People of the Morning Star

A Novel of North America’s Forgotten Past (Morning Star, Book 1)

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

Narrated by: Charlie Thurston

Length: 18 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

Award-winning archaeologists and New York Times and USA Today best-selling authors W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear begin the stunning saga of the North American equivalent of ancient Rome in People of the Morning Star.

The city of Cahokia, at its height, covered more than six square miles around what is now St. Louis and included structures more than 10 stories high. Cahokian warriors and traders roamed from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. What force on earth would motivate hundreds of thousands of people to pick up, move hundreds of miles, and once plopped down amid a polyglot of strangers, build an incredible city?

A religious miracle: The Cahokians believed that the divine hero Morning Star had been resurrected in the flesh. But not all is fine and stable in glorious Cahokia. To the astonishment of the ruling clan, an attempt is made on the living god's life. Now it is up to Morning Star's aunt Matron Blue Heron to keep it quiet until she can uncover the plot and bring the culprits to justice. If she fails, Cahokia will be torn asunder in warfare, rage, and blood as civil war consumes them all.

©2014 W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O’Neal Gear (P)2020 Tantor

great way to retell the story

People of the Morning Star by Kathleen O’Neal Gear, W. Michael Gear
Review: Another hit, by the phenomenal duo of writers that bring American history to life.
People of the Morning star, is a remarkable start to a new series of stories continuing the seven books by the Gear's relating to Cahokia. Cahokia is a remarkable unknown fact in American history. Cahokia is something that the history books have over looked, or have not given ample information.

The Morning Star is a god brought to life. The Story has been based on the ideology of the historical and legendary twins who created and maintained the world of many Native American cultures. The re-incarnation of this god comes from the ideology that you are able to bring back into life a venerated soul. Cahokia, in the world of this Historical Fiction story has just had its biggest upheaval a generation before this story takes place. By bringing back a god into a living body the Four Winds clan was able to tie the people back together. But their choice of re-quickening the soul of a God in the spoiled, arrogant, brutal, wild child that was Chunkey Boy may be their down fall.

The hero of the series is the strong spirited and grieving widow sister of Chunkey Boy, Night Shadow Star. But can she follow the path that Power has given her? Can she move beyond her own grief, pain to save her people bringing balance to power?

Piasa, the Water Panther, is her spirit helper. A spirit of the Underworld but his requests is not simple, nor does he give a full explanation to his desire, and requests.

Her strongest supporter and protector is the man who killed her beloved husband, Fire Cat. Fire Cat is an enemy warrior bent on changing the society to change the balance of power away from the monopoly of power, and influence of the Four Winds Clan.

Blue Heron Keeper of the Four Winds Clan is a matron of the Cahokia society. She is faced with finding out the secrets of the opposing clans, and rival matrons from other clans. Her network of spies and trusted advisers is not ready for the calamity that will cost the clan more than it should ever think of paying for power. This is a dynamic mystery, a great history, and a book that explores the relation of culture, and there perspective of history. People of the Morning Star, continues the original seven books that feature the history of Cahokia.

Why oh why?

I love these most talented authors and their brilliant books. So I am offended for them when one of their masterpieces is gutted by a horrendous narrator. There are so very many talented narrators that could have made this novel sing, but this unfortunately was not one of them.

People of the Morning Star

Great book! I can not wait to take another trip to Cahokia with Seven Skull Shield and the Keeper. I will be waiting for the next in the series to come out on Audible. The narrator was really good. I was not sure about his female voices at first but after a hour or so he warmed up to the story and did an excellent job! Definitely one of their best in my opinion.

Educational

The. Gears have a talented way of briging historical facts to life. Have always loved their books. Makes you think and dig for more.