Name: marie's review of The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K. S. Villoso
Item: The Wolf of Oren-Yaro
Rating: 5
Author: marie

K. S. Villoso

'A powerful new voice in epic fantasy' Kameron Hurley 'Intricate, intimate and intensely plotted' Nicholas Eames 'An action-packed plot and deep, vivid world-building' Melissa Caruso '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 towers of Oren-yaro, Queen Talyien inherited a deeply divided kingdom, devastated by years of war. Her marriage to the son of a rival clan was meant to herald peace, yet her fiancé disappeared before their reign could even begin. Now, years later, Talyien receives a message that will send her across on the sea. Yet what was meant as an effort to reconcile the past leaves her stranded in a land she doesn't know, with assassins at her back and no idea who she can trust. If Talyien is to survive, she must embrace her namesake. A wolf of Oren-yaro is not tamed. Further praise for The Wolf of Oren-Yaro: 'Deeply compelling and wonderfully entertaining' Josiah Bancroft '[A] remarkable tale of non-stop tension, action and betrayal' Publishers Weekly (starred review) 'Intimate and epic' Evan Winter 'Balanced on a blade's edge between intrigue and action' Gareth Hanrahan

Chronicles of the Bitch Queen Book One

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro

Zugzug

A queen of a divided land must unite her people, even if they hate her, even if it means stopping a ruin that she helped create. A debut epic fantasy from an exciting new voice. "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 Oren-yaro, Queen Talyien was the shining jewel and legacy of the bloody War of the Wolves, which nearly tore her nation apart. But her arranged marriage with the son of a rival clan should herald peaceful days to come. However, her husband's sudden departure before their reign begins puts a quick end to those dreams, and the kingdom is fractured beyond repair. Years later, Talyien receives a message, one that will send her across the sea. What's meant to be an effort at reconciling the past becomes an assassination attempt. 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.

marie

A MUST-READ!!!!!!!!

one thing i liked this book was the pacing and it was easy to follow what was happening in the story. also, i loved the characters especially talyien. the only bitch queen i'll kneel before.

#BitchReadathon

"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 QueenThe Wolf of Oren-yaroThe Ikessar Falcon The Dragon of Jin-Sayeng

Nikki

** spoiler alert **
           Read for Wikathon.

Let me start by saying that THIS BOOK IS FUCKING AMAZING I'M SO GLAD I PICKED IT UP. The emotional turmoil I (and to be honest, Talyien, too) I went through, whew! 

Anyway, Talyien's character is so well-written. I like that she's flawed in the way that some ~royals aren't. She's fueled by love for her nation and love for her husband. You don't see that much in female royalty who are depicted as headstrong. I like that we were able to see that weakness of hers early on. It wasn't a plot twist, it wasn't only revealed to throw the readers off. Queen Talyien is in love with her husband. Even though he stormed off five years ago, even though he hasn't communicated with her nor their son, even though he basically has given up on raising their child together, she is in love with him.

I also really enjoyed that Khine wasn't presented as a potential love interest for Tali. In a place where Talyien had no one to trust, Khine was there for her. 

(And also I really hate myself for this but I like Rayyel)

ANYWAY YOU KNOW WHAT I DON'T CARE I STILL WANT TALYIEN AND RAYYEL TO END UP TOGETHER.

Jennifer

A fast-paced and highly character-driven fantasy read. The Wolf of Oren-Yaro excels with its Filipino representation in the worldbuilding (+ the myths, legends, and folklores) and the characters. This book intensely focuses on Tali's narrative and through her lens we learn the broken society in the kingdom she rules. In many ways, this is a really refreshing read given the degree of male dominance commonly seen in high fantasy books. Here in The Wolf of Oren-Yaro, Villoso toys with the idea of a female character in what a male chosen one would typically face in epic fantasy and did a convincing job. 

Arguably the strongest asset of the book is Tali's characterisation. Tali is no means a flawless & completely bearable character but the intense focus of her narrative as well as her inner monologue throughout the book allowed me to step into her shoes and understand where she's coming from. Despite her headstrong and feisty nature, her inner struggles between politics vs self-will redeemed her an emotionally complex yet believable character. 

I think the worldbuilding and the support characters also enhanced Tali's headspace. From the description of food and supernatural beings in the worldbuilding, Villoso convincingly crafted a rich and complex Filipino-inspired world. While the support characters created contrasts on how Tali sees herself vs how others see her. This difference also made the story full of surprising plot twists that keeps the storyline interesting. 

Overall, Tali's narrative is written in a direct and unapologetic style. I don't have to second-guess anything when I was reading her intimate narrative. This emotionally engaging writing style made it pretty hard to put down at times. 

While Tali's characterisation and the worldbuilding are solid, there are still several technical drawbacks in the novel. I think the pacing is slightly too fast and relentless. There's non-stop action throughout the novel. While I found the story immersive I think some of the plots lacked proper justification because they aren't always sufficiently explained. For example, I think more context and details on Rai could be provided because right now Tali's relationship with Rai in the novel felt a bit out of place. 

Another thing to be aware of is the content in The Wold of Oren-Yaro. In its tense storyline and direct writing style, this is no means an easy ride. Many plots in the book are highly graphical and violent so this is something be be aware of in advance if you find the following content triggering:

tw: assault, abuse, violence, gore, weapons, blood mention, murder, and death

Due to the amount of major content warnings found in the book, I have shelved this in my 18+ shelf.

Despite m concerns with the pacing and content, I nevertheless find The Wolf in Oren-Yaro an immersive and engaging read with wonderful Filipino representation. It's unabashedly fierce and feminist. I would be interested in reading the sequel. If you're looking for character-driven fantasy novels set in non-Western worldbuilding and could put up with some graphical content, this one's worth checking out!

(3.5 stars out of 5)

Rina

*3.5
I enjoyed this a lot! Not only because of the Filipino representation, but also because of its fast pace and the plot’s twists and turns. Queen Talyien “Tali” was a strong-willed, complex character, she will stop at nothing to get what she wants or needs; to find out the truth. Although, I found her actions and logic quite questionable at times, especially when it comes to Rayyel. A character that I wasn’t able to know well enough for my liking despite being mentioned a lot. 

Plot-wise, I felt like this book needed more explanation. Many times I had to go back a few pages to understand what happened better, but I think the pace of the book had a play in that as well. There were also some scenes that I thought were unnecessary. 

Nevertheless, I really liked this and I’m looking forward to the sequels!

A queen of a divided land must unite her people, even if they hate her, even if it means stopping a ruin that she helped create. A debut epic fantasy from an exciting new voice. '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 Oren-yaro, Queen Talyien was the shining jewel and legacy of the bloody War of the Wolves, which nearly tore her nation apart. But her arranged marriage with the son of a rival clan should herald peaceful days to come. However, her fiancé's sudden departure before their reign begins puts a quick end to those dreams, and the kingdom is fractured beyond repair. Years later, Talyien receives a message, one that will send her across the sea. What's meant to be an effort at reconciling the past becomes an assassination attempt. 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.

Kathleen Boyle

More people need to read this hidden gem. It's fast paced and so intricately plotted. The world building is vivid and rich which is enhance by the incredibly well-crafted characters.

Kath Lau

I don’t really read a lot of high fantasy novels but I wouldn’t think twice to get out of my comfort zone if that book is written by a Filipino author and based mainly in FIlipino culture!

Talyien aren dar Orenar is the daughter of a warlord who started a civil war that nearly break their kingdom, Jin-Sayeng. Marrying the heir of their rival clan, Rayyel Ikessar, will bring unity to their nation. But he leaves the night before the coronation. Talyien is left alone with their son and a kingdom to rule. Five years has passed, Talyien receives a letter from Rayyel asking her to meet him. She travels across the sea hoping to finally reconcile with her estranged husband and to fulfill her promise to their son. But life isn’t always easy for Talyien. She ends up being alone in a foreign land after an assassination attempt. She will do everything to survive and return home to her son alive.

This book is written in Talyien’s perspective which was very effective. We get to see everything through her eyes and eventhough she has made a lot of mistakes and can be exasperating at times, I couldn’t help rooting for her. She’s fierce and ruthless. They wouldn’t call her the “Bitch Queen” for nothing, right? But deep inside she just wants the best for her family, her people, and her kingdom. She is flawed and vulnerable but strong and determined. Her backstory was engrossing to read and it really helped me to fully understand her. Khine Lamang, the con artist who became Talyien’s companion, was also an interesting character. He’s quite the opposite of our protagonist. Unlike Talyien who stabs her enemies or people who wronged her without thinking twice, Khine uses his personality and charm to convince other people to do and get what he wants. I would definitely like to read more about Rayyel and Captain Nor.

Eventhough it took me a few chapters to get into the story, I still think that the author did an amazing job on giving just the right amount of details at the right time. The world-building in this book was one of my favorites. I enjoyed the vivid description most especially with food. It was interesting to learn the different clans, their people, and distinct culture as well. It’s fascinating to read. There are magic and mention of dragons which I really want to read more about in the next books! It’s refreshing to read a fantasy novel inspired mainly by Filipino culture. The mention of “puto” (FIlipino rice cake) and “kamayan” (eating with one hand) made me so happy. The author has included “baybayin” (ancient Filipino/Tagalog script) on the chapter pages which was really cool. I have the e-galley so I hope it’s also present in the finished copy. This book is full of shocking plot twists. The last few chapters were gripping and I couldn’t stop reading.

Another thing that I also appreciated about this book is the representation of Filipino women and women in general. It’s pretty obvious that Talyien is still hung up on his husband despite of what he did to her and their son. She simply wants her family to be complete again eventhough she knows it’s impossible to happen. Being a queen isn’t easy as well. She is surrounded by people who have high expectations from her. People who are just waiting for her to make mistakes. People who always have negative things to say no matter what she does. The sad thing is Talyien and these kind of people exist in real life. It’s disheartening that these people don’t see the sacrifices and efforts of women like Talyien. They are quick to judge simply because their expectations (and beliefs) of what a woman should be haven’t met. I know a lot of women who are like Talyien and I’m very proud of them.

Overall, I really had a great time reading this book and I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I highly recommend it especially if you’re looking for a character-driven high fantasy inspired by Southeast Asian culture. You are definitely in for a treat!


  You can also read this review on my blog.

Alexia Cambaling

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.

Leelynn Brady

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Caffeine Book Tours, Netgalley, and Orbit Books for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Oh my freaking gosh! Seriously I’m so damn glad that I got to read this novel, and I seriously cannot wait to read the next one and just have a new to me author to love and cheer for.

The people of this world call Talyien the Bitch Queen, and quite frankly I feel like she’s really taken to that title. She took that bad meaning of the word and turned it on its head. Sure, when they called her the Bitch Queen, it’s because they were calling her a female wolf. The wolf of Oren-Yaro, right. But they also meant it in a derogatory way, and to me, Talyien is that bitch. That bitch queen that should not be taken for granted, should not be underestimated. She has that kind of power that I could only dream of having.

Ugh I just can’t get enough of this book though! Seriously I don’t even know how to put my thoughts in to words and I just was so impressed with Talyien and everything that she did and would do for her people. I don’t think her people even considered that as well, and they just saw that she killed a man the night before she was supposed to be crowed Queen. Nothing wrong with a little death mixed with royalty, you know? And then she also sent her husband away as well. Sure, I could see some people feeling a little salty about that, but no. I don’t even blame her. She made the right decision, and she was one of the characters that I wouldn’t even think about betraying or anything. Her story was amazing, and I think that she made an amazing Queen.

Sydney Sola

Heather

Do you know how a whole lot of drama could be avoided if two protagonists would just talk to each other’s ? like two MATURE ADULTS?! 
But NO, it is far more better to have superficially mysterious characters, boring plot, stupid and thoughtless decisions, 400 pages of grind, and a bonus reading slump. 

Frankly, my rating was going to be low since I started this book. I did not get into it. I couldn’t relate AT ALL to Taliyen. The way she thinks, how she takes stupid emotional decisions (for a Queen! Who is supposed to lead and keep her head cool under pressure!), it made me so frustrated. She was so blind to everything, clueless for the whole book, wasn’t she supposed to be trained to be a queen ?! 

Also the whole mystery about why her husband left her and who is this man that she killed was dragged on and on and on ... to only be guessed a mile away before the final « reveal ». 

And then the 10 last pages happened and thank the gods it only lasted this long because it was so unnerving. This whole book could have been solved from Page 1 if only the two main protagonists would not act like jealous / withholding teenagers...

Ben Nathan

Definitely a different style of story. I was interested during the first half when it was more adventure/chase/hiding, but LOVED the second half when it became political intrigue. The perspective was refreshing, writing was on point. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Zugzug &
The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K. S. Villoso

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