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Reindeer Hunters #2
The Horsemasters
Ronan, the exiled son of priestess Arika, and his beloved Nel, a young woman possessing an extraordinary power over animals, join a group of renegades to stop a powerful and fierce band of invaders out to conquer and enslave the Kindred. Reprint.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
29 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
About the author
Joan Wolf
104 books368 followersJoan Wolf is a USA TODAY bestselling American writer, whose acclaimed Regency romances have earned her national recognition as a master of the genre. Her many historical and contemporary romances, some of which have been chosen as Literary Guild selections, have been highly praised by reviewers and authors alike.
Joan was born in 1951 and she grew up in the Bronx, New York. A former English teacher, she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Mercy College and Master in English and Comparative Literature at Hunter College. An avid rider and horse owner, Joan lives in Connecticut with her husband Joe and two grown children, Jay and Pam.
Joan was born in 1951 and she grew up in the Bronx, New York. A former English teacher, she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Mercy College and Master in English and Comparative Literature at Hunter College. An avid rider and horse owner, Joan lives in Connecticut with her husband Joe and two grown children, Jay and Pam.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 6, 2021
Disclaimer: For fairness sake I have to mention that I read this in German translation, so it’s absolutely possible my gripes with it at least in part were due to the translation’s quality.
So this book was standing around on my book shelf it seems for at least 20 years unread. It has a DM (deutsch Marks) Price on it, so I must have picked it up some time before the Euro was introduced.
I know why I must have picked it up. Since my teens I’ve been severely addicted to Gear&Gear prehistoric fiction novels about Native American cultures. I definitely must have seen the cover and thought, this looks right up my alley.
Now finally during a trip home to my parents I picked it up at long last and read it… yeah, I was not wowed.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the setting. I love the subject matter. But I really couldn’t click with the writing.
Most characters till the very end felt one dimensional or at least a tad unreal to me, like characters in a soap opera. I can’t quite put my finger on it, the whole way that characters interact and express their thoughts. I never once managed to picture them as living driven facetted people.
The second drawback for me was that tension build up is barely existent and at no point did I feel any real urgency or danger. Yes, there is a slight build up towards the end, but by that time the main characters feel so indestructible, I worried about as much for them as I would at the climax of a Disney movie.
My biggest gripe with this book however was all the tedious unnatural exposition. So you have these tiny prehistoric groups of people who share one culture, and the author chose to explain their culture to us the reader, by having the characters at length verbally explain their own culture to each other… who speaks like that? Within cultures you always… ALWAYS… have common understandings of norms, rules, world views, etc that don’t need reiterating, which is the whole point to share one culture, so these things don’t have to be argued about and explained over and over again… this unspoken understanding tends to be even more intense in primitive smaller tight knit groups, even today. So these Hunter gatherers who spend long winters and dark nights strengthening their group culture over camp fires via common lore suddenly take chunks out of their day by explaining things to each other that should be self understood for them.
I understand that an author has to find a way to relay these cultural rules to the reader in some way, so the reader knows why characters act the way they do, but having it happen via dialogue between characters rather than in prose or at least internal monologue really took me out of the story multiple times. It just felt so wooden and off. Just the way like in shows for small children characters continuously half break the forth wall by explaining overly obvious things not only to the other character but also to the children in the audience 'No we cannot eat the cake, because mommy and daddy said we have to wait until tomorrow and one should always listen to their parents.'
All over in many parts this novel often felt like more of a PSA than an attempt at telling a real feeling story. I’m not saying the book’s messages were bad. On the contrary. I just think the story could have done with a bit more real human interaction, a bit more real tension and danger and a lot less exposition.
So this book was standing around on my book shelf it seems for at least 20 years unread. It has a DM (deutsch Marks) Price on it, so I must have picked it up some time before the Euro was introduced.
I know why I must have picked it up. Since my teens I’ve been severely addicted to Gear&Gear prehistoric fiction novels about Native American cultures. I definitely must have seen the cover and thought, this looks right up my alley.
Now finally during a trip home to my parents I picked it up at long last and read it… yeah, I was not wowed.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the setting. I love the subject matter. But I really couldn’t click with the writing.
Most characters till the very end felt one dimensional or at least a tad unreal to me, like characters in a soap opera. I can’t quite put my finger on it, the whole way that characters interact and express their thoughts. I never once managed to picture them as living driven facetted people.
The second drawback for me was that tension build up is barely existent and at no point did I feel any real urgency or danger. Yes, there is a slight build up towards the end, but by that time the main characters feel so indestructible, I worried about as much for them as I would at the climax of a Disney movie.
My biggest gripe with this book however was all the tedious unnatural exposition. So you have these tiny prehistoric groups of people who share one culture, and the author chose to explain their culture to us the reader, by having the characters at length verbally explain their own culture to each other… who speaks like that? Within cultures you always… ALWAYS… have common understandings of norms, rules, world views, etc that don’t need reiterating, which is the whole point to share one culture, so these things don’t have to be argued about and explained over and over again… this unspoken understanding tends to be even more intense in primitive smaller tight knit groups, even today. So these Hunter gatherers who spend long winters and dark nights strengthening their group culture over camp fires via common lore suddenly take chunks out of their day by explaining things to each other that should be self understood for them.
I understand that an author has to find a way to relay these cultural rules to the reader in some way, so the reader knows why characters act the way they do, but having it happen via dialogue between characters rather than in prose or at least internal monologue really took me out of the story multiple times. It just felt so wooden and off. Just the way like in shows for small children characters continuously half break the forth wall by explaining overly obvious things not only to the other character but also to the children in the audience 'No we cannot eat the cake, because mommy and daddy said we have to wait until tomorrow and one should always listen to their parents.'
All over in many parts this novel often felt like more of a PSA than an attempt at telling a real feeling story. I’m not saying the book’s messages were bad. On the contrary. I just think the story could have done with a bit more real human interaction, a bit more real tension and danger and a lot less exposition.
July 4, 2017
3.5 stars
I liked this book better than the previous one; however, while this is labeled as a romance, I'm a bit reluctant to call it one. Yes, there is a romantic relationship, but this isn't really a romance. For me, a romance has to focus on the development of a relationship and the struggles therein. Nel and Ronan never fought for their relationship; they were always in love, and from the time they were children, both planned to marry the other. There were obstacles and conflicts between the two, but all of them were solved so easily. It was nice to have a couple that could communicate, but some of their issues seemed like problems that should require more than a conversation to solve, and yet within five minutes they were fixed. There was no tension to their relationship, so while I liked them together, I wouldn't really call this a romance.
The real plot of this book is Ronan's struggle to form a new tribe after he is exiled, and then the conflict between the Kindred and the Horsemasters. I liked both those conflicts. This was very much a story of culture clash, and I liked all of the differences Wolf created between the related tribes of the Kindred and the foreign Horsemasters. Wolf's worldbuilding is very good, and I enjoyed the changes that had occurred since the previous book.
One disappointment for me though was that we didn't get to see them tame the horses. There were two large time jumps in this book, and while I didn't mind the first, because of the second we didn't get to see the horse taming.
Another thing I didn't care for is the character of Morna. She was very much the evil slutty character and didn't have much depth beyond she likes to bang lots of dudes and is pissed because her brother doesn't want to bang her. This especially disappointing as the other two antagonists, Arika and Fenris, were well drawn characters with nuance. While they were the antagonists, they weren't evil, and from the time we spent in their point of views, it was clear that they both thought they were doing the right thing. Morna was more of a plot device than a character.
I also didn't like the way the whole kid subplot played out. It not only was resolved too easily, but I was discomforted by Morna's role in it.
I liked both Ronan and Nel better than Mar and Alin. Ronan especially had more depth to him, and I liked how ambitious he was, and people's reaction to that ambition. Nel was still a bit more perfect than I liked (her one issue wasn't even an issue), but Alin could sometimes be an ass, but Nel wasn't.
On the whole, I liked this book, but I did have some problems with it.
This book is available for free through openlibrary.
I liked this book better than the previous one; however, while this is labeled as a romance, I'm a bit reluctant to call it one. Yes, there is a romantic relationship, but this isn't really a romance. For me, a romance has to focus on the development of a relationship and the struggles therein. Nel and Ronan never fought for their relationship; they were always in love, and from the time they were children, both planned to marry the other. There were obstacles and conflicts between the two, but all of them were solved so easily. It was nice to have a couple that could communicate, but some of their issues seemed like problems that should require more than a conversation to solve, and yet within five minutes they were fixed. There was no tension to their relationship, so while I liked them together, I wouldn't really call this a romance.
The real plot of this book is Ronan's struggle to form a new tribe after he is exiled, and then the conflict between the Kindred and the Horsemasters. I liked both those conflicts. This was very much a story of culture clash, and I liked all of the differences Wolf created between the related tribes of the Kindred and the foreign Horsemasters. Wolf's worldbuilding is very good, and I enjoyed the changes that had occurred since the previous book.
One disappointment for me though was that we didn't get to see them tame the horses. There were two large time jumps in this book, and while I didn't mind the first, because of the second we didn't get to see the horse taming.
Another thing I didn't care for is the character of Morna. She was very much the evil slutty character and didn't have much depth beyond she likes to bang lots of dudes and is pissed because her brother doesn't want to bang her. This especially disappointing as the other two antagonists, Arika and Fenris, were well drawn characters with nuance. While they were the antagonists, they weren't evil, and from the time we spent in their point of views, it was clear that they both thought they were doing the right thing. Morna was more of a plot device than a character.
I also didn't like the way the whole kid subplot played out. It not only was resolved too easily, but I was discomforted by Morna's role in it.
I liked both Ronan and Nel better than Mar and Alin. Ronan especially had more depth to him, and I liked how ambitious he was, and people's reaction to that ambition. Nel was still a bit more perfect than I liked (her one issue wasn't even an issue), but Alin could sometimes be an ass, but Nel wasn't.
On the whole, I liked this book, but I did have some problems with it.
This book is available for free through openlibrary.
August 6, 2015
I wasn't entirely sure how to feel about this book when I started reading it, but it kept pulling me back, and the momentum started building, and then there was this passage here (p220-221, edited by me for length):
Crim demanded. "What are you saying, Ronan? Are you saying that none of our tribes follow the right way?"
Ronan smiled faintly. "Na, Crim. What I am saying is that all of our tribes follow the right way."
[...]
"What I am saying, Mait," Ronan answered, "is that what is important to the gods is not the actual custom, but what is in a man's heart. [...] What we do does not matter, what matters is what is here," and Ronan knocked his fist against his chest. "It is the spirit of the man that is important to the spirit of the animal." He looked at Mait. "Are you understanding me?" he asked.
"Sa," Mait said." His big brown eyes, so like his sisters', were shining. "I am."
Ronan looked from Mait to Thorn and then around the circle of male faces before him. "We are from different peoples and different tribes," he said. "If we wish to live together, we must understand that there are other ways of doing things, other ways of showing reverence. What is right for Heno to do because to him it is a way of showing reverence, is not right for Cree. Cree's way is different. All ways are right if the heart is right.
"The Mother knows this. Sky God knows this. They can see into the heart, and that is what is important to them."
And I was sold. Completely. It resonated with me that strongly.
The structure/writing/style of the novel was definitely mid-90s, with several point of view characters and jumping around as necessary -- I think I would have preferred to stay a little closer to Ronan and Nel sometimes, but the additional perspectives give us a lot of color we would have missed otherwise, so all in all, it made sense to include them. I thought it was kind of fascinating that the Horsemasters were all given names derived from Norse Myth, and clearly seemed to be suggested as Scandinavian in origin. I'm not sure what that is meant to imply, historically. Maybe it's representative of the banishment of Loki's kin and the fire giants. Either way, an interesting choice.
Crim demanded. "What are you saying, Ronan? Are you saying that none of our tribes follow the right way?"
Ronan smiled faintly. "Na, Crim. What I am saying is that all of our tribes follow the right way."
[...]
"What I am saying, Mait," Ronan answered, "is that what is important to the gods is not the actual custom, but what is in a man's heart. [...] What we do does not matter, what matters is what is here," and Ronan knocked his fist against his chest. "It is the spirit of the man that is important to the spirit of the animal." He looked at Mait. "Are you understanding me?" he asked.
"Sa," Mait said." His big brown eyes, so like his sisters', were shining. "I am."
Ronan looked from Mait to Thorn and then around the circle of male faces before him. "We are from different peoples and different tribes," he said. "If we wish to live together, we must understand that there are other ways of doing things, other ways of showing reverence. What is right for Heno to do because to him it is a way of showing reverence, is not right for Cree. Cree's way is different. All ways are right if the heart is right.
"The Mother knows this. Sky God knows this. They can see into the heart, and that is what is important to them."
And I was sold. Completely. It resonated with me that strongly.
The structure/writing/style of the novel was definitely mid-90s, with several point of view characters and jumping around as necessary -- I think I would have preferred to stay a little closer to Ronan and Nel sometimes, but the additional perspectives give us a lot of color we would have missed otherwise, so all in all, it made sense to include them. I thought it was kind of fascinating that the Horsemasters were all given names derived from Norse Myth, and clearly seemed to be suggested as Scandinavian in origin. I'm not sure what that is meant to imply, historically. Maybe it's representative of the banishment of Loki's kin and the fire giants. Either way, an interesting choice.
August 12, 2011
Ronan, son of the Mistress of the Red Deer Tribe is exiled. He quickly forms his own tribe of outcasts from other tribes. News comes that a people who are able to ride horses are coming from the North. ronan sends spies and then goe after Nel, a girl in the tribe of The Red Deer. A little girl when he left, she has a hard time to believe he can love her. She has grown into a woman and he has never ceased to think of her. Nel also has a gift for handling animals. She had tamed a wolf. Now with Ronan's aid, she works to tame horses so they can be ridden.
The Horsemasters continue their invasion and Roman has to get the other tribes to join together as one in order to keep their home lands.
I am fascinated by books set in prehistoric times and this one I could not read fast enough!
The Horsemasters continue their invasion and Roman has to get the other tribes to join together as one in order to keep their home lands.
I am fascinated by books set in prehistoric times and this one I could not read fast enough!
August 6, 2015
my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Also might be worth noting that I didn't realize this was historical fiction when I picked it up -- I bought it in a sci fi and fantasy bookstore, and assumed that it was fantasy based on that context. It definitely isn't. (But... it could've been. Pre-history kind of dances on a line that way. There's nothing fantastic about the content but by its very nature, pre-history has a lot of the same worldbuilding we'd find in fantasy! So it might be worth a read even if you don't usually go for historical fiction, but prefer fantasy works!)
Also might be worth noting that I didn't realize this was historical fiction when I picked it up -- I bought it in a sci fi and fantasy bookstore, and assumed that it was fantasy based on that context. It definitely isn't. (But... it could've been. Pre-history kind of dances on a line that way. There's nothing fantastic about the content but by its very nature, pre-history has a lot of the same worldbuilding we'd find in fantasy! So it might be worth a read even if you don't usually go for historical fiction, but prefer fantasy works!)
September 8, 2014
Another Joan Wolf special. She definitely knows how to hook a person into a book. I waited many years to get a chance to read this book. It was worth the wait. I had heard it was good but it was fabulous. I had just finished Daughter of the Red Deer & I'll go on to read The Reindeer Hunters next, I hope. This book was well researched as any of her books are. I love the way she develops the relationship of the main characters. They come to life. I am only waiting time to get to her next book in the series. What more can I say the book was one of my best reads in a long time.
February 2, 2016
I really enjoyed this adventure. Ms. Wolf did a wonderful job describing her characters, their surroundings and various cultures. She demonstrates that there is no right or wrong way to worship or to organize a society. We can all coexist if we respect one another's belief systems. There is an underlying story of monogamous, devoted love which was very sweet and surprising. There's also battles, betrayals, conniving leaders and a lot of animal love. In short, something for everyone!
May 19, 2013
Second book in the Reindeer Hunters trilogy. I liked it even more than the first one. Great story - good characters.
August 13, 2016
Delighful story. Ready for the next in the saga
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2024
I did finish the book, but I am left still feeling angry.
I will explain lol. When I go into a book called “horsemasters” which promises at least SOME amount of horse taming, I am bound to be angered when that horse taming happens in an unwritten time between a page that says “let’s go look at the horses” and a page that says TWO YEARS LATER.
There is no horse taming on page in this book!!! You like weird incest romance that plays completely straight, and some quickly resolved war action? Be my guest! But if you go in expecting any horse tamery, do yourself a favor and skip this book. Not worth it. 💀 Still debating whether I’m going to try the last book in the series. This author has a habit of TIME SKIPPING her way past the actual interesting plot points.
Ronan is kicked out of the tribe and sent to die in the wilderness. OH, cool! Can’t wait to read about his survival and struggles—Oh, we’re skipping that? Oh…okay.
They have the horses!! they’re going to start taming and learning to ride them! Nel is here to use her skills and—oh…We’re skipping that too? I…I guess…
idk I guess she sets up stories, then gets bored of them and skips to the “good part” which I guess is the fade-to-black sex scenes, tensionless war, and the incest?????? I WANTED HORSE TAMING AHAHDHFJFJFJ
whoa, I nearly lost my cool there. 😅😅 haha
I will explain lol. When I go into a book called “horsemasters” which promises at least SOME amount of horse taming, I am bound to be angered when that horse taming happens in an unwritten time between a page that says “let’s go look at the horses” and a page that says TWO YEARS LATER.
There is no horse taming on page in this book!!! You like weird incest romance that plays completely straight, and some quickly resolved war action? Be my guest! But if you go in expecting any horse tamery, do yourself a favor and skip this book. Not worth it. 💀 Still debating whether I’m going to try the last book in the series. This author has a habit of TIME SKIPPING her way past the actual interesting plot points.
Ronan is kicked out of the tribe and sent to die in the wilderness. OH, cool! Can’t wait to read about his survival and struggles—Oh, we’re skipping that? Oh…okay.
They have the horses!! they’re going to start taming and learning to ride them! Nel is here to use her skills and—oh…We’re skipping that too? I…I guess…
idk I guess she sets up stories, then gets bored of them and skips to the “good part” which I guess is the fade-to-black sex scenes, tensionless war, and the incest?????? I WANTED HORSE TAMING AHAHDHFJFJFJ
whoa, I nearly lost my cool there. 😅😅 haha
May 5, 2022
I LOVED this book, and the other two in the series. Honestly, I can't imagine why it didn't get better reviews. I can't believe there are ppl who didn't love this book.
In my opinion, it is not a die hard pre history, or a die hard romance, but has elements of both. The language is contemporary to help make it easier reading, and so that you can really relate to the characters.
I tracked these books down on Ebay years ago and covered them to keep them safe, and I'm tempted to buy more copies in better condition in case something happens to these ones. I love them, and I dearly wish Joan Wolf had written a few more in this series. These three books are among my very favorite novels. In my opinion, they are the best romances I've read, the best prehistories I've read. I love the characters, the drama, the setting, the descriptions of tribal life in prehistory times. My very favourite one in the series is this one.
In my opinion, it is not a die hard pre history, or a die hard romance, but has elements of both. The language is contemporary to help make it easier reading, and so that you can really relate to the characters.
I tracked these books down on Ebay years ago and covered them to keep them safe, and I'm tempted to buy more copies in better condition in case something happens to these ones. I love them, and I dearly wish Joan Wolf had written a few more in this series. These three books are among my very favorite novels. In my opinion, they are the best romances I've read, the best prehistories I've read. I love the characters, the drama, the setting, the descriptions of tribal life in prehistory times. My very favourite one in the series is this one.
August 19, 2024
Great Look at Life in Prehistoric Times
This was so interesting to read about life and relationships from this early era. The domestication of horses for human advancement, the development of shield in warfare, the cave drawings . I found the conversation rather modern, which enables readers to better relate. I just really enjoyed learning what life may have been like for early nomadic humans.
This was so interesting to read about life and relationships from this early era. The domestication of horses for human advancement, the development of shield in warfare, the cave drawings . I found the conversation rather modern, which enables readers to better relate. I just really enjoyed learning what life may have been like for early nomadic humans.
May 14, 2025
El primero lo leí hace años y me gustó, lo volví a buscar y resulta que habían más libros. La relación de los protagonistas (que se construye durante años) es muy linda , aparte tiene una buena construcción de mundo con todos los clanes e ideas que tienen cada uno de ellos, estuve superr entretenida todo el libro.
December 12, 2021
I must have read this book almost twenty years ago. But it was written in such a picturesque way with charismatic protagonists and great adventures, that I can still see them making love, painting cave walls and riding their newly tamed horses through their green valley. Loved it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2023
A lovely, true novel based on the basic principles of novel writing.
January 14, 2026
Me gusto más su predecesora, pero de igual manera es una buena lectura, veré si sigo con el último libro de la trilogía.
January 20, 2013
This was a fascinating look into pre-history. Joan Wolf is an excellent writer who weaves a good story around historical information. The story is about a young man, Ronan, exiled from his people who forms his own tribe with cast-offs from other tribes, and eventually his cousin, Nel. His ability to lead a group of people with different beliefs comes in handy when their entire world is invaded by the Horsemen--a tribe from the north who actually ride horses, something unheard of at the time.
Joan Wolf uses this story to convey potential reasons for the taming of horses, and for the cave paintings that still exit throughout France and Spain, along with her ideas on how the peoples of that time lived.
Joan Wolf uses this story to convey potential reasons for the taming of horses, and for the cave paintings that still exit throughout France and Spain, along with her ideas on how the peoples of that time lived.
April 25, 2010
Well, shades of Jean Auel! Actually, in many ways better as Wolf does not hit you over the head with all the little details of how to make your own (insert weapon, tool, art here) multiple times in the same book.
Pretty standard story--noble hero cast out of tribe, goes off, comes back to save tribe from people with new technology (in this case horses).
Pretty standard story--noble hero cast out of tribe, goes off, comes back to save tribe from people with new technology (in this case horses).
February 8, 2010
When I read this book, I didn't know it was second in a series but it reads well as a stand alone book. I enjoyed it. The author was creative in devising the different cultures and how they clashed and yet were similar. The characters weren't quite believeable but still were well-written.
October 15, 2015
Read the loonnnggg review, and Amalia Casosella's review. Well written, historical(?) fiction, a coming together of several "tribes" under one chief, back when the French cave paintings were made. Good book.
September 6, 2016
Despite having more action than the first book in the series, The Horsemasters felt slower in some respects. There was no romantic tension and no internal conflicts for the main characters. This made it less compelling than I'd expected, although the plot kept things interesting.
August 16, 2010
Not as good as Daughter of the Red Deer, but still interesting... I'll have to re-read it to make sure though, it's been a while
September 12, 2016
Similar to Jean Auel, not quite as good.
February 10, 2011
I always enjoy her books.
January 11, 2014
loved it
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews