Trail from Taos

The People of the pueblo want only to be left in peace but they are trapped between a band of militant young warriors and the Spanish Hairfaces, who have already shed first blood. Don Coldsmith, for the first time in the series, tackles the topic of Christianity being forced on others as the Spanish padres insist the natives abandon their spirit ways and accept a new God. I particularly enjoyed Blue Corn's struggle to understand why the Spanish could not accept all the different tribes stories of the creation of man, why they believed in only their tale and wanted everyone to follow this belief or be put to death. It's into this dangerous situation that Coldsmith brings Red Feather and his band of the Elk-Dog People. They have come to trade but this time the trail will lead to unexpected violence as a powerful native leader named Pope leads a large force of warriors in an all-out attack on Santa Fe to drive out, or kill, all the Spanish. Coldsmith's story is a gripping read of mistrusts and fear. The different elements of the story all combine to make for a powerful read. Highly recommended.