Calling Crow
by Paul Clayton
Berkley Books, 2000

Calling Crow is tormented with persistent images of an obliterating entity who will come to annihilate his people. This inaugural in a historical trilogy opens with Calling Crow living in his village and wondering what the esoteric cloud ships he sees far out on the ocean may mean. The Spanish who travel in the conveyances have only rascality on their minds. Calling Crow learns the full intent of the voyagers when he is captured by men from one of the cloud ships.

For four years Calling Crow is held prisoner, sufferers much and at last makes good his escape from their clutches. His return to his home village brings little contentment for him; the woman to whom he was affianced has married another, and as problems swell within the population the villagers begin to view him with broadening misgiving. The skepticism increases as villagers begin to die from a inexplicable affliction. At last Calling Crow is pursued out to sea where he sets his course once again for the land where he had been held captive.

Excellent well written account of the earliest citizens along our eastern coastline. Calling Crow is the first in a historical trilogy; it is set in the year 1555 along the South Carolina coast. Writer Clayton has constructed a penetrating adventure thriller sure to dominate the attention of all who are interested in descriptive historical novels.

I am a long time student of history and am pleased to find writer Clayton's research into the era to be evident in his narrative. Clayton's his writing skills are superb as he winds a fascinating tale peopled with characters who are very real and very believable. Combining the wealth of research found in Eric Balkan's City of Tears with the intriguing thrill set down in Gold in The Shadow by Michael Marcotte, Calling Crow is a gripping 'can't put it down until the end' read.

The publication is accessible for download, and is on paper.