For the Wolf – Review

Hi everyone! Today I’m bringing to you yet another ARC review! This is one that I’m really excited about, and it comes from one of my favorite publishers – Orbit! For the Wolf releases on June 15th, 2021 and I highly recommend picking it up!

For the Wolf
by Hannah Whitten
Series: WIlderwood #1
Release date: June 15th 2021

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Retellings
Rating:  ★★★★★

The first daughter is for the Throne.

The second daughter is for the Wolf.

For fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale comes a dark fantasy novel about a young woman who must be sacrificed to the legendary Wolf of the Wood to save her kingdom. But not all legends are true, and the Wolf isn’t the only danger lurking in the Wilderwood.

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose-to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he’ll return the world’s captured gods.

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can’t control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can’t hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn’t learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood-and her world-whole.

This was so good! I loved the way this book used both Beauty and the Beast and Red Riding Hood to make this super eerie, magical fantasy!

I loved the characters, especially Red and Eammon. Red was such a great character, and I found myself highlighting a lot of sections where she surprised me. I thought for sure she would be angry about her situation and would lash out and try to escape, but time and time again she showed great understanding and compassion. Even though she’s a little scared of her new life, she takes everything in stride and adapts. She had come to terms with how her life would play out, and wasn’t trying to fight it but rather carve out a new space for herself.

“Well, damn the myths. She was just as much a part of those stories as he was, and if her destruction was imminent, she’d rather be the architect than a bystander.”

– For the Wolf

Eammon was so mysterious at first, but as we learned more about him I ended up really liking him! He was so selfless, to the point where he would not accept help from anyone. I enjoyed how his character developed. I also liked the relationship that Red and Eammon had, although at times it did feel a little lackluster. That being said, there is a huge emphasis on consent in this book, not just between Red and Eammon. I also need more of the whole monster boyfriend trope thing, because this was fantastic. The romance was really slow burn, and it also included the “there’s only one bed” trope which I always enjoy.

The writing was beautiful, and I think I’ve made more highlights in my ARC than I’ve made in the last few books I’ve read combined! It was beautiful without being overly flowery, and was able to really bring out the atmosphere and emotions. What makes this even more impressive to me is that this is a debut. If this is what Hannah Whitten writes for her first book, I can’t WAIT to see what she does next!

“He surged over her, a tide that swept them both away. The roots of the Wilderwood pulsed, growing deeper, twining together like the Wolves on the floor.”

-For the Wolf

Speaking of atmosphere, it was so good! I loved the eerie forest, and the way that it was a sentient being. There is a ton of what I would consider body horror in this. Lots of plants doing violent things, or growing within someone. That isn’t something that will be for everyone, but I enjoyed it! At times the body horror element reminded me of Wilder Girls, if only because of the nature aspect of the body horror.

I also loved how there were so many myths and legends woven into the story, and how those myths and legends can get twisted over time until the truth is hidden. It will be interesting seeing where these aspects go in the second book, which I am very much looking forward to!

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and will be getting a physical copy so that I can reread this! I’m really looking forward to the second book in the series, and I’ll be reading anything else that this author writes!