I had to DNF this book. I've read over a hundred pages of it and nothing interested me.

Writing style: The writing is pretty decent. I do think it has a lot of useless details in it and long paragraphs, but if you actually like this story you might love that the author gives more details.

Characters: Everyone was so annoying. Tali is supposed to be a bitch queen and I see no bitchiness whatsoever in the first 100 pages... She's naive and thinks everyone should listen to her and that she can solve everything with poisonous smiles and violence.

Story: This is supposed to be a political fantasy book with lots of intrigue... I don't see it. All I see is a worthless husband whining about his wife's life choices and trying to divide their country and a wife being stupid enough to even listen to him. I got as far as the assassination that is mentioned in the synopsis of this book... I've read nothing but things that have already been described in the synopsis in only a couple of sentences over the 100 plus pages that I've read...

What an utter waste of time. I'm DNFing this book and never looking at it again.

I really enjoyed this, I haven’t read anything before based on Filipino cultures or stories and I love the fact this felt so new and fresh, I love the inclusion which is long long overdue in fiction of stories outside the western standard and this is an amazing example of why we need it, it is fresh, original and untouched fantasy that I haven’t read the likes of in a long time. This is my first time reading this author but I’ll defend be looking to future works

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

For the last couple of years I've been a little burned out on the fantasy genre. The market was over-saturated with fantasy novels, producing a never ending stream of books that after awhile began to feel really similar. However, when I saw the synopsis for The Wolf of Oren-Yaro, I knew that this book would be different. And I was right.

Right from the beginning you're drawn into this mysterious world full of intrigue, action, and twists. The world building was phenomenal and may be the first fantasy novel I've read with such strong Asian themes. It made for an interesting backdrop for the political scheming and action, not to mention the magic brimming just below the world's surface.

Just when you think you know what's going on with this book, a turn comes completely out of left field to throw the story upside down, taking our characters on an even more thrilling quest. As for the characters, they were all so compelling, even the ones with darker motivations. Queen Tali was hard to like at first, but soon you began to understand why she was the way she was and you end up really pulling for her during her seemingly never-ending plight. The only character I didn't like was her petulant husband, but without his ridiculous behavior you wouldn't have as much of her story. So unfortunately, that muppet was completely necessary.

One thing that kept irking me was that despite how awful and dire her situation became, Tali was able to have just enough luck to get out of each scrape (before immediately being plunged into the next one). It seemed a little *too* lucky but then I realized that maybe that's the point- that maybe because she is the true heir to the throne, the one who should be there, the universe kept doing what it could to keep her alive and pushing forward.

The story was very fast paced from the get-go, but the last third of it was utterly heart-pounding. I found myself unable to put the book down until I'd reached the final page. And now I want more! I can't wait for the sequel because I have to know what happens next in the Bitch Queen's battle for her throne and her family.

If you like your fantasy with a bit of action and political intrigue, with a few bandits and dragons thrown in for good measure, then this is the book for you. Women are utterly slaying the sci-fi and fantasy genre these days and K.S. Villoso is an incredible addition. Hers is a voice I absolutely cannot wait to hear more from.

Full review to come on my blog!

--Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.--
Oh Tali, you stole my heart. It is rare enough that dark, epic fantasy is fronted by women, much less by women plagued by emotions, scruples and complex ambitions and intentions. While she is a queen, she is not interested in the amenities and pretentions that come with the throne, but rather in the work needed to unite her people and protect her family. She is clever, fierce and vulnerable. Accompanied by an equally colourful cast of complex side characters, she is faced with adversity throughout the story, which ends on a massive cliffhanger. My e-ARC has an author interview at the end, so I was very surprised when it ended earlier than expected! And now the waiting for the sequel begins...
Its rich, South East Asian inspired setting provided a welcome change to the sci-fi and western-centric fantasy I've been reading. It is fantastic to read a story inspired by a set of myths and legends that I am entirely unfamiliar with, and I would love to learn more about Filipino mythology. I am very curious to see how this continues to develop over the course of the series, and what will be revealed about the world's background. Books like The Wolf of Oren-Yaro highlight both the need and the desire for stories depicting cultures outside of the classic western tradition of fantasy, and the own-voices approach to these stories give them such amazing depth and life.

I love nothing better than to sit down and read a good Fantasy story ……………… and this book did not disappoint .

