The Wolf Den

Loved it. There’s some sort of magic which keeps reader to go on and on. Moving to next book in series

So long story short, the book did not work out for me. Perhaps, i am too young to read this book and to appreciate the weaving of the extremely explicit (18+) historical fiction by the author. Don't get me wrong, the writing was beautiful, the author has an amazing and very point to point plus brief writing style which keeps the reader hooked. The message about slavery, the spirit to keep on living and fighting in tough times in extremely noble but as a 17 year old i did not enjoy this book, it was too old and extremely adult for me? Idk if that makes sense or not. But however if you are a person aged 20 or above I would say go ahead and read this book.

THE PTSD, THE ANXIETY THE STRESS THE FEAR OF ALL WHO ENTERED THE WORLD OF SLAVERY IN ANCIENT ROME. THE STORY IS SO WELL WRITTEN YOU ENTER THE WORLD OF THESE WOMEN. I DO NOT SUMMARIZE ALL I CAN SAY IS THE WORLD HAS NOT CHANGED IN 2,000 YEARS WE HAVE HUMAN TRAFFICING GOING ON ALL OVER THE WORLD...SLAVERY HAS NOT LEFT US. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND THE GOLDEN DOOR WHICH I HAVE ALSO READ AWAITING THE NEXT BOOK IN THE TRILOGY WHICH I A PRE-ORDERED.

I've entered five-stars, which this book more than deserved. That being said, I'll add that it wasn't EASY to read about enslaved women forced into cruelty and prostitution. However, Harper's strength is character and she proved herself capable of developing an intensely intriguing tale that features a plot about ancient Pompeii WITHOUT a volcanic eruption. Her characters are both enthralling and their tales plausible and forthright. Like any reputable historical fiction, she blends the imaginary with real-life characters from the historical record, making the tale seamless and acceptable to anyone well-versed in Roman history and culture.This book WORKED for me, despite its sordid subject matter.Young Amara is sold into slavery due to family misfortune and must enter the dark underworld of prostitution at Pompeii's "Wolf-Den". Now known as a "she-wolf" she learns her way through the dismal life of an everyday whore, using her scholarly knowledge to survive when many around her don't. She faces a daily evil in Felix--her wicked and cold-hearted pimp, but as the plot develops, Amara finds some of that evil tainting her own motives and staining her character with its flaws.Her friends are incredibly well-drawn: tragic Cressa, the amoral, lusty Victoria, Berenice--a prostitute who finds an unlikely love in her harrowing world, and the sad, volatile Dido, who becomes Amara's dearest friend. Harper's ability to endear each of these women to the reader is admirable and powerfully drawn, proving that the most common people through history can also be some of the warmest and dearest.One could argue the premise of this book, but for me, it was the fact that it's often easier to live a lie and be safe than it is to be honorable and accept true love at face-value. That, in a nutshell, is Amara, who above all, learns to survive her world, becoming tainted herself in doing so.This is one of the finest books I've read all year. I look forward to the sequel!

I love the book it's amazing! Unfortunately it arrived damaged, but I suppose that happens when shipped overseas.

I really enjoyed this book; historical fiction at its best.This is a fascinating time in the history of Pompeii and this novel is set some 5 years before the great volcanic eruption that buried and preserved life/frozen in time in Roman Pompeii.Elodie Harper is an established author and she demonstrates all her skills here in a simple tale of life in a brothel. What is fascinating to me is the strong female characters and how they became slaves and consequently forced into the life of a sex worker.Indeed the novel is a balanced view of Roman life, and being away from Rome it isn’t so politically focused. It was good to realise the misfortune of a woman caught up prostitution that they were not willing participants. The life of Amara is the young woman who we follow in this story. The daughter of a doctor whose family fell into hard times and poverty led her to be sold into slavery. She is a terrific character who we cannot judge too critically as she schemes to escape the bondage to her pimp who owns the establishment and who holds the lives of all “his girls” in his power. It is a hard life, made harder if you are disobedient or self-asserting.The story follows a year in Amara’s life in AD 74 and brings Pompeii alive to the reader. It was really interesting to see life from the perspective of the poorest and most vulnerable in society and see the acceptance of slavery was rooted within the fabric of the Empire.Full of well drawn characters who have various influences on Amara’s hopes and dreams. The women forced into prostitution are both Amara’s friends and rivals and life is less than easy with an ever present sense of danger.The book is the first in a trilogy, beginning here in the brothel, The Wolf’s Den. This is an delightful piece of writing and an absorbing story, taking the reader back into a real world, a documented history within a fictional tale. However, there are many modern day comparisons in regard to people trafficking, women forced into prostitution as sex slaves and the objectification of women in society.A novel and a series of books I warmly recommend and will myself complete in due course. Elodie Harper is in danger of becoming a favourite author of mine.

I found this book because of tik tok and decided to buy it because of the recommendations and because I love a historical fiction novel. This book was really good. I loved all the characters, especially the main character Amara. She has great character development through the book and figures out the best way to get what she wants. She’s a great character, who also isn’t perfect.