Deviations: Covenant (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

TripStone hates to kill her gods but she must feed her people. An accomplished hunter in the Masari village of Crossroads, she is charged with the ritual slaying of the sacred Yata. Her comrade Ghost tries to end Masari dependence on Yata meat by performing experiments punishable by death. His jeopardy increases when he shelters a teenage runaway sickened by fasting. Their worldview shatters when they harbor a Yata woman raised to be livestock instead of a god. But Crossroads itself is imperiled. Hidden in the far woods, a secret Yata militia is preparing to alter the balance of power.

Product Details

• Paperback: 332 pages
• Publisher: Aisling Press (September 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934677175
• ISBN-13: 978-1934677179
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,886,284 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deviations: Covenant. An excellent read, October 29, 2007

By	GypsyWynd (NY USA) - See all my reviews

This is just the kind of book I like: too good to put down, but when it's over, you wish there were more and are sorry to see it end. (Fortunately, since this is the first in a series, there is more to look forward to!)
It's a fantastic read: great characters, good story, thought-provoking (you could say lots of 'meat' to the story), and it all really 'comes to life'. I highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the reading. , December 10, 2007

By	Alan Petrillo (St. Petersburg, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent book. It is both an entertaining and a thought provoking read.

Unlike most of the self-published novels I've read, this one is surprisingly free of errors in English. Malcohn has built a very interesting and very well developed central conflict, and the development of the story is second to none. Each of her characters is individually well developed. There are no Guys In Black Hats.

Malcohn's development of her milieu with several communities in nearby mountain valleys that know of each other but don't know each other is very much like what my family encountered in Appalachia when my grandparents were doing missionary work there.

The only real criticism I can offer Malcohn is that if she's going to write about firearms then she needs to learn more about them. (Bolt action rifles don't have hammers that have to be cocked separately.) But it's worth suspending one's disbelief in order to read the rest of the story.

I await more from Elissa Malcohn with anticipation.

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a study of how societies feed and devour each other, July 27, 2009

By	Readers Favorite "Readers Favorite" (Hawesville, KY USA) - See all my reviews

Elissa Malcohn has created a society of cannibals. The Masari ritualistically kill the Yata on Meat Day. They depend on the Yata's flesh to survive. There appears to be an understanding between the two "tribes." The Masari offers godship and worship to the Yata.

There are dissidents in the Masari want to become self sufficient and not dependent on the Yata to survive. There are dissidents in the Yatas that do not want to be looked at as a god and that does not want the Masari dependent on them.

Not all Yata are treated as gods, some are raised as livestock.

I cannot tell you that I enjoyed reading Deviations: Covenant. It is a dark book and at times difficult to read. However, it is a brilliant book. There is a deeper meaning behind this series. This is a study of how societies feed and devour each other. Elissa Malcohn gives each character a distinct voice. Well done MS Malcohn.