Book Review: The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

I couldn’t have gotten off to a better start to the year, with this being my first book and it absolutely blowing me away. Recommended to me by a very trusted friend and for the millionth time I have found that her recommendation lives up to standard.

The Wolf Den is set in historical Pompeii and follows the lives of women in that time, our main perspective is that of Amara. Once a freeborn girl, sold into slavery and turned into a concubine, by a master she despises, in Pompeii’s infamous brothel; The Wolf Den. However Amara refuses to accept that she is destined to be a slave for the rest of her life and must use her talents, intelligence and resourcefulness to find a way out of slavery and back into the freedom she once knew before her father’s death.

This was a truly captivating and inspirational read. Amara is strong, clever and her determination to have a better life and the love she has for her fellow concubines make her one of the most inspiring characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading. There wasn’t a moment throughout the book that I didn’t feel immersed the writing was incredible, I was in the story one hundred percent of the way through. All the characters were well thought out and well developed, their personalities shining through and with such a variety I never felt bored with any of them. The story itself was well-paced and almost had enough emotional impact for me to shed a tear (which is a feat within itself as I very rarely even get close to shedding a tear.)

I could not put this book down and once I’d finished I jumped straight into the sequel ‘The House with The Golden Door’ which is finally out in paperback!