A review by readwithria
For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

For the Wolf is a fairytale wrapped in a blood promise. A dark, hauntingly beautiful fantasy that is absolutely perfect for spooky season.

I love fairytale retellings,  I love folklore, and I love Hannah Whitten’s other book The Foxglove King, so I went into this book wanting to love it with my whole heart. It delivered on so many things! The world was lush and beautiful, the prose was atmospheric, and the characters had such strong bonds with each other. This book  took the spooky forest trope and spun it into something new and delicately beautiful.

The one thing that kept this from being a five start book for me was the pacing. It was definitely intentional, and built a lot of necessary tension, but the first half was much slower than I personally prefer. It picked up significantly around the halfway mark, and the last 40-50 pages were an avalanche of action and emotional beats.

I can’t wait to read the sequel! Hannah Whitten is making herself one of my go-to spooky season authors. 4 stars.
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