The Wolf Den is the tale of a doctor's daughter sold into slavery and eventual prostitution due to poverty and misfortune. It's stark, candid and uncompromising as it relays the realities of the lives these girls were forced into. It's also strangely hopeful, as Amara finds a way to use her brains to find a way out of the perilous and dangerous position life has left her in. It's a powerful and evocative read, a tale of both survival against the odds and those who weren't so lucky.

It is without a doubt an uncomfortable read. The author doesn't shy away from the grim realities of being a sex slave in early Pompeii. The 'she-wolves' have little freedom and certainly no ability to pick and choose their 'customers'. The risks of disease and pregnancy are high. And yet Harper writes them well as a close group despite the jealousies and rivalries between them. There is a genuine bond between the girls. Whilst the narrative follows Amara primarily, the other girls are just as fully dimensional and well realised.

The world of ancient Pompeii is just as vividly imagined, coming to life around you, from the descriptions of daily life to important festivals and all the men and women Amara comes across for good or for bad. The narrative moves slowly, allowing the reader to fully invest in the characters and the life they live, but twists and turns in unexpected directions, forever keeping you on your toes. I'm intrigued to see where it goes next, particularly as it's set only five years before the devastating Pompeii volcanic eruption that obliterated life in the region.

All in all, an excellent read and one that will stay with me for some time to come.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

One of my favourite books of recent times; I immediately found and devoured the other two in the trilogy. Having been to Pompeii, it was very easy to imagine the wolf den itself, and I found Elodie Harper to be a wonderful, storyteller and tour guide.

I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

As a massive historical fiction fan I was thrilled to be approved to read this one and it didn’t disappoint. I’ve not read many retellings that aren’t green myths so this was refreshing and fun

This was one of the most anticipated books of 2021, and I do love a good historical book!
This wasn't for me however - i think the theme just didnt really sit well with me.
The writing was really good, however , so I would still score this pretty high up there.
Definitely to check trigger warnings before reading!

Amara was once the beloved daughter of a doctor, until her father’s death and her sale into the slave trade. Now she lives as a whore in a brothel in Pompeii, owned by a cruel man and forced to service customers every day. But Amara is resilient and resourceful, and she’s determined to escape.

The Wolf Den is a really well written piece of historical fiction. As the story centers around a group of prostitutes, there is a lot of adult content and I wouldn’t recommend for younger readers. The author doesn’t shy away from or try to soften the abuse these women are forced to endure. It’s candid and honest, but it also isn’t explicitly described which makes it a bit easier to read.

That being said, it’s quite a depressing story. Although I did enjoy it and found the portrayal of life in Pompeii at that time quite fascinating, Amara’s persistent desire to gain her freedom is a little bit soul crushing at times. Every new client is a potential way out, and she gives it her all every time, so it’s quite traumatic every time she is let down and forced to return to the brothel.

Without giving anything away, and keeping in mind that this is the first part of a trilogy, I found the ending pretty dissatisfying. There is a positive ending of sorts, but surrounded by so much misery that it cannot possibly be called happy.

It’s a really powerful commentary on the role of women and a riveting story of courage and survival. I did find this book captivating, and will therefore read the rest of the trilogy, but it would have worked just as well as a single standalone novel.

I'm gutted that I've struggled to get into The Wolf Den. An incredible premise and usually I would devour this kind of plot. I think this is a me problem, and I'll likely keep trying to pick this up again in the future.

Great read, with some brilliantly written characters. Strong female characters in a time when they were viewed as nothing. All just trying to survive and get what ever happiness they could find.

I can’t wait to see where the author takes this.

Certainly one I would recommend.

Amara once lived a comfortable life as the daughter of a doctor, but when her father died, she ended up being sold to a brothel in Pompeii.
Now a slave and owned by the cold and violent Felix, Amara's life is very different.
Amara is determined to escape Felix somehow and will have to use every chance she can to either earn her freedom or convince someone to buy her from Felix.
Can Amara escape slavery?

Before hearing of this book, I hadn't heard of the Lupanar, the famous brothel of Pompeii. The premise of the book intrigued me, even though I knew it would probably be a tough read, given the setting.
Amara was a likeable protagonist. I can't imagine how hard life must have been for Amara and her friends and I was rooting for them all to escape from the brothel.
Out of the other characters, I liked Dido, Cressa and Philos the most, but found all the characters to be well-written and interesting.
The plot was interesting and held my attention throughout. While I wasn't gripped or particularly shocked by anything that happened, I did enjoy reading as Amara found herself in different situations.
The setting of Pompeii was unique and interesting.
I thought the themes were handled well by the author.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

Elodie doesn't shy away from the violent and explicit living conditions that come with being a brothel slave. It was intense and sad to see how women are treated.
But alongside the brutal honesty we also see the friendship and sisterhood of the women in the wolf den. The hardships and learning self worth. The price of freedom.
I really supported Amara. I just wanted to see her free.

If I didn't know going in this was historical I wouldn't really tell. This felt rather modern, minus technology. The characters felt modern and spoke somewhat modern.

While I did enjoy this. I'm not sure if I will go out of my way to read the sequel.

I’m a little disappointed in The Wolf Den. Given the description, I expected to love it. However, it’s a bit slow paced and I struggled to continue.

I really struggled to get in to this one, and felt that it fell a little flat. I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style either. I guess this one just wasn't for me, because everyone else seems to love it!

Loved. This. Book.

Beautifully written, felt like I was walking the streets of Pompeii. The characters are flawed but likeable (mostly) and I found myself rooting for so many of them.

You see Amara grow and change as the book goes on and it’s so subtle but so powerful. And the twists, I didn’t see coming.

Loved it. At a time where Ancient mythology/retellings are all the rage, this book offers something unique and compelling which totally stands out. Highly recommend. Can’t wait for the next one!

An incredible book - so richly imagined and so important to give a voice to those written out of history! Read this - you will not be disappointed!

The writing style was so beautiful and I really enjoyed the way in which the story was told. I was never bored and I felt so much joy reading this.

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!

Sold by her mother. Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel. Determined to survive. Her name is Amara. 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 (brothel), The Wolf Den reimagines the lives of women who have long been overlooked.

I absolutely fell in love with the main character and narrator, Amara. I thought she was so well developed and an excellent protagonist. My heart broke for her because of how she ended up in the Pompeii brothel but I also admired her because she didn’t let her situation defeat her. She remained as determined as ever and played/used men’s desires and emotions to her advantage.

Out of all the women at the brothel, Amara came from a very well-esteemed background as she was the daughter of a Greek doctor. I definitely think that this education allowed her to understand her situation more and work with people to get what she wanted. Yet, there were also moments where I didn’t agree with what she was doing and perhaps saw her in a different light...and I think that made my love for Amara even stronger. It was as if Amara had to become as deceitful and mischievous as her owner and prostitute master, Felix, in order to keep herself safe, sane and hopefully free.

Friendship was also a huge theme in the book and the power of sisterhood meant that all the prostitutes had each other’s back. I admired that each woman understood (or at least tried to understand) each other’s struggles and backgrounds to help make the days manageable. I think as the protagonist, we see Amara's allegiance to the brothel sisterhood get put to the test and ultimately, should she get the freedom and the life she so desires, she will have to say goodbye to the women who have helped her through some of the darkest moments. So is her freedom really everything she wants?

The story ends with some unclear events and unanswered questions so I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here. Each character also has a well-deserved place in my heart so I am beyond thrilled to hear that the author, Elodie Harper, has decided to make this a trilogy! Bring on the next book...

READ THIS IF :

🐺 You like historical fiction novels that feature voices that have too often been silenced in the history books

🐺 You enjoy books with strong female characters

🐺 You want to start a new book series

Believable novel about the lives of prostitutes in Pompeii. Well written - but not explicitly- with a real immediacy, the reader empathises with the fate life has thrown them.

With thanks to NetGalley and Apollo for an ARC

Amara is sold by her mother and forced into prostitution but she remembers how her life was before the death of her father and when she was a free woman. Amara is determined to be free again.

The Wolf Den is centred around Amara and the harsh reality of being a prostitute in the ancient city of Pompeii.
Amara is tough and knows that once she is no longer beautiful and earning money, she will be tossed aside.

I was disappointed at the lack of information that we are given about the day to day way of life for the people living in this city. I was glad that I had actually been there and able to picture it myself because there wasn't much given by the author.

There were times where I found this book to be dragging and I struggled to actually pick the book up to continue to read.

I was disappointed

An interesting look at life in Pompeii in its heyday. There were the very rich and then there were the slaves that did all the work. The story is set in the Wolf Den and follows the lives of the girls that worked there. Life was so cruel for them, yet there were glimmers of joy and hope at times, which kept them going. We learn how they ended up becoming slaves, and how they tried to survive, and if there was ever a slight chance they could get their freedom