Tatham Mound (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Anthony, best known for his science fiction (the Xanth series), has based this overburdened saga on early 16th-century artifacts found in an actual North Florida Indian burial mound. Combining myth, fantasy and history, this wide-ranging, picaresque adventure follows the 15-year quest of a young 16th-century Florida Indian, Throat Shot. He has been instructed by spirits of a burial site to save his tribe from a terrible danger by finding the Ulunsuti, a great transparent crystal on the forehead of a snake. The spirits vow to guide him. Throat Shot gamely sets out, encountering a series of colorful traveling companions who either regale him with their own unique stories or pull him into one risky escapade after another. He meets, for example, descendants of Mayan royalty; he escapes Aztecs bent on extracting his heart. The numerous extraneous narratives slow an already leisurely pace, but the book is yet more seriously marred by the ubiquitous bland tone blanketing every description from that of a smallpox epidemic to that of the encounter with the ultimate enemy, the greedy and arrogant Spanish invaders.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

A young Indian warrior receives a mission from the spirits of the dead to search for an item of magical power that can save his people from destruction. Drawing heavily on recent archaeological finds in his home state of Florida, fantasy/sf author Anthony creates an imaginative reconstruction of the final days of the Amerindians of Safety Harbor (near Tampa Bay). Real events (such as de Soto's march across the state) are interspersed with tales from many tribes in this heartfelt tribute to a lost culture. A labor of both love and talent, this historical quasi-fantasy belongs in most libraries. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/91
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Avon Books (Mm); 1st THUS edition (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380713098
• ISBN-13: 978-0380713097
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,034,268 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite the native Tale Teller, December 30, 1997

By	[e-mail] (College Park, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews

Anthony, a consummate fantasy bard, steps out into the real world and develops a compelling story from a collection of bones excavated, in part, by his daughter. This story of native Americans meeting the Spanish Conquistadors gives an easy read introduction to this time of dramatic change. With relevant and appropriate detail, Anthony lets the average reader experience the onslaught of the white man from an Indian perspective. At the same time, the reader comes to know a little more about the native American tribes in the South Florida region and learns some of the narratives that must have enriched thier lives. This book is not a research piece, but a fun, lively story which grips the reader with heartwrenching strength through to the foreshadowed cataclismic ending. Both my thumbs were up so high, I had trouble turning pages!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ., December 20, 1998

By A Customer

Read this book. Plain and simple. Whatever your tastes are. Read it

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Facinating departure for Piers Anthony & his fans!, November 24, 1996

By A Customer

This book proves that Piers Anthony is a man of many talents. This is a facinating look at pre-historic life, in a realistic setting; not what you would expect from this author. No one else could have done it better! As always, the author's comments provide great insight.