Song of the Earth - Hardcover

Dann, John R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0765311933 ISBN 13: 9780765311931

Publisher: Forge Books, 2005

Synopsis

In John R. Dann's thrilling and romantic prehistoric saga, Song of the Axe, the tribe's chieftain was called Grae, after a famous ancestor. Now Dann returns to tell the saga of the wanderings of one prehistoric tribal family over several generations, always led by that famous, original Grae, and by his children.

The powerful daughters of River Woman saved young Grae from a flooded river after a volcano erupted and destroyed their tribal home. Then they made him chief, but that's almost the last thing they agree on before the tribe splinters.

Grae leads the main group out of Africa ever northward, into central and eastern Europe, always searching for safety and a better life. Challenged by truly monstrous evil tribes, but guided by spirits, they survive. It takes three generations, and three chieftains named Grae, before the tribe comes to rest. Their story is an adventure on the grandest scale, full of dangers, romance, and beguiling mystery in an exotic setting. A rich and complex story told with simplicity, authenticity, and vigor, Song of the Earth is a worthy companion to Song of the Axe.

About this title

About the Author

John R. Dann is a retired chemist with a lifelong interest in prehistory. He has visited prehistoric sites, cliff shelters, caves, and museums in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. He lives in Friday Harbor, Washington, with his wife, Barbara, where he teaches creative writing and ethnic dancing.

Reviews

Dann's lackluster prehistorical novel, a prequel to 2001's Song of the Axe, opens with an account of how Old Grae was saved as a child from Ka, the chieftain of a rival tribe, and from a volcanic eruption by seven women, all half-sisters, who along with Grae were the only survivors of their clan. While six of the sisters are virtuous, one of them is not—Lilith, whose name brings a Christian gloss to the Cro-Magnon era. Grae's descendants, led by his son Eagle, form three major tribes, fight the "wide men" (Neanderthals) and in unconvincingly short order invent the club, the knife, clothing and diplomacy. They spread out across the land, learn to hunt the buffalo, and in the time of Eagle's son, Young Grae, fight a battle with Lilith and Ka's descendant Karn, who's allied with Lilith for nefarious purposes. The author is at his best in short snippets of character portrayal and action scenes, but even fans of the genre may be disappointed by this multigenerational jumble of high fantasy, prehistoric adventure and what seems like Christian apologetics. Agent, Bernard Shir-Cliff. (Feb.)
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Edition details

• Publisher: Forge Books
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0765311933
• ISBN 13: 9780765311931
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384