The Wolf Den, by Elodie Harper, is intense, dramatic historical fiction, set in an ancient Pompeiian brothel, with a world of violence and exploitation. You really do have to be up for the brutality in this one, seriously.  I knew I’d love the ancient Roman setting, and there’s a lot to enjoy about Roman customs and daily life, in addition to a dramatic and surprising story.

Amara, one of the girls trapped in the “wolf den”, uses her wits and her knowledge from her previous life to save herself and her friends from horrific treatment. Amara and the other girls face constant brutality and exploitation, with moments of camaraderie and peace.  Their stories are tragic, but in a realistic way for a world where women are property and have almost no means of independence.  Amara was educated as a doctor’s daughter, but after her father’s death, the family has no income and she was sold as a concubine. From there, she was sold again to the brothel. Another girl was kidnapped, and another was abandoned as a baby and brought up to be a prostitute. There are references to historical plays about slavery, where the rescue of  beautiful slave girls is the comedy, which highlights the everyday nature of the sale of young women.

In this world of exploitation, Amara uses her quick wits and intense determination, in order to change her state in life. There’s no convenient side gig or helpful connection here, and no relative is coming for her. So Amara will have to be as ruthless and single-minded as the men who keep her captive if she ever hopes to escape, whether that’s playing a sweet girlfriend for a wealth noble or arranging shady money-lending and calling in debts.

I really enjoyed the setting, with scenes of daily life in Pompeii. I’ve enjoyed this look at Roman life in other genres, too, like in SPQR and the Marcus Corvinus mysteries, or in the historical drama The Brides of Rome. Feast of Sorrow has a similar attention to daily life and customs, outside the emperor’s family.

For me, some of the book’s tension comes from the character Pliny, living here in Pompeii, just working on his natural history books… when we all know what’s going to happen to Pliny in Pompeii. This adds to the overall feeling of the characters and all the residents of Pompeii at the mercy of capricious gods.

Overall, The Wolf Den offers engaging historical details and an exploration of power and private resilience in ancient Pompeii. The ending leads to a new stage of Amara’s life, but it’s left fairly open, with two more books in the series to continue the story.