More importantly, Blackthorn is a strong female character with agency and a struggle of her own she’s no passive princess awaiting her knight in shining armor. Marillier’s version has first-person romance, something (mostly) denied Cadfael as a Benedictine monk.

The community nature of the relational landscape imbues the story with flavor.īlackthorn and Grim are, to me, the new Cadfael: I read nearly every one of Ellis Peters’s Cadfael novels for their mystery, their romance and my love of Cadfael himself. Marillier’s characters are engaging and, for the most part, lovable. In the cold harsh light of day Den of Wolves follows a well-loved path through the various heroes journeys. She also struggles with the thought of loving anyone ever again because she doesn’t want to ever again experience the depth of suffering caused by losing her family. Meanwhile Grim goes to work at Wolf Glen with the mysterious wild man, rebuilding a Heart House that is supposed to magically protect the lord of the manor.īlackthorn struggles with her need for vengeance against the tribal chief who murdered her husband and son. Tribal conflict calls the royals away so Blackthorn babysits the 15-year-old.

This has nothing to do with the wild man, no, of course not. Cara’s father sends her to visit the princess (see book one) to allegedly ‘acquire some court polish’ in the hopes of marrying her off. [Beseeching look at Marillier.)Īnyhoo, Blackthorn and Grim are going about their business, not discussing what happened at the end of the previous novel, which amounted to a declaration of true love by Grim for Blackthorn.Ĭara, a teenager with whimsical tendencies - think Luna Lovegood but obsessed with Wolf Glen the property and the nearby forest - is up a tree when a wild man wanders by. Den of Wolves is the third and, presumably, the final in Marillier’s Blackthorn and Grim series although I’d love more.

Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier