The Wolf of Oren-Yaro

by K. S. Villoso

Overview

"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

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316532631
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	07/23/2019
Series:	Chronicles of the Wolf Queen , #1
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	127,278
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

K.S. Villoso writes speculative fiction with a focus on deeply personal themes and character-driven narratives. Much of her work is inspired by her childhood in the slums of Taguig, Philippines. She is now living amidst the forest and mountains with her husband, children, and dogs in Anmore, BC.

Editorial Reviews

★ 11/01/2019

DEBUT The War of the Wolves nearly destroyed Jen-Sayeng, but the arranged marriage of Talyien of Oren-yaro to Rayyel of Ikessar would unite the nation. However, the night before they were crowned, Taliyen killed a man and Rayyel left, so Queen Taliyen holds power alone. Five years later, Talyien slips away from her home and her young son with a few guards, in hopes of a reconciliation with her estranged husband. What happens instead is an assassination attempt and a journey that takes her far from home, using her strength and wits to battle the forces that attempt to unseat her from her throne. The path that led to peace is strewn with hard emotions, bitter rivals, and power plays, leaving Taliyen to figure out if there is anyone she can trust. VERDICT Readers will be swept in by this strong protagonist and stunning worldbuilding, with a plot full of questions and surprises. Villoso's cunning, exciting debut is a new fantasy epic that readers will clamor for.—Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

Library Journal

"The Wolf of Oren-yaro is intricate, intimate, and intensely plotted. Full of subtle poignancy and remarkably genuine characters-even the rotten ones. I loved this book."—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

"A powerful new voice in epic fantasy. Villoso deftly creates an intricate and compelling world of high fantasy intrigue and adventure dominated by a crafty, whip-smart heroine determined to unite her kingdom at any cost."—Kameron Hurley, author of The Light Brigade

"Intimate and epic. It compels you to read on, because it's a story about people not characters, civilizations not settings, and deadly power plays not sanitized throne-room politics."—Evan Winter, author of The Rage of Dragons

"Deeply compelling and wonderfully entertaining, The Wolf of Oren-yaro feels at once timely and timeless. K. S. Villoso's lush and finely crafted world envelops readers from the first page, as she takes us on an adventure full of heartache, hope, and triumph. It's a fabulous read!"—Josiah Bancroft, author of Senlin Ascends

"A tale balanced on the blade's-edge between intrigue and action - and then Villoso twists the knife."—Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Gutter Prayer

"Delivers complex and intriguing characters, and an action-packed plot full of surprising twists and deep, vivid world building."—Melissa Caruso, author of The Tethered Mage

"[A] remarkable tale of nonstop tension, action, and betrayal . . . This excellent work will appeal to all readers of epic fantasy."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Readers will be swept in by this strong protagonist and stunning worldbuilding, with a plot full of questions and surprises. Villoso's cunning, exciting debut is a new fantasy epic that readers will clamor for."—Library Journal (starred review)

“Villoso’s debut has superb world building and complex character development, and never gets overburdened by either.”—BookPage’s Best Books of 2020

"Villoso's debut draws on Filipino culture and myths to create a detailed fantasy world and uses the first person narrative of a beleaguered queen to explore a tale of secrets, lies, betrayal, and treason."—Booklist

"K.S. Villoso's The Wolf of Oren-yaro is a fascinating read, driven by a well-drawn cast of characters in a beautifully imagined world."—Book Page

"The Wolf of Oren-yaro is a high-fantasy thrill ride that fans of the genre will appreciate, particularly those thirsting for a strong female main character."—Ars Technica

"K.S. Villoso dismantled the heavily stereotyped strong female character within epic fantasy and built it anew. Queen Talyien is flawed, beautifully so, making her one of the more realistic female characters I've read to date."—Hypable

From the Publisher

Catherine Ho narrates an epic, and somewhat grim, fantasy. Queen Talyien was supposed to unite the kingdom of Jin-Sayeng by marrying, but her husband, Rayyel, left on the day of their coronation. Five years later she has an unexpected opportunity to reconnect with him. Ho’s portrayal of Queen Talyien captures the full range of her emotions as they swing wildly between anger and betrayal to confidence and pride—plus everything else that the complex plot dredges up in her. There is a very large cast of secondary characters, as well as frequent flashbacks, so Ho’s inconsistent portrayals of some characters, in particular, Khine (a friend) and Lo Bahn (a foe), can be frustrating. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2020 - AudioFile

Catherine Ho narrates an epic, and somewhat grim, fantasy. Queen Talyien was supposed to unite the kingdom of Jin-Sayeng by marrying, but her husband, Rayyel, left on the day of their coronation. Five years later she has an unexpected opportunity to reconnect with him. Ho’s portrayal of Queen Talyien captures the full range of her emotions as they swing wildly between anger and betrayal to confidence and pride—plus everything else that the complex plot dredges up in her. There is a very large cast of secondary characters, as well as frequent flashbacks, so Ho’s inconsistent portrayals of some characters, in particular, Khine (a friend) and Lo Bahn (a foe), can be frustrating. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2020 - AudioFile