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sparklingginger's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Sexual content and Suicidal thoughts
ka_ke's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Unlike For the Wolf, the ending to For the Throne is predictable. That being said, For the Throne is still a magnificent duology closer, we even get closure for Arick! I appreciated that Red and Raffe’s perspectives were included but did not demand equal attention to Neve’s story. The world building is a work of art. I look forward to reading more from Hannah Whitten
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Misogyny, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Sexual content
kaitisbooknook's review against another edition
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Violence
looseleafellie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I absolutely adored For the Wolf and have been waiting eagerly for this sequel. Luckily, it did not disappoint!
I related a lot to Neve, which is unfortunate for me because she’s a disaster, but meant I enjoyed her POV chapters. I also loved seeing all my returning faves and getting to know the fantastic Princess Kayu! This is a squad I would die to hang out with.
As with the first installment, For the Throne’s pacing is kind of slow, but getting lost in the prose makes it absolutely worth it. I felt like Neve and Solmir’s romance wasn’t as developed as Red and Eammon’s, but I did somehow like Solmir by the end despite hating him in the first book, so that is a FEAT!
Also, the last 60 pages are a rollercoaster that crushed me, so thanks for that, Hannah :P I’ve loved spending time in the Wilderwood, and I eagerly await the author’s next series!
Thanks to Orbit Books for the finished copy!
Spice level: graphic but brief
CWs: Blood/gore, body horror, violence, parent neglect/abuse, religious trauma/abuse, death of a loved one, giant insects.
I related a lot to Neve, which is unfortunate for me because she’s a disaster, but meant I enjoyed her POV chapters. I also loved seeing all my returning faves and getting to know the fantastic Princess Kayu! This is a squad I would die to hang out with.
As with the first installment, For the Throne’s pacing is kind of slow, but getting lost in the prose makes it absolutely worth it. I felt like Neve and Solmir’s romance wasn’t as developed as Red and Eammon’s, but I did somehow like Solmir by the end despite hating him in the first book, so that is a FEAT!
Also, the last 60 pages are a rollercoaster that crushed me, so thanks for that, Hannah :P I’ve loved spending time in the Wilderwood, and I eagerly await the author’s next series!
Thanks to Orbit Books for the finished copy!
Spice level: graphic but brief
CWs: Blood/gore, body horror, violence, parent neglect/abuse, religious trauma/abuse, death of a loved one, giant insects.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Religious bigotry
olivialandryxo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.5
For the Wolf was one of my favorite reads of last year, even making it onto my list of all-time favorites, and I was so, so excited for this sequel. It was at the very top of my list of 2022 anticipated releases. Yet, sad as I am to say it, I don’t know how to feel about For the Throne. On one hand, giving it any less than five stars feels innately wrong; but, on the other, I hesitate to give a book I feel so conflicted about a perfect rating.
First, I’m going to clear one thing up: I adore Red and Eammon. I adore my Wolves. I knew that going into this book, and that didn’t change. I don’t think that could change. They are my sweet, perfect babies, and they must be protected at all costs. They carried this book and I can’t be convinced otherwise. ❤️❤️❤️
My issue lies with Neve and Solmir. I really didn’t care about Neve in the first book; by the end of it, I actually found her kind of annoying. But, despite that, I was confident that this sequel would change my mind, that she would grow on me, and that I would love Solmir too. Hannah Whitten had been teasing an enemies to lovers romance, and that’s my favorite trope, so I was SO SURE everything would be fine.
Everything was not fine. I hate to say it, but it’s true. Neve didn’t grow on me. I don’t have anything against her, per se; I just… didn’t really care about her. Or Solmir. Or their relationship. Which, by the way, wasn’t that good of an enemies to lovers arc. Their banter in the first third of the book was entertaining, and the stakes were certainly high throughout, but I never got invested. When I think enemies to lovers, I think of Juliette and Roma, Nina and Matthias, Ismae and Duval, just to name a few. They’re all ships with seriously intense love stories, ships I’m seriously invested in. They’ve become my standard comparisons for the trope, set my standards rather high. Neve and Solmir weren’t like that, didn’t meet those standards.
