The Sirens of Oak Creek

Unlock the Secrets and Legends of Sedona’s Oak Creek Canyon

By: Robert Louis DeMayo

Narrated by: Lindsey Ross

Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

A hidden, sacred canyon. Eight women. Twelve centuries. And a mystical song that connects it all.

Deep in the wilderness lies a hidden canyon, one that calls out to travelers with its haunting siren song. Sacred wisdom, terrible secrets, and a veil of mystery shroud it--but the power of nature cannot be ignored. Seen through the eyes of eight women across time, Sedona’s Oak Creek Canyon calls through the ages, echoing across 12 centuries to capture the minds of visitors from ancient hunter-gatherers to Spanish conquistadors to modern-day seekers of truth. Though these women bear witness to nature’s magic, their sacred guardianship is matched only by the ill-fated curiosity of the men who seek to plunder the canyon’s secrets. As time crashes on, one wave after another, cultures are linked and stories remain unbroken as this lost, ageless canyon brings myths to life and fuels the folklore of generations.

From award-winning, best-selling author Robert Louis DeMayo, The Sirens of Oak Creek is a gripping novel that artfully intertwines local myth with historical fact, carrying timeless themes that reflect the power of nature, magic, and immaterial realms.

©2019 Robert Louis DeMayo (P)2022 Robert L DeMayo

The Sirens of Oak Creek will stick with you

Epic in scale, The Sirens of Oak Creek takes the reader on an adventure spanning over 1200 years. Told through the eyes of women of different cultures through the ages and set in the Verde Valley of Arizona, the story effortlessly keeps your imagination peaked and wanting more. The West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon becomes a magical place, a place where you yourself might want to go in search of the mythical cave that is the epicenter of this tale. Parts of the book invoked memories of watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as a child, while others made me want to learn more about the myths and legends of the Native American tribes that called the Verde Valley home a thousand years ago. As any good book does, it makes you want to learn more about the subject, and the myths and legends of this book are based on the actual myths and legends of the cultures involved. Historical characters of the area make an appearance as well.

I should say that I live in the Verde Valley, so that makes the book even more special as I am familiar with the places that DeMayo so aptly describes. If you don’t live here, reading the book will make you want to visit. The sinkhole described in the beginning is now Montezuma’s Well, which is right down the road from where I live in Rimrock, which also gets a mention later in the book. DeMayo’s descriptions of the West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon, which happens to be where I got married to my wife and also one of my favorite places on earth, are spot on and do justice to the beauty of this place. I had no idea about the legends connected to this place and again I want to learn more after reading. I particularly liked the last section of the book that is set in 1987 and perfectly and even comically sums up how the town of Sedona has become, and is still becoming, a place that has sold out to the spiritual crystal hawkers and psychic readers who will give you a photograph of your aura for $50.

I listened to the audiobook version, but I plan on buying the actual books as gifts for my wife and mother. Do yourself a favor and check out some of DeMayo’s other books, I would suggest starting with Pledge to the Wind: the Legend of Everett Ruess.

Hidden Secrets Revealed

A secret canyon beyond the wilderness holds secrets that have stretched across generations of women born to protect the secret held deep within.  Hiding the secret from scores of males seeking treasure and living lies for centuries. The lives of the women, the culture clashes, and magic are woven into this gripping tale.

The author, Robert Louis DeMayo weaves a magical story that highlights the weakness of men, the inner strength of women, and the power of nature.  Carefully building each character to their fullest potential, DeMayo captures the imagination of his listeners. This story demonstrates the complexity of the nature of humankind.  Broken into books, the listener experiences the lives of eight women charged with protecting the secret. A mix of genres this book is a thriller, a mystery all mixed with mystical beliefs and nature.

The narrator, Lindsey Ross, captures the essence of each character and keeps the story flow moving smoothly with the use of unique voices for each character.  Ross loses herself in the story, donning each character naturally and completely. The story is epic in length and Ross does an excellent job of interjecting the appropriate tonal inflections and enthusiasm.

Overall, this is a gripping book that will remain with you well after the last word is spoken. This is a gripping story that keeps the listener engaged with the different themes running throughout the story – the strength and complexity of women, power found in magic, nature, folklore, and classism.  A highly provocative and entertaining book!

There were no issues with the sound or quality of this audiobook, it was well done.