The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman is the first book of the Wolf King trilogy a werewolf fantasy romance that you’ve probably seen all over BookTok as the sensational new romantasy series. Having always been partial to werewolf romances, I jumped right in once I kept seeing it everywhere.
Princess Aurora, the daughter of the King of the mortal realm, is betrothed to Sebastian, a cruel man ruling the borderlands. Aurora has been treated like a doll her entire life, always seen but never heard. On the eve of her wedding night, Aurora saves the life of a young wolf, Ryan, when Sebastian pits him against an alpha wolf in his fighting rings.
Later, the alpha Callum escapes and kidnaps Aurora. His plan is to present her to the Wolf King and ransom her back to Sebastian in exchange for the Heart of the Moon.
Aurora finds herself among her enemy species, wolves who hate her kind for what humans have done to them. She begins spending time with Callum and another mysterious and cunning alpha, Blake. The headstrong princess tries to earn her freedom in the Northlands while finding herself falling for the alpha of a werewolf clan, fighting a forbidden attraction and becoming entangled in a much darker plot.
I enjoyed The Wolf King, especially in audiobook format. It’s a romantasy that checks every box: yearning, good plot, werewolves, magic, and some court scheming. It does have some shortcomings, like a flat FMC who lacks depth or agency, but it’s still a fun and fast fantasy romance.
Read our full recap and review of The Wolf King below!
This post contains spoilers.
The Wolf King
Description
Tropes
- Werewolves
- Magic
- Captive Princess
- Forbidden Romance
Review
Overall Impressions 😊
Overall, this was a fun and fast romantasy read. It had all the elements I was hoping for — a decent plot, werewolves (obviously, that’s what drew me in), and a healthy dose of fantasy escapism.
It actually exceeded my expectations, mostly because I went in expecting another TikTok hype flop (sorry BookTok, but the recs have been off lately). What this book does really well is deliver those Outlander vibes while blending them seamlessly with werewolf lore and romantic tension.
I did have some gripes with the characters (more on that later), but it still gave me exactly what I wanted, adventure, yearning, possessive alphas, and the misty Scottish countryside dripping with magic.
Perfect For Fans Of… 🌟
So this is advertised as A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Outlander, and that’s sort of true, if you think Outlander vibes mean Scotland. I always consider Outlander as more time travel, older FMC, star crossed overs, and this isn’t quite that. But the atmosphere is definitely Outlander.
It also reminded me of classic regency romances, like old school Judith McNaught romances. I think that’s mainly the FMC, though she’s straight out of the Victorian eras.
The magic and werewolves took me to other werewolf romances I enjoy, particularly Bride. Something about alpha males being very possessive in a biological way is very compelling to me. If it is compelling for you as well, then this is a great read.
And finally, if you’re the kind of reader that roots for the villain, not an evil one but a clever, scheming one, this one is 100 percent for you.
Characters 👥
Aurora is the main character of the series. She is the only daughter of the king of the realms who has been a “doll,” a “trophy,” seen but never heard. Princess Aurora longs for freedom and misses her mother, who passed away while she was young.
Most of all, Aurora (or Rory, as Callum calls her) is inconsistent. She’s well-versed in court dynamics and knows how to manipulate people, but she’s also immensely naive. She’s flat, her entire existence revolving around being the object of desire for the alphas. She’s somehow clever and very obtuse at the same time.
And she spends the majority of the book gasping “Callum!” anytime something happens between them. She is fine, just very mediocre in a sea of mediocre FMCs.
Callum is your textbook knight in shining armor MMC. He’s the honorable alpha who “kidnaps” the princess to help her earn her freedom. He’s sweet, kind, caring, and gentle. This attractive blonde man is everything you’d want in real life, which is exactly why I lost interest in him very quickly.
His accent is delicious in the audiobook, and he’s boyishly charming. But I’m a villain kind of girl, so he’s meh.
And then there’s Blake. Well. There we go. He is the multi-faceted character. The black sheep of the Northlands clan, Blake is half wolf, half mortal. He’s cunning, full of ulterior motives, has a filthy mouth, and clearly has something going on for Aurora.
With how the book ended, if this doesn’t turn into a why-choose, I will scream. Even for Blake alone, I would read the next book, even if I wasn’t so enthralled by everything else in it.
Plot 🗺️
This was a great story. It has everything I wanted: a kidnapped princess, lore that I can dive into, a lot of events and worldbuilding, court scheming, good romance, even better yearning, and decent spice. Very engaging for sure.
It didn’t have any slower beats. There was something going on all the time, and I didn’t have random filler chapters, which was great.
The plot progressed as expected. However, although I saw the dynamics we’d be landing on at the end, I didn’t see the specific mechanics of it coming, and it’s definitely an interesting take I missed. It left me wanting to read the next book for sure.
I am looking forward to The Night Prince, but I swear if it doesn’t turn into a why choose, or we don’t get more depth in Callum or Aurora, I will cry.
My Favorite Quote to Hook You 📣
“I think I will always take his hand, if he offers it to me.”
Lauren Palphreyman, The Wolf King
Writing Style and Narration ✍️
The prose of Lauren Palphreyman is mystical and ethereal without being too verbose, which is perfect for this cozy series.
I listened to it through my library’s audiobook copy. This is a duet narration, so while the story is from Aurora’s point of view, the male voices are done by male narrators, and their accents are amazing. The only downside was the low or slightly muffled audio quality, though that might have just been my library’s copy.
I found the banter between characters adorable, and Blake especially witty. But I got tired of the one-worded quip backs from Aurora pretty quickly. Her reaction to almost everything was either “Brute!” or a gaspy “Callum!”
I’d love to see the clever princess we’re told she is on the page actually show up a bit more in future installments.
The Wolf King Synopsis
Princess Aurora Gets Kidnapped
Princess Aurora is the only daughter of the King of the Southlands. The mortals are at war with the wolves of the Northlands. Aurora is engaged to Sebastian, the ruler of the Borderlands. Sebastian is a cruel and vile man. He makes werewolves fight like a dog fight.
Aurora feels trapped and insignificant. When Sebastian puts an Alpha wolf, Callum, and a young wolf, Ryan, Aurora intervenes for the young wolf’s life. It draws the attention the alpha.
Later that night, Aurora sneaks into the kennels to patch up Ryan, the young wolf whose shoulder is dislocated. Callum taunts Aurora and offers to help Ryan. Aurora helps Ryan heal and leaves, but not before Callum tells her he’ll be seeing her when he escapes.
The same night which also happens to be the night before her wedding to Sebastian, Aurora wakes up to fighting in the castle. Callum arrives to her room. He offers her a choice, run and be free or come with him as a captive but remain protected. Aurora chooses to go with him with the hopes that she can earn her freedom.
They travel through the land, getting to know one another. Aurora finds out that the wolves have a King, someone who managed to unite once warring werewolf clans. She also finds out that Callum wants to trade Aurora in exchange for the Heart of the Moon, a magical artifact that can bestow the wolves powers. He promises no one will touch her and he’ll figure out a way for Aurora to earn her freedom once the trade is made.
Adjusting to Life in the Wolflands
Aurora finds herself despised by everyone around her. The wolves dislike the mortals because of what they have been doing to their people. After arriving into the castle, Aurora and Callum find out that James, the Wolf King, is sorting skirmishes out in the borders and is not present. Therefore he cannot offer protection to Aurora she needs.
Callum finds an alternative solution. As a part of the wolf tradition, a wolf can gift a female a collar of his clan, meaning she is his and she is to be protected. Aurora finds the offer demeaning, but eventually agrees getting under Callum’s protection.
She meets Blake a half wolf, half mortal alpha with a Southern accent who is cunning and also the healer. Blake recognizes Aurora from his time in the human lands and promises not to reveal her identity to the wolves as the Princess. Callum and Aurora wonder what Blake is planning but are relieved that Rory can pass as a kitchen maid until James, the Wolf King, returns.
Sebastian continues hunting for Aurora, his stolen bride to be.
Aurora begins working in the kitchens to earn her keep and read healing books in her rooms to pass the time. Callum keeps visiting her and the two get close, and even somewhat intimate.
Ryan returns from the journey back from the mortal lands and is poisoned by wolfsbane. Blake heals him as an expert of wolfbane poisoning.
Aurora finds a home away from home in the northlands with Callum and begins wondering if she wants to leave.
The full moon arrives and the wolves shift. Aurora hears someone screaming and worries it’s Ryan. She finds Blake, resisting the call of the moon. When Blake is unable to resist the shifting, he tells Aurora to run. In order to hide Aurora’s scent from the others he marks her in his wolf form.
The next day, Callum finds Aurora in the woods, and is frustrated that Aurora smells like Blake. He wants to instead make her smell like him. Aurora let’s him bath her.
Callum Leaves to Help James
After their encounter, Aurora falls asleep in Callum’s bed. When she wakes she finds Callum gone. She finds out he’s gone to the border to help James. Aurora realizes while asleep, someone took the collar Callum has given her. She suspects Isla, a young wolf with a crush on Callum.
Wandering the rugged lands without Callum’s protection, she runs into Magnus and a few of the other wolves. Since she doesn’t have a collar they attempt to take advantage of her. Blake arrives however and puts a black collar on her, much to Aurora’s dismay. Finding herself in the radar of the powerful alpha everyone seems to be afraid, Aurora considers her choices.
When Callum returns with James, he tells Aurora he left a note for her. Aurora tells her Isla must have taken the note in addition to the collar. Callum is wounded however, shot by a bullet covered in wolfsbane. Blake saves his life, once again showing that he needs Callum alive for his own plans.
Callum wakes and makes up with Aurora. Aurora gets ready to meet James. She finds out that James is Callum’s brother, and when their father passed they were pit against one another for the wolf throne. While James has the support of local clans, Callum has wider support by the father away clans. However he has no interest in winning, so he let James have the throne. But since James didn’t win the throne, Callum’s presence makes him look weak.
Aurora meets with James who asserts his dominance immediately. He is enraged by Callum’s attachment to Aurora, given that she is their enemy’s princess and they are on the brink of full out war. However she lets Aurora stay.
That night there is a feast. Blake asks to dance with Aurora which makes Callum jealous. Later that night, Callum asks Aurora to leave with him as James is planning to turn her in in exchange for the Heart of the Moon after all. They run into Blake on their way, who let’s them go. The princess and the alpha escapes.
They ride for Highfell, Callum’s seat of power. When they stop by a lake, Callum professes his love for her and the two of them finally have sex.
The Wolf King Ending Explained
The next morning, Callum hunts for game. James’s men find them. Blake betrays them and turns them in. Aurora is held captive, and Callum is put into dungeons. James gives Aurora a choice, marry him and become the mortal Queen of the wolves or be traded back to Sebastian for the Heart of the Moon. Aurora refuses and is taken back to her cell.
Blake visits her in his cell and tells her to accept the marriage proposal. When Aurora questions his game, he sticks to his usual mo and tells her she needs to play the game to find out. Aurora, bound in chains, attacks Blake and they share an intimate moment with obvious tension between them.
Aurora is taken back to James for her final decision which she refuses. She tells him she can’t marry him because she’s in love with Callum. She instead offers to kill Sebastian for him and be with Callum. James laughs at her.
Sebastian arrives to trade Aurora for the Heart of the Moon. James gives Aurora a blade and tells her she can kill Sebastian and is welcome back in his lands if she survives. But he also says the wolves will fight no matter what.
Aurora is given back to Sebastian who questions her virginity. She is taken to a carriage and Sebastian accuses her with sleeping with one of the wolves. Aurora tries to seduce Sebastian to get close enough to kill him while the wolves attack.
James in his wolf worm crashes into the carriage given Aurora the opening to slit Sebastian’s throat. However the wolf instincts take over James’s conscioussnes and he attacks Aurora. He bites her.
Blake and Callum arrive but Aurora is losing too much blood. Blake tells Callum he can share his life force with her and bind them together, saving her life. Callum reluctantly agrees. The magic would only work for Aurora if she is at least part wolf though, which she appears to be.
Blake saves Aurora’s life. Aurora finds out her mother was a wolf and was poisoned by wolfsbane. When she wakes back up, she realizes her life is saved but she formed a bond with Blake. They can feel what each other feel, hurt when the other hurts and are intimately intertwined with one another.
Callum is enraged by James’s offer to marry her and take what’s his. He decides to take the throne from his brother after all.
Aurora realizes Blake’s game. He wants Callum to take the throne and then challenge Callum. Since Callum is in love with her however, and her life is tied to Blake’s he can’t hurt or challenge him so Callum will have to give up the throne without fighting for it.
With her inner wolf awakened, Aurora vows to beat Blake in his own game.
The Wolf King Spicy Chapters
How Spicy is The Wolf King (Book 1): 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Whether you want to get to the heat or want closed-door modifications here’s the list of spicy chapters below.
- Chapter 36
- Chapter 43
- Chapter 51
- Chapter 52
Tinfoil Hats On: The Wolf King Book 2 Predictions
- It turns into a why choose (a girl can hope)
- Aurora’s mother is the moon(?), Aurora is the moon(?)
- Aurora is a white wolf she saw in her dream
So did I enjoy The Wolf King? Yes, it’s a great time and total brain candy. I have a kryptonite for villain characters and werewolves, so I’ll definitely keep reading. It’s not very deep, but it is a fun ride.
I’ll hold off on final judgment of the characters until I read the second and third books when they come out in 2026. But for me, this was a solid romantasy escape that made my time very enjoyable.
I am hoping for more character depth, a few more betrayals, and better audio quality in the future though.
Did you like The Wolf King? How did it compare to The Night Prince? And what’s your favorite werewolf romance? Let me know in the comments!
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