A challenging story about complex characters in a flawed society, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is a book that takes a long time to get to a point where it offers us any answers, but it’s a fascinating journey getting there.

K.S. Villoso challenges so many conventions of the fantasy genre, it’s hard to know where you stand with the story or what to expect. It was one of those rare novels that honestly left me with no idea where it might be headed. Everytime I thought I had a grasp on a thread or a relationship, she pulled a fast one, redirecting the story and denying any promise of easy closure. For a book that is so much about love and romance, there is very little of either to be found upon the page. There are a myriad of moments where you expect Queen Talyien to give in, to take a lover, or simply acknowledge a friend, but Villoso subverts every expectation.

The pacing and story structure here are so odd, I can’t decide whether they are flaws that hold it back or facets and propel it forward. The novel opens with a murder that literally changes everything, sundering a marriage and setting a realm on a path to ruin, but it is not until the closing chapters that we find out who was murdered or why. There is so much that Queen Talyien holds back, and what she is hiding proves to be far more important than what she reveals. What seems like a simple story of simple motives becomes something else entirely at the 80% mark with revelations that shake the very foundation of the story. Some of the plots and betrayals revealed are fitting, perhaps even obvious in hindsight, but others are completely beyond anything we could possibly know or expect.

This is a novel that succeeds, for the most part, because of the strength of its characters. Queen Talyien is frustrating, exasperating, and infuriating, too much of a self-proclaimed Bitch Queen to be truly sympathetic, but we do emphasize with her. I found myself questioning her motives and her actions repeatedly, so much so that I was all but screaming at the book. For such a strong woman, a Bitch Queen destined to rule, she spends a lot of time resenting her father’s shadow and mourning the abandonment of her husband. She’s human, but the way she flips from angry defiance to self-pitying sorrow does get tiresome. Or, at least it does until we begin to get partial answers in the closing chapters, which suddenly casts many of those decisions in a very different light.

Kline, the physician/con-artist who assists her throughout the story is probably the only completely decent human being in the book, but he’s surrounded by such filth and degradation, we never fully trust him, instead expecting betrayal at every turn. He’s not just a source of light, but of humor in a book that sorely needs it. At the risk of giving anything away, Yuebek, fifth son of the Emperror, is far and away the most interesting character in the novel, even if we don’t meet him until the second half. We have no idea whether he is an insane monster or a calculating fiend, but his chapters are so vastly different from anything else in the novel, we’re left reeling by every new development, and shocked by deeper revelations. I loathed him, and yet my heart raced with excitement whenever he stepped onto the page.

As novels go, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is fascinating and yet frustrating at the same time. I’m still not sure whether I felt cheated by the twists and revelations at the end, or whether I want to applaud Villoso for pulling them off. As the first part of a saga, however, this is a opening that gets its hooks in deep and which has me anxious to see how things develop in The Ikessar Falcon – but don’t read that blurb until you’ve finished reading this, or you’ll spoil those final twists.

Another fantastic read this year!

As the queen who bears the burden made by her father, Talyien married Rayyel, an Ikessar heir, to unite and reign their kingdom. But, everything ends quickly when Rayyel left her alone on their coronation day. That’s where the story will start, and as we flip the pages, we will get more of Queen Talyien’s story. And how she became who she is now and who she might become in the future.

I loved the description of Queen Talyien in the book, and as far as I know, she lived up to it. She might be called the bitch queen, but I know that she only wants the best for her country and of her child. Despite many obstacles in her ruling, she stayed strong and admirable.

Another character that I loved is Khine, a con artist that Queen Talyien met on the streets. I don’t want to say more information about him, but I love him! As for the other characters, they all have their own personalities that you will either love or hate. It depends on how you will see it.

Now, let’s talk about one of K.S. Villoso’s strength in the story. What I loved the most, aside from her writing Queen Talyien’s character, is the world-building in this novel. The culture and traditions that we see in the country, where Queen Talyien will get stranded on, will make you appreciate the story and what is happening to our main character.

