I received a copy of Den of Wolves as an eARC from the publisher, Roc, and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

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 recent ordeal she and her companion, Grim, have suffered, she knows she cannot let go of her quest to bring justice to the man who ruined her life.

Despite her personal struggles, Blackthorn agrees to help the princess of Dalriada in taking care of a troubled young girl who has recently been brought to court, while Grim is sent to the girl’s home at 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 realize that everything in Wolf Glen is not as it seems—the place is full of perilous secrets and deadly lies…

Back at Winterfalls, the evil touch of Blackthorn’s sworn enemy reopens old wounds and fuels her long-simmering passion for justice. 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…

Den of Wolves is the third, and potentially final, book in the Blackthorn and Grim series by Juliet Marillier. Please stop here if you don’t want to read anything that’s potentially spoiler-y! 

Like I said in my Heart’s Blood review, I’ve been a fan of Juliet Marillier’s books for years. I’ve read all of them, and enjoyed most of them. The Blackthorn and Grim series, which this is the third book of, has felt the most like the Sevenwaters series to me.

Den of Wolves made me feel like I was almost reading a continuation of the Sevenwaters series. This book took tons of elements from the Sevenwaters series, the most obvious one being the island of tattooed warriors. It bothered me a little bit, because I felt like I’d read a lot of the same things in other books. However, for those that haven’t read her Sevenwaters books (AND YOU SHOULD!), this wouldn’t be an issue. It also wasn’t a deal breaker for me, it just bugged me a little bit.

I loved the introduction of new characters, and the way that Conmael was tied into Blackthorn’s life – the changes that we saw in all of them were heartwarming to see. None of them were over the abuse they’d suffered, and we see Grim have several flashbacks during this novel, but it was all handled in a way that felt real to me.

Den of Wolves felt like a really good conclusion to the Blackthorn & Grim series to me, since this is the end of the contracted books in this series. If Marillier elects to continue with the series after this, I will look forward to reading it. You can pick it up on Indiebound, Amazon, or at your preferred bookseller! This was a four star read for me, due to the borrowing from other series’, but it was still a good book.

Juliet has been a full-time writer for about twelve years, after working as a music teacher and public servant. She was born in Dunedin, New Zealand – the most Scottish city outside Scotland itself – but now lives in Western Australia. Juliet’s novels combine historical fiction, folkloric fantasy, romance and family drama. The strong elements of history and folklore in her work reflect her lifelong interest in both fields. However, her stories focus above all on human relationships and the personal journeys of the characters.

Juliet is currently working on the Blackthorn & Grim series of historical fantasy/mysteries for adult readers. Her earlier books include the Sevenwaters series, set in early medieval Ireland, the Viking duology Saga of the Light Isles, the Bridei Chronicles, set in the kingdom of the Picts, and two series for young adults, the Wildwood books and the Shadowfell books. She has also written a stand-alone novel, Heart’s Blood, based on the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, and a collection of short fiction, Prickle Moon. Juliet’s short fiction can be found in various anthologies.

Juliet has won many awards for her writing, including five Aurealis Awards and four Sir Julius Vogel Awards, as well as the American Library Association’s Alex Award and the Prix Imaginales.

Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound and Amazon are affiliate links, which means that if you buy through those links, I will make a small amount of money off of it.