Queen Talyien is the ruler of a broken Kingdom ……………. her marriage meant to unify her kingdom , a symbol of peace , is shattered when her husband leaves her the night before her coronation .
Seen as the Bitch Queen , her clan and father a symbol of cruelty and violence , Talyien will do anything to provide peace and prosperity for her people .
Summoned to a meeting , across the seas, that might just provide that peace , she is determined to attend , especially if war can be avoided .
But assassination attempts en-route leave her stranded in unknown territory , who can she trust ?
She must encompass the nature that her people believe she has and become the Wolf , The Wolf of Oren-Yaro ………………. can she survive , can she return to her son and provide her people with the peace they crave ?
The odds are against her ………….. but she will survive and overcome any obstacle set in her way .

This is a fantastic book , full of brilliant characters with great worldbuilding .
A must read for lovers of fantasy …………….. I will certainly be looking for other books that this Author might have written , given the high standard of this one .

I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is a high fantasy novel like none other I have read. Before this I had yet to come across a novel inspired by Filipino mythology so the Wolf of Oren-Yaro was a welcome surprise. Queen Talyein is the heroine and the novel is told from her POV. She was a refreshingly real heroine who made maddening and frustrating decision throughout the novel. The novel begins with Talyein trying to make peace with her estranged husband but it is not until towards the end of the novel that we learn the reasons behind the estrangement. I really did enjoy the novel and the author writes descriptive prose especially well - her descriptions of food were particularly enticing. I look forward to reading the next installment in the series

The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro, by K.S. Villoso is an amazing debut fantasy filled to the brim with action, wit and unexpected twists!

Synopsis: They call Talyien the Bitch-Queen, the she-wolf, the woman who killed a man and drove away her husband the night before she was crowned is hated by her subjects. She was a symbol of peace, her marriage a symbol of unity and hope, until her husband left her.

Now she is the ruler of a broken kingdom, a woman overshadowed by her fathers violence and the supposed violent nature of her clan. So when a letter arrives summoning her across the sea to a meeting that could restore peace, Talyien is determined to go – especially if it means she can avoid another war.

But her hopes of peace are quickly shattered when an assassination attempt occurs leaving her running for her life, stranded in unknown territories, and with no-one to trust. Talyien must become the Wolf her people believe her to be if she wants to make it out alive, but can she survive when no-one seems to be on her side? Can she restore peace and make it home to her son?

All Talyien knows is she is a wolf, and “A Wolf Of Oren-Yaro Is Not Tamed.”

— Incredibly Rich And Descriptive —
Writing Style And Narrative. K.S Villoso’s writing style is incredibly rich and descriptive meaning it is undoubtedly immersive and I was hooked right from the start. I was actually suprised at how immersive the writing was because it is written in the first person narrative style, normally I prefer my fantasy to be in third person but the author’s writing is so fantastic that I was drawn in anyway. Villoso’s writing is beautifully vivid, the senses are used effectively and the detail is stunning, so much so that you feel like you are in this world.

The first person narrative was a brilliant choice for this particular fantasy because we see the world from Talyien’s perspective and we see her thoughts, the reason it worked so well was because Talyien’s character was fascinating. Her perspective is limiting, we don’t know who she can trust or why this is all happening, but that only adds to the tension of the story and keeps you intrigued.

The tension and pace is also maintained through this perspective because we get little snippets into the past, the story alternates between the present and Talyien’s past leading up to her being crowned. We see these past events from her perspective and can slowly try to piece together the story – it adds more mystery to the novel and allows for us to form an opinion of Rayyel, and the relationship between the two, even if it may be a biased one.

Villoso is an extraordinary storyteller who manages to keep you immersed and intrigued despite the heavily political element of the story. The world and the characters are so complex and rich, and her descriptions perfectly portray this – I adored the writing style used and the first person narrative was done phenomenally well.

— Full Of Surprises And Shocking Twists —
Plot/Story. So, the story is a character driven one, there is a plot but it relies heavily on how the characters behave, and is focused around the relationship between Talyien and Rayyel. The story is well paced and has a lot of action but, despite her violent reputation, Talyien is rarely the instigator nor the reason for the events, in fact things just happen to her. This, however, doesn’t come off as passive, instead it makes you more interested as to why this is all happening and makes the twists and reveals more impactful and shocking.

The plot is focused around Talyien trying to come to peaceful terms with her husband, and hopefully she can bring him home to their son. Peace is important to Tali because, despite her title of “Bitch-Queen” she doesn’t want another war as it would be too damaging and she (as well as her marriage) was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity as the two are from warring clans. This, however, leads her to make some incredibly questionable decisions which leave her vulnerable and at a disadvantage. An assassination attempt occurs early on and Talyien finds herself alone without anyone to trust and the action only gets better from here.

