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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A horror/historical novel with a gay twist, June 26, 2005
This review is from: Firelands: A Novel (Paperback)
Cole Seavey is a frontiersman traveling through Ohio during the winter of 1799. During a fierce storm, he happens upon a terrified and severly injured young girl, lost in the woods, but is attacked by some kind of creature before he can save the girl. A handsome young Delaware brave named Pakim stumbles across the terribly wounded Cole and takes him to a cabin near the town of Hugh's Lick. Days later, he awakens, trying to piece together what happened with that strange creature as well as trying to understand his strange feelings for Pakim, believing them to be caused by his high fever. Soon, townsfolk began disappearing; animals are slaughtered; tales of an Indian demon -- a wendigo -- begin to work their way through Hugh's Lick. Cole and Pakim set out to put an end to this demon before more deaths occur.
A very interesting historical novel that interweaves two good stories: the mystery surrounding the wendigo and the coming out of Cole Seavey as he begins to understand his feelings for Pakim. Being a fan of horror novels, author Michael Jensen handled the wendigo aspect of the story with much tension, gore and suspense to satisfy me. Eerie forests, thick fogs, and the fear of the unkown and unseen are used well by Jensen to heighten the creepy feel of the book. He also handles the homosexual aspect of the book equally well, showing Cole trying to come to terms with his new feelings for Pakim which shows him insight into his own past, and also portraying how 18th Century America felt toward what they considered a deviant lifestyle, with the characters of John Chapman -- who later became the American folk legend Jonnhy Appleseed -- and his partner, Palmer, who are forced to live on the outskirts of Hugh's Lick.
I found this book hard to put down and finished it in one sitting. Guess you could say that I liked it.
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18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting Addition to the Frontier Genre w/ a Twist of Horror, October 15, 2004
This review is from: Firelands: A Novel (Paperback)
Out on the Ohio frontier, frontiersman Cole Seavey is trying to avoid an oncoming storm. He is hoping to make it out of the open and under the cover of the woods when two things happen: first, he finds a seriously injured young girl, whom he tries to help; and second, before he can assist the girl, he is attacked by a wildcat. "It was moments like this that had earned me the nickname Cold-Blooded Cole. Staring back at the cougar, my pulse did not quicken, my hands did not shake. Some said it was not bravery that kept me so composed, but dim-wittedness. I don't know why I was not afraid at such times, but as far back as I could remember, I never had been. Perhaps to be afraid, one must have something he fears losing" (p. 6).
Being cool-headed, Cole fights the cougar, but before the fight concludes, something far more sinister comes at him: "a monster, a devil out of the bowels of hell" (p. 7). As the storm suddenly crashes all about him, he fights the monstrous creature for his life.
I don't want to give away too much of the story, but after the initial attack and a frighteningly exciting escape, Cole has lost his musket and all his supplies. He is found and helped by a Delaware brave named Pakim, and luckily they are close to Hugh's Lick, a settlement near the Delaware camp where Cole's brother was supposed to be living. But it's as if Cole has brought bad luck with him. The townspeople call the brutal, bloodthirsty killer a wendigo, and no one feels safe once it begins to systematically attack and kill.
Featuring appearances by characters John Chapman and Palmer Baxter from the previous novel FRONTIERS, Jensen has woven together a spell-binding story that is half mystery and half horror. I read the book in one sitting, intensely curious to discover the secrets of the murderous attacks and whether the phantom could be vanquished. I also found Cole's personal journey to be interesting as he goes from the self-professed state of being cold-blooded to a man who is discovers the depths of his fear-and strengths. FIRELANDS is an exciting addition to what I hope will be a whole series of gay frontier historical novels. ~Lori L. Lake(...)
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Adventure, mystery, romance!, October 25, 2004
This review is from: Firelands: A Novel (Paperback)
Firelands is a great adventure story, mystery tale and romance novel rolled into one. The twist is the love interest of frontiersman Cole Seavey, is a Delaware brave named Pakim. The first chapter sets a gripping tone by tapping into a universal fear, that of being consumed alive by a wild animal. The pace doesn't slow til the last page as the two men try to sort out the rumor that the attacks are caused by an ancient menace known to the First Nation's people as the wendigo. Meanwhile, they try to sort out thier realationship.
Cole's confusion at his own feelings and the suspicions of local pioneers are handled superbly by this writer. The rich mix of characters is delightful. Beter pay close attention to the turn of events so the ending will make sense!
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