Northern Hunt

Northern Wolf #2

by Daniel Greene

It was a surefire raid to free prisoners, but it will soon become a battle for Wolf's soul.

When an escaped Northern prisoner reaches Union lines, his tales of abuse at Libby Prison set up the perfect justifications for a daring raid on Richmond.

Johannes Wolf has made a crucial mistake. He's volunteered for a secret raid, dragging along with him, his unit of misfits. They fall under the command of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren and set out on a quest for redemption and vengeance that will strike at the head of the Southern Cause.

Will they become famous for their glorious raid as knights of the North? Or will they become savages? Or even forgotten corpses buried in a shallow grave?

Continue the Northern Wolf series and immerse yourself into America's historical battle for her heart and soul, packed with grueling choices, epic battles, and the horror of war. Fans of Bernard Cornwell, Griff Hosker, Michael Shaara, and Steven Pressfield will love the newest installment of the Northern Wolf Series.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Military Fiction, American Civil War

283 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 19, 2019

About the author

Daniel is the award-winning author of The End Time Saga and the historical fiction Northern Wolf Series. Whether it’s a saber charge in the American Civil War or a gun battle between two rival bands surviving a hellish landscape, he is known for his ability to embed every page with fast-paced action, thrilling suspense, and gritty realism.

He is an avid traveler and physical fitness enthusiast with a deep passion for history. The works of George R.R. Martin, Steven Pressfield, Bernard Cornwell, Robert Jordan, and George Romero, have inspired his work. Although he is a Midwesterner for life, he's lived in Virginia long enough to consider it home.

He is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association, the Historical Novel Society, and the Military Writers Society of America.

Contact him on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DanielGreene...

Or his website: http://www.danielgreenebooks.com/

Reviews

[Darek Zawisko · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the second book in this incredible series, the reader gets to continue to follow Wolf in his journey through the cauldron of the US Civil War. This time, Daniel Greene takes the reader on a rarely discussed raid on Richmond.

Brilliantly researched, Northern Hunt drips realism. The true horrors of war are brought to the forefront. You really get an accurate feel for the brutality of war from reading this tale. Once more, the fictional characters are seamlessly woven into historical facts. It isn't long before you will believe that men from Michigan's 13th were taking part in this historic raid.

A must-read if you had the privilege of reading the first book, Northern Wolf. I truly enjoyed the chapters on Wade Hampton again. A very well-written work. Recommended to fans of historical fiction. Recommended to readers who enjoy military fiction. A gritty book that rewards the reader for the act of reading.

Disclaimer: I read this on Kindle Unlimited.

My Rating: 5 stars

Reviewed by: Mr. N

This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

In early 1864 Federal cavalry raid the Virginia countryside around Richmond looking for opportunities to capture the Confederate capital and end the War of Secession.
Hunt is a close-up look at the horrifying reality of 19th century warfare through the eyes of a unit of Michigan cavalry. It also gives you a sense of the hate that continues to percolate between the armies and the rivalries within the officer corps of the Federal army.
Excellent historical fiction!!

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to enjoy this series of books. In book 2, author Daniel Greene gives us his account of the Dahlgren Affair, with the main characters of the book become embroiled in the raid. The protagonists, including our hero Johannes Wolf are not perfect, in fact he make several reprehensible decisions during the course of this novel. The ambiguity makes him an interesting character to follow.

Overall another enjoyable novel. I am glad to finally be reading this series and even more glad I am enjoying it as much as I am.

[Mary Yarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’ll be damned if I let any more of our boys spend another night in that godforsaken hell hole in Richmond… And you pretty Michigan lads and I are going to burn it all down.”

Everyone knew the first rule of surviving this war – never volunteer for anything, especially when an officer asks you to. Corporal Johannes Wolf should have known better. He had survived Gettysburg, but there were no guarantees that he, or his friends from the 13th Michigan Cavalry, were going to survive this.

Nevertheless, the officers held in Libby Prison and the soldiers in Belle Isle deserved more than a nation’s gratefulness. And yet, to cross the Virginia Peninsula and march into Richmond to rescue the prisoners seemed almost suicidal. But it was too late now to change his mind. They would march to Richmond, they would free the prisoners, and they would win this war...

From a cold Virginia winter to the horrors of Libby Prison, Northern Hunt (Northern Wolf Series Book 2) by Daniel Greene is a gripping account of war, comradeship, and survival.

It was the most harrowing experience endured by a generation of Americans, and it is an era that has been immortalised in the memory of a nation. But not since John Jakes’, North and South series have I come across a book that captures the very essence of this period in such a way that it leaves the reading gasping for more. For not only has Greene given his readers an unlikely hero in Wolf but he has also taken us on a journey of historical discovery and controversy.

God only knew how it would end. But the end of the war was on Corporal Johannes Wolf's mind, nonetheless. If he were not a soldier, then what would he be? Would he go back and become a drunk so he could disconnect himself from everything he had seen and done? With a crippled leg, what hope did he have to live a prosperous life in the future, anyway? Wolf is a character that is very conflicted in this novel – when he is in the thick of battle, his mind is focused on staying alive. But when he is not, he dares to think of his future, and that future looks bleak. Would it really matter if he stole a few silver trinkets from the Southern homes they entered looking for supplies? What does it matter if he shoots a man in the back? This is war, after all. But where does one stop? When does self-preservation become morally unacceptable? When does a hero become the villain? Greene asks his readers these questions throughout the length of this novel.

Wolf is a character whom I really enjoyed reading about in Northern Wolf (Northern Wolf, Book #1) and I was looking forward to reconnecting with this character in the second book. But since The Battle of Gettysburg, Wolf’s rose-tinted glasses of what war was, have been thoroughly trampled on by a thousand desperate boot heels. He has seen men, friends, die. He has witnessed terrible atrocities, and it has changed him as it would do anyone. And yet, he is still, despite his doubts, despite his concerns, a man of honour, and although he is a man of lowly station, he can appreciate the sanctuary of life more than the officers whom he serves under. Wolf is a character that really appeals to the reader, for he is an ordinary person in an extraordinarily volatile time. He could be your son, your brother, your friend and I think that is what makes him so very appealing. This is a character that I have invested time in, and I will continue to invest my time in him because he is so beautifully portrayed and it is an absolute joy to follow his journey through this war-torn country.

As one would expect, there are many historical characters in this book, and Greene has not shied away from a few of the very controversial ones in the Union Army. General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick “Kill-Cavalry” is in desperate need of a victory and young Colonel Ulric Dahlgren thinks he knows how to get him one. Both admired and despised, Greene has presented his readers with a man who is reckless with his mens' lives —— he does not think of them as people, but chess pieces. He is also unnecessarily brutal to the communities he passes through in the Southern States. Add to that his ambition and history tells the rest. I thought Greene’s portray of Kilpatrick was fabulous. He was just how I had imagined him to have been.

Colonel Ulric Dahlgren was a character whom I initially sympathised with and who later I came to maybe not despise, but something very close. Dahlgren is young. His temperament is governed by how much pain he is in, as well as his frustration in not achieving what he set out to achieve. Dahlgren is one of those controversial historical figures whose life has become shrouded in whispers and shadows. Dahlgren really drove the narrative forward in this book, and although at times his actions made for some very uncomfortable reading there was a realism about him, Greene does make a point of saying in his historical notes at the end of this book that he had, to an extent, fictionalised Dahlgren, but there was still a ring of authenticity about this character. I also loved the way Greene brought all of the stories about Dahlgren together in this book, and whether they are true or not, it is of no consequences to this story.

There is one character I would like to mention very quickly, and that is the unforgettable Boy General. Unlike the previous book, Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer only makes what could be a called a cameo appearance. But, even still, he makes an impact on the reader. He is in this book, as history confirms, completely besotted with his new wife, and incredibly distracted by her. But he is still a formidable soldier and is a stark contrast in this novel, as he was in life, to Kilpatrick. Custer leads from the front, and he inspires his men, Kilpatrick does neither. When Kilpatrick fails, Custer seems to succeed, which is incredibly frustrating for Kilpatrick, but it made for some fabulous reading.

This historical detailing in this book is breathtakingly brilliant. Greene is a confident historian, and this comes across in the narrative. Even if you know nothing about the American Civil War, by the end of this book, you would have an understanding. Greene is one of those talented authors who knows how to engage his readers, and he knows how to use the lightest of touches when setting his scenes. He depicts this era, but he does not drown the reader in paragraphs after paragraphs of descriptive text. As a reader, I can appreciate that every word in this book serves a purpose, and that purpose is to drive the story forward. And this is precisely what Greene has done. Greene makes history personal for his readers, and more importantly, he has breathed life into this age. Bravo, Mr Greene. Bravo indeed.

Northern Hunt (Northern Wolf Series Book 2) by Daniel Greene is an astonishing work of scholarship. Greene has set the bar impossibly high — no one writes about the American Civil war the way he does. This book has made it into the top five Historical Fiction novels I have read this year, and I cannot wait to get my hands on Book #3.

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

[Paul Hovey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Northern Hunt

Very fast read. I could not put this book down. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about leadership challenges/Dilemmas in a war time environment. I am looking forward to Wolf's next adventure.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Civil novel series

Very interesting. A story of the America civil war I a not aware of. I am looking forward to reading book 3.

[Damien · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrill ride from start to finish! An book of real emotional intensity.

[Helen Waggoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the first book, sequels usually never are, but good enough to get me to read the next book in the series.

[Jeffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

It got too boring. This one just did not hold my interest.

[Russell Wardle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great I loved it. Interesting characters set in the American civil war. Four and a half stars rounded up

[Kathy Brickert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting

This was an exciting story, but still depressing as how men treated each other. Never is reality as inspiring as the buildup to war. Its just hard.

[J Leslie Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty Dry

A real slow read. It doesn't go anywhere. I couldn't relate to anything about the characters or the location. It Didn't hold my interest.

[Brady Bunnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Northern Hunt continues the story of Johannes Wolf and his time in the 13th Michigan during the Civil War. Both Northern Wolf, and Northern Hunt are superbly strong stories that could stand alone. I found in Hunt an interesting trend which I believe is the heart of this story. “What kind of person are you going to be?” It’s the overarching question being asked throughout the first two books and I believe will be asked throughout the entire series. The really interesting way Greene is asking the question though is what makes it super interesting and an addictively good read that is hard to put down. We are once again thrown into the fray with Wolf and Company and he and his fellow soldiers are quickly back in the grind with stakes set high. The action flows off the page so easily and plays like movie in your mind. The battle scenes are so well written, I feel like Greene really did his homework when it comes to the actual battles, who was in them and what their role was. I really could see this as a Netflix original, as it has all the politics of the times. Greene excels at the characters interaction.
But what I found most interesting was the underlying story and its carefully laid out dynamics with various characters trying to pull Wolf onto different paths. On one side of the spectrum there’s Nelson and Adams acting as devils on his shoulder and on the other side is the venerable old Wilhelm and his trusted friend Roberts. As I said, at its heart, it’s a story about what kind of person is Wolf going to be when, or if he gets out of this war alive, and how he has to live with himself and stand by the way he chose to fight for what he believes in. There is a scene about halfway through, that solidifies Wolfs stance and which side of the line he is going to fall on. And it’s really not even about Wolf, but that’s were the thoughtfulness, and emotional intelligence of Greene’s writing comes in. He was building this tipping point for Wolf under or noses (pun intended) the whole time that it all just fell together beautifully. That section is so well written and such a tragically beautiful chapter that I had to reread it, then I had to listen to the Audible version. Bradford Hastings, who narrated the audio version did such a tremendous job with this part. I ended up listening to the entire book on audible because of his performance. It was so well done I will follow his work as well because of this. I could feel he was really into it and respected the words on the page as his gravelly voice echoed Greene’s message beautifully.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never having been in combat, I'm not really qualified to make this comment but, This book reads like the most accurate description of the experiences of a foot soldier, then and now. I don't like to give away plot details but, surely the person reading reviews for this book knows it's a fictionalized tale of events taking place in the latter part of our Civil War. Many of the characters (the officers on both sides) are real as well as the major mission chronicled in this story. The day to day experiences of the main character being followed are fiction but feel like they're from a soldier's diary. The events depicted take place in Virginia in late February into March 1864 and the weather is as deadly an enemy as the opposing armies.
One of the things I like best about this story is its realism. There are no "just-in-time" saving events or amazing escapes. Instead, we share in the terrible experiences of this soldier, Johannes Wolf, and his fellow soldiers many who have been with him for the year since he enlisted. It's important to note that he has a bum knee, wears a crude brace and had to bribe the Enlistment Officer in order to be accepted. He is a tough warrior and his talents and skills have been recognized resulting in a promotion to Corporal. He is a fierce fighter with a strong sense of morals and ethics. These often cause him to question the brutality and excessive violence that comes too naturally to some of his fellow soldiers.
To me, one of the most poignant sets of lines in this book describes best the depth of emotions that these men experience are; "A routed man was an ugly a thing to watch. Terror filled his eyes. He'd shove down his brother in fear after he'd pissed himself." THAT'S REAL!

Review by THE HOLEY ONE

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series!

This book is perfect for anyone interested in the Civil War. Or anyone who likes a fast-paced, character driven book. Or anyone who likes action packed historical fiction. Or just anyone who likes books.

Building on the first book of the series, the characters continue to evolve as they fight for the North in the Civil War. Historical battles and personalities add a lot to the story. Greene's greatest strength is in his ability to write characters who all feel different and react to real events in their own unique way.

This is a fantastic read that I couldn't put down. Highly recommended!

[Lisa Omstead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Northern Hunt is my favorite story in this series…so far. It takes place several months after the Battle of Gettysburg and the gritty realism of the life (and death) of common soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, was sobering. All the elements of this story have a realistic, at times uncomfortably so, feel to them.

Looking forward to Northern Blood and finding out the fate of long-suffering Johannes Wolf. I also found the historical and personal notes relating to the story to be extremely interesting. Kudos to the author!

[Jim Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought Northern Wolf was amazing, but Hunt outdoes it! What I really enjoy is how down to earth Greene makes his characters. We all learn about these events that happened over 150 years ago as just history and dates. But Greene brings these events to life in a huge way in this series. I couldn’t put this one down, and when I finished and realized it was based on real events - it blew my mind! Definite recommend. Also, these don’t need to be read in order. Standalone great stories. Enjoy.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great continuation of Greene's Civil War story. The characters are great and show a realistic darkness for the men involved in the horrible war. I only wish the book was longer so I could keep reading about the wolverines. It is a fast paced intense read that I highly recommend to everyone. Good job Daniel

[Mark Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really enjoying the Northern Wolf series. This is some of the best historical fiction I have read. The Civil War is a favorite topic of mine and I am eager to get started with Book #3.