Eagle Talons

The Iron Horse Chronicle, Book 1

By: Robert Lee Murphy

Narrated by: Brian James Stenberg

Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Will Braddock doesn’t want some old judge dictating his future. The newly orphaned fourteen-year-old embarks upon a quest to determine his own destiny. He heads west to find his uncle, a surveyor on the first transcontinental railroad. He has to convince his only living relative not to sign the judge’s papers sentencing him to a blacksmith apprenticeship. He wants to be free to ride across the windswept prairies and through the forested mountains, not pound horseshoe nails in a barn.

He wants to be a part of the excitement of building the Union Pacific Railroad. Will must prove to his uncle he possesses the gumption to make his own way in the dangerous West. He receives advice from newfound friends, but he learns he must rely upon himself to achieve his goal. He constantly battles a young Irish thug, who harbors a vendetta against his family and is determined to kill him. A mixed-blood Cheyenne youth, whom he saves from quicksand, gives Will two eagle talons from his amulet in thanks. The talons save Will’s life—more than once. He’s convinced they are lucky, even though they are not magical.

After Will achieves a coveted position as a hunter for the railroad, and thinks his problems are over, a feisty girl he befriends is kidnapped by Cheyenne Indians. When the Army refuses to send troops to rescue the young lady, Will decides to disobey his uncle and risk his own future in an effort to free her from captivity.

©2014, 2020 Robert Lee Murphy (P)2024 Robert Lee Murphy

Love “The Iron Horse Chronicles” trilogy!

I love this trilogy, and I can’t wait for the second book of “The Iron Horse Chronicles” to come out in audible. I have previously read, and enjoyed, all three books in this series; “Eagle Talons,” “Bear Claws,” and “Golden Spike.” The author, Robert Lee Murphy, does a fantastic job of weaving the fictitious character of 15-year-old Will Braddock into actual historical events during the time of the building of the transcontinental railroad. It was so much fun to experience history through Will’s adventures. The historic detail provided by the author really makes it feel like you are back in time. I found the narrator’s voice very easy to listen to, and the cast of supporting characters, both real and fictional, are really brought to life through the writing and the narration. This is a story that will be appreciated by young and old.

Excellent book.

The Author writes in a classic style, easy and interesting. Listening to this story is like a journey to the country’s past, a venture to history.