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The Defiant Americans #1
Cloud and the Fire
The Cloud and the Fire is a revolutionary work. Political, social, timely, and most importantly”human. As a book, it is a riveting epic, and not only because of the scope of the story, but because of the ideas and characters who inhabit the story. Set during the Civil War in California, the book features an actual conspiracy where a clandestine group known as the Knights of the Golden Circle, who were the forerunners of the Ku Klux Klan, attempted to turn California into an apartheid state, separate from the Union. California, at the time, was wealthier than the Union and a place of unrivalled possibility and unmatched hatreds.
338 pages, Hardcover
First published December 4, 2013
2 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Boston Teran
20 books182 followersBoston Teran is the internationally acclaimed author of twelve novels, many of them translated into foreign languages. He has been named alongside great American writers like Hemingway and Larry McMurtry, as well as filmmakers John Ford and Sam Peckinpah, for his singular voice and ability to weave timely social and political themes into sweeping page turners that pierce straight into America's soul. GOD IS A BULLET, currently in film development, is considered a cult classic that has been compared to such seminal works as Joan Didion's THE WHITE ALBUM and John Ford's THE SEARCHERS. NEVER COUNT OUT THE DEAD has been called a modern equivalent of MacBeth. THE CREED OF VIOLENCE sold to Universal, with Todd Field (Little Children) set to direct and Daniel Graig in the starring role.
The author has been nominated or won over 17 awards, including The EDGAR AWARD for Best First Novel and the FOREWORD "Book of the Year Award" as well as the INTERNATIONAL IMPACT AWARD OF DUBLIN for Best Novel, the Best Novel of the Year in Japan and the John Creasy Award in England.
The author has been nominated or won over 17 awards, including The EDGAR AWARD for Best First Novel and the FOREWORD "Book of the Year Award" as well as the INTERNATIONAL IMPACT AWARD OF DUBLIN for Best Novel, the Best Novel of the Year in Japan and the John Creasy Award in England.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 18, 2018
Some foods are so rich that they can only be enjoyed slowly and consumed judiciously. So it is with the writing of Boston Teran (a pseudonym for an unidentified author), and in particular, this novel.
The Cloud And The Fire is a fascinating tale about a small band of people in California as the civil war is burgeoning. A nation divided and a state blessed by riches of gold and other precious resources forms the backdrop for treasonous plans for secession fomented by a group known as The Knights Of The Golden Circle (predecessors of the KKK), a wealthy mine-owning family and a handful of richly drawn characters who would see these bigots and self-righteous capitalists stopped.
The author gives us Jason Clay, a mixed race gambler who is transformed through a harrowing experience in which he comes face-to-face with his own moral compass and elects to change course. He is fully formed by the end of the book and, like other rough characters that inhabit other books by this author, is both flawed and immensely likable.
Bookending Jason are Mathew Christman and a woman called Hattie. Turns out they both fall in love with Jason and each forge their own unique connection with him. Mathew is a real “tenderfoot“ journalist dedicated to revealing the true goals of the Knights of the Golden Circle, whose articles have made him a target of those hooded men. Hattie is not what she seems, and will, alongside Matthew and a couple of other characters, play a critical role in the tumultuous conclusion of the book.
To say more would be a disservice to the intricate prose and flowing descriptions proffered by the author. The story is confusing at times, but more due to the indulgent writing style perhaps than to the plot. And it is with this that I take a small issue.
Teran is a gifted writer for sure, but at times I found myself feeling bogged down by his penchant for complex and poetic prose. Sometimes simpler would have been better and it is here where I felt the deduction of half a star was necessary. So 4.5 stars rounded down on another remarkable story from the mysterious Boston Teran.
The Cloud And The Fire is a fascinating tale about a small band of people in California as the civil war is burgeoning. A nation divided and a state blessed by riches of gold and other precious resources forms the backdrop for treasonous plans for secession fomented by a group known as The Knights Of The Golden Circle (predecessors of the KKK), a wealthy mine-owning family and a handful of richly drawn characters who would see these bigots and self-righteous capitalists stopped.
The author gives us Jason Clay, a mixed race gambler who is transformed through a harrowing experience in which he comes face-to-face with his own moral compass and elects to change course. He is fully formed by the end of the book and, like other rough characters that inhabit other books by this author, is both flawed and immensely likable.
Bookending Jason are Mathew Christman and a woman called Hattie. Turns out they both fall in love with Jason and each forge their own unique connection with him. Mathew is a real “tenderfoot“ journalist dedicated to revealing the true goals of the Knights of the Golden Circle, whose articles have made him a target of those hooded men. Hattie is not what she seems, and will, alongside Matthew and a couple of other characters, play a critical role in the tumultuous conclusion of the book.
To say more would be a disservice to the intricate prose and flowing descriptions proffered by the author. The story is confusing at times, but more due to the indulgent writing style perhaps than to the plot. And it is with this that I take a small issue.
Teran is a gifted writer for sure, but at times I found myself feeling bogged down by his penchant for complex and poetic prose. Sometimes simpler would have been better and it is here where I felt the deduction of half a star was necessary. So 4.5 stars rounded down on another remarkable story from the mysterious Boston Teran.
February 22, 2014
Magnificent!
Perhaps one of the five greatest Westerns I've ever read.
It's almost 24 hours after I finished "Cloud...Fire" and wrote my brief review but I wanted to add this:
If you enjoyed Boston Teran's Creed Of Violence, you will love this.
If you've ever enjoyed reading Westerns you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.
If you've never read a Western novel before, then start with this.
You could do much, much worse.
I know that I'll repeatedly revisit this novel for years to come.
Perhaps one of the five greatest Westerns I've ever read.
It's almost 24 hours after I finished "Cloud...Fire" and wrote my brief review but I wanted to add this:
If you enjoyed Boston Teran's Creed Of Violence, you will love this.
If you've ever enjoyed reading Westerns you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.
If you've never read a Western novel before, then start with this.
You could do much, much worse.
I know that I'll repeatedly revisit this novel for years to come.
September 11, 2024
3 1/2 stars, rounded up.
To me, this book was a bit slow much of the time, but pretty powerful with memorable, multi-dimensional characters. I've kind of been a bit distracted lately, so it may just be that my attention span wasn't a good match for this one. It was pretty sad in many places, and I'm not sure if there were any really any winners - just a lot of losers. And just when it was getting more interesting to me, it ended. Apparently, the next book in the series has different characters, so even though it ended like it should be continued, it probably will not be. I don't know if I'm up to continuing with the series, so I may never know.
To me, this book was a bit slow much of the time, but pretty powerful with memorable, multi-dimensional characters. I've kind of been a bit distracted lately, so it may just be that my attention span wasn't a good match for this one. It was pretty sad in many places, and I'm not sure if there were any really any winners - just a lot of losers. And just when it was getting more interesting to me, it ended. Apparently, the next book in the series has different characters, so even though it ended like it should be continued, it probably will not be. I don't know if I'm up to continuing with the series, so I may never know.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews