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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I’ve read this book in 2024 but didn’t go into the sequel so I decided to re-read it before reading the sequel. I have the Kindle version and the audiobook. I mostly listened to the audiobook during my shifts at work to pass the time.
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This book follows Redaris, who is the second daughter of Valleyda and was promised as a sacrifice to the Wilderwood and the Wolf. She has always known this and is resigned to it, even if she doesn’t always agree with the religious undertones to the reasoning for it.
She comes to a Wilderwood that is close to falling apart and it is up to her and the Wolf, Eammon, to repair the damage. She doesn’t want to use her magic but she soon comes to realize that she has no other options to aid in the repairs.
How far is she willing to go to save the home she was sent to and the man she realizes slowly that she is falling in love with? What will be taken from her in the end before things go back to a new normal?
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I enjoyed this book the first time I read it when I read it as a paperback book from my local library system. I bought the Kindle version soon after for both this novel and the sequel but I hadn’t gotten to the sequel before now.
The priestesses remind me of the priestess from the ACOTAR series but I can’t remember her name at the moment. I didn’t trust them from the beginning. During the second reading, I felt the same way. I didn’t trust any of them.
It has been too long to remember which sect of priestesses set the end of this book into motion so I found real quickly that I didn’t trust any of them. I wonder if that has anything to do with the lack of trust I have for real life religious figures. Yikes.
I liked Eammon from the beginning and felt so much sympathy for him from the get-go. I can’t imagine what I would feel and how I would act in his position. It makes me cringe, even now, to think about it. I would hate to be stuck in one place for centuries.
I didn’t realize this was an age-gap duology like ACOTAR until Eammon let it slip that he has been alive for centuries. I can’t remember if he ever admits to his age in full in this book. I haven’t read the sequel yet so I don’t know if he reveals it in that book or not.
I’m not normally into books with religious undertones in the plot since I was raised in a religious household. It reminds me of my time in the Christian church. I wasn’t sure what to make of the woman that wanted to be the next High Priestess and was left questioning her motives throughout the entire novel.
The cliffhanger at the end left me gasping with shock. I can’t remember the last time that happened so that’s a plus for Hannah’s writing. I was left feeling the same way after reading The Nightglove King. I need to read the sequel for this book and The Nightglove King as well.
I would recommend this book, for sure, if you want a dark fantasy novel with a new magic system. I love Red Riding Hood retellings so this was right up my alley. I wasn’t expecting the magic system or the fierceness that Red shows from the get-go. It’s a great read!
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
This book follows Redaris, who is the second daughter of Valleyda and was promised as a sacrifice to the Wilderwood and the Wolf. She has always known this and is resigned to it, even if she doesn’t always agree with the religious undertones to the reasoning for it.
She comes to a Wilderwood that is close to falling apart and it is up to her and the Wolf, Eammon, to repair the damage. She doesn’t want to use her magic but she soon comes to realize that she has no other options to aid in the repairs.
How far is she willing to go to save the home she was sent to and the man she realizes slowly that she is falling in love with? What will be taken from her in the end before things go back to a new normal?
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
I enjoyed this book the first time I read it when I read it as a paperback book from my local library system. I bought the Kindle version soon after for both this novel and the sequel but I hadn’t gotten to the sequel before now.
The priestesses remind me of the priestess from the ACOTAR series but I can’t remember her name at the moment. I didn’t trust them from the beginning. During the second reading, I felt the same way. I didn’t trust any of them.
It has been too long to remember which sect of priestesses set the end of this book into motion so I found real quickly that I didn’t trust any of them. I wonder if that has anything to do with the lack of trust I have for real life religious figures. Yikes.
I liked Eammon from the beginning and felt so much sympathy for him from the get-go. I can’t imagine what I would feel and how I would act in his position. It makes me cringe, even now, to think about it. I would hate to be stuck in one place for centuries.
I didn’t realize this was an age-gap duology like ACOTAR until Eammon let it slip that he has been alive for centuries. I can’t remember if he ever admits to his age in full in this book. I haven’t read the sequel yet so I don’t know if he reveals it in that book or not.
I’m not normally into books with religious undertones in the plot since I was raised in a religious household. It reminds me of my time in the Christian church. I wasn’t sure what to make of the woman that wanted to be the next High Priestess and was left questioning her motives throughout the entire novel.
The cliffhanger at the end left me gasping with shock. I can’t remember the last time that happened so that’s a plus for Hannah’s writing. I was left feeling the same way after reading The Nightglove King. I need to read the sequel for this book and The Nightglove King as well.
I would recommend this book, for sure, if you want a dark fantasy novel with a new magic system. I love Red Riding Hood retellings so this was right up my alley. I wasn’t expecting the magic system or the fierceness that Red shows from the get-go. It’s a great read!
I love a magical forest. It's one of my favorite things. This was so atmospheric and engaging and I loved all the fairytale vibes. Very interested to see how part 2 pans out.
Forest spirit/god. Strong FMC who knows her own mind. Fantasy story with romantic elements. So many good things in this novel
Easy and quick read that is interesting enough. However… every part of this book felt like I’ve read it before. A mash up between Uprooted by Naomi Novik and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, but calling it a red riding hood retelling that was nothing like red riding hood.
I really enjoy books that have this type of set up…. When there is a human sacrifice to be made in order to save the whole community- some of my favorite books do this. Uprooted, Echo North, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, The Bear and the Nightingale, Deathless… each are among some of my favorite books of all time. But because I love this type of set up, it’s easy to compare. It just wasn’t as good as the rest. And on top of that, my eyes were rolling during some of the romantic interaction and I was annoyed at the lack of communication between characters.
That being said… it’s listed as YA and this is one of those incidences where I would recommend it to heavier YA romance fantasy audiences, emphasis on YA and Romance. I think it would be extremely enjoyable for that audience.
I really enjoy books that have this type of set up…. When there is a human sacrifice to be made in order to save the whole community- some of my favorite books do this. Uprooted, Echo North, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, The Bear and the Nightingale, Deathless… each are among some of my favorite books of all time. But because I love this type of set up, it’s easy to compare. It just wasn’t as good as the rest. And on top of that, my eyes were rolling during some of the romantic interaction and I was annoyed at the lack of communication between characters.
That being said… it’s listed as YA and this is one of those incidences where I would recommend it to heavier YA romance fantasy audiences, emphasis on YA and Romance. I think it would be extremely enjoyable for that audience.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
A very unique magic system, and an original adaptation of a well known fairy-tale. I had a great time reading about the world and exploring the complex characters and their relationships. Excited to read the second book.
It's so slow! The storyline is interesting but I promise I get the forest wants blood.
Review: Although this was marketed as a retelling of little red riding hood, there is little to compare to the original story other than a red cloak, a girl named red, a forest, and a “wolf” (who is not really a wolf.. spoiler alert). I enjoyed the story, but there was some slow setup and I didn’t really feel any attachment to the characters. It was unique and creative. The MMC had a “burn the world for you” mentality and the FMC was not a shrinking violet. The setup for the second book is spot on.