Honor!

Wagons West Empire #1

by Dana Fuller Ross

As the first book of the trilogy opens, it is early spring in 1811 and the Holt family is getting together for a reunion at the family homestead near Marietta, Ohio. Among the family members gathered for the joyous occasion are frontiersman Clay Holt, who has come all the way from the Rocky Mountains with his Teton Sioux wife and their young ward; and Jefferson Holt, Clay's brother, who has come from Wilmington, North Carolina with his wife and son. The festivities are interrupted, however, when Clay receives a letter signed by Merriwether Lewis informing him that he has been awarded a land grant in return for his services on the Lewis and Clark expedition several years earlier. Aware that Lewis, his former captain on the expedition to the Pacific, has recently died under mysterious circumstances, Clay finally decides to travel to Washington to investigate the matter. Upon arrival, both Clay and Jeff are approached by none other than President Thomas Jefferson, who enlists their aid in uncovering a conspiracy to illegally acquire land in the western territories. Jefferson believes that Merriwether Lewis had discovered such a scheme and was murdered for it. Soon, Clay and Jeff find themselves at the heart of a deadly quest that separates them from their families and leads them from the manors of Virginia to a fateful steamboat voyage down the Mississippi.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Westerns

388 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1998

About the author

Dana Fuller Ross is a pseudonym used by Noel B. Gerson and James M. Reasoner.

Noel Gearson specializes in historical military novels, westerns, and mysteries. He also writes under the pseudonyms, "Dana Fuller Ross.", Anne Marie Burgess; Michael Burgess; Nicholas Gorham; Paul Lewis; Leon Phillips; Donald Clayton Porter; Philip Vail; and Carter A. Vaughan. He has written more than 325 novels.

James Reasoner (pictured) is an American writer. He is the author of more than 150 books and many short stories in a career spanning more than thirty years. Reasoner has used at least nineteen pseudonyms, in addition to his own name: Jim Austin; Peter Danielson; Terrance Duncan; Tom Early; Wesley Ellis; Tabor Evans; Jake Foster; William Grant; Matthew Hart; Livia James; Mike Jameson; Justin Ladd; Jake Logan; Hank Mitchum; Lee Morgan; J.L. Reasoner (with his wife); Dana Fuller Ross; Adam Rutledge; and Jon Sharpe. Since most of Reasoner's books were written as part of various existing Western fiction series, many of his pseudonyms were publishing "house" names that may have been used by other authors who contributed to those series

Reviews

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following up on the “Frontier Trilogy” is this first novel in the “Empire Trilogy”, featuring the same two major characters, Clay and Jeff Holt. The novels take place immediately after the previous trilogy concludes, in the early 1800’s, just after James Madison has become President of the United States. Even though Thomas Jefferson is no longer the president, he still has connections and national interests and it is he that summons the Holt brothers to come to the service of their country once again.

The author listed on the cover, Dana Fuller Ross, is a house name under which many authors contributed to Bantam’s line of historical frontier fiction, most notably in the lengthy Wagons’ West series. However, both of these prequel series featuring Clay and Jeff Holt were penned by the great James Reasoner and I must say that they are generally superior to the other Dana Fuller Ross titles.

These books follow the lives of a handful of major characters, all at least loosely related to the Holt clan. Due mostly to Jefferson’s mission, the larger group is separated and consequently each primary character has their own story going on and we bounce around among them. These sub plots crisscross the young country, some taking place in and around the large Eastern cities like Pittsburgh and Washington DC, while others are situated in Ohio or in the untamed wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. It’s a fun journey into history although, frankly, only the uninitiated to that time frame will learn very much from reading these novels. They aren’t meant as a source of serious historical research but they are fun-filled adventure.

This first novel does complete a main plot line but it is clear that more is to come and it sets up book two very nicely. A nice relaxing historical-based reading experience.

[BakedNBacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An epic Western experience that begins with the hills out east and ends with the mountains out west! Light read but still great plot

[Jim Blessing · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this while on a plane ride. It was OK.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy reading pulp fiction, in the Dana Ross Fuller tradition. I thought this one was more interesting than the normal Wagons West fair.

As a little bit of background...
.....there's the Wagon's West multitude of books.

.....then, he went back and made the Wagon's West Frontier trilogy, a prequel series to wagons west.

....then, he made a middle-ilogy. Three more books between the prequel and the hoard that followed.

Honor, is the first book in the middle-ilogy. It's pretty good....

[Debbie West · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book! Clay & Jefferson reunite to go to Washington to obtain Clay's land, awarded to him by the US government as one member of the Corps of Discovery. Then they're asked to perform a mission for former President Thomas Jefferson. plenty of action for them, as well as for Melissa Holt, Ned Holt & India as Melissa manages the Holt-Merrivale Emporium, which is being sabotaged by an unknown enemy. Shining Moon has her hands full, trying to stay alive as out-of-control Matthew Garwood tries to kill her just because she',s married to a Holt! never a dull moment!!!!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gripping adventure continuing the Holt family's epic journey.