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When twins are born to the crown, the first daughter is for the throne. The second daughter is for the wolf.
As the only second daughter born in centuries, Red’s sole purpose is to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wilderwood in the hope that he’ll return their captured gods. To most, it’s viewed as a death sentence, but Red is almost relieved to go. For years she’s been plagued by a dangerous power she’s struggled to control. In the Wilderwood, she won’t be able to hurt those she loves. She cannot bear the thought of hurting her sister again.
But the legends and tales told about the wood and the Wolf are lies. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. If she doesn’t learn how to wield her magic properly, though, the monsters the gods have become will emerge, swallowing the Wilderwood and escaping its boundaries into her world.
Don’t let the cover and the title fool you. For the Wolf is not a Little Red Riding Hood story. In fact, it’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling. But there’s also something about this story that makes it new and uniquely its own. I love the creepiness of the Wilderwood and the atmosphere of the Wolf’s house. It’s this aesthetic that makes it the perfect fall or winter read. In many ways, it reminds me of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden and Uprooted by Naomi Novik.
However, I was sometimes confused because the magic is so convoluted and new elements kept being added (even until the very end). The book also features a form of self-harm for magical use that reminded me a lot of cutting. And then it became overused — spilling blood as a means to fight the evil permeating the forest — such that it became normalized and a necessity.
Overall, For the Wolf features beautiful writing, and though it drags in the middle and is sometimes repetitive in is poetic descriptions, it is easy to overlook and to enjoy this fantasy book for its feral forest and atmospheric allure.
Rated: Moderate, for 3 uses of strong language, close to 20 uses of moderate language, and over 50 uses of mild language. Violence is high and at times quite gory. Self-harm for magic use (cutting) plays a large role in the story, and while its negative effects are addressed at least once, it’s not stopped. Instead, it is viewed as a necessity and normalized. Characters also have issues with parental neglect and emotional abuse. A church sect is revealed to be a creepy shadow cult. Characters frequently drink to cope, forget and get drunk. Sexual content includes hinting of characters being with someone out of need of want versus love. Married characters kiss frequently, and one makeout scene leads to undressing, groping and caressing before fading to black.
