Banished. Cast out. Powerless. Y’keta is exiled to the small village of Esquialt as his father’s punishment for his rebellious spirit. Village tradition gives him one Cycle, from spring to spring, to earn the right to stay. The villagers have a legend about mighty beings called the Waki’tani, mythical lords of the wind and lightning who can shapeshift into human form. Y’keta knows the truth … truth behind these stories. Could there be more to them than just tales shared around the campfire?
If Y’keta reveals what he knows to the villagers, it will tear their history and traditions apart…but sharing his secrets may be their only hope for survival when Esquialt is threatened by the brutal, ferociously destructive Utlaak.
Loosely based on the Thunderbird of North American legend, Y’keta is an epic fantasy set in an ancient world where legends walk and the Sky Road offers a way to the stars.
… I seriously loved reading this book. The characters all blew me away. They made me laugh at their playfulness and cry at their pain…. Jennifer S.
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Y’keta’s new home is threatened by secrets of the past, and the traditions of his people may likely be destroyed if he decides to reveal the truth. On the other hand, those secrets may just be the tribes’ only chance at survival.
Hurst pens a fascinating survival story about tribal life and the interdependency of elders, providers, guardians, and healers in ensuring the continuation of a culture in “Y’keta”. On the surface, “Y’keta” is a rather primitive coming-of-age tale in which a young man learns the ways of his people and how best to defend them, but those lessons he has learns are quite compelling.
Hurst’s simple but highly creative plotline demonstrates how faith, family, and belief play an integral role in the development of an individual, and how these are the core elements that provide a base for a society’s survival. Hurst also used these components to bring about a necessary cohesiveness and creativity to her characters’ otherwise mundane world. Y’keta’s culture subsequently exists on the baser values of survival—seeking and securing food, clothing, and shelter. But when an enemy threatens the existence of Y’keta’s adoptive tribe, it is he and his tribesmates’ altruistic and selfless devotion to faith, friends, and family, along with their need to prove their worth as key members of their society, that go a long way toward ensuring their future survival as they band together against their common enemy.
United we stand… Divided we fall… Through her characters’ thoughts and dreams, Hurst weaves an intricate and profound story of a people who are unwavering in their love and dedication to one another—Her tale of a small group of primitive people, threatened by an enemy that seems bent on their destruction, shows how kindness, cooperation, and understanding goes a long way toward reconciliation and resolution.
At the time I read the Kindle version of “Y’keta”, it contained some basic formatting issues and punctuation errors, but these problems did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the story. Violence was present during the course of this read, but it definitely wasn’t what I would classify as over-the-top and fit well into the context of the storyline. I recommend this book for ages 15 and up.
I am very proud and happy to announce that Y’keta has been awarded a Crowned Heart Review from InD’tale magazine. The novel was then featured in the magazine’s September issue.
Here is what they said:
FANTASY: “Y’Keta” is an epic fantasy story set in an ancient world, where the Sky Road offers a way to the stars. Y’Keta, the main character, has just found a new place to settle when it is threatened by secrets from his past. If Y’Keta shares his knowledge with the villagers, it will destroy their history and traditions… However, at the same time Y’Keta’s knowledge may be their only chance of survival when the village becomes under attack.
With a culture reminiscent of Native American culture, and strong world building, “Y’Keta”, the first book in The Sky Road Trilogy, offers an intriguing story with a solid setting. Often, epic fantasy books rely on European medieval settings or Roman settings to draw inspiration from; it’s refreshing to see a book drawing inspiration from Native American culture, for a change. The prose is lyrical, unfortunately sometimes a little too lyrical. While it fits the mythos the book tries to create, it also makes the plot drag a little.
Told in several distinct voices and POV’s, and following characters as they grow from children into adults, it’s a coming-of-age story that while different also feels familiar, yet in a good way. The familiarity comes from being able to relate to the characters, not from having a rehashed plot.
Majanka Verstraete- InD’tale Magazine.