard of in stories and tales, only to find that what she knew wasn’t exactly all there was to the story at all. Slow paced and a bit packed with information, this book was a refreshing read from start to finish.

My complaints lie in the magic system and world building, which forced me to take away a star. It was all a bit confusing, and the world could have really used a map to help the reader visualize the many different locations named in this kingdom. The magic system, while unique, left a lot of questions unanswered.

I’m eagerly awaiting the second book in this series, and will definitely be grabbing a copy!

Synopsis

Quite the fantasy here! Red is the second born to the queen, meaning she would be given to the wolf of Wilderwood Forest to protect the people and hopefully bring back the five kings who are locked there. Neve, the firstborn daughter, will become queen one day.This is the way of Valleyda. Even though Neve and Red are twins, this is the way it has always been and there doesn’t seem to be any way to change it.

The craziest part is that Wilderwood is not just a forest. It is alive, locking in the people who were there when it was cut off years ago. The forest has to be cared for to keep the shadows from making their way out, as they are dangerous. The wolf is in charge of keeping the shadows at bay, even though it takes a toll on him. Blood is shed in the process.

Red faces the day where she is given to the Wilderwood as her sister vows to get her out somehow. Red makes her way through the woods as it tears at her, until she comes to a rather odd home, rather a continuation of the forest itself. She finds the truth here. The wolf is a man, and she learns more about the facts of Wilderwood as she works to help the wolf contain the shadows with the help of the forest’s power. During all this, her sister is working with others to bring Red home, but many pay a price for that.

My Thoughts

Holy Guacamole! Hannah Whitten has a mythical mind to write a fantasy like this. There was so much going on throughout the entire book, that it was hard to keep up at times. A living forest, people with the power of the forest in them, moving trees, visible changes to people, characters with emotion, characters without emotion, and mystery galore are what you can expect in For the Wolf. And get this, it isn’t the end. There is a little taste of the next book at the end.
It was a bit of a slow start, but once I got into it, it sped up. There is some repetitiveness that stretches out the story as well. I tend to be irritated by the tongue-twisting amount of weird names, which I realize is common in fantasy writing. It just bothers me and makes it hard to keep track of what is going on at times. If you are a fantasy lover, this is a book for you. Detailed, imaginative reading is what For the Wolf is all about.

For the Wolf was a decent fantasy romance debut. It has been recommended to fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale. I strongly agree that fans of Uprooted by Naomi Novik will enjoy this book but I can't say the same about The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. I'd even go to say that if you like A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas, there is a good chance you would enjoy For the Wolf, although don't expect it to be as explicit as ACOTAR. If you're anticipating this novel to be anything like The Bear and the Nightingale, I think you're in for a disappointment.

I really enjoyed how Whitten describes nature. It made me feel like I was in the midst of fall season. The atmosphere was on point, although I didn't find it as dark as the synopsis described it to be. Everything else about it was just kind of... meh. I thought this story had a very strong beginning but wasn't able to hold it for very long. The magic system felt like the author was making it up as she went along. The characters were pretty bland for the most part. I'm hoping they'll grow a little more complex in the next installment.

Thank you to Orbit for an early reading copy!

4 stars

This book is supposed to be a fantasy retelling of Little Red Riding hood and while I could see some of the similarities I feel that it had a bit of a Beauty and the Beast feeling to it and I also saw hints of some other fairy tales spread throughout it. Though I suppose on some level the stories are a little bit similar. I am also going to be completely transparent here and say that I'm not 100% sure I was in the mood for fantasy when I picked this up. It was well written, though it did seem a little young at times. There were strong elements throughout the story such as family bonds and the balance between love and sacrifice. There was romance in this book and it was a slow burn for sure. Watching the relationship between Red and Eammon develop as the course of the book went on was a beautiful thing to see. I love when an author can close a book that is the first in a series and doesn't do it with a cliffhanger. Like that makes me so incredibly happy. (I do not like cliffhangers). One of the biggest issues I had with this book was that it felt like it dragged in some areas. The story itself kind of dragged its feet, it felt like there was extra stuff thrown in some places to increase the length of the story. I could just be saying this though because I wasn't in the mood for fantasy at the time. The book was a solid debut and I look forward to seeing more of what Hannah Whitten puts out!

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

For the Wolf is a debut, but its assured tone and dazzling writing make this dark fantasy make it a stand out! It's the start of a series, and as you can guess from the title, it's a reumaging of Red Riding Hood--but it is a fresh take, and the way Hannah Whitten weaves in bits of other fairy tales lets you know what the series will be. I'd definitely recommend it for fans of Spinning Silver, Bear and the Nightingale, etc. A welcome new voice to an exciting genre of fantasy! Very highly recommended.

3.5 rounded to 4. It's not a book based on Russian Folklore and bears more a resemblance to Uprooted; but it has some Twilight elements (bah) and a dash of Tolkein inspired themes (much better).

The beginning of the book (around 1/3) is a slog. Unnecessarily so, as it doesn't set up much of the plot or build the world or set the magic system. Red is a tough character to like, bc she seems so much more a conduit for other people's stories to live and you don't fully get a sense of her..she had a sister who loves her and friends and so while set apart it was confusing why she was considered "rootless" which is a major quibble I have with the book. Romantic love always seems to be more important to these writers and they abandon every thing else to it. The ending has promise for the sequel but it'd have found more power in a. People actually asking Questions and b. Exploring the themes that hold us between nature, Gods and faith. But I did enjoy it much more around the middle and through to the end and now I'm invested in the story.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I really struggled to enjoy this. I wasn't expecting for it to lean so strongly into a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and ultimately felt like the even the more imaginative aspects became window dressing for a story I have read many times before.

I was reeled into this by the lush and expansive prose and the interesting concept of sacrificial daughters, but was highly disappointed by the world-building and religious mythology. To address the first, this is a book that relies VERY heavily on vibes and atmosphere. Whitten does a great job of creating a creepy, maulidin atmosphere, but in her effort to generate a vibe loses out on creating a stable narrative foundation. I had literally no idea where the kingdom existed geographically and had very minimal context about the rest of the world besides that Valleydan is cold and the seat of religion in the region. We are told that Raffe, for example, is the son of a foreign councillor but are given VERY minimal information about how this influences him, his identity, or his culture (which gets into issues of character complexity I will discuss later). Furthermore, the lore surrounding the Five Kings felt somewhat shaky to me, which greatly lessened by reaction to and understanding behind the motivation of the climactic action.

Also, I hate to say it, I mean, I REALLY hate to say it, but this didn't feel like an Adult novel. I am obviously aware of the troubling trend of adult fantasy books written by female authors getting shoehorned into the YA genre, but I couldn't escape the feeling that the only thing making this "adult" was Neve and Red being slightly older than the YA average and a few depictions of violence and gore (both of which I have encountered in books marketed as YA). The biggest defining issue for me is that I didn't really sense an effort to evolve the themes or weave in the type of narrative complexity (in characters and relationships, mainly) that I associate with the adult genre compared to YA. Also, there's something that really bothers me about a book having characters who are 18-20 automatically elevating a genre classification to adult. 18-20 year old's are quite literally YOUNG adults, and the types of experiences I was having at that age are honestly far more realistic to the types of themes, content, and events that are explored in YA novels with younger protagonists.

Character wise, I liked Red and Neve find but wasn't blown away by either of them. Eammon could have been cut and pasted from practically any other Beauty and the Beast retelling I have read in the past. The most compelling thing about all of this to me was the relationship between Neve and Red but that got somewhat lost when the focus shifted to Eammon and Red after Red is swallowed by the Wildwood. The uneven chapter distribution between the sisters also didn't help, with Neve feeling far less developed than Red by the end of the novel as crucial events for her character arc occur "off-screen". Weirdly enough, I found Kiri to be one of the most interesting characters, but I find that female villains often enjoy more interesting motivations and personality variation. The only other character I seriously enjoyed was Lyra, who had a killer backstory, but was disappointed that we didn't get to learn more about the impact of her sacrifice and legacy on the broader world.

This was one of those let’s take a chance books after I read one other book review. And I’m so glad that I did! It’s part Beauty and the Beast retelling, part Little Red Riding Hood retelling, part unique fantasy. Definitely one of the more interesting adult fantasy books I’ve read.

