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aggiesreadingtime's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Firstly, I am so grateful to the Orbit books for gifting me this beautiful book! I absolutely loved it and here's why:
Let's start with the fact that writing style of Hannah Whitten is beautiful and creative, and simply amazing. I enjoyed every paragraph and every line!
The story is mostly told from Red perspective, a second daughter to a queen that is send to the bloodthirsty magical forest For The Wolf. However, we learn that Wolf ain't what we expected at all! Far from it, actually and the forest holds more secrets that were assumed.
I must say, I loved Redarys as character from the very beginning. She is strong minded person and definetly not inicent sacrifice we often see in books. And she grows so much through the story that I admired more and more! Definetly one of my favorite main protagonist there is!
Also, we get few chapters from Neve perspective, the first daughter of the queen that is meant For The Throne. We see how she griefs her sister and does everything in her power to save her, yet... maybe she needs to be saved herself.
It's hard to say much about this book without sharing spoilers. But I can tell this much: this is a slow burn romance book where magic is not spells or charms, but lives deep I people's hearts and veins, also is dangerous and unpredictable. And mostly, it's a story of many secrets and carries lots of pain in it, but also shows the strength of love, how much we are willing to do for it. And sometimes those decisions ain't the best, sometimes we trust wrong people and end up paying harshly for it.
I truly recommend this book to you and any fantasy lover. It's beautiful retteling of Red Riding Hood, a little bit of Beauty and The Beast as well. It have folk vibe to it and is so well written! I absolutely loved it! 🖤
And the ending! Kind of saw it coming. Partly. Yet, was left shocked and craving for more!
However, have I mind that there is big self harm theme in it. And if you are sensitive to the topic - think carefully before picking up this read 😊
Let's start with the fact that writing style of Hannah Whitten is beautiful and creative, and simply amazing. I enjoyed every paragraph and every line!
The story is mostly told from Red perspective, a second daughter to a queen that is send to the bloodthirsty magical forest For The Wolf. However, we learn that Wolf ain't what we expected at all! Far from it, actually and the forest holds more secrets that were assumed.
I must say, I loved Redarys as character from the very beginning. She is strong minded person and definetly not inicent sacrifice we often see in books. And she grows so much through the story that I admired more and more! Definetly one of my favorite main protagonist there is!
Also, we get few chapters from Neve perspective, the first daughter of the queen that is meant For The Throne. We see how she griefs her sister and does everything in her power to save her, yet... maybe she needs to be saved herself.
It's hard to say much about this book without sharing spoilers. But I can tell this much: this is a slow burn romance book where magic is not spells or charms, but lives deep I people's hearts and veins, also is dangerous and unpredictable. And mostly, it's a story of many secrets and carries lots of pain in it, but also shows the strength of love, how much we are willing to do for it. And sometimes those decisions ain't the best, sometimes we trust wrong people and end up paying harshly for it.
I truly recommend this book to you and any fantasy lover. It's beautiful retteling of Red Riding Hood, a little bit of Beauty and The Beast as well. It have folk vibe to it and is so well written! I absolutely loved it! 🖤
And the ending! Kind of saw it coming. Partly. Yet, was left shocked and craving for more!
However, have I mind that there is big self harm theme in it. And if you are sensitive to the topic - think carefully before picking up this read 😊
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
graculus's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Another entry for the 'thank heavens I got this from the library and didn't spend cash money on it' category of reviews, I'm afraid. Which is a shame, since this was a book I was very much looking forward to and hoped would give me more than it managed to do. Meanwhile, I know there's also a bit of an issue at the moment where some people automatically go 'female authored fantasy book = YA' - this book is categorically not being sold as that but that's not helped when the writing overall (and particularly the relationship out of nowhere) feels just so teenage at times.
Okay, on with the book itself, which is the first of a trilogy. It's set in a world where there's an ongoing deal between the rulers of a particular kingdom and the wild forest on their borders that if there are two daughters born into the royal house, the first will be the heir (since it's a matrilineal crown, apparently) and the second will be sacrificed to the forest. The job of this particular country, which apparently survives in significant part because of it and the tithes it receives as a result, is to hold back the encroaching forest which would otherwise cover everything. There's also a slightly confusing piece of world-building going on about five kings who we discover partway through the book were not the Good People they were supposed to be.
Anyway, our protagonist (Red) is the eponymous Second Daughter and has been brought up for her entire life on this basis. She and her older sister also had an odd encounter a few years earlier when they got drunk and tried to burn the nearest part of the forest, only for the forest's magic to manifest through her and kill some local bandits in various gruesome ways. On reaching the right age, Red goes into the forest despite all of this and meets the Wolf, who conveniently turns out to be an attractive emo boy with floppy hair and a tendency to try to take responsibility for everything on himself called Eamonn.
