The Endless Sky

Rating:
Summary: Memorable! Very highly recommended
Review: In a tone as bleak, and yet majestically beautiful as the Badlands themselves, author Kathryn Lynn Davis presents a tale of madness, jealousy, passion and murder when the past meets the present. Betrayal and treachery haunts the grossly lands and towering cliffs, burning like the purposefully set fire set to destroy the Vallombrosa cattle range. As this timeless epic saga culminates in the changing century, the whisper of secrets becomes a raging inferno that threatens to destroy them all.

Phillip de Vallombrosa follows his father's dream to succeed over the forces of the untamed land. Following his father's death in the deserts of Africa, Phillip and his family, including his stepmother Medora, leave Paris behind to return to the enterprise his father abandoned fourteen years ago. There the Vallombrosas resurrect a business venture intended to ship freshly butchered and packaged meat to the meatpacking plants of Chicago. Unfortunately, dangerous and ruthless enemies intend to see the Vallombrosa business fail again. A neighboring rancher and his family will stop at nothing to destroy the Vallombosa, blaming old wounds and desperate secrets for the pain of the present. Retribution becomes their motive for destruction, and they will stop at nothing to have their revenge.

At twenty-six, Mianne fits in neither the Sioux world of her mother, nor the white world of her father. She and her father were left at the Chateau in the Badlands to care for the property until the Vallombrosas' return. Now Phillip finds not the elusive, ethereal girl he left behind, but the wildly passionate, and extremely private woman who refuses to allow anyone to touch her heart. Yet her love for Phillip leads to their marriage, even as she refuses to reveal the secrets of her heart. Indeed, her passion for Phillip proves to be as untamed and dangerous as the feelings still felt by her rival Katheryn, who vows to have Phillip for herself, or to destroy him so that no one might have him.

Originally penned in 1984, THE ENDLESS SKY is certainly worthy of reprint, especially for those of us who haven't previously discovered this author's work. Kathryn Lynn Davis pens an extremely complex tale with many subplots that tie back into a dark tale of revenge and betrayal. Her characters are realistically multifaceted, with deep felt hatreds, joys, jealousies and dreams. With a master's precision, she weaves these multihued elements into an intricate whole that dazzles the reader. Further, the breath taking magnificence of the Badlands provides an evocative background rich with legend and meaning. Despite the complexity of characterizations, however, the narrative flows with a richness and simplicity that marks this novel as an outstanding read. Very highly recommended.