#Review - For the Throne by Hannah F. Whitten #Fantasy #Romance

Series: The Wilderwood (#2)
Format: Paperback, 496 pages
Release Date: June 7, 2022
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Dark Fantasy / Romance

In this breathtaking sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller For the Wolf, Red's sister Neve struggles to escape a mysterious land of twisted roots, lost gods, and mountains made of bone—and the only clues to her rescue are a magic mirror and a dark prince who wants to bring the whole thing crumbling down.

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.

For the Throne, by author Hannah F. Whitten, is the second and final installment in the authors Wilderwood duology. Key Characters: Neverah (Neve), Redarys (Red), Eammon, Raffe, Solmir, and Okada Kayu, a new character who definitely stirs things up. The story is told in multiple POV such as Red, Neve and Raffe. The book picks up right where For the Wolf ended. Neve and Red spend the book trying to find their way back to each other, all while adjusting to the newer version of their world they're now living in. 

 

We've know for awhile that Red and Neve will do anything to save and protect each other and now it seems as though someone is pushing the sisters towards a common goal which no one quite knows what the end game will be. Neve finds herself 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 along with Solmir, the so called Fifth King, who is on a mission to kill the Kings.

 

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. Both Neve and Solmir are more morally grey compared to Red and Eammon, but they each are trying to do what they believe is best. Meanwhile, Red and Eammon are literally Wilderwood and have become immortal. The key is that they are no longer fenced in by Wilderwood. They are able to travel to different parts of the world. Red, as well as Neve, are both hearing a strangers voice guiding them towards a similar goal.

 

As with Neve, Red seems to be driven to find a key to the Heart Tree and a reunion with her sister. Can the sisters survive the brutal journey ahead? And, who is the voice that seems to know about a Golden-veined woman, and a Shadow Queen?

The world-building is dark and vivid and immersive and has expanded from the first book. The romance between Solmir and Neve was more of a subplot than the relationship between Red and Eammon. It would also be considered enemies to lovers which many readers gobble up. I also think that the main subplot of this story is fate vs choice. There are choices made in this book that kick fate in the head and leaves it bleeding along the highway. Every character in this book has a choice including Raffe and Okada. 

 

Overall, I am satisfied with how this series wraps up. It also explores many thought-provoking themes about love, loss, power, and the lengths people will go to protect the ones they care about.

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