Without spoiling the entire story, there's a lot of blood magic going on (mostly involving people who are not just restricted to Red and Eamonn cutting themselves) and also lots of the forest going a bit crazy for various reasons, both positive and negative. Red's sister is dragged into a conspiracy involving the religious practitioners of her country, supposedly in order to get Red back from the forest, but really for ulterior motives of their own.
I really wanted to like this book more than I did but found myself skimming chunks of it as the same things happened over and over again - character A is told not to do something but does it anyway, character B feels guilty about it even though it's clearly character A's fault for being a stubborn dumbass. Rinse and repeat. This is also one of those books where the world-building has been a bit over-egged and at times became semi-coherent as a result and that always has an impact on my ability to give a crap about what happens to the characters. I'm sure there will be people who'll absolutely adore this book but I'm not one of them. I might pick the next one up from the library if they get it but there's plenty of other stuff I'd prioritise reading first over that...
Okay, on with the book itself, which is the first of a trilogy. It's set in a world where there's an ongoing deal between the rulers of a particular kingdom and the wild forest on their borders that if there are two daughters born into the royal house, the first will be the heir (since it's a matrilineal crown, apparently) and the second will be sacrificed to the forest. The job of this particular country, which apparently survives in significant part because of it and the tithes it receives as a result, is to hold back the encroaching forest which would otherwise cover everything. There's also a slightly confusing piece of world-building going on about five kings who we discover partway through the book were not the Good People they were supposed to be.
Anyway, our protagonist (Red) is the eponymous Second Daughter and has been brought up for her entire life on this basis. She and her older sister also had an odd encounter a few years earlier when they got drunk and tried to burn the nearest part of the forest, only for the forest's magic to manifest through her and kill some local bandits in various gruesome ways. On reaching the right age, Red goes into the forest despite all of this and meets the Wolf, who conveniently turns out to be an attractive emo boy with floppy hair and a tendency to try to take responsibility for everything on himself called Eamonn.
Without spoiling the entire story, there's a lot of blood magic going on (mostly involving people who are not just restricted to Red and Eamonn cutting themselves) and also lots of the forest going a bit crazy for various reasons, both positive and negative. Red's sister is dragged into a conspiracy involving the religious practitioners of her country, supposedly in order to get Red back from the forest, but really for ulterior motives of their own.
I really wanted to like this book more than I did but found myself skimming chunks of it as the same things happened over and over again - character A is told not to do something but does it anyway, character B feels guilty about it even though it's clearly character A's fault for being a stubborn dumbass. Rinse and repeat. This is also one of those books where the world-building has been a bit over-egged and at times became semi-coherent as a result and that always has an impact on my ability to give a crap about what happens to the characters. I'm sure there will be people who'll absolutely adore this book but I'm not one of them. I might pick the next one up from the library if they get it but there's plenty of other stuff I'd prioritise reading first over that...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm and Blood
Minor: Body horror
theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Talk about an absolutely breathtaking book. The writing alone was enough to make me fall in love - and then you add a brilliant plot and swoon-worthy characters and it’s everything I could possibly ask for in a fantasy novel.
I was fascinated by the Beauty and the Beast-esque retelling that morphed into something entirely its own as the story went on. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect next and I loved every second of it. It was unpredictable and gripping!
The magic system was phenomenally creative. I mean, blood magic isn’t uncommon in fantasy - but blood and earth magic combined into something dark and vicious but also beautiful??? Now that is incredible!
I was absolutely shocked and pleasantly surprised to read a BatB retelling that didn't have a manipulative, possessive, or even abusive "beast" character. Eammon was a consent king and I appreciated every minute of it.
It got to the point where even when I would wind up slightly confused by what was happening, I still absolutely had to know what came next. It had me on the edge of my seat.
Now, I’m desperate to know what kind of wood and shadow will follow Red, Eammon, Neve, and the rest of the cast into the next book.
I was fascinated by the Beauty and the Beast-esque retelling that morphed into something entirely its own as the story went on. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect next and I loved every second of it. It was unpredictable and gripping!
The magic system was phenomenally creative. I mean, blood magic isn’t uncommon in fantasy - but blood and earth magic combined into something dark and vicious but also beautiful??? Now that is incredible!
I was absolutely shocked and pleasantly surprised to read a BatB retelling that didn't have a manipulative, possessive, or even abusive "beast" character. Eammon was a consent king and I appreciated every minute of it.
It got to the point where even when I would wind up slightly confused by what was happening, I still absolutely had to know what came next. It had me on the edge of my seat.
Now, I’m desperate to know what kind of wood and shadow will follow Red, Eammon, Neve, and the rest of the cast into the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, and Blood
Moderate: Torture and Death of parent
Minor: Cursing and Sexual content
thoughtsstained's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Likes
- 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
Graphic: Gore and Self harm
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
artsybrea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
mo345's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, and Blood
Moderate: Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment
dernhelms_bag's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Death of parent
forthesanityof1's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Self harm, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
The self-harm trigger is in reference to charactersmontereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Self harm, and Blood
margotnelson's review against another edition
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, and Grief