Really Random Tuesday #35: Winner of Zan-Gah Books, and BBAW

Prehistoric fiction was new to me until fairly recently, and now it has me completely captivated. I believe that Patti, the lucky winner of a set of three Zan-Gah books by Allan Richard Shickman, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, and Dael and the Painted People, will feel the same way. This set of books is unique and very enjoyable to read. Congratulations, Patti!

If you didn't win these books, you may be tempted to enter the other book giveaways listed on the side of my blog.

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Book Blogger Appreciation Week is here, September 12 - September 16. I haven't done much in this regard yet, except to read a few of the related posts of others. To be honest, I took a bit of a hiatus from blogging, and am having a hard time catching up. But, BBAW is a great way to meet new book bloggers, and to show appreciation for "old" book blogger friends as well (make new friends, but keep the old. . . ). I know a great deal of effort went into the planning of BBAW, and I'll hopefully participate in an activity (meme?) or two this week. What are your favorite activities during BBAW?

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Appearing on random Tuesdays, Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of. If you're inspired by this idea, feel free to copy the button and use it on your own blog. For other recent Really Random Tuesday posts, visit Avis' blog, she reads and reads, Veens' blog, Giving Reading a Chance, and Vivienne's blog, Serendipity Reviews. Please leave a link in the comments if you’re participating and I'll add it to this post.

As always, your comments are welcomed.

Dael and the Painted People: Review and Giveaway

Their song could not continue; it was too dangerous to do anything that might draw the attention of enemies.
~Dael and the Painted People, Allan Richard Shickman


Think you have problems? Imagine a primitive world of warriors and hunters, teeming with wild animals such as bears and boars, a time of fierce competition for the basic necessities of food and shelter. Imagine the need to huddle outdoors with others in makeshift beds at night for warmth, and to always be vigilant. This is the world that author Allan Richard Shickman presents in rich and vivid detail. The new book in the Zan-Gah series, Dael and the Painted People, focuses on Dael, Zan-Gah's tormented twin brother, who is haunted by Hurnoa and his past actions, which have all too often stemmed from his uncontrolled fury. Accompanied by Sparrow, his new, quiet companion, they embark on a journey and discover a land of red rocks and crimson people, and things slowly start to change.

Wow! It will be difficult to convey even one tenth of my enthusiasm for this book--or this series. I read Dael and the Painted People with rapt attention over the course of a day. Initially, I didn't expect to be enthralled by books set in prehistoric days, but once again, I was absolutely (and willingly) transported back in time to a way of life stripped down to the bare essentials--food, shelter, and a touch of friendship and love. These books have enormous appeal to me (maybe I would be happy camping out in the wilderness). Imaginative and brimming with action and emotion, life here is presented as a daily struggle for survival, although in this book, cooperation and trust begin to supplant mere brawn and aggression. Although these books are for young adults, older readers should also enjoy them--I certainly did!

Does the prehistoric world of Zan-Gah also sound appealing to you? Earthshaker Books is generously offering a set of these three books, which includes Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, and the newest book, available to readers August 30, 2011, Dael and the Painted People, as a giveaway to one lucky reader in the U.S.. (Aren't book bloggers lucky? Frequently we're invited to read new books, sometimes before they're even published.)

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment.
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower, or that you subscribe in Google Reader.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

Enter by 5PM PDT on Monday, September 12. One winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Tuesday, September 13. Good luck!

Special thanks to Bonnie from Earthshaker Books for sending me this book.

Zan-Gah: Review and Giveaway

The Flintstones and the Rubbles were among my favorite cartoon characters as a child. I grew up watching The Flintstones, but other than watching that lovable cartoon set in the Stone Age, my interest in prehistoric times was quite limited. I'd never read any prehistoric fiction, and truthfully, the idea of prehistoric young adult literature didn't hold any great appeal for me. Initially, I was reluctant to read the Zan-Gah books, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, published in 2007, and Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, published in 2009. I decided to give this genre and these books a chance, though, because the first book in this series won The Eric Hoffer Award, and the series won a Mom's Choice Gold Award.

"Luxury was unknown, and strangers could be envious of a scrap of fur or a bit of food. Tools and weapons, crude as they were, were valued and guarded. A stone blade, which took a week's labor to make, might induce an uncouth ruffian to take a life in order to possess it. It is hard to imagine how much simple things were prized and coveted in that frightful time. Darkness was indeed darker to them then, coldness colder, and the cruelest passions somehow crueler and more deeply passionate."
~Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, Allan Richard Shickman

Instantly, magically, I was drawn into this darker, colder, crueler world. Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, is the coming-of-age story of Zan, a young man who becomes a leader by using his intellect and intuition as well as his physical strength. Zan, distraught over the long absence of his twin, Dael, blames himself at least in part for his brother's disappearance, and ventures out into hostile territory to find him, risking his own life.

Author Allan Richard Shickman creates a primeval world that's savage, vivid, believable, and deeply moving. I'd never encountered prehistoric characters in fiction before, and quickly, I genuinely cared about them, especially Zan, the protagonist, as well as Dael, Lissa-Na, Pax, Rydl, Sparrow, Chul, and many others, who truly come to life. I could visualize the various clans, the Ba-Coro, the Noi, and the wasp people (who emulated the ways of this stinging insect and used poison-tipped spears). The author is a master storyteller, and the adventures are exciting and unlike any I've ever read before. Early in Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, there's a hunt for a lion who has killed a child, and the tribesmen form a huge circle, nearly 15 miles around, in order to surround and capture their prey. Descriptions of how people would huddle together in caves for warmth during sleep (still holding their weapons), or chew animal skins in order to soften them for use, illustrate how difficult and comfortless life was back then, and how life was often a mere struggle for survival. In spite of all the hazards and hardship, though, which were a part of daily life, there's still love and friendship between people, which helps to mitigate the brutality of this world.

After I read the first book, I couldn't wait to read the sequel, Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country (in which Zan takes a different journey), which is as gripping as the first. These books cover many topics and themes--survival, coming of age, war, violence, friendship, love, roles of men and women, the need for order, and more. Although these books are for young adults, older readers will also enjoy them. I highly recommend Zan-Gah.

Exciting news! The publisher is generously offering a set of these two books to one winner as a giveaway. This Zan-Gah giveaway is open worldwide!

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment.
  
• For an extra chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

Enter by 5 PM PDT on Monday, March 22. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Tuesday, March 23. Good luck!

Special thanks to Bonnie from Earthshaker Books for sending me these books.

Mailbox Monday

Want to play?

Mailbox Monday is a fun, addictive meme where readers share the books they've recently acquired, hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page.  But be forewarned: "Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists".  Two books arrived in my mailbox last Monday from Earthshaker Books, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, and Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Countryby Allan Richard Shickman. Very soon I will post my the review of these books, which will also include a worldwide giveaway, so please stay tuned!

What books arrived in your home recently, by mail or from elsewhere?