Fire the Sky

Written by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear

Narrated by Kevin Orton

Best-selling writing team and archaeologists W. Michael and Kathleen O'Neal Gear offer this compelling second novel in their Battle for America series. In 1539, Black Shell, his wife Pearl Hand, and their fellow exiles try to make a stand against the invasion of the Kristianos and their leader Hernando de Soto. But de Soto doesn't plan to back down easily. "[A] powerful historical tale ."-Publishers Weekly, starred review

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 4, 2011
• ISBN: 9781461848141

W. Michael Gear

W. Michael Gear holds a master’s degree in archaeology and has worked as a professional archaeologist since 1978. With his wife, he co-authors the bestselling series North America's Forgotten Past.

Reviews for Fire the Sky

[kassilem · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I’ve always been a fan of historical fiction. Especially when I know some of the topic I am reading about. I didn’t realize it when I was reading the first book Coming of the Storm but the series focuses on what we now call the Mississippi culture. I am actually learning about the culture in my Prehistory of North America class this week so when I heard the name Cahokia come up in this book I was immediately surprised and excited. It reminds me why I love to read so much. Because it’s one thing to sit in a lecture hall and take notes on a culture no longer what they once were to sometimes gone completely. It’s quite another to see a rendition of what life would have been like in those cultures. Sure it’s fictional but these authors are archaeologists. Hey might have even worked on sites relevant to the Mississippi culture. And I’m sure they’ve done their homework thoroughly. I love seeing history before my eyes. This book certainly does that. It brings history to life. If you are interested in the history of North America or The Contact specifically, I highly recommend these books. There are some points where it seemed as if the pace had slowed to a crawl but they never lasted very long. And like in the first book, it ends on a high climax with you holding your breath as you try to take it all in. I will definitely be reading more from these authors after I finish the next and last book in this series.

[bicyclewriter · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another really outstanding book in this series. For folks (like myself) who love historical fiction, this series is a wonderful trip back into a possible life at the time DeSoto first landed in Florida. The authors paint a picture of a pretty advanced and well-populated SE United States at the time. Since they're also in the business of understanding and knowing about past cultures, I'm assuming they're painting an accurate picture of what things might have been like at the time.

They also do a really good job of painting a nice balance between whites and natives as they clash. Since the story is told through the perspective of a native, it's natural that the customs and ways of the whites seem nonsensical and barbaric to the natives. At the same time, the authors do a wonderful job of showing that the difference between the war-waging abilities of the two cultures had to do with technology and the superior ability of the whites to use that technology.

It felt like a very fair rendering of what things might have been like at that point of first contact. As a bonus, the writing and character development is outstanding.

The beef I have with these authors books is with the publisher not the authors. The publisher seems intent on keeping the books out of the electronic realm. The greed of publishers in this respect is getting tiresome. When they do release in e-form, they seem intent on charging more than they charge for the hard copy. Shame shame shame.

[4fish_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Black Shell, Pearl Hand and the Orphans, a band of warriors dedicated to the defeat and destruction of Hernando de Soto and his expedition through what is now the Southeast states, continue their adventures in Book 2 of "Contact: the Battle for America". Moving from the terrritory of the Appalachee through that of the Toa and the Cofitachequi, they pick away at De Soto's men and try to warn the tribes ahead of the danger. Unfortunately, they find that many rulers have their own reasons to deal with the devil. Ending on a more hopeful note than the first book in the series, "Coming of the Storm", "Fire the Sky" whets my appetite for the rest of the story.