I'm starting to feel like I'm reading the same book. Young, seemingly incapable boy who must Dream a new spiritual path for his people. Old (but not too old) powerful woman dreamer who dances on the sides of both good and evil. Strong leaders who fall in love and help lead their clans away from the bad guys. The good news is this means you don't have to read any of the other books, you'll be just fine reading this on your own.The Raven People and the North Wind People have always had an uneasy alliance. With tempers like their fiery hair, the North Wind People are accustomed to being leaders. And the Raven people are beginning to resent it. When several events fall into place to cause a cataclysmic war, it seems that few people are willing to look past revenge and actually work towards a better future for their peoples. Add in a witch that is stirring up trouble and there is no telling what side will win.First off, the witch. What the heck is with his storyline? And maybe I just missed it but I never really figured out who he was, which bothers me. He wasn't important enough to be such a mystery. But anyways, on to the other characters. As I mentioned before they were a rehash of other characters from other books. It's formulaic actually. Evening Star was the young female leader who must sacrifice her own happiness in order to achieve peace for the people. Dzoo was the strong female Dreamer. And then there were all the men who were either good, or they weren't. None of them were standout characters.The plot was perhaps a little different. You had the story altered by a possible explanation of the Kennewick Man which explains all the red hair in this book. But really, hair color didn't give anyone special powers, so it was just an explanation, not a plot driver. There was plenty of violence, sex, rape, and all the other normal unsavory things that this series has as well. It's definitely not a book for the squeamish. They have a certain obsession with ripping guts out anyway. I can't say that anything was overly exciting in this book. It was mostly scheming and a few light battles, but the majority was dialogue. I could take or leave this book. I don't really feel like it was an integral part to the series at all.People of the RavenCopyright 2004562 pagesReview by M. Reynard 2014More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
These always looked like they would be interesting books to read, so I grabbed a few from the library booksale one time. I really enjoyed this story, set in the Pacific Northwest/British Columbia region of North America. Even though the characters, their ways, customs, and culture are prehistoric, their emotions and actions are so very human. It reminded me that throughout the ages, people are essentially the same, especially in regards to their motivations and desires, hopes and fears. This is a story of decisions and choices and how they can greatly affect the future of so many. It is also a story of massive environmental change, which is especially interesting to read about in this day and age. I will certainly read another novel by the Gears! This one was fascinating. Favorite quotes: “True compassion does not make a man feel pride. Its core is humility and sacrifice. If you feel pride after an act of compassion, you’ve clearly only sacrificed enough to make yourself feel good… When a human being sacrifices so much for another’s sake that he feels empty and bereft, he has, for one shining moment, been truly compassionate. All other acts of ‘compassion’ are simple selfishness.” – Rides-the-Wind “One hurt does not heal another.” – Rain Bear“Yes, true, but those who are hurting rarely understand that.” – Rides-the-Wind“One never knows how life would be different if one had chosen another path. And for every decision, there is a price.” – Rain Bear
Do You like book People Of The Raven (2005)?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a tale of survival and strategy. The People of the Raven are in a subservient relationship with the North Wind People; they provide food and resources whilst the North Wind People provide them with skilfully-produced artefacts. What should be a symbiotic relationship has descended into one that verges on the borders of genocidal warfare - and it is the North Wind People who have the edge!Anyone who comes to the First Americans series has to accept that these are not (pre-)historical novels based simply on the archeological expertise of the authors. We see the world as the Native Americans would have seen it... the wind, the rain, the thunder all take on an extra dimension as they become the gods and spirits of their world.There is also another dimension that I always find a little uncomfortable but end up putting up with - the realm of fantasy. It is one thing to believe in communication with the spirit world and witches etc, it is a completely different ball game to write as if these things actually DO exist.Given my small caveat, this series is generally entertaining. I would find it hard to accept this mixture of verisimilitude and fantasy as anything other than pure fiction... but it's not bad fiction!
—Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk
the "people of..." series has become my brainless book. what i find annoying, even though i keep reading them, is while the science and history behind them is quite fansinating, the novels themselves are tedious and lack development. the politics seem contrite. the endings are anti-climatic. i guess that's what happens when you churn out a novel every 18mons.these books could be really well written and deep (if you want really well researched, well-written historical fiction, try colleen mccollough's masters of rome series), but they are not. either the gears dont care to write them, preferring quantity over quality, or just cant.also, im annoyed by how 'white' and misleading the models on the covers are - in one of the books, the main male character had a misformed arm, but the cover should hale and whole people.
—Jillian
Great book, ranks up with People of the Silence, Lakes, Weeping Eyes, and Thunder. This book is different among all the others I have read by the Gears, it starts off with action immediately and will grip you into the story after the first few chapters. The plot was easy to follow and I didn't trouble remember all the characters the Gears like to introduce into their stories. The story slows a lot mid way through but picks back up with a brilliantly written ending. 4 1/2 stars because I felt the middle was just too dragged out, but i'll throw a bone and give it a 5.
—Billy Dominguez
