Raven Mocker

Spanish Bit Saga #27

by Don Coldsmith

Demon...or Healer?

For years Snakewater, the aging medicine woman of Old Town, has been respected--and feared--by her Cherokee village. Now, as a series of mysterious deaths plagues her village, she finds herself accused of being a Raven Mocker , the legendary creature of evil that steals life from its victims in its relentless quest for immortality. Driven from her people, Snakewater journeys west for the first time with a traveling band to the Cherokee settlements far beyond the Mississippi.

Her trail will be one of perilous discovery. Accepted by a culture new to her, admired and loved by its children, she finds herself feeling more vibrant and youthful. But is her newfound vigor a gift of the spirits...or a sign that her people were right, that she is a life-stealing Raven Mocker ? As the annual Sun Dance approaches, Snakewater will learn the fateful truth about herself and the unexplained deaths--a surprising revelation that will confirm her new life...or destroy it.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Native American

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2001

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

[Gail Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, the mysticism in this story was greater than I thought it would be; and how things unfolded for the old woman Snakewater did not go the way that I expected. I thought she would learn more about Lumpy than she did, but I hope she figured it out after the book ended.

[Doug Lunsford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little easy but very interesting. The plot moved well and stayed with time period well. I liked subplot with Snakewater tying things together.

[LibbyZally · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading of this medicine woman’s journey. Reading about a new culture is so important. I didn’t realize this was a series when I found this book. However I feel it would work as a stand alone.

[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