People of the Lakes (The First North Americans series, Book 6)

I would have loved this novel no matter what since it is so well-written, brilliantly-conceived and the stone age characters--including a shamanistic dwarf, a fearless warrior, a river trader, a runaway princess and a half-crazed contrary--are all persons of depth, but what made it one of my all-time favorites was the fact it was set in my own state, in my own region, practically in my own hometown! It probably helped that I read this at a time when I was far from home and ready to grasp any reminder of my old surroundings, even if it was as part of a tale of those places long, long ago. For those of you who don't happen to live among southern Ohio's verdant river valleys, regions dotted with a multitude of pre-Columbian settlements, there is still a lot to recommend this long, intricate novel about the Adena peoples in decline and the Hopewell culture in its ascendancy. Many educational details of both societies are included here. (Including such tidbits as the "high-headed" Adena's regarding dwarves as semi-divine individuals of such gloriously surpassing beautiful that women paid richly for the honor of sleeping with them in hopes of birthing a dwarfen child.) This is the story of a group of Adena, Hopewell and a few outside individuals from other prehistoric North American nations, who join together on a daring quest to destroy a cursed object--a ceremonial mask--by pitching it into the roaring natural landmark we 2000 years later call Niagara Falls. There is a legend about this evil mask, you see, created as it was long ago by an evil shaman whose powers he transferred within it, that strikes terror in those who discover it back among them after an absence of so long the item had come to be regarded as a myth. (Lest this sounds too much like a fantasy rather than anthropological novel, know that whether the mask is truly so afflicted is never completely explored, the important fact is the people in this book believe it is.) In Peoples of the Lakes, the quest at the story's soul takes the reader through much of the Hopewell and Adena homelands, enriching that setting with several chapters on the everyday lives of those civilizations. The plot then sweeps into the Mississippian cultures and introduces a brutal tribe called the Khota, who worship (were)wolves, shed blood to please their savage gods, and guard the convergence of what we now call the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The Khota raid river traffic and war on anyone within their reach, much like Vikings did in Europe later in the first millennium. Because our questing party trespasses on their territory, the Khota swear to end their lives at any cost. Next the party, with Khota warriors behind them, cross Lake Michigan at the height of a severe thunderstorm, and survive to pass thru the lands of a peaceful nation of lake people whose moral values are both laudable and definitely--in a sexual sense--"different" from our own today. All the while the group of main characters make

Although this was a scary book to pick up and dive into, due to the length, it is a very easy read. I have laughed so hard at the antics of Green Spider and the group of mismatched men traveling the river. As usual there are a number of powerful women and men in battles of strength, wit, and stamina as well as physical power. This is one of the best I've read so far, being only the 5th in the series. I intend to finish off the series. These are all fantastic books. The wonderful story is woven through threads that tie clans and families together and cords of power that tie them all. The story is built on a strong foundation of historical knowledge and the details abound thoughout this novel of prehistoric North American life. Descriptive and captivating, you'll enjoy every minute of it.

Kudos to the gears for writing such magical novel! We are know from history classes what happened in ancient greece and Rome and medieval europe BUT we don't know what happened in our country a thousand years ago but thanks to the Gears and their considerable storytelling abilities we can imagined what happened in this country.This novel has scenes of eerie mysticism, romance suspenseful adventure and witty dialogue to create a novel with memorable characters like black skull, deadly warrior with a painful past, feisty Pearl and mysterious sorcerer midget named the Tall Man and the hunt for the sinister mask was gripping! Two thumbs up for this novel!

I've read all of the Gear's books in "The First North Americans" series, and this is my favorite! I can't remember the last time I was so engrossed in a book. Not only was the story dramatic and intriguing, it actually had me laughing out loud in some places. This is a "must" for Gear fans and anyone interested in native American culture.

This book looks intimidating, with it's seven hundred something pages, but once you start reading, you can't stop! I've never gone through a book so quickly before, staying up often all night because I wanted to know what happened next! The humor in the story has you laughing out loud, and the traumas have you crying along with the characters. The adventure is so wonderful that you can't wait to read it again, and you'll remember it forever, and reccommend it to your friends. A phenomenal achievement