Welcome back to the Debut a Month Challenge! This month I read For the Wolf, the debut of Hannah F. Whitten that released at the start of June.
For the Wolf is set in a world where it is customary that the second daughter of the ruler must be sent as sacrifice to the mysterious figure in the woods known as the Wolf. Protagonist Red (short for Redarys) is the first second daughter in a century, and on her birthday must be sent to the Wolf in the hopes that the Wolf will release their gods.
Red’s sister and friends urge her to run away on the eve of her birthday, but Red has her own reasons for wanting to go into the woods. And when she gets there, she finds that the stories she grew up learning about the wood and the Wolf inside are merely twisted versions of the truth.
One thing I really liked about FTW was the development of the romance. I don’t want to name specifics for spoilers, but it was excellently paced and I rooted for the main couple so hard.
Another thing I found interesting: going into this book, I was convinced it was going to be a Red Riding Hood retelling. Now that I’ve read it? I can see someone making the argument that it is, but to me, it’s more of a Beauty and the Beast retelling, dressed up in a Red Riding Hood aesthetic. Or you could argue that it’s neither, but merely an original story with fairy tale elements. Personally, I like to think it’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling, only because I find it amusingly ironic to say that I went into my favorite Beauty and the Beast story thinking it would be a Red Riding Hood story.
As you might be able to tell, I really enjoyed For the Wolf, and am already counting down the days to its sequel, For the Throne. (But if you’re wary of sequels, don’t worry. For the Wolf has a deeply satisfying ending.) So if you’re into that fairytale vibe in your fantasy, don’t wait to check out For the Wolf.
Comments