Reviews
for
THE TRAIL OF THE FOX
by
Mark W. Laughlin
“…A
rich and rewarding experience…”
“…you’ve never read anything
like this before! “
A
rich and rewarding experience. “Trail of the Fox” by Mark W. Laughlin is a book
that I will admit I didn’t have the highest expectations for going in, seeing as how I’d never heard of the
author before and Native American Historical Fiction isn’t exactly my ‘go-to genre’.
But I was looking for something a little different and I do like switching it
up on occasion. The sample had beautiful writing and showed great promise so I
dove on in. And I wasn’t the least bit disappointed! I’m not one for rehashing the plot (that’s
what the summary is for on the book description page), but trust me when I say
you’ve never read anything like this before! It’s not a fast and easy read by
any stretch, but it will take you through whole different lives and experiences
that you’ve never thought of before. I felt a connection with each of these
characters that I didn’t expect, especially ‘Ach’, and I thought the author’s
narrative prose was some of the best and most authentic I’ve read in a while,
the way he brought the scenes to life, and the attention to historical and
cultural details that gave this story genuine authenticity. Even though this is
a ‘fictional’ account, it reads and feels very real and gives me a new
appreciation for what life was like for Native Americans back then, from family
relationships, to fending off raiders, to hunting and moving… very
enlightening. Would love to read more like this from Mark W. Laughlin and highly
recommended for fans of historical fiction. (5 stars)
- Jenna Brewster—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
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| Photo by Mark W. Laughlin |
“…read
it for yourself…you will not be disappointed! “
I
loved “The Trail of the Fox” and read the whole thing in one week, which is
fast for me, especially considering I have no free time to read these days! But
it just seemed to go by so fast and I never wanted to stop reading it, even
late into the evening. I was mesmerized by the world Mark W. Laughlin created
here, one so realistic and authentic, where we really feel like we are in
another world, another time and place all together. But it feels so normal and
real. I am not that familiar with much in the way of Native American history and
it was interesting to read about the tribes and the members lives on a daily
basis, from dealing with each other and other tribes, the conflicts and the drama…
shed so much light on the humanity of these early Americans and their daily
struggles that I haven’t thought all that much about and I’m really glad I was
exposed to. It was incredible the way that Mr. Laughlin was able to really put
himself inside the various characters’ heads to tell this story from varying perspectives
and take us through their lives. It’s a great blend of fact and fiction, and it
leaves you wanting more. Too much happens in this book to cover properly in a
short review so you really just have to read it for yourself… you will not be
disappointed!
(5
stars)
- Kaylee Stevens—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
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| Photo by Connie Barr |
“…the
characters… oh my! Loved them all! “
“The
Trail of the Fox” by Mark W. Laughlin was great! After an admittedly slowish
start for me (it took a while for me to feel really hooked… maybe about 20-30%
way in) I became so immersed in this book and impressed with the level of
detailing on almost every single aspect. A lesser author would have glossed
over some of these scenes that Laughlin carefully and masterfully brought to
life in a memorable way. And the characters… oh my! Loved them all! Felt like I
got a great dose of historical reality and some culture that is very different
from my own. Very easy to read, with great pacing and dialogue when it’s there,
but it is mostly told in narrative. But the prose is descriptive and really
paints a powerful portrait of life back then for the “Rock” and “Cloud” people
and the others who come and go. A great escape from reality and a wonderful
read for fans of historical drama. And the pics are great too! Recommend.
(4
stars)
-
Brenda Maxwell—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
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| Photo by Mark W. Laughlin |
“…an
eye-opening, spiritual, and ultimately fulfilling journey to the past…”
I’ll
just be honest, I’m not normally a fan of books that are mostly narrative, as I
feel it keeps the reader at arm’s length and we are always being ‘told’ the
story as opposed to feeling a part of it. But for some reason, I really loved
how seamlessly everything flowed in “The Trail of the Fox” and thought the
author Mark W. Laughlin did a marvelous job with really bringing out the
emotional angle and letting us connect with each of their characters and their
experiences as they went through them. While this is a fiction novel, you can
tell the author has done his research. It reads authentic and well- paced
(thanks to the short chapters), making it hard to stop reading at any one
particular point. It had it all, and was more emotional than I expected, but
also definitely raw and real and gritty…. I will say that while there were some
‘tense’ moments (Raiders, weather, etc,) I think it could have benefited from
some more tension and ‘higher stakes’ overall. I feel like even the dangerous
or stressful situations were quickly diffused and part of making an impact is
seeing the challenges they overcome. They definitely did… I just felt it could
have been more intense. And one thing I
also noticed was that the editing was very good… something I very much
appreciate! While I do wish there would
have been more character dialogue to ‘show’ us the story, I think that Laughlin
did a terrific job of taking us on an eye-opening, spiritual, and ultimately
fulfilling journey to the past, that I won’t soon forget, and I am genuinely
glad I was able to read this book.
(4-5stars)
-
Steph Coleman—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
###
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| Photo by Mark W. Laughlin |
“…I
found myself completely transported…”
“…complex and believable
characters…”
As
I read this book by Mark W. Laughlin, I found myself completely transported to
the story, completely forgetting where I was for hours on in as I became
invested in the world of many moons ago, where the Native Americans gathered in
tribes, and the white man had yet to come to change the course of history.
While this is a fictional account of a imagined tribe(s) and events, it is
quite richly developed and with more tangents and sub plots than many others
I’ve read, with a dynamic cast of characters who have their own stories to tell
and conflicts to overcome. In a way it does feel pretty familiar of traditional
native American stories (rituals, hauntings, coming of age naming, roles of
men/woman) and so on, but it still feels fresh and original. Really enjoyed the
pictures throughout too – nice touch. Way too much to delve into here, but
Laughlin’s skill with story, complex and believable characters, and passion for
historical events and atmospheric descriptions will captivate readers looking
for their next great historical read.
(4
stars)
-
Eliza Brown—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
###
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| Self Portrait by Mark W. Laughlin |
“…you
can totally picture everything…”
“…I felt like I was watching a
movie…”
I
personally thought “The Trail of the Fox” by Mark W. Laughlin was quite
delightful, and this is really not normally the type of book I’d gravitate to!
And in the beginning, I admit that I really wasn’t sure where the story was
going but I kept going and once I was
about a quarter in I was totally hooked and didn’t want to stop until I’d
reached the end! I would describe this as a historical drama… it isn’t ‘action
packed’ (it is there though), but it has a lot of character conflict and
development, and is quite literary. There are unexpected twists and you do
connect with some characters (especially Ach “Throwing Stone”) who is part of
The Rock People, one of the tribes in this book. So you will definitely stay interested. And I
like how the author writes in a way that you can totally picture everything
perfectly, no matter when or where the story is taking place. Liked reading
about the interaction not only with the tribes (the Cloud and Rock People) but
also amongst themselves and with outsiders. I felt like I was watching a movie,
everything was so wonderfully described! It has its emotional moments as well,
but never melodramatic. Just literary and beautiful and lets you experience
another time and place in American history for a while. I could see fans of
historical fiction really enjoying this.
(5
stars)
-
Essia Harmon—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
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Thank you !!
- Mark W. Laughlin
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