People of the Masks (The First North Americans, Book 10)

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Summary: Who wrote this book?
Review: As I read this book, I had to keep checking the cover to see if it was written by the Gears. Flat, one dimensional, characters you couldn't care less about, dull storyline(if you could call it a storyline), and an unimaginative plot. I read their books for the prehistoric, pre-European, storylines, when I finally got to the end of this chore of a book and saw the "white settlers" I was upset. I don't want to see this series morph into a western series.

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Summary: Book 10? Where's the rest?
Review: I have the whole First People of North America series. I have enjoyed every book thoroughly. I hated reading it in a few days then having to wait for the next one to come out. The books are so good, I can't put them down. I'm disappointed to not see another one coming out. I've been dedicated to the series ever since I encountered the first book, and will stay that way as long as the authors keep writing. Great work!

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Summary: AWESOME series... but this book here is just, well...
Review: I thought that People of The Masks is one of the best books that I've read all year.

People of the Masks follows the story of Rumbler, a False Face child, and Little Wren, a young girl in the Bear Clan. Rumbler is a dwarf, and as such is said to have great powers. The war leader of one of the bear clans wants that power, so he mounts a party and steals Rumbler away from his clan. And thus begins the story.

I really liked this book because the relationships between the various characters are explored. Aside from the main characters, the supporting character have their time in the spotlight. In fact, I think my favorite characters were Silver Sparrow, and Dust Moon. Dust Moon divorced Silver Sparrow after 35 years of marriage, and some of the dialogue between them is quite funny. I also appreciated the fact that People of the Masks (and really all of the "People of" books) was historically accurate. I know a fair amount about Native American cultures, espeically the Iroquois, and this is important.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in Native American cultures, or anyone who enjoys a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Well written, and historically accurate!
Review: I thought that People of The Masks is one of the best books that I've read all year.

People of the Masks follows the story of Rumbler, a False Face child, and Little Wren, a young girl in the Bear Clan. Rumbler is a dwarf, and as such is said to have great powers. The war leader of one of the bear clans wants that power, so he mounts a party and steals Rumbler away from his clan. And thus begins the story.

I really liked this book because the relationships between the various characters are explored. Aside from the main characters, the supporting character have their time in the spotlight. In fact, I think my favorite characters were Silver Sparrow, and Dust Moon. Dust Moon divorced Silver Sparrow after 35 years of marriage, and some of the dialogue between them is quite funny. I also appreciated the fact that People of the Masks (and really all of the "People of" books) was historically accurate. I know a fair amount about Native American cultures, espeically the Iroquois, and this is important.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in Native American cultures, or anyone who enjoys a good read.

Rating:
Summary: See it coming
Review: Number ten in the series: great detail and use of beliefs and customs to create a thrilling story; deep characters and motives; power that lives out and inside of everything; very instructive of the life in those days. But... you can say right from the start who are the bad and who are the good guys, who is stupid and who is intelligent, who is going to die and who is going to see another day. And the end was exactly what I expected: too good to be true, like in a Disney movie.

In other words, originality was a little bit lost in this one.

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Summary: Upper New York ,1000 C.E.
Review: The only books I have read by these authors to date have been the Anasazi Mysteries-- Visitant, Summoning God and Bone Walker. In those books there was more of an intrusion by the past on the present and by the present on the past as the authors interwove the stories of the specialists who study the past, the present day Native Americans, and the people who lived at a time of crisis in the Anasazi culture.

In this book there is a brief mention of the modern day characters who are more fully fleshed out in the Anasazi Mysteries as they examine an unusual pair of skeletons and associated artifacts found at a dig in New York.

This discovery is used as a springboard to tell the story of Iraquoian villages trying to figure out how to survive in proximity to one another.

The authors appear to romanticize the Indian cultures but not to the point where I'm rolling my eyes and going "oh, really!" (Anyone who as read an "Indian Romance" knows what I am talking about.) They do their usual good job of presenting the Native Americans as they would appear to one another. For instance a tall person is decribed as being so many hands high. A hand is about four inches. A quick calculation and you realize that the "tall" person would be considered quite short today. By using a method of measuring that many of their readers may not be familiar with, they are able to give accurate information without breaking the willing suspension of disbelief.

In addition the authors present the differences in their way of life and thought without sensationalizing or demonizing things that many readers would find distasteful in the culture such as the exposure of unwanted children after birth or the use of torture.

All in all, well worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Upper New York ,1000 C.E.
Review: The only books I have read by these authors to date have been the Anasazi Mysteries-- Visitant, Summoning God and Bone Walker. In those books there was more of an intrusion by the past on the present and by the present on the past as the authors interwove the stories of the specialists who study the past, the present day Native Americans, and the people who lived at a time of crisis in the Anasazi culture.

In this book there is a brief mention of the modern day characters who are more fully fleshed out in the Anasazi Mysteries as they examine an unusual pair of skeletons and associated artifacts found at a dig in New York.

This discovery is used as a springboard to tell the story of Iraquoian villages trying to figure out how to survive in proximity to one another.

The authors appear to romanticize the Indian cultures but not to the point where I'm rolling my eyes and going "oh, really!" (Anyone who as read an "Indian Romance" knows what I am talking about.) They do their usual good job of presenting the Native Americans as they would appear to one another. For instance a tall person is decribed as being so many hands high. A hand is about four inches. A quick calculation and you realize that the "tall" person would be considered quite short today. By using a method of measuring that many of their readers may not be familiar with, they are able to give accurate information without breaking the willing suspension of disbelief.

In addition the authors present the differences in their way of life and thought without sensationalizing or demonizing things that many readers would find distasteful in the culture such as the exposure of unwanted children after birth or the use of torture.

All in all, well worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: People of the Mask
Review: This was the best book I've read in a very long time. It was difficult to set it down for anything. The charters came to life. Little Wren tugged at your heart, and Raven her uncle was a real hero. If you want a book with action,drama,adventure and a touch of history. This book is for you.