It is a well paced novel, there is a good balance between the action of the story and the politics that are imbued within it. Being a story about a kingdom trying to survive after a war, politics is crucial to the story and to Tali and Rai’s relationship. But, the politics is not boring, there is a lot of information given to you throughout the story but not through ‘info-dumping’ it usually occurs through conversation very organically and is incredibly interesting. This, however, means that this book is likely to be more suited to avid fantasy lovers and high-fantasy adorers – which is perfect for me!

The concept for this story is incredibly unique and the story is full of surprises and shocking twists! This story is unpredictable and I was caught off guard multiple times, it is very cleverly told and you never know who you can trust. I spent the entire time while reading distrusting EVERYBODY, even the sweetest characters I was eyeing suspiciously because in this book anything can happen and anyone can be evil – never have I been so suspicious of an entire cast of characters. It was brilliant!

— Comlpex, Realistic And Dynamic —
Characters. Villoso’s characters are remarkable. They are comlpex, realistic and dynamic, and I loved reading about them. Each of the characters created are incredibly strong and evoke specific emotions from you, this makes it much more difficult to figure out who is actually trustworthy and adds an interesting layer of suspicion and mystery to the book. The characters are also very diverse, they come from different parts of their world, have different clans, and different views of each other – this, however, is not the stereotypical ‘this clan/race is inherently violent’. While some are seen as being so, the characters actually prove this to be untrue and a harmful stereotype, this is most prevalent with Tali herself and the book deals well with how preconceptions can be damaging.

Queen Talyien (Tali): Tali is a phenomenal character and is by far one of the most complex female leads I have ever read about. She is the “Bitch Queen” in many ways, she is sarcastic, witty, and can be cruel but she is also nervous, unsure of herself and lonely. Tali is a struggling Queen, everything she does is judged harshly because of her fathers reputation and because of her husbands absence. Despite this she is a strong person who ruled alone for 5 years and is determined to do whatever it takes to create peace despite everyone telling her she should go to war. She is an admirable character in this regard and yet she is also incredibly frustrating because of this. Her drive and determination paired with her nervous nature results in some poor decision making that will have you screaming at the book. But, it makes sense.

As the past is revealed and her personality becomes more apparent, the decisions she makes are understandable, at least by the end of the novel. There is so much to this character that I can only imagine how amazing the rest of this series will be. Tali is clever, she can fight, she can be cruel. But, she is sweet, kind and withdrawn too. She is both a fighter unafraid to get her hands dirty, but also feminine with a soft heart that is hopeful – We need more characters like this who are complex and dynamic and strong. I hope to see Tali grow more confident and sure of herself as the series goes on, she is full of potential!

Khine: The sweetheart of the novel and yet YOU CAN’T TRUST HIM because Villoso has done such an amazing job at destroying the trust you may have in any character. But, Khine is a fantastic character. Khine is a con-man, though clever enough not to be he has little choice and he has his own set of morals to justify this. He is incredibly loyal, helpful and likable, he is witty and clever but has difficulty with letting people go – he goes out of his way to be helpful. I loved this character, he is just as complex as the others with a lot to his personality (though I cannot say too much because spoilers!)

But his companionship/friendship with Tali is fantastic, they have hilarious conversations full of witty sarcasm and have to rely on each other despite not knowing if they can trust each other. I loved this and thought it was done very well. He wa definitely one of my favourite characters (alongside Tali) because his personality radiates through the pages.

Rayyel (Rai): So, Rai, the absent husband of Tali is largely absent throughout the book, but he does appear in some significant scenes and in Tali’s past narratives. Rai is clever, not really a fighter and is a walking encyclopedia. But, he appears to have little regard for the feelings of others, particularly Tali, and is not all that likable. However, Tali consistently describes him positively despite this so we get a very biased view of him and it doesn’t quite make sense until the end of the book – this was not an issue though, in fact it just added to the mystery of why he left and made the ending more shocking. He is an interesting character, not likable and yet you want to see more of him and know more about him.

Yuebek: … This man is the creepiest character in the book and is completely and utterly vile. There are a lot of ‘villains’/bad-guys in this book, all of which are very interesting and personally I love a good villain, redeemable or not they are interesting characters. But, this is a villain that just unsettled me to my core and it was brilliant! I hated this character which is why he was a fantastic bad-guy but I will say no more about him, he is for you to discover.

