MICKEY FREE is a story of a man raised by Apache's yet through unfortunate circumstances is the only one who can bring in the war chief who raised him-Geronimo. Kerry Newcomb brings us a story about a man and his legend, a story of courage and betrayal as Mickey Free watches as a once proud nation is reduced to a few and a way of life is no more. Read MICKEY FREE and relive one of the tragadies of the civilazition of the west.

Desperate to put the ravages of the Civil War behind him, Joel Ryan travels west. But he soon finds that the solituded he so desperately craves is not to be his. Early in his journey he rescues a beautiful Cheyenne princess, Mourning Dove, from Henri Larocaque, a renegade Canadian who had intended to sell her to an enemy tribe. Even as Joes frees her, she frees his heart from the sorrow that has darkened it-with love so strong it will cause her to defy her people. Banished from the Cheyenne tribe, they make their home on the vast plains and have a son. But their happiness is shattered when Larocque comes to take his revenge on Joel, killing Mourning Dove. Joel's tragic loss nearly destroys him and fills him with a need for vengeance so great it will shape his life forever. He sends his son back to the Cheyenne until he can find his wife's murderer and, years later, returns defeated. He reclaims his son, now a young brave, but feeling unequal to the task of raising him alone, sends east for a mail-order bride. What he gets is Sarah Joy McClinton and her two children, running from a man whose greed killed her husband. Each hopes that the match will result in at least mutual respect and friendship. But Sarah does not know that Joel will conquer her heart so completely that she would give her life to him...or willingly lose it to him...

I admit I enjoyed the book as light reading. And maybe that's all it's supposed to be after all. But the history in this historical fiction was so loose as to be a distraction to me throughout the book. William Wallace, a famous Texas Ranger, didn't even show up in Texas until late 1835 or 1836, much less get washed up on the beaches of Mexico. But it does deliver a feel of the times that carries you through. Try The Borderland, Gates of the Alamo, or Promised Land for more "historical" fiction that also delivers a great story.

The author attempts to depicted a giant of a man with red hair who is a demon knife fighter and all-around good guy in the period when Texas was finding its freedom from Mexico. He cannot bed the lady he loves because she is married to some old geezer. Are you still awake? Maybe if your readers are all males about sixteen years old you can get away with this twaddle. But once they reach any age and have read a few really good books, this sort of thing is laughable. The Red Ripper, INDEED! Why not The Chartruse Carver? Why not The Scarlet Skewer? Why I read this book to the end is a mystery that will haunt me. Also - the ending was monumentally unsatisfying.

This is a book that was beautifully written and full of high action and adventure. A mixture of pirates and the likes of Davey Crockett - a mix that I never would have even thought about in a novel, but it is done with grace and a fast pace that it was hard to put down. I never usually read this kind of genre but let me tell you that if you don't either - you should!! The characters were so full and rich with the wonderfully-written scenery that you really felt like you were there. Now, I have to admit I only read this on a dare, and the more I got into it, the more I liked it because it had a different approach to the famous and legendary War of the Alamo. Plus I was raised right in San Antonio all my life until my early 20's, so I also kind of felt a kinship if you would to this novel. But believe me when I say that the heroe William Wallace is brought to such vivid life both as a great knife fighter, but also as a man filled with inner turmoil over his brothers death and a love that is forbidden. The love story is also very well told and not boring for us HE-MAN types. The pirate Mad Jack who saves our hero and teaches him the way of the knife is both engaging and very funny at times to read. The bad guys are very villanously written and a pure delight to read and hate. The action scenes were well written and plentiful as well as all the locations written about made you feel the heat, smoke, and flies buzzing around. I will definately add this fresh and exciting writer to my book-reading pleasure - as well as you should if you like well-rounded stories of high adventure, romance, and heros that are larger than life!

My first Kerry Newcomb read, but definitely won't be my last. Thoroughly enjoyed the book. Once I started, I didn't want to put the book down - I wanted to find out what happened next. Character development was great. A good story of Texas and the cowboy way of life.Highly recommend.

A great read. Better than most western writers of the old school. Brings out the reality of the way life must have been for our forefathers that helped to bring Texas to what it is today. Great character depiction. I could picture them standing in front of me as the story moves along at a good pace. I look forward to enjoying more books by Newcomb in the days to come as well as searching back for some good missed reading.