With the ruling class of powerful priests vanquished, the Cherokee of American prehistory must form a new social order, made even more urgent by the encroachment of the rival Suwali people.
Robert J. Conley was a Cherokee author and enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, a federally recognized tribe of American Indians. In 2007, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas.
This was probably my fave of the trilogy. No more traditional tales interspersed with the narrative; everything was used to move along the story this time.
Enjoyable third volume in the series "The Real People" by Robert J. Conley. Best read after reading the first two books in the series, as several of the main characters were introduced in the previous volumes. The series is a fictional account of what might have happened in the history of the Cherokees before the arrival of European settlers. The volume (and series) certainly does not flinch from showing internecine violence and other weaknesses of the early Cherokee, but also shows respect for their traditions and abilities. A fast-paced story, perhaps resolved a bit too quickly and neatly, and perhaps with some phrases that sound a bit too anachronistic, but still an interesting novel, quite unlike most fiction. I'm looking forward to the fourth volume.