‘Red Riding Hood’ just got scarier: a review of Hannah Whitten’s ‘For the Wolf’

As winter is coming (cue the “Game of Thrones” theme song), I will read anything that promises me a dark winter wonderland. “For the Wolf” is just that and so much more. 

The novel is Hannah Whitten’s debut dark fantasy novel and is a part of a trilogy. We follow two sisters, Red and Neve, on their separate journeys, switching between their points of view.  Red, the second-born child, is sacrificed to the Wolf in the woods while Neve, the first daughter, is a Queen to be. They couldn’t be so different, but ultimately both their fates are more intertwined than I thought. 

The debut is a dark fantasy with hints of “Red Riding Hood” and “Beauty and the Beast.” For those reasons alone, I picked up the book.

As with any good fantasy novel, the first chapter shoves you into the world with everything you need to know. There’s a magical, scary forest called the Wilderwood. In the past (long before the sisters’ time) it took the country’s Kings with it after a bargain, and now the second daughter is sacrificed to the Wolf to keep the woods dark and terrifying magic contained.

The beginning of this novel is good. You want to keep reading. You want to figure out who this Wolf is. The language (though over the top at times) is elegant to match the mood.

But other than that, it was hard to finish this book. 

It was slow, prolonged. Neve was a pain to read (she got on my nerves as a character), even though most of the plot was with her. But to be fair, Red isn’t the best character either. If it weren’t for her ties to the Wolf and her magic, I wouldn’t have finished.

With the exciting parts of the plot with Neve, it was a bit weird. The cover and the title imply that Red and her story would push the plot forward. It barely does. We learn (after we meet the Wolf) more and more about the legend of the Kings, the Wolf, Wilderwood and Red’s magic, but it’s lackluster and too drawn out. Another thing to note: blood magic is the magic system of choice in the novel, but it left me more confused than anything else.

But even with all that, the ending is terrific. The final battle and the romance of the Wolf and Red is satisfying. So, will I read the second book of the Widlerwood series? Yes, but be warned, journeying through the middle of this book might make you want to toss it aside — violently. 

Happy reading!