The Wolf Den tells the story of Amara, a doctor’s daughter who, until her father’s death, led a comfortable life.
Without the doctor, Amara and her mother were left destitute and Amara was sold into slavery. She is eventually sold on to brothel owner Felix, where she is then enslaved and forced to forget the innocent girl she once was.
Within ‘The Wolf Den’ Amara is surrounded by women who share her dream of freedom. However everything in Pompeii has a price, and just how much will Amara’s freedom cost?
The Wolf Den Book Review
I really enjoyed the first book of the Wolf Den trilogy. It’s a tale of sisterhood and survival and it had me gripped from the beginning.
It was so frustrating to read how powerless women were during that time. They were always at the mercy of the men and the author doesn’t shy away from showing us the brutality these women were subjected to. It’s an unflinching account of the indignities and torture the women had to endure at the hands of men.
The characterisation was brilliant. I could clearly visualise all the women in the brothel and the men who held all the power. I really liked Amara as a character. She was a character of kindness and compassion laced with strength and a determination to survive. Her circumstances forced her to be ruthless at times and I found the change in her fascinating to read.
The friendship between the women was one of my favourite parts of the book. I loved the sisterhood and support they gave each other which, to a certain degree, even extended to those who were considered their rivals.
I love books that combine historical fact with fiction and I did really enjoy the story. However, considering my excitement to read a book based in Pompeii, I was left slightly disappointed that it wasn’t quite as atmospheric as I would have liked. I loved the story but I felt like it could have been set anywhere. There wasn’t enough description of the ancient city to make it feel like the characters were actually there. However, this is only the first book in the trilogy so perhaps we’ll see more of Pompeii in the upcoming books.
That being said, I did really enjoy this book and I’m looking forward to reading the others in the series.
What should I read after The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper?
If you’ve read The Wolf Den, I’d recommend reading the other novels in the trilogy, starting with The House With the Golden Door.
For books with a similar feel to them, I’d recommend Circe by Madeline Miller and The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker. Although they are set in Ancient Greece rather than Pompeii, they’re also gripping feminist stories.
