October Skies
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in October Skies for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"This is a fascinating timeslip mystery. There's always a risk of imbalance with a past/present narrative, but Scarrow manages the division well, keeping up the suspense on both sides of the story. He's particularly good on the pioneers' struggle against the elements, and the atmosphere of distrust between the native Indian population and the travellers." (Laura Wilson THE GUARDIAN )
"October Skies is a real page turner. It offers a thought-provoking insight into religious fanatasicm and how human fear can destroy the very foundations of life as we know it. Will fascinate and terrify you in equal measure." (Julia Ogden PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH )
"Scarrow brilliantly brings to life the mountains and the desperation of a battle to survive the onslaught of winter. The set-up of October Skies is excellent." (MATERIAL WITNESS )
"A change of pace, but not of quality, for the author of the near-future shocker Last Light. Well researched and written with much authoritative detail, October Skies sheds light on a compelling period of American history. This is a thoroughly gripping tale." (CRIME TIME )
"Alex Scarrow, after only three books with very varied settings, has demonstrated he has the ability to write gripping, page-turning thrillers and is clearly a name to watch out for." (Mike Ripley CRIME FILE ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"October Skies is a real page turner. It offers a thought-provoking insight into religious fanatasicm and how human fear can destroy the very foundations of life as we know it. Will fascinate and terrify you in equal measure." (Julia Ogden PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH )
"Scarrow brilliantly brings to life the mountains and the desperation of a battle to survive the onslaught of winter. The set-up of October Skies is excellent." (MATERIAL WITNESS )
"A change of pace, but not of quality, for the author of the near-future shocker Last Light. Well researched and written with much authoritative detail, October Skies sheds light on a compelling period of American history. This is a thoroughly gripping tale." (CRIME TIME )
"Alex Scarrow, after only three books with very varied settings, has demonstrated he has the ability to write gripping, page-turning thrillers and is clearly a name to watch out for." (Mike Ripley CRIME FILE ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
2008: Deep in the mountain forests of Wyoming, Julian Cooke stumbles across the rotting remains of a wooden wagon. He's discovered what's left of the Preston Group, a convoy of settlers that vanished in the winter of 1856. It's clear that something horrific happened here all those years ago, but Cooke can only find a few tantalising clues. 1856: As early snows descend, the eclectic group of settlers that form the Preston wagon train are forced to dig in. Miles from any kind of civilisation, they see the group of Native Americans also trapped nearby as their greatest threat. But they soon realise what true danger is. When a woman is found murdered, one of the Indian party struggles wounded back to camp, whispering of unspeakable evil as he dies. United by fear, the settlers and the Indians must protect themselves against whatever is lurking in the woods. But as suspicion and panic grow, perhaps their own terror will be just as dangerous. Or maybe, whatever's out there is worse than anything they can imagine. Back in the present day, as Cooke unravels the mystery, he must question if the horror he is uncovering was in fact only the start of something much worse...
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've said it before and I'll say it again, and many times more I'm sure, Alex Scarrow has a fine imagination. He is also a remarkable storyteller with the power to pull the reader into the tale alongside characters who are not only lifelike, they are extremely intriguing as well.
In October Skies, one of Scarrow's books for adults, the author turns his attention to parallel tales, one taking place in the 1850s in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, and the other set during the presidential elections of 2008. When journalist Julian Cooke comes across the wheel of a wagon, lost in the woods, he realises that he may have found another `Donner Incident', the remains of another wagon trail that vanished to history and became lost in myth and folklore, which here focuses upon a figure known locally as the Rag Man. Julian's suspicions and interest are increased when he also finds buried a journal.
This novel, then, moves between the technoworld of the present day journalists and the past world of the journal, written by Ben Lambert, a man searching for adventure and inspiration among the pioneers of the wagon trains. He travels with a group that mainly comprises Mormons who have left others of their religion and instead have chosen to follow their charismatic leader Preston into the unknown. When winter draws in earlier than expected, the mountains prove impossible to cross, and so the travellers must become settlers, surviving in the most inhospitable of environments while trying to maintain civility. This all falls to pieces when a woman is found brutally murdered in the woods. Something is let loose.
This gripping story, which is so vivid you can almost share the intense cold, hunger and fear of the travellers, is told alongside that of Julian Cooke and his friends. As he tries to hold onto his exclusive, Julian slowly becomes aware that forces are as much at work against him as they were against Ben Franklin. As the mystery grows, and its significance increases, the danger becomes more intense, especially when it becomes clear that Cooke's discovery may have an impact on the presidential election currently underway.
October Skies is horror, thriller and historical fiction combined. We can be in no doubt that something terrifying has gripped the camp of suffering settlers as they try in vain to keep the other world of the wood from their camp and keep a grip on their religion. While these scenes from the 1850s are scene stealers, I did find myself continually wanting to remain in whichever of the stories I found myself at the time. With twists and turns, madness and ghosts around every corner and behind every tree, Ben and Joseph are in great danger. While I admit that I may be easier to frighten than many, October Skies is deliciously chilly.
In October Skies, one of Scarrow's books for adults, the author turns his attention to parallel tales, one taking place in the 1850s in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, and the other set during the presidential elections of 2008. When journalist Julian Cooke comes across the wheel of a wagon, lost in the woods, he realises that he may have found another `Donner Incident', the remains of another wagon trail that vanished to history and became lost in myth and folklore, which here focuses upon a figure known locally as the Rag Man. Julian's suspicions and interest are increased when he also finds buried a journal.
