Book Review | The Wolf Den

Sold by her mother. Enslaved in Pompeii’s brothel. Determined to survive. Her name is Amara. Welcome to the Wolf Den… 

Amara was once a beloved daughter, until her father’s death plunged her family into penury. Now she is a slave in Pompeii’s infamous brothel, owned by a man she despises. Sharp, clever and resourceful, Amara is forced to hide her talents. For as a she-wolf, her only value lies in the desire she can stir in others.

But Amara’s spirit is far from broken.

By day, she walks the streets with her fellow she-wolves, finding comfort in the laughter and dreams they share. For the streets of Pompeii are alive with opportunity. Out here, even the lowest slave can secure a reversal in fortune. Amara has learnt that everything in this city has its price. But how much is her freedom going to cost her?

Set in Pompeii’s lupanar, The Wolf Den reimagines the lives of women who have long been overlooked. -Waterstones

Huge thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me a proof copy of The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper to read.

I don’t read very much historical fiction, so this novel was a bit out of my comfort zone honestly. It doesn’t feature any fantasy elements, and that’s not what I normally like! Having said this I enjoyed The Wolf Den! This is a fascinating book, from page one we are drawn into Amara’s world, of the infamous Wolf Den brothel in Pompeii. These women lived hard and unforgiving lives, and this novel perfectly demonstrates this! Harper gives voices to the women who were rarely heard in this time, and despite having more freedom than many women during the time period, they still enjoyed very little freedom in their lives in Pompeii. I didn’t really like any of the characters in the novel, but I did like reading about them, and following their stories.

This novel is quite bleak. It has rays of sunshine through it, but in general it is a dark and somber read. I would recommend you take this into consideration before picking the novel up. The women of the brothel lead difficult lives where they have very little control over their bodies, so please be aware of this!

Harper does a wonderful job of creating the setting of Pompeii in this novel. It was so imaginatively and richly crafted, it really felt like I was there, visiting the market and the bathhouses with the characters themselves. She paints such an atmospheric picture of the city, I was fully absorbed in the novel and the setting.

The novel also flies along at quite a pace. From the first page, there are twists and turns, and the lives of the characters are never still. The feeling of tension and creeping danger that Harper creates that menaces through the novel is perfect. We are reminded that the women have no control over their lives and what happens to them, they are totally at the whim of the men who own them. This sense of fragility is beautifully positioned in contrast to the strength of the women, and the relationships they have.

Overall I enjoyed this novel! It’s not what I would normally pick up, but even considering that I was absorbed by The Wolf Den throughout, and loved loved the setting of Pompeii a lot!

Buy the book from Waterstones here

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