A review by katewutz
The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso

This book is even more enjoyable on the second read. I LOVE that the central conflict is between Tali and her husband, who she wants to trust but can’t, both because of the arranged nature of their marriage but also because he’s a hypocrite who apparently has no problems cheating on her and undermining her authority in her own kingdom while flipping his shit and tearing an entire empire apart over a teeeeeensy affair she had before they were married.

Here’s the thing, though. It would be cool if we could explore that conflict without literally three OTHER men fighting over Tali. Carrying the wolf metaphor forward, she’s building a pack, she’s pulling a family around her to protect her son, but…do they all have to be romantically interested in her? Hoping the sequel has much more of Nor, more female characters or at least more characters who aren’t potential love interests, and a more nuanced examination of this assumption that because Agos says he’d die for Tali, she owes him something. I think Tali knows better, but at the moment that’s a little unclear.

(Also, clearly I’m just frustrated because she and Khine belong together and I’m impatient for them to realize it, sorrynotsorry)