Book Review of #2 Cry of the Wind by Sue Harrison
Author: Sue Harrison
ISBN: 0-380-72604-1
Publisher: Avon Fiction
Part of a Series: Storyteller Trilogy
Type of book: Alaska, Near River, Cousin River, war, effects, evil, healing, daily life, mysteries, murders, forbidden love. 610 Pre-Modern Era, 6458-6456? PME
Year it was published: 1998
Summary:
Winter looms in this place of icy splendor near the top of the world-chilling a heart already frozen by hatred and cold dreams of revenge? Experience and adversity have made the storyteller Chakliux a wise and powerful hunter and a man of great respect. But a tender heart is his weakness. In his village lives the beautiful Aqamdax for whom he yearns, though she is mated to a cruel and dangerous tribesman she does not love. It is Chakliux she runs to under a clear, moonlit sky while the village sleeps. But there can be no future for them together until a curse upon their people has been transcended. And then there is K'os, the healing woman--maddened and embittered by the outrage she was forced to endure years earlier--outcast and enslaved by the leader of the enemy tribe against whom she has sworn vengeance. To enact her savage and terrible justice, she will use--and destroy--anyone, if necessary, including the boy-turned-man she rescued in infancy and raised as her son: Chakliux, the storyteller.
Return now to a frozen land in a remarkable time eighty centuries past, when the spirit was tested--and strengthened--by the cruelties of nature and the great mysteries of life.
Characters:
There are multiple characters in the story: Ko's, Chakliux, Aquamdax, Yaa, Ghaden and so forth. Not once have I gotten confused with who's who, because each one of them has a unique and fascinating voice. I loved the villain Ko's, as well as the forbidden love between Chakliux and Aquamdax. Aquamdax herself has a wonderful growth of becoming a strong woman who becomes capable of going after what she wants as well as getting others on her side during some conflicts. There is also a showdown between the two previous villains: that of Ko's and Red Leaf who ran away with her newborn daughter and was discovered by Cen.
Theme:
Be careful of what you do, for you don't know what will happen next.
Plot:
This is told in third person from multiple characters. There is no confusion as to which character is talking or when they start talking. The author does a good job of taking that confusion away. Also some more villains suffer and die, and there is also outwitting included, along with loose strands as to what happens next. I think a certain villain emerged too quickly at the end however, and would have liked to be prepared for that event. Besides the numerous dramas, there is also a fascination of how the villages will cope after the war and what will they do. The villains are two dimensional, unfortunately, but still fascinating.
Author Information:
(from sueharrison.com)
Sue Harrison is the author of six critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling novels. Mother Earth Father Sky, My Sister the Moon and Brother Wind make up The Ivory Carver Trilogy, an epic adventure set in prehistoric Alaska. Song of the River, Cry of the Wind and Call Down the Stars comprise The Storyteller Trilogy. Sue’s young adult book, SISU, was released by Thunder Bay Press .
Sue Harrison was born in Lansing, Michigan. The first of five children, she was raised in the town of Pickford in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where she lives with her husband, a retired high school principal. They are blessed with a daughter and a son, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
A graduate of Pickford High School, Harrison graduated summa cum laude from Lake Superior State University with a B.A. in English Language and Literature. She was named Lake Superior State University’s Distinguished Alumna in 1992, and served eight years on the university’s Board of Regents.
Harrison’s first novel, Mother Earth Father Sky, was published in 1990 by Doubleday (hardcover) and Avon (paperback). It was nominated in the states of Michigan and Washington for the Reader’s Choice Award among high school students, and was one of ten books chosen for “Battle of the Books,” a statewide student reading competition in Alaska. The novel as had success in both the adult and young adult markets, and was a national bestseller. It was selected by the American Library Association as one of 1991′s Best Books for Young Adults.
Harrison’s second novel, My Sister the Moon, (Doubleday/Avon 1992) has also received recognition by reading and school groups throughout the United States and was a Baker and Taylor top ten in library sales. Both Mother Earth Father Sky and My Sister the Moon were Main Selections of the Literary Guild Book Club and alternate selections of the Doubleday Book Club. Brother Wind, Harrison’s third novel was released in hardcover by William Morrow, October 1994, and in 1995 as an Avon paperback. The novel was chosen as an alternate selection by both the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs. Song of the River and Cry of the Wind were both published by Avon Hardcover/Avon paperback, a division of Hearst Books. The third book of The Storyteller Trilogy, Call down the stars was published by Morrow/Avon in 2001 and 2002. It was featured alternate of the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs.
Harrison’s books have also been published in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Spain, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Japan, France, Finland, and South America.
Harrison is represented by Rachelle Gardner of WordServe Literary. She is currently writing women’s contempory fiction for the inspirational market.
Opinion:
The first time I read it, it only took me two days to finish it. This book is incredible. Looking for mystery? There. Memorable and realistic love story? There. Drama? Conflict? Revenge? "Exotic" scenery? Culture? All of it there. It's a very gripping novel that's guaranteed to keep the reader in suspense as to what happened and what is going on. I found the culture and scenery and life style of Alaskan Native Americans to be fascinating. I don't have anything to complain about when it comes to this book. I do imagine that the time period might put some people off, but if not, enjoy it and relax.
5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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