Reviews with content warning for Gore - For the Wolf

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*.

Dislikes

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

This was such a solid read for me! Admittedly, I actually wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did–because the fairy-tale-retelling-vibe usually isn’t my jam, not because I’d heard anything bad about it; quite the opposite, in fact! So, I was pleasantly surprised, for certain. Beautifully written with memorable, distinct characters and a wonderful premise that leaves me curious as to what is going to happen next. It’s the kind of book that I found I kept sneaking off to read, which is a-okay with me! 4 gems!

Content Warnings

forthesanityof1's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

The only thing I kept thinking about while reading this was how much I could see it made into a movie by Studio Ghibli. The author knows how to take her time in all the right places and draw out the pocket of the story in a way that felt effortless, hence the Ghibli vibes. This book is a beautiful, wonderful mix of dark fantasy, fairy tales, and political intrigue. I want to gush about so many things I loved about it. The world building is fantastic, I loved the whole idea of the Wilderwood and the Wolf. The Wolf himself was so different than what I was expecting that I adored him from the get go for the subversion. The narrator, Red, feels like a breath of fresh air. I loved her attitude towards everything, her fear and her contempt and her curiosity. Her reflective nature helped make this story what it is. I think my favorite thing about this book, though, was the writing style; it's utterly captivating to me, cutting in just the right way to make the reader feel the impact of certain lines and really experience the storytelling and the uniquely terrifying setting of the Wilderwood. Holy crap, do I recommend this book.

Content Warnings

margotnelson's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I had heard so much hype about this book so I was really eager to dive in. I was especially excited about the nature-horror twist on Red Riding Hood, and to see how that all played into a larger fantasy set-up. The first half of the book was a little dense for me, mostly because of how descriptive the author's writing style is. I would describe it as maximalist, and it works for a fairytale book but did make it a little hard to understand exactly what was going on at times. However, the second half of the book made up for it. By that point, the dynamic between Red and Eammon was a lot more believable and tense, the logic of the Wilderwood made more sense, and the political intrigue was a great parallel plot. I did enjoy this book, even if it took a while to get into!

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bookforthought's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

5.0

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, 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 Uprooted 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!

Content Warnings

whatellisreadnext's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense 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

4.0

"𝘐𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵, 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭."

As the second born daughter, Red is to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the woods. She is relieved to go, magic that she can't control runs through her veins, atleast the people around her will be safe. But the legends lie, the wolf is a man, not a monster.

This book was bloody great. It had everything I love in a fantasy book and more. A sentient forest that feasts on blood✔ Beauty and the Beast meets Red Riding Hood vibes✔ Moody centuries old love interest✔ Weird magical cult✔ Badass main character✔ I honestly just couldn't get enough of this story, and the fact that this is a debut left me flabbergasted.

Me and romance in fantasy have a very compliacted relationship, but whilst reading For The Wolf, I was totally into it. Eammon is wonderful, and I love him. I'm talking moody bookworm, with a tragic existence, just my type. His relationship with Red drove me crazy, you could literally cut the sexual tension with a knife💁🏻‍♀️

I really enjoyed the journey of For The Wolf, but the ending was something else entirely. There was so much going on, Whitten did not hold back. And that cliffhanger?!?!? I need the sequel For the Throne as soon as humanly possible💃

This amazing book hit the shelves yesterday and if you love fantasy, then you're going to need it, just saying. Thanks so much to Orbit Books for the gifted copy!

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