The Next Skywatcher: Prequel to The Last Skywatcher Triple Trilogy Series

by Jeff Posey

A thousand years ago among the Anasazi of Four Corners, North America... This is a historical thriller with a hint of romance and a strong sense of adventure, revenge, mystery, and justice. This story is prequel to The Last Skywatcher triple trilogy that elevates the Anasazi Native Americans of Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Chimney Rock (Colorado) to the highest realm of drama and passion. The ancient world was filled with stories of suspense, action, and romance far beyond the dry evidence compiled by archaeology and science. “I really enjoyed it. It was well-written.” —Thomas Windes, thirty-seven-year veteran Anasazi archaeologist with the National Park Service. Warning! This story contains graphic violence including cannibalism! Raised by his beloved Sky Chief grandfather and a mysterious albino woman, Tuwa expects to become the next skywatcher. When a strange star appears in the sky, so bright it shines during the day (the Crab Nebula supernova, which appeared July 4, 1054), the High Priest, backed by ultraviolent warriors from the South, demands blood sacrifice. Tuwa’s grandfather, a vocal opponent of the foreigners, is murdered in a public ceremony, cooked, and served to the stunned crowd. Next in line are Tuwa’s adopted mother and the girl he loves, Chumana. Unable to watch, Tuwa flees in a blind panic into dark wilderness where he’s rescued by a long-distance trader who collects orphans to protect him and carry his goods. Three years later, Tuwa returns with his hardened band of orphans intent upon revenge—only to discover that the stakes are much higher than he had imagined. Mere revenge may not be enough. Jeff Posey writes novels inspired by the Anasazi culture of a thousand years ago. “Cultures that have dramatically collapsed,” he says, “should at least compel us to dream up stories about how such things can happen.” Find out more at www.HotWaterPress.com or www.JeffPosey.net. He does not, under any circumstances, advocate cannibalism. This book was originally published as Less Than a novel of Anasazi strife. The storyline and characters of this edition are the same as the original, but richer detail and description have been added.

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2015

About the author

Jeff Posey has a geology degree and worked as a petroleum geologist before he discovered the world of words.

Since then, he's been city editor of a metropolitan magazine, fiction editor for a national magazine, and then stumbled on his own ignorance: about business. So he earned an MBA, thinking that would solve everything. Ha! But it did give him the ability to see things that had been invisible before, such as how business and money truly work.

Now he writes short stories and novels, most of them inspired by his nearly two decades of research and fascination with ancient Southwest cultures (mainly the good ol’ Anasazi) and tied to his favorite area in and around Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

You’ll see allusions to the ancient ones in all of his work, which he describes as rather like a huge ongoing meta-novel.

To learn more, see http://JeffPosey.net/.

Reviews

[Bobi Surmick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling in places

For the most part the story moved along well. It was even compelling in places. In others, it bogged down. It wasn't a book I couldn't put down. I never had the sense of time and place I look for in historical fiction. That said, I'm glad I took the time to read it. Several small edits needed.