I also love the part where I am near the end because, in those parts, I was able to be engrossed and pulled into the story. The only thing that I didn’t like was how some parts seem to drag me out of the story, but it is very rare, like once or twice only.

Overall, The Wolf of Oren-yaro will give you a ride to an unknown place where you need to sew all the pieces back into a whole to understand the story of Queen Talyien. This is also a twisted tale of Queen Talyien’s journey towards getting all the answers that she needs to know dating back to her husband leaving her behind to manage the country. I am recommending this to all fantasy readers.

Everyone who knows me is aware that fantasy is not really my thing. Given the chance to pick a genre, I’m a girl who goes for the romance and the contemporaries. But when Shealea posted about this, a high fantasy written by a Filipino, I was ready to go out of my comfort zone and jump on this adventure.

I’m so happy that I made this decision because this read was such a great one. From the first page, the book was able to draw me in and hook me. It’s a book I never wanted to stop reading because the writing style was easy to read and all the happenings were exciting. Though the plot build-up is a little slow, I loved all the little details in the world-building.

The story revolved around Queen Talyien, the Bitch Queen, or Tali. It was told from her perspective and how she was going to survive her reign, her personal life, and all the trials in her way. The book showed some glimpses of the past aside from her present journeys and it is good for a holistic approach to understanding the character and the story.

The Asian culture references throughout the story was such a unique experience and I enjoyed finding little Easter eggs that I can relate to. The fact the author is Filipino means that the details tend to lean toward Filipino culture and this is something that made this reading experience much more special to me. It shone in the lifestyle of the communities, the values, as well as the mouth-watering food that she described. I really loved this because it’s not every day that you get to read a book where you see yourself and your culture being represented without being in-your-face or over-the-top.

Representation aside, the book did not disappoint in providing an intriguing story. There was politics, magic, betrayals, royalty, war, manipulation, and non-stop action. I love how all the characters were developed and how each of them shined and made the story much more special. I liked some, I hated a lot of them, and I felt frustrated with some of them.

I don’t want to spoil much about the book, but what I can say is that the book is worth the read and I am excited to devour the rest of the series! The book will officially out on February 2020, so I am inviting everyone to watch out for the release and don’t miss getting a copy!

I must admit, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting myself into when I started this book. With my obvious preference for plot-driven stories – especially when it comes to both sci-fi and fantasy – this was out of my comfort zone, but I took the plunge anyway.

And, oh boy, am I grateful I did.

The Wolf of Oren-yaro was a thrilling ride. Set against the backdrop of a country teetering on the brink of war, this is a story of love and betrayal, of family, duty, and legacy. It is a complicated tale, tangled with the politics of the world. At the center of it all, though, is one woman: Queen Talyien aren dar Orenar.

Queen Talyien is the heart and soul of this epic fantasy. This is her story.

Told from her point-of-view, Talyien is the readers’ connection to this story’s world, and there couldn’t be anyone better. She is easily one of the most interesting characters I’ve read in a long while. Talyien – the Bitch Queen – is a complex character: brash, proud and quick to insult, yet she is also insecure, afraid and so full of uncertainties. The daughter of the warlord who started the war that tore their nation apart, she has inherited her father’s bloody and ruthless legacy. Her marriage to the Ikessar heir, the Oren-yaro’s rival clan, and their subsequent rule is supposed to bring peace – no matter how tenuous – to their land. But one night before their joint coronation, he abandons her leaving Talyien to hold together Jin Sayeng on her own.

Talyien is not easy to like. Jumping from one danger to another and committing herself to half-formed decisions, she is infuriating and frustrating in equal measures. Still, I found myself immediately empathizing with her. Though physically capable and mentally sharp, there is this certain vulnerability about her. Talyien, having been born, bred and grown into duty, wasn’t really given any chance to get to know who she is a woman and as a queen. These two roles often blend and blur together, and it creates so much inner conflict – in addition to outside forces *hint hint* warlords, councilors with misplaced loyalty and a creepy megalomaniac prince – in Talyien and fuels much of her actions.

This is where K.S. Villoso truly shines, mining and building on her characters’ inner tumult, creating depth and breathing life into them. She works her magic from Talyien to the soft-hearted con-man Khine down to self-made lord Lo Bahn. Every character in this book stands out, their voices clear and easily distinguishable. Her secondary characters manage to both add texture to Talyien’s story, and live their own. You can effortlessly imagine what they do beyond the page-time they are given, and that is something that’s not easy to do.

The world-building, though it is not the focus, is also one of the things I love about this book. From page one, the world, its people, the food felt familiar to me. Villoso drew much of her world’s elements from Asian culture and history. But that’s not the reason why the setting of this book was instantly familiar to me because as much as Talyien’s world felt Asian, it felt, more so, Filipino. I’ll be limiting what I put here to avoid spoilers, but take Jin Sayeng as an example. The warlords who rule over their region are reminiscent of feudal Japan while the clans with their defining traits reminded me of the Philippines’ regionalism/province-centric attitude.

The book though is not without its fault. The story took more time before it really gained its momentum. The first half was slow without much happening. Talyien’s recollections of the past, while interesting, interrupted the story’s pace most times. The last quarter of this book makes up for this though, trust me.

Overall, The Wolf of Oren-yaro is a great series opener. With compelling, fully-formed characters carrying the weight, this a little bit more personal than the usual epic fantasy. You can be sure that I’ll be making grabby hands for the next installment, especially with the way this one ended. This is one book you shouldn’t miss.

arc was provided by orbit books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

<p>May I start by saying, OH MY GOD. Oh my goodness. I am completely blown away by The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro. I have been an active reader for 20+ years of my life (wow I sound old), but I had a reading slump for around 2 years until starting again late last year. And now, in this year of 2019, I have been making my way into reading more POC books because I enjoy reading cultures with fiction books.</p>

<p>Enter, The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro. Once I heard about this book, trust and believe, I was excited to read it in 2020. And I am so lucky to be selected by Shealea as a tour host for the PH blog tour hosted by Caffeine Tours! Oh man, when I got the book in the mail, I was combusting and couldn't wait to read because, 1.) K.S. Villoso is a Filipino writer, 2.) The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro is said to have many many many references of the Philippines, and 3.) Fantasy trash, I am. Many many thanks to Shealea of Shut Up, Shealea, Orbit Books, and Kay Villoso for the arc and this blog tour!</p>

<p>Meet Talyien aren dar Orenar. Queen of Jin Sayeng, a Wolf of Oren-Yaro wears a heavy crown. She is the sole ruler of Jin Sayeng, a land filled with tribes (Oren-Yaro, Ikkesar, and more) that is mending from a civil war. Queen Talyien, also known as Tali, has been criticized heavily because she is the daughter of General Yeshin, the man who was responsible for the unrest in Jin Sayeng due to his aggression. She is the wife of the Ikkesar heir, Rayyel, and their union was supposed to have laid rest to the civil war in Jin Sayeng, but only left a quiet tension in the land as Rayyel left the night of the coronation which left Tali to fend for herself, to protect her land and keep the struggling peace at bay.</p>

<p>After five years of ruling, struggling but with peace, she receives word from Rayyel to meet with her in the Empire. At first, she was remorseful but after an exchange of words with her son, she and a handful of trusted advisers and guards, she made her way across the ocean while she hoped to reach some sort of compromise with her husband, bring him home to their country and, most importantly, their son. But as she arrives, she soon realizes she was way over in her head and has had a constant struggle to keep her head on (so to speak), having met with assassination attempts and a dislike for her kind in the Empire. Now, she has to find a way to get back home before everything falls apart.</p>

<p>The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro is told with a first person POV, meaning we are in Tali's head all this time, and everything is in her perspective. With fantasy novels, I don't normally gravitate towards these books, but let me tell you,<em> it works for the Wolf Of Oren-Yaro </em>simply because, <strong>Tali already gives you what to expect of her from the start of the book.</strong> She said it herself, she is a Bitch Queen. And so, from that point on, I knew she was going to be a character that is morally gray, imperfect, and full of questionable choices in life. And I was right. She is not the type of character that makes all the right choices, on the contrary, she makes terrible choices that lead her to terrible outcomes and situations. And not just Tali, every character in this book has questionable life choices as well. And I absolutely love that, it gives so much dimension to their character, and you feel like these are people I can probably meet and bump into. I find that this is one of the strengths of K.S. Villoso as a writer. Her characters are the perfect layers of onion and I am soaking up every layer. Some may not enjoy this, but personally I love complex characters in books.</p>

<p>Because we are in the first person point of view, the plot is highly depended by Tali's actions and decisions. It is a very character driven plot, and let me tell you, there were moments of frustration whenever Tali makes questionable choices in life, but ultimately, this shows you her character. How she was shaped by her father, her tutors, the people around her, and her situations. There is an overlaid plot of course, but every course of action that Tali does, is where the story takes us. Which feels limiting at times, because there are moments when I want to know what's happening to Rayyel, and the other characters of the book, but of course, that's probably just my impatience and want to know better the other characters in the book. The story is fast paced and doesn't have any dull moments that will get you quite excited, this is due to K.S. Villoso's way of writing Tali's thoughts and also the world around her. I highly enjoyed that.</p>

<p>My second favorite part, and probably something that I will not be able to shut up about because this is the part that I always find myself nodding and grinning, is the world building. OH, THE WORLD BUILDING. I'm Filipino, I've lived in the Philippines my whole life, and majored in History while I was in university. <strong>Can you imagine how much I lived for this book?</strong> The references to Asian culture just tickled me pink the whole time that I can actually imagine things playing out in my head. The way K.S. Villoso talks about how there are many tribes in Jin Sayeng reminded me of the pre-colonial times of the Philippines. We were once ruled by Datus, more commonly as chieftains, in small clusters of family called the Barangay, which normally no more than a couple hundred individual in a clan. Early Filipinos also practiced different religions, just like in Jin Sayeng. Usually a mixture of monotheism and polytheism which the latter dominated. This pattern changed in the Philippines when the Islam was introduced in Mindanao, through Brunei. Along with changes in religious beliefs and practices came new political and social institutions. By the mid-16th century two sultanates had been established, bringing under their sway a number of&nbsp;<em>barangay</em>s. This Islamization in the 16th century mirrors the situation in Jin Sayeng that I was just absolutely thrilled of how K.S. Villoso wrote it in The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro. </p>

<p>Aside from the Philippines, there were also plenty of references in the neighboring countries of the Philippines. For example, the Empire sounds so much like China for me. Oh and when she would describe and talk about food, it just shows how rich Villoso has developed her world with the culture that she grew up in. Whenever a scene with food comes up, my mouth just waters thinking about the Filipino and Chinese delicacies she describes and the dishes are actually plenty familiar with me. </p>

<p>Honestly though, there will be some moments that will have you going, "you're a Queen?? What the hell are you doing? Whyy??" And let me tell you, have patience because it will all make sense. Plus, personally, I like characters that have plenty of room for growth because that tells me that the future books will be a good arena for them to grow and change. I will say that, The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro is the perfect set up to what I hope will be an epic saga. It is a tale full of betrayal, heartbreak, anxiety, love, and strong female characters that aren't sure of their assertiveness and how bad ass they really are. Everything in this book has a purpose and ties in the story together very well. If you're a fan of character-driven books, and like real-raw-lifelike emotions, plus if you're looking for interesting characters than lovable, and great, rich and interesting worlds to get lost into, then The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro is for you. </p>

<p>Personally, I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book that I will most likely re-read this again. Thank you once again to Shealea of Shut Up, Shealea and Caffeine Tours, Orbit Books, K.S. Villoso. Cheers for this amazing adventure!</p>