For the Wolf

With For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten, the cover gives off such a Red Riding Hood vibe, that I knew I had to read it. Thankfully, I was not disappointed in the slightest. Red is every bit as strong as you would expect, and the Wolf is, well, pretty damn intimidating and frustrating and tragic and good and complex and…

For the Wolf isn’t just Red’s story, however. We also get to meet her twin sister, who is the exact opposite of Red in almost every way. This means that her portions of the story, while important for building the main conflict of the series, are less…impressive…than Red’s. Neve is insipid and uninspiring, and you want to just roll your eyes and groan at the ease with which others manipulate her.

Thankfully, show more Neve’s scenes are small interludes from Red’s adventures. Red has such a passion for life and for duty that it is infectious. Plus, she can differentiate between the few versus the many, something Neve is wholly incapable of doing, which means she fights for what is right for all and not just for her. She is willing to sacrifice her own happiness if it means that her country will be better for it. Better yet, she does not back down from fear or intimidation. In other words, she is my kind of girl.

With a supporting cast of memorable characters, lots of action, and plenty of romance, For the Wolf exceeded my expectations in every way. So much so that I am now going to be stalking Ms. Whitten for information about the sequel because, as is always the case in series, the wait is going to be a long one! show less

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!

TW/CW: Death, death of a parent, body horror, fantasy violence, sexual situations

RATING: 4/5

REVIEW: For the Wolf is the story of Redarys (who goes by Red). She is born the second daughter, and according to the tradition and religion of her land, that means she is to be sent into the woods at age twenty as a sacrifice to the ‘Wolf.’ When she goes, she quickly determines that the truth is not exactly what she has been led to believe…

When I chose this book to read, I assumed it would be about werewolves – but let me say this now: this is not a book about werewolves, or anything like Little Red Riding Hood. If anything, it is closer to Beauty and the Beast than Little Red Riding Hood, although I don’t really think it’s much like show more that either.

Regardless of it being nothing I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well written, and while dark, the magic and world building were intriguing and kept me wanting to read further in order to see what happens. Red has faults, which I really like – perfect characters end up driving me crazy by the end – and her motivations are clear and understandable. It’s easy to put yourself in her footsteps and feel what she’s feeling, so that makes the book all around better.

While it doesn’t end exactly on a cliffhanger, this is the first book of the series and the ending definitely leads into the next book. I recommend this book to fans of fantasy and horror. show less

Oh this was GREAT--Whitten has written this incredible blend of great worldbuilidng and compelling characters, which I think is a much harder balance to strike than folks know. There's so much incredible tension building that made me want to keep reading, and I think the motivations and conflicts between characters are so compelling without being like very frustrating, which--frustrating isn't bad in the storytelling, but here I think it makes the story all the more heart-rending, because there aren't really easy answers to solving the conflicts.

Also can we just say: that SLOW BURN. The SEXUAL TENSION. We love that for us all. What a book, and ooo what a wait we now have for the sequel!

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

For the Wolf was a book that I’ve heard a lot of praise for, and then I watched a panel with Hannah Whitten at CYMERA 2021 (read about it here!). By the end of that panel I was sold on every author’s book on that panel, including this one. I just had to wait until I could get my hands on a copy, and eventually my library added it to their catalogue!

Let’s just put it this way; it was so good that before I was even half way done I had popped over to NetGalley, found the request for the ARC for book two and requested it.

There were zero doubts in my mind that I would be wanting to read book two.

The praise that For the Wolf gets are 100% deserved. If I could give this book six stars I would. Whitten show more has woven a story that is so dark and delicious that reading For the Wolf feels like eating the most delectable cake ever. Her descriptions of the Wilderwood come alive and jump off the page. The emotions that the characters feel flood your own senses. It’s sensory overload and it’s gorgeous.

The book title, cover and synopsis suggests this is a Red Riding Hood retelling, and it is, and every other fairytale you can name. There are so many subverted fairytale tropes in this book, and it’s fantastic. The characters are wonderful, and you will devour all of them, from the lightest to the darkest.

For more of my reviews please visit my blog! show less

For the Wolf was one of my most highly anticipated reads for the year and, boy, did it deliver! I loved this book from its first page right up to its last and it easily earned its rightful spot as one of my favourite reads this year so far.

Redarys is a Second Daughter and all her life she's known what that means: her only purpose is to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wilderwood so that he will return their old kings-turned-gods to her world.

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

But Red soon discovers that not things aren't always what they seem, and old myths and legends sometimes lie. The Wolf is in fact a man struggling to hold together the now crumbling Wood, show more the last remaining barrier between Red's world and an evil beyond imagination.

For the Wolf brings together familiar fairy tales and original mythology to create a complex and rich world. I could definitely see elements of Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast, and even spotted a little Snow White in there! This book takes well-known tropes and elements and gives them an original twist, creating a highly entertaining and engaging read that had me gripped throughout.

I personally loved the characters and the way they changed throughout the book as more and more is revealed about the Wilderwood and its purpose, the kings, and the mysterious shadows slowly creeping into the world.

Red is definitely the centre of the book, whether we're following her POV or looking at her sister Neve's attempts to find a way to bring Red back. I really enjoyed seeing Red grow and accept her role in the wood... and at the Wolf's side. While at first she seems passively resigned to her fate, her full strength quickly comes through as she works hard to find her own place in the world. Red is headstrong, witty, independent and fiercely loyal to the people she loves: basically, everything I love in an MC. The romance is definitely a slow burn and Eammon, the Wolf, is the perfect tall, dark and brooding gentleman.

I also really liked Neve's interludes. I found her to be a very interesting character, and in some ways even more complex and intriguing than Red. I'm so curious to see what Neve'll get up to in the next book! The entire cast is fantastic, and I loved all the secondary characters. I wish we'd gotten to see a bit more of some of them, but maybe I'll get my wish in the second book.

The world building was also perfectly on point! The Wilderwood gave me definite [b:Uprooted|22544764|Uprooted|Naomi Novik|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550135418l/22544764._SX50_.jpg|41876730] vibes, as did some of the writing. I'm in love with the author's writing style and the way she crafts gorgeous and deliciously creepy descriptions. The pace did slow a fair bit around the middle mark, which made it feel as though certain sections were dragging on with not much happening. It picked up again though and the ending was incredibly fast-paced and gave me ALL the feelings at once.

For the Wolf is one of those books that reminded me why I love fantasy so much. Magic, an eerie wood, legends and traditions, and an incredible cast of characters come together in this beautiful and unforgettable tale. Can't wait for the second book!

Find my reviews on Book for Thought.

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way. show less

I’ve started this review about five times because I just keep gushing about how much I liked it instead of getting to all of the reasons I liked it. Which is a huge compliment from me, because it’s not often a book leaves me with a reading high like this.

This book was magical. The magic was alive and misunderstood, as well as our leading man. What started out as a Beauty and the Beast retelling about a sacrifice to save the kingdom, it turned into a book about love, magic, and understanding--and it did it without being creepy about it! Hooray!

I loved Redarys. I loved her for her anger and her strong sense of courage, and for her love of her sister. She is in no way a perfect person, but I connected with her so easily--which show more doesn’t happen often for me. Eammon was a great character, a bit annoying at times with his martyr complex. But it is addressed in the book by many characters that it annoys them too, and he does make an effort to fix it in the end. But he loves so deeply and understands the dangers of not having full control of the Wildwood at all times. He knows he needs help, but he also knows it’s a curse--no one else should have to be cursed as long as he can handle it all himself, right? Wrong. Red is there and she’s more powerful than you think, Eammon.

I loved the parallel story-telling between what was happening to Red and what was happening to her sister. For the Wolf is a re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast with Red’s story, and I get Snow White vibes from her sister’s story.

This book transported me to another world so thoroughly that I felt every emotion Red felt, I felt nervous to what was going to happen next, I felt relief and sadness at the climax of the action of the story. This book pulled me so thoroughly inside its world that I didn’t want to leave it. I will be looking to read the second one as soon as possible and then I will likely give this one a re-read. show less