Book Review: For the Throne by Hannah Whitten

About the Book:

Title: For the Throne

Author: Hannah Whitten

Series: Wilderwood #2

Page Length: 448

Publication Date: June 9, 2022

Publisher: Orbit

Synopsis: The First Daughter is for the Throne
The Second Daughter is for the Wolf…

Red and the Wolf have finally contained the threat of the Old Kings but at a steep cost. Red’s beloved sister Neve, the First Daughter is lost in the Shadowlands, an inverted kingdom where the vicious gods of legend have been trapped for centuries and the Old Kings have slowly been gaining control. But Neve has an ally–though it’s one she’d rather never have to speak to again–the rogue king Solmir.

Solmir wants to bring an end to the Shadowlands and he believes helping Neve may be the key to its destruction. But to do that, they will both have to journey across a dangerous landscape in order to find a mysterious Heart Tree, and finally to claim the gods’ dark, twisted powers for themselves.

LINKS:   Goodreads   |    Amazon | Book Depository

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, including Amazon, and I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through my links.

---

My Review:

To anyone who grew thorns instead of flowers, you had your reasons.

For the Throne is an exciting sequel to For the Wolf with action, suspense, fantastic Gothic elements, and intriguing characters. My favorite part of this duology is the relationship between Neve and Red. Though the sisters spend the majority of the duology apart, the heart of the book is about the love between these sisters. Red and Neve will do anything to save and protect each other. I like that the story switches between their perspectives because you really get to understand their motivations, conflicts, and feelings. Where For the Wolf focuses more on Red, For the Throne focuses more on Neve and her journey. And what a journey it is!

The Shadowlands, where Neve spends the majority of the story with Solmir, is a new setting, and it is has major Gothic vibes. The world-building is dark and vivid and immersive and has expanded from the first book, and I love how the Shadowlands contrasts the Wilderwoods. They, much like the sisters, act as opposites, and the symbolism here is strong. The magic system is also fascinating and explored more deeply, which I also really liked.

I found Neve and Solmir as interesting as the setting they’re in. Whitten explores and embraces the morally grey character and shows the reader that no one is entirely good or evil. I enjoyed these begrudging allies and was pleasantly surprised to find myself liking a character that I once despised. It definitely says something about the author’s storytelling when it can make a reader’s perceptions and feelings completely change.

Enemies-to-lovers romances are one of my favorites, so it’s no surprise that I liked the romances in this book. Red and Eammon had a great love story, and I enjoyed seeing how their relationship has progressed. Neve and Solmir have an antagonistic, yet chemistry-laden relationship, and I loved their banter. Surprisingly, they make a good team and complement each other well. I’m always a sucker for the dark and brooding anti-hero, and Solmir fills that role to perfection.

This is a strong conclusion to the duology. It’s layered, atmospheric, romantic, and full of magic and mystery. It also explores many thought-provoking themes about love, loss, power, and the lengths people will go to protect the ones they care about. I’m so thankful to Orbit Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

---

https://media.giphy.com/media/IzRWsOco0Zp7woExht/giphy.gif

Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The sister relationship.

• The romance.

• The world-building.

Favorite Lines:

Everyone has to decide how best to tell the story of their own villain.

“You think love is so difficult,” she murmured. “Such a fraught thing. But sometimes, it can be simple, even when everything around is not.

Destruction and rebirth and peace and war, all of it twisted, none of it true.

Recommendations:

Want to learn more about the duology? Check out my review of the first book!