The best novel of the prehistoric Southwest I've read

books:


	• People of the Silence: A Novel of the Anasazi (The First North Americans series, Book 8) Kathleen O'Neal Gear, W. Michael Gear Tor Books, 1997 - 643 pages average customer review:based on 20 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Made up for the lapse with "Lightning"

I will read anything about the American Southwest. I love it out there, and this book took me back there to Big Sky Country. This book gets back to the old style, The One, Power, Spiral, Singers, Wolfdreamer...and a very, very, clever way to tie this story to some events in "River".
Oh yeah, along the way there is a twisting plot about a killer, a madman ruler and a mystery about who's child is that of a ruler.
Great read!

wonderful

It takes you there. You begin to love the charachter's and want to stand up and cheer for them! I loved this book, like I've loved the whole series. I just finisdhed book 10 and I wish there where more.

for more information click here

Entire series wonderfull

The first book I bought from this series was People of the Mist.I really enjoyed it so I bought People of the Wolf.After reading the second book I realized the story followes through from one book to the next.I went out and got the entire series.I am now on my third time reading these books.I never get tired of them.There is history,romance,action,adventure and mystery all wrapped up in every book.Well worth the investment.Not for young readers,adult content.

Is there a witch among them?

The Anasazi empire flourished in the southwest, and was at its height in 1150 A.D. They lived in great cities surrounded by walls. In this story, a clan leaders wife is accused of adultery. It is a crime punishable by death, and her own son, who's mind has been twisted, becomes the judge of her behavior. It is suggested that the union produced a child. But where is this child today? Dead? Living in another village? And who has been killing people and sprinkling corpse powder over the bodies? Is there a witch in the village? When the dust settles, who will be left to lead the Anasazi people?

for more information click here

The best novel of the prehistoric Southwest I've read

_____________________________________________

This is a fine, thick speculative historical-political novel about the prehistoric American Southwest, specifically the enigmatic Chaco culture and its neighbors during the early 12th century. This is an impressive book. It's well-researched, and features complex people, muddling through life, in cultures much different than our own. The Gears' characters are exceptionally well-drawn. They're presented sympathetically, but with warts and all. Besides history, there's romance, treachery, greed, slavery, rape, murder, humor, exotic religion, mystery.... and fine masonry. A great deal of fine masonry. Did I mention the murals? The masks? The macaws?

The Chaco phenomenon has been puzzling and fascinating people since the rediscovery of the Chaco Canyon ruins in the 19th century. I've followed the debate with interest [note 1], and the Gears' story is as likely to be tru(ish) as any. Although I'm kinda partial to the more recent "Mexican cannibal terrorist warlords" hypothesis [2] for Chaco's Secret Masters -- which isn't incompatible with (but is darker than) the Gears' interpretation. Both Gears are (IB) working archaeologists, and they've clearly spent some time around the campfire with the Chaco guys, listening to stories too outrageous to be published...

And if you've never visited Chaco, well, you should. Fall is the primo time. Bring a sturdy vehicle, and plan to camp out for a night or two. And don't miss Earl Morris's stunning recreation of the Great Kiva at Aztec Ruins -- which you'll recognize from the novel. There are no finer Precolumbian buildings in this country. And no finer masonry anywhere.

SILENCE is a gripping and successful long novel, which held my attention throughout. This is the best novel of the prehistoric Southwest I've read (this is an uncrowded niche). An impressive achievement, and a definite keeper. Highly recommended for historical-fiction and Southwestern US fans.

__________________
Note 1) Fellow Chaco fans will enjoy catching up by reading "In Search of Chaco: New Approaches to an Archaeological Enigma" (2004), edited by David Grant Noble -- though he unaccountably left out the "Mexican cannibal terrorist warlords" theory.

2) MCTW is largely the work of Prof. Christy Turner, as documented in his book "Man Corn" (1998). The cannibal part is well-supported -- Turner even found a fossil human turd in a burnt-out pueblo, above a mass-grave, in southern Colorado. On analysis, the coprolite had relict proteins found only in human muscle tissue. Yup, burn out your enemies, eat them, sh*t on their graves. Yuck.

So much for the "peaceful Anasazi" wishful-thinking, which still hangs on in a few romantic holdouts.... Turner's work has not been greeted with cries of joy from the archaeological or Pueblo Indian communities.

Review copyright © 2005 by Peter D. Tillman
Consulting Geologist, Tucson & Santa Fe (USA)

for more information click here

reviews: 1, page 2, 3, 4

hot

not?

What's your opinion?

Write a review and share your thoughts!

recommendations

Prehistorical Fiction Must Reads 2
Fantasy Books I want to read 2
Great Prehistoric Fiction
Holly's Favorite Books
Recent Readings

search for books
people of the, americans, anasazi, first, north, people, series, silence

Impressum / about us