Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - For the Wolf

Redarys has always known her destiny. In Valleyda, the First Daughter is for the throne and the Second Daughter is for the Wolf. So while her sister Neve is destined to rule their tiny nation someday, Red is to be sent into the Wilderwood on her 20th birthday, a sacrifice to the Wolf, in the hopes that he will be satisfied and release the god-like Five Kings of old. Red has long lost her faith in the Kings' return and doubts her venturing into the Wilderwood will make any difference. Nevertheless, she is eager to go. The spark of the Wilderwood deep within her is a power that she fears more than the Wolf, having seen the devastation it wrought 4 years ago. She needs to get away from those she loves so they can be safe. But, when she enters the forest and finds the Wolf, he is nothing like what she imagined. Meanwhile, Neve seeks power and powerful allies with the hopes of getting her sister back.

A reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood, For the Wolf is magical story that goes beyond the traditional fairy tale. Red is a heroine worth rooting for: forced by birthright to be a sacrifice, she is determined to follow through with that sacrifice for the sake of those she loves. She makes it clear that this is her choice. Her relationship with Eamonn (the Wolf) is also one that requires a lot of determination. While he'd rather she leave him alone, she sees his sacrifices and can't help but stay. Their connection is as inevitable as Red's choices regarding the Wilderwood. The first 30% of the book is slow (a lot of background) and details and answers are slow to be revealed, but the story itself coupled with themes of magic vs. shadow, power, faith & religious abuse, etc. made this an amazing read!

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becksbecks's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Fun ideas, not very well written. Fight scenes seem to jump around too much and description seems to be missing which almost made me feel dizzy and lost while reading. On the other hand, character traits are definitely told (multiple times) and not shown, and the world is not developed enough to be convincing or intriguing , leading to a boring and confusing read overall.

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samanthas_stories's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

***May contain spoilers***

My recent read of For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten has left me with a bit of a book hangover.

Entering the world of Valeydan and the Wilderwood felt like a dream laced with a nightmare. Following a centuries-old tradition that the second-born daughter must be sacrificed to the Wolf inside the Wilderwood in hopes that he will release the world's gods, Red happily walks into the Wilderwood, not expecting any of what she finds when she enters. Hoping to escape something those close to her didn't understand.

Expecting death and monsters upon entering, the last thing Red thought she'd find was a crumbling castle, a handsome man, and magic pulsing through her veins. And she certainly never expected to need to save the Wolf, herself, or her sister.

There were a lot of elements that had the "Beauty and the Beast" feel. Still, I thought this book was more representative of Frozen 2, with the sister relationship, magical forest, and effort to change tradition. I loved it!

The world-building, character development, and pacing were all really well done. Whitten was able to evoke a variety of emotions and suspense. I found myself reading literally on the edge of my seat. The only reason I didn't cry at the end is because I stopped reading mid-scene to breathe and make the tears dry out. It was compelling and beautifully written.

If my library wasn't closed for renovation and I wasn't on a book-buying ban at the moment, I would have been reading the sequel in an instant.

I don't know what it is because I loved this one so much, but something's holding me back from giving this book 5 stars. I want to, but I can't bring myself to do it. I get this particular feeling with a 5-star read, and this was just on the cusp of it, but not quite there, which is why I'm rating For the Wolf 4.5 out of 5 stars.

As always, thanks for reading! 💜

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Spice: 🌶️

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smuttymcbookface's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

For the Wolf was an interesting retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, where Red is promised as a sacrifice on her 20th birthday to appease a magical being, the Wolf, so that he continues to protect them from shadow creatures.

I found this plot interesting, and although I can see the similarities to Beauty and the Beast, I do think this is much more Little Red Riding Hood when you take into account

that he is trying to stop part of himself from devouring her at all times.

I loved the slow-burn romance, and that the Wolf was actually just a big nerdy sweety trapped into his role. Although the lack of communication was a little annoying, I felt it was aptly explained by his desire to protect her.

I found the writing a little clunky at times, too snappy or repetitive in words (benediction, I'm looking at you). But the anticipation and scenery was built so beautifully that I was happy to overlook it.

However, the part that bugged me most about For the Wolf was the ending. Red went from impassioned, but mostly logical, to being too stupid to live. The end fight was just a little bit silly altogether, and although I understand that the premise was to set up for book two, it was done in a way that made me upset I had read all this just for it to be resolved in that way.

Also, the

absorbing of the forest, then giving it back, then absorbing it again was ridiculous. Add on top of that Fife bargaining his life away again when Lyra didn't even seem to be dying? I just couldn't reconcile all of this with the amazing plot I had read up to that point.

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readwithria's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

For the Wolf is a fairytale wrapped in a blood promise. A dark, hauntingly beautiful fantasy that is absolutely perfect for spooky season.

I love fairytale retellings, I love folklore, and I love Hannah Whitten’s other book The Foxglove King, so I went into this book wanting to love it with my whole heart. It delivered on so many things! The world was lush and beautiful, the prose was atmospheric, and the characters had such strong bonds with each other. This book took the spooky forest trope and spun it into something new and delicately beautiful.

The one thing that kept this from being a five start book for me was the pacing. It was definitely intentional, and built a lot of necessary tension, but the first half was much slower than I personally prefer. It picked up significantly around the halfway mark, and the last 40-50 pages were an avalanche of action and emotional beats.

I can’t wait to read the sequel! Hannah Whitten is making herself one of my go-to spooky season authors. 4 stars.

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margaret_k30's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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hales_1243's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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