I ADORED The Wolf of Oren Yaro and it blasted all my expectations out of the water! I’m so thankful I was accepted for this blog tour!
Summary
“I murdered a man and made my husband leave the night before they crowned me.”
Born under the crumbling towers of Oren-yaro, Queen Talyien was the shining jewel and legacy of the bloody War of the Wolves that nearly tore her nation apart. Her upcoming marriage to the son of her father’s rival heralds peaceful days to come.
But his sudden departure before their reign begins fractures the kingdom beyond repair.
Years later, Talyien receives a message, urging her to attend a meeting across the sea. It’s meant to be an effort at reconciliation, but an assassination attempt leaves the queen stranded and desperate to survive in a dangerous land. With no idea who she can trust, she’s on her own as she struggles to fight her way home.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is nothing like I expected. From almost the beginning I was shocked and my expectations were quickly decimated. What I also loved was how strong, but also vulnerable Talyien is. From the beginning I could appreciate the ways she’s had to be strong as a ruler with wolves constantly circling her. But what intrigued me was how she also maintains a sense of vulnerability, of being a tremendously clever, strong, and proud ruler, but also a human underneath it all.
Talyien is complex, as she should be, and The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is a book that not only celebrates this complexity, but the choices she must make. While the mystery of what happened between her and her husband pervades the book with a sense of suspense, and a tinge of confusion, as readers we are able to witness Talyien’s perspective. The ways she has protected herself against what has wounded her, but her determination to prevail and make difficult decisions. It’s like watching two people fight with scars, old blades, and memories in the dark.
Within The Wolf of Oren-Yaro, you can’t seem to trust anyone. There are so many different layers of intrigue, old resentments, and conspiracies that you immediately are pulled in by the plot. The shock factor of it being nothing like you may have imagined is certainly a factor, but then comes surprise after surprise. Action packed scene after revelation. Yet throughout it all, Talyien as a character surprises you. How her past is slowly revealed to you as you realize that how lonely being a ruler can be. How those she trusts, can turn out to be vipers behind your back. And how that has effected Talyien’s dreams, her personality, and her heart.
Overall,
The Wolf of Oren-Yaro also asks us questions about loyalty and being a good ruler. How can she become a good ruler? Is it ruling through obedience, fear, or loyalty? For those that are loyal to us, what drives their loyalty? Is Talyien reduced to her duty, to her responsibilities? Forever reminded that the world is not fair and certainly not to women without allies and queens on the throne alone. The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is a book that should not be missed.
Find The Wolf of Oren-Yaro on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound & The Book Depository.
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About the Author
K.S. Villoso was born in a dank hospital on an afternoon in Albay, Philippines, and things have generally been okay since then. After spending most of her childhood in a slum area in Taguig (where she dodged death-defying traffic, ate questionable food, and fell into open-pit sewers more often than one ought to), she and her family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, where they spent the better part of two decades trying to chase the North American Dream. She is now living amidst the forest and mountains with her family, children, and dogs in Anmore, BC.
Author links:
Author website —https://www.ksvilloso.com/
Goodreads — https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11740784.K_S_Villoso
Instagram — http://instagram.com/kayvilloso
Twitter — http://twitter.com/k_villoso