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Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite
The setting is 16th century Florida. The story is fictional but has roots in truth. This is the story of Black Shell, a Native American, mystical trader of the Chickasaw tribe. Black Shell was captured and enslaved by de Soto. Pearl Hand rescues his mate from entrapment. Together the two seek revenge for the atrocities committed by de Soto and his men.
The authors are anthropologist/archaeologists. They bring history to life in this book based on American history. The plot portrays the Native Americans as peaceful, intelligent and kind. The white men are portrayed as greedy, self serving and violent. The authors failed in this book, the dialogue is too modern. It sounds / reads too contemporary. The dialogue is a distraction. Their strong point is characterization. Black Shell comes to life on the pages of this book. I could see him in my mind’s eye. The Gears added a bit of mysticism to their plot. This book is not a quick read, at over 530 pages, but it is worth it.