So, clearly, if I didn’t vibe with either the character that narrated most of the book or the emphasized new ship, that’s a problem. And then the other significant problem—in my opinion—was the ending. I don’t want to say it was disappointing, because that feels too harsh, but I didn’t like it. I wasn’t satisfied with how Hannah chose to wrap everything up. Obviously, that’s not my call, it’s hers, and she thought it was the best option. I just… disagree. 😬😬
If I look past those things, Hannah’s writing was gorgeous, her world-building incredible, her plot twists pure genius, just like in the first book. She gave plenty of adorable Wolf and Lady Wolf content, and I’ll definitely be going back to reread those scenes in the future. But I can’t look past the fact that I kept reading, waiting for something to happen that would make me fall in love with Neve and Solmir, yet nothing did. That my first thought upon finishing the book wasn’t omg that was brilliant or I’m so happy, but I don’t know how to feel about that. And that sucks. It really does. Because up until the last fifty pages, Neve and Solmir aside, I was thinking that the book was brilliant. I was terrified to see how it would end, as you should be when reading a series finale, but still hopeful all would be well.
And honestly, I’m sad. I’m sad that instead of writing a glowing five star review talking about what a fantastic, emotional conclusion this was, how much I adore all of the characters, and how the Wilderwood duology is now one of my all-time favorites, I’m trying to figure out how to articulate my complicated feelings about this finale that wasn’t everything I’d hoped it would be. It’s been almost a full twenty-four hours since I finished reading, and I’m still kinda bummed. Sure, four and a half stars isn’t a bad rating; it’s still quite good. For the Wolf is still one of my favorite books, Red and Eammon one of my favorite ships, Hannah Whitten one of my favorite authors. I’ll still recommend For the Wolf to everyone that will listen, and I’ll be reading The Foxglove King ASAP when it releases next spring. But not loving a book you were SO SURE you were going to love is a uniquely disappointing feeling, one I’m not entirely sure how to process. Maybe I’m being overdramatic AF, but regardless, that’s about how I’m feeling now.
So yeah. It’s taken me way too long to cobble this review together, and I’m ready to focus on something else. Wolf and Lady Wolf supremacy. They’ll always be the Wolves in my heart. The end.
Representation:
First, I’m going to clear one thing up: I adore Red and Eammon. I adore my Wolves. I knew that going into this book, and that didn’t change. I don’t think that could change. They are my sweet, perfect babies, and they must be protected at all costs. They carried this book and I can’t be convinced otherwise. ❤️❤️❤️
My issue lies with Neve and Solmir. I really didn’t care about Neve in the first book; by the end of it, I actually found her kind of annoying. But, despite that, I was confident that this sequel would change my mind, that she would grow on me, and that I would love Solmir too. Hannah Whitten had been teasing an enemies to lovers romance, and that’s my favorite trope, so I was SO SURE everything would be fine.
Everything was not fine. I hate to say it, but it’s true. Neve didn’t grow on me. I don’t have anything against her, per se; I just… didn’t really care about her. Or Solmir. Or their relationship. Which, by the way, wasn’t that good of an enemies to lovers arc. Their banter in the first third of the book was entertaining, and the stakes were certainly high throughout, but I never got invested. When I think enemies to lovers, I think of Juliette and Roma, Nina and Matthias, Ismae and Duval, just to name a few. They’re all ships with seriously intense love stories, ships I’m seriously invested in. They’ve become my standard comparisons for the trope, set my standards rather high. Neve and Solmir weren’t like that, didn’t meet those standards.
So, clearly, if I didn’t vibe with either the character that narrated most of the book or the emphasized new ship, that’s a problem. And then the other significant problem—in my opinion—was the ending. I don’t want to say it was disappointing, because that feels too harsh, but I didn’t like it. I wasn’t satisfied with how Hannah chose to wrap everything up. Obviously, that’s not my call, it’s hers, and she thought it was the best option. I just… disagree. 😬😬
If I look past those things, Hannah’s writing was gorgeous, her world-building incredible, her plot twists pure genius, just like in the first book. She gave plenty of adorable Wolf and Lady Wolf content, and I’ll definitely be going back to reread those scenes in the future. But I can’t look past the fact that I kept reading, waiting for something to happen that would make me fall in love with Neve and Solmir, yet nothing did. That my first thought upon finishing the book wasn’t omg that was brilliant or I’m so happy, but I don’t know how to feel about that. And that sucks. It really does. Because up until the last fifty pages, Neve and Solmir aside, I was thinking that the book was brilliant. I was terrified to see how it would end, as you should be when reading a series finale, but still hopeful all would be well.
