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butilikeit's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Self harm, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
becksbecks's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Fun ideas, not very well written. Fight scenes seem to jump around too much and description seems to be missing which almost made me feel dizzy and lost while reading. On the other hand, character traits are definitely told (multiple times) and not shown, and the world is not developed enough to be convincing or intriguing , leading to a boring and confusing read overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Sexual content
reclusivebookslug's review against another edition
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: Self harm, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Emotional abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
eenicem's review against another edition
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: Self harm, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
xvicesx's review against another edition
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.
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
Moderate: Death, Self harm, Blood, Death of parent, and Abandonment
missdeaddoll's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? N/A
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm
lindseymeown's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Redarys, the Second Daughter of Valleyda, has always known she’d end up in the Wilderwood, the mysterious forest at the edge of her kingdom and home of all manner of monsters, including the Wolf. Born shortly after her sister, Neverah, Red’s birth order alone ensures she’ll be sent to the forest when she comes of age, a faithful sacrifice and small price to pay for the Wolf and the magic of the Wilderwood to hold the shadows at bay and return the five Kings, Valleyda’s true gods.
Neve isn’t going to let her sister go without a fight, but sometimes it’s hard to know what’s fact and what’s fiction, who’s friend and who’s foe, and which way the story should end.
It’s my own fault that I wasn’t a fan— pulled in yet again by a beautiful cover on a thick fantasy tome and not reading into the details and reviews enough to know that what I’d really be getting was a tortured romance with a twilight, twisted forest as a fantasy backdrop. The characters’ constant bloodletting felt repetitive, Red’s (and Neve’s) characters felt rash and foolish, and overall I just didn’t feel like there was much to the plot that could really resonate— just a bunch of tropes thrown together in the woods.
I can see it working for die-hard fairy tale & romance enthusiasts— the sensitive, brooding, misunderstood, and cursed Wolf, (who smells like libraries, by the way), the determined heroinewho will sacrifice her freedom to save him & ultimately her continent, though she was quite literally “thrown to the wolves” in a sacrificial scarlet cloak by her own family and the people of said continent— it just wasn’t enough of what I come to a fantasy looking for. 🤷🏻♀️
Neve isn’t going to let her sister go without a fight, but sometimes it’s hard to know what’s fact and what’s fiction, who’s friend and who’s foe, and which way the story should end.
It’s my own fault that I wasn’t a fan— pulled in yet again by a beautiful cover on a thick fantasy tome and not reading into the details and reviews enough to know that what I’d really be getting was a tortured romance with a twilight, twisted forest as a fantasy backdrop. The characters’ constant bloodletting felt repetitive, Red’s (and Neve’s) characters felt rash and foolish, and overall I just didn’t feel like there was much to the plot that could really resonate— just a bunch of tropes thrown together in the woods.
I can see it working for die-hard fairy tale & romance enthusiasts— the sensitive, brooding, misunderstood, and cursed Wolf, (who smells like libraries, by the way), the determined heroine
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm
revonue's review against another edition
The beginning clips along at a good momentum, then grinds to a halt right around when Red goes into the Wilderwood.
I would expect the Wolf and Red to have more interaction at this point, but I could forgive the lack if the other parts of the book were more interesting. They just aren't.
Personally this reads to me like Whitten read Novik's Uprooted and was inspired by it, and decided to go in a similar vein but make it Beauty and the Beast/ Red Riding Hood inspired.
But it takes the aesthetics of these fairy tales without truly adding anything or even really taking advantage of pathos that's already there.
Falls flat as a romance and as a fantasy, imo.
I would expect the Wolf and Red to have more interaction at this point, but I could forgive the lack if the other parts of the book were more interesting. They just aren't.
Personally this reads to me like Whitten read Novik's Uprooted and was inspired by it, and decided to go in a similar vein but make it Beauty and the Beast/ Red Riding Hood inspired.
But it takes the aesthetics of these fairy tales without truly adding anything or even really taking advantage of pathos that's already there.
Falls flat as a romance and as a fantasy, imo.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm
kymopolaya's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I did like this book in general and I actually love the woods and the magic. I generally love magic based in folklore and a connection to nature and I think that was done really well here.
However there were things I really didn't like. Primarily the entire romance aspect.
I really didn't like the romance. I felt like it ended up being used as a shorthand for them being really close and meaning a lot to each other but I didn't really find it believable.
i also found that it took away power from a lot of the decisions that she makes especially towards the end. I woudl have prefered it, if she had chosen the wood, not because of eammon but because it felt a part of her and she missed it. That was definitly a part of it but it got overshadowed by eammon and since i didnt find their closeness believable it felt even weirder.
I also didn't really like the implications the sex scene had because it implied this inherent power that sex has. It also felt really unnecessary. There was absolutely no reason for them to have sex in that moment apart from the idea that it's simply the next thing that happens after finally being able to kiss.
I think the romance was just too plot driven for my taste which is why it felt shallow.
especially in comparison to Red's relationship with the woods which i felt was a lot better and would have been even better if it hadnt been overshadowed by the romance. I know that part of it is suppoed to be that eammon and the woods are interconnected but it really didnt work for me
However, I do think that this is a good book. It just wasn't really for me because I prefere plots that are heavily character driven
However there were things I really didn't like. Primarily the entire romance aspect.
I really didn't like the romance. I felt like it ended up being used as a shorthand for them being really close and meaning a lot to each other but I didn't really find it believable.
I also didn't really like the implications the sex scene had because it implied this inherent power that sex has. It also felt really unnecessary. There was absolutely no reason for them to have sex in that moment apart from the idea that it's simply the next thing that happens after finally being able to kiss.
I think the romance was just too plot driven for my taste which is why it felt shallow.
However, I do think that this is a good book. It just wasn't really for me because I prefere plots that are heavily character driven
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
lily47270's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm