Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Bandgt;and#8220;An irresistibly intriguing story line that brings the past vividly to life. . . . Nobody does Native Americana better than the Gears.and#8221; and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Booklistandlt;/iandgt;andlt;uandgt;andlt;/uandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In the eagerly awaited third installment of the Contact: Battle for America saga, andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling authors W. Michael and Kathleen Oand#8217;Neal Gear richly portray a clash of cultures and a native peoplesand#8217; struggle to protect their world. Set against the tragic war sparked by Hernando de Sotoand#8217;s brutal invasion of the American South, andlt;iandgt;A Searing Windandlt;/iandgt; heightens the historical action in this series hailed as and#8220;magnificentand#8221; (Andrew M. Greeley) and and#8220;exciting, skillfully crafted, and fast-pacedand#8221; (andlt;iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/iandgt;).andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Black Shell is an exile, banished by his people for his cowardice in battle. To his fearsome patron spirit, Horned Serpent, however, he is imbued with the courage and keenness to stop the andlt;iandgt;Kristianoandlt;/iandgt; onslaught. He and his beautiful wife Pearl Hand have fought them from the Florida Peninsula through the very heart of native America. A trader by profession, Black Shell now dedicates his soul to destroying the invaders, with their impenetrable armor, their swift, enormous andlt;iandgt;cabayosandlt;/iandgt;, and their flashing, razor-sharp swords.andnbsp;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Black Shell and Pearl Hand have seen the shackled, naked, starving slaves, heard the broken promisesand#8212;and learned de Sotoand#8217;s plans. While the battle of Mabila cost many andlt;iandgt;Kristianosandlt;/iandgt; life and limb, the marauder does not retreat. Now he heads for Chicaza and the people from which Black Shell was once exiled.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Wounded and pursued by memories and visions, Black Shell is obsessed with setting the perfect trap. To do so, he must use the Chicaza and their stockpiles of food and supplies. And he must gamble everything on his peopleand#8217;s pride, traditions, and failings. As winter sets in, new dangers abound for the pairand#8212;that of a familyand#8217;s shame, a womanand#8217;s anger, and a betrayal that may force Black Shell to forfeit his last chance to save their world from utter destruction.andnbsp; But, worst of all, he and Pearl Hand must walk boldly into de Sotoand#8217;s camp and engage the cunning monster in a desperate game of wits that will decide the fate of a continent.andnbsp;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Powerful and pulsing with authenticity, andlt;iandgt;A Searing Windandlt;/iandgt; is an unforgettable tale of humanity and cruelty, passion and ignoranceand#8212;and of historical events burned into Americaand#8217;s history and soul.
Synopsis
"An irresistibly intriguing story line that brings the past vividly to life. . . . Nobody does Native Americana better than the Gears." --Booklist
In the eagerly awaited third installment of the Contact: Battle for America saga, New York Times bestselling authors W. Michael and Kathleen O'Neal Gear richly portray a clash of cultures and a native peoples' struggle to protect their world. Set against the tragic war sparked by Hernando de Soto's brutal invasion of the American South, A Searing Wind heightens the historical action in this series hailed as "magnificent" (Andrew M. Greeley) and "exciting, skillfully crafted, and fast-paced" (Publishers Weekly).
Black Shell is an exile, banished by his people for his cowardice in battle. To his fearsome patron spirit, Horned Serpent, however, he is imbued with the courage and keenness to stop the Kristiano onslaught. He and his beautiful wife Pearl Hand have fought them from the Florida Peninsula through the very heart of native America. A trader by profession, Black Shell now dedicates his soul to destroying the invaders, with their impenetrable armor, their swift, enormous cabayos, and their flashing, razor-sharp swords.
Black Shell and Pearl Hand have seen the shackled, naked, starving slaves, heard the broken promises--and learned de Soto's plans. While the battle of Mabila cost many Kristianos life and limb, the marauder does not retreat. Now he heads for Chicaza and the people from which Black Shell was once exiled.
Wounded and pursued by memories and visions, Black Shell is obsessed with setting the perfect trap. To do so, he must use the Chicaza and their stockpiles of food and supplies. And he must gamble everything on his people's pride, traditions, and failings. As winter sets in, new dangers abound for the pair--that of a family's shame, a woman's anger, and a betrayal that may force Black Shell to forfeit his last chance to save their world from utter destruction. But, worst of all, he and Pearl Hand must walk boldly into de Soto's camp and engage the cunning monster in a desperate game of wits that will decide the fate of a continent.
Powerful and pulsing with authenticity, A Searing Wind is an unforgettable tale of humanity and cruelty, passion and ignorance--and of historical events burned into America's history and soul.
Synopsis
New York Times bestselling novelists W. Michael and Kathleen ONeal Gear have long been considered the foremost chroniclers of early Native American life. Now, in a critically acclaimed, sweeping new series, they recreate the conflict-filled years following one of the first European invasions. Seen through the eyes of a courageous pair of Native Americans, Fire the Sky follows Hernando de Sotos brutal expedition north from the Florida peninsula as the explorer plunders the heart of a complex and fragile civilization. An itinerant trader and outcast from his tribe, Black Shell was swept into the Spirit World and returned a transformed man. Now, carrying his white-feathered traders staff, he devotes his life to a sacred mission that only the tall, beautiful Pearl Hand—his lover, confidant and wife—truly understands. Black Shell has seen what the incomprehensibly violent, shining-armored invaders are capable of doing to his world and knows that if his people are to survive, he and his “Orphans,” a small band of fierce warriors, must kill as many Kristianos as they can.
After being fought to a standstill by the courageous Apalachee Nation, de Soto has changed his tactics. He will employ promises of peace to accomplish what cannot be achieved by violence alone. Lured by a young mans tale of gold and aided by an arrogant princesss treachery, he makes his way through the beautiful southeastern landscape. One by one, the ancient Nations fall victim to his lies as rulers and commoners alike are tricked into enslavement. In spite of the price de Soto has placed on his head, Black Shell shadows the Kristiano advance and finds that his own legend precedes him. Some will heed Black Shells strategies of sacrifice and deception. Others will ignore him—and suffer unspeakable horrors as a result.
In this moving, vivid portrait of a lost American civilization and a powerful love between a man and a woman, the Gears illuminate a little-understood time in our history, as this bloody conflict between two peoples hurtles toward an apocalyptic battle that may change the course of the war forever. . . .
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;W. Michael Gear andlt;/bandgt;and andlt;bandgt;Kathleen Oand#8217;Neal Gear andlt;/bandgt;are the andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling authors of andlt;iandgt;Coming of the Stormandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;Fire the Skyandlt;/iandgt;, the first two books in the andlt;i andgt;Contactandlt;/iandgt; series, as well as more than thirty international bestsellers that have been translated into twenty-eight languages. Their novel andlt;iandgt;People of the Ravenandlt;/iandgt; won the Golden Spur Award in 2005. In addition to writing both fiction and nonfiction together and separately, the Gears operate an anthropological research company, Wind River Archaeological Consultants, and raise buffalo on their ranch in northern Wyoming. Visit their informative website and read their blog at Gear-Gear.com.