My rating :4 stars
Blurb
FIFTH YEARS AFTER
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION,
MAGIC IS LOOSE IN THE BACKWOODS
The forces of evil are poised to prey on the folk of the hamlets and hollows: witches, demons, and red-handed men—but first they'll have to overcome Old Nathan the Wizard.
He doesn't claim much for his magical powers, but they're real enough for what they are—and besides, he hasn't forgotten how to use his long flintlock rifle ....
Enter the gritty, realistic world of Old Nathan, a backwoodsman who talks to animals and says he'll face The Devil himself-and who in the end will have to face The Devil in very fact.
My thought
At first the vocabulary was difficult to understand but I quickly became used to it. My biggest problems with the book were consistently caused by the linguistic differences between the, presumably Kentuckians of 100+ years ago, and the readers of today. The setting is Appalachia and the protagonist is an old man, not a strong-thewed young hero.The characters (Nathan, the animals like Spanish King and Cat, and even Ellen) were all wonderfully written and almost felt like real individualsI liked how the different chapters and lessons learned in each flow back together in the end. A truly great read each chapter/story sequed into the next one and when the ending came, it left the door open for future stories . As a collection of short stories this book as a fast and fun read. I only wish there were more. This was my first exposure to David Drake, and I will be looking for more of his work now :-)
Well done with a surprise ending. Old Nathan was a character I would like to read more of. I love a story that gives me something to think about after I'm done reading it. I plan to read this one again later.
