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Daughter of the Wolves
Game of Thrones meets Squid Games in this standalone introducing the Feastday Crusades, a time of celebration of culture and the best fighters Hafod has to offer. In secret, it is better known as The Killing Corral--a place where death was all but guaranteed save for a few who will open the doors to fame and fortune instead. The talented few. The blessed. The lucky.
Clan, family, duty—the tenets of the Oren-yaro are clear: you are swords first, servants first. Yet no one expects much from the youngest daughter, not even when your family is sworn to the wolves who rule the land. At an age when most of her sisters have wed and borne children, Anira remain nursemaid to a decrepit father and an ailing mother, forgotten by a world moving too fast for her liking. When her elder brother deserts Warlord Yeshin's army, she is forced to step up to save her family from disgrace.
Plunged into a world of bloodshed, Anira becomes the unlikely last link to a tyrant's plans as she is tasked with bringing home the first dragon their kingdom has seen in decades. The arrival of a mercenary band, hell-bent on the same goal, creates a rivalry between her and their stubborn, unyielding leader. With her family's freedom on the line, Anira must risk vengeful ancients, debased rituals, and a tournament from hell, all to seize the prize.
When death comes calling, who will pay the price for her allegiance?
Clan, family, duty—the tenets of the Oren-yaro are clear: you are swords first, servants first. Yet no one expects much from the youngest daughter, not even when your family is sworn to the wolves who rule the land. At an age when most of her sisters have wed and borne children, Anira remain nursemaid to a decrepit father and an ailing mother, forgotten by a world moving too fast for her liking. When her elder brother deserts Warlord Yeshin's army, she is forced to step up to save her family from disgrace.
Plunged into a world of bloodshed, Anira becomes the unlikely last link to a tyrant's plans as she is tasked with bringing home the first dragon their kingdom has seen in decades. The arrival of a mercenary band, hell-bent on the same goal, creates a rivalry between her and their stubborn, unyielding leader. With her family's freedom on the line, Anira must risk vengeful ancients, debased rituals, and a tournament from hell, all to seize the prize.
When death comes calling, who will pay the price for her allegiance?
444 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2022
15 people are currently reading
4054 people want to read
About the author
K.S. Villoso
20 books691 followersI write character-driven epic fantasy with huge doses of horror, angst, and frustratingly tangled character relationships. You can read more about my work at my website:
http://www.ksvilloso.com
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K.S. Villoso was born in a dank hospital on an afternoon in Albay, Philippines, and things have generally been okay since then. After spending most of her childhood in a slum area in Taguig (where she dodged death-defying traffic, ate questionable food, and fell into open-pit sewers more often than one ought to), she and her family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, where they spent the better part of two decades trying to chase the North American Dream. She is now living amidst the forest and mountains with her family, children, and dogs in Anmore, BC.
http://www.ksvilloso.com
__
K.S. Villoso was born in a dank hospital on an afternoon in Albay, Philippines, and things have generally been okay since then. After spending most of her childhood in a slum area in Taguig (where she dodged death-defying traffic, ate questionable food, and fell into open-pit sewers more often than one ought to), she and her family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, where they spent the better part of two decades trying to chase the North American Dream. She is now living amidst the forest and mountains with her family, children, and dogs in Anmore, BC.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 28, 2022
Y'all ain't ready for how good this is. Signed, this book's editor. 😆
March 28, 2022
For a standalone book, it's a strong one!
I'm impressed how the author incorporated duty, class struggles, racism, and more!) in this novel.
I have so many bookmarked quotes because Villoso really knows what she is talking about. 👌
Another great thing is that compared with Chronicles of the Bitch Queen, this book really dwelled on the fantasy genre.
(Did I mention that we finally have queer characters?)
Objectively speaking, I can give 5 stars!
However, I was a bit underwhelmed with the romance because it's not a slow burn at all skskz😅
I'm impressed how the author incorporated duty, class struggles, racism, and more!) in this novel.
I have so many bookmarked quotes because Villoso really knows what she is talking about. 👌
Another great thing is that compared with Chronicles of the Bitch Queen, this book really dwelled on the fantasy genre.
(Did I mention that we finally have queer characters?)
Objectively speaking, I can give 5 stars!
However, I was a bit underwhelmed with the romance because it's not a slow burn at all skskz😅
March 16, 2022
*2.5
This started off really good. Set in a world I was already familiar with, it was nice to see it through other perspectives. But after the first few chapters and the switch in POV, it unfortunately went downhill for me. This book had good prose and characterization, plot-wise it was a bit messy for me.
Anira was a good, strong protagonist and like every character here, she could be irrational. This was probably the major drawback for me, this was a very character-driven book, and each character's decision just seemed to make everything all the messier. The more I think about it, some events weren't exactly confusing, although definitely not very logical. I get that this is fantasy, but a little more explanation or sense still could have worked. The ending wasn't bad, my dislike of it can be pointed to personal tastes or preferences.
If you want action on the other hand, this book was not a letdown on this regard. It didn't bore me, it was in fact very easy to get through compared to the author's other books in my opinion. And similar to those, Daughter of the Wolves was relentless when it came to jumping from one event to the other. I just can't say they were all necessary though.
Also, this had a touch of Filipino culture I had not seen in any other book before and I'm pleasantly surprised with its inclusion.
Thanks to the publisher for the arc.
This started off really good. Set in a world I was already familiar with, it was nice to see it through other perspectives. But after the first few chapters and the switch in POV, it unfortunately went downhill for me. This book had good prose and characterization, plot-wise it was a bit messy for me.
Anira was a good, strong protagonist and like every character here, she could be irrational. This was probably the major drawback for me, this was a very character-driven book, and each character's decision just seemed to make everything all the messier. The more I think about it, some events weren't exactly confusing, although definitely not very logical. I get that this is fantasy, but a little more explanation or sense still could have worked. The ending wasn't bad, my dislike of it can be pointed to personal tastes or preferences.
If you want action on the other hand, this book was not a letdown on this regard. It didn't bore me, it was in fact very easy to get through compared to the author's other books in my opinion. And similar to those, Daughter of the Wolves was relentless when it came to jumping from one event to the other. I just can't say they were all necessary though.
Also, this had a touch of Filipino culture I had not seen in any other book before and I'm pleasantly surprised with its inclusion.
Thanks to the publisher for the arc.
March 15, 2023
Daughter of the Wolves, by K. S. Villoso is a fast-paced adventure-filled sword and sorcery book filled with magic and battles and shifting loyalties, and amazing complex characters. It's kind of a follow-up, chronologically, to Blackwood Marauders and features some returning characters, as well as featuring some characters from Villoso's Agartes Epilogues and Wolf of Oren-Yaro. I love each dive I take into this fantasy world. Agos-agan feels real and each glimpse I get into it just makes me want to re-read all the other books and trace character paths and look at the maps of the world. But what I love most about Villoso's writing is those gut-wrenchingly accurate portrayals of how it feels to be an outsider, how it feels to try and communicate with people who don't understand you, etc.
Daughter of the Wolves focuses on Anira, a relative of the Warlord of Oren-Yaro, who finds herself caught up in this crazy adventure when her brother, the soldier, makes a stupid mistake that could put the whole family in danger. She leaves her home to try and find a solution to the problem, only to find herself stuck in even bigger intrigues and problems than she could have imagined.
Anira's path crosses that of Luc and the rest of the Blackwood Marauders when they're all sent after a magical beast that is more dangerous than any of them could have ever imagined.
Just like the author's other books this one has quite a bit of violence, living up the sword and sorcery title for sure, and it can get quite dark and gruesome. But at the same time there's character development and deep explorations of power and its effects on people and fleshed out relationships and friendships and complex family and found-family dynamics. This is why I keep coming back for Kay's books and I keep reading page after page even if some scenes are a bit tough to handle. To be honest, sometimes the characters' deep realizations and dialogue strike a lot deeper than the actual violence!
There's romance - and very pretty intimate scene or two - as well, and even Roena (the character from Blackwood Marauders that I really despised) makes an appearance, but I was satisfied with the way Luc and Roena's relationship developed/was explored and it made up for the difficult to get through scenes in Blackwood Marauders.
Also, and without spoiling, a few key characters from the Agartes Epilogues/Legacy of the Lost Mage reappear for a short while and I absolutely loved it. Everything fits in and is tied up well enough at the end, with this story being a standalone that can absolutely be read on its own, but once you're read a few of Villoso's books you start to see little connections between them - just appearances from one story to another, that make the whole experience so much more awesome.
I highly recommend checking out K. S. Villoso's works in general, and Daughter of the Wolves in particular might be a good place to start if you like sword and sorcery and just want to dip your feet into the world - in an explosive fashion...
Daughter of the Wolves focuses on Anira, a relative of the Warlord of Oren-Yaro, who finds herself caught up in this crazy adventure when her brother, the soldier, makes a stupid mistake that could put the whole family in danger. She leaves her home to try and find a solution to the problem, only to find herself stuck in even bigger intrigues and problems than she could have imagined.
Anira's path crosses that of Luc and the rest of the Blackwood Marauders when they're all sent after a magical beast that is more dangerous than any of them could have ever imagined.
Just like the author's other books this one has quite a bit of violence, living up the sword and sorcery title for sure, and it can get quite dark and gruesome. But at the same time there's character development and deep explorations of power and its effects on people and fleshed out relationships and friendships and complex family and found-family dynamics. This is why I keep coming back for Kay's books and I keep reading page after page even if some scenes are a bit tough to handle. To be honest, sometimes the characters' deep realizations and dialogue strike a lot deeper than the actual violence!
There's romance - and very pretty intimate scene or two - as well, and even Roena (the character from Blackwood Marauders that I really despised) makes an appearance, but I was satisfied with the way Luc and Roena's relationship developed/was explored and it made up for the difficult to get through scenes in Blackwood Marauders.
Also, and without spoiling, a few key characters from the Agartes Epilogues/Legacy of the Lost Mage reappear for a short while and I absolutely loved it. Everything fits in and is tied up well enough at the end, with this story being a standalone that can absolutely be read on its own, but once you're read a few of Villoso's books you start to see little connections between them - just appearances from one story to another, that make the whole experience so much more awesome.
I highly recommend checking out K. S. Villoso's works in general, and Daughter of the Wolves in particular might be a good place to start if you like sword and sorcery and just want to dip your feet into the world - in an explosive fashion...
August 1, 2022
A fantastic story, and a stunning cover!
This story packs a punch right out of the gate, and continues to surprise throughout. There are times when I wasn't quite sure who to root for, but the true nasties didn't take too long to reveal themselves, and, well, they are particularly *need a punch in the face nasty.
In her attempts to honour and protect her family–and after a series of rather unfortunate events–the MC finds herself in increasingly hopeless, and extremely dangerous situations. Finding both allies and enemies in unusual places, it's hard to know who to trust and that's the impetus at the heart of this awesome story.
I love this world and will definitely be reading more of this author's work
This story packs a punch right out of the gate, and continues to surprise throughout. There are times when I wasn't quite sure who to root for, but the true nasties didn't take too long to reveal themselves, and, well, they are particularly *need a punch in the face nasty.
In her attempts to honour and protect her family–and after a series of rather unfortunate events–the MC finds herself in increasingly hopeless, and extremely dangerous situations. Finding both allies and enemies in unusual places, it's hard to know who to trust and that's the impetus at the heart of this awesome story.
I love this world and will definitely be reading more of this author's work
April 7, 2022
Devoured this book in just two days. Anira is a BAMF. That is all.
Though I will say this: here's to hoping this isn't the end of the story.
Though I will say this: here's to hoping this isn't the end of the story.
May 22, 2023
A quick paced story about skilled fighters and their swordfights... No.A lot of fighting among many people? Still no. Really, it is about people pitted against bad odds and (in)humanity of others. About their sources of strength, and each individual's beliefs shaping what they remain, when faced with the worst.
Another piece of history of Jin-Sayeng, people in it and around it. Another piece of a puzzle, or a stone block in the staircase of madness, hard to say which.
In my opinion, an interesting read, though it does leave a faint feeling there ought to be something more. Whether other books about that realm will answer my questions or not, time will tell.
Another piece of history of Jin-Sayeng, people in it and around it. Another piece of a puzzle, or a stone block in the staircase of madness, hard to say which.
In my opinion, an interesting read, though it does leave a faint feeling there ought to be something more. Whether other books about that realm will answer my questions or not, time will tell.
September 25, 2022
Daughter of the Wolves
This is a very unusual fantasy in a world peopled by strange sentient beings. The story held my attention more than two other books I am reading.
There is violence to the point I don’t recommend the book for youngsters.
I have the ebook and there are occasional editing mistakes such as repeating words or several words. This is not enough to detract from the story but annoying.
This is a very unusual fantasy in a world peopled by strange sentient beings. The story held my attention more than two other books I am reading.
There is violence to the point I don’t recommend the book for youngsters.
I have the ebook and there are occasional editing mistakes such as repeating words or several words. This is not enough to detract from the story but annoying.
March 14, 2023
I loved Chronicles of the Bitch Queen so much that in some ways, this book had a mountain of preexisting expectations to overcome. I think I would have liked it more if I hadn’t been so infatuated with the trilogy.
Time moved so strangely in this book. The first quarter of the book seemed to take place over a few days (not even sure, to be honest) and yet the next two quarters of the book took place over 3 months. It just felt too slow and too rushed, all at the same time.
Time moved so strangely in this book. The first quarter of the book seemed to take place over a few days (not even sure, to be honest) and yet the next two quarters of the book took place over 3 months. It just felt too slow and too rushed, all at the same time.
April 15, 2022
Actual rating: 3.5/5
Villoso certainly knows how to write characters that make me both like and hate them at the same time. They make mistakes, they are naive, they don't always do the right thing. I think that's why some of these characters irk me so much, they felt human and they remind me of myself. They don't feel like mere ink on papers. Can't say the same about most of the books I read
Villoso certainly knows how to write characters that make me both like and hate them at the same time. They make mistakes, they are naive, they don't always do the right thing. I think that's why some of these characters irk me so much, they felt human and they remind me of myself. They don't feel like mere ink on papers. Can't say the same about most of the books I read
July 21, 2022
DNF. This book could have really benefited from a detailed map...
July 11, 2024
Another EPIC female-lead, action-packed story by this author!
I had a wonderful time with this book. Returning to this world is always such a joy for me. I love that all of these books are set in the same universe. We get crossover characters from everywhere and it was awesome.
This is an indirect sequel to the Blackwood Marauders in a way. It follows a young woman coming into the political sphere. We see her tackle with loyalty, honour, class, womanhood and family (amongst so many other things). We get returning characters of course from Blackwood Marauders, but also from Chronicles of the Bitch Queen and (apparently) Legacy of the Lost Mage.
As a big themes girly, Villoso always scratches my itch, shinning light on conversations she wants to have with the world. The plot is always easy to keep my focus and keeps me turning the pages. I always feel immersed in the world and each book adds to the rich tapestry she's weaving. But the shinning star as always with this author is the character work. This protagonist was absolutely kick ass but not a Mary Sue in sight. She was raw and real and flawed but I was still so in awe of her.
Loved this book and I can't wait for more.
I had a wonderful time with this book. Returning to this world is always such a joy for me. I love that all of these books are set in the same universe. We get crossover characters from everywhere and it was awesome.
This is an indirect sequel to the Blackwood Marauders in a way. It follows a young woman coming into the political sphere. We see her tackle with loyalty, honour, class, womanhood and family (amongst so many other things). We get returning characters of course from Blackwood Marauders, but also from Chronicles of the Bitch Queen and (apparently) Legacy of the Lost Mage.
As a big themes girly, Villoso always scratches my itch, shinning light on conversations she wants to have with the world. The plot is always easy to keep my focus and keeps me turning the pages. I always feel immersed in the world and each book adds to the rich tapestry she's weaving. But the shinning star as always with this author is the character work. This protagonist was absolutely kick ass but not a Mary Sue in sight. She was raw and real and flawed but I was still so in awe of her.
Loved this book and I can't wait for more.
January 29, 2025
2.5 🌟 This book was kind of all over the place ?? The pacing was off and the most of the characters felt very 1-dimensional. I wish the story would’ve focused more on the warlords and sibling relationship. Adding the romance and magical element felt like a very random decision thus leading to the book having multiple plots and events but they’re all coming out of nowhere. I just felt like some things could’ve been tied together better than that. However, despite what people seem to say, I DID enjoy the ending. I liked how it was kind of an open ending and it felt pretty realistic.
Side note: almost ALL the characters had no physical descriptions?? Like when they did it was just occasionally the hair color or the skin tone there but other than that none of the characters were physically described.
Side note: almost ALL the characters had no physical descriptions?? Like when they did it was just occasionally the hair color or the skin tone there but other than that none of the characters were physically described.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews