The Fire Arrow

Skye's West #14

by Richard S. Wheeler

Barnaby Skye, the most durable and unforgettable character in modern Western fiction, returns in this harrowing tale of survival from his early years in the Rockies.
In the midst of a brutal winter, Skye's beloved Crow Indian wife, Victoria, is critically wounded when a Blackfeet raiding party attacks a Crow hunting camp. Despite Skye's attempts at doctoring, Victoria's life hangs in the balance as the two, left alone in the frozen wilderness, struggle to survive cold and starvation.
Miraculously, an old mare and her foal wander into their camp. Victoria believes they have been sent by her spirit guide, and finds the strength to ride. Skye and his wife make their way toward Victoria's home village on the Musselshell River. Breaking winter trail is a slow and laborious process, but at the end of the journey they will find peace. Or will they?
Skye's love of whiskey puts his life, and Victoria's, in peril when they encounter a renegade band of Yankee traders taking a wagon-load of a cheap and poisonous raw alcohol to trade among the Indians. Their leader, a former West Point officer, forces Skye to guide them, but all the while the legendary mountain man plots to ruin their deadly enterprise.
In The Fire Arrow , Richard S. Wheeler has fashioned an unforgettable tale of love and survival in the unforgiving wilderness of the American West.

Genres: Westerns

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

There are other authors with this name. One writes Marine Corps history. Another, Civil War history. Another writes in the political sciences.

Richard S. (Shaw) Wheeler was born in Milwaukee in 1935 and grew up in nearby Wauwatosa.

Reviews

[Alton Motobu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been 4 stars but ending was a big disappointment. Englishman Barnaby Skye and Crow bride Victoria endure much suffering, pain, and misery at the hands of unscrupulous American fur traders. The traders give the Crows poisoned liquor in exchange for prime furs, and most of the village is decimated. Barnaby and Victoria survive and seek revenge; they manage to destroy the remaining liquor so other villages are spared, but the leader of the traders has a change of heart and asks Barnaby for forgiveness for his sins, which Barnaby does. This trader is a mass murderer who has killed without remorse and does not deserve atonement or absolution, so it is difficult to accept Barnaby's decision. Other authors such as Will Henry or Gordon Shirreffs would have handled this much differently.

One oddity: the events are told chronologically, but the dates are given haphazardly; for example, on p. 26 it is November, p. 37 it is October, p. 49 it is November, p.115 it is late November, p. 120 mid-November, p.143 it is March, p.193 it is February, p. 198 it is January. This shows either carelessness on the part of the author and/or the editor. I do not plan to read any more of this series if the author does not seem to care about details.

[Topher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skye continues to do things that don't make sense, mostly because they're the right thing to do - though sometimes because there is alcohol involved. Skye, like many people, does incredibly dumb things when alcohol is involved. This book sees him move from being a valued guest of the tribe, to outcast, to leader.

It continues to be confusing to figure out what to read next. I've decided to stick with the later series for now - so Canyon of Bones is next up for me. I debated between it and Yellowstone, which would likely be the next chronologically - except the chronology concerning Mary and Dirk get really confusing, particularly with those two works.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good frontier/western book as Barnaby Skye and his Indian wife, Many Quill Woman undergo many adventures after she is wounded in a raid by the Crows enemy, the Blackfeet. Eventually they must stop a group of white traders who are selling whiskey to the Indians and cheating them out of their buffalo hides and other goods. Recommended!

[Sherrill · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times I would say "you idiot" you already did that dumb thing, when will you learn.

[Ariel Paiement · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good! It was enjoyable and enthralling. It kept me on my toes and it was definitely a page turner! I highly recommend it!

[Linda Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. could not stop reading