by Paul Clayton

isbn: 0425145328
subject: Fiction and Literature
finished: 11/16/1997

Calling Crow, set in late 16th century America, is about a man who is captured and enslaved by the Spanish shortly after he becomes chief of the Muskogee tribe. It's a solid adventure story that generally avoids stereotyping either the Spanish or the Indians. The writing is good throughout, but I thought that it only became inspired towards the end. In a few places, colloquial language destroys the atmosphere; for example "his disgust and anger made him want to puke." This is the first example of frontier fiction that I've read; it seems to be a sub-genre of historical fiction that is thematically similar to science fiction -- it deals with alien cultures clashing and technology viewed as magic.