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gray_hamilton's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Whitens writing is gorgeous, however was a bit slow for me and I wasn’t particularly captivated by the plot, (just not for me!)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Blood, Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
reclusivebookslug's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
What I liked:
- Provided an overall fun reading experience; helped get me out of a reading slump
- Great set-up, especially with the religion that's built up around the magical elements
- Themes about the power of choice and autonomy
What I didn't like:
- Feels like a book that wants to stand on its own but still ends up requiring reading more of the series to feel complete or meaningful (part assumption, as I haven't read the rest of the series yet)
- Romance felt pretty generic
- World-building became a bit difficult to understand and it's thematic resonance was unclear; overall, didn't quite stick the landing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, and Blood
Minor: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Gore
eenicem's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Self harm
Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
kaiyakaiyo's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5 rounded down :(
this seemed so fun and sexy from the outside, but just didn’t deliver on pretty much anything it promised. the romance was sweet, and i liked the woods, hence the 3 stars, but the “eldritch” in question is really just squiggly dark magic. it’s literally just those lil evil shadows from kingdom hearts transported to something like a Witcher-verse. many of the characters and the magic system feel half-baked, and there’s very little beauty and the beast or red riding hood about this besides very heavyhanded throwaway bits. i enjoyed the romance (which is rare for me!) but nothing about this universe or the chars outside of red/eammon were very intriguing.
also you shouldn’t name a book “for the wolf” if there’s NO FUCKING WOLF 😭 he’s just a guy they ends up something like an Ent from LOTR in the least sexy way possible. extremely unsexy and not very ~dark~ at all. the darkest thing is the blood which frankly splashed around so much that i stopped being shocked by it.
The plot is incredibly rushed; two assassinations and a religious coup happen mostly off-page while Red mopes in the woods… would’ve liked a bit more of the how on that. Kiri was far too heavyhanded and outright weird for people to not have clocked her plotting. Neve was “raised for the throne” but can’t spot a pretty basic manipulation plot ..? ok. grief is one thing, flat-out stupidity is another. the guy in love with your sister so bad he’d shed blood on scary magic trees to bring her back is suddenly (figuratively) up your ass and you don’t immediately suspect foul play?????? your mom dies immediately after derailing a creepy nuns plans & you don’t think it’s weird until later????? cmon now
much of the non-red parts of the story felt half-baked, so I ended up extremely confused as to Neve’s motivations, Solmir’s general existence, and why Raffe just stood there while it all went down… maybe that’s what book two is for, but im not a fan of underexplaining so i have to purchase another installment.
This book could have focused entirely on red and eammon and been LOVELY, but it tried to stray too far into political intrigue and dark magic and just ended up jumbled. i already bought book two, so I’ll finish it, but im really not jazzed about having to spend more time with Neve or Solmir. I would’ve preferred a longer series with more time spent meandering through red’s narrative THEN coming back to the wider world instead of the rapid cuts to increasingly absurd throne shenanigans.
This book really shines in the sweetness between eammon & red; from the moment he meets her, he wants her to have choices, even if he thinks those choices should be “run in the other direction”. he’s kind of bumbling and awkward in a really hot way, and just generic enough that I could kinda imagine him as anyone (i chose a Henry Cavill lookalike). Red is a bit naive, and very brash, but she also won’t take his lone wolf bs and finds solutions without always needing him to help. She is an advocate for working together, which is so refreshing for a fantasy woman. She’s not some Chosen One, she chooses to help and sticks to it, while also trying to look out for her sister.
Surprisingly enough, I would’ve liked more spice! as much as I make fun of the terrible and unrealistic smut that abounds in published fantasy these days, the fade to blacks here kinda left me like… :/ what is the point in drawing on red riding hood if there’s no mauling but in a consensual, sexy way. no beast in the beauty. I wanted banging, I won’t lie. It didn’t have to be super graphic or more than once, but the build up felt like it fizzled to nothing…. marriage for convenience… Sharing a room… wearing his clothes…. All these heated gazes just to get a “she woke up sore” fade in… sigh. I feel like you can’t draw on sources that typically lean into monsterfucking and sexy predator/prey just to make the consummation so milquetoast
anyways, wouldn’t really recommend, but willing to give book 2 a chance. and shame on you to literally everyone recommending this book bc the marketing is NOT matching the book
this seemed so fun and sexy from the outside, but just didn’t deliver on pretty much anything it promised. the romance was sweet, and i liked the woods, hence the 3 stars, but the “eldritch” in question is really just squiggly dark magic. it’s literally just those lil evil shadows from kingdom hearts transported to something like a Witcher-verse. many of the characters and the magic system feel half-baked, and there’s very little beauty and the beast or red riding hood about this besides very heavyhanded throwaway bits. i enjoyed the romance (which is rare for me!) but nothing about this universe or the chars outside of red/eammon were very intriguing.
also you shouldn’t name a book “for the wolf” if there’s NO FUCKING WOLF 😭 he’s just a guy they ends up something like an Ent from LOTR in the least sexy way possible. extremely unsexy and not very ~dark~ at all. the darkest thing is the blood which frankly splashed around so much that i stopped being shocked by it.
The plot is incredibly rushed; two assassinations and a religious coup happen mostly off-page while Red mopes in the woods… would’ve liked a bit more of the how on that. Kiri was far too heavyhanded and outright weird for people to not have clocked her plotting. Neve was “raised for the throne” but can’t spot a pretty basic manipulation plot ..? ok. grief is one thing, flat-out stupidity is another. the guy in love with your sister so bad he’d shed blood on scary magic trees to bring her back is suddenly (figuratively) up your ass and you don’t immediately suspect foul play?????? your mom dies immediately after derailing a creepy nuns plans & you don’t think it’s weird until later????? cmon now
much of the non-red parts of the story felt half-baked, so I ended up extremely confused as to Neve’s motivations, Solmir’s general existence, and why Raffe just stood there while it all went down… maybe that’s what book two is for, but im not a fan of underexplaining so i have to purchase another installment.
This book could have focused entirely on red and eammon and been LOVELY, but it tried to stray too far into political intrigue and dark magic and just ended up jumbled. i already bought book two, so I’ll finish it, but im really not jazzed about having to spend more time with Neve or Solmir. I would’ve preferred a longer series with more time spent meandering through red’s narrative THEN coming back to the wider world instead of the rapid cuts to increasingly absurd throne shenanigans.
This book really shines in the sweetness between eammon & red; from the moment he meets her, he wants her to have choices, even if he thinks those choices should be “run in the other direction”. he’s kind of bumbling and awkward in a really hot way, and just generic enough that I could kinda imagine him as anyone (i chose a Henry Cavill lookalike). Red is a bit naive, and very brash, but she also won’t take his lone wolf bs and finds solutions without always needing him to help. She is an advocate for working together, which is so refreshing for a fantasy woman. She’s not some Chosen One, she chooses to help and sticks to it, while also trying to look out for her sister.
Surprisingly enough, I would’ve liked more spice! as much as I make fun of the terrible and unrealistic smut that abounds in published fantasy these days, the fade to blacks here kinda left me like… :/ what is the point in drawing on red riding hood if there’s no mauling but in a consensual, sexy way. no beast in the beauty. I wanted banging, I won’t lie. It didn’t have to be super graphic or more than once, but the build up felt like it fizzled to nothing…. marriage for convenience… Sharing a room… wearing his clothes…. All these heated gazes just to get a “she woke up sore” fade in… sigh. I feel like you can’t draw on sources that typically lean into monsterfucking and sexy predator/prey just to make the consummation so milquetoast
anyways, wouldn’t really recommend, but willing to give book 2 a chance. and shame on you to literally everyone recommending this book bc the marketing is NOT matching the book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
robin_leeann's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Violence, Grief, Blood, Death of parent, and Death
molls's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Self harm
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Violence, Body horror, and Confinement
Minor: Murder
readwithria's review
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Violence, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Gore, and Self harm
Moderate: Cursing, Confinement, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
maresuju's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, and Blood
Moderate: Violence, Grief, Confinement, Death, and Murder
Minor: Suicide and War
tifftastic87's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
First off, this book needs content warnings (I know they're below but they need to be here too).
⚠️ Self-harm (cutting)
When presented with her destiny as a human sacrifice, Redarys appears to take it on the chin. Really she's hiding from magic that wants to consume her. Eammon, the Wolf, is Warden of the Wilderwood where Red is destined for. But the Wilderwood is dying and Eammon is determined to save and Red and he is not accepting applications for assistants.
Supposedly, this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but I fail to see it. The only similarities is a curse that makes the town think a man is a monster and love breaking that curse. The two main characters are both stubborn martyrs and that is where most of the conflict comes from. If they could be honest and communicate from the beginning things would have been better. But the main story is politics and religion.
The actual plot of the story, which is shadowed a bit by the romance plot, is one of religious fanaticism that is actually really well done. There's a dark versus light magic trope used where the religious use the dark magic and are out for power. The damn athiests only wantinf peace, love, and healthy trees.
That being said, the magic system was a little confusing. Its clear that is blood magic but it reacts different in different settings and different people. It isnt predictable unless it is. I would have liked to have seen this worked out a bit better.
Oh ya and the age gap, centuries to 20 years....
⚠️ Self-harm (cutting)
When presented with her destiny as a human sacrifice, Redarys appears to take it on the chin. Really she's hiding from magic that wants to consume her. Eammon, the Wolf, is Warden of the Wilderwood where Red is destined for. But the Wilderwood is dying and Eammon is determined to save and Red and he is not accepting applications for assistants.
Supposedly, this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but I fail to see it. The only similarities is a curse that makes the town think a man is a monster and love breaking that curse. The two main characters are both stubborn martyrs and that is where most of the conflict comes from. If they could be honest and communicate from the beginning things would have been better. But the main story is politics and religion.
The actual plot of the story, which is shadowed a bit by the romance plot, is one of religious fanaticism that is actually really well done. There's a dark versus light magic trope used where the religious use the dark magic and are out for power. The damn athiests only wantinf peace, love, and healthy trees.
That being said, the magic system was a little confusing. Its clear that is blood magic but it reacts different in different settings and different people. It isnt predictable unless it is. I would have liked to have seen this worked out a bit better.
Oh ya and the age gap, centuries to 20 years....
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Eating disorder, and Murder
zuha_kh's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail