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The Bear with Two Shadows
In a land just beyond your mirror lies a realm few discover. It is a magical, dangerous dimension. There lurks your darkest nightmares and your fondest hopes.
For nearly two thousand winters there, 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.
He thinks it is a joke. It is not. He is hunted by more than the Lakota. He is being hunted by a being now known as the Gray Bear, though that has not always been his name.
Hibbs is the unknowing key to rescuing the race once called Whyte from oblivion. For that very purpose the Turquoise Woman has raised and trained him. But now she repents of her actions.
She has grown to love the young bear. And for the Whyte race to live, Hibbs must die.
So she has hidden him in the ancient land of Eire, home of all manner of strange beasts and wonders, ruled by the stag-being Cernunnos. Here she hopes she can cause Hibbs to be lost among so many fearsome creatures.
It is a vain hope.
Hibbs, large of heart, bold of spirit, cannot see pain without trying to help. He has become a healer. And heal he will do no matter how much Cernunnos protests.
And protest the tyrant does -- with his vast army of Darklings. To survive, Hibbs and Little Brother must escape, using a mysterious construct called a Sidhe Mound.
Estanatlehi sees her plan to save Hibbs further unravel as the bear and hawk find themselves in Avalon, now being bloodied by an eon-long civil war.
There, in the crystal and gold palace of Caer Wydr, Hibbs interrupts the dark ritual, Diatheke, setting the race called Whyte a step closer to their destiny and himself into a desperate struggle of spirit with the Gray Bear.
For nearly two thousand winters there, 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.
He thinks it is a joke. It is not. He is hunted by more than the Lakota. He is being hunted by a being now known as the Gray Bear, though that has not always been his name.
Hibbs is the unknowing key to rescuing the race once called Whyte from oblivion. For that very purpose the Turquoise Woman has raised and trained him. But now she repents of her actions.
She has grown to love the young bear. And for the Whyte race to live, Hibbs must die.
So she has hidden him in the ancient land of Eire, home of all manner of strange beasts and wonders, ruled by the stag-being Cernunnos. Here she hopes she can cause Hibbs to be lost among so many fearsome creatures.
It is a vain hope.
Hibbs, large of heart, bold of spirit, cannot see pain without trying to help. He has become a healer. And heal he will do no matter how much Cernunnos protests.
And protest the tyrant does -- with his vast army of Darklings. To survive, Hibbs and Little Brother must escape, using a mysterious construct called a Sidhe Mound.
Estanatlehi sees her plan to save Hibbs further unravel as the bear and hawk find themselves in Avalon, now being bloodied by an eon-long civil war.
There, in the crystal and gold palace of Caer Wydr, Hibbs interrupts the dark ritual, Diatheke, setting the race called Whyte a step closer to their destiny and himself into a desperate struggle of spirit with the Gray Bear.
- GenresFantasy
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Roland Yeomans
60 books21 followersRoland Yeomans was born in Detroit, Michigan. But his last memories of that city are hub-caps and kneecaps since, at the age of seven, he followed the free food when his parents moved to Lafayette, Louisiana.
The hitch-hiking after their speeding car from state to state was a real adventure.
Once in Louisiana, Roland learned strange new ways of pronouncing David and Richard when they were last names. And it was not a pleasant sight when he pronounced Comeaux for the first time.
He has a Bachelor’s degree in English Education and a Master’s degree in Psychology. He has been a teacher, counselor, book store owner, and even a pirate since he once worked at a tax preparation firm.
So far he has written thirty-three books. You can find Roland at his web page:
www.rolandyeomans.blogspot.com or at his private table in Meilori’s.
The web page is safer to visit. But if you insist on visiting Meilori’s, bring a friend who runs slower than you.
The hitch-hiking after their speeding car from state to state was a real adventure.
Once in Louisiana, Roland learned strange new ways of pronouncing David and Richard when they were last names. And it was not a pleasant sight when he pronounced Comeaux for the first time.
He has a Bachelor’s degree in English Education and a Master’s degree in Psychology. He has been a teacher, counselor, book store owner, and even a pirate since he once worked at a tax preparation firm.
So far he has written thirty-three books. You can find Roland at his web page:
www.rolandyeomans.blogspot.com or at his private table in Meilori’s.
The web page is safer to visit. But if you insist on visiting Meilori’s, bring a friend who runs slower than you.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 11, 2011
My heart wanted to give this story 5*. It deserves 5 stars, for it is a story told in the ways of the old ones: the Native American shamans, the Zulu sangomas and the Bedouin fugaras.
Hibbs is a bear with an important mission. Like all great heroes, he has made his mistakes and has suffered for them. But how can one not love Hibbs, with his youthful humour, his bold spirit and his gentle determination? Hibbs does the right thing, no matter what it costs him personally. Together with Little Brother and Surt, Hibbs takes the reader on a mystical journey through loyal friendships and gritty battles, as he strives to be true to his soul.
The natural cadence of the story swept me away into an enchanted, and enchanting, world with profound truths at its centre. Redolent with ancient philosophies, somehow comforting in this out-of-joint modern world, the haunting beauty of the narrative and the complex characterisations revealed a wisdom that is so often missing in many of the stories we read today.
I only rated THE BEAR WITH TWO SHADOWS a four-star book because of two small concerns. The first was that the copy I downloaded from Kindle had a few formatting and spelling errors, enough to distract me in the first few chapters, but these did become less as the book progressed and so weren't a major issue. Secondly, this is not a book for light reading, so I couldn't read it when I was tired. I needed to concentrate on the layers within layers within layers. So it did take me a while to finish it.
But finish it I did, for it is a marvellous tale of good versus evil, of kindness versus cruelty and of a lonely soul finding that we are not, after all, alone. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be inspired and uplifted. Let Hibbs hold you in his massive paws and you'll feel the magic in his soul.
I can't wait to join Hibbs on his next adventure!
Hibbs is a bear with an important mission. Like all great heroes, he has made his mistakes and has suffered for them. But how can one not love Hibbs, with his youthful humour, his bold spirit and his gentle determination? Hibbs does the right thing, no matter what it costs him personally. Together with Little Brother and Surt, Hibbs takes the reader on a mystical journey through loyal friendships and gritty battles, as he strives to be true to his soul.
The natural cadence of the story swept me away into an enchanted, and enchanting, world with profound truths at its centre. Redolent with ancient philosophies, somehow comforting in this out-of-joint modern world, the haunting beauty of the narrative and the complex characterisations revealed a wisdom that is so often missing in many of the stories we read today.
I only rated THE BEAR WITH TWO SHADOWS a four-star book because of two small concerns. The first was that the copy I downloaded from Kindle had a few formatting and spelling errors, enough to distract me in the first few chapters, but these did become less as the book progressed and so weren't a major issue. Secondly, this is not a book for light reading, so I couldn't read it when I was tired. I needed to concentrate on the layers within layers within layers. So it did take me a while to finish it.
But finish it I did, for it is a marvellous tale of good versus evil, of kindness versus cruelty and of a lonely soul finding that we are not, after all, alone. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be inspired and uplifted. Let Hibbs hold you in his massive paws and you'll feel the magic in his soul.
I can't wait to join Hibbs on his next adventure!
August 22, 2011
In this fable, which incorporates many myths and legends from around the globe, the bear Hibbs, embarks on a journey of self-discovery and that of making sense of the world he is to circumnavigate. He’s absolutely adorable, and it’s impossible to list all the characters, or attempt to try and describe them for they are all unique and mystical in their own right. Names are equally stunning. How can one fail to be fascinated by the following; Angelus, Rind, Leandra, The Diatheke, The Sidhe, Elu, Estanatlehi. The author provides a wide canvas of colour and atmosphere and characters that sometimes make one cringe, laugh and cry. One minute a forest surrounds you, the next an open plain, then mountains and crags and messenger birds. I cannot say it’s any thing like your average fantasy with monsters and demons. No, this story goes deeper, much deeper and heads into the ethics of man’s imposition upon the planet, and of lost knowledge that may never be regained!
December 30, 2013
The combination of Native American and Celtic mythologies worked well, loved the main character and the writing was beautiful. Unfortunately, for me, it seemed as if the author was almost deliberately trying to be obscure in some cases.
As I read further, it became more apparent that some of these situations were in part, foundations for further storylines for future volumes in this series, something that was not made clear in the synopsis or title. While I do read a number of trilogies and/or series, I prefer that I know that this is the case in advance and that each separate volume does, in fact, have a very traditional framework of beginning, middle and end.
As I read further, it became more apparent that some of these situations were in part, foundations for further storylines for future volumes in this series, something that was not made clear in the synopsis or title. While I do read a number of trilogies and/or series, I prefer that I know that this is the case in advance and that each separate volume does, in fact, have a very traditional framework of beginning, middle and end.
August 22, 2011
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.
Buy this book!
Buy this book!
January 4, 2022
This was a very good story of the woods and fae.Bear has friends who are sort of like his conscience.He encounters a 'Shee'(sp) who enchants him. Jack de Golia was a fantastic narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews