The Bear With Two Shadows by Roland D Yeomans
At the moment I’m enjoying reviewing newly-released novels by bloggers. Today I’m reviewing the most wonderful book I’ve read for sometime, The Bear With Two Shadows, by Roland D Yeomans. It is an e-book which I read on my free Amazon kindle so I had the benefit of my super-duper large computer monitor. Like many, I’d prefer a paper book in my hands, but to read this and many other e-book-only titles, I’m willing to make the sacrifice and feel so hip.
From an Amazon review by Ann Best: This is a poetic novel, one of the most beautiful stories I have read in a very long time! Such wisdom from the mouth of Hibbs, the Great Bear, a powerful figure, to me, of man on his journey toward Death. Yet along the path, Hibbs voices thoughts that … lift me beyond the darkness and into the Light. At one point I had my own thought: Step into the darkness to see the light.
From an Amazon review by Wendy Tyler Ryan: In the true tradition of the telling of ancient tales, Roland Yeomans brings The Bear With Two Shadows to our hearts. From the virtual campfire that is his ebook, he will transport you to a different time and place. His magnificent and colorful prose drip with the sweetest honey, a master storyteller who will wrap you up in his embrace and keep you warm until the last word. Forever changing Estanatlehi I know is watching with pride, waiting for him to spin another tale.
The Bear with Two Shadows is an epic Native American Lord of the Rings tale. The characters become real, at times more real than the ‘two-leggeds’ we see all around us every day. The most endearing characters to me were Hibbs the Bear, Surt the Fire, Little Brother the Hawk, Leandra the Sidhe, GrandMother the Turquoise Woman. Such wisdom comes from the mouth of Hibbs: "Seeing the light is one thing, while seeing by the light is something else." Might as well enjoy the view "while we walk to death," he says.
The Bear with Two Shadows is an epic Native American Lord of the Rings tale. The characters become real, at times more real than the ‘two-leggeds’ we see all around us every day. The most endearing characters to me were Hibbs the Bear, Surt the Fire, Little Brother the Hawk, Leandra the Sidhe, GrandMother the Turquoise Woman. Such wisdom comes from the mouth of Hibbs: "Seeing the light is one thing, while seeing by the light is something else." Might as well enjoy the view "while we walk to death," he says.
Author Roland D Yeomans gives us some background to the story: For nearly two thousand winters, the seasons have flowed inevitably one into another. Life is as it always has been. The Huron war with the Iroquois, the Commanche with the Lakota, and the Apache with everyone.
Across the great waters, the Mongul storm the great wall of Chin. The samurai of Nippon invade Indus. And the vast Collisium lies in ruins, overgrown with vines and olive trees. The deer and bear roam the deserted villages of Gaul. And the lonely wind whispers through the towering monoliths of Stonehenge. The race called Whyte is not even a memory. Except to Estanatlehi, The Turquoise Woman, once named Gaia, Goddess of the Earth, by the People she alone remembers.
All of which means exactly nothing to the young bear Hibbs. For as long as he can remember, he has been raised by The Turquoise Woman, whom he simply calls GrandMother. Trained by her, hunted by the Lakota, accompanied by the strange hawk, Little Brother, Hibbs has happily ambled from mountain to desert to forest, even sometimes across the great waters. Often he has asked GrandMother why she has led him to so many different lands. The answer has always been: Because a moving target is harder to hit.
Across the great waters, the Mongul storm the great wall of Chin. The samurai of Nippon invade Indus. And the vast Collisium lies in ruins, overgrown with vines and olive trees. The deer and bear roam the deserted villages of Gaul. And the lonely wind whispers through the towering monoliths of Stonehenge. The race called Whyte is not even a memory. Except to Estanatlehi, The Turquoise Woman, once named Gaia, Goddess of the Earth, by the People she alone remembers.
All of which means exactly nothing to the young bear Hibbs. For as long as he can remember, he has been raised by The Turquoise Woman, whom he simply calls GrandMother. Trained by her, hunted by the Lakota, accompanied by the strange hawk, Little Brother, Hibbs has happily ambled from mountain to desert to forest, even sometimes across the great waters. Often he has asked GrandMother why she has led him to so many different lands. The answer has always been: Because a moving target is harder to hit.
The novel resonates with the lyricism of Roland D Yeomans. He describes the coming of Spring thus: "He (Hibbs) had been wandering alone to greet the coming twilight, a time when he could enjoy the burst of color from the sun clawing to keep its fiery head above the horizon. The dying sunlight streamed through the hovering branches like glowing arrows, the grass beneath his bare feet was gray, and the spiderwebs gleamed silver. Life pulsed all about him. Spring was coming."
There is an underlying theme of good versus evil in this story as one expects in good literature, and make no mistake, this novel is a classic literary tale to be enjoyed at any age. There is also a powerful theme of light versus darkness (the Darklings). At first Hibbs thinks GrandMother is joking when she tells him why they must keep moving, but it is no joke. Hibbs is the hunted. He has many enemies, such as the Lakota and the Gray Bear. Hibbs doesn’t understand that he is the key to rescuing the Whyte race from certain oblivion. For the Whyte race to live, Hibbs must die.
The superb world building of the author reaches its crescendo in this section of the book. In order to protect Hibbs, he is taken to ancient lands, meets strange beasts, sees wonders. Perhaps he can hide amongst these strange creatures?
Here we see the battle between good and evil. Hibbs is a healer faced with a tyrant and his vast army. Will Hibbs and Little Brother survive? Is Hibbs’ epic journey over?
Desperate struggles are yet to be faced.
This story is currently only available on Kindle. Hopefully Roland D Yeomans will be picked up by an editor and we will see a print version to add to our bookshelves. It is a story to be read to your children at bedtime, yet will be enjoyed just as much by adults. There is a lot to be learned through the characters, as this is a deeply spiritual tale. The fact that Hibbs is a healer endeared him to me for don't we all, in this increasingly dangerous world, need to heal and be healed?
If you never read anything else on kindle (but I hope you do) read this book! I don't often give a perfect score, but I make an exception this time.
L'Aussie's Verdict: 10/10
Monday, March 14, 2011 | Labels: epic fantasy, Roland D Yeomans, The Bear with Two Shadows |
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19 comments:
Wow, Denise. I am humbled by your praise. Hibbs is blushing under his face fur. Thank you for liking my novel so.
I tried to live up to my half-Lakota's teaching tales to me as a young boy. If the novel is good, it is because I was doing it with all my heart and mind as my kiss to the winds to her.
Thank you, Denise.
I meant to write my half-Lakota mother. Sigh. It's getting late here in the bayou state. Even my cat, Gypsy, ever the night stalker is yawning. Thank you for enjoying my novel so much. Roland
Ha, Roland. Get some rest. Gypsy, behave.
Denise<3
Gypsy behave? Obviously you have her confused with another feline princess! LOL.
Pace yourself at work today, hear?
Roland
Great review! I downloaded the free sample, but I haven't had a chance to read it, but I probably will buy the entire novel eventually.
Wonderful review Denise and Roland deserves every word. I must get either a new computer that doesn't have memory problems or an e-reader. (sigh). It turns out that my iphone is just too little for my old eyes.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium, Special .99 through April 30
Great review. :)
I love the excerpt you posted from the book!
Cherie : For the rest of March my ebook is $1.99. I hope you enjoy the sample chapters.
Nancy : I hate that your computer has memory problems. My old one had similar issues. Sigh, yes. I wouldn't have thought "Kindle for PC" would take up that much room on your hard drive. Silly low tech me.
Golden Eagle : Wasn't Denise's review wonderfully crafted. Thanks for liking the excerpt from my book. Roland
Great that you've enjoyed the review! Roland thanks for stopping by!
It has become one of my all-time favorite books! I can't praise it enough. (Thanks, Denise, for alerting me on Twitter about this post!!)
I'm impressed - a perfect score? I'll have to check it out, it sounds more like a work of art than a novel!
This is a very well done, comprehensive review. I don't know anyone who has a kindle so I guess I'll wait with hope that it comes out in print in the future. I haven't read a Native American tale for a long time but I used to love books like Amee-nah, which was about a Zuni boy. Don't often see animal characters, because it's not an easy task to do but I'm guess from this review Roland achieved such well.
*waves hi to Roland*
;-)
Dawn : Roland here. You don't need a Kindle to read my book. Amazon offers free the application for your computer : Kindle for PC.
Download it and you will be able to go to Amazon and download the free first three chapters of THE BEAR WITH TWO SHADOWS.
That way you can see if I managed to do my half-Lakota mother's spirit justice. I tried.
I would be interested in what you think of those free chapters. And with Kindle for PC, you could download for free various classics and first books in a series.
No need for a credit card or anything. And that way, your huge computer screen becomes an enormous, easy-to-read Kindle!
I don't mean to intrude on a review of my own book. I mean this to help you to access so many wonderful books that Amazon offers.
Have a great tomorrow, Dawn.
Roland
Just gotta say, isn't twitter a wonder Ann?
Roland - Thanks for the information. I would first wonder if that works on Mac since that is my main laptop. I have one PC but it's a netbook, so is small. I will consider the option but I try to avoid reading books on my computer right now because reading is my break from my laptop. But like anything there are bound to be exceptions to the rules. I don't buy hardback usually either but recently purchased Matched and The Replacement both in hardback instead of waiting.
Intrude all you want, the review is for your book after all. ;-)
It's great to see an author commenting on not only the review but on reader's comments to it in the blog.
What a insightful and detailed review. Well done, Denise!
You hit on many of the wonderful facets of the book. A ten is an amazing score. Everyone who has read it, is just raving about how terrific it is.
I am SO behind in my reading. Roland was so kind as to reserve a copy for me. I hope to get to it soon.
I sure I will enjoy it as much as everyone else has.
I hope you like my book as much when you read it Denise...lol
Michael
So do I Michael. Getting the number of layers Roland has achieved through his life experience is hard to beat.
Denise<3
Thanks, Michael and Denise!
Dawn, I am selfish enough to hope you opt to download Kindle for PC on your notebook so that I can hear what you think of my book.
Myne Whitman wrote a 4 star review of it, saying that though fantasy was not her thing, she had to read some passages again and again. Wow. I deeply appreciate Denise, Ann, Wendy, and Myne writing such things.
Thanks again, Denise for writing such a lovely review. If you ever stroll to Amazon, be sure to leave a word or two as well -- selfish Roland
Yes Roland thanks for reminding me. I must leave a short review there.
Denise<3
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