Song of the Axe [Hardcover]

John R. Dann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002

Song of the Axe is the spell-binding story of two prehistoric lovers, Agon and Eena, their struggles and triumphs, and their sons. Agon is a great warrior, a master of the deadly axe song, the mystical music made by his weapon. Eena, beloved of Mother Earth, can cast a spear better than anyone alive. They fall in love by the banks of a huge, glacier-fed river at a time near the end of an ice age. But an invading tribe led by the evil shaman, Ka, destroys their tribe and kidnaps Eena. Agon must cross the river and rescue her, against great odds. They marry, and found a new family in a faraway land. But the children of Ka live, and seek vengeance on the sons of Axe Man and Spear Woman.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Potent if overlong, Dann's (The Good Neighbors) prehistoric epic is a dizzying amalgam of legend, myth, archaeology, warfare and romance. Set somewhere on the Eurasian continent around 30,000 B.C., the novel pits lovers Agon and Eena against tradition and taboo in a time of immense brutality and a place of vast, pristine beauty. Agon is known simply as Axe Man while Eena is referred to as Spear Woman, a title she first lives up to in a gruesome scene in which she adroitly casts her spear down the throat of a hyena. Agon is the son of mighty chieftain and sorcerer Grae, leader of a warrior tribe known as the Bison Hunters. He spies golden-haired Eena with her brother and father along the banks of an immense glacier-fed river. Before his eyes, the men are slaughtered by a rival Neanderthal tribe led by the murderous shaman, Ka, who kidnaps and rapes Eena. Heroic Axe Man saves Spear Woman, and the two begin their own tribe, yet they still fear the vengeance of Ka's children. Their love is not like that of their fellow cave-dwellers, but a reciprocal passion and a mutual respect for each other's strengths. In his sweeping, cast-of-thousands tale, Dann tackles the culture of the Ice Age in sparse, biblically tinged prose. Agent, Bernard Shir-Cliff. Author tour. (Apr.)Forecast: It's hard to determine the ideal audience for this one those drawn to the romantic element may be turned off by all the gore, and vice versa, while many will tire of the protracted and stilted narrative but fans of Jean Auel's Earth's Children series are a safe bet.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Set in 30,000 B.C.E., Dann's debut novel is reminiscent of Jean Auel's The Clan of the Cave Bear. It combines elements of anthropological history and the mythologies of several cultures. When Eena is captured by Ka, leader of the clan of Kaan, Alor comes to her rescue, killing Ka and taking Eena as his mate. A mighty hunter, Alor is virtually invincible in battle owing in large part to the magic tied to his axe. Together, Alor and Eena become the legendary Axe Man and Spear Woman. In spite of their desire to live in peace with their sons, they can't escape the shadow of Ka, for his offspring pursue them, seeking revenge. Although the author infuses his story with interesting and creative references to the story of Adam and Eve as well as Earth Mother and goddess mythologies, the book as a whole is less than memorable, and the writing is forced and stilted. Recommended only for large public libraries where there is a demand for Auel read-alikes.DJane Baird, Anchorage Municipal Libs.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 479 pages
• Publisher: Forge; 1st edition (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312869843
• ISBN-13: 978-0312869847
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,535,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Epic Tale of The Past, April 25, 2006

By 

Ratqueen "Carole" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Song of the Axe (Paperback)

As a big fan of prehistory novels, I held off reading this book for a long time because of the reviews here, so I was surprised to be so enthralled by it.

The story is quite epic, spanning the heroes' lifetime, and it's told with a lot of emotion and imagery. The main characters are deep and attaching, and the violent tribe of Ka seemed very realistic to me. The scenary is brought to life with a lot of skill, the landscape and atmostphere wonderfully described... I could see it, hear it, smell it, as if I were there -- a wonderful trip. I'm now greatly looking forward to reading Dann's new book, Song Of The Earth.

To those who rely on reviews before deciding whether to read a book or not, give this one a chance, it's worth it!

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very engrossing, July 3, 2004

By 

Mary Blevins - See all my reviews

This review is from: Song of the Axe (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book and was shocked at the bad reviews. I expected to see a rating of at least 4 stars.

This book was a prehistoric generational soap opera in the best sense of the genre. There were surprises and twists and turns in the plot. Wonderful yet not over long descriptions of the natural world and what pre-historic life was like. There were characters you love and characters you loathe. There was mystery, magic, warlocks and totems.

One reviewer was upset because of Eena's quick recovery after being raped by the savage hunter Ka. I had no problem with Eena being raped and yet able to make love with Agon. It was only possible because she was healed and cleansed by the magic of the Earth Mother and to her that "magic" was utterly real. Someone wrote there was too much dependence on "magic" in the book. News flash. The book was about magic. And the interesting thing the author did is make you think that perhaps back then magic was real. Very, very real.

One reviewer commented that it was not sensible that a 3 year old boy would hate his father and want to kill him and take his mother away from his father. That shows she did not understand what she was reading. The boy had an evil spirit because of who his father really was.

I truly enjoyed this book. I would love to see it made into a mini-series! I hope the author does not get discourage by the dumb reviews of the naysayers. If he writes another book I will be sure to read it.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A winner, March 22, 2001

By 

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

This review is from: Song of the Axe (Hardcover)

30,000 BC in Eurasia during an age when the ice melts and rivers overflow, everyone reveres and fears the seemingly invincible fighter Agon and his magical axe. Eena has also earned quite the reputation from their clan members due to her abilities with throwing a spear.

The malevolent Ka, chieftain of a rival tribe, kidnaps Eena and destroys much of the clan. The intrepid Agon goes to rescue Eena and avenge his people knowing the odds against him, but also confident in the SONG OF THE AXE that he uses.

This novel will remind readers of "Clan of the Cave Bear." As such, die-hard fans of Jean Auel's works will enjoy this tale. The story line provides much insight into known prehistory while supplemented with theories to fill the gap. However, Agon and Eena (Adam and Eve?) work as characters when they use their weapons of choice or turn spiritual. When they come together, they act more like modern couples rather than Cro-Magnon man (and woman). Still, for those who relish prehistorically set tales, John R. Dann's novel is the right stuff.

Harriet Klausner