| CROTA |
Owl Goingback Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel and nominated for Best Novel. It is called CROTA...the Bram Stoker Award-winning first novel by Owl Goingback. Brimming with originality and feverish suspense, it is the kind of tale told around the coals of a moonlit campfire. A mystical mixture of Native American legend and modern American terror, CROTA has become one of the most acclaimed debuts of 1996. When the police of Hobbs County, Missouri, find a mutilated man's body on the side of the road, they figure a bear attacked him—except that bears aren't indigenous to their area. The local Indian tribe offers another explanation: Crota, a great beast of legend, has reawakened. As the body count increases, a hand-picked group of hunters stalks the mythical creature through an underground labyrinth where they will discover a horror beyond all imagining...but all too real. Owl Goingback has created a visionary novel featuring a memorable duo Sheriff Skip Harding and Jay Little Hawk, who discover that their shared history has bound them together once again as they battle a terrifying and mysterious force and an awakening ancient evil, in a magical tale blending elements of mystery, suspense, and Native American mythology. "How could you resist a book written by someone with the name Owl Goingback? Or an author who appears to be a big Stephen King, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz and, thankfully, Tony Hillerman fan? The first three would likely enjoy the levels of terror in CROTA, while Hillerman would appreciate the use of the magic of Native American myths. CROTA is not a tale to read late at night. It's a chiller, but Goingback's characters are convincing and the Indian tribal customs and folklore are fascinating."—SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER "Engrossing...Goingback proves he has a talent for creating heart-stopping scenes that meld realism and fantasy. Claustrophobically frightening...a monster of a tale."—FT. LAUDERDALE SUN-SENTINEL "A powerful, nerve tingling story filled with well rounded characters and enriched by the carefully crafted background. This is the kind of book to point to when someone says modern horror is moribund."—SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICLE "A well-written first novel...an easy-reading, compelling page turner...that produces thrills and chills, has an unusual protagonist and culminates in a dynamic climax with an unexpected but heartwarming twist."—THE HARTFORD COURANT "...readable...appealing...[has the] suspense of a Dean Koontz or Clive Barker"—KIRKUS REVIEWS "Best Native American mystery since Tony Hillerman"—America West Airlines Magazine "...high points are the accounts of Indian history and legend, which have the flavor of the authentic oral tradition...Goingback keeps the action brisk..."—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "Wow, I devoured this. What a terrific read! A great horror tale that will have readers thirsting for more. ...The story moves along briskly and reaches a final shattering climax...an exciting novel that would make a great film."—TROPICAL BREEZE "A good, old-fashioned horror yarn...Owl Goingback is just the kind of writer the mainstream writer wants...Goingback could be the next Stephen King..."—DarkEcho's Horror Web "This story does not fail to deliver...his debut novel, CROTA, harks him as a writer to watch...fast paced, tightly plotted...the combination of traditional Native American legends and intriguing characters create a solid, enjoyable story that raises it above your typical monster mash!"—MYSTERIOUS GALAXY "Any Hollywood types looking for a monster movie plot? It would be hard to find a monster meaner than Crota."—THE DAILY OKLAHOMAN "This is one of the best un-put-down-able books that has passed through my hands in a long time. The characters are so real that one feels that one is standing right beside each and every one...I have known the work of Owl Goingback for many years, but in this he has excelled with his mixture of Native American and the everyday beliefs. This can be heartily recommended, not only to readers of fantasy but even to the general public who wants excitement on every page."—Best-selling fantasy author André Norton "Owl Goingback is one of the most interesting new writers working today. He combines the traditions of oral storytelling with the fast-paced prose of today's best-selling fiction, and then adds his own unique perspective. A natural storyteller, Owl Goingback will be spinning tales for us for a long time to come."—Martin H. Greenberg, best-selling anthologist "Great! A wonderful combination of the horror and suspense of Dean Koontz and the Native American flavor of Tony Hillerman."—EVENT HORIZON (Orlando, FL) "Owl Goingback is indeed the next Stephen King. . . Goingback uses his Choctaw/Cherokee heritage to wind a suspenseful tale that will keep you on the edge of you seat until you finish in the wee hours of the morning."—Borders Bookshops Newsletter "Excellent. A fast and exciting read."—ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS "...a quick read, straightforward and fun, opening with bloodshed, continuing on with disembowelment and beheadings, and closing with triumph and spiritual reawakening. Goingback writes well, and simply. His characterization is fresh and believable, and his setting descriptions are still fresh in my mind, weeks after having read the book. There is a beautiful, terrifying subterranean descent worthy of Lovecraft, and that selection of scenes is worth the cover price. "It's refreshing to see a monster novel in which the characters are really scared, pissed, sad that their friends are getting munched, and that's about all; in which the monster munches and roars and stalks, and that's about all; and in which it's nobody's fault, there is no city councilman cowering because his deal with the devil went bad, nothing like that. Monster comes, slings guts around, and people shoot at it. The end. Sure, it's not deep. But every now and again, it's nice to read a good campfire tale and later describe the book by hooking your fingers into claws and saying 'Raarrrr!'"—GOTHIC.NET webzine
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