nim_reads_a_lot 's review for:

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

4.0

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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This is not a romance. This is not a cozy read. This is historical fiction set in the brutal setting of a brothel in Pompeii. Yes, that Pompeii that was destroyed by the volcano. The Wolf Den is a real place and the stories told in this book are very likely close to the truth. The slavery and treatment of women during this time felt very accurately portrayed. I am a bit of a Greek/Roman history fan and I really enjoyed this book. It had the details and accuracy I loved. Well, as much as anyone can enjoy violence, SA and death. This book is not graphic but graphic. It’s hard to explain as the author does not hold back from explaining what is happening but you are not exposed to the fine details. The trauma is well discussed however, and that could be triggering for readers. Our main character, Amara, goes through a lot. She was an educated and loved girl who was sold into slavery and then forced to be a prostitute. Her life should have been good but now it’s a type of hell I would wish on no one. The story does not get resolved. I need you to know that the sequel must be read. I kept waiting for her story to resolve and the purpose of her situation to come to light but it never did. I realized that this felt almost like a documentary about her life and the life of the other prostitutes. We are traveling with her through her days and nights as she tried to find freedom while losing herself. I was gripped however and struggled to stop reading. I was obsessed and needed to know what was next. I will be reading the series and hoping we get a good resolution. Even if it is the volcano killing the men. I hate to say it but all the men sucked.