W.
Michael Farmer tells me
KILLER OF WITCHES is probably his
best work to date. It’s a Native American epic told first person by Yellow Boy,
who we first meet as a 5 year old, one of the Mescalero Apaches fleeing their
New Mexico reservation
in 1865, and follow into manhood.
KILLER OF WITCHES mixes
historical-based adventure with the supernatural. The Apache God Ussen, Creator
of Life, gives to the boy gifts of power that include an ability to slay witches.
Yellow Boy uses his gifts in his search for a witch called Blood of the Devil,
whose head looks like a skull, and whose body is covered with black spiral and
flame tattoos.
An
Apache witch-woman
The
Mescalero Apaches, ranging from central New Mexico to the Texas Big Bend and
deep into northern Mexico, had elements of both the western (wickiup-dwelling,
desert-living) Apaches and Plains (tipi-dwelling, buffalo-hunting) Indians in
their culture.
They ate
the roasted fruit of the mescal plant, and made liquor from it, which is why Spanish colonists
named them the Mescaleros.
During
the American Civil War the union army under GENERAL JAMES CARLETON fought
against the Mescaleros.
His
most effective field commander was KIT CARSON, the legendary mountain man and
trail-blazer, who helped defeat them and corral them on the bleak Bosque
Redondo Reservation – from which they fled, (as depicted at the beginning of KILLER OF WITCHES.)
Some Mescaleros remained at large until the early 1880s.
KIT CARSON (1809 - 1868)
REVIEWS
of KILLER OF WITCHES:
‘Michael
Farmer gives voice to a new American hero - Yellow Boy, an Apache warrior whose
riveting story from boyhood to manhood is fresh, passionate, and totally
believable. With deep sensitivity and understanding of Apache culture, Farmer
presents Yellow Boy, his family, and friends in all their rich, multidimensional
complexity. What a pleasure to read a book from a Native American hero's
perspective… Vivid details transport the reader to the novel's southwest
setting.’
‘The
characters are well-drawn and believable.’
‘A true
joy.’
‘Wonderful
read! Fascinating presentation of this story from the Apache point of view…
Enjoyed this book immensely.’
‘Great
read! I don't read historical fiction very often, but I loved every minute of
this book.’
‘The
history never overwhelms the story, and there was never a dull moment as the
story built toward a satisfying conclusion.’
‘Terrific read. Very interesting and suspenseful.’
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