Promised Valley Rebellion

Promised Valley Rebellion
Author: Ron Fritsch
Publisher: Ron Fritsch
Total Pages: 275
Release: 2010-10-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1452448248

Promised Valley Rebellion, the first book in the Promised Valley series of four novels by Ron Fritsch, is a story of forbidden love. The farmers’ king refuses to allow the marriage of the coming-of-age prince to the daughter of the farmer who saved the king’s life in the last war with the hunters. Her brother decides he has to help his sister and the prince, his boyhood friend, correct the flagrant injustice. That decision leads them and their allies into a youthful rebellion against the king and his officials, who rule the kingdom from their bluff-top town. The far more numerous farmers in the villages below, who despise the officials but not the king, and who admire the prince, are in a position to determine whether the rebels will succeed or face execution for treason.

Promised Valley War

Promised Valley War
Author: Ron Fritsch
Publisher: Ron Fritsch
Total Pages: 283
Release: 2011-11-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1466038764

Promised Valley War is the second book in Ron Fritsch’s four-novel Promised Valley series set in prehistoric times. Blue Sky, the farmer’s son who led the rebellion in the first book, and Wandering Star, the young hunter who became his lover, realize they and their peoples will suffer for the high treason they knowingly commit every moment they spend together. They, along with the other individuals on both sides willing to treat their “eternal” enemies as their equals, nevertheless set the stage for what they’ve feared most: another horrifying war.

Promised Valley Peace

Promised Valley Peace
Author: Ron Fritsch
Publisher: Asymmetric Worlds
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2013-11-04
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Promised Valley Peace is the fourth and last novel in Ron Fritsch’s allegorical Promised Valley series. The conspirators and their allies from the first three novels give up on the gods, whose existence many of them doubt, and discover how to use horses in warfare. They prepare to employ them in a last battle to bring the prehistoric enemy hunters and farmers together as one people in a “new kingdom” and end warfare between them forever. Individuals who partner with persons of the same gender are once again in the front lines, risking their lives for their peoples. The first three novels—Promised Valley Rebellion, Promised Valley War, and Promised Valley Conspiracy—have won a number of awards. Reviewers have included these comments about the series. Reader Views: “It’s the story’s prehistoric setting that provides the basis for the intellectual question which binds the Promised Valley books together: ‘Could civilization and history, with their countless heaven-sanctioned wars and genocides, have begun differently?’ With that as his touchstone, Fritsch thoughtfully and compassionately offers answers through the story and its characters. While it’s an adventurous tale on its surface, it’s not what it seems to be; it’s much more. For me it was a book of revelations. For anyone who has never lost their child’s heart and imagination, Promised Valley War will compel them to consider all that the book has to say to them. That’s what unforgettable books do.” Kirkus: “The author’s well-rendered descriptions of the creeping onslaught of war give the reader a visceral feel for the endangered paradise that can occur despite the best intentions of the best people, and readers will be surprised by the twists he gives his tale. Alongside the careful plotting and natural-sounding dialogue, there's a refreshing amount of deeper resonances in the Promised Valley series, a steady undercurrent of commentary on the present day.” Feathered Quill: “An imaginative and well-crafted piece of fiction, featuring plenty of action and unexpected twists and turns. The suspenseful battles, sweeping scenery, and interpersonal drama would undoubtedly be a satisfying mix on the big screen. Are you listening, Hollywood?”

Promised Valley Conspiracy

Promised Valley Conspiracy
Author: Ron Fritsch
Publisher: Asymmetric Worlds
Total Pages: 303
Release: 2012-12-04
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0615739253

Promised Valley Conspiracy is the third novel in Ron Fritsch’s four-book prehistoric Promised Valley series. Fritsch continues to ask if history and civilization, which prehistory gave birth to, could’ve begun differently. US Review of Books: “There is a traditional, epic tone to the book that is reminiscent of Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey. It is a story whose firm, relentless action is the narrative drive of this novel. It fascinates with pages filled with excitement and drama. Fritsch’s world is one filled with wondrous surprises, where there are no damaging thoughts among the people toward same-sex unions. It’s refreshing to see the disappearance of negative cultural trappings found in today’s world.” Kirkus: Promised Valley Conspiracy “explores the ongoing conflict between the valley people, who are prosperous farmers occupying all the richest Promised Valley lands, and the hill people, who inhabit the sparser uplands and live bitterly, believing that their gods promised the valley and its comforts to them. Since the valley people have a similar belief about themselves, a state of dangerous friction exists between the two groups. Savage warfare and desperate diplomacy marked the well-orchestrated events of the first two books, and tensions continue to boil to the surface in this volume. These books continue to be an intelligent and involving look at the personal sacrifices of making war and keeping peace.” Reader Views: “The author’s creativity in writing a series such as this is to be admired. I noticed as the two different peoples learned to see similarities amongst their differences, it is the same in our world today. Lack of understanding of the beliefs of others creates a disconnection and fear among people. Learning to understand and respect the differences makes for a better world whether it is prehistoric or current. There are many valuable lessons to be learned in this story.” Feathered Quill: “I highly recommend the captivating and interesting Promised Valley series. Quill says: A thought-provoking tale of intrigue and ‘what ifs’ had life played out in Promised Valley fashion.”

Promised Valley Rebellion

Promised Valley Rebellion
Author: Ron Fritsch
Publisher: Asymmetric Worlds
Total Pages: 275
Release: 2010-11-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0615464513

In Ron Fritsch’s four Promised Valley novels, prehistoric farmers inhabit a fertile river valley they believe their gods promised them in return for their good behavior and obedience. Their enemies, hunters roaming the mostly barren hills beyond the mountains enclosing the valley, believe their gods gave it to them. Promised Valley Rebellion, the first book in the Promised Valley series, is a story of forbidden love. The farmers’ king refuses to allow the marriage of the coming-of-age prince to the daughter of the farmer who saved the king’s life in the last war with the hunters. Her brother decides he has to help his sister and the prince, his boyhood friend, correct the flagrant injustice. That decision leads them and their allies into a youthful rebellion against the king and his officials, who rule the kingdom from their bluff-top town. The far more numerous farmers in the villages below, who despise the officials but not the king, and who admire the prince, are in a position to determine whether the rebels will succeed or face execution for treason. Kirkus says “the story encourages the reader to ponder the universal elements of the tale” and calls the prehistoric world of the novel a “strange, primitive world that feels winningly real.” The US Review of Books says the novel “is a good tale that feels real, with a strong promise and a good twist at the end,” and a “good book to read by the fire in wintertime.” Promised Valley Rebellion is the winner of the gold medal in the Literary Fiction category of the 2010 eLit Awards competition. Promised Valley Rebellion is the first-place winner in the Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Fiction category of the 2011 National Indie Excellence Awards competition. Promised Valley Rebellion is the winner of the silver medal in the Historical Fiction category, and a finalist in the General Fiction category, of the 2011 Readers Favorite awards competition.

The Lord Chamberlain's Daughter

The Lord Chamberlain's Daughter
Author: Ron Fritsch
Publisher: Ron Fritsch
Total Pages: 182
Release: 2019-12-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0997882964

Who murdered Hamlet’s father? Hamlet decided the killer was his uncle Claudius. After all, as a result of the assassination, Claudius became Denmark’s king. But did Hamlet get it right? And what about those other high-ranking persons, including Hamlet and Claudius, who ended up dead? Would Ophelia, the lord chamberlain’s daughter Hamlet was in love with, know?

Cordelia Lionheart

Cordelia Lionheart
Author: Ron Fritsch
Publisher: Ron Fritsch
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2018-11-14
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0997882948

Cordelia Lionheart is the true story of King Lear's youngest daughter. As Cordelia's sisters and the oppressive lords they support maneuver to depose her father, Cordelia and her childhood friend Garred ally themselves with the farmers, servants and other working people. In this coming-of-age, alternate-history, medieval tale, Cordelia must find a way to bring about the new Britain her comrades are prepared to fight and die for.

His Grandfather's House

His Grandfather's House
Author: Ron Fritsch
Publisher: Ron Fritsch
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2017-11-16
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0997882921

The neighbors tell Kurt his grandfather, who has been his guardian since he was four years old, committed a series of crimes to acquire his farm. In this coming-of-age novel, Kurt needs to know if the neighbors’ stories are true. The crimes they say his grandfather got away with include fraud, forgery, arson and murder.

The Grandfathers' Promise

The Grandfathers' Promise
Author: Michael Strong
Publisher: BookLocker.com, Inc.
Total Pages: 360
Release: 2023-12-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1777731216

During the post-WW2 period, change came about swiftly. Money, opportunity, and jobs were available for most who wanted to benefit. However, there were those in society who still played race against race and country against country. During a challenging time in 1958, much would happen, and an evil secret Caucus of seven men became formed to influence and control an ever-changing modern society. Over many decades, this secret Caucus built its domination, success, and financial strength through strategic partnerships and streams of well-calculated decisions that only benefitted them. Whether the benefits gained were by peaceful means or subtle barbarism. The name applied to this seven-person Caucus was—The Grandfathers. The Rebel Brigade denounced everything The Grandfathers represented, fighting in vain for many years against the brutal consequences of The Grandfathers' calculating, self-serving interests. Often, in the dark-of-the-night, silent raids by The Effectuators, The Grandfathers' loyal and elite Police Force, would punish the Rebel Brigade and their sympathizers, dragging them off to secret Stewardship Farms and Detention Centers, for re-education before releasing them back into a changing society. The struggle continues until a man who once served The Grandfathers and now seeks revenge for lives lost and promises broken unwittingly becomes a driving force for justice. But can this reluctant stranger bind together a tattered Rebel force? Or must he first continue his struggle to discover redemption from his past sins?

Power and Powerlessness

Power and Powerlessness
Author: John Gaventa
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Total Pages: 288
Release: 1982
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780252009853

Explains to outsiders the conflicts between the financial interests of the coal and land companies and the moral rights of the vulnerable mountaineers.