Review: Wildcat (The Caledon Saga #1)

Author: J.P. Harker
Started reading: October 11th 2019
Finished the book: October 27th 2019
Pages: 552
Genres: Historical, Fantasy
Published: September 4th 2016
Source: Physical copy from author
Goodreads score: 4.24
My score:

Synopsis

Rhianwyn of the Caderyn is conflicted about giving up a warrior’s life to become a wife and mother, but her love for her new husband is enough to at least make her consider it. However, with the conquering Gaians moving ever closer to her homeland a peaceful life may no longer be an option, for Rhia or for any of her people. With rival tribes, old suitors, and the dangerous General Lepidus to contend with, Rhia soon finds her new family in unprecedented danger, and her choices now must be about more than just herself...

Wildcat takes place in a fantasy land inspired by Iron Age Britain and follows Rhianwyn's story as she encounters a civilisation unlike any she could imagine, and is constantly forced to learn and adapt through trial after deadly trial.

My thoughts

This book has so much to talk about for me. I was in doubt whether to give the book 2 or 3 stars, because I have some troubles with the second part of the book. There were so many good things in this book, that I decided to give the book 3 stars. I was kinda done with the book after page 400 and I skimmed through and just didn't really read the final 150 pages. I usually never do this, so I didn't really DNF it, but I wasn't that involved anymore either. And I will explain in this review why!

Pros

• World building: This book is about a tribe with their own rules for life, their own traditions and beliefs. It was such a believable book and I felt like it was all real. There was not one thing that I had questions about. It's also a smart move to follow the main character, she just kinda guides you around in her life and it's not forced or anything like that. What I also liked is that you sometimes just skip ahead in time with a couple of years. It kept the book interesting for the main part.
• No one is safe: Books with war in it and then no one important dying is something that annoys me a lot. In this book NO ONE IS SAFE. I did not see it coming but it was the truth of this book. Important characters die and I was like WTH?! Authors rarely kill so many important characters and I applaud it, because it makes the war that more believable.
• Brutal book: There are a lot of books out that that try to be brutal, but, oh boy, this book really is BRUTAL. There were harsh subjects in this book, strange rituals and heartbreaking deaths. The book felt a lot like the TV series Vikings where they also kill important characters.

Cons

• Should've been shorter: This  book was way too long for me. Like I said; I was done with it after page 400. A smart move would've been to end the book after the first big battle. I lost my interest around page 300 and just decided to skim through from page 400. I really did not want to DNF the book, but it should've just been shorter. I lost interest...
• World Map: What would've been so cool is if the book had a world map! There is a lot of traveling and world building and there are battles at some important places. So much of the book is about tribes and areas and cities and tribes and I had a hard time picturing this whole world in my head.

Overall

If you're looking for a book that could remind you of the TV Show Vikings you should read this book. The book has a strong female main character and this book feels like REAL LIFE. Harsh things happen, deaths happen, battles happen and that's what makes it feel so real. I had some trouble to keep the focus after page 300, but I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who might have more patience with this book.

Thanks for reading!

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