There are so many more characters who are equally interesting and complex, but you will have to discover them for yourself!

Overall. Villosos has undoubtedly created an amazing story, the extensive world building, the unique concept and the intersting multi-dimensional characters combine to create a stand-out fantasy that is phenomenal in so many ways. I will definitely be continuing this series because there is so much potential for it. The shocking twists, revelas and turns this book takes serves only to inspire my interest of how this will play out further on into the series. Villoso is definitely an author to keep an eye on.

If you love high-fantasy, back-stabbing politics, untrustworthy characters and a dynamically snarky “Bitch Queen” then this book is definitely for you.

*I received an eARC of #TheWolfOfOrenYaro, by #KSVilloso from #Netgalley @Orbitbooks @LittleBrownUK in exchange for an honest review* Posted to twitter/goodreads/my blog (links included)

First of all the cover is gorgeous. I loved everything about this book. This book has amazingly rich world building and badass main character. I couldn't put the book down. This book definitely needs more hype and i can't wait to read next books. Highly recommended !

Easily one of the best books I've read. Thick with brilliant world-building and history. An intriguing and no-bullshit protagonist. A wonderful cast of side characters and incredibly compelling plot!

Video review to come

I enjoyed this more than I was expecting. The way the blurb was phrased, I was expecting angry women taking revenge and killing indiscriminately. Not my sort of thing, but I've seen a lot of people talk about it and decided that the best thing to do was try it out myself rather than make a judgement without reading.

There's a lot more intrigue than I was expecting - even is Tali spends her entire time wishing she could kill everyone and be done with it. It's also her default reaction. However, there are webs of alliances and schemes around her, meaning that it's impossible to work out who is trustworthy. Which ones genuinely want to help her and which ones are lying through their teeth? Particularly in the second half when she has assembled four people to help her, I still wasn't sure which were truly loyal. This added a layer of tension to the book, and made me want to uncover the answers, so I kept reading.

However, there were a lot of flashbacks. She'd be walking down a street, and it would remind her of her husband, and then there'd be chapter of memories. It really pulled the pace back at these points. Oh no, she's escaping onto the streets and who knows who's out to kill her? Let's flashback to the past for a chapter. I would have preferred for the information to have been presented in a different way, rather that constantly interrupting the flow.

One small thing that bothered me was, while this book is clearly feminist and never suggests that a woman can't do something, it doesn't ever acknowledge the double standards placed on men and women - particularly about their sexual promiscuity. particularly when it's revealed to be an important plot point.

Even in the final confrontation between Tali and Rai, when this comes up, Tali never once calls it out and it's never presented as the author as a thing that's happen. The book simply accepts - to a point that it felt as if endorsing - the double standard. I was waiting the entire argument for Tali to point it out, but she never did and it infuriated me. She was being accused of exactly the same thing that he had done - and he was blaming the whole mess on her. And she seemed to be accepting the blame for it?


Review will go live on my blog on the 24th January

Review will be published on Goodreads Feb 1

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is, at its heart, a conversation between the political and the personal. How much is Queen Talyien the heartless 'Bitch Queen' she feels she must be to rule her divided nation? How much to her own mistakes, and the mistakes of her family, dictate her leadership? And what is the difference, if any, between Talyien's body and the country of Jinsein? If this sounds a bit too heavy for you, don't worry- this is also an extremely readable adventure that zips from one well-drawn city to another and has some *very* satisfying fight scenes.

However, Villoso never sacrifices plot to the action. Talyien is not simply a one note, sword wielding badass (although she does have a sword and she IS ailing and able to use it). She's a complicated woman she's lived a life before we meet her, and has had to make decisions to protect her son and her people that doesn't always rest easily on her mind. The way this is drawn out through the plot and, specifically, her interactions with con man Khine, make The Wolf of Oren-Yaro a compelling read that I've been thinking about ever since I put it down.

Highly recommended.

Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K. S. Villoso

Look, I don’t want to be all hipster about it, but I first read The Wolf of Oren-Yaro in July 2018. Having read one of the author’s earlier fantasies in the same world, I was excited about Wolf since I first read the blurb - actually, now that I think about it, the titles of the book and series were probably enough!

