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The Caledon Saga #2
Leaping Wolf
Lepidus is defeated and Rhianwyn’s precious Caledon is at peace, but still Gawan of the Gorvicae is troubled. What future is there for men like him in a world with no more need for warriors? With his tribe saved he knows that he ought to be contented, but more and more he finds himself dwelling on his past, and the life he abandoned for what he thought was a greater duty. Though amends for that will have to wait as, even as the alliance of tribes is formed, the Caledon seems ready to collapse. Rhianwyn is struggling for control, Gawan’s own tribe is leaderless, and with unexpected enemies arising from the south, Gawan suspects the time for warriors may not be over yet...
604 pages, Paperback
Published June 9, 2017
17 people want to read
About the author
J.P. Harker
8 books26 followersI often see author profiles that talk about being lifelong storytellers and coming up with wild ideas since they were kids. It'd be nice to say that of me, but that's not how it went.
When I was about eighteen a friend asked me, out of the blue, to help write some stories for a comic book he was working on and, while it never came to anything, trying it made me realise this was something I enjoyed.
I then spent many years intermittently trying to write books and short stories, none of which were particularly good and most of which were pretty half-hearted.
In 2014 I decided to have a proper go of it and wrote a massive tome that was far too long and bulky to publish, but which at least had the makings of a decent book. I hacked at it, abandoned it, came back to it again, abandoned it again etc, and eventually came up with my first fantasy novel.
Since then I've been writing and learning as I go along. 7 books out so far - hopefully there will be many more to follow, and each one better than the last.
Happy reading - share and enjoy!
PS - Cymru am Byth!
When I was about eighteen a friend asked me, out of the blue, to help write some stories for a comic book he was working on and, while it never came to anything, trying it made me realise this was something I enjoyed.
I then spent many years intermittently trying to write books and short stories, none of which were particularly good and most of which were pretty half-hearted.
In 2014 I decided to have a proper go of it and wrote a massive tome that was far too long and bulky to publish, but which at least had the makings of a decent book. I hacked at it, abandoned it, came back to it again, abandoned it again etc, and eventually came up with my first fantasy novel.
Since then I've been writing and learning as I go along. 7 books out so far - hopefully there will be many more to follow, and each one better than the last.
Happy reading - share and enjoy!
PS - Cymru am Byth!
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 14, 2020
It is not often the case in a second book that it is better than the first. Also found this one to be a bit more emotional. Maybe I just connected with Gawan’s character more. He was run through the ringer for sure. If you enjoyed book 1 you have to keep going in the series because it just gets better.
For anyone who has not read book one this is a continuation of the series that starts with Wildcat and follows a new main character Leaping Wolf. After the conclusion of book 1. Picking up directly where the last one left off. We do still get Rhia’s perspectives too.
For anyone who has not read book one this is a continuation of the series that starts with Wildcat and follows a new main character Leaping Wolf. After the conclusion of book 1. Picking up directly where the last one left off. We do still get Rhia’s perspectives too.
February 15, 2018
Leaping Wolf blazes with ferocity. It holds death, betrayal and intensely powerful emotion. With the heart of a wildcat, and the soul of a wolf, this one is the embodiment of war, friendship, and honor.
Have you ever looked at a big book and felt intimidation and fear? Intimidation from the size, and fear that, once you start reading, you would become lost to everything around you. These are the emotions I felt as I looked at Leaping Wolf, but when I finished it, my soul was quenched and I was kicking myself for having waited so long to read it!
Leaping Wolf had power and passion. It spoke of love, loss, fear, and redemption. It was an intense story about the emotional side of peace, war, and loyalty.
I absolutely devoured it! My heart was pounding the entire time! I found myself lost in the depth of the world that Harker has created and became emotionally attached to the characters.
I had enjoyed book 1, Wildcat, and I had fallen in love with Rhia, and her ferocious spirit and bravery. I found myself still admiring her, but my heart has now been stolen by Gawan. As this book focused more on his role as First Man in his tribe. I saw how conflicted he was with his love for battle, and his honor. He was as fierce as Rhia, and yet, he carried more guilt and anger. But, I also loved how Rhia’s intensity still shined. The fact that entire tribes of men were intimidated by her was so empowering!
This story was incredibly well written. It had the astounding amount of mythology and world building that Wildcat did, but it just seemed to offer even more. I found myself turning page after page with excitement, and by the end of the book I was talking out loud as if I were watching an intense movie! Harker not only wrote emotionally profound characters, but he threw in intense battle scenes and plot twists that had me on the edge of my seat!
This one had everything I love in an action fantasy! It had murder, mayhem, passion, and depth. The world and the battles were described so vividly. The characters were so dynamic, and I never felt like I was missing anything from their story lines because Harker added in reminders from Wildcat while keeping the flow of Leaping Wolf going. Hands down, this was a damn good 5 star read!
Thank you to the author for sending me this free copy in exchange for my honest review!
Have you ever looked at a big book and felt intimidation and fear? Intimidation from the size, and fear that, once you start reading, you would become lost to everything around you. These are the emotions I felt as I looked at Leaping Wolf, but when I finished it, my soul was quenched and I was kicking myself for having waited so long to read it!
Leaping Wolf had power and passion. It spoke of love, loss, fear, and redemption. It was an intense story about the emotional side of peace, war, and loyalty.
I absolutely devoured it! My heart was pounding the entire time! I found myself lost in the depth of the world that Harker has created and became emotionally attached to the characters.
I had enjoyed book 1, Wildcat, and I had fallen in love with Rhia, and her ferocious spirit and bravery. I found myself still admiring her, but my heart has now been stolen by Gawan. As this book focused more on his role as First Man in his tribe. I saw how conflicted he was with his love for battle, and his honor. He was as fierce as Rhia, and yet, he carried more guilt and anger. But, I also loved how Rhia’s intensity still shined. The fact that entire tribes of men were intimidated by her was so empowering!
This story was incredibly well written. It had the astounding amount of mythology and world building that Wildcat did, but it just seemed to offer even more. I found myself turning page after page with excitement, and by the end of the book I was talking out loud as if I were watching an intense movie! Harker not only wrote emotionally profound characters, but he threw in intense battle scenes and plot twists that had me on the edge of my seat!
This one had everything I love in an action fantasy! It had murder, mayhem, passion, and depth. The world and the battles were described so vividly. The characters were so dynamic, and I never felt like I was missing anything from their story lines because Harker added in reminders from Wildcat while keeping the flow of Leaping Wolf going. Hands down, this was a damn good 5 star read!
Thank you to the author for sending me this free copy in exchange for my honest review!
March 25, 2020
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
I received a copy of Leaping Wolf from the author - thank you! All opinions are my own.
Cat (BrewsandReviews) and I buddy read this one after having a great time reading Wildcat together. These books lend themselves well to reading with friends since there are surprising moments, and it's fun to hypothesize about future events.
Leaping Wolf picks up after the events of Wildcat and focuses more on the politics within the tribes that make up Caledon. Not everyone is ok with how things have gone. We also see characters try to balance what's best for everyone with the consequences that may arise from those actions.
This was fantastic! The issues with pacing and some of the content I didn't love from Wildcat are no longer a problem here. The story moved along quite nicely! The author continues to excel at writing battles and political intrigue. We are introduced to some new characters along the way, and I'm very interested to see what happens with them. I continue to really like Rhia - she's a strong female character, and I enjoyed seeing her deal with the challenges that arise here. I also had fun getting to read from Gawan's point of view. He's a bit of a grumpy old man (awesome!), and I liked how he tries to do the right thing.
The author continues to keep us on our toes! There were several more surprising moments here. I continue to enjoy not being able to completely guess what's going to happen. We also get to explore more of the Druids and the Gadarim, both of which were quite interesting.
Overall, I really have no complaints with this book. It was a fantastic sequel to Wildcat, and I'm interested in continuing this saga. Definitely recommend this to fans of historical fantasy.
I received a copy of Leaping Wolf from the author - thank you! All opinions are my own.
Cat (BrewsandReviews) and I buddy read this one after having a great time reading Wildcat together. These books lend themselves well to reading with friends since there are surprising moments, and it's fun to hypothesize about future events.
Leaping Wolf picks up after the events of Wildcat and focuses more on the politics within the tribes that make up Caledon. Not everyone is ok with how things have gone. We also see characters try to balance what's best for everyone with the consequences that may arise from those actions.
This was fantastic! The issues with pacing and some of the content I didn't love from Wildcat are no longer a problem here. The story moved along quite nicely! The author continues to excel at writing battles and political intrigue. We are introduced to some new characters along the way, and I'm very interested to see what happens with them. I continue to really like Rhia - she's a strong female character, and I enjoyed seeing her deal with the challenges that arise here. I also had fun getting to read from Gawan's point of view. He's a bit of a grumpy old man (awesome!), and I liked how he tries to do the right thing.
The author continues to keep us on our toes! There were several more surprising moments here. I continue to enjoy not being able to completely guess what's going to happen. We also get to explore more of the Druids and the Gadarim, both of which were quite interesting.
Overall, I really have no complaints with this book. It was a fantastic sequel to Wildcat, and I'm interested in continuing this saga. Definitely recommend this to fans of historical fantasy.
March 25, 2020
I was sent this book by the author for review.
Leaping Wolf was a high four-star rating for me and I found it a really enjoyable read. The problems I had with pacing in Wildcat are all gone in this book and the plot always moves along smoothly. It follows on really nicely from book one with a focus more on how the Lurians are dealing with the newly formed Caledon and what it means for their society.
I was doomed to enjoy reading from Gawan's perspective, because I am a sucker for grumpy older men characters that can fight. There was so much going on in this book between the politics, the battles, the betrayals and the evolving relationships; I just didn't want to put it down. Also, I really enjoyed the inclusion of the Gadarim and Druid magics, as well as more in-depth focus on the values of the Gadarim. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable book.
Leaping Wolf was a high four-star rating for me and I found it a really enjoyable read. The problems I had with pacing in Wildcat are all gone in this book and the plot always moves along smoothly. It follows on really nicely from book one with a focus more on how the Lurians are dealing with the newly formed Caledon and what it means for their society.
I was doomed to enjoy reading from Gawan's perspective, because I am a sucker for grumpy older men characters that can fight. There was so much going on in this book between the politics, the battles, the betrayals and the evolving relationships; I just didn't want to put it down. Also, I really enjoyed the inclusion of the Gadarim and Druid magics, as well as more in-depth focus on the values of the Gadarim. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable book.
November 18, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book a lot but I have to say that the romance(whatever it was) was a bit weird and out of no where?? But the thing I like about these books is that they aren’t solely romance based, it’s quite refreshing.
March 24, 2021
I liked this seque. For very different reason to why I enjoyed the first book in the saga.
Somehow they read very differently.
This is less combat (although the battles with have are pretty intense) and more politics. We grow to know some of the characters more and we get to experience betrayal and forgiveness in a whirlwind of plot twists. I flew through this and I definitely have a soft spot for the druids. I just found them very fascinating.
I honestly liked the bad guy here a lot. He was a great villain in its simplicity. Stubborn, vicious and without any morals. A guy I wish I could strangle with my bare hands basically.
I did find some of the romance sometimes awkward but I also got the feeling we were kind of supposed to find it that way. But in the end I wished the shipped had sailed (if you know what I mean!)
Really liked the last quarter and that Broad Kellas move was pretty epic! Also go rhya!
Somehow they read very differently.
This is less combat (although the battles with have are pretty intense) and more politics. We grow to know some of the characters more and we get to experience betrayal and forgiveness in a whirlwind of plot twists. I flew through this and I definitely have a soft spot for the druids. I just found them very fascinating.
I honestly liked the bad guy here a lot. He was a great villain in its simplicity. Stubborn, vicious and without any morals. A guy I wish I could strangle with my bare hands basically.
I did find some of the romance sometimes awkward but I also got the feeling we were kind of supposed to find it that way. But in the end I wished the shipped had sailed (if you know what I mean!)
Really liked the last quarter and that Broad Kellas move was pretty epic! Also go rhya!
January 9, 2019
3.5
Leaping Wolf picks up where Wildcat Left off. The tribes have become allies, but with that alliance comes questions of purpose now that there will be no more war and raids. No one has to worry long though because one of the allied tribes chieftains has been murdered and a new threat of war has arisen.
Where Wildcat was heavily focused on the Gaian politics and culture, Leaping Wolf takes a closer look at the tribal culture, magic and politics. We’re following characters (mainly Gawan aka Leaping Wolf) in the newly allied tribes as they are finding their place in this new world.
Much like Wildcat I loved the culture and politics of this book. Each tribe, and the New Caledon alliance, has their own way of dealing with things. Honor plays a big role in all aspects of tribal life, and I found that fascinating. The magic system in this book intrigued me as well . I didn’t notice it so much in the last book, but the nature-based magic system is exactly right for the tribes and really shines through this time.
Gawan was the perfect character to follow as we explore this new world and what it means for everyone. I liked his character in the first book and was interested to see where he would end up, and I was not disappointed.
Wildcat was one of my favorite books of the year in 2018, so I had very high expectations for Leaping Wolf. While it was by no means a bad book, I did not enjoy it quite as much as Wildcat, mainly because of it’s length. The inner monologues were often too long, and because of that became repetitious. Had this book been 50-75 pages shorter it would have been more to the point and the story could have moved a bit more quickly.
Some of the arguments Gawan had were also a bit unbelievable, and the “Romance” was a bit abrupt, though I did enjoy that this book did not become a romance heavy book.
All that being said, I did still enjoy this book, and have become very attached to these characters and the world In which they live. I can not wait to see what Lion Cub has in store!
Leaping Wolf picks up where Wildcat Left off. The tribes have become allies, but with that alliance comes questions of purpose now that there will be no more war and raids. No one has to worry long though because one of the allied tribes chieftains has been murdered and a new threat of war has arisen.
Where Wildcat was heavily focused on the Gaian politics and culture, Leaping Wolf takes a closer look at the tribal culture, magic and politics. We’re following characters (mainly Gawan aka Leaping Wolf) in the newly allied tribes as they are finding their place in this new world.
Much like Wildcat I loved the culture and politics of this book. Each tribe, and the New Caledon alliance, has their own way of dealing with things. Honor plays a big role in all aspects of tribal life, and I found that fascinating. The magic system in this book intrigued me as well . I didn’t notice it so much in the last book, but the nature-based magic system is exactly right for the tribes and really shines through this time.
Gawan was the perfect character to follow as we explore this new world and what it means for everyone. I liked his character in the first book and was interested to see where he would end up, and I was not disappointed.
Wildcat was one of my favorite books of the year in 2018, so I had very high expectations for Leaping Wolf. While it was by no means a bad book, I did not enjoy it quite as much as Wildcat, mainly because of it’s length. The inner monologues were often too long, and because of that became repetitious. Had this book been 50-75 pages shorter it would have been more to the point and the story could have moved a bit more quickly.
Some of the arguments Gawan had were also a bit unbelievable, and the “Romance” was a bit abrupt, though I did enjoy that this book did not become a romance heavy book.
All that being said, I did still enjoy this book, and have become very attached to these characters and the world In which they live. I can not wait to see what Lion Cub has in store!
October 21, 2018
Leaping Wolf picks right back up where Wildcat left off. The battle at Second Nantwyn is over and Lepidus is defeated. The warriors of the Caledon are headed back to Bryngarth to deal with funerals, picking new Chieftains, and worrying about what they're going to do with themselves if they can't fight each other anymore.
They don't have to worry about this for long though because the Chieftain of one of the Caledon tribes is murdered and the warriors are needed once again.
Where Wildcat felt like it dealt more so with Gaian politics, this book seems to focus more on tribal and intertribal politics. You get to see how the Caderyn hold trials for people accused of crimes and how they decide things. You get to see the Gorvicae hold a moot to choose a new Chieftain. Since the Caledon is such a new thing, you get to see how they kind of try to include other tribes in their decision making now. It was all very interesting.
There is so much more to this book than what you get in the synopsis. It's so vague! I feel like I got to the end of what I was expecting to find in this book and there was so much book left! And I didn't know what to expect from it. Not a complaint, more of an observation. I personally prefer to not know too much about the book I'm going into.
This book mostly follows Gawan. I wasn't really sure how I felt about this in the beginning just because I didn't particularly like him that much in the first book. I thought he was kind of a grumpy butthead, but he really grew on me throughout this book. He's really reasonable and values honor. He is dealing with a lot of feelings in this book. I liked understanding what was going on in his head.
There is still a lot of Rhianwyn in this book, which I liked. I really liked Rhia and how she always tries to make the best decisions for her tribe and for the Caledon as a whole. She makes some tough decisions in this book.
There is a bit of romance in this book, but it either ends poorly or is unrequited. I am not hopeful for happily ever afters in this series at this point. I just hope that the characters I like come out alive! D:
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I feel like it was a solid sequel. Once again, there was a lot of internal stuff going on with the characters, which made it feel a bit slow just because I feel like that isn't something I notice in the books I usually read.
It made me like characters I didn't particularly care for, which always feels like a big plus to me. I kind of predicted which of the potential Gorvicae Cheiftains was working with the shady guys. I'm really excited to read the next one because I want to know what kind of shady business these guys are up to.
Also, this book hurt my feelings twice. I got a little teary-eyed a couple times and honestly, it's so unfair. Marius deserves better than this!
They don't have to worry about this for long though because the Chieftain of one of the Caledon tribes is murdered and the warriors are needed once again.
Where Wildcat felt like it dealt more so with Gaian politics, this book seems to focus more on tribal and intertribal politics. You get to see how the Caderyn hold trials for people accused of crimes and how they decide things. You get to see the Gorvicae hold a moot to choose a new Chieftain. Since the Caledon is such a new thing, you get to see how they kind of try to include other tribes in their decision making now. It was all very interesting.
There is so much more to this book than what you get in the synopsis. It's so vague! I feel like I got to the end of what I was expecting to find in this book and there was so much book left! And I didn't know what to expect from it. Not a complaint, more of an observation. I personally prefer to not know too much about the book I'm going into.
This book mostly follows Gawan. I wasn't really sure how I felt about this in the beginning just because I didn't particularly like him that much in the first book. I thought he was kind of a grumpy butthead, but he really grew on me throughout this book. He's really reasonable and values honor. He is dealing with a lot of feelings in this book. I liked understanding what was going on in his head.
There is still a lot of Rhianwyn in this book, which I liked. I really liked Rhia and how she always tries to make the best decisions for her tribe and for the Caledon as a whole. She makes some tough decisions in this book.
There is a bit of romance in this book, but it either ends poorly or is unrequited. I am not hopeful for happily ever afters in this series at this point. I just hope that the characters I like come out alive! D:
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I feel like it was a solid sequel. Once again, there was a lot of internal stuff going on with the characters, which made it feel a bit slow just because I feel like that isn't something I notice in the books I usually read.
It made me like characters I didn't particularly care for, which always feels like a big plus to me. I kind of predicted which of the potential Gorvicae Cheiftains was working with the shady guys. I'm really excited to read the next one because I want to know what kind of shady business these guys are up to.
Also, this book hurt my feelings twice. I got a little teary-eyed a couple times and honestly, it's so unfair. Marius deserves better than this!
March 11, 2018
Brilliant second edition. Looking forward to the third.
December 31, 2017
While I feel the same way toward the writing in LEAPING WOLF that I did in WILDCAT, in that it’s a pretty seamless read with engaging writing that despite the length of the book felt mostly effortless, I didn’t like it as much as its predecessor. Mainly because not a whole lot happens. Where WILDCAT took a lot of time developing characters, there was still stuff going on that progressed the plot. In LEAPING WOLF it’s almost entirely character-based with very little action or movement within the story.
In hindsight, very little actually happens. There’s one battle that serves as a political catalyst for Rhia and there’s “drama” centered around her and what’s going to happen to her and her son, but there’s no real tension involved. Most of the story is centered around Gawan and it’s really just him trying to find his place in this new world and trying to make the best choices for the situation that save his face and his tribe’s. It’s 600 pages of place-finding and political pissing matches. It’s lost a lot of the intrigue that otherwise existed in WILDCAT.
With that being said it’s not bad, but as a reader I’m unfulfilled at the end. That’s a lot of time to invest in a story where not a whole hell of a lot happens. And I’m not floored by it. Nothing’s blown my hair back. The characters are okay, but I’m not in love with them. It’s all rather fine. Okay. Middle of the road.
I’m not big on character-driven narratives. I need more than just internal monologging and people finding themselves to be engaged in a story. The last book got a pass because there was actual forward momentum with the story. It didn’t just stagnant in this two week period of time like this one did. Stuff happened WHILE characters figured themselves out. Here characters just figured themselves out and very little actually happened. At least not enough for my particular tastes.
I’m unsure whether I’m going to continue on in the series at this point. Like I said, it takes a lot of time to read these books. They’re very long. And right now there isn’t a whole lot getting me invested in them. Yeah, the writing’s good but if I’m going to get another character in this world I need them to have agency and advance the plot. Without that I can’t get as invested as I want in the story.
3
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
In hindsight, very little actually happens. There’s one battle that serves as a political catalyst for Rhia and there’s “drama” centered around her and what’s going to happen to her and her son, but there’s no real tension involved. Most of the story is centered around Gawan and it’s really just him trying to find his place in this new world and trying to make the best choices for the situation that save his face and his tribe’s. It’s 600 pages of place-finding and political pissing matches. It’s lost a lot of the intrigue that otherwise existed in WILDCAT.
With that being said it’s not bad, but as a reader I’m unfulfilled at the end. That’s a lot of time to invest in a story where not a whole hell of a lot happens. And I’m not floored by it. Nothing’s blown my hair back. The characters are okay, but I’m not in love with them. It’s all rather fine. Okay. Middle of the road.
I’m not big on character-driven narratives. I need more than just internal monologging and people finding themselves to be engaged in a story. The last book got a pass because there was actual forward momentum with the story. It didn’t just stagnant in this two week period of time like this one did. Stuff happened WHILE characters figured themselves out. Here characters just figured themselves out and very little actually happened. At least not enough for my particular tastes.
I’m unsure whether I’m going to continue on in the series at this point. Like I said, it takes a lot of time to read these books. They’re very long. And right now there isn’t a whole lot getting me invested in them. Yeah, the writing’s good but if I’m going to get another character in this world I need them to have agency and advance the plot. Without that I can’t get as invested as I want in the story.
3
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews