Book Review: Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier

Tuesday, September 27, 2016
I love reading. Books are amazing. They are a form of escapism, yes, but they are also inspiration, joy, and... well. Goodness. I think in some ways I have used my appetite for reading to define parts of my personality, so it made sense for me to review some of what I read! Here we go...


Title: Den of Wolves
Author: Juliet Marillier
Series: Blackthorn & Grim #3
Publication Date: October 2016

Synopsis: "Feather bright and feather fine
None shall harm this child of mine

Healer Blackthorn knows all too well the rules of her bond to the fey: seek no vengeance, help any who ask, do only good. But after the most recent ordeal she and Grim have suffered, she knows she cannot let go of her quest to bring justice to the man who ruined her life.

Despite her own struggles, Blackthorn agrees to help the princess of Dalriada to care for a troubled young girl who has been brought to court, while Grim travels to the girl's home in Wolf Glen to aid her wealthy father with a strange task, repairing a broken down house deep in the woods. It doesn't take Grim long to realise that everything in Wolf Glen is not as it seems, the place is full of perilous secrets and deadly lies.

Back at Witerfalls, the evil touch of Blackthorn's sworn enemy reopens old wounds and fuels her long simmering desire fro retribution. With danger on two fronts, Blackthorn and Grim are faced with a heartbreaking choice, to stand once again by each other's side or to fight their battles alone."

My thoughts: I have already mentioned my love of Juliet Marillier's work, so I shan't go on about it for too long. Her writing has that wonderful (and sometimes hard to find) quality of being able to take you into a completely separate world, whilst still completely engaging all your emotions and somehow managing to make you grow as a person with each book. Den of Wolves is no different.

Blackthorn and Grim are pulled into another problem once more, and this time they are separated pretty early on - something that is difficult for them to cope with. The new storyline featuring Cara of Wolf Glen is fascinating and absorbing, but the thing I loved most about this book is how Marillier explored Blackthorn and Grim's relationship more than ever. 

My favourite parts were often quiet, soft moments, and you really felt the gentle understanding between the two of them, and how much they have each come to rely upon the other for strength, and for solace. As always with Marillier's books I have become so attached to these characters, and I find it hard to believe that this is the last book in their tale - I can't help wanting more of both of them.

I still hope that there are more books to this series, as I believe that was Marillier's intention initially, and, although it was done well and with skill and understanding, I just felt that the end of this book was somehow rushed. Just a touch. It was still an enjoyable resolution and I found everything that occurred wonderful and (running out of words to show how great this is) enjoyable, I was still left feeling a little put out.

Regardless, this is a fantastic addition to the series, a great end (*sob*), and I will always be looking forward to more writing from my favourite writer.


(I received a review copy of this book from Pan Macmillan. Thank you!!!!!)

A favourite line from the book: "Cara loved the rain, loved the many feelings of it on her skin. Rain could be soft, like a mother's touch. It could be as hard as a punishing whip. It could be as warm as a sunny morning or cold enough to set ice in your bones."

You would like this book if: you like Juliet Marillier's work; you enjoy fantasy that has a touch or two of fairytale in it.

Tea to drink while reading this book: I always love making my own brews when drinking Marillier's work, but at the moment I am favouring Ready Set Raspberry from T2, which is herbal and wonderful.

Rating:  9.5/10

If you'd like to keep up to date with what I'm reading, follow me on Goodreads here!

0 whisperings:

Post a Comment

All content owned by Bethwyn Walker unless otherwise stated. Powered by Blogger.

books | chronic illness | lifestyle | wellbeing

Powered by Blogger.
Back to Top