Crack in the Sky (Titus Bass)

This book, a prequel to the wonderfully written novel "Carry the Wind", is one of the best books in the 9 volume Titus Bass series. What I liked most about this particular entry in the series is that the reader experiences how Bass comes into his own as a free trapper in the Rocky Mountain West of the 1820-1830's. The period dialogue, action, and Johnston's masterful depiction of the scenery help establish a strong sense of period and place. As with all of Johnston's works, this volume weaves fictitious characters into real historical events. The writing is captivating, action-packed, and brutally realistic. I found the depiction of the battle between Bass and a long-sought foe to be particularly violent and graphic yet it was necessary to the story. The world lost a wonderful writer and historian when Johnston died in 2001; luckily he left us with his writings. Anyone wanting to read a great work of historical fiction or anyone who is a student of the fur trade, Indian Wars, or Western American history simply can't go wrong with one of Johnston's books and "Crack in the Sky" is among the best.

Captivating, exciting,shocking, I cannot put the book down. Johnston is the master storyteller. Titus Bass is like an old friend, every book in the series is wonderful reading, giving us a realistic window into the past. I now await the sequel.

Terry C. Johnston has added considerably to his achievements with this 'prequel' to his original Mountain Man trilogy. This book is the last of the prequel trilogy, and goes a long way to bring his memorable character Titus Bass full circle. What is monumental is the scope and realism of this book, as well as the extremely well-written action sequences. Some writers do action scenes so that they confuse a reader, but Johnston remains focused throughout, and although it may be a cliche, a reader can almost smell the powdersmoke in his battle scenes. In addition, Johnston handles personal interactions and relationships extremely well. i am particularly drawn to Titus Bass and his musings on the women in his life, and whether he is cut out to be a loner, or should he seek companionship. It is an issue that tears at the character, and Johnston succeeds in making him three-dimensional. As in all of his novels, Johnston makes you care about his protagonists, and even fleshes out secondary characters. Historical realism is a big strength of Johnston's, and students of the fur trade era will have a tough time finding any errors in this books, or any of Johnston's work. He weaves real-life characters through his books. And they ring true. This novel ends literally where the very first novel "Carry the Wind" began, bringing us right to that first sentence of the previous work. It is a good touch for the Johnston fan, but this novel can stand on its own, so that the reader unfamiliar with his work will not feel lost. Yet Johnston does this without repeating himself to the point of tedium and distraction for readers of the previous five volumes. That speaks well of his skills to perform such a feat. I have heard that Johnston plans to start another trilogy that takes Titus Bass beyond the ending of the last chronological Mountain Man book, "One-Eyed Dream." Fans of really excellent western historical fiction can only hope this is true. --Bob C. Johnson