Reviews

For the Throne by Hannah Whitten

iorangi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

inkedbibliomaniac's review against another edition

5.0

Magical. I love this duology SO MUCH.

shmadsie's review against another edition

4.0

This was leaps and bounds a better book for me than For the Wolf was, because both Solmir and Neve chose good and had to choose good after making... less-than-good choices. I also liked this better because their struggle was way more internal than external. And while I could - and did - guess every single aspect of Red and Eammon's story because it was disappointingly familiar and predictable, both Solmir and Neve's felt changeable up to the very end. I didn't know what they would do - I don't think they knew what they would do - so it felt more earned when they made better decisions. I also loved Arick's fate and that he was given a better one. On the less 'yay' side of this - what I fell in love with in the first book, Fife and Lyra, were sadly barely even footnotes here (though that's kind of fair since this was Neve's story and not Red's and they were a connection through Red) and the addition of Raffe and Kayu felt shoehorned in for me. They weren't present enough to feel like three-dimensional characters and would've been better entirely left out, their few necessary parts being parceled out to different, more robust characters.

emilyjhenry's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

airclay3's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

There was too much telling and not enough showing. The magic confused me to no end and detracted from the ending. I love the idea of what this book was supposed to be (reading the Q and A at the end with the author), but I think the reality of probably having a timeline to write this story shows. The first book had been written before even thinking about publishing, so the attention to detail over that long of time showed.

Them breaking their souls was fine, of course a copout to real sacrifice, but it still felt like the burden of choices made was enough sacrifice, too. Arick really made me mad, since there was no logical reason for him forgetting everything and coming back to life. And the number of times they kept re-figuring things out that had been clear several chapters prior made me frustrated. And did Neve still not have a pinky finger?!?

fms2000's review against another edition

4.25

I think I am a Hannah Whitten convert omggggg

beeneedssleep_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

bookbabe_jazzie's review against another edition

5.0

After the events of "For the Wolf", Red and Eammon house the entirety of the Wilderwood within their bodies and Neve has slipped into the Shadowlands after doing everything in her power to save her sister from the Wolf. "For the Throne" is Neve's story, her journey through the Shadowlands, accompanied only by the once-King Solmir. In order to fulfill a destiny, she doesn't even know she and Red are hurling towards, Neve and Solmir set off across a world in shades of gray to get Neve out of the Shadowlands and to deal with the Five Kings for good, while they will do everything in their power to save her sister, including letting a foreign princess she knows nothing about in on the plans.

Unlike the previous book, For the Throne didn't feel as steeped in fairy tales. Instead, Neve's story felt like it took on a life of its own, one that was actually centered on the mythology of her world. This turned out to be a beautiful, almost heartbreaking story of sisters and what they'll do to get back to each other. The love they have for each other is special and beautiful, and their bond is a lovely thing to see.

For the Throne takes on the conflict between light and dark, life and death, man and nature, and swirls it into a story of sisters who are mirrors of each other.

I personally prefer this book over the first, just the writing and the switching between characters to get to the bigger picture was everything. I will say that both books did feel like two parts of a whole, and I loved that about it as well.

adriannaclar'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

3.5

mybooksarenovel's review against another edition

4.0

The second part of this duology. I found with both of these books, the author has a very creative touch when it comes to world-building. I found myself completely immersed in this universe and it's altering scapes.

For the Wolf followed Red, the second sister, this follows Neve, the first. Being twins, they are mirror images, and where Red took the path of light, Neve finds herself interacting with the darkness through a hellscape. Along the way she is thrown together with a noble villian and faced with hard choices.

NC-17 rating for violence, language, and sexual cintent.

Unfortunately, I really hate a hellscape (ex. Stranger Things, Shadowhunters, Coraline) and I really struggled reading through this based strictly on the setting. To be fair, I'm certain not everyone will have this issue, and it is very well written for what it is. I found myself not being able to put down book #1, but this one really had me trudging. If hellscapes are your thing, this is up your alley!

I will generously give 4 stars because I found the storytelling to be well done and captivating despite my reading preferences and aversions.

I received this book as an ARC, and I'm so grateful to have been chosen to receive this copy.