Customer Reviews

People of the River (The First North Americans Series)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the Forward and Introduction to this novel the Gears explain (partly through narration and partly through a modern day short story of the plight of an archaeologist to save historical sites) a bit more about the peoples in the novel. The People of the River used their waterways to trade. A society run much like the feudal states of Medieval Europe, the masses must pay tribute to the Sun Chief, their spiritual leader. When crops fail and the villages cannot afford their tributes, the Sun Chief greedily demands his tithe, and then takes it by force. Starving and disillusioned, the villages rebel in a bloody war. Their Sun Chief dethroned, the people must now place their trust in a young girl who is studying to be their Dreamer, and who must lead them into a new age.

I'm a fan of some of the Gear's books in this series, and think the concept of novelizing the lives and stories of people who lived in ancient America is fascinating, but this book is a little weak. First off, this novel comes across as more "New Agey" than any of the other 3-4 in the series I've read. It comes close to being about magic and psychic visions rather than about history and anthropology. I didn't like that. Its cardinal sin, in my eyes, was the underuse of the presence of Cahokia, the greatest city in pre-eighteenth-century America. Barely a description is given of this metropolis beyond brief mentions of its walls and "the great mound". Had a chapter or two been put in detailing the might and glory of Cahokia, or had this become a novel about Cahokian culture itself, then this book might truly have earned five-stars.

Would I have read it if I knew then that it would be a story about a little girl's vision quests as a weapon against (apparently god-created) drought in the mid-Mississippi basin? Probably....but it does let me down that what could have been a tale of Cahokia the Great, was misused as a tree-hugging fable about the management of the earth, and the inner strength of the apparent weakest members of society.

Maybe someday the Gears or another author will do justice to Cahokia and write a good novel about it at its height. I hope so.

Once again the Gears have successfully transported me to another time and place where man was one with nature.This novel has everything a novel should have: war, romance, mysticism and even a happy ending.I love the characters like Badgetail, the reluctant warrior who must follow orders of his sadistic and mad sun chief, Tharon.Locust-the fierce warrior woman badgetail loves but can never have.Nightshade-the powerful dreamer who must communicate with Mother Earth to save them from Tharon's folly.Unforgettable entertainment that also teaches us as well. Forget Auel because these authors are the masters of prehistoric fiction!

As a fellow writer of historical Native American fiction, I found the attention to detail in this work first rate. The People of the River, takes the reader on a ride across the, river roadways, of trade and war and deceit. Drought and madness of the chief drive the people to a decision that may cost them their lives if they are wrong. A well thought out novel with a moving plot line. I look forward to reading this one yet again to find nuances, I know I missed in the first read.

This is one of the best books I've ever read (along with all the other books of the people series). It was a tale of love, and dispute, and surprising turns. What can I say... it can capture any reader with it's plot. Everything in this book ties into the end. I would DEFINATELY recommend this book.

This book is the 10th Gear book that I have read and the first that I did not like. It was hard to read. The character name were hard to remember as well as the story line. One section was repeated in a later book that they wrote.

I really enjoy the whole series. I have finished this book which I higly recommend, and have started on another in the series.

I highly recommend this series "North America's Forgotten Past" for anyone like me that finds pre-Columbian history very intriguing. W. Michael Gear is so good at building a story around a few pieces of an archaeological dig. Plus through the series he shows how ancient events become legends and legends become beliefs which is the foundation of most religions.

Something strange is going on. The First Woman has turned her back on the People, and the Mother Earth is refusing them her bounty. The Sun Chief of Cahokia is using his army to ravage the surrounding villages, and seems to be slipping into madness. While the great warrior Badgertail does his duty and fights those that the Sun Chief tells him to, the great seer Nightshade seeks to find why the power is ebbing away from the land.

This is a very interesting and entertaining story. The author did an excellent job of bringing mound-building people of Cahokia to life. Now, this book is less a work of historical fiction than it is a work of fantasy. People magically communicate over great distances, and communication with the spirit world is at the very heart of the story. So, if you are looking for a realistic story of life in among the Cahokia people, you will be disappointed.

If, on the other hand, you want a fantastic and fascinating story that revolves around Native-American cosmology, then you will like this book. I really enjoyed it, and do not hesitate to recommend it.

Another great book by Gear. This novel ties into the other series in a great way. The epic formalities and occurences are tantilizing to the era that this novel occured in. No loose ends and the ending leaves you to wonder how the next novel will tie into the others. One troubled area is at the end of the novel with the final battle scene with Bagertail and Patega. Throughout the book we are filled with fine details of occurences and when we get to this scence we are suddenly transported ahead in time to the end of the battle and the surrender of Bagertail. Kind of disappointed.