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.