This book isn't quite as bad as 2 stars might make you think, but the gap between the potential and the execution was too much to ignore.
A retelling mish-mash of Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast, we are brought into a world where second daughters are sacrificed to "The Wolf" who is lives in the Wilderwood in order to try and bring back the old gods. Cool premise, love it, give me more. The Wolf is actually a cute, tortured eternal being who just wants for everyone to be safe and to protect our protagonist. Still onboard, I like it. The Wilderwood is described is vivid detail, and the earth-rooted system of magic here is unique and grounding.
But that's where the good stuff ended for me. This book felt like the same 3 things were happening over and over again, with the same reactions from all the characters and no forward plot movement. The Wolf's entire personality is basically just "I SUFFER," and there's no emotional connection between most characters until 60% through the book. You should not have to be most of the way through a book before the story makes an effort to tickle your emotions. I want an emotional tidal wave, not a lukewarm puddle in the middle of sidewalk.
Anyways, this was fine. I know tons of people that adored this book, and there's nothing wrong with that - I'd love to hear more about why you liked it! I just know that I really didn't.

I was so looking forward to reading this book but unfortunately it fell short for me. It took so long for anything to happen, and then when I finally thought we were going to find out something- nope. We didn’t. Still waiting. Maybe I just wasn’t ready for how slow this one was. I think some will really enjoy this but I just wasn’t invested in what was happening.

I truly enjoyed this book and I can't wait for book 2 (what was i thinking reading book 1 of a series before any of the other books are released!). My biggest takeaway's are (and I think they're good ones) are: you can't get something for nothing and imposing your desires and/or will unto others can lead to DISASTROUS results. This story is chockfull of people with good intentions (and some without) and the gumption to take desperate actions for what they think are altruistic reasons - but they're ultimately misguided, over the heads, and the harbingers of the apocalypse. So there's that. Give me book 2!!

The book is amazing. I love the fairytale elements and the new twists it took. I wasn’t expecting the ending and i was holding my breath all the way to the end. There was just enough romance to keep things interesting and meaningful, but not to much that it took over the whole book. 5 stars

Part Little Red Riding Hood, part Beauty and the Beast retelling, this story follows Red, the second daughter of the kingdom who must be sacrificed to the Wilderwood, and to the Wolf. She willing goes, trying to keep her loved ones safe from the mysterious power she has thrumming through her veins. What she finds when she gets there is nothing like what she expected.

I've been wanting to read this book ever since seeing the cover. They say not to judge a book by it's cover, but look at it; it's perfect. This book, while marketed as adult, definitely read a little more YA in my opinion. There was some profanity, but other than that, the tropes and themes felt more YA. That is by no means a dunk on this book. There isn't anything lesser about YA, and I really enjoyed reading this. This book definitely felt more like a Beauty and the Beast retelling than a Little Red Riding Hood retelling. Besides the names of Red and Wolf, this is a story of a woman who willingly sacrifices herself to go live in a castle with a beast and ends up falling in love. There's even a magic mirror, and Red loves books. I thought that this story did a good job of providing that lovely fairy tale feel, while still having unique characterization and plot points. The whole concept of giving blood to the forest, and the forest being semi-sentient was very interesting and allowed for a really dark setting. I was enamored with the romance, the characters, and the plot. I can't wait for the next one!

TW: self-harm for magic use (cutting), parental neglect/emotional abuse, mentions of physical symptoms that might be triggering to those with emetophobia, anxiety/panic attacks, parental death, gore, mild audio/visual hallucinations, religious abuse, medium-heat romance (non-explicit)

Many years ago in a small village at the edge of Wilderwood exist this cruel tradition: The first daughter is for the Throne. The second daughter is for the Wolf.

Neve and Redarys are twins, both know their destiny since they were born, Neve will be queen, and Redarys a sacrifice for the Wolf, in change he will not attack the village.

When Redarys was young and ventured into the wood, the creepy forest taste her blood and became part of her; scared, she wants to go into the woods, although her sister and friends beg her to run away, she knows she has to
goes back into the wood.

Technically is one POV, Redarys´s story but Neve has some chapters here and there that help to better know what is happening outside the forest. Neve cant accept her sister's sacrifice and will do whatever it takes to bring his sister back, she desperately loves her sister and her love will make her do questionable things.

When Redarys arrives at her new home, she will meet a Wolf and find out that he is only a young man trying to do the right thing and it literally bleeds for a solution, She and her sister grew up hearing stories about the evil wolf and the prisoner's kings, and now she questions everything she knew, the stories are false and the forest is getting weaker, maybe her blood can be a solution.

