Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Content: A small amount of cursing, a non-descriptive sex scene


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 conclusion to the Blackthorn and Grim trilogy. Even though it was predictable, I think this book was my favorite of the three. I especially enjoyed the way the relationship between Blackthorn and Grim turned out. It was sweet with a slow build up and it remained an integral part of the story without taking over the whole story.

Finally we get answers about who Conmael is and why he saved Blackthorn from the prison, and also closure for Blackthorn with the whole Mathuin thing. I wasn't really sure why everything had to be so hush hush, but it was a good ending to that part of the story. Blackthorn was far less obsessed with getting justice in this book and was more focused on helping other people, which I think was good. It was what I wanted to see in the last book. The message about love and sacrifice in this book, and what and who is most important in life is one that I never get tired of and I enjoyed it immensely.

Feather bright and feather fine, None shall harm this child of mine...

The story of Cara and her father who is building a heartwood house for some mysterious reason was interesting, although I didn't really feel like we got a very good explanation for why her father was building the house in the first place or how he even learned about it. And then there was the wild man who returns after disappearing 15 years ago. It wasn't hard to figure out the connection between these characters, but the story was heartbreaking yet enchanting at the same time, and I loved it.

Overall this was a really good trilogy. Marillier continues to be one of my favorite authors, simply because of the beautiful way that she writes. It also doesn't hurt that I really enjoy the historical fantasy genre that she writes so well.