The Wolf of Oren-Yaro

The author was kind enough to provide me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

K.S. Villoso's greatest strengths are her characters and her worldbuilding. The Wolf of Oren-yaro is reminiscent of the works of authors such as Robin Hobb and Kate Elliot. If you like fast-paced books full of action and intrigue, this is for you.

Talyien aren dar Orenar was betrothed to the Ikessar heir, Rayyel, from birth. Their marriage was meant to heal the nation that was nearly torn apart by Talyien's father's war. However, on the eve of their coronation, Rayyel suddenly left without a word.

Five years later, tensions are rising among the warlords of Jin-Sayeng. Talyien receives a message from Rayyel urging her to travel across the sea to meet him in a foreign land. An assassination attempt interrupts Talyien's chance at reconciliation with Rayyel, forcing her to survive in a hostile land.

Talyien must enlist the help of a con-artist to help her save her husband—assuming he wasn't responsible for the assassination attempt in the first place. The story is full of intrigue, and minor scenes end up playing an important role later on.

A good portion of the book takes place in Jin-Sayeng, a nation once ruled by mighty dragon-riding warlords. The dragons have now mostly left, but the warlords remain. They're kept in check by the rule of Queen Talyien of the Oren-yaro, daughter of the great warlord who nearly tore Jin-Sayeng apart.

The bulk of the story takes place in the Empire of Ziri-nar-Orxiaro, which lies across the sea from Jin-Sayeng. Relations between Jin-Sayeng and the empire are rocky at best, especially since the empire practices the agan, a forbidden form of magic.

One of the most interesting aspects of this setting is how the author blends her own Filipino culture into the world, setting this story apart from the many books inspired by Western European culture.

Villoso juggles a cast of morally gray characters without straying into the realm of grimdark. Each character is complex and flawed, feeling like a real person with their own hopes and desires.

The book is written in first person, with easily-digestible prose. That's not to say that the prose is simplistic, but Villoso manages to work in the richly imaginative history of her world without putting the story on hold.

The pacing makes the book hard to put down. There are no filler scenes; every scene serves to advance the plot or reveal critical information about important characters.

The book does take a little while to get into, especially if you've never read a Villoso book before. The author doesn't ease you into the world, dropping you into a fully-formed fantasy culture and expecting you to figure things out.

Overall, The Wolf of Oren-yaro was a highly enjoyable read, and I'm expecting it to mark the launch of a fantastic new trilogy.

Review from The Coffee Archives