THE PLOT: ‘The Wolf Den’ by Elodie Harper is historical fiction about a group of slaves who work at a brothel in Pompeii. Amara used to be the respectable daughter of a Greek doctor, but after her father’s death she was sold as a concubine. Now, she works at the most notorious brothel in Pompeii, enslaved by a cruel master. Surrounded by witty, resourceful women who each have their own story of how they ended up in the brothel, Amara uses her intelligence and upbringing to help them attract a higher class of patrons. If they play their cards right, these wealthy men could be their ticket to freedom. But can Amara save herself, and her friends, without making enemies and losing her humanity?

SUMMARY:  I LOVED THIS BOOK! Literally, there is nothing else to say. I adore this novel and I want everyone to read it. As a former classics student, I’ve read a lot of novels based on Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, but this is one of the finest. Utilising real names and details found in the excavation of Pompeii, the author reimagines the lives of the city’s inhabitants through the story of prostitutes and slaves – the lowest rung on the social ladder. This book doesn’t shy away from the harsh, gritty brutality of life for women in Ancient Rome, yet manages to convey a sense of solidarity and sisterhood. Amara is a compelling main character but this book’s beauty lies in the fact all of the women at the brothel are well-rounded and their interactions are so nuanced. With heart-warming characters, an exciting plot, and rich world-building, I cannot wait to buy the next two books in this series.

GOOD BITS: I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but this plot has so many ups and downs, I could not stop turning the pages. Every time I had a theory about what would happen to Amara, it went in a different direction and I was left audibly gasping. During the first chapter, I worried that there were too many characters but that fear quickly went out the window as I began shouting and rooting for all of them. By grounding the book firmly in Amara’s perspective, it allows the reader to explore the other characters but not get lost.

NOT SO GOOD BITS: N/A

OVERALL: I’d recommend this book to fans of ‘On Black Sisters Street’ by Chika Unigwe, ‘Troy’ by Adele Geras, and ‘Circe’ by Madeleine Miller. In addition to historical fiction lovers, I think this would appeal to fantasy readers because of the rich world-building and dynamic characters. Actually, I just need everyone to read it.

You can buy this book with a discount and support @aminasbookshelf by using my bookshop.org link, which gives a portion of the proceeds to independent bookshops.