A review by liteartha
The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

centred on the lives of amara and the other women enslaved at a brothel in pompeii, the wolf den is a heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and deeply human story. brilliant historical fiction, incredibly well grounded in its pompeian setting despite its very approachable modern style

i was particularly struck by the complexity of the characters' relationships, be it within the power structures of their surroundings or interpersonally. the relationships between the women especially were portrayed with such nuance and depth, which i loved, but i would have appreciated a little more exploration of the characters themselves. while i understand why we didn't get a wealth of background for much of anyone, it still left me feeling less invested than i otherwise would've been

on the whole, such an impressive start to a trilogy. i had very high hopes for this book and while it wasn't quite all that i'd hoped, i'm walking away satisfied and very excited to continue on with the series
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