3.5
The Wolf of Oren-Yaro
ByPublisher Description
"Intimate and epic. It compels you to read on." - Evan Winter, author of The Rage of Dragons
"Villoso's cunning, exciting debut is a new fantasy epic that readers will clamor for." - Library Journal (starred review)
From "a powerful new voice in fantasy" (Kameron Hurley) comes the tale of a queen who must unite her divided land, even if she's hated by the very people she's trying to protect.
"They called me the Bitch Queen, the she-wolf, because I murdered a man and exiled my king the night before they crowned me."
Born under the crumbling towers of her kingdom, Queen Talyien was the shining jewel and legacy of the bloody War of the Wolves. It nearly tore her nation apart. But her arranged marriage to the son of a rival clan heralds peace.
However, he suddenly disappears before their reign can begin, and the kingdom is fractured beyond repair.
Years later, he sends a mysterious invitation to meet. Talyien journeys across the sea in hopes of reconciling their past. An assassination attempt quickly dashes those dreams. Stranded in a land she doesn't know, with no idea whom she can trust, Talyien will have to embrace her namesake.
A Wolf of Oren-yaro is not tamed.
"Intricate, intimate, and intensely plotted." - Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
The Chronicles of the Wolf Queen
"Villoso's cunning, exciting debut is a new fantasy epic that readers will clamor for." - Library Journal (starred review)
From "a powerful new voice in fantasy" (Kameron Hurley) comes the tale of a queen who must unite her divided land, even if she's hated by the very people she's trying to protect.
"They called me the Bitch Queen, the she-wolf, because I murdered a man and exiled my king the night before they crowned me."
Born under the crumbling towers of her kingdom, Queen Talyien was the shining jewel and legacy of the bloody War of the Wolves. It nearly tore her nation apart. But her arranged marriage to the son of a rival clan heralds peace.
However, he suddenly disappears before their reign can begin, and the kingdom is fractured beyond repair.
Years later, he sends a mysterious invitation to meet. Talyien journeys across the sea in hopes of reconciling their past. An assassination attempt quickly dashes those dreams. Stranded in a land she doesn't know, with no idea whom she can trust, Talyien will have to embrace her namesake.
A Wolf of Oren-yaro is not tamed.
"Intricate, intimate, and intensely plotted." - Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
The Chronicles of the Wolf Queen
The Wolf of Oren-yaro
The Ikessar Falcon
The Dragon of Jin-Sayeng
The Dragon of Jin-Sayeng
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Wolf of Oren-Yaro Reviews
3.5
“Such a big waste of time!!!!! I was so ready to read about a badass FMC but she was like a little school girl crying and whining over a crush that was avoiding her. She should be called the lamb of Oren Yaro instead. I got maybe 60% into the book before I couldn’t take it anymore.”“I just finished the wolf of oren-yrao , and honestly, this book was so deep, so complicated, and full of emotional conflict in a way I wasn’t expecting at all but in a good way.
I found myself literally screaming at the main character because of the decisions she made and the emotional state she was constantly stuck in. It was frustrating, but also what made the book so engaging.
Before anything, I should say that I read the old version of the book, not the revised one. So if there are things that were later added or explained more clearly in the newer edition, I wouldn’t know.
Worldbuilding & Magic :
The worldbuilding, especially the magic system, felt very mysterious. I do wish we had more clear explanations of how the magic actually works, but at the same time, I kind of appreciated it. Since Queen Talyien and her people don’t fully understand magic either, it makes sense that we’re learning alongside them. Still, I hope the next books dive deeper into it, especially things like the dragons, the agan, and the whole situation with her father’s and brother’s appearances. I have so many questions.
Talyien as a Character:
Talyien is one of the most complicated characters I’ve read in a while.
At the beginning, she constantly talks about how powerful and feared she is, but as the story goes on, you slowly realize that people don’t actually see her the way she thinks they do. That contrast was really interesting.
What stood out to me the most is how much her father still controls her, even after his death. Every decision, every judgment, every thought goes back to “what would my father think?” It feels like she doesn’t fully trust herself to think or decide independently, which explains so much about her behavior.
At the same time, I felt so frustrated with her. I wanted her to stand up for herself, to say the things she should have said, but she just… couldn’t. And that made me both angry and sympathetic toward her.
Rayyel.. :
Rayyel is, honestly, one of the most frustrating characters in this book.
I hate how manipulative he is. He disappears for five years, does whatever he wants, sleeps with other people, and then comes back acting like he’s morally superior, judging her for something she did before their wedding while he’s done far worse.
And i know he left to test her and find a way to know if her son is actually his son or not.
However, the hypocrisy was insane.
What made it even worse is the power he still holds over her. I had so many moments where I wanted her to snap, to say something back, to stand her ground but she just kept explaining herself to him, listening to him, and letting him affect her. It was incredibly frustrating.
I genuinely wished she would just kill him by the end.
Agos :
Agos deserved better. That’s it.
Their relationship is so complicated, but I really hated how she treated him. Yes, they both made a mistake, but she was the one who initiated it, and yet she sometimes talks about him as if he’s the problem because she regrets it.
That felt unfair.
He has always been on her side, always supported her, and the way their friendship fell apart was honestly painful to watch. It felt ungrateful, even if I understand that it comes from her guilt.
Khine (my favorite) :
Khine is easily my favorite part of the book.
I loved every scene with him. I’m completely rooting for them.
What I love most is that she can actually be herself around him. She speaks freely, feels comfortable, and genuinely enjoys his presence, something she doesn’t have with anyone else.
He doesn’t treat her like an idea or a responsibility. He treats her like a person.
And that’s exactly what she’s always needed.
I also loved how they bonded over the painful fact that they fell in love with other people that didn’t love them back or didn’t appreciate their love.
And their slow burn was just on point 👌🏻
Relationships & Emotional Conflict:
The emotional conflict in this book is intense.
Talyien is still tied to Rayyel in a way that makes you question whether what she feels is actually love or just something she convinced herself of because of duty and expectations, especially since her father told her to try to love him.
Meanwhile, with Khine, everything feels natural and real.
That contrast is what makes everything so complicated.
And of course Also her relationship with her father is so complicated.
This book was not an easy read emotionally, and it can be frustrating, but that’s also what makes it so compelling.
I feel bad for Talyien. Everything duty, responsibility, expectations, was forced onto her, and it’s overwhelming. You can see why she makes the choices she does, even when they’re wrong.
More than anything, I just want her to realize her own worth, free herself from Rayyel, and become the queen she’s meant to be.
I am SO EXCITED to read about her character development in the next two books.
Also… I really need more magic system explanations in the next book.”
“The only thing memorable from this book was the description of food.”
About K. S. Villoso
K.S. Villoso writes speculative fiction with a focus on deeply personal themes and character-driven narratives. Much of her work is inspired by her childhood in the slums of Taguig, Philippines. She is now living amidst the forest and mountains with her husband, children, and dogs in Anmore, BC.
Other books by K. S. Villoso
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