Anyway, my enthusiasm was not misdirected, because the book proved to be one of the strongest self-published titles I’d read. A bit rough around the edges, perhaps, but - like the best self-pub titles often are - full of refreshing novelty, new perspectives, and rewarding risks. As a result, I was more thrilled than surprised that it got picked up by traditional publishing - and is now finally getting its second debut.

I was doubly thrilled to get my hands on an ARC and revisit the story - and curious to see what had changed.

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is about the titular Bitch Queen, Talyien, the Dragonlord of Jin-Sayeng - wife to an estranged husband, father to a disputed child, and queen to a divided people. These problems are all interconnected: in order to keep her country unified and protect the legacy for her son, she is desperate to reconcile with the man who walked out on her the day they were to be crowned.

Within limits, of course. She’s not called “wolf” and “bitch queen” for nothing, and her resolve, stubbornness, and resourcefulness make her a compelling and captivating central character. These traits are also what must win her the devotion and admiration of her few loyal followers - who she doesn’t always treat that well, if we’re honest. Tali is neither your naive-yet-gifted farmgirl, the infallibly badass “strong female” fighter, nor the devoted-and-devious mother (with an child-shaped Achilles heel) - she’s a much more three-dimensional and realistic protagonist, with elements of all three.

While this is her story - her book, her series - and she’s more than strong enough to hold it together, there’s even more that makes this book stand out. There’s a great supporting cast, each with their own motivations and histories - there are no passengers among them, no matter how briefly they cross her path. There’s an intricate plot of political machinations that I probably didn’t fully follow the first time, but that reflects the author’s utter control and confidence with the world she’s created.

And what a world! The book (as with her others) takes place across a vast, richly-detailed, Asian-inspired (mostly?) map of nations, each with different cultures, languages, histories, and reputations. All the worldbuilding is handled naturally and matter-of-factly, without any hand-holding or diverting exposition - as it should be. (You might think it’s because this isn’t the first book in the world, but I can confirm that there’s even less hand holding in Jaeth’s Eye!) The setting is more than just window-dressing, too, because taking the queen out of her kingdom and into an indifferent and dangerous foreign land is a massive driver of the plot.

But this isn’t a travelogue, this is the story of a queen trying to pull off a desperate ploy to save her kingdom - and her marriage. It’s not always pretty - she makes a lot of mistakes and spends most of the book jumping from frying pans into fires - but it’s always compelling. The backstory is dosed out in a controlled, timely fashion so when we the final showdown reveals the answers to both her current predicament, and the fateful events that kicked the whole thing off in the first place.

All in all, a very satisfying start to what should be an epic saga. I highly recommend this for fans of personal journeys, political fantasy, strong women, atypical settings, and just generally awesome fantasy fiction. You don’t want to miss out on the Bitch Queen the second time around!

(To be published on the Fantasy Hive nearer to publication, as requested.)

The blurb for this book looked interesting. "Queen of a divided land must unite her people even if they hate her". Additionally everything refers to her as the "Bitch Queen". In general that, as an epic/classic fantasy story, had my attention. The book follows the Bitch Queen, Talyien, in a journey to meet her husband. He left her and the kingdom five years earlier just before she was crowned and for reasons that are not clear. This is a time of warlords and warlike behaviours.

Talyien crosses the sea for the meeting requested by her husband. Despite the presence of guards and advisors all does not go well and she find herself alone in a foreign and dangerous land. Certainly some of the people she encounters in her travels are interesting. There were some very diverse people who hinder or help her in her travels and troubles. Quite a few of them I found interesting.

In general I also found Talyien, on her own, interesting. She is a character. I'm not sure I really get the "Bitch Queen" aspect of this. For someone who is a hard faced Dragonlord and mountain queen she often seems somewhat troubled. For someone who stopped loving her husband a long time ago she seems inordinately interested in finding him safe. She also seems quite confused about what she wants at times. To me, rather than a bitch, she tended to behave badly, and often unpleasantly, to people. A sharper, harder edge would be need for bitch.

While this is generally an "epic" fantasy tale there is a lot about politics and nations. Initially I read these fairly carefully. However as time went by (and the names of states and people multiplied) I tended increasingly to skip these parts. To me they simply seemed to slow the book down and did not add enough clarity or value to the story. Talyien on her own - literally - was far more readable. However I still say that this idea of her being a "bitch queen" was unconvincing.

There is quite a lot to like about this story though I did find the political aspects less good. All in all I think it is unlikely I'll read the next book in the series though I am quite sure that other fans of classic fantasy will enjoy this.