Reviews with content warning for Blood - For the Wolf

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

Content Warnings

xvicesx's review against another edition

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mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

Really didn't care much for this. It seems like there was more story in the interludes than there was in the "main" part, and Neve was more of a heroine than Red could ever dream of being.

There were a whole bunch of things that didn't quite make sense to me such as Eamon swearing "Kings" which didn't really have its place seeing they were just a bunch of random people to him, not actual gods. The desperate need of the people (as a whole) in the forest city to escape also didn't have its place because they had more than everything they needed to not just survive but actually thrive.

Overall, to me it felt like the author had a good idea, but failed to deliver. It would have been interesting to see Red learn to exist, to not have to consider the expiration date on her life, and maybe to see some real relationship grow between her and the Wolf. As it was, it felt very forced.

Dunno. Maybe it's just me, but this one feels like a flop.

Content Warnings

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: 🌶️

Content Warnings

katelynprice's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

I was immediately intrigued by this book, but it took me a bit to make sense of the world-building, magic, and history. I noticed that it took me much longer to read these pages, and I'm not sure if that was because I was just trying to make sense of it all or if the writing was actually confusing at times. There was also a whole scene/chapter that I think could've been cut from the book, as it didn't seem to serve a larger purpose and just slowed down the pace of the story. While this was not a perfect book, I still found myself drawn to it and was enthralled in the end. Some lines were so good that I went back to reread them and even read them aloud to my husband. Whitten is talented, and I want to read more from her. I'm glad I don't have to leave this world she created quite yet.

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pastellasilver's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

Ich mochte die Grundidee sehr gerne. Der Fehlende Antagonist hat eine spannende und interessante neue Sichtweise geboten. Schade fand ich, dass später doch ein "klassischer" Gegenspieler auftrat und viele Wendungen dadurch vorhersehbar wurden.
In den Wilden Wald habe ich mich aber Hals über Kopf verliebt, die Atmosphäre und die Bewohner haben es mir angetan.
Dass Red und Neve so sehr gegeneinander gearbeitet haben fand ich jedoch sehr ermüdend, auch wenn es logosch erklärt war. Als Leser ist es jedoch sehr anstrengend, da man weitaus mehr Informationen hat.

Content Warnings

charliesmom's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense 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

2.75

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robin_leeann's review against another edition

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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

tibbarasden's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

5.0

I can see why this book isn't for everyone, but I loved it. It combines aspects from different fairytales while still creating something unique. I would look at the trigger warnings for this before going in as it does have a religious element and self-harm. My favorite part of this book was the Wilderwoods themselves. I love that spooky sentient wood vibe. All the characters were enjoyable, though the atmosphere was what really made this book for me.

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