For one, the protection offered by the Wilderwoods is weakening, and the Wolf is just a man as much of a captive as she is. As the only second daughter born in centuries, Red has all the more reason to go, but when the day arrives and she feels the woods pulling her forward, she finds that the legends she’s been told are not entirely true. Though her sister Neve rages against her fate, Red has accepted it, plagued by an unknown power and determined to never hurt those close to her again. All her life Redarys has known that as the kingdom’s second daughter her sole purpose is to be sacrificed to the Wilderwood and the Wolf keeping its gods captive. i just wish the haphazard world-building hadnt detracted from that. not really anything more in terms of plot, which i didnt mind since i love the original story so much. she just wanted a magical wood but wasnt sure how to explain the magic system and/or build around it.Įven though i found the world-building to be confusing, at the heart, this is your classic ‘beauty and the beast’ retelling. it kind of gave me the impression that the author didnt know where she was going with it. theres just so much and never any clear explanation. even after 400+ pages, im still not sure what created the wilderwood, why the wolf is bound to it, the difference between his magic and his blood, and what the deal with the five kings is. the narrative creates more questions than it provides answers and its very frustrating. yes, the concept of the wilderwood is interesting, not exactly unique, but it suits the story.

lol.Īnd while im never one to turn away from a ‘beauty and the beast’ story, this wasnt quite for me and i think its because it has some pretty terrible world-building. A woodsy, magical folk retelling of ‘beauty and the beast.’ which is surprising because, based on the title, cover, and the MCs name, i totally expected this to be inspired by ‘little red riding hood.’ go figure.

Per il lupo by Hannah F. Whitten