
Set in Pompeii during the first century AD, just a scant few years before the famous volcanic eruption that will encase the city in lava and ash, this is nevertheless a story that is positively teeming with life. But it’s also like almost nothing else that exists in this genre at present, carefully drawing contemporary parallels that will feel deeply familiar in a world where modern women still must fight far too hard for autonomy, equality, and the right to feel both safe in and in charge of their own bodies. Yes, The Wolf Den is brutal in its violence and unflinching in its depiction of the many horrors and indignities poor women, slaves, and other marginalized groups of this time must have faced. (Thank goodness it’s set to be the first installment in a trilogy, is what I’m saying.)Īn incredibly well-written and clearly deeply researched tale, Harper’s debut is both a fascinating tale in its own right and an important reclaiming of the sorts of stories from history we far too rarely get to hear. Clocking in at nearly 500 pages, her novel The Wolf Den is an enthralling, exhilarating read from its first page to its last, rooted in both archeological fact and emotional truth.

But clearly, none of us saw Elodie Harper coming. ' gripping sequel.On paper, the idea that a historical novel about the lives of a group of prostitutes in a Pompeii brothel is actually one of the year’s most strident tales of female empowerment seems as though it should be fairly ridiculous. 'Vivid, unsentimental and compelling' The Times A brilliant sequel to The Wolf Den' Jennifer Saint Praise for The House with the Golden Door: Yet falling in love herself may prove to be Amara's downfall. She knows she can draw strength from Venus, the goddess of love.


In order to be truly free, Amara will need to be as ruthless as he is. By day, she is pursued by her former slavemaster. At night she dreams of the wolf den, and the women she left behind. She now has a house, fine clothes, servants - but all are gifts from her patron, hers for as long as she keeps her place in his affections.Īs she adjusts to this new life, Amara is still haunted by her past. 'Brutal yet beautiful, heartfelt yet harrowing, this is one compulsive read' Susan Stokes-ChapmanĪmara has escaped her life as a slave in Pompeii's most notorious brothel. Click here to purchase from Rakuten Kobo The Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller
