There's a huge buzz around this book and I'm sure it will be a hit, but I'm left a little flat on finishing this. Firstly, the positives are this is clearly meticulously researched and the writing does show promise but I didn't really connect to the characters or feel particularly thrown into the heart of Pompeii. The plot is basically chick-lit given a historical twist and wasn't enough really to drive a book of this length. Not for me sadly.

Company of Wolves

As a Classicist I have long been aware of the Wolf Den or brothel in Pompeii, but, I admit, have never really thought at length about what the life of the slave prostitutes who served within might have been like. Elodie Harper lays bare the cruelty, the squalor, the sheer awfulness of their existence in a way that makes me feel ashamed, as a man, and as a student of Roman times.

This is the story of the slave girls who lived and were exploited in the brothel, but especially the story of Amara, a young woman who had been the beloved daughter of an Athenian doctor but who is sold into slavery. Amara, meaning ‘Bitter’ in Latin, is her slave name; she guards her real name closely. Intelligent and resourceful, she learns that even a slave as powerless as herself, can make a better life if she is as ruthless as her masters. At a fateful point she must choose between the possibility of love and freedom. Her choice will define both her future life and the sort of person she will become.

This is very moving novel in many ways; I learnt a good deal about a topic of Roman life I have hitherto largely avoided. The author has researched her work convincingly and I especially liked her choice of quotations from Roman poets and writers at the beginning of each chapter. It was enlightening. The portrait drawn of the Elder Pliny was very interesting. The ending did leave things open for a sequel and this disappointed me slightly. I felt that it rather took the sting out of what had been a passionate but convincing story. Not to worry. It will be good to continue with Amara’s tale – and Vesuvius has not yet erupted!

I think it's the first time I read a book about a Roman lupa (she-wolf) and her struggle to be free.
The author delivers an excellent story, gripping and interesting.
I love the description of life in Pompei and of the life of slave prostitutes. Slaves were considered "talking tools" in Ancient Rome and prostitutes were despised. Juvenal wrote a piece about Messalina, a Roman empress he despised, secretly working in a brothel at night and her surname was "She Wolf"
This a well researched book and the historical background is vivid and historically accurate.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

If you've ever wandered through Pompeii, intrigued by the traces of life left behind, this is the book for you! Loved Amara & her sisterhood, expertly crafted, evocative & immersive plot with history, philosophy and pure emotion woven through such a well-researched tale. I was left incredulous at the ending, until I realised it was a trilogy...roll on May 2022! This is sure to be the must read book of Summer!

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
In The Wolf Den Elodie Harper is able to conjure the underworld of Pompeii in all its sordid detail. The main character in the story is Amara, the daughter of a Greek doctor, who has been sold into slavery and prostitution following the death of her father. The novel turns around Amara’s apparently impossible quest to become a freedwoman and live on her own terms. Rivalry exists between all the working women, but they also provide support for each other. The Wolf Den is a place of cruelty and violence, but it is also a somewhere wine can be shared with friends.
Elodie Harper gives the reader a fascinating insight into the lives of these women in Pompeii. There are a few actual characters from history in the story but this story is rich in the lives of those whose stories would not normally be told.
You would imagine that a book about imprisoned prostitutes would be a grim read, but Amara′s desire to survive sustains you throughout. She is a strong, talented individual and I was engrossed in her story. This is apparently the first book of a trilogy so I eagerly anticipate returning to this fascinating world. I am recommending this to all my book groups and would like to thank the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A real page turner of a story. This had me gripped and totally immersed in Pompeii's seedier side. A slave girl who started life as a doctor’s daughter, who is educated and talented is determined to survive the brutality of this her life in a brothel. Love and friendship are what holds the slave girls together, but brutality is never far away,, and life is cheap. The writing is superb, and totally believable, with real people and quotes adding an interesting subtext. As readers we are taken through the streets of Pompeii, into beautiful scenes of the wealthy at play as well as the dirt floor and smelly brothel. Sights and sounds fill the imagination. I loved reading this.

Wolf Den is impossible put down. Perfect for fans of Madeeine Miller. This is every bit as gorgeous as it's cover

Pompeii is one of the most enchanting places I've ever visited and Elodie Harper has brought it to life in a way that makes me want to weep with gratitude. I was completely consumed from page one. How wonderful it is, to see Pompeii populous and full of life. Having visited the Lupanar a few years ago really elevated the reading experience for me and now I can't wait to go back.

"The Wolf Den" deals sensitively with slavery and trafficking. Through the she-wolves, we see how women (particularly in prostitution) were objectified and brutalised. Even in marriages, the men were very much in control. Reading the book led me to ponder whether the collective noun for men should be 'an entitlement'.

I loved the detailed descriptions of the streets and festivals. I also particularly enjoyed seeing the intricacies of female friendships - the love and the competitive jealousy. It's heartbreaking, how appreciative Amara is of the smallest kindnesses afforded to her. Harper really captures the lust for life and extravagance among the higher classes at the time, juxtaposed with the poverty, desperation and lack of agency among the common folk.

I found "The Wolf Den" utterly enthralling and will read again. I'm very much looking forward to receiving my signed special edition from Waterstones. Are we getting an audiobook too? Because that would be lovely! Also, where might one procure a penis lamp…?

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper is a wonderfully imaginative story charting the brutal conditions of a group of women slaves living in a brothel in the ancient city of Pompeii.

As they endure the drudgery and cruelty of their existence in the brothel, some dare to dream of a better life; of being married or bought by a kinder owner. Whilst this is extremely unlikely, it is the only hope they have of a better life. The main character Amara is from Greece and was sold into slavery following the death of her father doctor. She is well-educated and a talented musician and longs for her former life, whilst her closest friend and companion Dido suffered a similar fate.

The women in the Wolf Den have a strong bond and look out for each other trying to avoid the ruthless punishment of their owner Felix and his men. Each character has their own tragic backstories of how they came to be here and their own dreams. The question is will any of them be lucky enough to see their dream come true?

This was such a beautiful story! So intriguing, kept me gripped throughout, really enjoyed it! Would definitely recommend!

This is a heart-wrenching tale of survival. It's refreshing to read of Pompeii before Vesuvius devasted the region, and even more so to read of the "she-wolves" of the brothel and not the pompous rich who are often the focus of such novels.

An all-round enjoyable slice of historical fiction, I loved reading of the women's bond and Amara's spirit. I see mention of further books featuring Amara and I look forward to these, her story is certainly not yet told in full.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story of survival and hope.

Pompeii brought to life through an woman amara sold as a slave to felix, owner of it's most famous brothel. An interesting novel, emotional and well paced, I really enjoyed the book.

I wish I had more praise for The Wolf Den, but it just wasn't doing it for me. I don't even know how well I can split this review into what I did and didn't like, because for me this book just felt like a whole lot of... nothingness. I didn't like it, nor did I dislike it, it was kinda just there. It's a shame because it sounded exciting from the description, and I think it could've been great, but it fell flat in the end.

The bad:

✦ One thing that really put me off was the sheer amount of swearing. I don't mind some strong language, but in this book, there was so much that it felt excessive. There were several uses of very strong language on what felt like every other page, and it was downright uncomfortable to read. Honestly, that's part of the reason why I felt like I wanted to DNF only five chapters in.

✦ There's not really anything in the way of plot. It's definitely character-driven, except there are so many characters introduced in the first chapter alone, let alone throughout the entire book, that it was really difficult to even be able to connect and follow their journeys. Some tragic things happen to quite a few characters throughout but I wasn't really moved by much of it (except, I will say, the fate of Dido).

Honestly, other than the two points I mentioned, I don't really feel much of anything else regarding this book. I read it through to the very end, which does count for something, I guess (although it felt like quite a slog - I do think it could've been cut down in length). My understanding is that this is part of a series, but I definitely wouldn't go on to pick up the next instalment. But I can see that I'm very much in the minority when it comes to my lack of enthusiasm about this book, so maybe it's just the case that this wasn't right for me.

This was a fantastic read. Set in Pompeii, a city most of us only know of as a buried city destroyed by Vesuvius this shows a thriving economy and city. Our heroine is Amaura a "she-wolf" the term given to prostitutes. the daughter of a doctor she has found herself a slave in Pompeii working at the Wolf Den for the proprietor Felix. It is by no means a romanticized view of the life these women live. With no power they seek wealthy patrons who realistically have no real time for these lowly women. Amaura is smart and uses her wits to improve her lot in life but the journey is not easy. I would certainly recommend this to any fans of books about Rome in the time of the Emperors!

TW: sexual assault, death, violence, prostitution and abortion

A hefty warning ahead of what turned into a stunningly raw insight into Pompeii and the lives of its inhabitants, five years prior to Vesuvius’ renowned entry into the history books, as told through the lives of the ‘she-wolves,’ the whores of Pompeii.

The Wolf Den follows five of these women, but especially Amara, who, despite her previous upbringing as the daughter of a doctor, ends up being sold into slavery. Elodie Harper’s rich research and the blunt narrative hides little about the approach to life and living in 74 AD - from the wealthy and their slaves to the barkeeps and sellers, Harper paints a vivid picture of life, both beautiful and brutal. Whilst a decidedly harsh approach, it does humanise the world they inhabit, whilst allowing Amara and the she-wolves to rise out of its bleak environment, carving their place in Pompeii as they graffiti their names in its stone.

I wouldn’t call it an easy or a comforting read, but it is still a good one and one I enjoyed. The ending was especially good, and I do look forward to the next instalments in what looks to be an excellent trilogy.

My thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC.

What a fabulous story, set in an area that I have visited so it was easy to build up a picture of the area as it was described in the book.

The author writes with grit and determination developing the characters' personalities making them very personable to the reader.
It was an easy book to lose myself in, a book I couldn't wait to pick up again.

The author covers a very difficult subject in a no-holds-barred kind of a way.

I highly recommend this book but it may not be suitable for some as it contains some coarse language.

I was lucky enough to be given an ARC copy of The Wolf Den to review on behalf of Apollo and Head of Zeus.