I think my favorite thing about this book was the world building. I could tell that Whitten really fleshed out the world including its past and mythologies and gave us vivid and atmospheric descriptions. Reading an atmospheric book is a weakness of mine, so this book got me hooked fairly early. Whitten also was able to make the world complex without losing details or the overall story.

Speaking of, I enjoyed the whole of the plot for the most part. It’s told in dual POVs – Neve’s and Red’s – our first and second daughter. I preferred to read Red’s POV over Neve’s; I found Neve to be really trying and at times annoying. I understood her motivations for all of her actions, but she was also trying to force something to happen for Red, something that Red did not ask for. So part of the story wouldn’t even have happened if it wasn’t for Neve. I do, however, like that the story showcases a strong sister relationship. The story explores relationships in general in addition to the unwavering of belief in religion, mythology, tradition, and following others without thought. I did love the slow burn romance and that it was a central part of the story without it overtaking the whole book.

As for the characters, I think Red and Eammon were my favorite, though Fife and Lyra were a fun addition. I will say that the characters felt fleshed out, but not always. Further into the story, they felt the same; the character development felt like it didn’t really happen until way towards the end of the book – I wish I saw more development as the story progressed rather than it all sort of happening in one part of the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and am interested to see where the story will go in the second book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an advance copy of For The Wolf by Hannah Whitten, in exchange for an honest review.

The first daughter is for the Throne.
The second daughter is for the Wolf.
The Wolves are for the Wilderwood.

Once I read that For The Wolf was in the same fairy tale vein as Uprooted, I immediately requested a copy. I was not disappointed either. For The Wolf is a gorgeous story of a second born daughter, Redarys, or "Red", who has always known her fate bound to the Wilderwood, as a sacrifice to the Wolf in exchange for hope that he will free the Five Kings. Although this is an ancient bargain, it has yet to result in the return of the Kings. The hope is that Red will be enough to fill the bargain this time. Red does not believe any of this, but is committed to her fate due to the growing dangerous magic stirring inside of her, put there by the Wilderwood on the night if her 16th birthday when she bled in the forest. She knows she must save her loved ones, not from monsters, but from herself.

From the moment she enters the Wilderwood, Red feels the creeping awareness of her presence. The Wilderwood remembers her and it wants her. She soon discovers that everything she imagined the Wolf being was...wrong. Unexpected. Turns out the tales Red grew up on were unreliable and there's something else out there waiting.

While this started out like an apparently spooky take on Red Riding Hood, this ultimately turned out to be more of a Beauty & the Beast retelling with much more complicated mythology. The story was fine, and served up one of the best slow burn romances I've come across in ages, but I found the writing a bit tedious and repetitive as things progressed. How many times do we need to have descriptions of a character's lips being pressed into a line or someone's jaw clenching or tendons straining? Sarah J Maas fans will likely vibe with the overly descriptive style, but I found myself rolling my eyes every time lips, jaws, collarbones or HAIR was mentioned.

This was a fun break from some of the heavier books I've been reading of late, but it is pretty standard dark fantasy. You won't find much new ground being tread here, and I'm not going to be counting down the days until the sequel is released.

Rated 3.5*
“The First Daughter is for the throne.
The Second Daughter is for the Wolf.
And the Wolves are for the Wilderwood.”

This is the first book in a new series for adults, loosely based on fairytales. Twin sisters Neve and Red are the daughters of the Queen and have been brought up knowing their roles, Neve is to be the future Queen whilst Red is to be sacrificed to the Wolf living in the Wilderwood in an attempt to protect their kingdom and others from the monsters that live there and are kept away from them by the wood and the Wolf. Red has accepted her fate and is actually quite relieved to go as she’s worried about a power she’s developed and can’t control. Neve, however, doesn’t want her twin to go, trying unsuccessfully to get her to run away instead. Following Red’s journey into the Wilderwood, life changes dramatically for both the twins in ways they’d never have dreamed of, even in their worst nightmares . . . .

This is a dark fantasy and start to a new series. It is a mix of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ in parts but there are also other twists involving magic, religious beliefs, romance, legends, manipulative behaviour and murder. It is a battle between good and evil, where trying to save others puts temptation and resistance to the test, with dire consequences. The next book in the series is ‘For the Throne’ and I’m looking forward to seeing how the story develops!

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

The author has issued content warnings for this book – you can read them at
https://hannahfwhitten.com/2020/09/02/for-the-wolf-content-warnings/

This book was such a refreshing take on the dark fantasy/ fairytale theme. It takes elements from classic fairytales such as Beauty and the Beast & Little Red Riding Hood, and revitalizes them for the modern day. That being said, this is a retelling, so if you're looking for something 100% new & unique, this may not be for you.

Overall, I thought this book was really enjoyable. I've been reading a lot of super intense fantasies, so this was a really nice break. The familiar fairytale themes, slow burn, and rich detail really created a safe space for me to escape into. I especially liked that the ending wasn't a cliffhanger but still left me very excited for the next book.

I've read other recent fairytale retellings and didn't enjoy them as much. They felt too rushed without enough world building or character development. For the Wolf does not have that issue, as it can actually be a bit slow at times. However, I'm the type of reader that would much rather have a slower paced book that is rich with imagery and allows me to get to know the world & characters in detail than a book that is super fast paced. If you don't mind a slow burn and enjoy retellings, then I highly suggest you check this out!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinions.

I was so intrigued when I heard about this book and I wasnt disappointed. I felt like this was a retelling of a few different fairytales combined. There were spots in the book that were a little confusing and the only other thing I would have liked is for the Wolf to be a little more alpha. But the author paints such a great picture with details, it helps your imagination create this world and helps the story come to life. I'm excited and cant wait for book 2!

I loved the premise of this book and it was set with these words:

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

Thanks to Orbit Books UK for providing me with an advanced copy.

As the blurb says, 2nd Daughter, Red has to be given to the Wilderwood and the Wolf....but all is not as it seems and Neve isn't willing to lose her sister for good.

Redarys, Red I loved her! She was so strong, determined to accept her fate but was willing to control her own destiny rather than sit by and let it all play out. The fact she loved to read was a bonus!

I loved how Neve fought for her sister, that family bond shining through and loved her point of view chapters.

Eammon has been through so much and I just found him incredibly sweet!

I loved this slow burn romance that was a tale that mixed Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast and maybe a bit of Sleeping Beauty. The writing was beautiful and descriptive and I just inhaled this book!

I need book 2!

2.5 Stars

“The first daughter is for the throne. The second daughter is for the Wolf. And the wolves are for the Wilderwood.”

For The Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten is a dark folk-lore retelling of Red Riding Hood. Though, I’d say it bares a resemblance combination of both Red Riding Hood and Beauty and The Beast. The book tells the story of the Valleydan twin princesses who get caught up in dark magic and ancient traditions. Legend states that every second daughter born from a Valleydan queen is to be sent to the wolf in the woods in order to restore the return of the kings. One daughter destined to rule and the other for the wolf, a sacrifice.

This long standing tradition practiced throughout the centuries has yet to bring the kings home. Red, as the only second daughter born in centuries is now tasked with the heavy burden. Only, she is relived to go. Determined to give herself to the wolf. In hopes to not only bring back the kings, but destroy a lurking magic cursing within her.

I loved this unique take on Red Riding Hood and Beauty and The Beast combo. The world building was captivating from the start. The character dynamics were intriguing and characters were likeable, even the fearsome wolf. You get reeled into the story wanting to know more. However, there were a few things I had difficulty with. While the overall story elicits curiosity, the plot did not have enough movement. The paced was slow with no clear definition of the origins of things which leads to confusion. We get a brief understanding of the sacrifice, the legend in which the tradition stands on and the overall theme, but not enough to carry its purpose. This in turn leaves a lot of unanswered questions.

Another thing that left me perplexed was the magic system. I was looking forward to it because it was quite mysterious and though we get to ‘see’ the magic in action, it was challenging to comprehend. We experience it all throughout the book, but it’s fundamental core was missing. We do not get a clear explanation of its inner workings or origin. The best way I could imagine and described the magic system as I read, was that of the show called, Cursed on Netflix. It bares some resemblance and due to its limited clarification in the book, this is the best I could compare it too.

Overall, I enjoyed the concept. The Wilderwood is like no forest you’ve ever seen. It is filled with mystery and an eerie atmosphere. This is only the first book of the series, it is likely that we may get more understanding of the legends and its magic system in the upcoming books. I do want to note that this book contains scenes which may be sensitive to some readers. Please do read any trigger warnings and front matter before you dive into the book.

For the Wolf is an enchanting, dark and gothic Beauty and the Beast retelling. While the characters themselves are absolutely wonderful, it’s the Wilderwood itself that really steals the show. The settings in the book are so beautifully detailed and truly take on a life of their own. The Wilderwood is alive and a leading character as much as Red and the Wolf are. For the Wolf is definitely a world driven story as much as it is a character based one.

Red is a strong female lead. Marked for sacrifice from birth, Red has grown up with everyone but her twin and boyfriend keeping her at arms length. Even her mother treats her like something to be used instead of a daughter. I love how she weathers the circumstances of her birth and still is strong enough to do what she believes in, even when others give her every opportunity to run. Over the course of the book she has to learn to conquer her fear of herself and the power she holds. Instead of fearing it she has to learn to seize it and control it. Watching her discover this strength in herself is a great part of her character development.

Eammon isn’t the monstrous wolf of legend. Red expects to find her end at the hands of a violent and bloodthirsty monster of lore, only to find a kind and intelligent man who wants nothing more than to protect her and take away her pain. The sweet ways he shows Red he cares for her, even when he has to keep her at arms length to protect her, makes his character so appealing. The way he will literally bleed himself dry just to try and keep what humanity he has is heartbreaking. His feelings of insecurity and insufficiency really help to tear down the monster to show the man beneath.

Love as a driving factor of not only the most noble but the most terrible actions is a common theme throughout the book. Multiple times you see how love is the justification behind many of the characters actions, both moral and amoral. Those not motivated by love are by power. Unlike love, power corrupts when it’s the driving motivations behind ones actions, illustrated well with the kings.

Not only do we get Red and Eammons story, we get to see the beginning of Red’s twin sister, Neve’s, story. Neve is Red’s inverse in every way. Raised for the throne she was treated as an individual and not just a tool to be used. This didn’t stop her from loving Red fiercely though. Even though that love lead her to take some ill advised actions, she is a good person at heart. Im excited to see more of her story in the next book, For the Throne.

Overall For the Wolf is an amazing story of love and sacrifice built around a rich and beautiful world. The characters are complex and engaging, truly drawing you in and captivating you. I became deeply invested in Red and Eammon’s journey to save each other and the Woods that claimed them. For the Throne will absolutely be on my highly anticipated list and I can’t wait to explore the shadowlands with Neve as well as see more of the wolves as they try and save her from them.

This is everything I was hoping for! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication. This is one that I will definitely be buying a physical copy of. Fairytale retellings are my jam. 5/5

While there are some interesting elements, overall this book didn't work well for me. The world-building is just so slow that it felt like an effort to keep going.

For the Wolf is the start of a new YA fantasy series by Hannah F. Whitten. While the cover & title made me think this was a little red riding hood retelling, I would definitely categorize it as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Every time something happened that reminded me of the original fairy tale, it excited me, and those moments were aplenty.

This is the story of royal second daughter Redarys who since birth has been destined to be bound to the Wolf in the Wilderwoods. A sacrifice in order to protect the kingdom from the monsters inside the woods and hopefully return the sacred five Kings. However, once Red enters the forest, she learns the stories aren't quite what she's been taught to believe. The Wolf is not quite so horrible and much more than meets the eye. With her life tied to the Wolf and the woods, will she sacrifice everything for those she loves.


I'll be honest for me the first 10% was felt a bit long but I always feel that way with fantasies because of you know the whole setting up the story that has to be done 😂 but once our heroine enters the woods, I was sold. I loved the wolf Eammon immediately and Red is such a strong personality who you can't help but like. I loved the " Beauty and Beast" relationship between them and from the beginning hoped they would find a way to persevere.

The last 25% had me captivated and glued to the pages. It was the fulfilling and exciting climax and conclusion that I was hoping for. It ends opened ended to continue the series but with a "peaceful" for now ending that will leave you as satisfied. Overall, For the Wolf is a wonderful fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast that will be sure to enthrall you.