A review by camiandkitread
For the Throne by Hannah Whitten

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

4.5

Hannah Whitten’s “For the Throne” is the nail-biting high fantasy sequel to “For the Wolf,” the best Beauty and the Beast retelling I’ve come across (and there’s a lot of Beauty and the Beast retelling out there).

The First Daughter is for the Throne. 
The Second Daughter is for the Wolf. 

Neve, First Daughter, finds herself trapped in the Shadowlands, the inverted kingdom inhabited by old gods and the evil Old Kings. While there, she forms a tenuous alliance with the rogue king Solmir in hopes of keeping the Old Kings from gaining any more power—and in hopes of finding her way back to her sister, Red.   

On the other side, Second Daughter Red works tirelessly with her husband, the Wolf, and their friends to bring Neve back from the Shadowlands. With few clues on how to accomplish their goal, they’re forced to make new allies and visit old enemies to gain any information about how to rescue Neve. 

“For the Throne” was a full-throttle adventure the whole way through. As excited as I was to keep flipping to the next page, to find out what was going to happen next, I found myself missing the quieter moments that were found in “For the Wolf.” Those introspective moments in the Wilderwood gave the reader a chance to get to know the characters and appreciate Whitten’s creative genius. 

Although it was a necessary change, “For the Throne” lacked a lot of the charm of the first book because its primary setting of the Shadowlands was considerably more treacherous than the Wilderwood and the stakes were significantly higher in “For the Throne.” All in all, “For the Throne” was a good book, but “For the Wolf” was a great book.  
Expand filter menu Content Warnings