Themes (and triggers):
Love, humanity, friendship, security, sexual slavery, violence, abuse, patriarchy, misogyny, freedom, survival.
Synopsis:
Born a free woman, Amara is sold as a concubine after her father's death. Expelled by her master's wife, she finds herself enslaved in Pompeii's infamous brothel, 'The Wolf Den' owned by the most ruthless man. Well-read and intelligent, Amara is forced to hide her talents - her only value lies in being desired as a she-wolf.
But far from beaten, Amara finds comfort and bonding in her fellow she-wolves as they share dreams of freedom. She knows Pompeii is ripe with opportunities and even the lowest of slaves can reverse their bad fortune. But the city does not give without taking, will she pay the price for her freedom?
Thoughts:
From the description of this book I knew it would be a devastating read. Bearing in mind the novel is a historical fiction (inspired by real people, events and places) I thought this was an excellent depiction of what life would have been like for the real women in Pompeii during the ancient times. The book is very character-driven and less event-based so it is quite slow paced. At times I felt there was a lot of repetition but again, this was accurate to life. With the same routine, the days of prostitution and enslavery become indistinguishable for Amara but, the rich story-telling and character investment was enough to keep me reading.
Amara is a fantastic lead character, strong and inspirational, I felt gutted for her with each disappointing turn in her life. It was just so sad! I felt like she was the strongest member in the group of women and tried her best to keep them all together. Her deep rooted hope and courage to hold on to her real self was central to the story. I adored the sisterly bonding between the women, it was a highlight in all the unimaginable abuse and brutality they were forced to endure. It was interesting to see the women separate their friendships from their jobs with their struggle to compete with one another whilst maintaining unity. They all had unique personalities and different stories of how they ended up in the brothel which added a lot of dimension. To no surprise, I actually loathed Felix. Even though he's the obvious villain in the story, with the direction it takes I can't imagine building any positive feelings towards him - no matter what happens. His history doesn't justify his present day actions, if anything he should be the saviour for these women!
I loved how Pompeii was described as a colourful city with bustling streets and alleyways. I could clearly picture the warmth and liveliness with the graffitied walls and people's high spirits. I felt like even the slaves and women cherished Pompeii although they resented the patriarchal system and unjust politics that governed the city. The vivid descriptions of festivals, wealth and glamour of parties, homes and dresses, and the famous baths were mesmerizing.
For me, the story still held a few elements of surprise with two shocking twists. Although one of them was gut-wrenching the other still has potential. I appreciated the suspenseful ending because it's kept my intrigue for the storyline. I researched the meaning behind the hidden message in the final paragraph though because I'm not familiar with Roman gods but, what an end to finish on! I'm interested to see how Harper will take Amara's story from here and develop it further. Will she able to deal with her inner conflict? Will she find love and security? Will she be the next big entrepreneur/money lender? Literally anything could happen, the only thing that is certain is the volcanic eruption - which will no doubt be momentous.
A heart-breaking yet captivating read which addresses some relevant unspoken topics and historical events (which sadly still happen today). I'm looking forward to the follow ups, I don't think they will be so heavily based on abuse and sex slavery and will probably have more of a plot.
On an end note, I want to mention the quotes under each chapter, so clever how they fit perfectly with the content and there were a couple which really stood out to me.
Rating:
4/5
Favourite Quotes:
'Suns when they sink can rise again.'
'She is the light in the darkness of her life.'
Disclaimer:
This book contains graphic descriptions and details of death, violence, abuse, rape and some obscene language. Please be mindful of this before reading as it may not be suitable for everyone.
Commentaires