Silver and Gold

by David Sakmyster

The Yukon Territory, 1895. A reclusive prospector comes to the aid of a Smithsonian explorer after she dares the frozen wilderness to capture a legendary beast known as the Sesquat. In his cabin, waiting out a storm, he regales her with the tale of his thrilling and often tragic past. From the great gold rushes of California to the silver strikes in Nevada, and then on to the inescapable lure of the Klondike, a father and son strive to keep morally afloat as the surging tide of humanity sweeps upon their land to plunder its wealth. As this age fashioned the destiny of a nation, so too would it forge a hero... A reluctant hero, who must now return to the world he s tried to avoid. To avenge his parents murders, fight for the rights of his people, and ultimately, to embark upon a path into legend. Teeming with fascinating characters and events from the times: from Samuel Colt to Herbert Hoover; from the Civil War to China s Boxer Rebellion; from icy maritime disasters to epic dogsled races, Silver and Gold is an ambitious novel set against the backdrop of the Gold Rush era: an age defined by larger-than-life characters arctic monsters, vile industrialists and noble heroes all vying against the implacable wrath of nature.

Genres: Historical, Historical Fiction

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

David Sakmyster is the award-winning author of more than a dozen novels, including Jurassic Dead and The Morpheus Initiative, a series featuring psychic archaeologists (described as “Indiana Jones meets the X-Files”). He also has an epic historical adventure, Silver and Gold, the horror novel Crescent Lake and a story collection, Escape Plans. His latest is Final Solstice, and his screenplay, Nightwatchers, has been optioned for production. Visit him at www.sakmyster.com.

Reviews

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I took my time reading, not because it was difficult to get through or anything of that nature, but because I wanted to imagine myself as part of the book. The plot really captured my attention, and I am a sucker for anything that correlates with history. For some reason, this book reminded me a lot of the works written by Jack London. I also like how this book didn't focus only on one particular time period in history; moreover, it goes in depth about several events that will leave the reader wondering exactly what kind of life existed during those times. To be able to live vicariously through reading is perhaps one of the most beneficial rewards that a person can get while reading, and this book definitely lived up to my expectations. Five stars all around.

[Amy Sak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some day I hope David will share with the rest of the world how one winter night this idea came about, where there was a man and a dog looking out into the arctic night in search of some peace, full of stories lined neatly on a mantle in his cabin.

Silver and Gold is full of all the stuff life is made of, and enlarged to make the love and humility Delin pervades break your heart; the villains beyond evil, and the Sesquat terrifyingly real. But the tale is told over a broad spectrum of time, and the hero grows with it, and you end with the book as a wrinkled old friend; warped with hugs, tears, sun (Gold), and ice(Silver).

[Tara Chevrestt]

A DNF for me tho I read over a quarter. It's very well written, but very... manly. It's about men and both the CA and AK gold rushes and this man, Joshua and his son run around fighting abdominable snowmen and waving around gold and silver dragoons. LOTS of testosterone and simply not for me. If I had different plumbing, maybe. LOL Just not enough women for me in this one.

[W.K. Rader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece of fiction. Sakmyster created the Christmas story to real life (names changed to protect the innocent) the story is face paced and timeless. I commend the author on his effort. This will someday be considered a classic.

[Ricki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a wonderful historical fiction account of the Alaskan gold rush, reminiscent of the storytelling of Jack London. The beginning, as the story bounced back in time, was a little confusing, but once it started focusing on only Delin’s life, it really picked up. The Sesquats added some interest, but I think the story would have been stronger without them.

[Natalia]

I gave this book a good try, but I ultimately couldn't finish. Part of it was that I really couldn't relate to the story, but more than that, I did not enjoy the style of writing. It was very dense, descriptive prose. I prefer a more straight-ahead spare way of telling a story.

[Laila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED this book. It was so well written I was drawn into the story.
This is definitely a MUST read!

[Janis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical fictions and this one is my favorite so far.

[Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book. Possibly even more so than Call of the Wild.