This book surprised me. Given the opening line of the synopsis, I was expecting darkness, perhaps laden with violence. There’re fights and skirmishes aplenty, true, but the plot is driven by love, and the need to do one’s duty to keep peace. It’s full of heart, and I loved it.

Talyien is an amazing protagonist. Since she was born, her destiny has been mapped out for her and she’s done her best to be true to her duty. She’s a strong and tough queen with a reputation for cutting off people’s heads.

We see that unflinching side of her. She defends herself, and reacts decisively when someone betrays her. But we also see her heart and vulnerabilities. She is driven by love and the need to reconcile and understand the events that brought her here. We watch her open up, allowing herself to let others in. Her development throughout is fantastic.

There are a lot of secondary characters with various levels of importance. Different names and hints of backstories meant it was hard to get a clear picture of who was who. Some characters, however, stood out.

Khine is the side-kick you want. Troubled and mysterious with a heart of gold, I loved him from our first introduction. His determination to help Talyien, while acknowledging it’s only the geography she needs help navigating, made me warm to him instantly. I wanted their friendship to have a chance and the delivery was satisfying.

The pacing throughout remains steady, even when events heat up. There’s a lot of different places, names, conspiracies and ways of life to wrap your head around, which undermined a few moments. It needed a change in pace now and again to know where the climactic moments were, and where events had gone a little wrong.

The world-building is solid. You really feel these places have a long history of complicated relationships. While some of the politics got confusing, this is an intricate world with a clear history of being troubled by war. There wasn’t one place/clan that stuck out for me, but it felt like a well-crafted setting that you could, for the most part, envision.

Good writing is what drew this book together. You’ve got complex characters you root for; a world you feel you could navigate; and a gripping plot that stops you from putting the book down. A thoroughly enjoyable read with a style I’d happily read more of.

It is a few moments of confusion about some of the intricate parts of the plot that prevented me from giving five stars. Otherwise, a gripping book that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish, and I’m already tracking down the next in the series.

Villoso is an interesting author, who achieved a level of fame and notoriety with her self-published work (and indeed this book was also originally self-pub), before being signed by Orbit. She's not the first self-pub author to have that happen ([author:Josiah Bancroft|6978502] is another famous example), but she <i>is</i> a Filipino woman author and I was curious to see what her perspective on epic fantasy would read like.

Set in the world of her <i>Agarthes Epilogues</i> (which starts with [book:Jaeth's Eye|35169255] and which I haven't read - nor did I feel I had missed out by not reading), <i>The Wolf of Oren-Yaro</i> tells the story of Queen Talyien, who on the night before her coronation, kills a man and exiles her husband. What was meant to be an alliance that would end a civil war turns instead into an attempt for her to rule, while trying to keep her land from fragmenting further. Five years on, she receives a message that will send her across the sea, in the search for reconciliation. But when an assassination attempt has her on the run, Talyien will need to trust more than her instincts if she's to survive and truly uncover the secret of who's after her.

For the first few chapters, I didn't actually mind the setup. Perhaps it's my own personal situation reflected here, but the story of Talyien and Rayyel, their falling out and his subsequent silence really resonated. The love that she still feels for him, the attempt at reconciliation, the way she talks about Rayyel, I was really bought into it. Their history is revealed throughout the course of the book, and I honestly wanted to believe there would be a happy ending of sorts for them. But as the plot unravels further and further, I thought that Talyien's affection for Rayyel borders on the absolute daft and her choices seem baffling. She acts more like a schoolgirl than a queen, driven purely by her determination to see him again, even in the face of what seems to be overwhelming evidence that he's not as honest as he appears to be.

But then bad thing after bad thing seems to befall Talyien and it just goes through an unrelenting misery fest as she tries to avoid being sexually assaulted several times, only to land in what feels like an even worse circumstance. And listen, I get that the world Villoso is building here is structured in that way, with women being seen as lesser (I don't have to like it, but it's the narrative frame she's chosen to use and I won't comment on that), but I am so tired of the thread to female characters always being rape. There are scenes in a brothel (actually one of the few times that Talyien seems to use her brain before the 80% mark) which I felt would actually go the way of an assault but don't (points for that I guess) and where she very cleverly escapes, but those are followed by more scenes where she could be raped by bandits, by a nobleman, over and over in an unrelenting stream of awful shit. It made for some miserable reading and because the entire arc hinges on this love between Talyien and Rayyel, the longer it went on the more I felt like it was a flimsy excuse.

Talyien as a character does actually feel like the best rounded one in the narrative. She is flawed, conflicted, afraid and although she's been dubbed a Bitch Queen, she actually is a lot more sensitive than she lets on. This ties in with the whole sexist makeup of the book, where she is the child raised to fight, wield a sword, to be the heir her father wants her to be, whereas Rayyel is depicted as being much more sensitive, more bookish, more introverted. I found that a really interesting dynamic and I liked that Talyien doesn't go down the route of "not like other girls". She actually seems to appreciate the other female characters around her, she stands up for an abused wife and tries to get compassion for her (though it's from her abuser and well that was never going to end the way she expected it to). Her inner conflict is depicted really strongly and no matter how many issues I had with the narrative itself, I believed in Talyien and it's what kept me reading all the way to the end.

<blockquote><i>Perhaps, when you love less, it is easier not to let the emptiness become a cavern from which you could no longer see the sun.</i></blockquote>

And then, around the 70% mark or so, there is a moment where the entire narrative seems to shift. It's a chapter that takes place in this strange liminal space and I don't want to say too much about it, because the revelations and the way it's framed really showcases Villoso's cultural background and heritage. But after that, the plot seriously picks up the pace and it's unveiling after unveiling, all the way to the climactic finish. It got to the point where I really couldn't put the book down, where I wanted to keep reading and cursed myself for being so tired that I couldn't stay awake long enough to finish another chapter. By the end, I was sure that I would pick up the sequel (and I think it may even be this summer, the way my reading is going).

The worldbuilding itself is interesting and there is even talk of magic, though children in Talyien's kingdom aren't encouraged to display it and indeed if they do, they're quietly "sent away" (or disposed of). There is even talk of dragons, though they are feeble and "mad", but I'm such a sucker for dragons that I really, really hope they make another appearance in the books soon. I still don't quite understand the reasoning behind Talyien's feelings for Rayyel (especially as events build up and the whole "night before the crowning" event is laid bare), but then again perhaps I'm not really meant to - feelings aren't rational, after all. I think the issue I had with this, ultimately, is that I just didn't believe in the strength of their relationship. And when so much of the narrative hinges on it, it's really difficult to overlook.

I wanted to rate this book two stars, but with that ending, I had to bump up the rating. So, I guess I'll be reading <i>The Ikessar Falcon</i> sooner rather than later!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ecopy of this book, I also bought myself a physical copy and also the audiobook.

I LOVED this book! I am definitely a character driven reader and this is a character driven plot at it's finest. There is tonnes of character development but also the plot progresses at a good pace with enough action to keep you hooked.

Talyien is one of the best female protagonists that I've seen in a while. She is a warrior, a queen, a mother and I love all those things about her. She has a long, hard journey and she carries many burdens and different names throughout the story. She never breaks, never backs down and is fully focussed throughout.

I can't wait to move on to the sequel.

I have to say I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this! I think it took me about 50ish pages to get into it, but there was just something that I genuinely loved about it.

The characters are just. OOOOFT!

I WANT MORE

This is a review that I’ve waited a year and a half to write. I first bought this book two years ago when it was self-published and read it in that form last year. I was going to write and post my review, but then I found out that it was going to be traditionally published with Orbit.

Many thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the copy of the traditionally published version.

As I said, I’ve been waiting a long time to review this book. I’ve read it twice now and each time, I still felt the same intense emotion that I did the first time. The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is absolutely one of the best SFF books I’ve read and I suspect it would stay as one of my favorites for a long time.

Early on we learn that Talyien’s marriage to Rayyel brought about the promise of peace after a destructive war. That peace then became fragile once he left. In this book, we saw how much that kind of burden has impacted Tali and how it informs her actions.

Love is a major theme in this book- so is betrayal and secrets, but love is a theme that bleeds through. Anyone familiar with the concept of filial piety will find it in spades here. The obligations, the loyalty, and the love that ties family together are all here. Queen Talyien is a complicated woman defined by love. Love of her father, of her son, of her husband, and even for a people who hates her. Love is a core theme and that powerful kind of love is also a major factor in all the hurt and pain Tali goes through.

The other theme is betrayal and secrets. In this book, we go through extended flashbacks and see what happened in the past and how everything got to the point where they were. Through it, we see Tali’s character through the years- a headstrong, stubborn, and prideful woman, but for all her faults, unrelentingly dutiful and all too aware of what is expected of her.

It wasn’t just Tali’s mistakes that we see- we see everyone else’s too through her eyes and as she finds out things that challenge everything she’s ever known and her own point of view of how things are. In the book, we see her reacting to everything and trying to keep up with all of the twists and turns throughout her journey. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like she could catch a break as the book seemingly tries to plunge her to her lowest point. When you think she’s about to catch a break, something else happens. Through it all, you just can’t help but root for this character.

Talyien is probably one of the best fantasy protagonists I’ve encountered in a while. A warrior, a queen, a daughter, a mother. Throughout her journey, there are many titles she wears, many burdens she carries and yet, she never breaks. That last part certainly wasn’t for lack of trying because there are many people in the story who’d love for her to break, but she doesn’t. Even as she gets outwitted by her enemies, even when she’s surrounded by them, she always manages to pull through somehow. And yet, she wasn’t the perfect character. Many of the things that happen in the story happened through her own shortcomings- which she also acknowledge. Her own pride, her own stubborn nature combined with her husband’s pride and stubborn nature doesn’t exactly bode well for the both of them.

I mentioned earlier that this is a book that will make you angry and it will. Reading this would make you ask why Tali remained faithful to a husband who doesn’t trust her and doesn’t respect her. Men try to victimize her in this book, but she refuses to become their victim. Always, she fights, even when she’s tired, even when it looks like she might give up, she still fights.

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is character driven fantasy at its finest. There is plenty of plot and it moves along at a pretty fast pace, but at the same time, it gives you an in-depth look into the mind of the main character. You get to know her and really root for her. The first person POV was also utilized really well her as some plot twists would catch you off-guard, like Tali.

