Series:

First North Americans

6 total works

Cover of People of the Silence
At its pinnacle in A.D. 1150 the Anasazi Empire of the Southwest would see no equal in North America for almost eight hundred years. Yet even at this cultural zenith, the Anasazi held the seeds of their own destruction deep within themselves. On his deathbed, the Great Sun Chief learns a secret, a shame so vile to him that even at the brink of eternity he cannot let it pass: In a village far to the north is a fifteen summers old girl who must be found. Though he knows neither her name nor her face, the Great Sun decrees that the girl must at all costs be killed. Fleeing for her life as her village lies in ruins, young Cornsilk is befriended by Poor Singer, a curious youth seeking to touch the soul of the Katchinas. Together, they undertake the perilous task of staying alive long enough to discover her true identity. But time is running out for them all - a desperate killer stalks them, one who is willing to destroy the entire Anasazi world to set to her.

Cover of People of the Sea
A spellbinding tale of life and love, death and adventure, in North America eleven thousand years ago, when mammoths roamed the continent. Award-winning archaeologists Michael and Kathleen Gear, using the best archaeological information, have created a stunning vision of our pre-history, and of the men and women who lived in this rapidly changing world. The great glaciers that cover the Sierra Nevada mountains are melting, destroying the habitats of the great elephants, lions and short-faced bears - and giving birth to the rich land that will become California. The few thousand people who have settled along the coast struggle to understand as the world around them changes. Where have the mastodons gone? And why are the mammoths disappearing? The seer Sunchaser would ordinarily visit the Spirit World and return with answers - but he has lost his way. Meanwhile his rival, Catchstraw, has discovered witchcraft as a way to Power - at the expense of his soul. And what will it mean to the people when a beautiful fugitive arrives? Kestrel, born in Arizona's marsh country, is running from her mad husband, desperately hoping for sanctuary on the coast. But if the Spirits are taking the mammoths now, what will they do should the people shelter an evil woman? Surely they should deliver her to her husband, who will kill her - and who has his own link to the Spirit World through the pitiful, mummified corpse of his little son.... Must Sunchaser choose between the woman he comes to love and the continuation of his world? He knows full well that either choice will damn him....

Cover of People of the Mist

With People of the Mist, bestselling authors W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear take us to the Chesapeake Bay of six hundred years ago, when the unprovoked and brutal murder of a young woman on the eve of her wedding threatens to turn the entire Algonquin Nation against itself in a brutal war that could destroy them as a people.

No ordinary woman, Red Knot was the heir to the Greenstone Clan and the future leader of the independent villages. Her death has shattered all alliances and left a power void that several ambitious clan chiefs see as their destiny to fill. The very air vibrates with the drums and war cries of the rallying warriors.

Into the eye of this brewing storm steps the bitter old man they call The Panther. Feared as a sorcerer, The Panther is the only one with the power to demand to be heard by all. But as he digs deeper into the ever-thickening web of lies surrounding the murder, and uncovers darker, more deeply rooted secrets, he fears there may be no words to stop the impending bloodshed.

Cover of People of the River

People of the River is a gripping new saga of pre-historic America that takes us to the Mississippi Valley and the tribe known as the Mound builders. It is a time of troubles. In Cahokia, the corn crop is failing again and a warchief--and the warrior woman he may never possess--are disgusted by their Chief's lust for tribute. Now even the gods have turned their faces, closing the underworld to the seers. If the gods have abandoned the people, there is no hope--unless it comes in the form of a young girl who is learning to Dream of Power.

A masterful story of North America's Forgotten Past by New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear.

Cover of People of the Lakes
Clan fighting over a powerful totemic mask has brought the Mount Builder peoples of the Great Lakes region to the edge of destruction. It is up to Star Shell, daughter of a Hopewell Chief, to rid her people of this curse. Along with her companions: Otter, a trader; Pearl, a runaway; and Green Spider, either prophet or madman, she braves the stormy waters of the lakes to reach the majestic waterfall known as Roaring Water. She is determined to banish the mask forever to a watery grave. But vengeful clan members are close on her heels, and they have a similar fate planed for her.

Cover of People of the Lightning
"People of the Lightning" takes us to ancient Florida, to a village of fisher folk who must face their deepest fear: Pondwader, now a lanky boy of fifteen summers. He is the White Lightning Boy - the first of his kind to be born in tens of tens of summers. His white hair, pink eyes, and pale skin make him fearsome enough, but legends foretell that a Lightning Boy will make Sister Moon bury her face in the clouds and weep falling stars - and the winds of destruction will be unleashed. The folk manage to trade him in marriage to Musselwhite, a woman warrior who does not really want him. She must face an old enemy who has captured her beloved husband, an enemy who is determined to destroy her. What good to her is this softhearted youth? She has yet to learn that Pondwader is a Lightning Boy. He can hear the voices in the wind, telling.