Yellow Horse: A Sage Country novel

by Dan Arnold

YELLOW HORSE In response to a sacred vision, the half Comanche, half Cherokee warrior, Yellow Horse, returns to the Indian Territory from Texas to discuss his vision with the great Comanche war chief, Quanah Parker. Yellow Horse is a man on the edge. He’s struggling to understand his place as a Comanche warrior in the rapidly changing times, and the white man’s world. He’s found some comfort scouting for his peoples’ long-time enemies, the Texas Rangers To improve his beef holdings, Quanah needs a man to buy breeding stock and herd them to the reservation. Yellow Horse has come in answer to his prayers. He is surprised to learn that Quanah is no longer fighting the American government. He too is learning to think and speak like a white man. In a time when native people are hated and feared, Yellow Horse sets out to find someone who will sell cattle to the Comanche, hire drovers, outfit a cattle drive, and deliver the herd to the Indian Territory. Before he can bring in the herd, he’ll have to confront rustlers and track down the outlaws who destroyed a small settlement. They’ve kidnapped the woman he loves, an army Colonel’s daughter. They will show him no mercy. None will be shown them. The story is set in the Panhandle of Texas and the Indian Territory of Oklahoma in the late spring of 1877. It includes many historic figures who lived in the area at the time. It's another a contribution to the many books of historical fiction that address the frontier period .

166 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 16, 2018

Reviews

[Brenda Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the 1870's Oklahoma the story centres on the main characters Yellow Horse and Lucy Meadows. Yellow Horse returns from Texas and is sent on a mission by Quanah Parker, a great Comanche war chief. Yellow Horse is a complex character, taken from his native land and brought up by nuns, he runs away and returns to his people. Refusing to give up his Indian heritage yet living in the white man's world he struggles to combine the two. I loved Yellow Horse and routed for him all the way. The characters in the book were all well done, especially Yellow Horse and Quanah but I found Lucy annoying, childish and silly. I'm sure that was the author's intention and not liking all the characters is just as important as liking them.
I couldn't fault the plot which kept moving at a steady pace and particularly enjoyed the details about the drovers, cattle drive and rustlers.
I love reading about the wild west, however this book is less wild and more mild. I would have preferred more gritty realism about the brutal, cruel and violent life lived by both the Indians and the white men. Although this book does include acts of violence it is done without graphic descriptions, you won't find foul language or steamy sex scenes. It is all a bit too nice for me, too tame, especially the romance between Yellow Horse and Lucy. He's an Indian, the native people were hated and feared and whilst he's depicted as being able to pass for a white man, he isn't one and doesn't want to be, yet he readily lets Lucy call him James (his Christian name). Too nice and therefore unbelievable. The book is not listed as a Christian book but it sure is and should be. There are many references to Christianity that can come across as a bible lesson. Fine if you want that, and I'm sure there are many readers who do, but it's not for me.
So, taking this book for what it is, a Christian read, then it was well done and if you want a Western without bad language, graphic violence or sex then you will enjoy it. Personally, I prefer more realism and I didn't find that here at all.

[Gretchen Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The strong character of Yellow Horse kept me absorbed. 3.5 Stars.

This well-written story enthralled me at times, mainly for its engaging and complex hero, Yellow Horse, a Comanche warrior living on the fringe of the “white man’s” world. Taken from his people at a young age, he spent years at a foundling home run by strict nuns who tried to convert him to Christianity. Yellow Horse would have none of it. After several escape attempts, he managed to return to his people. As a Comanche warrior, he battled the U.S. Army with his brothers-in-arms, in the vain hope of driving the soldiers from Indian lands. After the majority of warring Comanches surrendered and began living peacefully on their shrunken, designated territory, Yellow Horse became a scout for the Texas Rangers. Here the story opens.

The history told of the land, its native people, and the clash between cultures and spiritual beliefs gives Yellow Horse: A Sage Country novel a ring of authenticity. However, the mild undertone that permeates the whole left me wanting more in the way of action, grit and adventure. In several scenes, this clean western only alludes to just how violent and dangerous life could be in the Oklahoma territory after the Civil War.

While the character of Yellow Horse drives the plot, the heroine, Lucy Meadows, doesn’t measure up as his romantic interest. To me, she comes across as a stereotypical “pretty little woman” too headstrong for her own good. Having journeyed west to reunite with her father, the colonel in charge of the garrison at Fort Sill, Lucy meanders through the plot with little purpose other than being the female lead.

The romance between Yellow Horse and Lucy plays out like two adolescents experiencing their first crush. During their initial encounter at the fort, a mutual attraction instantly occurs, yet their romance never matures. Their feelings for each other come to light only through their inner thoughts or during conversations with secondary characters. A few scenes with them alone together, expressing their passions face to face, would make for a more compelling, believable relationship.

Although I did enjoy the author’s writing style, I wish he had given his supporting cast more depth. The only character fully fleshed out is Yellow Horse. The minor characters all seem one-dimensional, including Lucy’s Quaker friend, Alice, who serves only as a sounding board for Lucy’s childish musings about life, religion and love. The “bad guys” who crop up seem like caricatures, having little significance in the plot except to emphasize the heroine’s foolishness and showcase the hero’s bravery.

Much of the history of the Oklahoma territory, the decline of the Comanche nation, and Yellow Horse’s backstory are delivered through pages of dialogue between Yellow Horse and the famed Comanche Chief Quanah Parker. Although parts of their conversations proved thought-provoking, at times I felt I was reading a history lesson, albeit an interesting one.

When Quanah Parker sends Yellow Horse to Texas to bring back a herd of cattle, including breeding stock, the pace begins to pick up. To accomplish his mission, Yellow Horse must drive the herd through inhospitable country, prey to outlaws and unpredictable weather. I had hoped to experience the drive through the eyes of Yellow Horse. Instead, the reader learns about the complexities and hazards of such an undertaking through a lengthy speech Yellow Horse delivers to the greenhorns under his command. This telling rather than showing undermined what could have been an exciting action sequence.

The highlight of the story unfolds when Yellow Horse galvanizes into action as a Comanche warrior, compelled to do battle with evil men. I can’t reveal the reason for his behavior without giving away an essential part of the plot, but I found these chapters the most entertaining of all.

The strong character of Yellow Horse kept me absorbed until the end. Soft-spoken, thoughtful, at times witty and humorous, he stands up for what he believes and never backs down. As for the ending itself, I’m afraid the ambiguity left me feeling unsatisfied.

[Jean Wilde · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting Western full of history, action and a bit of romance. I liked the character Yellow Horse, the Injun who was raised as a white man but rejects Christianity and follows the old ways of his tribe. The author did a great job transporting me to the past and I enjoyed the history about the Buffalo wars.

I would've liked to see more of a relationship development between him and Lucy. Their interactions were minimal, they spent far more time and had a lot more dialogue with other characters. Yet they sort of fell in love with each other right away.

The author left the ending pretty open, whether because there's a sequel or it's open to readers' interpretation I wasn't quite sure. I like stories to have neat, closed endings... but that's just me.

Overall the writing was very good. I enjoyed the world building and found the characters likeable and interesting.

[Pegboard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yellow Horse is during a time when trust was just a thin line between white man and native Indians. This is the first novel in Dan Arnold's Sage Country sequel and sets the foundation for this wild Texas country. Yellow Horse focuses on a Comanche/Cherokee Indian who resembles a half white and a scout for the Texas Rangers. His skills as a warrior makes him valuable to understand and communicate with the other tribes, but it is his tracking ability and ruthlessness that gets the results the Christian men fail to achieve. Though James Yellow Horse lives among the white men the majority of time, he is slow to give up the Comanche ways and embrace the Christian beliefs. After rescuing Colonel Meadows daughter, Yellow Horse witnesses the true meaning of Christianity. This novel was just an introduction to Texas Ranger Sergeant John Everett Sage, who is featured in the other books in this series.

I enjoyed reading Yellow Horse and hated whenever I had to put it down. Dan Arnold is an excellent story teller and brings his characters to life as they struggle in this untamed territory. Dan Arnold's love for horses coincides with a time when horses were the main transportation, and though his novel isn't about equine he includes the rare and beautiful Medicine Hat horses within his story. Dan Arnold writes his western theme novels similar to Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour, drawing the reader in quickly and introducing them to a world of danger. I relished the author's choice of topics and the discretion he used when writing about sensitive subjects.

Review written by Peggy Jo Wipf for Readers' Favorite

[A.P. Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe I’ve finished this book so quickly! Yellow Horse is a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable story which introduces the reader to a fine array of characters, some noble, some bad and some somewhere in between.

The plot has everything such an adventure requires, thrilling action, intelligent outsmarting of villains and even a damsel in distress. In addition, it deals with the native Americans’ need to adapt to modernity with sensitivity and insight.

I hope I’m not giving too much away when I say that the book ends with a real cliff hanger. I, for one, will enjoy reading the sequel, no doubt as quickly as one of Yellow Horse’s daring gallops across the desert!

[Perry Schwer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the great ones

A great story teller plus being a great writer makes for a great book. A person with those qualities are one in a million. I find in my reading a few of you over the years and you are one of the best of those few I have enjoyed. You don't compare to any other writer your uneek in your own way THANK YOU

[elaine m. suda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Decision to Make

Thank you for this exciting story about Yellow Horse and the decisions he had to make in his bringing justice to those breaking the law in the 1800s. The storyline was great and the characters were interesting.

[kattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horse

I loved this story, I recommend everyone to read this book, I look forward to reading more of his books.Kattie

[Lynn Slezak · Rating 5 out of 5]

great Christian writer!

I enjoyed reading this book and three of the others in this series.They had wonderful characters, interesting plots and lots of action.

[Diana Biggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, fast read. Would like to have seen a little more character development, mostly straight old fashioned story telling - which is ok.

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fiction Novel Based Around Current Events of the Time/ Quannah Parker

DA has penned a western novel about a Texas Ranger who was of Indian descent. The man, as a young boy, had been shipped to a Catholic orphanage until he ran away. He was half white/half Indian and found it difficult to be in either side of his culture. As a young man he rode with Hannah Parker and later he rode with the Texas Rangers. He found it difficult to switch from one culture to another, but he made the transition very well in later life. Then he meets a white woman and everything he had learned in two societies immediately changed. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS.

[Marion A. Woodill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smothered good book to read xd

Another very good read lost of exciting thingings going on all the time just absolutely my! Kind of a western.