I didn’t touch much on the world-building so far, but I’d say I love it and I love how you can see the Filipino influences, from some of the names, the customs, and the food. This is an Asian-inspired fantasy that really sucks you in and doesn’t let go. The writing style is also very good, clean, descriptive, and conveys emotion in a way few fantasy books I’ve read do.

Overall, I highly recommend The Wolf of Oren-Yaro to anyone who loves fantasy and strong female protagonists.

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro es la primera instancia de una trilogía fantástica bastante recomendada que a mí sin embargo no me ha terminado de convencer.

Me gustaba la idea de partida de una protagonista fuerte, una reina en su mundo que ha conseguido mantener su puesto a pesar del abandono de su marido, en un matrimonio de interés político pero que parecía también sostenido por el amor. Pero es que casi desde el principio todas las decisiones que va tomando Talyein no hacen si no abocarla al fracaso, con una ingenuidad preocupante para alguien que supuestamente ha estado toda su vida preparándose para el trono.
Desde el principio, el hecho de doblegarse a las condiciones bastante peregrinas de su marido para una reunión con unos objetivos poco claros en un terreno manifiestamente no neutral nos puede parece una maniobra bastante torpe, pero si está acompañada de sus consejeros más astutos y una guardia leal… pues sigue pareciéndome torpe, aunque con algunos visos más de deparar un éxito.
Nada mas lejos de la realidad. Talyein se ve arrastrada por los suburbios de una ciudad desconocida y ha de poner en juego todos sus recursos tan solo para sobrevivir. Y gran parte de sus avances se deben más a la casualidad que a sus propios méritos.
La figura de Khine, el estudiante de medicina devenido en timador hace algo más llevadera con su presencia la lectura, porque al menos parece tener la cabeza sobre los hombros aunque tenga un sentido del honor bastante peculiar. Las primeras escenas en las que aparece su familia me parecen las más divertidas del libro con diferencia.
Poco a poco se van desvelando planes y traiciones que llevan años desarrollándose sin que la reina se haya percatado de nada, obsesionada como estaba con otros temas más acuciantes, como mantener a duras penas la paz entre sus belicosos súbditos.
La presencia de la magia es testimonial y verdaderamente parece más un recurso deus ex machina que una decisión premeditada por parte de la autora.
He leído en varias reseñas que la influencia filipina es palpable a lo largo de la novela. Mi total desconocimiento de esa cultura hace que no pueda juzgar si esto es cierto o no, o si está bien planteado. Me gusta la fantasía que huye de los tópicos medievales europeos ofreciendo algo distinto, pero no he sabido disfrutarlo lo suficiente con este libro debido a la endeblez del planteamiento. Ha resultado un poco frustrante en su lectura.

This book... sho. It was so fantastic I read it in an entire afternoon. I genuinely couldn't put it down! The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is a deeply personal and thoughtful tale of love, betrayal and the aftermath – at the same time, it’s a thrill ride that keeps you guessing until the end, full of exciting plot twists and twist subversions. 100% loved it and I want more!

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is set around the character of Talyien, Queen and first woman to claim the Dragonthrone. Five years ago on her wedding night, her husband and rival clan heir Rayyel leaves her standing before her coronation, resulting in Talyien ruling alone. But when Rayyel requests a meeting and hints at a possible reconciliation with Talyien, the bitch queen jumps at the chance to unite her fractured realm, and restore her marriage – even if she suspects a trap.
I really liked the character of Talyien. She’s managed to rule a kingdom for five years, putting up a persona of this hard faced, ruthless woman to protect her family and her people. She’s proud, often short-sighted, angry and resentful, but she has a deep compassion for those she cares deeply about - especially her son. It was very interesting to see Talyien in her role of mother against that of ruler. She’s softer, and sometimes lets her guard down, allowing the reader to empathise with the many difficulties and traumas she’s had to face, and the strong person she’s had to put on in order to survive and protect everyone. I enjoyed exploring this side of her personality, and I think it only added to her complexities and vulnerability. It’s almost as though the role of queen is one big show to hide behind. I will say however, that at times I did question a lot of her motives and inner monologue. For a man that left her five years ago, she still remains resolutely attached to her husband and desperate for him to return to her side, which I didn’t quite understand. She’s perfectly capable of ruling alone, and setting a good example for her son along the way. Her true motives aren’t really explained until a big reveal at the end which explains a lot of her actions – but it still meant I had to wait a long time for some answers to some very dubious behaviour. It was refreshing to see such a powerful female protagonist in an epic high fantasy novel.

I also really liked Khine, the con artist who spends a lot of time helping Talyien on her journey. He’s the light to the often dark and moody queen, with a quip and an answer for everything and is a perfect complement to the story. The villains of the story, without giving too much away, are also highly developed and deepy interesting characters. Morally grey, or just down right insane, they brought a new dimension to the story in the latter stages and added twists and turns to the story I wasn’t expecting.

I will say that the pacing and writing for this did sometimes feel a little clunky, with a lot of background information and back story dumped on the reader at the beginning of the book. This means that there is not much actual plot development for the first 100 pages, and it reads very slowly at that. There’s a lot to take in, and with such an expansive world filled with rich politics and culture, I could understand that there’s a lot for the reader to get to grips with – but it could have been written more eloquently at times. It also feels quite formulaic in places, with build up to an action scene, followed by flashback, followed by inner monologue. It took away from a lot of the early twists – although I will say that Villoso manages to pull of an extraordinary ending and the mother of all twists that I did not see coming.

Well written and fascinating characters in a richly built fantasy setting full of political intrigue and some killer twists and turns. Highly recommend for those who love a good high fantasy with strong women and powerful villains.

I loved reading this character-driven fantasy book! So excited for the next book! K.S. Villoso is now one of my must-read authors!

I’m the kind of reader who prefers a character driven book over a plot driven one, and I’d much rather an interesting main character than a likeable one. The Wolf of Oren-Yaro definitely delivered this for me. I love reading and spending time with flawed characters, noble and good characters are too often boring and bland, but Queen Talyien is anything but.

Fantasy is a genre that loves a story about a Queen. Queens that fight, queens that are masters of manipulations using their husbands to get what they want and Queens of startling beauty that wars are fought over. Today, we are going to talk about the Bitch Queen.

I don't think I have devoured a dense fantasy book this fast in a while. I honestly tore through this incredible story in two days and enjoyed it immensely. Taking place in a Asian/Eastern inspired world with questionable characters mixed with elements of grimdark fantasy throughout I just couldn't put the book out of my hands.

The characters stood out to me most of all and really left me unsure of who I could trust in the book. Taliyien (or Tali) is a ruthless woman who is willing to get her hands dirty and will have your head off for the sheer insubordinate of you looking at her wrong. The only other queen of her like I have come across is that of Cersei Lannister but that is even a weak comparison. Tali is far stronger, way more compelling and will really keep any reader guessing as to her true feelings or intentions with anyone around her. That being said she does have some very emotional moments that are very tender and really flesh her out further than most monarchs we are used to seeing in fantasy stories.

There are many other memorable characters, particularly Khine and Agos. I'm not sure why Ago is more memorable than any one else but I really enjoyed his total dedication to Tali while Agos being totally as bloodthirsty and battle ready as she is. I really liked that part of his personality and how there was this one guy always rooting for her at least. Khine is just too good for this world and I mean THIS world in the book.

One part that I did struggle with here in the book was the world building. I felt it lacked a little in places since this world is massive and there are so many different tribes with varied histories. Also every tribe has a unique interaction with each other depending on that history. We did get some fascinating information on both the Oren-Yaro as well as the Ikessar. Since I am reviewing this a s a digital NetGalley copy I am not totally sure if there was a map in the final copy but I think that would have helped me a bit more too.

Besides Tali and her wonderfully woven characters I honestly couldn't fault the pacing or the structure of this story. There are flashbacks scattered throughout the book which can be done to death but the author has managed to put them into the story in a way that doesn't break your immersion at all. If anything they add to the plot and the ongoing complexity of Tali as our POV. Also for a story like this to be in first person and manage to keep secrets from the reader is a huge feat.

Definitely would recommend this for fans of either Robin Hobb or a Song of Ice and Fire. Also a great book that would work as an entry point to grimdark since this isn't distinctly part of the genre but would definitely feature some key elements of the plots typically associated with it. There is a lot of blood basically and I loved it. The next book in the series can't come sooner!

Thank you to NetGalley, Nazia and Orbit Books for an EArc of this book in exchange for review! The Wold of Oren Yaro is out now.

I saw quite a few people talking about The Wolf of Oren-Yaro which encouraged me to read it sooner rather than later. I ended up really enjoying the book – it took turns I didn’t expect, and it sets up a world that you want to explore more. I feel like I was expecting a more Girl King vibe, but the only similarity was the female leader.

Talyien was a great character in that she was strong but could still let her guard down when needed. Whilst she’s built her tough queen persona to survive her world in Jin-Sayeng, we as readers see a lot more of her and we understand her actions a lot easier. The book itself is very character focused and Talyien is the driver.

We find out that whilst Talyien has been prepped to rule from a young age, she’s still extremely naïve and this is even more so after she travels to Ziri-nar-Orxiar. She’s a mother and a wife (although estranged) and these aspects of herself push her decisions. Whilst throughout the book she often makes poor judgement, these decisions are understandable because of the amount of work put into her backstory. Villoso really knows how to get into her characters heads.

We’re mostly in one region, which isn’t Talyien’s home region for this book – so you do get a sense of exploration as we uncover the different cities we visit within Ziri-nar-Orxiar. Through Talyien’s eyes we get to see the differences between this place and her home. The world itself seems very Asian inspired, with Villoso being Filipino herself. The rice fields, outfits and small details all point to the author pulling from her home.

After the initial set up and arrival, the plot picks up the pace. With assassinations aplenty, daring escapes and uncovering mysteries the book is full of action. Alongside the action we see character development for both Talyien and the secondary characters – as well as uncovering information about her estranged husband, ex-best friend, new friend, and her guards.

Talyien has multiple relationships which are explored throughout the book. Each person seems to have a backstory with her, and so the relationships are built on this. This allows for a lot of depth, which is explored in different ways. We also meet Khine who we watch Talyien form a relationship with based on her true self rather than that of a queen – this is emphasised with the lack of relationship to her own cousin because of her title.

I did not realise this book would be a trilogy when reading it and was quite distraught at the end as there’s obviously some things left to deal with. I’m very excited to get my hands on the next one!

Positives of
Character and relationship depth
World building

I truly loved this book ! I was hooked from page 1 and i can't wait to read the next books. It was a real surprise as i didn't think i'd love it as much as i did !

What a great start for a new to me fantasy series.
It's well written, the world building is amazing, the plot is not fast paced but keeps you hooked as you want to know what will be next.
I love Far East setting in a fantasy novel and this one was new and vivid.
The cast of characters is well thought and intriguing.
It's an engrossing and entertaining dark and gritty novel.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc, all opinions are mine.

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by KS Villoso is a stunning debut about a conflict-ridden empire built on Asian cultural folklores (mainly Filipino) featuring an absolute badass leading lady known as the Bitch Queen who is ready to die and kill equally, to protect her duty, honour and love.

This book is one of the self-published success stories, that got picked up by Orbit and re-released into the larger world ( to the absolute delight of readers like me!) - the paperback version just released last week and I happened to get an ARC for the same, a while back. Had been seeing glowing reviews of this character-driven epic fantasy all over the my feeds and I knew, I had to check this out. Having sat through yesterday night, feverishly turning the pages like mad at two thirty am yesterday night to reach the end, I can vouch for the fact that you haven't read anything like this, in a while among the whole epic fantasy stories or narratives.

Initially and even till the point of three-fourths of the novel, I was actually frustrated by this narrative. Villoso chooses to hold back her hand and we are hit time and again by layers of intrigue, backstabbing, hidden conspiracies and surprise revelations about Queen Talyien's mission. Truth is a nymph we never really track down, till the end of the book and I realise now that my enjoyment of this twisted tour-de-force of a narrative, solely focused on Tali's character transformation and growth actually blindsides us to the larger forces at play within the Empire.

Queen Talyien is on a mission to unite her war-torn kingdom, by holding true to her father's ambition of unifying two bickering tribes - the Wolves of Oren-Yaro and the scholastic but highly ambitious clan of Ikkessaris. She was betrothed from her childhood to Rayyel, the heir to the Ikkessaris and their union would mean, a Dragonlord would yet again rule, from the folds of Oren-Yaro. But the plans get thwarted as Rayyel walks out on their wedding after three years, perhaps in a strategic move right on the eve of their royal ascension to the joint throne. Tali is not deterred and it has been five years now when she's been ruling as the sole Dragonlord. Obviously, things have not been a cakewalk. The war-lords are still baying for blood. And no one wants to submit to a queen.

But the complications deepen - as Tali has now received a summons from her estranged-husband Rayyel demanding that they meet up in a neighbouring city to discuss the future. Tali cannot resist and with some very pertinent questions on her mind about their relationship, their son and their kingdom and promises in tatters, she heads right into a nest of vipers. What happens next is a rollercoaster ride as Talyien flees for her life, hunted at every turn by shadowy assassins, magical beings, fiery dragons, demon-crazed suitors for her hand and lots more. She doesn't trust anyone and her misgivings about human beings in general is only validated by the rough treatment meted out to her, by greedy merchants or power-crazy aristocrats.

The world of Jin-Sayieng and even the larger Kingdom is an incredibly lived in, fleshed out world borrowing themes for various asian cultures and predominantly from Villoso's own Filipino folklores. We get to see the nuances in the many cities that the author drags her lead character through - the street food ( yum!!), the rich dresses, the social hierarchies and the historical backstories to the various clans. All them organically woven into the overall story-telling process but nicely detailed out so to stick in your memory. And yet, with this just being an opening salvo in the Annals of the Bitch Queen and generous hints about the magical forces at large (agan!) or the mutant creatures and the menace of the fiery dragons in the west, we only know it is going to be bigger and better.

Tali is an absolutely bewitching character - with her fiercely independent nature, strong ideals and a mental toughness borne out of a life of hardship. And yet, with the first person narrative, it is easy to get inside the cracks of her tough exterior, moments of extreme vulnerability that puts her in absolute contradiction to her image, that of a 'bitch queen.' Indeed, there are many shocking moments when Talyien the Queen needs to tighten up her girdle and dole out punishments and she does this without blinking her eye. Death to the traitors. Punishing the disobedient soldiers. Or steeling herself against her own husband, if he doesn't hold up her version of the ideals. But the story is Tali's own, her struggles, her redemption, her mistakes and her lessons learnt in blood. Supporting her are quite a few secondary characters - like Khine, an ordinary citizen who dropped out of his medical studies and becomes quite the most enjoyable character whenever he comes on. Or Agos, the soldier and ex-captain of Tali's bodyboard who grew up with her from childhood days. There is also Prince Yuebek, the fifth son of the Emperor who makes his appearance quite late in the book but definitely leaves a mark. But perhaps the most intriguing of all, is Rayyel - Tali's husband, the leader of the opposing Ikkessari clan, a reclusive scholar with his own vested interests and intentions in this whole power play. Queen Talyien's relationship with him is complicated and is perhaps, the most interesting puzzle to be teased out of the entire first book. And Villoso gives us enough hints to know, that they aren't done, by quite a far margin.

The narrative unfolds like a slow-burn, a jigsaw puzzle with many pieces missing, slowly falling into piece even as Talyien along with her new found allies flees from one danger to the other, all the while unspooling a chain of events from her past. The fateful night when Rayyel walked away from the crowning ceremony, what led up to that moment. It's frustrating and exciting in equal measure and my only advise would be to stick with it - because once the reveals start stacking up, the pace picks up and it's a whirlwind of action and suspense, balanced on a knife's edge. If you are expecting a courtroom intrigue, then boy, are you in for a surprise. Because Villoso drags you out in the dead of the night from inside the warm palace, out into the cold countryside with the pouring rain and dangerous bandit-ridden tropical jungles. It's a wild heady ride, from there. One that dips down and threatens to throw you off the back but trust me, just hang in there.

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is a great start to an Asian-inspired character-driven epic fantasy tale that subverts your expectation time and again, all in a good way. Cannot wait for the next instalment of this hard-hitting adventure that is a great shiny example of an intimately personal narrative weaved right in the middle of much larger conspiracy that would set kingdoms clashing and empires crumbling down. Kudos!

I had been hearing about The Wolf of Oren-yaro for ages thanks to the wonderful folks at The Fantasy Inn, so this book was high on my list of most anticipated reads for 2020. My expectations for this book were sky high, and they were absolutely met. Combining a grim story with high stakes, political intrigue, a healthy dose of deception and betrayal, and a dash of amazing humour, The Wolf of Oren-yaro is likely to make my all-time favourite fantasy list.

I will admit that I found this book a little slow to start. There’s a huge amount of background information that needed to be established before the plot could really kick into gear. I picked up and put down The Wolf of Oren-Yaro a few times before it finally stuck, but I was totally absorbed once it clicked with my brain.  I adored the world, the clashing cultures, the food and clothes, and the intricate politics Villoso injects into her novel. She does such a fantastic job of seamlessly weaving these elements, as well as all of the history and political machinations, into the story and you don’t feel like you’re being overloaded with information. At times it truly feels like you could be reading historical fiction.

This book really shines with its incredible characters. Talyien -- our only POV character -- is a wonderfully complex woman. She’s one of those ‘difficult women’ that I think will either really appeal with readers or just wont be for everyone. I personally love an anti-heroine and Talyien is basically my perfect fantasy character. She’s incredibly prickly, proud, often short-sighted, and full of rage, but she has a deep compassion for her family and her people. She’s also a mother, which I completely adore because you just don’t see mothers as heroines in fantasy enough (mothers in fantasy are either uptight matrons ruining everyone's fun, so far in the background that they're basically non-existent, or dead). Her role as a mother and her affection for her son and family adds such a wonderful layer to her character that helps create a fantastic balance between the ‘Bitch Queen’ that others see her as and the woman she is in reality.

There are a host of wonderful secondary characters in this book as well, most notably Khine, who I suspect will be a fan favouite (and is a Justine favourite too!). I adored the lovable con artist and his humour and character balanced Talyien out so well -- he made her feel human. I don’t want to say too much about him or other characters from the book, but there’s a whole host of well fleshed out, multidimensional secondary characters who are just wonderful to read about and fill out the story so well.

In case you can’t tell, I adored The Wolf of Oren-yaro. A fantastic and fast-paced fantasy novel, it will sink its hooks into you. I absolutely cannot wait to read the rest of the trilogy!

CW: forced prostitution, captivity

4.5 out of 5 stars

This was an amazing, dark and gritty fantasy set in an Asian-inspired world. The author is definitely not afraid of gore, and we are not shielded from the violence in any way (which is something I enjoyed!). The fight scenes were really vivid and intense and it felt like I was actually watching some of the scenes on screen.

The main character, Talyien grew so much throughout the story. She began as a stubborn, but slightly ignorant and naïve queen who paid little attention to the feelings of others. Her main concern is her son, her husband who left five years ago and the warring clans in her kingdom. The side characters in this book were phenomenal, my favourite being Khine. He provided the perfect amount of witty humour and it was heart-warming to see his friendship with Tali develop.

I was also really impressed by the world-building. The food in here was so well described, with elements taken from the real world to make it familiar. When Tali is journeying throughout the kingdom, I could really feel a sense of each of the different places. The book is packed with fast-paced action that had my heart beating rapidly! I also really enjoyed the political aspects. It was interesting to see how people in power viewed themselves and their kingdom compared to the lower class citizens living within.

The author slowly feeds you small bits of information, and I found myself needing to read on because I was so desperate to know what was going to happen next. There are so many plot twists, and the author does a really good job of making you believe something, and then revealing a different truth later on.

Overall, this is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read! Packed with fast-paced action, wholesome and well fleshed out characters and political intrigue, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro kept me on my toes and I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait for the next one!

Fantasy loves a monarch – good or bad. Possibly this is because we like to see what someone with absolute power can do; working out the balance between great responsibility and power aren’t just for mutated web slingers. The reader wants to see the monarch in a situation where they are put to the test. Unusually to save the kingdom but in K S Villoso’s inventive debut we get an injured monarch placed in a strange city with no power; without anyone to command on a mission to save both themselves and their kingdom.

This story takes place in a Filipino inspired world where Queen Talyien rules the kingdom of Jen-Syeng. She is the daughter of a notorious Oren-yaro warlord who brought the kingdom into conflict who perceived Talyien as part of the next step for peace through an arranged marriage with the Prince Rayyel of the rival Ikessar faction. Unfortunately the night before the wedding and coronation Rayyel left the kingdom; the popular view was generally that this was felt to be the fault of Talyien who was left to grow up their son and try to keep the kingdom together. But after five years silence Rayyel suddenly requests a meeting across the sea. Despite her advisor’s warnings the Queen charters a small ship and group of soliders to the allegedly more civilised city of Anzhou part of the mighty Zarojo Empire. At a secret meeting the two spouses meet and are promptly attacked by assassins – Talyien is left badly injured on a pouring wet night in a foreign city with her small forces either dead or missing; now on her own trying to survive and Anzhou city is not a place for the weak.

Here we have a very unusual episodic fantasy tale. Less the standard epic tale of kingdoms being immediately under threat but more (in this instalment of the story at least) a tale of survival in a foreign city. The plot is very episodic and focuses on Talyien’s experiences and adventures as she struggles to survive. It is effectively tales of one smart and often deadly monarch versus criminals, gangs and mysterious assassins. I found this very refreshing compared to some sprawling epics of various factions fighting in the king’s court and it definitely reminded me of some Asian dramas in it’s episodic approach to story-telling. Slowly these initially single story threads all come together and by the end it’s a very well crafted narrative heading the series for what would definitely point towards some epic confrontations.

A key feature for me in the success of the story was Talyien herself. The story is told in first-person and she’s a fascinatingly complex character. Externally Talyien especially to the other warlords and other empires is viewed with suspicion and a little fear. The Oren-yaro have a reputation for violence and bloodshed (which her father more than lived up to) and for those in Anzhou City she gets viewed as uncivilised and primitive. Whereas we get her own point of view which shows a sharp contrast with her internal monologue. Talyien is actually very focused on protecting her kingdom and family – she takes her responsibility of being Queen seriously and often means she puts herself in an awkward situation hence her constant need to try and meet Rayyel and sometimes she is so focused on this she makes riskier decisions. Once she is isolated though in some ways she gets freedom to do what she wants. There is a interesting culture clash as Talyien starts to see that underneath the glamour of Anzhou is a ruthless world of people who will happily prey on those viewed less powerful. Poverty, ruthless executions and oppression is commonplace just done with a veneer of wealth. The leaders she encounters don’t have the same sense of duty or honour and the reader may think the Wolf of Oren-Yaro may not be too bad but on occasion you can see the teeth and claws used to ruthless effect. One other main character I loved to watch develop is the alledgedly amoral conman Khine who Talyien starts to rely on and their relationship and banter plus occasional moments of possible betrayal really add a lot of heart to the story.

I also loved the way the story has a great way of weaving backstory into the tale through flashbacks. Rather than pure info dumps we get Talyien’s younger days where we see earlier versions of the characters and start to understand the political dynamics of the world plus a realisation that Talyien was not quite the ruthless queen some believed.

This was a hugely enjoyable and refreshing fantasy tale with just a few hints of a bigger and potentially more magical world to come. I loved exploring the world and trying to work out the connections between the characters and the real truth. If you’re looking for a new inventive voice in fantasy then this is a tale you should be picking up. I’m very much looking forward (possibly with hand over one eye) to what the Bitch Queen does next.

https://lynns-books.com/2020/02/17/the-wolf-of-oren-yaro-chronicles-of-the-bitch-queen-1-by-k-s-villoso/
4 of 5 stars
I have to hand it to KS Villoso for running me through the gamut of emotions reading the first in her Bitch Queen series. Was I sometimes confused by this tough leading lady – oh yes. Did she sometimes make me want to shake her, indeed she did. Did she repeatedly get herself into a pickle of a situation where I couldn’t see any possible solution, why yes, yes she did. Did I really think she was a bitch – truthfully, no – I’ll elaborate don’t worry. Has she wormed her way into my affections – damn it all, yes. Do I want to run around stabbing and strangling people who get in her way or betray her – yes, and probably also no, because I’m a raging softie. Drat it this is an addictive book, completely not what I was expecting in a lot of respects but, because of that, better than I hoped and a great start to series. I’m not saying I didn’t have any little issues along the way, because I did, but the twists and reveals during the final chapters are like little light bulbs being turned on consecutively in a dark tunnel – they line up and shine some much needed light in places of need, they provide a focus and also a way of looking back and seeing things differently.

Okay, this review is not going to be about plot. Know this though, this isn’t all about war and battles. It’s not about tens of thousands of soldiers marching upon a city and ravaging the land as they forge ahead. Also, it’s not overloaded with magic and fantasy although there are mages and dragons – just that they’re kept low key and I suspect they’re being held in abeyance to spring on us as the story progresses. This is much more of a character driven story that uses subtle politics and scheming to great effect. More than that it’s about the main character in particular and her own personal journey to enlightenment.

Queen Talyien may not have been a particularly spoiled or pampered Princess and being the daughter of a ruthless slayer certainly gave her a reputation to live up to, but she is without doubt still suffering from certain delusions or at the very least wearing her rose tinted glasses firmly strapped to her noggin. And it’s this that the story really focuses on – or at least that’s what I took from it. It’s about stripping away everything, not just physically although that certainly helps. Here is a Queen so desperately hoping for things to work out that she’s started thinking that hopes and wishes will create rainbows and stardust and quite simply – they don’t.

Tali (as she is known by some) finds herself travelling to distant shores and within short shrift being betrayed in such a way that she is alone on the mean streets, without friends, advisors, money or means of protecting herself. Let’s be honest, you can’t run around blurting out that you’re a Queen when you find yourself in the rougher quarters of town – at best people would think you were delusional, at worst, well, bad things would happen. More than that though, this is a discovery about who Tali really is. She’s not a totally happy bunny for a large portion of the story and it takes a while as a reader to discover why that’s the case, and during that time she can come across a little bit sorry for herself. But, she’s been raised with certain expectations and she is clearly determined to do the right thing for her people and country.

I mentioned above that I didn’t really think of Tali as a bitch. Seriously, I’m not saying that she’s an angel, she can be a bit stabby, her actions at the start of the story clearly drove her husband to abandon her and their child and yet she still takes up the throne alone, but, with that particular title I expected a lot more harshness from her. In fact to be frank, I found her to be a lot more reasonable and restrained in some of the situations she found herself in and also, she definitely has a certain honesty and forthrightness that I wouldn’t associate with a bitchy person. I certainly couldn’t understand the devotion she seemed to have for her husband, especially as things came to light along the way. He wasn’t exactly faithful and lets just call a spade a spade here – he was something of a hypocrite, but I’ll leave that alone. What I think Villoso really excels at here though is the final stripping away of Tali’s romantic notions. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a romance, and yet, at the core of the story, the plot driver, is indeed the romantic longing of Tali’s to have her husband back. But, whilst tali’s heart pushes the plot forward this is without doubt a book about politics, the backstabbing-deal-making type of politics that has nothing to do with romantic notions and everything to do with power. An eye opener for Tali and the reader.

In terms of criticisms. I mentioned above that Tali can come across a little sorry for herself at times – just bear with her though, things are more convoluted than they first appear. I think my main two issues were. Firstly, I expected Tali to be a lot more forceful or commanding given her upbringing, but I guess she was being diplomatic in some of the situations she found herself in. Which brings me to my next point, a number of the difficulties Tali found herself in seemed to rely on the unexpected involvement or appearance of a certain other. This wasn’t really a problem as it was a character that I liked but I think I would have preferred it if Tali had had to rely on her own wits for some of the situations. The only other issue I had was the baddie. I won’t elaborate on who this might be but I must say he was a bit of a cookie cutout. He was all but wearing a swirling cape, twirling his mustache and laughing maniacally whilst tying some young woman to the train tracks. That being said – I still found his chapters highly compulsive so figure that one out. I’m clearly a sucker for over the top baddies who I can boo at from the safety of my comfy chair. It’s that whole ‘addictive’ thing rearing its head again.

In a nutshell (which I could have said approximately 900 words ago). I enjoyed this very much, in fact I couldn’t wait to pick it up again. It defied me at every turn. It didn’t give Tali any breaks or go down the conventional paths that I sometimes thought it might take. It has great world building, moments of lightness that stop it becoming too bleak and a winning focus on the main character who discovers things about herself at the same time as the reader. I can’t wait to read No.2.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

This book is.. something different. It is set after the relationship has begun, after They met, after the birth of the Son. In that moment where you think this may be happy every after. Spoiler time – this is not that book.
And oh boy am I glad for it.
We are thrown in the deep end with Talyien on the day of her coronation where her husband leaves her to become Dragonlord alone.

This is an epic fantasy with ties to a former series (I believe) and thought I like where this begun, and enjoyed the description of this fantasy world I wished for more (can you tell I am a world-building fan?) I wanted to know about the dragons they keep mentioning! I wanted to know more about the Oren-Yaro – about this people who adopted the name Wolves, who are so steeped in loyalty.

The story is rich in politics, in fast paced action and only fleeting feelings. Tali is strong and resourceful, and yet… also very hung up on her husband. I kept questioning why I wasn’t liking this book as much as I should ( I did enjoy it though) but it turns out its because I kept thinking Tali would be more ruthless. Or more grown up (I guess?) Throughout the book we are given tidbits of reasons for why Tali is the way she is, her relationship to her father, her upbringing, her relationship to her husband and to her clan. And though other character bore the brunt of Tali’s development (Khine – I LOVE KHINE!! AND HIS FAMILY) we don’t see much of a character ARC from the actual MC till the very end. If she is going to be soft hearted I want to know WHY!

This all makes it sound like I didnt like this book and I actually did. I just wished for a bit more murder and a bit more ‘I am Dragonlord off with their heads.’ (and when that did happen it was sort of for odd reasons??) The writing is spellbinding though and the over all plot is strong.

So all in all solid work on this book, it had elements that will definitely bring me back wanting more. (but only more of Tali if she stops being so mopey)