What do you think?
Rate this book
The Northland Chronicles #2
Spear Hunter
Gunslinger by trade, cyborg by circumstance, John Osborne fearlessly roams the Desolation-ravaged ruins of North America. But with his health rapidly failing, John grows desperate to learn the true nature of the artificial appendage grafted to his shoulder.
Running out of time and options, his last hope lies on a remote isle hidden in the far reaches of the Northwoods. Though he suspects a trap, John has no choice but to venture to the mysterious Mallard Island.
Can John unearth the knowledge he seeks? Or will he fall victim to a fate far more sinister? The hunt is afoot in this electrifying second episode of The Northland Chronicles.
Running out of time and options, his last hope lies on a remote isle hidden in the far reaches of the Northwoods. Though he suspects a trap, John has no choice but to venture to the mysterious Mallard Island.
Can John unearth the knowledge he seeks? Or will he fall victim to a fate far more sinister? The hunt is afoot in this electrifying second episode of The Northland Chronicles.
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2014
About the author
Henry J. Olsen
6 books12 followersLike all successful authors, (soon-to-be) bestselling author Henry J. Olsen writes what he knows.
Henry knows adventure. He's backpacked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. He's scaled the summit of Mt. Fuji. He's braved the Black Omen.
Henry knows technology. He's been surfing the net since his dad brought home a 9600 baud modem. He graduated college with a degree in Mathematics.
Henry knows the world. He's lived in Japan and Korea. He enjoys foreign books, comics, and games before they're translated.
Henry knows conflict. He and his editor are forever at war over which of his words will appear in print. Though the deletions are mounting, Henry sincerely hopes this war continues for decades to come.
Henry currently writes, eats, and sleeps in southern Taiwan. You can follow him via his blog, simplyunbound.com.
Henry knows adventure. He's backpacked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. He's scaled the summit of Mt. Fuji. He's braved the Black Omen.
Henry knows technology. He's been surfing the net since his dad brought home a 9600 baud modem. He graduated college with a degree in Mathematics.
Henry knows the world. He's lived in Japan and Korea. He enjoys foreign books, comics, and games before they're translated.
Henry knows conflict. He and his editor are forever at war over which of his words will appear in print. Though the deletions are mounting, Henry sincerely hopes this war continues for decades to come.
Henry currently writes, eats, and sleeps in southern Taiwan. You can follow him via his blog, simplyunbound.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 29, 2014
I was contacted by the author and asked if I would do an honest and fair review of his work. I have to admit that I hadn't heard of the Northland Chronicles before the release of this book, which is the second in the series. Because of that fact, I was a little apprehensive to read the books out of order. As I began to read, it became clear that the novel would do well as both part of the series and a stand-alone novel. There's enough background information throughout the novel that made me curious enough to check out the first book without dumping a huge amount on me all at once.
The central focus of the book appeared to be centered on John Osborne and his quest for answers about his arm. He wasn't alone in his quest as both friend and foe were interested. On the friend side of things, John enlisted the help of Nathan, a young man who had needed help finding loved ones in the previous tale and who was also pretty book smart. The complex network of villainous characters was also revealed as I turned the pages. The secret militant force and its general were determined to grab hold of as much of the world as it could now that no one was around to stop them. Each of the characters had their own distinct personalities and I was glad to see a variety of dialect, race and intelligence come together as well as it did.
There were a few surprises along the way that added more to the world the author shaped in the first book. Without giving any spoilers, you will have to read until the end of the book to see what happened to the various characters. Each of them has a sort of resolution to their journey in the book. The pacing of the story was steady from the beginning. Action scenes kept the story moving while the dialogue helped the movement without revealing too much of the plot. With well-fleshed out characters, intriguing history about the area and beautiful land descriptions, it was easy for me to keep turning the pages.
All in all, I enjoyed this book. It was a bit creepy to think that what happened in the book really wasn't too far removed from the realm of possibility. I think that's what made it so interesting for me. Without reading the first one, I was able to gleam some of the events without feeling overwhelmed or distracted from the current story. There was an ever-present feeling that something much larger was at play in the former state of Minnesota. Not only would it impact the remaining lives there, but the world. I'm now curious to know whether the answers will be found in the next book because of the unanswered questions left in this one. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a bit of dystopia mixed with sci-fi and a dash of adventure.
The central focus of the book appeared to be centered on John Osborne and his quest for answers about his arm. He wasn't alone in his quest as both friend and foe were interested. On the friend side of things, John enlisted the help of Nathan, a young man who had needed help finding loved ones in the previous tale and who was also pretty book smart. The complex network of villainous characters was also revealed as I turned the pages. The secret militant force and its general were determined to grab hold of as much of the world as it could now that no one was around to stop them. Each of the characters had their own distinct personalities and I was glad to see a variety of dialect, race and intelligence come together as well as it did.
There were a few surprises along the way that added more to the world the author shaped in the first book. Without giving any spoilers, you will have to read until the end of the book to see what happened to the various characters. Each of them has a sort of resolution to their journey in the book. The pacing of the story was steady from the beginning. Action scenes kept the story moving while the dialogue helped the movement without revealing too much of the plot. With well-fleshed out characters, intriguing history about the area and beautiful land descriptions, it was easy for me to keep turning the pages.
All in all, I enjoyed this book. It was a bit creepy to think that what happened in the book really wasn't too far removed from the realm of possibility. I think that's what made it so interesting for me. Without reading the first one, I was able to gleam some of the events without feeling overwhelmed or distracted from the current story. There was an ever-present feeling that something much larger was at play in the former state of Minnesota. Not only would it impact the remaining lives there, but the world. I'm now curious to know whether the answers will be found in the next book because of the unanswered questions left in this one. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a bit of dystopia mixed with sci-fi and a dash of adventure.
August 20, 2014
The Northland Chronicles are interesting and fun. The characters are likeable and I am enjoying getting to learn more about them. Hoping to see more of Aristotle and learn more about her relationship to Osborne, and I want Emiko to have the chance to kick ass! Looking forward to Book 3 and Ramses Thunder (which I assume is related and fills in backstory between Spear Hunter and the as yet untitled TNC 3).
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews