Man of the Shadows

Spanish Bit Saga #5

by Don Coldsmith

A young warrior encounters a mysterious old man who may be one of the myths of his tribe, The People, come to life

Genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adventure, Native American

183 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Don Coldsmith was an American author of primarily Western fiction. A past president of Western Writers of America, Coldsmith wrote more than 40 books, as well as and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. His “Spanish Bit Saga,” a series of related novels, helped to re-define the Western novel by adopting the point of view of the Native Americans, rather than the European immigrants.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fifth in Don Coldsmith's "Spanish Bit" series, about the Plains Indians in the 16th-18th Centuries. This book is mainly about Eagle, son of Heads Off, the man who brought the horse ( called the "elk-dog") to the tribe. Heads Off is actually a Spaniard who adapted to the life of the Plains Indians. In the story, Eagle takes part in a bison hunt, but gets caught up in a stampede--which takes the bisons over a bluff to their death. Eagle and his horse go down into a river and the young Native American is badly injured. Alone and facing certain death, Eagle receives help from a mysterious old man--the "Man of the Shadows" in the title. But Eagle's tribal enemies may discover him at any time...
So a good short book and fast read which captures something of the feeling of what the West was like before the whites--the fur trappers, the gold miners, the cowboys and the settlers-- swarmed over the land...and the native people lost their way of life.

[Boots LookingLand · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book is 197 pages and 100 pages too long. as a short story, it could have been cool, but it's bogged down under repetition and way too much "he thought, he wondered, he imagined...."

when there's action, the story moves, but it's too little to fill all these pages and all that verbiage doesn't really add anything to an adventure narrative.

okay bit of fluff if you skip every third and fourth paragraph.

[Sean Sanford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The next (5th) book in the Spanish Bit Saga. Oh goodness, this one was another gem. Paralleling its predecessor, it follows Heads Off's other son, Eagle as he tromps the situation of running his horse off a cliff within a stampede of buffalo. Classic. He wakes up with a broken leg and in the company of an ugly and farty old man who has no identifiable accent but speaks the language of Eagle's tribe perfectly.
Thus comes thoughts of an alleged Trickster legend; a shapeshifting spirit who dwells in the woods and pranks people...or looks out for them...or sabotages them. No one can tell for sure. Eagle buckles in to find out as he makes way to survive long enough to make it through the seasons in a partially paralyzed fashion.
Of course their rival warrior tribe, The Head Splitters show up, and let's just say that things get interesting.
If you haven't delved into the Spanish Bit Saga, I highly recommend it. Each book is a breezy 200 or so pages long and they're written in a very flowed fashion that most could be easily read in one day (takes me 3 days cause I'm a slooow reader).

[sarg · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Man of the shadows" Don Coldsmith
Fifth book of the Spanish Bit series. A nonCowboy and Indian book but about the early Indian life after acquiring the horse. This explores the Indian beliefs of their spirit guide. This one is known as the trickster. The trickster helps Eagle son of headsoff after he is lost and injured. Good story my only complaint is that the author had to really stretch it out to cover hundred and ninety one pages.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of westerns, Native American culture, history, or you just enjoy a really good story, you should try the books of the Spanish Bit Saga. Don Coldsmith does a great job of giving you a true feel for what life was like in the 16th century. The stories are fiction, but Coldsmith's research makes them seem real.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good "Western" story. It's actually not like your normal American Western tale. Lots of nicely developed characters and a nice continuing storyline. Recommended

[Oscar Maquito · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.8/5

[Eliel Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting account of one man's journey.

[Ajcc]

F 813.54 COL

[Partridge Public]

Coldsmith, Don

[TOTO from Kansas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun following geneology !!