Michael Gear's Indians, Mountain men, entrepreneurs, and even effete New Englanders ring of faithful to their time and place. This is not only a good story with finely etched characters, but good history as well

YOU JUST CAN'T FIND ANYTHING BETTER TO READ. FROM THE FIRST LINE I AM ALWAYS CAPTIVATED BY THE PROSPECT OF MEETING OLD FRIENDS INTRODUCED IN PREVIOUS WORKS. BOTH MICHAEL AND HIS WONDERFUL WIFE KATHLEEN HAVE A WAY OF TRANSPORTING THE READER TO THE TIME IN HISTORY YOU ARE READING ABOUT. I NEVER READ MORE THAN A FEW PAGES AT A TIME TO TRY TO PUT OFF THE END FOR AS LONG AS POSSIABLE. I KEEP ALL OF THIER BOOKS SO THAT I MAY READ THEM OVER AGAIN. I HOPE THEY KEEP THEM COMMING FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

Gear fans will enjoy this authentic recreation of the American Frontier. If your not familiar with the Gear's work (he also co-authors early American novels with his wife), you can compare them to Jean Auel, William Sarabande, and Terry C. Johnston for their descriptions, historical accuracy, and believable charaters. His scholastic philisophical theories are put to the test as Richard "Dick" Hamilton ventures into the western portion of North America. Aboard a traders boat bound for a land far from civilization, Dick encounters lively individuals that will cause him to analyze all that he thought to be true. A companion named Travis teaches him through mountain logic, commom sense, and a few hard knocks. An entertaining novel with an ending that will make you want to go out and get the sequel!

Of all the books in this series which I have read up to this point, I found this book the hardest to get through. It seemed disjointed and rather unbelievable. We never really did find out why Cottonmouth wanted Musselwhite so much that he did all that raiding and pillaging. I didn't feel an affinity for any of the characters except for little Kelp. Even the Dreamers, who are usually the most intersting characters, were poorly characterized. I will read the remaining three books in the series, but this is definitely the weakest so far.

For the first time in many generations, a White Lightning Boy, Pondwater, is born to a tribe living in what we now call Florida. He has startlingly white hair, pale skin, and pink eyes. Legends tell of Lightning Boys playing great roles in the creation and the destruction of worlds. Pondwater, the 'fifteen summers old' boy, isn't very frightening or imposing, however. He is a kind soul who is sent to marry the great warrior-woman of the small Windy Cove Clan , Musselwhite. Musselwhite, as leader of the clan, is entitled to more than one husband, but her heart is not in another marriage. She must think of her clan, however, and not just her feelings for her first husband. Pondwaters' Heartwood Clan can offer her many warrior allies in her struggle against her old enemy, Cottonmouth. She and Cottonmouth share a secret past that will come to haunt them both....

The People of the Lightning will take you to yet another level of discovering about Power.. This was an awesome tale of one "boy" struggling to find out who he really is and the warrior woman who helps him reveal his true "lightning" self. The story of Pondwader, Musselwhite and Cottonmouth kept me in suspense right up until the end, it's a compelling story of passion and pain... In order to uncover the mystery and enjoy the story as I have, you must read The People of the Lightning....

Intertwining contemporary archaeology with an Anasazi mystery is a good premise. Unfortunately, the authors fail to execute it well.

Repetitious descriptions deaden the writing, making it flat and formulaic. No less than three times, Catkin's black braid is described as a "glistening serpent lying across her back." Too often, moonlight "gilds" or "sheaths" her "upturned nose," "beautiful oval face," and lots of others things. I lost track of how many times yellow cottonwood leaves glinted or glimmered in the autumn sun or swirled somewhere (down paths, on the river, over the kiva edge, etc.) We are reminded ad nauseum of the glints in Dusty's blond beard and hair, of the chin-length black bangs plastered to Browser's face by sweat, of his knee-length war shirt whipping against brush or bushes. Concerning Elder Stone Ghost, "Thin white hair blew around his face as he looked up at Browser." A mere three lines later we read, "Thin white hair blew around [Browser's] uncle's wrinkled face. Sloppy! Where was the editor when the authors needed him/her?

