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Wolf's Bane
The Rovers have invaded the Southernlands, sending its inhabitants fleeing for respite. Waylaid in a defunct desert town, and reeling from revelations about his past, a powerful, emerging evil lures Kelen to seek vengeance. Though he resists, Kelen soon learns that the Shadow Man will not relent until a terrible, ancient claim is fulfilled.
As Marathana quails under the burgeoning darkness, Jeru’s clan looks to him to lead. Jeru, however, knows his path lies elsewhere. Leaving everything behind, he braves the Badlands, a hellish desertland where only the bravest dare tread, to awaken the latent spirit of the Papilion within him. Jeru learns much in that place of desolation, including one truth which could turn destiny on its head. Now more than ever, Kelen, the Wolf of the North, threatens everything he holds dear. Jeru must save the people he loves, or sacrifice them to save Marathana.
As Marathana quails under the burgeoning darkness, Jeru’s clan looks to him to lead. Jeru, however, knows his path lies elsewhere. Leaving everything behind, he braves the Badlands, a hellish desertland where only the bravest dare tread, to awaken the latent spirit of the Papilion within him. Jeru learns much in that place of desolation, including one truth which could turn destiny on its head. Now more than ever, Kelen, the Wolf of the North, threatens everything he holds dear. Jeru must save the people he loves, or sacrifice them to save Marathana.
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First published February 23, 2015
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About the author
Dyane Forde
10 books34 followersForde’s love of writing began with an early interest in reading and in words in general. She is a self-published author (Rise of the Papilion trilogy), founder of the free digital Christian art and lit publication, Lost Pen Magazine, as well as a freelance writer and editor. As an editor, Dyane’s goal is to help writers feel positive about their craft while assisting them in producing works they are proud of and are confident sharing with readers.
For information on the Lost Pen Magazine, the Spotlight Blog, submission details, and services offered, visit https://lostpenpublishing.com.
For information on the Lost Pen Magazine, the Spotlight Blog, submission details, and services offered, visit https://lostpenpublishing.com.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 19, 2015
Wolf’s Bane is Book 2 in the Rise of the Papilion Series. It’s a well-written story told from several points of view. The main characters here are Jeru, a Southlander, and Kelen, a warrior of North. Both of their points of view were done well, and while it was nice of the author to show Jeru and Nyssa’s relationships with their ups and downs, it was also enjoyable to read about Kelen who recollected bits of his childhood and wasn’t sure where he belonged anymore. The storyline is quite easy to follow, leading to the point where the two main characters meet, which for me was the most exciting moment. The book ends with a cliffhanger I didn’t see coming.
I can’t say there was a lot of action in the novel. The main focus was on Jeru and Kelen. Some of the other threads started in the book feel incomplete but hopefully will be dwelt on more closely in book 3.
If you loved the first book, I’m sure you’ll love the sequel. It’s a journey worth taking.
My rating of the novel: 4.5 stars.
Goodreads: 4 stars.
Amazon: 5 stars.
I can’t say there was a lot of action in the novel. The main focus was on Jeru and Kelen. Some of the other threads started in the book feel incomplete but hopefully will be dwelt on more closely in book 3.
If you loved the first book, I’m sure you’ll love the sequel. It’s a journey worth taking.
My rating of the novel: 4.5 stars.
Goodreads: 4 stars.
Amazon: 5 stars.
April 6, 2015
Wolf’s Bane, book 2 in the Rise of the Papilion Trilogy, moves the Papilion lore forward, transporting the reader on a fabulous journey with characters introduced in The Purple Morrow, and an intimate exploration of evil, sacrifice, and destiny. Author Dyane Forde once again makes delightful use of poetic-like prose to paint colorful scenes, vivid characters, and the fantastical world of Marathana.
All the more reason to lament Wolf’s Bane frequent lapses into weak verb and word choices, and passive voice, since this creates an unfortunate distraction from an otherwise cunningly crafted saga, captivating characters, and intricate world building. This type of mythical storytelling is well served by Dyane’s wonderful prose, and might have been an even more pleasurable read, had the author stretched the boundaries of normal compositional grammar and sentence structure. Dyane Forde certainly has the talent to bend grammar to her will, and the Papilion saga not only requires it, but deserves it.
Despite this, I enjoyed Wolf’s Bane, as I did The Purple Morrow. And I await Berserker, the final installment, with eager anticipation for how this fascinating tale will end.
All the more reason to lament Wolf’s Bane frequent lapses into weak verb and word choices, and passive voice, since this creates an unfortunate distraction from an otherwise cunningly crafted saga, captivating characters, and intricate world building. This type of mythical storytelling is well served by Dyane’s wonderful prose, and might have been an even more pleasurable read, had the author stretched the boundaries of normal compositional grammar and sentence structure. Dyane Forde certainly has the talent to bend grammar to her will, and the Papilion saga not only requires it, but deserves it.
Despite this, I enjoyed Wolf’s Bane, as I did The Purple Morrow. And I await Berserker, the final installment, with eager anticipation for how this fascinating tale will end.
February 21, 2016
When I started this book after reading 'The Purple Morrow' I wondered how Dyane Forde would follow it. In book two you get to find out more about the characters especially the two lead's Jeru and Kelen. We find out what links the two characters especially after the climax of book one, you are taken on a ride and a journey of their two entirely different worlds and for me it was a slow burn that thrilled me at the end. The last section of the book adds excitement that I thought would leave the trilogy with nowhere to go! But thankfully how wrong was I! There is an excerpt of book three 'Berserker' that seems to flow nicely on which left me wanting more! If you have read book one this book adds another layer to the characters and will leave you wanting answers for a major twist at the end!
October 8, 2015
Intense and gripping sum this book up perfectly, but I can’t just say that and leave this review at that, so let’s look at the book in more detail.
I received my copy from Dyane, whom offered to read and write an honest review of one of my books in return. I’m always happy to help other authors, and although this review is done on request, this does not affect my thoughts or opinions expressed of this book; Dyane is an author I have been interested in ever since stumbling upon her site one or two years ago (Dropped Pebbles), and it is for this reason, and for her offer to review one of my books in return, that I chose to write a review. I’m so glad I said yes to this opportunity!
Wolf’s Bane is the second in the Papilion Series, and as I often will start reading a series from book two or beyond (sometimes on purpose, but most times by accident), I wasn’t put off by this. It starts off with an interesting opener, when the character Kelen is amidst his village being attacked. His family, it turns out, is that of the village clan leader’s, and the Northmen attacking are seeking the male children of the family.
One in particular, that bears the mark of the Papilion. Kelen isn’t it (it’s his younger brother, Jeru), but the Northman decides he like Kelen when Kelen angrily charges him with his wrists bound. He even goes so far as to headbut the guy’s armour multiple times. It was at that point I realised I liked this character. He’d just seen his mother, sister and father killed, one brother was running who-knew-where and Kelen, now a hostage, was headbutting a guy much bigger than him. I love characters that aren’t afraid to react, and Kelen’s comfortably sitting in that team.
We timeskip then, almost a year later, and into the scene of a politician who took over the duty of upbringing Kelen. He’s fallen in stature since the year before, but we discover that he adopted Kelen as his own, and that Kelen is now a fallen big-shot in the army who did have orders to track down and kill Jeru. A little surprising that an army would do that with somebody they turned, but I kept reading - this was either going to end badly or amazingly. (Why they had him in charge of their army was explained later on and made sense.)
Then came Jeru in a new chapter. He’s married to a woman called Nyssa, and he gets visions and nightly trances for an important reason (I’m trying not to spoil it for you). So we get to see him scaling a mountain, only to realise there was an overgrown path later on, haha! Kudos to Dyane there - I found this so funny and it was the last thing I expected!
Reading further, I discovered why Jeru was important, and Kelen’s story continued to unfold as well. Jeru, for me, took a while to start liking, and I’m not sure if this is because the book started with Kelen or not. Perhaps it is because Jeru, up until the later part of the book, does not appear to be approaching his destiny. But maybe not. Who knows? All I know, is that it took a while to like him. His wife, Nyssa, also had scenes, which were OK, and important for the development of Jeru, but I felt her scenes were setting up for the third book and had little relevance to the story other than Jeru’s coming twins.
I really liked this story. It’s creative, imaginative, and like a lot of things I’ve been reading recently, a breath of fresh air - maybe it’s because indie writers have less people telling them what they can’t write / have more creative freedom over the final versions of their tales. One such element was the “Shadow Man” chasing and terrorising Kelen, because of his being cursed (marked for what I understand to be the characters’ world’s version of the devil to inhabit). This really caught my attention. Instead of using our own thoughts and beliefs, the Lightbringer and the “Shadow Man” had their own backstory, which was explained to Jeru in the second third of the book (in a greatly entertaining way too). Kelen was also trailed by who I suspect was the Lightbringer, who at the end, led Kelen to Jeru.
Weaknesses of Wolf’s Bane
- Nyssa seemed a bit irrelevant except for the oncoming twins.
- I understand that starting with Kelen would be a more interesting opener (I loved it), but at the same time, I feel that the book would have been better suited to start off with Jeru fleeing, and then using the Kelen scene to explain why he’s running.
- Marathana - I could never figure out if it was a continent that the Northman and the Southlanders shared, or the name of the world.
- I honestly tried to find more weaknesses, but this book is a rare find in how few it has!
Strengths of Wolf’s Bane
- An enjoyable world with solid lore foundations - I liked that the Northmen had their own god of the cold with minions Ice and Frost, and the little hints here and there of the world’s unique lore, and seeing it affecting the story.
- Loved the Lightbringer / Saylem and the “Shadow Man” scenes - all of them!
- Loved the telling of the Lightbringer’s story and that of the Papilion.
- Easy names to remember - from the Northmen, the Amarni, to Kelen and Jeru, these names stick really well into the mind. It’s nice being able to remember who is whom.
- Detailed description! Though the first chapter’s could have been cut down a bit to keep up momentum of reading from the prologue, the description throughout the book was well presented and allowed me to visualise exactly what the author could see behind her mind’s eye.
- The last third of the book was clearly building up to a huge ending - the story escalated well!
- Kelen’s state at the end of the book - I can’t wait to see if he’s OK!
- THE ENDING!!
And the Ending?
Wowee! It’s such a great ending, and totally unexpected! I was stunned when I turned the page expecting/hoping for another chapter start and then found that I would have to wait for the third book to find out what happened next! Kelen’s story has unfolded so well that I HAVE to know the end, and Jeru’s ending… Is it what it appears at the end of Wolf’s Bane? I can’t wait to find out! If it is, Kelen’s story is going to be even more gripping than it was this time! This ending is the best I’ve read this year that has made me desperate to read the book that follows. It’s also the first book since Lirael that had me mentally screaming, “nooooooooo,” when I reached the end. What a great ending! It won’t disappoint readers, though I would maybe advise checking to see if book three is available before reading the end (just so you’re not left hanging).
My Note to the Author, Dyane Forde
Wow, Dyane! You’ve written such an amazing book! You’re now one of my new favourite authors! I really enjoyed Wolf’s Bane and feel that it deserves a more visible presence across the various distributors of ebooks and paperback. I can’t wait to see what happens with Kelen and even Oren (I didn’t care much for Ambroise’s niece admittedly). Perhaps the next step for increasing awareness of this book and its siblings is something like Bookbub or its many alternatives, or a price promotion. I also noticed on Amazon that the ebook there is only available on Kindle Unlimited - it may be worth ensuring it and Purple Morrow are available to all Kindle users and other ebook distributors (if it is not enrolled exclusively into Kindle). I’m also a bit concerned that if anyone purchases Wolf’s Bane first, they might not purchase The Purple Morrow, due to its backcopy.
I received my copy from Dyane, whom offered to read and write an honest review of one of my books in return. I’m always happy to help other authors, and although this review is done on request, this does not affect my thoughts or opinions expressed of this book; Dyane is an author I have been interested in ever since stumbling upon her site one or two years ago (Dropped Pebbles), and it is for this reason, and for her offer to review one of my books in return, that I chose to write a review. I’m so glad I said yes to this opportunity!
Wolf’s Bane is the second in the Papilion Series, and as I often will start reading a series from book two or beyond (sometimes on purpose, but most times by accident), I wasn’t put off by this. It starts off with an interesting opener, when the character Kelen is amidst his village being attacked. His family, it turns out, is that of the village clan leader’s, and the Northmen attacking are seeking the male children of the family.
One in particular, that bears the mark of the Papilion. Kelen isn’t it (it’s his younger brother, Jeru), but the Northman decides he like Kelen when Kelen angrily charges him with his wrists bound. He even goes so far as to headbut the guy’s armour multiple times. It was at that point I realised I liked this character. He’d just seen his mother, sister and father killed, one brother was running who-knew-where and Kelen, now a hostage, was headbutting a guy much bigger than him. I love characters that aren’t afraid to react, and Kelen’s comfortably sitting in that team.
We timeskip then, almost a year later, and into the scene of a politician who took over the duty of upbringing Kelen. He’s fallen in stature since the year before, but we discover that he adopted Kelen as his own, and that Kelen is now a fallen big-shot in the army who did have orders to track down and kill Jeru. A little surprising that an army would do that with somebody they turned, but I kept reading - this was either going to end badly or amazingly. (Why they had him in charge of their army was explained later on and made sense.)
Then came Jeru in a new chapter. He’s married to a woman called Nyssa, and he gets visions and nightly trances for an important reason (I’m trying not to spoil it for you). So we get to see him scaling a mountain, only to realise there was an overgrown path later on, haha! Kudos to Dyane there - I found this so funny and it was the last thing I expected!
Reading further, I discovered why Jeru was important, and Kelen’s story continued to unfold as well. Jeru, for me, took a while to start liking, and I’m not sure if this is because the book started with Kelen or not. Perhaps it is because Jeru, up until the later part of the book, does not appear to be approaching his destiny. But maybe not. Who knows? All I know, is that it took a while to like him. His wife, Nyssa, also had scenes, which were OK, and important for the development of Jeru, but I felt her scenes were setting up for the third book and had little relevance to the story other than Jeru’s coming twins.
I really liked this story. It’s creative, imaginative, and like a lot of things I’ve been reading recently, a breath of fresh air - maybe it’s because indie writers have less people telling them what they can’t write / have more creative freedom over the final versions of their tales. One such element was the “Shadow Man” chasing and terrorising Kelen, because of his being cursed (marked for what I understand to be the characters’ world’s version of the devil to inhabit). This really caught my attention. Instead of using our own thoughts and beliefs, the Lightbringer and the “Shadow Man” had their own backstory, which was explained to Jeru in the second third of the book (in a greatly entertaining way too). Kelen was also trailed by who I suspect was the Lightbringer, who at the end, led Kelen to Jeru.
Weaknesses of Wolf’s Bane
- Nyssa seemed a bit irrelevant except for the oncoming twins.
- I understand that starting with Kelen would be a more interesting opener (I loved it), but at the same time, I feel that the book would have been better suited to start off with Jeru fleeing, and then using the Kelen scene to explain why he’s running.
- Marathana - I could never figure out if it was a continent that the Northman and the Southlanders shared, or the name of the world.
- I honestly tried to find more weaknesses, but this book is a rare find in how few it has!
Strengths of Wolf’s Bane
- An enjoyable world with solid lore foundations - I liked that the Northmen had their own god of the cold with minions Ice and Frost, and the little hints here and there of the world’s unique lore, and seeing it affecting the story.
- Loved the Lightbringer / Saylem and the “Shadow Man” scenes - all of them!
- Loved the telling of the Lightbringer’s story and that of the Papilion.
- Easy names to remember - from the Northmen, the Amarni, to Kelen and Jeru, these names stick really well into the mind. It’s nice being able to remember who is whom.
- Detailed description! Though the first chapter’s could have been cut down a bit to keep up momentum of reading from the prologue, the description throughout the book was well presented and allowed me to visualise exactly what the author could see behind her mind’s eye.
- The last third of the book was clearly building up to a huge ending - the story escalated well!
- Kelen’s state at the end of the book - I can’t wait to see if he’s OK!
- THE ENDING!!
And the Ending?
Wowee! It’s such a great ending, and totally unexpected! I was stunned when I turned the page expecting/hoping for another chapter start and then found that I would have to wait for the third book to find out what happened next! Kelen’s story has unfolded so well that I HAVE to know the end, and Jeru’s ending… Is it what it appears at the end of Wolf’s Bane? I can’t wait to find out! If it is, Kelen’s story is going to be even more gripping than it was this time! This ending is the best I’ve read this year that has made me desperate to read the book that follows. It’s also the first book since Lirael that had me mentally screaming, “nooooooooo,” when I reached the end. What a great ending! It won’t disappoint readers, though I would maybe advise checking to see if book three is available before reading the end (just so you’re not left hanging).
My Note to the Author, Dyane Forde
Wow, Dyane! You’ve written such an amazing book! You’re now one of my new favourite authors! I really enjoyed Wolf’s Bane and feel that it deserves a more visible presence across the various distributors of ebooks and paperback. I can’t wait to see what happens with Kelen and even Oren (I didn’t care much for Ambroise’s niece admittedly). Perhaps the next step for increasing awareness of this book and its siblings is something like Bookbub or its many alternatives, or a price promotion. I also noticed on Amazon that the ebook there is only available on Kindle Unlimited - it may be worth ensuring it and Purple Morrow are available to all Kindle users and other ebook distributors (if it is not enrolled exclusively into Kindle). I’m also a bit concerned that if anyone purchases Wolf’s Bane first, they might not purchase The Purple Morrow, due to its backcopy.
April 16, 2016
And so I think the big question here is how soon can I get my hands on book 3? I loved this! Wolf's Bane was everything I hoped it would be and much much more. There is such dynamic built into Jeru and Kelan. The emotion is intense and when the two come together what happens is truly unique and brilliant. Dyane Forde is a master author and I find that with each new work written I am drawn to pick it up. What stands out perhaps the most for me in Wolf's Bane is that no matter what darkness fate sets before us, we must strive for the light.
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