THE PEACEKEEPER by Zoe Saadia

4.5 out of 5 stars

Native American history

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

Finally I got around to reading the last one of the four part Peacemaker series ~ and a very satisfactory ending it is too!  Unlike the other three, which have a basis in fact, I believe The Peacekeeper comes purely from the author's imagination.

This is a terrific series.  I found myself picturing them all ~ wise old men sitting around the campfires smoking, the restlessness of the younger warriors, the women in the longhouses, not least of all the rebellious Kahontsi.  In the last episode, 'Great Peacemaker' Two Rivers has done what he set out to do, bringing the Five Nations together, but the question remains: is he truly the messenger of the spirits?  Kahontsi thinks he's just a man, who happens to have a great deal of charisma, and she and others have much to say about the 'test of the falls', which Two Rivers was put through, in the last book ~ did he survive it with help from humans, or by spiritual means, as others think?  Is he just 'a mortal man with an immortal mission'?  Rumblings of dissent are felt, as Tekeni (Two River's companion throughout his adventure) fears that Tadodaho, another clan leader, is unconvinced.

I loved some of the philosophical wisdom in this book; Hainteroh's explanation that a raid on an enemy camp is not always for the purpose of winning a battle or taking captors.  Such proof of victory is not always necessary; the invasion itself can be simply a display of authority ~ a philosophy that could be applied elsewhere and in other areas of life.

I sometimes wonder how Zoe Saadia manages to exist in today's world, as her head is clearly so rooted in these times!  Her writing is so clear, so evocative.  She writes simply, and it really works.  I loved Tekeni's view that, since the clans have been brought together, 'even the elements were happy with all Two Rivers had achieved.  The woods and the lakes and the bright summer sky ... they were all happy now'.  I've always liked Tekeni and I thought this was really sweet.

I'll just give a reminder that it's agreed by many that the latter day USA constitution was influenced by the Great Law of Peace of the Iroquois; this series is a must-read for anyone who is interested in this time.  Lovely ending, too.  Bravo, Zoe Saadia!  

You can see reviews of the other books in this series HERE; there are links to books 2 and 3 after this review of Book 1, Two Rivers