Pax Dakota (Five Star Science Fiction and Fantasy Series) [Hardcover]

Ken Rand (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Supernatural forces conspire to end a fragile peace between the independent Dakota nation and the United States in this convoluted fable from Old West fantasist Rand (Dadgum Martians Invade the Lucky Nickel Saloon!). Pregnant teenage prostitute Etta Dooley shoots the sheriff who killed her boyfriend, but the dead sheriff sits up and sobs like a woeful zombie. Etta screams all the way into the arms of Joseph Thorne, a Dakota horse thief, and together they flee from a swelling host of dead people and animals as an ancient spirit called Old Enemy collects minions in body-snatcher fashion. Conveniently enough, Joseph's body hosts Watcher, a good-guy ectoplasmic parasite who faces off against Old Enemy. While warfare wages on the spiritual plane, Joseph and Etta fight to stop the spread of apocalyptic doom. Two final chapters of summary exposition fail to balance out the baffling prism of multiple perspectives, leaving readers confused from start to finish. (May)
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 265 pages
• Publisher: Five Star (ME) (June 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594146721
• ISBN-13: 978-1594146725
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,651,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrific Read, May 23, 2008

By 

Shelleyflower "Rebecca" (Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pax Dakota (Five Star Science Fiction and Fantasy Series) (Hardcover)

PAX DAKOTA is a terrific alternate history where the Dakota Indians actually won the war and have carved out their own nation here in the west. But when an evil spirit/being gets freed from his prison, both Dakota and the U.S. people will be destroyed if a young Dakota boy and a prostitute can't stop it.

This is a great read and some of Ken Rand's very best writing. Lovers of alternate history and fantasy will really enjoy this book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating alternate historical western fantasy, May 24, 2008

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pax Dakota (Five Star Science Fiction and Fantasy Series) (Hardcover)

Although the Civil War has been over for a decade, the United States military has not fully recovered. Sensing an opportunity to regain their freedom, wise leaders united their Six Tribes in 1876 behind Iron Shield who was guided by the spirit Watcher, who "incarcerated" the First People's adversary "Old Enemy" in a spirit prison These Northern Plains tribes defeat the American amrry and carve out Dakota as their homeland.

In 1883 Iron Shield's death leaves Watcher without a host and Old Enemy planning to escape. By 1899, Pax Dakota remains a sore point with the Americans and though Old Enemy remains imprisoned inside the small medicine bundle pouch, Watcher has lost his way having no host since Iron Shield moved on. In this environ teenager Joseph Thorn is at best an agnostic who doubts the spiritual teachings of his elders especially the medicine bundle pouch that allegedly contains Old Enemy until the evil spirit escapes. When he meets teen prostitute Etta Dooley, Joseph begins to believe they are his People's only hope to prevent Old Enemy from causing a horrific world war in which evil will use the energy of the dead and dying to exterminate humanity.

PAX DAKOTA is a fascinating alternate historical western fantasy in which characters break out of the literary norm; for instance Joseph is an agnostic instead of a true believer. The bundle prison concept seems foolish to him. The Pax Dakota concept comes across as plausible, but serves more of a background impetus for a second war between the Dakota Six Tribes and the United States rather than explored in great depth. Still this is an engaging tale as fans will appreciate Joseph's escapades with his sidekick Etta as they struggle to find a way to stop an adversary that the hero does not believe exists.

Harriet Klausner