I love the atmosphere, I live for the creepiest forest trope, and the magic system was interesting, especially the religious aspects, not only Wilderwood is a dark mystery, but also the village is surrounded by mystery and secrets.

I like the characters too, The Wolf was my favorite (the poor misunderstood thing) but Neve has great character development, love can make us mad and she is the right example. Redarys is smart and brave, she wants to help
Also, I like the secondary characters and I wish to know more about them.

Its a nice debut, starts slow but the finals chapters are a roller coaster

I hate how much this disappointed me because I wanted to love this. I wanted to love this so much but this read so YA that I had the hardest time slugging though it.

This is a hard pass for me.

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

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten is a dark fantasy retelling perfect for fans of this year's Red Wolf or The Wolf and the Woodsman. The story revolves around Red, a second daughter and princess in a world where first daughters ascend to the throne and second daughters are sacrificed to "the Wolf in the Woods." Red has magical powers that have the potential to hurt those she loves. So, she willingly goes to the Wolf, following the traditions of her people. But she's about to find out that not every tale that she's heard is true. The Wolf may be more than just a monster, and there are secrets in the woods that she has no idea about.

Here is a chilling excerpt from the Prologue:

"Red stood, and watched, and waited, dread roiling beneath her ribs.
Her blood touched the white trunk, hesitated. Then the tree absorbed it, took it in like water to parched soil.
Tripping over leaves, Red backed away from the tree until she collided with another, this one also thin and pale, also twisted with black rot. Underbrush tangled in her skirts, and Red tore herself away, the rip unnaturally loud in the silent forest.
That sound again, reverberating up from the forest floor, rustling leaves and stretching vines and clattering twigs cobbling themselves into something like a voice, something she didn’t so much hear as feel."

Overall, For the Wolf is a creepy fantasy set in the woods that you will not be able to put down. I could not stop reading this book and ended up finishing it in a day. I had to learn more about the mysterious Wolf and also about the other beings in the woods. I had to keep reading until finished the end. One highlight of this book is the dark and creepy atmosphere. I absolutely love books set in creepy locations, and the woods in this book definitely fit the bill. Another highlight of this book is the romance between Red and the Wolf. It's a Beauty and the Beast-type slow romance with plenty of obstacles, and I was so excited to see it develop. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of fantasy books in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book, which is available in bookstores now!

This is really more of a 3 1/2 stars. And while the fairy tale homage may be to Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, it seemed a great deal more like Sleeping Beauty's castle to me (very prickly). The story contains not the most likeable characters, but all are clearly delineated and fully realized, from the most secondary character to the forest itself. To go beyond the book's introduction would be to give too much away, but it is dark and bloody and the trajectory of the story is fairly obvious from the beginning, but it takes FOREVER to get there, and all the action takes place in the last tenth or so of the book. Well, you certainly have a great deal invested by then. This is one of those stories that is much better looking back at it than during the reading of it, which may actually get me to read the next in the series. Different editing might have made this more riveting.

I enjoyed this one! It is very atmospheric. I did find that the beautiful descriptions bogged down the plot. I also didn't enjoy the interlude perspective very just and wish it had stayed with our main characters the whole time? Which I why this is 3 stars instead of 4. But I will be reading the sequel!

I actually purchased and read this one myself before I was granted thenarc via netgalley.

Rounding up from 3.5, mostly for the writing and the vibes.

This reminded me a lot of Angela Carter's dark fairytale retellings, especially as it was doing a very precarious job of toeing the line between outright horror and fantasy romance. I think the story manages it well overall, even if there are some missteps that make the tone feel uneven, and the ending in particular felt very much like the close of a fable. Oh, also, the magic system definitely feels fairytale-like; it's a very soft magic system that I honestly don't think I understand even now, having finished the book. I was very confused most of the time, but I just went with it, and I think I kind of got the gist of it all, but you've really got to suspend your sense of logic and just accept Fairytale Logic.

I mostly liked this, though I do think it was far too long and repetitive. This is one of the most agonizingly slow-paced fantasy books I've ever read. Not a lot really happens; it's very character driven and mostly about the Vibes. But because said Vibes and the writing were both immaculate (yes, the writing can be overly flowery, but it fit, and I liked it), the book didn't drag. I felt myself constantly drawn back to it, wanting to pick it up, finding a kind of home within its pages.

Honestly, if I were this book's editor I would have trimmed a LOT of fat and made it a standalone rather than a duology, but that's just me. I can see how, as it stands, this book will not work for a lot of readers, but I can also see it finding its audience and becoming absolutely beloved.

Thanks to Netgalley And Orbit Books for the ARC of this in exchange for my honest review.

This was some really great monster-boyfriend, fairy tale retelling, with sort of found family dynamics. I found the whole thing to be a really interesting take on Little Red Riding Hood, and it was hard to put down. Loved the friends, they were all really interesting in their own right. I’m excited to continue the series for sure.

This book was something I did not expect at all. A wonderful dark fantasy that doesn't shy away from the dark and wonderful characters and incredibly interesting world-building and characters. The romance was alright, I hope we get to explore more of the relationship in the next book but I really loved the twists and turns because they came out of nowhere and usually I see most plot twists coming from a mile away. I really enjoyed the gritty atmosphere and the premise was incredibly new and refreshing.

I was interested in this book in the beginning but my attention kind of fizzled. Over time it just felt a poor imitation of Uprooted.

I couldn't stop reading this book. If you like fairy tales this is a must read. It's got a lot going on but it's got magic, romance, sisterly bonds, and lots of action. I can't wait for the second one to come out. I really hope Netflix picks this up and turns it in to a show because I could see it having Shadow and Bone popularity.

This was my most anticipated new release of the year and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the pacing of the relationships developed by the characters and found the plot easy to follow. My criticism might be that authors tend to use overly complex words that don't always fit the tone of the book. Overall, I loved it so much and can't wait for For The Throne!

This book was one I was highly anticipating for months. Most of the time when I’m that excited for a book I will read it all in one sitting, but I took my time reading this book, over the course of a few days, and it was definitely worth savoring.

I saw several reviews prior to getting the book, making references to it being a Red Riding Hood retelling, but I felt that was not the case. I am not in any way disappointed by that and I love fairytale retellings. I could say that there are a few elements that make me think of fairytales but they are small. If you are looking for those elements then I would say that it had Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White. All of those elements are minor and I think it is uniquely its own story.

There are twin sisters, Neverah and Redarys. As the second-born, Red is sacrificed to the Wolf at the age of twenty in hopes of bringing back the five Kings and preventing the monsters from coming back. It has been hundreds of years since they were last seen so many don’t believe in the stories anymore, but at the same time, they aren’t willing to chance not sending Red to the Wolf.

Red enters the Wilderwood and meets the wolf, Emmon, but both are not what she expected. She is also hoping for answers to the powers that she acquired four years ago.

While the book mostly follows Red there are interludes giving us glimpses of her twin, Neve, and things that are happening back in Valleydan.

I like that we get glimpses of things that are happening back at Valleydan and with Neve. While you think there is a simple explanation to those interludes, the farther you get into the story you realize that they have pieces to the puzzle that Red and Emmon are trying to solve.

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has everything I look for in a retelling of a popular story. There are clues that hint at the origin story and yet this book is clearly all its own tale. I loved the fact we got enough time with Red to understand her as a person and see her falling in love. My one problem with this story is all of Neve's short little chapters. There weren't many of them and I am torn between wanting more and not wanting them at all. It is necessary for the next book and yet whenever I got to her chapters I just didn't care enough about her to want to read them. This could all do to me though so I would recommend this books to others because hey maybe they will like her story more than I did.

I got my wish granted by the publisher for this book, thank you so much! I had actually already read this at the time my wish was granted, and lucky enough, I loved it. I have been taking a break from fantasy for a little bit because it seems heavy for the summer, but I couldn't resist purchasing this book and reading it. I found some of the fantasy and world building elements to be confusing, but not so much that I kept having to reread passages. I really enjoyed having the perspective of Neve to see what was going on back home.

I highly recommend this book for fans of fantasy, romance, or fantasy romance books!

I received an advanced reader's copy of For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book by Hannah Whitten that I read and I didn’t know what to expect. Happily, I was immediately hooked.

The world-building was easy to follow and engrossing from the start. Whitten’s imagery through words creates a visceral reaction in the reader. You want to empathize with Redarys (Red), the sacrificial Second Daughter, and Eammon, the Wolf, as you learn why they were brought together and what they need to do to keep their world safe.

The plot moves swiftly, the characters pull you in, and the wordsmithing by Hannah Whitten is simply gorgeous. Everything about For the Wolf pulled me in. I was surprised at the amount of time that had passed from the beginning to the end of this novel - I was that engaged, time felt like it stood still.

I am excited to have a new author to follow and cannot wait to read the next novel by Hannah Whitten.