This book was, I'm sorry to say, a big disappointment. Especially after reading the glowing reviews (30 five star/ 10 four star reviews/ with 0 negatives). I excepted another well defined struggle of starving people looking for salvation. A spiritual self assessment and improvement, with some opposition and reluctance from the masses to adopt the new ways. What I got was not even close. The story is full of blood and gore, mass murder and genocide, rape and gang-rape, violence and suffering in graphic detail, all in the name of religion.
The prehistoric Nightland people (following the Raven dreamer) have the equivalent of today's 'special Delta Ops' with modern 21 century state of mind (the: obey chain of command no mater what your conscience tells you is right, because you are serving your country and your commander knows best.)
They are slaughtering men, women and children en-mass, raping (and gang raping) the women and girls that were not killed so they can be turned to slaves, in graphic detail. As in bloody bite-makrs over their neck, breasts and stomach with sperm flowing down their thighs kind of graphic details.
The Naci-like concentration camps treatment of slaves, with torture, starvation, and the dead littering the ground of the animal pen, with many of the women going mad... The Survivors of the mass killings hiding in piles of dead, smelly, rotting, bleeding bodies, as the living are screaming while being clubbed to death, on top of them....
The Nightland people's 'Prophet' that is central to the story line is always talked about but rarely actually pops in. He is more of an afterthought so the reader is reminded he exists. His character feels like a person with mental disability, all unbelievably good and pure, while knowing of the atrocities committed in his name and being Ok with it because the Raven told him it was OK. Its like saying Hitler was a good guy because he meant well...
And then there are the handful surviving Sunpath People (Folowing the path of the Wolf) bent on revenge, while deploying a modern guerrilla warfare. ........ All the while the Ice giants groan and threaten everyones existence in the background.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the Wolfdreamer (People of the Wolf) but this is nothing like it. This book is not for the faint-hearted and most certainly not children appropriate reading. I'm somewhere in the early middle of the book but I'm not sure I have the stomach to read it to the end. If I wanted to read about atrocities committed by power hungry mad-men I would pick up a WW2 survivor diary. At least that would be factual, historical books.
The prehistoric Nightland people (following the Raven dreamer) have the equivalent of today's 'special Delta Ops' with modern 21 century state of mind (the: obey chain of command no mater what your conscience tells you is right, because you are serving your country and your commander knows best.)
They are slaughtering men, women and children en-mass, raping (and gang raping) the women and girls that were not killed so they can be turned to slaves, in graphic detail. As in bloody bite-makrs over their neck, breasts and stomach with sperm flowing down their thighs kind of graphic details.
The Naci-like concentration camps treatment of slaves, with torture, starvation, and the dead littering the ground of the animal pen, with many of the women going mad... The Survivors of the mass killings hiding in piles of dead, smelly, rotting, bleeding bodies, as the living are screaming while being clubbed to death, on top of them....
The Nightland people's 'Prophet' that is central to the story line is always talked about but rarely actually pops in. He is more of an afterthought so the reader is reminded he exists. His character feels like a person with mental disability, all unbelievably good and pure, while knowing of the atrocities committed in his name and being Ok with it because the Raven told him it was OK. Its like saying Hitler was a good guy because he meant well...
And then there are the handful surviving Sunpath People (Folowing the path of the Wolf) bent on revenge, while deploying a modern guerrilla warfare. ........ All the while the Ice giants groan and threaten everyones existence in the background.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the Wolfdreamer (People of the Wolf) but this is nothing like it. This book is not for the faint-hearted and most certainly not children appropriate reading. I'm somewhere in the early middle of the book but I'm not sure I have the stomach to read it to the end. If I wanted to read about atrocities committed by power hungry mad-men I would pick up a WW2 survivor diary. At least that would be factual, historical books.
This series is one of my favorites,but I haven't read them in a long while. I was missing an excellent story. The research and story flow brings you right into the story and carries you back through the centuries. Great bok.
Ronald M. (Fasturtle) reviewed People of the Nightland (First North Americans, Bk 14) on + 593 more book reviews
Like always the Gear's do an excellent job, it's a great read.
