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The First Americans #2
Corridor of Storms
Panoramic, authentic, explosively dramatic—this is the breathtaking new series The First Americans , which began with Book I, Beyond The Sea Of Ice .
Now the heroic great hunter Torka, his woman Lonit, and his adopted son Karana emerge from a land forbidden to all men, a land where mountains walk and spirits speak. Across the fierce glacial tundra Torka leads his people—survivors of a horrifying natural disaster—to a winter camp where many bands gather to hunt the great mammoth. There he and his followers encounter an evil more dangerous than the wild lands—the magic man called Navahlk, who vows cruel destruction of the bold hunter Torka. To survive they must draw upon the courage of one brave boy who will grow to manhood and see with his mind’s eye where the sun’s light has led them—to the dawn of man on the American continent.
Now the heroic great hunter Torka, his woman Lonit, and his adopted son Karana emerge from a land forbidden to all men, a land where mountains walk and spirits speak. Across the fierce glacial tundra Torka leads his people—survivors of a horrifying natural disaster—to a winter camp where many bands gather to hunt the great mammoth. There he and his followers encounter an evil more dangerous than the wild lands—the magic man called Navahlk, who vows cruel destruction of the bold hunter Torka. To survive they must draw upon the courage of one brave boy who will grow to manhood and see with his mind’s eye where the sun’s light has led them—to the dawn of man on the American continent.
423 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
15 people are currently reading
616 people want to read
About the author
William Sarabande
22 books116 followersWilliam Sarabande is a pseudonym of Joan Lesley Hamilton Cline.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 16, 2013
The writing ability was excellent. It was an exciting read. I felt like the main characters were overly doomed and there were not many reprieves to relieve the stress of reading their struggles. The level of violence was unexpected. I would have preferred the violence to be more spread out than just to the "good guys", especially to the main characters. I was devastated by the extent of the main characters' suffering, especially about what happened to the puppies. There can be no happy ending in this series and I can't bare to read more of their unfortunate situations in future books so I have put this series to the shelf.
September 4, 2013
I liked it.
March 29, 2016
Segundo libro de la serie “Los primeros americanos”. Más interesante y ameno que el primero.
Puntuación: 8
Puntuación: 8
January 5, 2025
OK, so to start off the writing is very skillful and the author is very good at getting you emotionally attached to certain characters and to making their experiences and emotions feel real. The downside of that is that the author seems to want to do nothing more than to make these characters suffer the whole way through the book. They were very few moments of respite for the reader in between the scenes of Gore, abuse, general violence, and endless suffering. So it made the book very stressful to read. It got to the point where anytime they mentioned the villain of the book I wanted to either set the book down or just skip a few pages forward so I didn’t have to read anything to do with him anymore because I was so heart sick of reading his scenes. Because everything about him is horrifying and gory.
I don’t think I can read the rest of the volumes, even though I have the first five. If the rest of them are just so much story filled with Gore and endless violence and very little emotional warmth then there’s no reason to keep reading in my mind. I love the kind of historical fiction novels like this where it’s about early mankind exploring their world and this has that, but it’s overshadowed by the authors need to make the villain the most horrifying thing you can read and just keep pushing that. By the end of the book, it didn’t feel like Torka was the main character anymore. It felt like the villain had become the main character of the story. And in all honesty, these kind of novels don’t really need a villain, who is essentially a serial killer. That’s not why most of us pick these books up. So even though the writing style self deserves four stars because the writer is obviously talented. I can’t give it that because it’s not what this book should’ve been And it left me stressed out, and horrified as all get out to read it and I’m not gonna be willing to pick up the next one in the series because of it. It reads more like a prehistoric version of criminal minds than a story about mankind discovering North America. The book really should also come with a warning at the beginning because if you’ve suffered any kind of abuse at the hands of another person, very likely this novel is gonna trigger you.
I don’t think I can read the rest of the volumes, even though I have the first five. If the rest of them are just so much story filled with Gore and endless violence and very little emotional warmth then there’s no reason to keep reading in my mind. I love the kind of historical fiction novels like this where it’s about early mankind exploring their world and this has that, but it’s overshadowed by the authors need to make the villain the most horrifying thing you can read and just keep pushing that. By the end of the book, it didn’t feel like Torka was the main character anymore. It felt like the villain had become the main character of the story. And in all honesty, these kind of novels don’t really need a villain, who is essentially a serial killer. That’s not why most of us pick these books up. So even though the writing style self deserves four stars because the writer is obviously talented. I can’t give it that because it’s not what this book should’ve been And it left me stressed out, and horrified as all get out to read it and I’m not gonna be willing to pick up the next one in the series because of it. It reads more like a prehistoric version of criminal minds than a story about mankind discovering North America. The book really should also come with a warning at the beginning because if you’ve suffered any kind of abuse at the hands of another person, very likely this novel is gonna trigger you.
August 26, 2024
Sarabande's sophomore effort, Corridor of Storms, is a huge step above his first novel, Beyond the Sea of Ice. After reading the first, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue, but the second installment is solid, interesting, and I am now invested in the series and the characters.
I was fascinated to learn about the Corridor of Storms, where it lay, and that it actually existed in part as the land bridge that brought people to the American continent. It must have been magnificent and terrifying to behold.
As per usual with these stories, there is a man in power who wants nothing more than to stay in power, and will stop at nothing until he sees his goals through. People mean little to him unless they can help him achieve his aspirations. Consequently, there is much violence and death in this novel, including animals, children, and adults. This is not uncommon for an indigenous historical fiction story, but this feels more violent than most in the genre.
At first, I thought the "child" was supposed to be a neanderthal, I wonder if it was meant more as a yeti/sasquatch type creature. The author speculates in the notes that there were many tales of such creatures existing, but no solid proof. As neanderthals most likely disappeared via survival of the fittest and interbreeding with homo sapiens, I'd like to think that's what the Wanawut in this novel were- in order to keep it rooted in reality.
I really enjoyed the evolution of Karana as a character, and following Torka and Lonit through the Corridor of Storms and back again. I also like how this author seamlessly blends the story with the people's way of life; their beliefs, their practices, what they ate and how they lived and hunted. Some stories can focus too much on these parts and lose the reader in the mire of historical facts.
Overall, this was a well told narrative, and I'm excited to see what the next installment brings.
I was fascinated to learn about the Corridor of Storms, where it lay, and that it actually existed in part as the land bridge that brought people to the American continent. It must have been magnificent and terrifying to behold.
As per usual with these stories, there is a man in power who wants nothing more than to stay in power, and will stop at nothing until he sees his goals through. People mean little to him unless they can help him achieve his aspirations. Consequently, there is much violence and death in this novel, including animals, children, and adults. This is not uncommon for an indigenous historical fiction story, but this feels more violent than most in the genre.
At first, I thought the "child" was supposed to be a neanderthal, I wonder if it was meant more as a yeti/sasquatch type creature. The author speculates in the notes that there were many tales of such creatures existing, but no solid proof. As neanderthals most likely disappeared via survival of the fittest and interbreeding with homo sapiens, I'd like to think that's what the Wanawut in this novel were- in order to keep it rooted in reality.
I really enjoyed the evolution of Karana as a character, and following Torka and Lonit through the Corridor of Storms and back again. I also like how this author seamlessly blends the story with the people's way of life; their beliefs, their practices, what they ate and how they lived and hunted. Some stories can focus too much on these parts and lose the reader in the mire of historical facts.
Overall, this was a well told narrative, and I'm excited to see what the next installment brings.
January 5, 2022
Though not as good as the first book in the series, this story held my attention admirably.
The introduction of the wanawut (what I pictured to be a very early hominid) though horrifying, was also... heartbreaking. The child, as the wanawut is called, has lost everything - her home, her family, even her mother, and she allows evil to fill her loneliness, and become her bedmate.
I cringed at Spirit Killer mating her, as well as the other very gory details that happened in this book (as with the first). (Seriously, the description of killing babies made my blood run cold every single time. I got physically sick a few times, and had to take breaks from reading after some scenes.)
I continue to look forward to reading more of Torka's story.
The introduction of the wanawut (what I pictured to be a very early hominid) though horrifying, was also... heartbreaking. The child, as the wanawut is called, has lost everything - her home, her family, even her mother, and she allows evil to fill her loneliness, and become her bedmate.
I cringed at Spirit Killer mating her, as well as the other very gory details that happened in this book (as with the first). (Seriously, the description of killing babies made my blood run cold every single time. I got physically sick a few times, and had to take breaks from reading after some scenes.)
I continue to look forward to reading more of Torka's story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2021
Wow. Just loved it. It's real. And, it's enthralling. A lot of sadness, sprinkled with tiny bits of joy - and, I think that has been the human condition for a long, long time. Enjoy the good times, when you can. Don't allow them to slip through your fingers as you blindly fret about the impending bad times.
March 7, 2018
Excellent second book in the First American series. This is the further adventures of Torka, Lonit and Karana as they try to survive in the Arctic wilderness.
Worth a read if you love reading about the pre-history of native Americans, though I will warn you that there is a lot of violence.
Worth a read if you love reading about the pre-history of native Americans, though I will warn you that there is a lot of violence.
September 24, 2020
After reading the first book in this series I was anxious to pick up Book II. I was so disappointed and thought I would never get to the end. I have no intention of continuing this saga by reading the other three.
April 29, 2021
Book 1 was good. This is also satisfying. As long as blood lust does not offend you.
Torka's band returns west for the Gathering looking for other humans. Tumultuous times ensue.
4 stars but barely so.
Torka's band returns west for the Gathering looking for other humans. Tumultuous times ensue.
4 stars but barely so.
June 24, 2018
Enjoyed this, however it remains graphic and harsh and this family endures through persistence and love for each other.
January 11, 2019
Liked it.
March 17, 2019
This series is so hard to put down!
January 15, 2020
Corridor of Storms
By: William Sarabande
Good book. I definitely recommend this book.
By: William Sarabande
Good book. I definitely recommend this book.
March 18, 2022
Hopefully the next one is better. This one just seemed to drag.
March 26, 2024
Een spannend avontuur gebaseerd op echte feiten , ongelofelijk mooi beschreven.
March 8, 2025
It's decent story-wise but it is really hyperfocused on the villain and multiple forms of violence (usually against women or animals). I like Karana, though.
February 22, 2013
Corridor of Storms is the 2nd book in the First Americans series. If you haven't read the first book, I highly suggest you go start there, otherwise you'll be a bit lost in this book.
Torka and his band (3 women, a boy, and some children) have been living in a sheltered valley for about three years. However, when one of the women is having a troubled pregnancy, he knows they must leave their valley and search out the gathering of other tribes. The boy, Karana, is not at all happy about this excursion. He remembers the violence of other people and when they reach the gathering, there are some there who like Torka and some that would do anything to see him dead.
Torka, for all that he is brave and bold, does not have a lick of good sense. Constantly he is warned not to do something, only to do it anyway thinking it is in his women's best interest. And since Lonit is normally such a strong character, it is surprising to see her so wimpy and simpering in this book. Karana is about the only one with sense, and even he is a little too brash at times. Then there's the bad guys, especially Navahk. He is pure evil. There really is no redeeming goodness in him. Which kind of makes it too easy to dislike him and wish the worst on him. The best bad guys have an ounce of humanity that can confuse the reader's feelings.
And then there's the fact that this plot is almost identical to that of the first book. Torka living peacefully and happily in the small band but then wanting to find other people. Torka finding other people and life goes all wrong before he finally strikes out on his own again. You'd think he'd have learned after several repeated mistakes. This book, like the first, is very violent too. And there is a lot of sexual violence in this one. So much that it even disturbed me a bit and I'm normally pretty unflappable when it comes to reading stuff like that. The amount of hate and anger and description can be hard to take at times. Consider yourself warned even if you do normally have a strong constitution for stuff like that. Aside from the violence, Sarabande is a descriptive writer for everything else. That is the redeeming quality of this book. He's able to bring the prehistoric world to life.
Not as good as the first book but I'll still continue reading the series. My hope is that it will bounce back and redeem the characters. Two and a half stars for this one though.
Corridor of Storms
Copyright 1988
420 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2013
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
Torka and his band (3 women, a boy, and some children) have been living in a sheltered valley for about three years. However, when one of the women is having a troubled pregnancy, he knows they must leave their valley and search out the gathering of other tribes. The boy, Karana, is not at all happy about this excursion. He remembers the violence of other people and when they reach the gathering, there are some there who like Torka and some that would do anything to see him dead.
Torka, for all that he is brave and bold, does not have a lick of good sense. Constantly he is warned not to do something, only to do it anyway thinking it is in his women's best interest. And since Lonit is normally such a strong character, it is surprising to see her so wimpy and simpering in this book. Karana is about the only one with sense, and even he is a little too brash at times. Then there's the bad guys, especially Navahk. He is pure evil. There really is no redeeming goodness in him. Which kind of makes it too easy to dislike him and wish the worst on him. The best bad guys have an ounce of humanity that can confuse the reader's feelings.
And then there's the fact that this plot is almost identical to that of the first book. Torka living peacefully and happily in the small band but then wanting to find other people. Torka finding other people and life goes all wrong before he finally strikes out on his own again. You'd think he'd have learned after several repeated mistakes. This book, like the first, is very violent too. And there is a lot of sexual violence in this one. So much that it even disturbed me a bit and I'm normally pretty unflappable when it comes to reading stuff like that. The amount of hate and anger and description can be hard to take at times. Consider yourself warned even if you do normally have a strong constitution for stuff like that. Aside from the violence, Sarabande is a descriptive writer for everything else. That is the redeeming quality of this book. He's able to bring the prehistoric world to life.
Not as good as the first book but I'll still continue reading the series. My hope is that it will bounce back and redeem the characters. Two and a half stars for this one though.
Corridor of Storms
Copyright 1988
420 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2013
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
April 20, 2025
The second book in the "First Americans" series by William Sarabande (Joan Lesley Hamilton Cline). This second installment has Torka, Lonit, and company journeying across the Ice Age landscape, discovering a isolated valley and then journeying to a mass gathering of peoples (massive for the time and place) in the country of Mammoth hunters. The evil shaman Navahk also returns, seeking to gain as much power as possible, to kill Torka, and to possess Lonit. There are numerous other peoples encountered, with their own cultures, whose reaction to Torka's band (and their Dogs) range from wonder to instant hostility. There are also several encounters with the mysterious creature, the Wanawut. Overall, this is another compelling journey through the landscape of prehistoric North America, with considerable care going into reconstructing the lives of people so long ago, living in the most unforgiving environment possible. It is not a gentle story, however. While Cline does a great job presenting the stark and dangerous beauty of the landscape, the narrative is full of violence perpetrated against Humans and animals, often fairly gratuitous violence. All this is portrayed in very graphic manner, so caveat emptor.
December 1, 2023
Corridor of Storms amplifies the thematic elements of the first book and centralizes them to the relationships between the characters.
This book amplifies the first in every way. The entire narrative hinges on two of the main characters, building them as bitter rivals throughout the sprawling story. A large number of compelling side characters move in to fill every page with intense levels of tension.
This book also amplifies the brutality of the first to absurd degrees, there are scenes that will absolutely not fly with many modern readers.
For all the heights of brutalism, there is somehow even more room for times of calm in this book than in the first, this time is used to connect the reader more deeply with the main characters.
A sequel's job is usually to tie the reader down to the main characters, bonding you for more books to come. Corridor of Storms does this masterfully.
This book amplifies the first in every way. The entire narrative hinges on two of the main characters, building them as bitter rivals throughout the sprawling story. A large number of compelling side characters move in to fill every page with intense levels of tension.
This book also amplifies the brutality of the first to absurd degrees, there are scenes that will absolutely not fly with many modern readers.
For all the heights of brutalism, there is somehow even more room for times of calm in this book than in the first, this time is used to connect the reader more deeply with the main characters.
A sequel's job is usually to tie the reader down to the main characters, bonding you for more books to come. Corridor of Storms does this masterfully.
December 19, 2012
I liked this book that continues the saga of Tork and his band. Once again they join up with a band that is traveling to the great gathering. When they get there, Karana, Torka's adopted son beomes infatuated with Shondar, the female shaman. The stay with the Mamouth hunters become strained as Torka and his people do not kill or eat mamouth as it is thier totem. When Navak, an evil magic man shows up, things go from bad to worse. Navak hates Torka and he fears and hates Karana who is really his son. Karana has the true gift of shamanism and Navak hates him for this. Torka and his band are forced to flee and a few others come with them. Without telling you the happenings, Torka and his band return with much difficulty to the Corridor of Storms to restart thier life. They once again prevail in spite of violence and the hardships of life at that time.
June 11, 2010
Torka, a heroic hunter, and his woman, Lonit, with his adopted son, Karana, emerge from a land forbidden to men where mountains walk and spirits speak. Torka leads his people to a winter camp where many groups gather to hunt the mammouth. It is here they meet an evil and dangerous magic man named Navahk who vows to destroy Torka. To survive they must depend on the courage of a brave boy. This is a most enjoyable read.
June 23, 2013
There were definitely good parts to this book, but it had two major problems. First the main characters were either too good, or totally evil. Very little nuance. Also, as happens to often, much of the tension in the book was provided by people misunderstanding each other for lack of talking. Drives me a bit nuts.
June 26, 2012
I'm sorry, but everyone in this book is stupid except Karana. How dumb is it to insist on eating nothing but Mammoth? Or for Lonit to keep being so insecure? And for Torka to be the leader but make such DUMB decisions?
January 26, 2012
I just finished reading Corridor of Storms (First Americans Saga) by William Sarabande. I've got the 1st 7 of these books, will plan to buy the rest of them when I get done reading or close to done reading them. :) It was a little violent.... but it was good.
December 23, 2008
Great cotinuation.
January 23, 2009
This the second book of the (first americans saga). It continues the story of Torka and Lonit. It also introduces the black road (evil medicine man). Love is strongly tested in this book.
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September 15, 2011hated it. gets even more violent that previos books in series.
August 5, 2011
excellent!! can't wait to start the next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews