Customer Reviews

Apacheria

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Apacheria by Jake Page is an interesting tale that should have been edited closer.

I found myself re-reading paragraphs and sections of the book to make sure that I was following closely. ..., there was a part where Tom Bignon was doing something and by the end of that part of the story, Little Spring was the center of action. No transition at all...almost like the author forgot who he was writing about there.

JEERS TO DEL REY!!! the first page of the book, the one where it describes a confrontation between the Apaches and Al Capone...that doesn't happen in the book until the last three pages!!! What the heck was that about?!? It's like seeing a movie preview that shows the final scene. The ending was totally ruined for me. That first page could have been from anywhere in the first part and still grab the eye.

And, speaking of the ending of the book, will there be another one with Juh and the Apaches? It would be interesting to see how they would have handled WWII and the years to follow.

Good story, could have been better.

Jake Page's second Apache alternate history novel, Apacheria, is set in a world where the Apaches, under the leadership of Juh, formed an independent nation in the America Southwest. Although billed as a novel, Apacheria is structured as three interrelated stories set over a span of several decades. The novel's first section, set in the 1880s describes the formation of Apacheria and the birth of Juh's son, Little Spring. Subsequent sections of the novel follow Juh's family through to America's prohibition.

Page has selected a difficult branch point for his alternate history. The Apaches were in such a weak position, it is hard to see a realistic way to give them their own nation. Page is not able to do it, either. Although he begins well by making the Apaches more unified than they were in our world, he also shows the United States backing down from annihilating the Apaches a little too easily.

Furthermore, many of the situations Page describes are not always clear. This is not simply a matter of Page describing complex scenarios, but rather this seeming inability to clearly communicate the action to the reader.

Following the Apache succession, Page fails to examine the historical changes which would result from the loss of land and sovereignty to the Indians. Grover Cleveland still manages to win a second term of office, after being out of office for four years, despite his close ties to Geronimo, the Apacherian ambassador to Washington. Carrie Nation's anti-alcohol crusade still brings about prohibition and Teddy Roosevelt still winds up in the White House after leading a charge up San Juan Hill.

What Page does focus on is the question of what it means to be an Apache and, by extension, any other ethnic group. The definition of being Apache ranges from Victorio's very limiting definition to Naiche's, Cochise's son who takes up with a Causcasian Woman.

Page's portrayal of 1920s era Chicago is also interesting, although its depiction is so close to the real O'Banion-Torrio feud that this part of the book nearly doesn't qualify as alternate history.

While Apacheria examines dome important issues, the reader is left feeling that the same issues could have been explored as well, if not better, without imposing the alternate history angle on the story. Because the alternate history aspect of the book is not written as logically as it could have been, the rest of the novel tends to suffer.

I really liked the book, in fact I am planning to read it again. The basic premise is that the Apaches united and stood off the US expansionist government, making everything west of the Mississippi an Indian nation. The book deals with how the Indians managed their country, how the US government dealt with the Indian country and the various political issues (the Indians not allowing settlements)in the East and the various schemes to topple the Indian government. Its a fun read, one that is hard to put down.
I don't agree with the quibbling about it not being feasible etc.etc. In any fiction novel, especially SF, you have to accept the basic premise and go on from there. The basic premise is clear, the Indians won and the land west of the Mississippi belongs to them. It was a fun book, and I rooted for the Indians all the way through. The ending left me hanging, I wanted to know what happens next. I would like to see a sequel, "how the Indians manage their country 50 years after the event and how the East manages without expansion to the west".
This book is a keeper, and I will probably read it again in a few years.
Janet
A science fiction fan since 1948

Jack Page is a specialist in South West environment and has a well seeded knowledge on Native Americans as shown in his books "Hopi" and "In the Hands of the Great Spirit".
But also he likes to write fiction and has a special knack for alternate history. He has written "Apacheria" and "Operation Shatter hand".

The reader has to take the story as it is, without speculating on the actual possibility of occurrence of the events. There were many factors that will have destroyed the appearance of a world such as the one depicted here.
So, give a wink to the author and enjoy the trip. Once you have done this the action flows.

The Apaches are able to unite all their scattered bands under the leadership of Juh. Then present a stiff resistance to the expansion of the United States and finally consolidate an autonomous state.
The story is divided into three parts: the first cover the surging of Apacheria, the second its consolidation and the third one is situated in Al Capone's Chicago.
One of the good points of the book is how it describes the psychology of the Apaches and the different attitudes adopted by the subjects in relation to the new emerging situation.
A good light read!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Jake, call me if you need a lift. Some of the review were not nice. Hay, gang, this is not Gone With the Wind. Chill Out. This little Tongue in Cheek is great. Jake was on a trail drive up the Goodnight when this idea came to him. If the truth were known a lot of folks would like to see Jake's story selling in the Non-Fiction section of Amazon. I loved the section on Carrie Nation and Al Capone. Only an Apache could have handled those two so well. It is a very good book, believable, good R&D, a DelRay, a nice ending. The kind of book you like to take home to Pop. More SciFi, Jake, please. Smitty really gave it six stars but Amazon would only print five of them. Here's that missing one, Jake, * - Smitty

_____________________________________________
I finally got around to reading this "what if the Apaches had won?" novel, by a well-known SW historian and mystery writer. It's pretty good, really, once you get past the implausibility of the premise -- which is, in essence, that the Apaches wore down the US to the point where in 1885, the US gave the Apaches a small, independent nation in southeastern Arizona and SW New Mexico. Page sets this up as best he can. It's still not convincing, but a good-enough premise for fiction, I thought.

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman
Google "Peter D. Tillman" +review for lots more reviews

Jack Page is a specialist in South West environment and has a well seeded knowledge on Native Americans as shown in his books "Hopi" and In the Hands of the Great Spirit: The 20,000-Year History of American Indians.
But also he likes to write fiction and has a special knack for alternate history. He has written "Apacheria" and Operation Shatterhand.

The reader has to take the story as it is, without speculating on the actual possibility of occurrence of the events. There were many factors that will have destroyed the appearance of a world such as the one depicted here.
So, give a wink to the author and enjoy the trip. Once you have done this the action flows.

The Apaches are able to unite all their scattered bands under the leadership of Juh. Then present a stiff resistance to the expansion of the United States and finally consolidate an autonomous state.
The story is divided into three parts: the first cover the surging of Apacheria, the second its consolidation and the third one is situated in Al Capone's Chicago.
One of the good points of the book, is how it describe the psychology of the Apaches and the different attitudes adopted by the subjects in relation to the new emerging situation.
A good light read!

Reviewed by Max Yofre.