The Wolf Den
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- Create Date：2021-05-09 00:51:15
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Elodie Harper
- ISBN：1838933530
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Summary
Sold by her mother。 Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel。 Determined to survive。 Her name is Amara。 Welcome to the Wolf Den。。。
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， The Wolf Den reimagines the lives of women who have long been overlooked。
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， The Wolf Den reimagines the lives of women who have long been overlooked。
Reviews
Kashya
，
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 e 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。 。。。more
Collette
，
I have just spent about five days with Amara， Dido， Cressa， and Beronice。 The four are friends who live together， shop together， eat together， go to bars， festivals and parties together。 The four are she-wolves， either sold or born into slavery， and work for their master in a brothel in Pompeii。 When your name， your identity， your family， your dignity， and your choices have been taken from you， the only thing left for you to do is survive。This is a fantastic tale about misogyny， violence， despai I have just spent about five days with Amara， Dido， Cressa， and Beronice。 The four are friends who live together， shop together， eat together， go to bars， festivals and parties together。 The four are she-wolves， either sold or born into slavery， and work for their master in a brothel in Pompeii。 When your name， your identity， your family， your dignity， and your choices have been taken from you， the only thing left for you to do is survive。This is a fantastic tale about misogyny， violence， despair， and hope。 All of the characters have an emotional depth that touches the reader。 Although this book is set in ancient Rome， it could reflect the lives of many Women across the globe today。 Such a well written captivating tale of sadness。 。。。more
Maahi Patel
，
Set in Pompeii's Lupanar， The Wolf Den is the tale of enslaved sex workers of Pompeii。 Amara， the main character， 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 & determined to be free at any cost， she has learnt that everything in this city has its price。 But how much is her freedom going to cost her？Seeing everyone have nothing but praise for this book， I was very excited Set in Pompeii's Lupanar， The Wolf Den is the tale of enslaved sex workers of Pompeii。 Amara， the main character， 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 & determined to be free at any cost， she has learnt that everything in this city has its price。 But how much is her freedom going to cost her？Seeing everyone have nothing but praise for this book， I was very excited to read it。 I was very intrigued because I had never read anything remotely like the plot or any book set in Pompeii！ Such an interesting premise， so much potential， so many opportunities… yet it didn’t quite come together。 First off， the writing annoyed me。 Like， actually annoyed me。 It seemed disjointed & unrefined。 It was hard to be invested in the book & I only kept reading because I could connect with some characters。 After about 40%， I had zero interest。 Too many characters to even remember， too many sub-plots & just too long！ It dragged on & on。 It read like a script for a show with 2-3 seasons。 I mean there was such so much happening， it was hard to fully comprehend！ There was a lot of attempt to showcase life in Pompeii， but it didn’t really manage to build a strong atmosphere。 I finished it waiting for something， anything， to happen， but I’m not sure I know what even happens in the end。 It’s a shame because this was a great opportunity with a stellar plot。 I think this would have been a great book if there had been less characters， a better sense of atmosphere & minimal sub-plots。 I think in trying to do too much at once， it all crumbled！ This book seems to be loved by most people， so I guess it just wasn’t for me & I hope you’ll feel differently！ I received a review copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Lory Widmer Hess
，
For an immersive journey into the ancient Roman empire， look no further -- but beware， it's a harrowing experience。 Harper lifts off the obscuring veils through which we look back at Rome， as the source of our systems of government and justice， of pompous prose and marble statues， and shows how degrading and brutal it really was for the female slaves at the bottom of the hierarchy， the town prostitutes of Pompeii。 The lives of five of these "she-wolves" are traced through the course of several m For an immersive journey into the ancient Roman empire， look no further -- but beware， it's a harrowing experience。 Harper lifts off the obscuring veils through which we look back at Rome， as the source of our systems of government and justice， of pompous prose and marble statues， and shows how degrading and brutal it really was for the female slaves at the bottom of the hierarchy， the town prostitutes of Pompeii。 The lives of five of these "she-wolves" are traced through the course of several months， centering on Amara， an intelligent doctor's daughter from Attica fallen on hard times。 Each one is richly characterized and human， showing the strength of the human core that survives in such difficult circumstances， looking for love and connection， even when sometimes it is cruelly betrayed or cannot be expressed。 It's inevitable that some will fall into despair and be lost， some will be victims of the unjust who reign supreme， but some will rise through their refusal to be defined by the bullies who exploit them。 For those who wonder how it is to read a book based on institutionalized sexual violence， I found that Harper struck a fine balance between exposing the realities of the women's lives， and leaving much of the detail respectfully off-stage。 She also made marvelous use of the visual evidence left from Pompeii in her descriptions， adding authentic atmosphere that did not scream "historical research" （though it whispered it at times）。 A brief but crucial appearance by Pliny the Elder is similarly a touch that adds historical weight， without feeling gratuitious。This is apparently the first in a trilogy， and I'll certainly be looking forward to the next book， and to the ultimate fate of the she-wolves of Pompeii。 。。。more
Laura Lacey
，
This is completely my kind of novel - set in a brothel in Classical Pompeii。 The characters are vibrant and three dimensional。 We see how difficult life is for all those involved in the world of the brothel。 Amara was a freewoman who was taken as a slave and we see her trying to escape her circumstances and support her friend。Nice to see Pliny pop up！Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC。
Lyndsey
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This book wrenched my heart out。 I really loved this in depth look at the life of Pompeiis brothels， the sadness， the violence and horror， but the love and friendship as well。 The women were fierce and I cannot say I wouldn't do the same to survive if I was in their situation。 No spoilers but it is a great read so please do pick it up！ This book wrenched my heart out。 I really loved this in depth look at the life of Pompeiis brothels， the sadness， the violence and horror， but the love and friendship as well。 The women were fierce and I cannot say I wouldn't do the same to survive if I was in their situation。 No spoilers but it is a great read so please do pick it up！ 。。。more
Nicola Bennett
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When you read a book set in Pompeii， you are expecting destruction， but lives can be destroyed without a volcanic eruption。 Those in the lowest ranks of the city′s society struggle to survive in their daily existence。 They have to be clever and ruthless to escape to a better life， but above all they have to be lucky。The Roman slang for a prostitute was lupa which means she-wolf， and the Lupanar building is a well-preserved brothel in the remains of Pompeii。 This book imagines the lives of the pe When you read a book set in Pompeii， you are expecting destruction， but lives can be destroyed without a volcanic eruption。 Those in the lowest ranks of the city′s society struggle to survive in their daily existence。 They have to be clever and ruthless to escape to a better life， but above all they have to be lucky。The Roman slang for a prostitute was lupa which means she-wolf， and the Lupanar building is a well-preserved brothel in the remains of Pompeii。 This book imagines the lives of the people who could have worked there。 The women come from varied countries and backgrounds， but they are all slaves。 The pimps and thugs that surround them are cruel， and yet are shown as fully human with their own struggles。 The clients are mostly faceless as they are to the workers， only the occasional touch of kindness illuminates them and that is outside the walls of the brothel。 The lives of the she-wolves are wretched， a grind of degradation and terror， but they manage to find moments of brightness in each other′s company。 The protagonist Amara was once free， and the educated daughter of a skilled doctor， so knows that life can be better。 A chance to show off her musical talent at a festival offers Amara and her friend Dido an opportunity to attend banquets as entertainers and possibly attract a richer client。 She catches the eye of the Pliny， the respected， elderly Admiral of the Fleet， who is intrigued by her intelligence。 Will this be enough to win her freedom？It would seem that a book about enslaved prostitutes would be a grim read， but Amara′s drive to survive and even flourish drives the story on。 The book describes a world of cruelty and violence， but also a place where wine can be shared with friends， and the public baths can give the illusion of equality for a brief time。 Amara is a strong character with talents that are credible given her background， and I found myself engrossed in her world。I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley 。。。more
Ginny Mcpherson
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“Sold by her mother。 Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel。 Determined to survive。 Her name is Amara。 Welcome to the Wolf Den。。。”。A book that is so brilliantly written， you just have to read on and know these woman’s journey。 Told by the perspective of Amara， the main protagonist， who was sold into slavery and then prostitution。 We follow Amara and her friends fight for survival and freedom。 I think I felt every emotion that these woman had。 This book isn’t an easy read given the subject matter and at t “Sold by her mother。 Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel。 Determined to survive。 Her name is Amara。 Welcome to the Wolf Den。。。”。A book that is so brilliantly written， you just have to read on and know these woman’s journey。 Told by the perspective of Amara， the main protagonist， who was sold into slavery and then prostitution。 We follow Amara and her friends fight for survival and freedom。 I think I felt every emotion that these woman had。 This book isn’t an easy read given the subject matter and at times it was was really quite disturbing。 Yes， it did make me cry！ Never did I not route or admire these strong woman and what shone through was a story of survival and more importantly friendship。 A subject matter I didn’t really know much about， I found myself researching myself the infamous “Wolf Den” showing me this book has left it’s mark。If I could give it more I would！ 。。。more
Jesika
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Historical fiction set in Pompeii？ Obviously I was in for this one！This novel centres around Amara， an enslaved prostitute， and the women she is enslaved alongside。 It does a brilliant job of showing the ways in which ancient society wasn't any different than ours。 Gossip？ Yes。 Frenemies and bitter rivals？ Obviously。 Fast food？ More of it， no one had kitchens。I really loved the way the famous graffiti of Pompeii， preserved for the ages by the eruption of Vesuvius， was weaved into this book。 It r Historical fiction set in Pompeii？ Obviously I was in for this one！This novel centres around Amara， an enslaved prostitute， and the women she is enslaved alongside。 It does a brilliant job of showing the ways in which ancient society wasn't any different than ours。 Gossip？ Yes。 Frenemies and bitter rivals？ Obviously。 Fast food？ More of it， no one had kitchens。I really loved the way the famous graffiti of Pompeii， preserved for the ages by the eruption of Vesuvius， was weaved into this book。 It really highlighted the ways in which people found a way to communicate conveniently and relatively privately。The book overall weaves in some brilliant historical details - how Pliny the Elder was known to work， the functioning of a necropolis and the fcelebration of feasts。For me， though the book touched in the pain， grief and loss of self that slavery comes with， for a lot of the book it felt like Amara just had a bad job she wanted out of。 It does a lot to show how she has to outwit men to achieve her own ends， but overall I would have liked to see more exploration of just how strongly and irrevocably the Roman empire was built on the slaves they acquired from the lands they went to conquer。 An entire Empire was built on the idea of accepting others under the institute of Roman protection whilst enslaving the 'barbarians' to be found outside of the Mediterranean。 Overall， this is an engaging read and for such a big book I read it very quickly。TW: that said， this book contains repeated reference to and acts of violence， abuse， slavery， sexual assault， forced prostitution， rape， murder and kidnapping。 If that isn't something you can or want to read about， it would be wise to give this one a miss。 。。。more
Mila Melia-Kapoor
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The Wolf Den was probably my most anticipated read of 2021。 Nuanced， impactful， and captivating， this book is now among my favourite reads full stop。 Elodie Harper puts Pompeii’s brothel under a microscope and breathes life and agency into the women who were stripped of it。 Amara， once a doctor’s daughter from Greece， had her homeland， family， and identity ripped from her。 Now a prostitute enslaved in the Lupanar of Pompeii， she uses her wits and sheer force of will to fight for a chance at auto The Wolf Den was probably my most anticipated read of 2021。 Nuanced， impactful， and captivating， this book is now among my favourite reads full stop。 Elodie Harper puts Pompeii’s brothel under a microscope and breathes life and agency into the women who were stripped of it。 Amara， once a doctor’s daughter from Greece， had her homeland， family， and identity ripped from her。 Now a prostitute enslaved in the Lupanar of Pompeii， she uses her wits and sheer force of will to fight for a chance at autonomy。Elodie Harper’s voice is sharp and unique， making the ancient world relatable to modern readers while keeping us immersed in the sights and sounds of AD 74 Pompeii。 I loved the affinity and unshakeable bond between the women in the Wolf Den。 It was interesting to see the flip in Amara’s language between her interactions with the other women at the brothel and with her ‘upper class’ clients。 The dialogue between Amara and her friends swings between poignant and humorous。 It often had me laughing out loud， but some parts were so deeply sad and affecting that I had to put the book down and take a breather。 The book is both subtle and unflinching; no character， including the antagonist， is without layers。 At the same time， the trauma and emotional impact of the women’s circumstances are illustrated without sugar-coating or glamorisation。The Wolf Den tears away our desensitised attitudes towards the horrors of the ancient world。 There’s no longer a disconnect from reality， no longer a feeling of ‘that’s just how things were back then。’ It’s a book that opens us to the experiences and emotions of people who were seen as the dregs of society – a book that keeps us submerged in its world long after we’ve left it。 。。。more
Sarah Rice gallego
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The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper is a stunning novel set against the backdrop of a brothel in ancient Pompeii。 I wasn't sure what I was going to expect but I found myself unable to put this book down and I'm still thinking about it days after I've finished。 Amara is a slave， sold into prostitution， but refuses to accept the fate she's been dealt。 She's shrewd and sharp， learning how to manipulate the men who seek to own her， in order to choose her own destiny。 Harper re-creates the city life of Pom The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper is a stunning novel set against the backdrop of a brothel in ancient Pompeii。 I wasn't sure what I was going to expect but I found myself unable to put this book down and I'm still thinking about it days after I've finished。 Amara is a slave， sold into prostitution， but refuses to accept the fate she's been dealt。 She's shrewd and sharp， learning how to manipulate the men who seek to own her， in order to choose her own destiny。 Harper re-creates the city life of Pompeii in meticulous detail， though it doesn't overpower the prose。 The streets come alive vibrantly on the page。 We share the sisterhood of Amara and the women who share her space in the Wolf Den。 I really enjoyed how this book focused on the daily lives of those who are often overlooked and not the inevitable story that we usually get about Pompeii。 I found this a bold， beautiful story that deals with some of the harshest tradgedies that we face。 I fell in love with the she-wolves and how they each had their own unique tragic story。 I'm hoping there'll be a sequel as i'm desperate to see how Amara's story continues。 A fantastic read that I really recommend。I was kindly given an ARC by #Netgalley and #Headofzeus 。。。more
Zoe M
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This is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time。 The story is set in Pompeii and tells the struggles that women faced。 They were bought and sold as slaves for men to do as they pleased。 The Wolf Den is the name of the brothel。 These women had nothing， not even their name。 It's a difficult read with the subject but I couldn't put it down。 I needed to know what happened next。 Its sad that this kind of thing is still happening。 This is the first book in the trilogy and I can't wa This is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time。 The story is set in Pompeii and tells the struggles that women faced。 They were bought and sold as slaves for men to do as they pleased。 The Wolf Den is the name of the brothel。 These women had nothing， not even their name。 It's a difficult read with the subject but I couldn't put it down。 I needed to know what happened next。 Its sad that this kind of thing is still happening。 This is the first book in the trilogy and I can't wait to read the next book in the series。 。。。more
Suzanne
，
