Despite the seemingly low-ish rating, I really enjoyed this book. It was let down mostly by the lack of any real major outcome or crescendo of the whole thing which leave its feeling a little unfinished? Even though everything is settled at the end, there was still a feeling of: what now?

The Wolf Den follows Amara, a Greek who was sold by her mother to pay back debts and who is now a prostitute in Pompeii. She works in a brothel run by a less than honourable man named Felix and has a multitude of friends in the shape of the other prostitutes she lives with. Amara however is not as content with her lot in life as some of the other girls seem to be and instead, plots a way to get a patron - someone to like her enough to buy her or free her - so she can make a real life for herself.

The back stories and realities of what the women face is so tragic and much to real for a lot of women in ancient times and even now. They have no voice, they are used and often abused by the men they service as well as the ones who own them and this doesnt even particularly stop if one is married. It was tragic and so sad to read what they have to endure which in itself is really emotional and a good read.

Where I was left disappointed is that despite knowing what Amara's goal is, her run up to it leaves so many things left unsaid. Yes, this has happened but what about the others, what about her pimp, what is her life going to be like now? Despite the wrap up, I felt that more of the book could have been spent with the aftermath of her choices rather than just tittering up to it and throwing a shock factor death in the end.

Spoiler

Is that really how things end with Menander? Why do we never get to find out how terrible Rufus is so obviously going to be? What will happen to Felix and Victoria? Are Beronice and Gallus going to be caught out? Will Amara continue giving loans to people now that she is a woman of means, or atleast trying to be? What is going to happen to Paris and Fabia?

The fact that so much is just left undone, let it down for me and while the narrative was great - despite being in third/present which i hate lol - it just could have had so much more.
I did however love the bonus content at the end of my edition that explains that the Lunapar/Wolf Den is a real place in Pompeii that you can visit and that the author took names that were graffitied on the wall to name her characters which adds a level of realism that makes it even sadder.

I definitely recommend giving it a try but i just felt it could have been a touch more hard hitting!