Despite the title. I can assure you there are no wolves in this book. You do need to be aware of ⛔Trigger Warnings⛔ though, for violence, abuse and rape of women and young men although not graphic it is a common theme.

Amara is a Young woman who has despite a privileged upbringing, found herself sold to one of the meanest pimps in Pompeii. The book tells a sad story of what the she wolves employed at The Wolf Den, one of Pompeii's many brothels, will do to survive. Its a story of sadness, deception and a fight for escape.

I enjoyed the writing, the book flowed well and at no point did I struggle to read. It was a very well written and absorbing book. Obviously this book is set in a different time when it was common for slaves to be bought and sold on a regular basis. So heed my trigger warnings if you think they may cause harm to you in any way.

Thank you for allowing me to review.

Whilst this book was an easy read and an interesting concept, I found the narrative a bit pedestrian and wasn’t very invested in the characters. It was lacking in truth and the right tone for a historical novel for me, but I’m sure it will be very successful commercial fiction.

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

Pompeii, AD 74: Amara wasn’t always a slave and ‘Amara’ wasn’t always her name. A Greek and a doctor’s daughter, family ruin led her on this path to slavery and prostitution in the Wolf Den, Pompeii’s most notorious Lupanar, or brothel. The women who work alongside her on these stone beds in confined cells come from all sorts of backgrounds. Some know no other life, saved from rubbish heaps where they had been dumped as babies, but others, like Amara and Dido, stolen from her home in Carthage, remember their past lives and are desperate for freedom. Amara is determined to get it, but at what cost?

The Wolf Den is set at a time when Pompeii’s inhabitants had no idea of what Vesuvius, the mountain looming over the city, had in store for them. This is a novel of what life was like in Pompeii just a few years before the eruption and the result is nothing short of a triumph. I adored this novel so much. It is my favourite novel of the year so far. I regularly visit Pompeii, I know it pretty well, and this novel has transformed my view of it.

Elodie Harper populates the streets and buildings of Pompeii with real people, moving the focus away from the ruins to the bustle and noise of a vibrant, busy city, so full of life. I loved these women, the she-wolves. We follow them as they go about their lives – ‘fishing’ for clients, visiting the local bar for lunch, going to parties to ‘perform’, looking out for one another, especially in regard to the brothel keeper, their owner, searching for a way out, the rich man who will save them. We’re presented with a network of Pompeii’s slaves, both male and female – prostitutes, bar workers, shop workers, doormen, musicians and entertainers. Then there are the people who own them or exploit them, even love them, or kill them. Some of these people are known to history and we see them in The Wolf Den in a new light.

When I visited the Lupanar (in the evening, when most visitors had left and I had the place to myself), I was shocked by it, with those little cells with their stone beds, the cramped little corridor with its toilet. The Wolf Den portrays the cruel and brutal life that these women (and boys) lived, with the darkness and abuse of the night contrasting with the business and chatter of the day. We’re given glimpses of fabulous villas, with their cool pools, fine wines and food, and libraries. Amara wants that.
The Wolf Den isn’t salacious, it isn’t erotic. Instead, it is a fascinating portrayal of these women’s lives, so full of misery and abuse but with such fight and resilience. It is a romance of sorts but this isn’t romance as we would know it. The women are all so different in the ways that they have responded to their situation, with the reader’s deepest emotional response perhaps going to those who are mothers. There is so much sadness and pain. Elodie Harper tells their stories with such emotional insight and warmth. But there is also a toughness and a sharpness as well as wit as some of the women, such as Amara, try to work the system and is a leader of sorts. She is an incredible character.

We know what looms over Pompeii and the fate in store for it. For much, if not all, of the novel, the reader can forget about that. Our attention is on AD 74 and not on AD 79, such is the power of the storytelling, but that fate is there and I really hope the author returns to Pompeii to continue its story and that of its she-wolves.

The Wolf Den is utterly engrossing and immersive. I will never see Pompeii with the same eyes again. I can’t wait to go back, more than ever now, and, when I do, I will take time to imagine the city’s slaves going about their masters’ business, walking those streets, inhabiting those buildings. This is a serious contender for my book of 2021. I don’t often return to novels but I’m looking forward to re-reading The Wolf Den when the beautiful hardback is published this week. Simply fabulous.

A story of women in ancient Pompeii. This tale brings friendship, love and survival together for a group of women working as she-wolves in the Wolf Den.
The characters are vivid and Amara especially is a strong and intelligent woman who dreams of a better life. Her love for the women she lives and works with is tender and she give to others who have nothing, despite having very little herself. The bonds these women share show us a strong survival network of love and care, in a world where they have no control over their everyday lives. However, the story shows they can have some control over their fate, even that isn’t always decided by the men in their lives.
I enjoyed the story told from a women’s perspective in a world where men have ultimate control.
The enduring nature of love and friendships remain even in the most difficult circumstances.
A enjoyable read and I was invested in Amara and her friends lives.
3 stars. This book had great characters and strong sense of life in Ancient times.
Thanks the the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy in return for an honest review.