I enjoyed this historical fiction novel set in ancient Pompeii。 Wolf Den is told from the perspective of Amara， a woman， slave and prostitute fighting to survive and retain a sense of self and identity in a overtly patriarchal and abusive society。 Imagine living your every day in fear， enduring degrading physicality and self worth。 Despite these conditions， the women in the novel form a bond and respect for each others company。 It is when Amara encounters the philosopher Pliny that is the real i I enjoyed this historical fiction novel set in ancient Pompeii。 Wolf Den is told from the perspective of Amara， a woman， slave and prostitute fighting to survive and retain a sense of self and identity in a overtly patriarchal and abusive society。 Imagine living your every day in fear， enduring degrading physicality and self worth。 Despite these conditions， the women in the novel form a bond and respect for each others company。 It is when Amara encounters the philosopher Pliny that is the real impetus for striving and hoping for a chance at a better life。 A well imagined story。Sincere thanks to Harper Collins for an advanced reading copy。 。。。more
Jules
，
Amara was sold as a slave by her mother & she is now owned by Felix who can literally do with her as he pleases， unless Amara can buy her freedom。 Amara is not the only slave Felix owns & a number of women live together in a brothel。 Despite the awful nature of their lives， the women all look out for each other， although some have closer friendships than others。 There were times I found Amara to be harsh in her nature， but then when you think about the strength you need to survive as a slave & p Amara was sold as a slave by her mother & she is now owned by Felix who can literally do with her as he pleases， unless Amara can buy her freedom。 Amara is not the only slave Felix owns & a number of women live together in a brothel。 Despite the awful nature of their lives， the women all look out for each other， although some have closer friendships than others。 There were times I found Amara to be harsh in her nature， but then when you think about the strength you need to survive as a slave & prostitute， I came to forgive her。 I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Wolf Den and I was quite surprised that， despite it being set in a brothel， it was actually a rather emotional read at times。 The writing is really good & I was kept enthralled throughout。 As a lover of historical fiction & strong female characters， I recommend！ 。。。more
Debbie Loader
，
A feast for the senses！ You are taken on a journey to the under belly of Pompeii where we are introducec to the She-Wolves and their pimp Felix。 One of them， Amara was born to status， her father a greek doctor until his death。 When the money and sympathy ran out her mother sold her as a concubine but the man's wife did not like the competition。 A feast for the senses！ You are taken on a journey to the under belly of Pompeii where we are introducec to the She-Wolves and their pimp Felix。 One of them， Amara was born to status， her father a greek doctor until his death。 When the money and sympathy ran out her mother sold her as a concubine but the man's wife did not like the competition。 。。。more
SharleneH
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The Wolf Den - Elodie Harper。Sold by her mother， enslaved in Pompeiis brothel， and determined to survive， her name is Amara。 Welcome to the Wolf Den。。For a she-wolf， her only value lies in the desire she can stir in others。 Her spirit is far from broken however and Amara learns everything has a price， even her freedom。。My thoughts 👉。Whilst the main focus is on Amaras story， the other she-wolf's are very much a part of this book and I felt for them as much as I did Amara。。We feel the pain and suf The Wolf Den - Elodie Harper。Sold by her mother， enslaved in Pompeiis brothel， and determined to survive， her name is Amara。 Welcome to the Wolf Den。。For a she-wolf， her only value lies in the desire she can stir in others。 Her spirit is far from broken however and Amara learns everything has a price， even her freedom。。My thoughts 👉。Whilst the main focus is on Amaras story， the other she-wolf's are very much a part of this book and I felt for them as much as I did Amara。。We feel the pain and suffering of these women， their strength and courage and the continual hope and dreams that their lives will be different。 。It's hard to say I enjoyed a book with such a heartbreaking backdrop but it is truly addictive and I became totally immersed in their lives。 By the half way point I didn't want it to end。 。A deeply poignant tale of both power and privilege of men and the struggle and survival of its women。 。And I've just discovered it's the first in a trilogy。 This makes me very happy indeed。 。Thank you very much to @headofzeus and @netgalley for this copy to read and review。 。。。 。。。more
Kristina Hart
，
The Wolf Den is a gripping novel set in Pompeii and focuses on the lives of the slaves that are bought for prostitution， servicing the locals and visitors。The story itself is about a young woman called Amara who loses everything when her doctor father dies。 Her mother， unable to support them both， sells her to a former patient of her fathers。 Who uses her as his concubine until his wife becomes jealous and sells her as a whore？ Amara is taken from Greece to Pompeii and becomes a She-Wolf for a n The Wolf Den is a gripping novel set in Pompeii and focuses on the lives of the slaves that are bought for prostitution， servicing the locals and visitors。The story itself is about a young woman called Amara who loses everything when her doctor father dies。 Her mother， unable to support them both， sells her to a former patient of her fathers。 Who uses her as his concubine until his wife becomes jealous and sells her as a whore？ Amara is taken from Greece to Pompeii and becomes a She-Wolf for a notorious pimp。 She desires nothing more than to become a free woman once again and will stop at nothing to get there。 The Wolf Den explores the lives of the women that lived in the Lupanar of Pompeii， delving into the complexities of their lives and the sacrifices they must have made just to survive。 A truly powerful and interesting read about the women who at the time were merely seen as objects。 But deserved so much more。 It is truly captivating and well crafted， transporting readers into the vivid world of Pompeii， allowing us to walk the streets and feel a part of the history。 I adore historical fiction; this one will definitely be recommended for a long time to come。 。。。more
