For the Wolf

by Hannah Whitten

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Red knows her destiny: to be sacrificed to The Wolf of the Wood to save her kingdom. But then she learns the truth. This fractured fairy tale retelling of Little Red Riding Hood is a perfect recommendation for fans of Naomi Novik's Uprooted or Spinning Silver, or The Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND TIKTOK SENSATION!

The first daughter is for the Throne.
The second daughter is for the Wolf.

An instant NYT bestseller and word-of-mouth sensation, this dark, romantic debut fantasy weaves the unforgettable tale of a young woman who must be sacrificed to the legendary Wolf of the Wood to save her kingdom. But not all legends are true, and the Wolf isn't the only danger lurking in the Wilderwood.

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose—to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he'll return the world's captured gods.

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can't control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can't hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn't learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood—and her world—whole.

"If you ever wished Beauty and the Beast had more eldritch forest monsters and political machinations, this is the romance for you."―Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January

"A brilliant dark fantasy debut!" —Jodi Picoult, NYT bestselling author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316592789
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	06/01/2021
Series:	Wilderwood Series , #1
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

Hannah Whitten has been writing to amuse herself since she could hold a pen, and sometime in high school, she figured out that what amused her might also amuse others. When she's not writing, she's reading, making music, or attempting to bake. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and children in a house ruled by a temperamental cat.

Editorial Reviews

"Drenched in atmosphere, with sharp and biting prose, Whitten’s For the Wolf is a glorious journey through woods deep and so very dark. A stunning debut."—Erin Craig, NYT bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows

“A brilliant dark fantasy debut. I loved it! I was completely swept away by the world-building, the characters, and the delicate gorgeousness of the writing.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author

“Eerie, earthy to its bones, and rife with elder magic. Hannah Whitten is one to watch.”—Anna Bright, author of The Beholder

"Atmospheric, folkloric, and half-familiar. If you ever wished Beauty and the Beast had more eldritch forest monsters and political machinations, this is the romance for you."—Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January

"Whitten weaves a captivating tale in this debut, in which even secondary characters come to feel like old friends. The novel seamlessly blends "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Beauty and the Beast" into an un-put-down-able fairy tale that traces the boundaries of duty, love, and loss. A masterful debut from a must-read new voice in fantasy."
 —Kirkus

"Whitten debuts with a dark, dazzling reimagining of 'Little Red Riding Hood'... Whitten lovingly weaves in elements from other fairy tales, including 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Snow White,' while crafting a story that is all her own. With clever, immersive prose and a subtle touch of horror, this is sure to enchant."—Publishers Weekly

"This hauntingly beautiful, fractured retelling of Little Red Riding Hood is dark, emotional, and filled with tense action. Whitten’s debut is epic and enthralling."—Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 2021-04-14
Twin princesses—one fated to become a queen, the other a martyr—find themselves caught up in an unexpected battle of dark magic and ancient gods.

Four hundred years ago, a Valleydan princess facing a loveless betrothal sought refuge in the Wilderwood with her lover, the Wolf. The legendary Five Kings—including her father and her husband-to-be—pursued them only to be trapped in the Wilderwood. Now, according to legend, the only hope of restoring the Five Kings to power lies in the ritual sacrifice of every Second Daughter born to Valleyda's queen. There hasn't been a second daughter for 100 years—until now. On her 20th birthday, Redarys accepts her fate and walks into the Wilderwood to become the Wolf's next victim only to find that the stories she grew up on were lies. The handsome man who lives in a crumbling castle deep in the forest is not the original Wolf but his son, and he wants nothing to do with Red or her sacrifice. Afraid of her wild magic abilities and the danger they pose to her sister, Neverah, Red refuses to leave the Wilderwood. Instead, she clings to the new Wolf, Eammon, who will do whatever it takes to protect her from the grisly fate of the other Second Daughters. Meanwhile, in the Valleydan capital, Neve's desperation to bring her sister home sets her on a path that may spell disaster for Red, Eammon, and the Wilderwood itself. Whitten weaves a captivating tale in this debut, in which even secondary characters come to feel like old friends. The novel seamlessly blends "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Beauty and the Beast" into an un-put-down-able fairy tale that traces the boundaries of duty, love, and loss.

A masterful debut from a must-read new voice in fantasy.

Kirkus Reviews

Narrator Inés del Castillo conveys the menace and tension in Whitten’s intoxicating fantasy debut. Red—a Second Daughter of the Valleydan queen—is fated to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wilderwood. Once there, however, Red learns that her childhood lessons were nothing but lies. The Wolf is no monster, the legendary imprisoned kings are not gods, and Red herself is filled with the power to heal, rather than destroy. Del Castillo’s voice is dark and seductive, with a rough edge that perfectly reflects the Wolf’s ragged power and the unsettling nature of the Wilderwood. Her pacing is occasionally rushed, but her delivery is so attuned to the novel’s intensity that listeners will be wholly captivated, and eager for the next installment in this enchanting series. S.A.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JULY 2021 - AudioFile

Narrator Inés del Castillo conveys the menace and tension in Whitten’s intoxicating fantasy debut. Red—a Second Daughter of the Valleydan queen—is fated to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wilderwood. Once there, however, Red learns that her childhood lessons were nothing but lies. The Wolf is no monster, the legendary imprisoned kings are not gods, and Red herself is filled with the power to heal, rather than destroy. Del Castillo’s voice is dark and seductive, with a rough edge that perfectly reflects the Wolf’s ragged power and the unsettling nature of the Wilderwood. Her pacing is occasionally rushed, but her delivery is so attuned to the novel’s intensity that listeners will be wholly captivated, and eager for the next installment in this enchanting series. S.A.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JULY 2021 - AudioFile