This novel, then, moves between the technoworld of the present day journalists and the past world of the journal, written by Ben Lambert, a man searching for adventure and inspiration among the pioneers of the wagon trains. He travels with a group that mainly comprises Mormons who have left others of their religion and instead have chosen to follow their charismatic leader Preston into the unknown. When winter draws in earlier than expected, the mountains prove impossible to cross, and so the travellers must become settlers, surviving in the most inhospitable of environments while trying to maintain civility. This all falls to pieces when a woman is found brutally murdered in the woods. Something is let loose.
This gripping story, which is so vivid you can almost share the intense cold, hunger and fear of the travellers, is told alongside that of Julian Cooke and his friends. As he tries to hold onto his exclusive, Julian slowly becomes aware that forces are as much at work against him as they were against Ben Franklin. As the mystery grows, and its significance increases, the danger becomes more intense, especially when it becomes clear that Cooke's discovery may have an impact on the presidential election currently underway.
October Skies is horror, thriller and historical fiction combined. We can be in no doubt that something terrifying has gripped the camp of suffering settlers as they try in vain to keep the other world of the wood from their camp and keep a grip on their religion. While these scenes from the 1850s are scene stealers, I did find myself continually wanting to remain in whichever of the stories I found myself at the time. With twists and turns, madness and ghosts around every corner and behind every tree, Ben and Joseph are in great danger. While I admit that I may be easier to frighten than many, October Skies is deliciously chilly.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
What an interesting writer Alex Scarrow has become. Having enjoyed his previous works (especially the chilling Last Light) this was an obvious one to pick up. The author does not write within an obvious genre although his books are nearest to thrillers then anything else but you never quite know what you are going to get.
Here we have a story based around a bunch of settlers in 1856 getting stuck mid journey as the snow comes in, most of them are off-shoots of the Mormon faith. The party never complete their journey and a modern day discovery of their final camp and a diary indicates that something chilling happened to them that may have implications in the modern world.
Scarrow draws you in and offers good characterisation and many twists and turns.. Some interesting views on Mormons too, I ended doing some minor research on the basis of this - suffice to say those of the Mormon faith should probably avoid this, but I would recommend this to anyone else. Mr Scarrow is a talented author who is getting better and better...
Here we have a story based around a bunch of settlers in 1856 getting stuck mid journey as the snow comes in, most of them are off-shoots of the Mormon faith. The party never complete their journey and a modern day discovery of their final camp and a diary indicates that something chilling happened to them that may have implications in the modern world.
Scarrow draws you in and offers good characterisation and many twists and turns.. Some interesting views on Mormons too, I ended doing some minor research on the basis of this - suffice to say those of the Mormon faith should probably avoid this, but I would recommend this to anyone else. Mr Scarrow is a talented author who is getting better and better...
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
October Skies is another exceptional thriller from Alex Scarrow, he is book by book establishing himself as one of the best thriller writers around.
Check out his other titles Last Light & A Thousand Suns
His use of the time slip style is second to none, each chapter building the story and tension until the amazing conclusion. The mark of a good thriller writer is to keep you guessing, and October Skies does just that all the way to the end. The characters are as usual Alex's strong point, he develops each person brilliantly, no thriller works unless you care what happens to the character and Alex makes you do just that.
I also think the book delivers a scary image of just what could happen in the US, thanks to the power of religion in US politics.
I can't wait to see what Alex produces next.
(Parm)
Check out his other titles Last Light & A Thousand Suns
His use of the time slip style is second to none, each chapter building the story and tension until the amazing conclusion. The mark of a good thriller writer is to keep you guessing, and October Skies does just that all the way to the end. The characters are as usual Alex's strong point, he develops each person brilliantly, no thriller works unless you care what happens to the character and Alex makes you do just that.
I also think the book delivers a scary image of just what could happen in the US, thanks to the power of religion in US politics.
I can't wait to see what Alex produces next.
(Parm)
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Chilling
My favourite Alex Scarrow book, and a book that deserves much praise. From modern day to the year 1856 and the mystery of the disappearance of the 130 strong Preston group. Read more
Published 2 months ago by E Alan
A page turner
This is the first book I've read by the author and I can't wait to read more. This story is vivid and exceptionally well written. Read more
Published 6 months ago by fleure
Great idea, but perhaps a little too much?
I really enjoyed this book to start with, but the ending was a little disappointing and too fantastical for me. Read more
Published 6 months ago by ems_erh
One hell of a month!
I don't think I have read such a well written original story like this one ever before, I am so impressed, having read a few of his other books, that i'm in danger of making a... Read more
Published 10 months ago by mike
October skies
I have never read anything from Alex Scarrow before this and I had no idea what to expect really.
The story about the settlers getting stuck on the mountains in the snow was... Read more
The story about the settlers getting stuck on the mountains in the snow was... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Maria
Well done, Mr Scarrow
This novel is a mystery in more ways than one. I would have given it 5 stars, but for some flaws which I'll come to later. Read more
Published 11 months ago by amantedofado
Very good page turner
An excellent page turner that will not let you go until you've read it all.
While I agree that some of the present day parts of the story are a bit odd (Carl is a veteran... Read more
While I agree that some of the present day parts of the story are a bit odd (Carl is a veteran... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Titus Livius
A gripping read.
A gripping supernatural tinged thriller, with a dual storyline spanning 150 odd years. Alex Scarrow has built upon the fine work of 'A Thousand Suns' and 'Last Light' to create... Read more
Published on 1 May 2010 by Matt the Reader
I read it in 24 hours!
This is the best book I've read since the Kite Runner & Thousand Splendid Suns. The term 'un-putdownable' is an over used cliche but this book genuinely is! Read more
Published on 22 April 2010 by Barb
Fantastic!
A group of settlers goes missing in the snow covered Sierra Nevada mountains, in the 1850s. In the present day, mediaman, Julian Cooke stumbles across the remains of wagon, and a... Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2010 by J.Flood
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
