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, "consorting with the enemy." They, along with the others among their peoples most curious about their "eternal" enemies and most willing to treat them as their equals, nevertheless set the stage for what they've feared more than anything else: another horrifying war. Reader Views: "It is 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. In writing this multi-faceted novel, Fritsch masterfully layers and blends several literary devices-intellectual twists and turns, enigma, allegory and parable-to create a story rendered in both intricate detail and simple wisdom. Even through the vivid telling of epic war and death, Fritsch employs both fantasy and genuineness to connect with and uplift the reader. While Promised Valley War is an adventurous tale on its surface, it is not what it seems to be; it is 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 Indie Reviews: "The author's well-rendered descriptions of the creeping onslaught of war and winter 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 of the present day. The treatment of the young hero Blue Sky's attraction to other men, for instance, is straightforward but nonconfrontational, and characters at several points grapple with their society's primitive theology. 'Could gods who were good-hearted allow humans to go to war with one another?' the narrative at one point asks. '[I]f they, like humans, had no choice in the matter, why did humans call them gods?'" Feathered Quill Book Reviews: "Promised Valley War is an imaginative and well-crafted piece of fiction. The plot features plenty of action and unexpected twists and turns. The balance of suspenseful battles, sweeping scenery, and interpersonal drama would undoubtedly be a satisfying mix on the big screen. Are you listening, Hollywood?" The US Review of Books: "With lyrical description, historical era awareness and an understanding of human motivation, Fritsch brings to life a prehistoric world. Written with tenderness and vivid detail, this prehistoric Romeo and Juliet tale adds complexity and variety to the bard's tale as well as to the author's first novel in the series, Promised Valley Rebellion." Promised Valley War was the first-place winner in the Gay/Lesbian Fiction category of the 2011 Reader Views Awards competition, the winner of the bronze medal in the Literary Fiction category of the 2011 eLit Book Awards competition, the winner of a finalist medal in Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Fiction category of the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards competition, the winner of the silver medal in the Action Fiction category of the 2012 Readers Favorite Awards competition, and a finalist in the Gay and Lesbian and Transgender Fiction category of the 2012 National Indie Excellence Awards competition.
About the Author: Ron Fritsch has published a four-book series of Promised Valley novels: Promised Valley Rebellion, Promised Valley War, Promised Valley Conspiracy and Promised Valley Peace. The novels have won a number of awards and highly favorable reviews. The series is complete. In the epic Promised Valley adventure, 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. Both sides, though, value individuals who partner with persons of their own gender. Because they have no children to raise, they take leadership positions, especially in times of war. The four Promised Valley novels ask whether civilization and history, with their countless heaven-sanctioned wars and genocides, could've begun differently. The individuals who live, struggle, revel, die and survive in the novels confront fundamental questions: How factual are the stories their ancestors handed down to them? Despite those stories, are they and their enemies equal human beings who deserve to be treated as such? Are their gods-who appear to be the same deities for the farmers as well as the hunters, even as they exhort both of their supposedly favored peoples to kill the other-truly benevolent gods? Or do their gods, outside of those ancestral stories that might not be true, simply not exist? Fritsch grew up in rural northern Illinois. His father and mother were hard-working tenant farmers who loved to read. So did he and his siblings (one older sister, one older brother, one younger sister). Fritsch obtained a bachelor's degree with honors from the University of Illinois (major: history; minor: English literature) and a law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School. Fritsch lives in Chicago with his long-term partner, David Darling.