REVIEWS
DRAGON AND HAWK
Editorial Reviews
BookWire Review
July 29, 2005
"Dragon and Hawk" is a story that blends different cultures. The author, Jude Johnson, spins an intriguing tale of romance and adventure set in the late
nineteenth century. The Red Dragon comes from Welsh folklore and symbolizes their fiercely patriotic spirit. An entire continent away, the Hawk is the totem
of Native American people. According to legend, the hawk's fiercest enemy is the dragon. 'Dragon and Hawk' is the tale of two people, Evan Jones and Reyna Svenson. They are from two different parts of the world and are passionately bound to their own cultures. Jones and his brothers, Welsh immigrants, work hard in dreary copper mines in Arizona. He longs to become a rich export merchant and move himself and his family back to his beloved country. The protagonist fails to draw the line between crime and need. The brothers are forced back to the mines after a comic attempt at a train robbery that fails. Reyna Svenson, a nurse by profession, steps in when Jones is seriously hurt in a disastrous mine explosion. She is a beautiful, estranged widow of Spanish and Mayan descent. She has a deep connection with her Indian roots. Reyna disappears mysteriously after she helps him recover from his injury and a possible morphine addiction. Jones' search for her sets off a chain of events and is the crux of the story. Jones' many adventures, including being stalked by a dangerous outlaw, make the book a thrilling read. The fast pace keeps the reader turning pages to find out if Jones is able to protect his family, find his true love and go back to his country. The conflicting symbols of the characters' folklores, which are subtly woven into the story's tapestry, make this exciting tale unique and interesting.
The Historical Novel Society Review
February 2007
Welsh brothers Evan, Dylan, and Huw Jones grew up in a mining family in Wales, but a journey to Arizona Territory—and, namely, the legendary Tombstone—shows them that they can escape their family’s fate. In 1882, when a mining accident injures the brothers, a local curandera, known only as La Señora, nurses them back to health, then disappears. Evan’s quest to find La Senora and discover her true identity drives the plot of the book, which focuses almost equally on all three brothers’ experiences.
With randy prostitutes, slick gamblers, stagecoach robbers, outlaws, corrupt mine owners, and the occasional riot, Johnson’s West really is wild... the fast pacing and clever characterization keep the book from becoming a mishmash of Western fiction clichés. Johnson’s knowledge of the history of Arizona helps her bring the stories alive, and several of the background characters are based upon actual historical figures. Readers will either appreciate the smattering of Welsh and Spanish phrases in the novel or be completely distracted by them, but Johnson’s research into the two languages is impressive.
Overall, this fast-paced read is recommended and particularly suitable for readers who enjoy a blend of Western history, action, and romance.
-- Nanette Donohue
Kathy Wood, The Desert Shamrock, April 2005
"Welsh immigrants, fleshed-out historical figures, well-crafted characters... the mix of cultures and compelling writing...a good read."
J.C. Martin, The Arizona Daily Star, March 2005
"Combines historical research with fiction to produce a novel filled with the flavor of the times."
CELTIC FIRE, DESERT RAIN
Editorial Reviews
Coffee Time Romance
Historical Romance; Rating: 4 Cups
Reyna Jones, a beautiful Mexican lady... works a ranch alongside her husband. Only when she discovers a shocking secret, as well as being faced with unbearable tragedy, will her will be tested.Reyna’s husband, Evan, a Welshman, loves her with all of his heart. He is passionate and adoring of his fantastic wife. But when she is in danger, he will do anything to protect her, even if it means pushing her away.
Evan and Reyna are being mercilessly blackmailed. They, along with Evan’s brother and sister-in-law, have decided to move to Tucson, away from the increasing violence of Tombstone. Unfortunately, peril is closer than they think and a sadistic madman bent on revenge will stop at nothing to see them suffer.
Celtic Fire, Desert Rain is vibrant and full of life. The characters are colorful and engaging. Ms. Johnson’s writing is so vibrant that she made me feel the very joys and sorrows of the characters. The intertwining of the Welsh and Mexican cultures is quite original, as well as fascinating. Her use of both languages contributes to the exotic nature of the story and its characters. This is an “old west” story that will not leave you disappointed, but breathless to the very end.
-- Bonnie Lass
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books
The Historical Novel Society Review
May 2007
This second installment of Johnson’s Western saga finds Welshman Evan Jones and his Mexican wife Reyna living on a ranch near Tombstone, but aching to move elsewhere. Evan needs assistance with the ranch, and when Owen Pritchard, a fellow Welshman, arrives in town, Evan thinks he’s found his man. Unfortunately, Owen has other ideas in mind, including robbery, blackmail, and rape. Evan is too blinded by his desire to help a countryman in need to see what Owen is trying to do to his family.
This book provides an interesting look at what happens after the happily-ever-after ending of Dragon and Hawk. The themes and content of the two books are similar, right up to the abundance of Welsh and Spanish phrases sprinkled throughout the book. Reyna’s knowledge as a traditional healer clashes with the local physicians yet again, reminding readers of the frequent conflicts between the new medical science and traditional folk wisdom. Side characters from Dragon and Hawk also appear in this sequel, including the famed prostitute Velvet Ass Rose, who appears where Evan least expects to see her.
Johnson knows her Arizona history well, and she includes plenty of side plots that highlight the settlers’ conflicts with the Native Americans of the region, the lawlessness of the territory, and the settlers’ desire to transform their lives into something better. Readers who enjoyed the first novel in the series will devour Celtic Fire, Desert Rain.
-- Nanette Donohue
DRAGON'S BLOOD
Editorial Reviews
J.C. Martin, The Arizona Daily Star, October 2010
In this well-done continuing saga featuring Welsh immigrant, Bisbee miner and wealthy rancher Evan Jones, the action moves to Tucson. The time is early 1900 — the three original Jones brothers got to Arizona Territory in 1882, and their adventures were chronicled in "Dragon and Hawk" (2004) and "Celtic Fire, Desert Rain" (2006). Once again, Johnson has done an admirable job of research. For Tucson she has a great time mixing in well-known historical figures...
---J.C. Martin
The Historical Novel Society Review
May 2010
Tucson in the opening years of the 20th century is the setting of Jude Johnson’s third novel—specifically, the Arizona Territory of 1904, which is in the grip of a wave of settlers. The plot follows parallel story lines: the trials of earnest, conscientious, hard-working Jamie Jones, the son of a Welsh father and a Mexican mother, and the adventures of footloose, acerbic (one character aptly calls him a “smartass dude”) Percy Kindall...
Johnson dramatizes some little-known facets of territory life a hundred years ago. Most readers, for instance, will be unfamiliar with the “orphan trains” that shipped unwanted or abandoned children from the East Coast slums to settlers out West. When Percy/Paul learns that many of these children ended up not cherished by families but slaving in mines, he’s horrified—and so are we.
Johnson’s an old hand at making all this entertaining (this is her third Old West novel), and her extensive research into the period is worn appealingly lightly. Recommended for fans of the time period.
-- Steve Donoghue
This page was last updated 31 August 2010.
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