Historical Novels Review of Texas Tales Illustrated ~ The Revolution

Here's what Eileen Charbonneau had to say about Texas Tales Illustrated ~ The Revolution in the August Edition of Historical Novels Review:

TEXAS TALES ILLUSTRATED: “The Revolution”
Mike Kearby, illustrated by Mack White, TCU Press, 2011, $6.95, pb, 32pp, 9780875654393

Two-thirds graphic novel and one-third background material, “The Revolution” tells the story of events between October 1835 and December 1836 in the struggle to form the Republic of Texas. The battle at the Alamo is told through the viewpoint of eight-year-old Enrique Esparza, taking refuge, and fifteen-year-old William King, who fights alongside its defenders. Warfare rages on as young Dilue Rose molds bullets for her uncle. Francisca Alavez, the wife of a Mexican officer, saves a young man from a massacre. Sam Houston overcomes setbacks to defeat the Mexican army, and the Treaties of Velasco conclude the account.

The storytelling in both word and image is vivid, stark, and compelling. It neither romanticizes nor glosses over this violent road of Texas history. But there’s so much incident in this single illustrated volume, it may lead to a crammed-in reading experience. The supplemental section includes a timeline, battlefield map, account of the Texas Independence Convention and content of the Treaties of Velasco. The narratives here seem to be written for an older audience. (Ages 8 to 12)

Dorchester Publishing Releases The Taken in Trade Paper

With the release of my novel, The Taken, read what RoundUp Magazine had to say about the novel:

The Taken. Dorchester. 277 pps., ISBN 978-1428511675.

Mike Kearby presents his readers with an Indian captivity story that immediately feels familiar, yet fresh. On an ill-fated trip to retrieve an errant mule, James Kensing takes his five-year-old brother,... William Barrett Kensing, with him, much to their mother’s concern. William Barrett is taken by a Kwahadi raiding party. A search for the boy turns up nothing, and time passes. On her deathbed, James’ mother makes him promise to find the boy, no matter what. There is no way he can tell her no, as he feels wholly responsible for the loss of the boy. With the stage set, Kearby uses a large pallet, spanning time and characters—historical (Quanah Parker) and fictional—as the two boys work their way back together; one a tracker bent on redemption, and the other learning how to be something other than he truly is. This is a quick-paced novel, and offers a depth of emotion not often found in pure genre novels. The author extended his reach, and was, for the most part successful, offering a satisfying and compelling read that is a welcome addition to the shelf of Indian captivity stories.—Larry D. Sweazy