And honestly, I’m sad. I’m sad that instead of writing a glowing five star review talking about what a fantastic, emotional conclusion this was, how much I adore all of the characters, and how the Wilderwood duology is now one of my all-time favorites, I’m trying to figure out how to articulate my complicated feelings about this finale that wasn’t everything I’d hoped it would be. It’s been almost a full twenty-four hours since I finished reading, and I’m still kinda bummed. Sure, four and a half stars isn’t a bad rating; it’s still quite good. For the Wolf is still one of my favorite books, Red and Eammon one of my favorite ships, Hannah Whitten one of my favorite authors. I’ll still recommend For the Wolf to everyone that will listen, and I’ll be reading The Foxglove King ASAP when it releases next spring. But not loving a book you were SO SURE you were going to love is a uniquely disappointing feeling, one I’m not entirely sure how to process. Maybe I’m being overdramatic AF, but regardless, that’s about how I’m feeling now.
So yeah. It’s taken me way too long to cobble this review together, and I’m ready to focus on something else. Wolf and Lady Wolf supremacy. They’ll always be the Wolves in my heart. The end.
Representation:
- side characters of color (one is also aromantic asexual)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Body horror and Sexual content
Minor: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts
There are only a couple of sex scenes; while they’re not fade-to-black, they’re not graphic either. Mentions of prior self-harm by one of the love interests. Brief mention of a minor side character with suicidal thoughts.theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
You know a book is going to be good when the dedication makes you tear up. I almost feel like I can breathe a sigh of relief now that I know what has come to pass in The Wilderwood.
It feels like a millennium has passed since I finished For the Wolf, one of my favorite reads of 2021, and I've been so anxious to find out what happens next in the lives of Neve, Red, Eammon, and the rest of the gang. I've been anticipating this sequel so much that when I was approved for the ARC, I didn't even think to do a reread of the first book before diving right into this the second I received it. I had forgotten way more than I expected! Oops. I truly thought that my memory would be perfect and I'd recall everything that transpired at the beginning of the story. So much for that.
Due to the nature of the first book's ending, this one picked up right where the last left off. If my memory had served me better, this wouldn't have been an issue whatsoever. Sadly, because I was struggling to remember the more complex details, I had a tough time getting into the opening chapters. I just couldn't fully grasp the importance of some of the themes. This is entirely my own fault and does not take away from the utter masterpiece this book is. But, it does help me to state that this duology is best when binged!
The further I read, the more that I was able to recall character names, events that occurred, and why certain plot points were important. This helped me to really immerse myself in the story once I was about 15% of the way in and from there, it was smooth sailing. The chapters are relatively long, which is typically not my favorite, but because of the nature of the story, I was never bored or impatient to reach the end. Each moment held such weight and there were so many intricacies within the magic system that absolutely fascinated me.
I really have to applaud Hannah's ingenuity when it comes to the magic system for these books. I've never in my life read a book where someone could be wolf, wood, and (in)human - and while I've seen my fair share of fantasy novels with shadow magic, the way that Neve and Solmir control it was unlike anything I've witnessed before. It makes this duology stand out among the other fantasies. I found myself on the edge of my seat multiple times, waiting to see what might happen next, thinking that I had something figured out, and then being pleasantly surprised when it didn't go the way I expected!
And my anticipation went beyond the magic. These characters are phenomenal. I think that anyone can relate with at least someone in these books. While Neve wasn't someone who I related with as much (I found myself much more drawn to Red), I still understood the darker parts of her and some of the challenges she faced. Just like Red, she's a really powerful character, so there's certainly no lack of "strong female leads" in these books, and I love every second of it. Their strength doesn't just lie in their ability to battle or wield magic, but also in their heart and the choices they make to sacrifice for their loved ones.
The ending. Oh. My. Gosh.
Okay, that's not all I have to say, but it could be. The final moments had my heart racing! I think I even began to sweat a little bit. So much happened and I was beyond surprised with how the story wrapped up - in the best way possible. No spoilers here, I'm just going to say that you'll love it.
I can officially say, without a doubt, that Hannah is now one of my auto-read/buy authors. I'm hooked. I was hooked after For the Wolf, but now that I've read For the Throne, there's not even a drop of doubt in my mind that she's a favorite. I love the dark, gritty nature of these books and how they're so beautifully woven with romance, heart, and depth. I can't wait for whatever comes next (and I want a spin-off about Arick - please and thanks).
It feels like a millennium has passed since I finished For the Wolf, one of my favorite reads of 2021, and I've been so anxious to find out what happens next in the lives of Neve, Red, Eammon, and the rest of the gang. I've been anticipating this sequel so much that when I was approved for the ARC, I didn't even think to do a reread of the first book before diving right into this the second I received it. I had forgotten way more than I expected! Oops. I truly thought that my memory would be perfect and I'd recall everything that transpired at the beginning of the story. So much for that.
Due to the nature of the first book's ending, this one picked up right where the last left off. If my memory had served me better, this wouldn't have been an issue whatsoever. Sadly, because I was struggling to remember the more complex details, I had a tough time getting into the opening chapters. I just couldn't fully grasp the importance of some of the themes. This is entirely my own fault and does not take away from the utter masterpiece this book is. But, it does help me to state that this duology is best when binged!
The further I read, the more that I was able to recall character names, events that occurred, and why certain plot points were important. This helped me to really immerse myself in the story once I was about 15% of the way in and from there, it was smooth sailing. The chapters are relatively long, which is typically not my favorite, but because of the nature of the story, I was never bored or impatient to reach the end. Each moment held such weight and there were so many intricacies within the magic system that absolutely fascinated me.
I really have to applaud Hannah's ingenuity when it comes to the magic system for these books. I've never in my life read a book where someone could be wolf, wood, and (in)human - and while I've seen my fair share of fantasy novels with shadow magic, the way that Neve and Solmir control it was unlike anything I've witnessed before. It makes this duology stand out among the other fantasies. I found myself on the edge of my seat multiple times, waiting to see what might happen next, thinking that I had something figured out, and then being pleasantly surprised when it didn't go the way I expected!
And my anticipation went beyond the magic. These characters are phenomenal. I think that anyone can relate with at least someone in these books. While Neve wasn't someone who I related with as much (I found myself much more drawn to Red), I still understood the darker parts of her and some of the challenges she faced. Just like Red, she's a really powerful character, so there's certainly no lack of "strong female leads" in these books, and I love every second of it. Their strength doesn't just lie in their ability to battle or wield magic, but also in their heart and the choices they make to sacrifice for their loved ones.
The ending. Oh. My. Gosh.
Okay, that's not all I have to say, but it could be. The final moments had my heart racing! I think I even began to sweat a little bit. So much happened and I was beyond surprised with how the story wrapped up - in the best way possible. No spoilers here, I'm just going to say that you'll love it.
I can officially say, without a doubt, that Hannah is now one of my auto-read/buy authors. I'm hooked. I was hooked after For the Wolf, but now that I've read For the Throne, there's not even a drop of doubt in my mind that she's a favorite. I love the dark, gritty nature of these books and how they're so beautifully woven with romance, heart, and depth. I can't wait for whatever comes next (and I want a spin-off about Arick - please and thanks).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
fablesandfoliage's review against another edition
5.0
CW:
Blood
Gore
General violence
Mutilation (one instance)
Moderate sexual content
Parental neglect/abuse
Religious trauma/abuse
Giant insects
Thank you, Hannah Whitten, Hachette Book group, Orbit, NetGalley, and Angela Man for this advanced reader copy and ebook in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of my most anticipated books this year. I absolutely loved it. It gave me all the feels. Ripped my heart out and I wanted more. This story didn’t go anything like I thought it would. It was more than I could have imagined. This book focused on Neve and the Shadowlands. Red, the Wilderwood, and the rest of the crew were still present. There were some twists I didn’t see coming and I loved it. It was dark, beautiful, violent, and full of heart ache. I will recommend and reread it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Gore and Sexual content
mo345's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Body horror