Emma
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This is a story that is long overdue to be told。 Although it is fictional， it brings to our attention the lives of women who strived and fought for survival in Pompeii。 Women which due to no fault of their own were bought and sold as if they mere commodities and some were even stolen。 As mentioned， this is a fictional tale， but one which is probably not far from the truth。 Amara was sold by her mother。 She is the daughter of a well-regarded Greek doctor; however， the fate of the family takes a t This is a story that is long overdue to be told。 Although it is fictional， it brings to our attention the lives of women who strived and fought for survival in Pompeii。 Women which due to no fault of their own were bought and sold as if they mere commodities and some were even stolen。 As mentioned， this is a fictional tale， but one which is probably not far from the truth。 Amara was sold by her mother。 She is the daughter of a well-regarded Greek doctor; however， the fate of the family takes a turn for the worse when her father dies leaving her mother and herself destitute。 Amara’s fate is not in her control and she soon ends up in Pompeii under new ownership and forced to work in the wolf-den， Pompeii’s infamous brothel。 However， this isn’t a story about sex， this is a story about survival and companionship as Amara is determined to find her way out and become a freedwoman。 She is resilient， resourceful and intelligent and she will do all that she can to turn her life around and take back control。 I was taken by surprise by this book as it had me acknowledge my lack of knowledge on Pompeii resulting in me looking up information on the Lupanar brothel discovered in Pompeii。 The language used isn’t for the prudish but is most likely authentic as I don’t think Romans were known for their manners， and English is mostly derived from Latin。 This is a remarkable， eye-opening novel that captivated me from the start and I am most definitely looking forward to book two in this trilogy。 。。。more
Lottie （The Disney Bookworm）
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（As you may expect from the subject matter of this book， I am highlighting trigger warnings of rape， sexual abuse， violence， slavery and suicide。）“May I know love’s power， if never its sweetness。”The Wolf Den is a magnifying glass into the world of Pompeii’s prostitutes: forgotten women who are owned and controlled by both men and society。 This no-holds-barred novel follows Amara， a beautiful and educated doctor’s daughter who was enslaved after the death of her father and now is a she-wolf， a p （As you may expect from the subject matter of this book， I am highlighting trigger warnings of rape， sexual abuse， violence， slavery and suicide。）“May I know love’s power， if never its sweetness。”The Wolf Den is a magnifying glass into the world of Pompeii’s prostitutes: forgotten women who are owned and controlled by both men and society。 This no-holds-barred novel follows Amara， a beautiful and educated doctor’s daughter who was enslaved after the death of her father and now is a she-wolf， a prostitute in Pompeii’s largest brothel， The Wolf Den。 Elodie Harper’s novel is told entirely from Amara’s perspective。 This gives our main character a rare sense of power， the power to provide names to these previously nameless women and to make the reader care for these women， becoming entirely invested in their story。 Alongside Amara; Dido， Victoria， Cressa， Beronice and Britannica experience violence， desperation， pain and loss but also highlight the power of friendship。 This is not an easy read at all but Harper’s characters are so captivating it was impossible to put this book down。 Amara herself is such a complex character: she has an overwhelming amount of inner strength as she accepts her fate as a slave。 At times this is heart-breaking when you gain glimpses of her previous life but accepting her fate does not mean Amara ever stops striving for freedom。 She may have to change her idea of what happily ever after consists of but Amara will never stop working towards it， no matter the cost。 By no means is Amara perfect， there are definitely some questionable actions by our protagonist。 However， Harper paints the she-wolves lives so acutely and tragically that the reader can never blame Amara: we don’t always agree with her actions but you can see that she has to protect herself because she literally has no one else to do it for her。 Amara is also clever， sometimes too clever for her owner Felix who is quick to punish her for speaking out of turn。 However， once Amara proves that her previous education can be profitable， Felix is on board， taking Amara down a new path and raising the reader’s hopes of a happy outcome for our favourite she-wolf。 This is a credit to the characterisation within this novel: that as the readers witness possible happy endings being ripped away， our sheer desperation increases with Amara’s。 Despite her fascinating characters， Elodie Harper does not rest on her laurels and completely immerses her readers in the landscape of Pompeii。 From the filthy cobbled streets to the graffiti to the shops， inns and sellers in the forum， everything is described in the most magnificent historical detail。 Harper also entrenches her characters in the class system， whereby a customer of a higher social status is often a target but seemingly out of reach for the she-wolves: a lower class of man is easy to attract but can often be violent。 And love？ Well that is just a fantasy！ Initially I have to tell you that I was slightly disappointed by the ending of The Wolf Den: the chapters leading up to the finale were so emotional and action-packed that the final lines almost fell flat。 HOWEVER， this was all turned on its head when I was told The Wolf Den is merely the first in a trilogy！ Now that I know Amara will be back I am eager to see what else she has in store for us。 Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jane Meredith
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Wolf Den has been catching my eye for a long while now and last week I was lucky enough to be accepted for an ARC from @netgalley and it certainly didn't disappoint。 I feel like I'm on a run of reading novels about women with great strength of character but are victims of the powerful men and societies around them。 I love how Amara uses her wit and wiles to survive in the cruel and unjust world of Pompeii。 My favourite character was Victoria who， for all her flaws， just wants to be cared for and Wolf Den has been catching my eye for a long while now and last week I was lucky enough to be accepted for an ARC from @netgalley and it certainly didn't disappoint。 I feel like I'm on a run of reading novels about women with great strength of character but are victims of the powerful men and societies around them。 I love how Amara uses her wit and wiles to survive in the cruel and unjust world of Pompeii。 My favourite character was Victoria who， for all her flaws， just wants to be cared for and loved in return。 My heart breaks for the bond the five women have。 I'll definitely be hoping to read more from Elodie Harper in the future。 。。。more
Christy
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The Wolf Den is set in the Roman world of Pompeii， where slavery is an accepted part of life。 Once a respected doctor's daughter， Amara has fallen far。 Sold into slavery， her journey has hit rock bottom when we meet her， a prostitute in a lowly brothel in Pompeii， owned by a cruel pimp and loan shark。Despite her desperate situation， Amara's bravery and determination shines through。 This is her story - and the story of the other women in the brothel。 It is filled with cruelty， violence， sexual ab The Wolf Den is set in the Roman world of Pompeii， where slavery is an accepted part of life。 Once a respected doctor's daughter， Amara has fallen far。 Sold into slavery， her journey has hit rock bottom when we meet her， a prostitute in a lowly brothel in Pompeii， owned by a cruel pimp and loan shark。Despite her desperate situation， Amara's bravery and determination shines through。 This is her story - and the story of the other women in the brothel。 It is filled with cruelty， violence， sexual abuse and desperation but also friendship， hope and love。 I loved the strength of the female friendships and the range of responses to trauma。 Both female and males in a variety of different situations are portrayed as experiencing different levels and types of trauma。 Each responds in their own personal way without any cliche or stereotype。Compelling and vivid， at times this was a hard and emotional read， but it had uplifting moments that balanced out well。 。。。more
Polly-Alida
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What a terrific read！ The main characters are prostitutes trapped in a cruel ancient Roman world of Pompeii， where women have seemingly little direct power。 They’ve all come to slavery by different paths and cope with it in different ways。 The story focuses on the relationships between the women and the ways they protect and support each other as best they can。 Through their eyes we see all different levels of Pompeiian society， as the women are sent out to serve men of all classes。 The women us What a terrific read！ The main characters are prostitutes trapped in a cruel ancient Roman world of Pompeii， where women have seemingly little direct power。 They’ve all come to slavery by different paths and cope with it in different ways。 The story focuses on the relationships between the women and the ways they protect and support each other as best they can。 Through their eyes we see all different levels of Pompeiian society， as the women are sent out to serve men of all classes。 The women use their own persuasive powers and cunning to survive and attempt to buy their freedom。 The descriptions of Pompeii are vivid and historically accurate。 I’ll confess， I didn’t pay attention to the dates noted and kept waiting for Vesuvius to explode。 Apparently that will happen in the final book of what is said to be a trilogy。 Thanks to author， publisher and NetGalley for preview copy。 。。。more
Jamie Lee
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Thank you so much to Head of Zeus for providing me with a proof。 UK Release 13/5/21。 "The pain is physical in its ferocity， she cannot bear to look back。 She tells herself it is easier not to want， not to feel when you cannot make your own choices。 What good is wanting anything， or anyone？" I'm a sucker for anything even slightly related to Greek mythology！ So when I saw this beauty of a book cover all over my social medias I knew I needed to read it as soon as humanly possible and my gods it di Thank you so much to Head of Zeus for providing me with a proof。 UK Release 13/5/21。 "The pain is physical in its ferocity， she cannot bear to look back。 She tells herself it is easier not to want， not to feel when you cannot make your own choices。 What good is wanting anything， or anyone？" I'm a sucker for anything even slightly related to Greek mythology！ So when I saw this beauty of a book cover all over my social medias I knew I needed to read it as soon as humanly possible and my gods it did not disappoint！ Incredible characters， dark & gripping story I couldn't read this fast enough。The Wolf Den follows Amara， a slave working in an infamous brothel in Pompeii。 Amara is incredible and from line one you adore her。 Her strength and courage that she's had to build up and protect herself and her heart from the dark realities of her new life。 Her voice is so strong and hopeful it's honestly inspiring。 This is one of those books where you are crying one minute and then the next you are cheering on these women！ The heartfelt moments between the women in the brothel are so heart-wrenchingly beautiful and such a shining light in such a dark story。 Elodie's writing is so elegant and yet some how gritty and raw in equal measure， the story flows so well and is paced perfectly。 I can't wait until this book is out in the wild in a few weeks so I can recommend it to every-one who sets a foot through the door of the shop。 I will not shut up about how good this was。 I'm so excited about this book and what comes next。 📚If you liked/For Fans of 📚CirceA Thousand Ships 。。。more
Ellen （thereadingrendezvous）
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This is a beautifully written book about the life of Pompeii’s forgotten women， slaves and prostitutes。 This book follows the life of Amara， a doctors daughter who is both beautiful and educated but when her father dies and her mother’s fortune dwindles she is sold of to be a house slave and then again to her current master Felix， owner of The Wolf Den， to be a brothel worker。Amara wants nothing more than her freedom and this story tells of what she will do to achieve her biggest dream。 This boo This is a beautifully written book about the life of Pompeii’s forgotten women， slaves and prostitutes。 This book follows the life of Amara， a doctors daughter who is both beautiful and educated but when her father dies and her mother’s fortune dwindles she is sold of to be a house slave and then again to her current master Felix， owner of The Wolf Den， to be a brothel worker。Amara wants nothing more than her freedom and this story tells of what she will do to achieve her biggest dream。 This book dives into what life as a prostitute working in the ‘wolf den’ is like， it tells of the harrowing truths of what the women had to go through， struggling both physically and emotionally night after night to keep there customers and master happy。 Through this book you see how resourceful and clever Amara is， how she turns her misfortunes around and how she begins to work her way out of her situation。 You really see how strong Amara and her friends are， how they continue to live and strive for more even through all the cruelty and oppression they endure。 I loved the vivid descriptions in this book， as heartbreaking as the story was in places you really got a feel for the places， the people and even the food。 I could clearly picture what was going。 This was such an enjoyable and easy read， I could have easily read more about Amara and although there are no major cliffhangers I can’t wait to continue the story in the next book。 I would be wary of reading this book if you are easily triggered by sexual and physical abuse and rape。 。。。more
Mana
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Amara， once beloved doctor's daughter， now a slave prostitute in ancient Pompeii。 Her mother sold her to ensure Amara's survival。 Every day is a struggle for her and her friends， but she is clever and ambitious and she aims for freedom。 Will she succeed？Beautifully written， with great compassion and with deep insight into a human soul。 Working in a brothel， so called wolf den/lupanar and women there were known as she-wolves， they have to howl as wolves to call customers in a brothel。 Life as a p Amara， once beloved doctor's daughter， now a slave prostitute in ancient Pompeii。 Her mother sold her to ensure Amara's survival。 Every day is a struggle for her and her friends， but she is clever and ambitious and she aims for freedom。 Will she succeed？Beautifully written， with great compassion and with deep insight into a human soul。 Working in a brothel， so called wolf den/lupanar and women there were known as she-wolves， they have to howl as wolves to call customers in a brothel。 Life as a prostitute， disgust， panic， obliterating blankness。 An aversion to being touched。。。 Heartbreaking。 And neverending yearning for freedom。 Of body and a soul。Roman society was based on slaves and their work， and Elodie Harper describes their life with the greatest sensibility and respect。Atmosphere and characters are perfect， the reader is totally and immediately immersed in a story。Wonderful reading。 。。。more
Leanne Mullaney
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"Sold by her mother。 Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel。 Determined to survive。 He name is Amara。 Welcome to the wolf den 。。。"***The wolf den was a beautifully written， emotionally compelling ， utterly heartbreaking and at times disturbing story。Set in Pompeii’s infamous Brothel， Lupanar ‘The Wolf Den’ and told from the perspective of Amara， who was sold into prostitution through slavery 。。。 Through Amara we also meet other 'she wolves' Dido， Cressa ， Victoria and Beronice。The depiction of the woman "Sold by her mother。 Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel。 Determined to survive。 He name is Amara。 Welcome to the wolf den 。。。"***The wolf den was a beautifully written， emotionally compelling ， utterly heartbreaking and at times disturbing story。Set in Pompeii’s infamous Brothel， Lupanar ‘The Wolf Den’ and told from the perspective of Amara， who was sold into prostitution through slavery 。。。 Through Amara we also meet other 'she wolves' Dido， Cressa ， Victoria and Beronice。The depiction of the woman is extremely well done 。。。 we feel their grief， hurt， suffering， hopes， dreams， pain， strength and their fight of survival 。。。 for freedom。 It is so hard not to become attached to these women almost immediately - I spent most of my time reading this book wiping tears from my eyes， it really gets you in the feels。 I don't know that I can say I enjoyed it， given the subject， it just doesn't feel like the right word to use， but it was brilliantly written， well researched and so full of historical detail。 The fact I know this is a book that is going to stay with me a very long time immediately gives it a 5 star rating from me。 I highly recommend this one - especially if you like historical fiction， ancient settings and very strong female characters。 *** Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review。 *** 。。。more
Natasha
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A Beautifully written and deeply poignant tale of power，privilege and the struggles of survival —reimagining the lives of Pompeii’s oft-forgotten women。It’s set largely in Pompeii’s infamous Brothel， Lupanar ‘The Wolf Den’ and told from the POV of Amara，a slave and prostitute。Her only value lies with her body and the desire she can incite from her patrons。Sold by her mother and owned by a man she despises， Amara spends her days biding her time with her fellow she-wolves （and hiding how sharp，cle A Beautifully written and deeply poignant tale of power，privilege and the struggles of survival —reimagining the lives of Pompeii’s oft-forgotten women。It’s set largely in Pompeii’s infamous Brothel， Lupanar ‘The Wolf Den’ and told from the POV of Amara，a slave and prostitute。Her only value lies with her body and the desire she can incite from her patrons。Sold by her mother and owned by a man she despises， Amara spends her days biding her time with her fellow she-wolves （and hiding how sharp，clever and resourceful she can be）— waiting for the opportunity to reverse her fortunes and find her freedom。 Because if she’s learnt anything， it’s that in Pompeii everything has a price。 The only question is，how much will that freedom cost her？This is one of the most emotionally compelling and undeniably gripping historical novels I’ve read this year and it’s left me an emotional wreck。 I thought Amara and the other she-wolves were expertly portrayed and I truly empathised with their plight。 I really loved Amara， her strength despite the oppression and cruelty she experiences，was inspiring—a woman determined to survive， and thrive after all she has endured。I also absolutely loved the writing style， so richly detailed it was easy to feel transported to the ancient city。 I also found it filled to bursting with well researched historical details that definitely humanised the people of Pompeii—I found the quotes taken from graffiti found in Pompeii at the beginning of several chapters quite interesting （it added context to the she-wolves and their patron’s lives）I also just wanted to warn that the author does touch on some pretty difficult subjects such as Slavery，physical abuse，emotional abuse and rape throughout the novel so if you find these topics upsetting it’s best to steer clear of this one。Overall， a beautifully written and well researched historical novel， that gives a voice to the many invisible women that time and history have mostly forgotten—if your a history buff or interested in roman historical fiction，then you should definitely give this a read。I’d also really like to thank Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the digital ARC。 。。。more
Librow0rm Christine
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I was given the e-arc of The Wolf Den by Eloise Harper by Head of Zeus and NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review。The Wolf Den focuses on Amara， a slave owned by the brothel keeper in Pompeii。 Originally born the daughter of a doctor in Greece， educated， beautiful and fiercely determined， she was sold by her mother when her family’s fortunes were depleted after the death of her father。The story of Amara’s life and that of the other slave prostitutes is not one to enjoy， but it i I was given the e-arc of The Wolf Den by Eloise Harper by Head of Zeus and NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review。The Wolf Den focuses on Amara， a slave owned by the brothel keeper in Pompeii。 Originally born the daughter of a doctor in Greece， educated， beautiful and fiercely determined， she was sold by her mother when her family’s fortunes were depleted after the death of her father。The story of Amara’s life and that of the other slave prostitutes is not one to enjoy， but it is totally captivating， at times bitterly amusing， and heartbreaking。 These women are slaves， they are fully under the command of the brothel owner Felix， and have neither control nor autonomy over their lives or bodies。 The only autonomy they have is their self， something that is difficult to maintain when all other freedoms are out of reach。Despite this， the She-Wolves are a community， bonding and uniting to improve their lot in life， albeit in small ways through small kindnesses， supporting one another as best they can。 Amara wasn’t born a slave and is desperate to escape the brothel and slavery， and through the course of the story inveigles her way into her master Felix’s money lending business， working on his accounts and using her musical skills， with the single aim of freedom。 This book immerses you in the world of Pompeii prior to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius - not a spoiler for this first book in a trilogy。 The setting is well researched and written， ensuring you aren’t mired in an historical time， but actually seeing Amara’s life and it delivers a message that is still true to this day， for there are still women who live lives with no control or autonomy。 This is an excellent debut that I couldn’t tear myself away from， and if you enjoyed Circe or Sistersong， then I highly recommend The Wolf Den。 。。。more
Veesreadinglist
，
"You try to keep it inside， don’t you， all the different parts of yourself， but they don’t exist anymore。 I thought of my mother the other day， what she would think of me， who she would see。 If we met now。 But she wouldn’t know me。 I wouldn’t know me。 "– The Wolf Den by Elodie HarperThe Wolf Den by Elodie Harper is a compelling historical novel set in ancient Pompeii， infamous brothel called ‘The Wolf Den’。 It is the place where women are used for pleasure， sold， abused， exchanged… forgotten。 It "You try to keep it inside， don’t you， all the different parts of yourself， but they don’t exist anymore。 I thought of my mother the other day， what she would think of me， who she would see。 If we met now。 But she wouldn’t know me。 I wouldn’t know me。 "– The Wolf Den by Elodie HarperThe Wolf Den by Elodie Harper is a compelling historical novel set in ancient Pompeii， infamous brothel called ‘The Wolf Den’。 It is the place where women are used for pleasure， sold， abused， exchanged… forgotten。 It is Amara’s story。Amara wasn’t like any other girls。 She was born and raised in a family who were well off。 Her father was a doctor。 There was a decent life ahead of her。 When a sudden death took him away， there was no money left， and Amara’s mother had no other choice than to sell her daughter to slavery。 Little did she know that Amara will end up in Pompeii’s brothel。I wasn’t sure if I will be able to read this book。 Being a female， the harsh language used to describe she-wolves （girls working in the brothel） and their life in Pompeii， wasn’t so easy to read。 It was brutal， raw but necessary。 I’m glad I pushed through it。 Amara’s story is the one that I will remember a long time。Some women were born into slavery， other girls， like Amara， were sold。 Despite their different cultural backgrounds， women stick together and try to support one another by encouraging not to give up hope。 Amara struck me as a very compassionate， brave， and bright woman。 Ancient Rome was never kind to women like Amara: constant mental and physical abuse and poor living conditions… what is out there to live for？Well， I would like to invite you to Amara’s world。 Here， in the face of suffering， pain， grief and hurt， women are not slaves， they are fighters， survivors， heroines。Welcome to The Wolf Den。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Wolf Den
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Wolf Den&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Wolf Den&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0