People of the Thunder (North America's Forgotten Past) [Hardcover]

W. Michael Gear (Author), Kathleen O'Neal Gear (Author)

Book Description

Series: North America's Forgotten Past | Publication Date: January 6, 2009

By 1300 AD, the Sky Hand people had crushed and enslaved the Albaamaha people and built their high-walled capital, Split Sky City, to dominate towns up and down the Black Warrior River. But a violent wind is brewing that may topple the city's mighty walls. Great armies are on the march, and a cunning new leader, Smoke Shield, has risen. He will lead the Sky Hand people either to stunning triumph or to bloody doom.

 

Old White, Trader, and the mystical Two Petals are journeying across the Choctaw lands straight into the chaos. Old White, the Seeker, must play a delicate game of espionage. For Trader the slightest indiscretion--let alone the temptation of forbidden love--could lead to disaster. Two Petals, the Contrary, faces the toughest choice of all : She must betray herself and her friends to Smoke Shield or live forever in the backward grip of madness. And Spirit Power has laid a far deadlier trap for them in the rainbow colors just beneath the rolling surface of the Black Warrior River.

 

A novel of desperate political intrigue and spiritual power, People of the Thunder once again demonstrates the Gears' mastery of American prehistory. Explore the ancestral heritage of the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Yuchi peoples as the majesty and genius of the vanished Mississippian mound builders' civilization comes to life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in the 1300s largely in what is now Alabama and Mississippi, this complex novel tracks three wanderers quest to create peace in violent times. The Sky Hand people control their territory from Split Sky City (Moundville, Ala.), ruled by scheming chief Flying Hawk and his ruthless nephew, war chief Smoke Shield. While they plot to suppress the enslaved Albaamaha people and to conquer their neighbors, three people pursue a mission to restore peace. Old White is a prophet and the most dangerous man alive; Trader is a man with blood on his hands and a stunning secret; Two Petals is a shaman woman who says and does everything backwards. Together this curious trio must bring down Flying Hawk and Smoke Shield. The story is loaded with early Native American lore, spirituality, economics, government and daily life; however, it is not for the squeamish, as it also contains plenty of blood and gore, hideous torture, rape and chilling cruelty. Still, blended with the carefully drawn suspense of court intrigues, colorful characters and sharp plot twists, this is a terrific tale. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Praise for People of the Thunder:

 

“The Gears, husband-and-wife archaeologists turned best-selling authors, continue their superbly research and rendered North America’s Forgotten Past series. This novel is as good a place as any of its predecessors to jump in and begin enjoying the authors’ talents.”—Booklist

 

“Set in the 1300s largely in what is now Alabama and Mississippi, this complex novel tracks three wanderers’ quest to create peace in violent times. Blended with the carefully drawn suspense of court intrigues, colorful characters and sharp plot twists, this is a terrific tale.”—Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765314398
• ISBN-13: 978-0765314390
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #769,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

W. Michael Gear has co-written 23 international bestsellers which have been translated into 21 languages. His novel People of the Raven won the Golden Spur Award in 2005. Michael's solo novel Morning River was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award in 1998. In addition to writing both fiction and non-fiction, the Gear operates an anthropological research company called Wind River Archaeological Consultants, and raises buffalo on his ranch in northern Wyoming.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars incredible Forgotten People saga, January 10, 2009

By 

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

This review is from: People of the Thunder (North America's Forgotten Past) (Hardcover)

By 1300 in an area now known as Alabama and Mississippi, the Sky Hand People rule with an iron fist controlling territory for vast miles from their Split Sky City. Their Chief Flying Hawk is devious and ambitious with plans to expand the tribe's land. His nephew War Chief Smoke Shield is a brilliant merciless strategist, who expedites his uncle's plan. Together they are intelligent, abusive and deadly; complementing one another

They attack their peaceful neighbors the Albaamaha tribe with a blood thirsty assault. The "most dangerous man alive" Old White the prophet, Trader a man with dark bloody secrets and the enigmatic female shaman Two Petals seek peace. To achieve peace in their time, the trio knows they must end the reign of terror of Flying Hawk and Smoke Shield.

This completes the tale first started in THE PEOPLE OF THE WEEPING EYE. As always in the incredible Gear North American Forgotten People saga, readers obtain an insightful look at Native American culture and everyday living inside an exciting action-packed thriller. Although extremely but appropriately graphic with murder, rape, torture and the abuses of war, fans will relish the fifth Mississippian story as the Gear duet bring to life the early fourteenth century through fully developed characters leading to a confrontation that will determine whether peace or war will dominate the region.

Harriet Klausner

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Is This The Last Book In The Series?, August 24, 2009

By 

John A. Van Devender "Gadfly" (Millersville, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: People of the Thunder (North America's Forgotten Past) (Hardcover)

This book is a sequel to "People of the Weeping Eye" - please insure that you read them in order. This book can stand alone but much will be missed without the previous book, especially the ending which ties back to the opening, modern day scenario in "... the Weeping Eye."

If the Gears are intending to bring their superb series to an end this book may very well be the fitting conclusion. These books excel in two areas: character development and thematic variation. In this two volume sequence, the Gear's have done a remarkable job of integrating the characters and building empathy with them in the reader. Thematically, these books continue the same basic narrative as in earlier story lines with enough variation in details and manner to arouse and maintain interest even though the reader is confident in the ultimate outcome (based on previous works).

A few words on this continuing theme. The unity of narrative found in these novels is that each is consistently an episode in the continuing "brotherly competition" of the demi-gods Raven Hunter (violence) and Wolf Dreamer (peace). In this novel this "brotherly competition" is most explicitly stated and explored. This particular book may very well be the most metaphorical of the entire series. It would be a mistake to assign the terms "evil" and "good" to the two forces. "Good" in the Gears' cosmology is "balance" between the two powers: Red (violence - Raven Hunter) and White (peace - Wolf Dreamer). Balance is achieved when violence is justly pursued and peace is appropriately sanctioned. People serve these powers and become tools, often deterministically, in the development of the gods' struggle. In these two novels there seems to be a "tidying up" character to the continued meta-narrative which makes me think the Gears may be bringing the series to an end.

I gave these books 4 stars instead of 5 because the ending is not as satisfying as previous books... mostly because it is just a bit too neat. There are too many "comings together" and, differing from previous works, no remaining tension in the characters that make us wonder "what might happen next." Still, these are books well worth reading and most highly recommended for young and old alike.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long Wait Justified, July 17, 2009

By 

B. Laleman (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: People of the Thunder (North America's Forgotten Past) (Hardcover)

I have every single book from their Native American series. I am so glad that they made this particular story into two parts. The plot is rich, full and intricate. Each of the characters is interesting and well developed. The social interactions among the groups is interesting and believable. And the authors' love of the environment is there throughout the book. After reading People of the Weeping Eye, I waited impatiently for this book to be published. And it did not disappoint. They successfully wove all the plot lines together and tied most of them up in the end to give a satisfactory ending, while leaving a couple things unresolved for future development.