As Shadows Fall

By Grace Anne Schaefer

Mach and Thuro and their mates Horda and Wilda are unexpectedly thrust into leadership roles when they are named leaders of the new band of The People of the Frozen Earth. Mach, Thuro, and Horda rise... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Perfect Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0975479652
• ISBN13: 9780975479650
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: GASLight Publishing L.L.C.
• Length: 431 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Travel back in time!

Reviewed by Mary Simmons for Reader Views (8/06) Change can be a frightening aspect of life. When you have to pick up and move, start fresh in a new, unknown place, it can be a daunting time even in today's world. As author Grace Anne Schaefer proposes in her second book of the `People of the Frozen Earth' series, these same fears and emotions were in the hearts of the semi-nomadic tribes which inhabited North America 2,000 years ago. `As Shadows Fall' commences two years after we left the characters at the end of `The New Day Dawns.' Horda and Mach have just learned that a new band is to be formed and Mach has been named co-leader with his friend Thuro. They prepare to set out and start a new life with a handful of others. Their journey does not come without struggles, which do not end when they reach their destination. Surviving is not always easy and everyday challenges are magnified under the primitive conditions in which they live. Through her portrayal of these ancient people, Schaefer reminds us how important it is to respect the Earth we inhabit and to accept its hardships as well as its many blessings. As dwellers and stewards of the land, we can live in balance, nourishing ourselves by hunting and gathering the bounty it offers and treating our wounds and illnesses with its sustaining, life-giving and healing properties. Even under primitive, harsh circumstances, curative power and knowledge is given. But the Earth, which gives us so many wonderful things, can also be inhospitable and unforgiving. With new life comes death, love is countered by hate and happiness can be replaced by sadness. As Schaefer depicts, living in close quarters is bound to result in personality clashes and conflicts. `As Shadows Fall' portrays how difficult it must have been for the indigenous people of North America to form new bands and strike off on their own. They had to find shelter, food and other means to survive. Having none of our modern means of living, they had to be creative and intelligent, living in balance with their austere surroundings. They also had to be cautious and aware of imminent danger. Throughout all of these circumstances, they also had to live, dealing with their emotions, relationships and the universal issues that humans have been faced with since the dawn of time. Schaefer wraps all of these aspects of life into a cohesive and thoroughly enjoyable package of historical fiction. She transports us back in time and introduces us to a cast of characters we can love and hate, who live and die, gain and lose and do their best to survive in the world.