People of the Silence (The First North Americans series, Book 8) 
asked by james58 on November 8, 2006 12:09 AM
At its pinnacle in A.D. 1150 the Anasazi empire of the Southwest would see no equal in North America for almost eight hundred years. Yet even at this cultural zenith, the Anasazi held the seeds of their own destruction deep within themselves......On his deathbed, the Great Sun Chief learns a secret, a shame so vile to him that even at the brink of eternity he cannot let it pass: In a village far to the north is a fifteen-summers-old girl who must be found. Though he knows neither her name nor her face, the Great Sun decrees that the girl must at all costs be killed.Fleeing for her life as her village lies in ruins, young Cornsilk is befriended by Poor Singer, a curious youth seeking to touch the soul of the Katchinas. Together, they undertake the perilous task of staying alive long enough to discover her true identity. But time is running out for them all--a desperate killer stalks them, one who is willing to destroy the entire Anasazi world to get to her.
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at first it was hard for me to get in this story but after a 4th to half of the book it got better and I could not put it down. this book goes good with the new book MOON and the Anazazi triogy books.
reviewed by nat on November 13, 2006 3:28 PM
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I really enjoy this series in my oppion it is best to read the series starting with Book 1 so that you know what is being talked about. If you are a Indian or love to read about Indians and their history then this is a Great Series of Books to read. It gives great in sight to the beliefs of the Indian Nations and their ways of life.
reviewed by daddyadd on November 24, 2006 3:36 AM
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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.
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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 ý 2005 by Peter D. Tillman
Consulting Geologist, Tucson & Santa Fe (USA)
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 ý 2005 by Peter D. Tillman
Consulting Geologist, Tucson & Santa Fe (USA)
reviewed by nat on November 27, 2006 10:05 AM
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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!
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!
reviewed by skywalker on November 27, 2006 11:57 AM