People of the Fire

By: W. Michael Gear, Kathleen O'Neal Gear

Narrated by: Mark Boyett

Length: 19 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

It is a time of fire. A small band of pioneers struggle valiantly to keep their ancestors' dreams alive in an unforgiving, drought-stricken land. Driven by the promise of an awesome vision, a heroic young dreamer and a fearless woman warrior unite to lead their people to a magnificent destiny.

A towering epic filled with tragedy and triumph, courage and conflict, People of the Fire is the second compelling novel in a majestic saga of America's first peoples.

©1991 W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

A Time of Fire

It is a time of drought. The plains buffalo grow weak, the Wolf Bundle grows weak. I had been abused an evil false-dreamer of the plains people, and even the leader of the mountain people - the Keeper.
A new dreamer has been chosen but he is reluctant to follow his destiny. The lives of thebuffalo, and the people hang in the balance.
The Gears spin this marvelous tale of human spirit as only they can. Their intimate knowledge of the subject matter and human psyche give the audience an educational adventure to savor.
And Mark Bogart masterfully captures the realism and raw emotions of the characters throughout the story. Give this audio book a listen - you will be glad you did.

Great Tale

Just as good as the first book. A great tale of the first Native Americans.

Great book

I read this book a few years ago and completely enjoyed the audio version. In the book we follow Fire Dancer through his childhood to adulthood. With Two Smokes and the Wolf Bundle they take us on quite the adventure. The narrator does a great job using different voices for each character. In my opinion it was worth the credit. I am patiently waiting for more of the series to come out in the audio versions!

Riveting

I had just finished this book in my hard copy when it came available on audio, so the story was still fresh in my mind. Despite this, I found the audiobook to be a completely different experience. The intensity was so real, and the emotions of the story reeled me in much harder. I've been a long time fan of this series, but hearing it read was captivating. The reader did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. I found the spanish accent for Two Smokes to be a perfect interpretation, even though reading it on paper multiple times I never caught the part about him having any accent. That was another thing about hearing it in audio vs on paper - I caught things that I hadn't in all the times I've read it. Evidently my listening comprehension is next level above my reading. I never really grasped the part about Hungry Bull being blood related to Little Dancer, and that being why White Calf placed him there when Clear Water was killed. It's all right there in the text, but it wasn't until hearing it aloud that it all came together for me.
The intense emotions and scenes in this well written story brought me to tears in the listening. The final show down between Fire Dancer and Heavy Beaver swept me right up into the flames. I felt every bit of Two Smokes's exhilaration at feeling the One with the Bundle.
Another thing that struck me was my resentment toward Elk Charm in the early parts. I hadn't felt that negativity toward her until hearing it. In the end, all I felt was sympathy for her, and guilt over disliking her. All she did was love him, and advance his bloodline. The strength of my feelings toward her surprised me, because I didn't get that way when I read it myself. Audio of these stories is transformative.

Kathleen O'Neal Gear, W. Michael Gear

Great book - really enjoyed the stories of these characters and tribes. Narration was great too!!

great story of the adaptation of man

Review of Audible book

Mark Boyett's voice is great. His soothing tones, as he describes the elements of the world within the People of the fire. His variation of character voice shows the images of the story making the characters come alive, Little Dancer is innocent, Heavy Beaver, is angry and regretful. Blood bear, evil and twisted with desire. The voice of Two smokes is lonely and despoiled, allowing the the longing of the characters in his voice you are able to see the problems of the world at the end of the archaic winters.

People of the Fire (North America's Forgotten Past, #2)

Gear, W. Michael

Gear, Kathleen O'neal

The world is dying. In drought and over hunting the animals are disappearing. The people are starving. The wolf bundle the legacy of first Man has weakened, all it power and prestige has been drawn out. In a gamble First Man and the wolf bundle being a quest to renew the wolf bundle and find a path to save the world. Clear water is a dreamer, who is given a vision she does not like. But she follows the path that power asked her. Unfortunately life was not easy for her. She left her people only to die tragically leaving her young infant son, and her old friend. The Berdache, Two Smokes finds a place with the Short Buffalo People. He lives through torture and pain, as they do not revere his place of power. Hungry Beaver is rising in power with his imagined dream, and his corrupted vision of the people. Blood bear, husband of Clear Water and father of her child, has promised power to get the Wolf Bundle back, but he does not believe in power. And he continues his miss use of power, and continues to weaken the Wolf Bundle. The drought continues and war is on the land. Will the gamble of power work out. Will a new Dreamer emerge in this land of fire, and dance a new way to the spiral of the world.

Superb

Admittedly, I’ve read this book, at least 15-20 times. I’ve always heard it in my head, as the Gears paint a vivid, emotional world.
The audiobook, is a whole new experience. Things, I thought I knew everything about, were brought to the forefront..

K and M Gear are awesome!

All these books, I have. Read them all before listening to some on Audible. " The People " series are one and the same FANTASTIC!!