Gestures are recycled until they become tedious. People tuck stray hairs behind their ears or under their hats again and again. Lots of brows draw together lots of times. There is much cupping of coffee cups, sipping of coffee, gripping of war clubs in hard fists, and clasping of capes. The result is unintentionally comic and Chaplin-esque. These characters come across more like marionettes than full-blooded people.

The problems are not merely stylistic. Early on, too much information is thrown at the reader, confusing him/her: a mummy hanging from a rock, copper bells apparently left as bait, a murderous female, a little girl tagging along with her, somebody in a wolf kachina mask, a vicious pack of white-caped warriors, a woman with her eyes gouged out, beheaded bodies in a kiva, the heads in a grove, a necklace that seems important....Whew! The narrative would have been more coherent and the pacing better if these details had been doled out more slowly, one at a time. Easing into a good mystery should be like worming into a ripe apple: the deeper you dig, the darker and juicier it gets.

Sexual tension between Dusty and Maureen is a central conflict in the novel's contemporary portion. However, their unresolved mutual attraction/revulsion soon became frustrating, if not downright annoying. When are these two going to hop in the sack together? Or at least confront their obvious feelings for each other? I know, I know...this fat novel is one in a series of fat novels, and the authors want to keep things simmering. Maybe we'll find out if anything happens between Dusty and Maureen several thousand pages hence. Want to wait that long? I don't.

Hopefully someday somebody will give prehistoric Southwestern peoples the fictional treatment they deserve. But not today....

Let's face it - these are "beach" books and probably written to get a movie deal. These books are certainly better than anything Michael Crichton has had to offer since Jurassic Park. The Gears' don't quite have that movie-script writing style down, (which is actually commendable and appreciated). I enjoyed the first two books, despite the overly redundant and contrived character descriptions, the clues and red herrings, and really bad editing in the first book, The Visitant. The transitions between the past and present are an interesting device, but certainly not innovative. I also prefer the past mystery to the present day storyline. I look forward to reading the latest book hoping that there are actually some answers to - what some people purport to be sheer genius - the clues and red herrings throughout the two books. (If you are really compulsive, go back and find them. The construction of the clues and motivations don't add up as perfectly as one reviewer commented, so these books lost points on the "confusion" spectrum.) This is NOT, and I repeat, NOT a Classic Novel and there are far superior books in this genre. However, if you are on vacation or sitting in the airport wasting time, these are great and very enjoyable books to pass time.

The anasazi series by the Gears is fantastic! History comes alive, and I like the parallels written into the modern day story as well! Well done!

People of the Mask is another fine addition to The First Americans series. Wren's (the young heroine) courage and determination combined with Jumping Badger's growing insanity create an intriguing suspense for the reader. As usual, the resolution is both satisfying and realistic. As always, the Gears provide the reader with a terrific story and fascinating information about those who came before. A definite must for fans.

After reading People of the Mist I was surprised to find this book just as interesting, maybe even more so. The characters were well written, not too much description - just enough. I was sorry to see this book end. Well worth your time.

What a wonderful book. I read it quite quickly. The characterizations are perfect and the history fascinating. I feel I have lived the experience and it was very spiritual and close to nature. I really felt like I had been tracking in the snowy winter with the *people* - totally engrossing! I have already purchased another in the series, couldn't stand for this one to end without having my hands on the next one! Very highly recommend.

After reading the first two books, I really had hopes that Book 3 would tie things together and get better. Obviously this is a "beach book", but not even a good one. It did improve to a certain extent; the grammar and spelling were greatly improved. Unfortunately, it lacked something, and was fairly predictable. I was disappointed with the trite, "old" excuse of Dusty's mother acting like a... so that's why she was a "bad" person, and made his life miserable, and every other male she came in contact with, ya da, ya da. Original, this isn't. In fact, I got pretty sick of all the whining. The Anasazi story wasn't bad, but the descriptions of the black ebony hair, etc. etc. finally got to me. If you want to read it, don't pay for it.

I definitely would not advise anyone to start reading this series with this book. There is a lot of backstory and while the authors do a good job with weaving explanations in the text, there were times when I found myself asea about certain points dealt with in the earlier books. However, I read the two previous novels and I was delighted to find this one.

Moving in time between American Pre-history and the present, the authors touch on nearly every major controversy about the Anasazi, past and present. Vicious scholarly infighting is contrasted against the swing of war clubs. As the suspense builds, the authors do a good job at showing how the investigative skills of archaeologists are not that different from that of law enforcement (whether in the past or present)-- both are attempting to reconstruct past actions and draw conclusions about the actors.

Definitely recommended for a reading on a chilly evening with a pot of hot coffee and a few biscotti on a tray.

"Bone Walker" is much scarier than "Summoning God" and "The Visitant." It also puts Dusty and Maureen in peril, which didn't allow much advancement in fleshing out supporting characters like Steve, Magpie and Sylvia who were so engaging in the other books. Still, it's great to see the Dusty/Maureen relationship flourish, and with additions of new characters I imagine this isn't the last we'll see of Dusty, Maureen, Browser and Catkin. I don't recommend reading this book without first stocking up on nachos, salsa and burritos because in between the scares there are many detailed descriptions of delicious Mexican food that will make your mouth water.
This book brings Browser to the forefront by putting many of the scenes from the 13th century in his POV. Browswer wishes to revenge the wrongs done to him by the "Summoning God" and "Visitant." No longer a brooding War Chief, Browser is now the one who needs to lead Catkin and Stone Ghost out of harms way. The action in this book is more vivid and disturbing than the first two, but it also requires you puzzle out intricate plots both in the 13th and 22nd centuries.
It's well worth reading, and I hope there will be another in this series.

I first read the Gears' Anasazi mystery series -- The Visitant, the Summoning God, Bonewalker. I'd rate those novels 5+ stars, and I've recommended them to a number of friends who have also bought the series. Because the books refer to stories that began in "The People Of..." series, I then bought People of the Silence, which I also enjoyed. On recommendation of another friend, I bought the rest of the People of... series. The first book (People of the Wolf) was well paced and included natural history, just as the Anasazi mysteries did. However, this 2nd book -- People of the Fire -- could have been tightened up and presented in half of its nearly 500 pages. Although the story line was interesting, it became repetitive with too many pages between surprises or crises. I'm throwing out this book rather than passing it on to friends. Not meaning to sound completely negative. I just think I would have enjoyed this book more had I not already read the exciting & action-packed Anasazi Mystery series.

In People of the Fire, the Gears bring us again into the ancient world of struggle, survival, and powerful Dreamers. The Dreamer, Little Dancer, is forced to choose between the woman he loves and the dangerous path of a Dreamer who walks between worlds. If he chooses his wife and children, the great drought may continue and the people will wage bloody wars for food and land. If he chooses to follow his Dreams, he may be consumed in order that his people may live. This second story in The First North Americans Series builds upon the legends created in the first novel. A compelling tale, I suffered and triumphed along with the characters.

If that's possible. After discovering the Gear's style in the first book, "People of the Wolf", I had a much easier time following the writing style in this book. Strong women, powerful men, corrupt dreamers, love, power, courage the list goes on and on. An in depth look at life before history and what the mysteries life held then. When a dream was powerful and ancient stories were young. Add this to your bookshelf.

Seeing WolfDreamer again was like hearing from a long lost friend, like a message from the past. I found the scene with him and Sunchaser in the future at the ruins of Chaco Canyon to be some of the most powerfull writing they have done so far. The Spirals crying out for WolfDreamer to save them and now knowing what became of Green Ash's(People of the River) son Born of Water was gutwrenching. You can relate to the panic the people must have been feeling watching their world change before their eyes, having mammoths drown themselves and forgetting what some animals looked like must have been unsettling to them. It also dosen't help that their best Dreamer has lost his way to the One and has fallen for a hunted woman. The only annoying side of the story was Lambkill,he was a bit to inhuman too evil and crazed to care about or even feeling the least bit sorry for him.

Pregnant and fleeing from her abusive husband, Kestrel is in grave danger. When Sunchaser, a Dreamer who has lost his way, finds her they unexpectedly fall in love. At a time when mammoths are being driven to extinction, Sunchaser must hold his people's faith steady and save his lover from her husband and enemy. How can he possibly complete these difficult tasks when Power has abandoned him? Set in the Sierra Nevada's of the Ice Age, their world was in a dramatic state of environmental flux which affected the lives of all living things.

Their storytelling is so superb that I was able to join the characters on their various outer and inner journeys.

Actually, I can't really say the premise was that good because I was unable to finish. I know, or suspect, what was supposed to happen, but the prose and certain other elements stopped me. The dialog was terrible, so canned it made me wonder if they've ever heard normal people speak. It sounded like a high-school English student wrote it. Then...then I get to the part where Abel is narrating or thinking or whatever. Indescribably bad. Like they tried to imitate a speech impediment but had never heard one, and it's one that apparently comes and goes with different sounds unable to be produced. No flow at all. Read Trueblood's story in "Invisible Man" and you can almost hear him talk. This made me wish I was flexible enough to kick myself, really hard, in the forehead. And then we have the story. Everything came across as so yuppie-pretentious it became comical. Capresso machines and anasazi mugs and opera that characters can sing along with and reenact in their minds while driving. Everybody has hardwood floors and nice cars and attended private schools. No big public universities here. I believe they actually went so far as to comment on a character's "University eduction," as in "He's not so bad, even with his public school background. Have another sip of the 1956 vintage, Buffy. It's dazzling." They use adjectives like ravishing, characters didn't have relatable flaws (at least not to me, but I was University educated), and there was minimal character development. I didn't care what happened to any of them, I didn't want to care, and I didn't intend to read on to find out of this firestarter of a book got better.

RAISING ABEL is riveting reading! Well researched & very well written. Filled with scientific data about the history of cloning, anthropology & Creationism vs Evolution. It has lots of delicious red herrings & action as well as plausible, healthy personal growth, as well as a fascinating glimpse into how our world is experienced from another sentient being's point of view.

Engrossing, sizzling & satisfying!

By now you know the subject of this intelligent thriller, so I'll just add some parenthetical comments. For one thing,these two authors work together seamlessly,but they've had lots of practice,as this is their 14th joint endeavor.

Besides an absorbing plot that sugar-coats a lot of fascinating science, the characters they care to develop compel your interest and actually do change in striking ways. One of the bad guys --Paxton--also turns in a novel performance as an ex-hero with a conscience.

"Raising Abel"'s true "villain" is religious zealotry, the kind that spurs book-burning and torture for people who voice unacceptable opinions. The authors don't hesitate to paint these fanatics as either crazy ignoramuses, or power-mad hypocrites. (See comments by the critic who can't spell "bigoted" and can't get his verbs straight, and you get the idea.)

One amazing aspect is the book's length. it runs to almost 600 pages, but you won't be tempted to skip a single scene. If you like the story as much as I did, you'll eat up Lincoln Child's & Douglas J. Preston's "The Ice Limit" and "Rip Tide." Am I planning to read the Gears' other books? You bet!

After thirteen years of living with Umber the bonobo ape, Jim Dutton feels the primate is part of his family, a sister to his human daughter Brett. Umber communicates with his family through computers and sign language. Over the years, Umber has developed a distinct personality with a sense of humor and a bit of flamboyance.

Two events shatter Jim's complacent world. He learns that Umber's owners Smyth-Archer Chemists somehow changed and enhanced his "child" and other bonobo apes into something more human than ape. Worse than accepting that revelation, SAC demands he return Umber to them. Rather than meekly handing Umber over, Jim, accompanied by his two children, travels to Africa where SAC has a facility allegedly helping endangered species. Once Jim realizes the true objective of this remote site, he knows he places himself and his charges in danger from a corporate group that will do anything for silence to prevail.

DARK INHERITANCE is an exciting genetic engineering tale that never eases up on the throttle. The story line is fast-paced and refreshing, especially the scientific and investigative aspects of the plot that is not just anther Moreau rehash. The Duttons are a warm, heroic family who readers will hope that SAC fails in their efforts to break them up. Though SAC's vision seems myopic, W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear provide a smart, spry splicing of the gene pool story.

Harriet Klausner

This is the first book I've read by the Gears. Now that I've discovered them, I plan on purchasing many more of their titles. Dark Inheritance is a great adventure story. It's superbly written. The characters are so well fleshed out, I really cared for them. I got so caught up in the exciting story that I regretted having to put it down long enough to catch some sleep.

Dark Inheritance is a wonderfully written and developed novel, with credible and likeable characters. The Gears only write melodramas, and this is no exception - it's a given in their novels that the good guys will come out on top, and the bad guys will be hoist on one or another of their own petards. Dark Inheritance reads better than their Native Americans series, though, probably because it plays with far more interesting topics.

The plot is a credible prequel to Planet of the Apes: Smyth-Archer Chemists corporation in England has been tinkering with hybridizing ape and human DNA, resulting in twenty bonobo chimps with all but human brains. These animals are cared for and monitored in differing human family environments, each caretaker of one of the bonobos kept largely unaware of the others.

Anthropology teacher Jim Dutton is one of the caretakers. He has raised his female bonobo, Umber, since birth, alongside his own daughter, Brett. Both "girls" now, at age thirteen, are virtually sisters, and Umber is an intelligent and communicative member of the family - which causes considerable distress when Smyth-Archer wants Umber back.

Dutton and his daughter compromise with the corporation by accompanying Umber to one of their research facilities in Africa, where they soon learn that Smyth-Archer's experiments have not all turned out as well as Umber. A number of escaped chimpanzees from Compound D have been at large for some weeks. Not only are they developing civilized building and toolmaking skills, but they even show evidence of spiritual awareness. They're frighteningly organized. And they're not exactly peaceful...

This is a terrifically involving and satisfying read, which examines fairly well the moral and ethical questions of DNA tinkering, evolution, the psycho-social similarities and differences between humans and simians, and compatibility of species, among other things. It's intelligent, and engaging.

Highly recommended.

For once I agree with at least half the reviewers. For simply plotted well-paced space opera, this is it. If you are looking for anything more than pure escapist romp, look at Simmons or something else with a bit more sophistication. Well, honestly almost anything else would be more sophisticated. It has the funny deja-vu like feeling that all good pulp has--but this is a real doorstop of a book which frankly put me off. It's a bit of an investment in time for stuff that is really pure fluff. On the other hand, as people have pointed out, Gear can and does deliver the goods and it IS reasonably entertaining sf fun.

Gear's writing leaves something to be desired-- as in, more skill with words. This is not a book or series to read if you're seeking to become a better writer. But for sheer, old-fashioned, space-opera fun, this series gets the job done. The previous reviewer is right; you definitely have to be in the mood for this sexy/violent brainless romp. As far as that goes, though, it's pretty darned good, and fun. It's sort of "Dune" without the deep thinking.

Simply-plotted juvenile space opera? Are you people kidding me? Did we read the same book? Requiem--and its host trilogy, Forbidden Borders--may be space opera, but I found nothing simple about this story when I read it during my first year in college back in 1992. The sociology in this book and in the series in general is highly complex and Gear's own archeological and sociological study comes greatly to bear on the problems he tackles. The concept of the Mag Comm, the Sedi priesthood, Staffa Kar Therma and his elite mercenaries, the slow de-evolution of civilization trapped in the 'amber' of the Borders. It's all blended together skillfully and coherently, a superb feat considering all the ground Gear had to cover and still come up with a plausible story. If you guys want juvy plots and space opera, go pick up the latest Star Wars media tie-in novel. I thought Requiem was grand SF and I would recommend it to anybody, young or old.