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readwithria's review
- 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
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.
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
adancewithbooks's review
4.0
For the Wolf initially seems to be a red riding hood fairytale, even more so hinted at by the cover. Yet as we continue the story it feels more like a Beaty and the Beast retelling. Red is the beauty and our wolf who is just human, is the beast for his monstrous connections. But he isn't really. He is just trapped in a cage not of his own making. Once Red enters, things start to change. She seems to be the second daughter that will change everything. Except you know, he doesn't want to hear that. Save me from stuborn men.
But I ended up falling for the basic story and the mystery. What did everything mean? Who are these kings? What is this land? What are these woods? The author made it an atmosperic read with a creepy wood which is what I like in my wood stories. And in the end I quite liked our main characters the wolf and red. They aren't nessecarily the most captivating characters once you start the book but they both grow throughout in their own way and towards each other.
However I do think the book was a bit too long. Certainly some things could have been cut. There were also the interlude chapters towards Red's sister who is trying to save her. I understand the need for the look at what is happening there as it is so important for the ending and the next book. But it pulls away from the story that is happening. It could have been dealt with differently.
And lastly I feel like we should have gotten a bit more on our side characters. They were there for so long with the Wold and clearly they are important to him. But then why not show that connection a bit more?
Graphic: Self harm and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gore and Blood
Minor: Death of parent
Parental Neglect | Hallucinations |toriwatson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Self harm, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content and Panic attacks/disorders
folded_between_pages_of_books's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm
looseleafellie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
This book starts off slow, but it builds up into a fantastically atmospheric and gripping read! I’m OBSESSED with Red and Eammon’s relationship, and Red’s sister Neve really grew on me despite all her gaslighting, gatekeeping, and girlbossing 😄 I also loved Fife and my aroace queen Lyra!
You’d have thought this was a Little Red Riding Hood retelling from the, uh, everything about it, but actually it’s much more like Beauty and the Beast, complete with a library! BatB retellings can sometimes verge into questionable territory with the captivity aspect, but I actually loved the way For the Wolf handles consent and makes it clear that Red is staying in the Wilderwood because she wants to (hilariously, the titular Wolf keeps trying to send her back home and she’s having none of it 😂).
If you’re looking for an atmospheric read with a slow build, romance, and magic, this one’s for you!
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Self harm, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Death of parent
The self-harm component is for the purposes of magic use.thoughtsstained's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- The writing. I think this is what struck me the most about For the Wolf. The writing is exquisite. Like, I’m not saying that lightly. It’s so lyrical and beautiful that I’m legit a bit jealous that my own writing cannot compare. And while the story is also fantastic, I just cannot get over the sheer beauty of the writing.
- The romance. We all know I’m a sucker for romances and this was no exception! I loved Eammon and Red. While Eammon often had me wanting to shake his shoulders in frustration, their chemistry is amazing. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t often find myself wanting to skim read, just to find out what happens next and make sure they were still okay, before having to force myself to slow down and enjoy it.
- The characterization. All of the characters are seriously well done in how clear they are. Though I did get quite annoyed with the actions of a few certain characters (coughEammonandNevecough), I understood them, even if I didn’t agree with them. To me, that is so important, for not only did it help me better form attachments and emotions to these characters, but it made them feel more well-rounded and real. Hence why the characterizations was *chefs kiss*.
- I think I had some when I initially finished the book, but they were obviously minor, since I cannot for the life of me remember them as I sit down to write this review, so…*shrugs*
Rating
Graphic: Self harm and Gore
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
utopiastateofmind's review
4.0
I am not normally a fan of Beauty and the Beast, but For the Wolf delivers these vibes in an intriguing way! The romantic tension, the plant and dark magic, the friendships within the castle - all of it entranced me. While it's slower paced than I expected - and something that you might wanna prepare yourself for - once I adjusted I was obsessed. The world building, in particular the magic, just captured my intrigue. There is magic running through Red's veins with darkness, a potentially destructive force that keeps the shadows at bay. But also a magic she will have to learn to embrace, or else.
Moderate: Self harm and Panic attacks/disorders
bookforthought's review
- 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
5.0
The Second Daughter is for the Wolf.
And the Wolves are for the Wilderwood.
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, and Self harm
onceuponabookcase's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Apart from the fact that Redarys goes by Red, and the warden of the Wilderwood is known as the Wolf - but is actually called Eammon - For the Wolf is much more of a Beauty and the Beast retelling than one of Little Red Riding Hood. Eammon is believed to be a monster that kills the second daughters, when in actual fact, the Wilderwood is the only thing keeping a different realm, the Shadows Lands, a prison for the monsters that used to terrorise the world, from opening. A bargain was made years ago, to keep everyone safe. But the Sentinel trees are constantly battling rot, that will allow the way through. The second daughters are needed by the Wilderwood, the price of the bargain, to keep the Shadow Lands closed. The Wilderwood is weakening, and is desperate for the magic in Red's veins, but Eammon is doing all he can to keep her from the Wilderwood, to not let it have her.
The worldbuilding for For the Wolf is amazing! I love the religion surrounding the Kings, I loved the dark, creepy, sentient Wilderwood, the brooding, tragic Eammon, and just how messed up the magic is. It's actually a part of the Wilderwood that they both have in them. Eammon has more, due to his connection with the forest, and it's freaking disturbing everytime he uses it. From his body sprouts vines, bark grows on his skin. The Wilderwood is living inside them. But the Wilderwood also wants to be whole, to connect with their magic to do its job. It's a constant fight to stop the Wilderwood from sending vines and shrubs into any cut Red might get. There's a definite body horror element to the story, I'm not really describing it very well, but when the Wilderwood comes for you, it's not messing about! It's downright sinister.
But For the Wolf it's a much slower story than I expected. Red is terrified of her power, or not being able to control it, but seeing what Eammon goes through, trying to use his own power to heal the Sentinels that start to rot, and close the breaches that do manage to open, she realises he can't do this on his own. But he is full of guilt over the deaths of the previous second daughters, deaths he feels he should have been able to prevent if only he was stronger, and he's trying to make sure the same doesn't happen to Red. Blood or magic is the only thing that helps, and Eammon is almost bleeding himself dry to try and prevent the changes to his body brought on by using magic. And with the Wilderwood weakening, soon Eammon won't be enough. Their slow burn romance is sweets during the constant back and forth. There are baby steps, where Eammon allows her to help in small ways, but it's not enough. This is the story for the most part; Red learning about her magic, trying to learn to control it, trying to convince Eammon to let her help, with the threat of the Wilderwood, and what comes through the breaches a constant backdrop.
There were a number of interludes that go back to Neve's sister and see things from her perspective, where she's willing to do whatever it takes to get her sister back, and her collaboration with a priestess who is obsessive and fanatical. This is where the story gets darker. Things are going on while Red is trying to learn how to use her magic. Dark, sinister things. These interludes were much more disturbing than the Wilderwood itself, to be honest. So while it's slow, there is a lot that's going on, and this sense of foreboding, as you now things are going to get really, really bad. For the Wolf wasn't as exciting as I would have hoped, but it's definitely intriguing! I love the dark, sinister aspects to the story, and it really kicked up a gear towards the end, with quite the cliffhanger ending! I'm really interested to see where the story goes in the second and final book, For the Throne. If you like your fairy tale retellings dark and disturbing, definitely give this one a go!
Moderate: Blood, Self harm, and Body horror
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders