Bearkiller by D.J. Stephens--Book Review

An engrossing, fast-paced adventure novel that explores past lives and their connections to the present is what you'll find in Bearkiller by D.J. Stephens.

Jeff Barkil--who I first met in HALO--is hunting in the mountains of Montana when he is attacked by a grizzly bear. Severely wounded, Jeff uses his survival instincts gained from years of military training to attempt making it back to camp.

Awakening in a teepee, Jeff is not quite sure what happened or who he is. Gray Buffalo, chief of the Blackfoot Nation, accepts Jeff into the tribe and christens him Bearkiller for his bravery in mortally wounding the great grizzly.

Bearkiller becomes a brave Blackfoot warrior, adored by the people of his village and despised and feared by the Crow, the Shoshone, and other enemy tribes who seek to kill him and regain the honor he has stolen from them along with their horses and weapons.

Will Jeff ever make it back to his own time? And if he does, will he remember Bearkiller and all his coups or will he think them only the dreams of a delirious mind?

Stephens shows his strength in creating adventure stories that draw the reader in with Bearkiller, his first novel. Similiar in some ways to his novel, Death Rider, the reader explores Jeff's past life as a Blackfoot warrior. This helps to give insight into Jeff's actions and instincts in HALO--which is a big bonus.

Non-stop action fill the pages of Bearkiller, making it a book that you will never want to put down until you have read the last word. Stephens's research of Indian customs is evident throughout and his descriptions allow the reader to experience everything right alongside Bearkiller/Jeff. In addition, Gray Buffalo, Smiling Otter, Sweet Water, and Morning Star become memorable, real characters whose lives captivate the reader.

Fans of western adventure stories and those interested in exploring past lives and Indian customs will find much to enjoy in Bearkiller.


Title: Bearkiller
Author: D. J. Stephens
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
ISBN: 0-7414-4966-8
U.S. Price: $16.95

HALO by D. J. Stephens--Book Review

An edge of your seat military action novel awaits you in HALO by D.J. Stephens.

After completing his training as an Airborne Ranger, young Jeffrey Barkil is recruited by the CIA to run secret missions in Southeast Asia between 1958 and 1961. Now a hired assassin--even though officially he and his Operations don't exist--Jeff must come to terms with his new role and fight to stay alive. With each new mission, the stakes rise and the danger increases. When asked to lead a team into Muong Nhie to capture a Chinese General, Jeff is determined that everyone will make it home!

Just like D. J. Stephens's book, Death Rider--which we reviewed here--HALO is filled with action. Stephens is a master when it comes to creating an edge of your seat story. But unlike Death Rider, I never felt I knew who Jeff Barkil was and why he did what he did. There is little backstory and so few pages dedicated to Jeff's down time that I only saw him as this killing machine. I never really knew what motivated him to hook up with the CIA and be so good at his job that he garnered the name "Death Dealer".

Stephens's military knowledge and experience is obvious from the outset and draws the reader into the story immediately. The reader feels the spider crawling up Jeff's legs, holds her breathe when Jeff gets ready to pull the trigger, and gets out of breath as Jeff races toward the Landing Zone. Keeping in mind that I have read very few military novels, the descriptions of what happened each time Jeff landed into his Drop Zone--or missed it--seemed a bit redundant after a while.

The late introduction of Sergeant Riley, who befriends Jeff then disappears from the scene and is never heard from again is a bit annoying, but the relationship between Jeff and Kelly and the dramatic scene between them at the end is definitely the stuff good books are made of.

Overall, I enjoyed HALO and would like to see Jeff back in action again. If you're looking for a book filled with military action, especially surrounding the early Vietnam War years, you'll want to read HALO.

Death Rider by D.J. Stephens--Book Review

Action-packed and filled with suspense, Death Rider by D.J. Stephens is a sure winner for historical western fans.

Brodie Jones sees his future and all his dreams dashed when an Apache war party descimates the Santiago hacienda and massacres the entire family, including Brodie's wife to be, Maria. With nothing left to live for and hell bent on revenge, the mountain man tracks the Apache warriors from Taos to Mexico and back again. After killing most of the war party, Brodie continues to track the remaining eight Apache warriors, only to find them ambushed and killed by scalp hunters. Now adrift and without a mission, Brodie wonders what he should do next. When a strange event finds him in the position of protecting the Apaches, Brodie's life is changed forever.

This is the first historical western I had read in a long time and the first novel by D.J. Stephens I had picked up. For all his toughness, Brodie is a sympathetic character whose entire life is turned upside down by the brutal murder of the Santiago family. Stephens explores through recurrent nightmares and dreams the depth of Brodie's pain and suffering. But Brodie isn't a man to be messed with. He savagely murders those responsible for the deaths of the Santiago family. Stephens' attention to detail brings this story to life and reminds the reader of the dangerous times in which Brodie lived.

The cover art is beautifully done. The rider on his horse looking out over the terrain as the storm clouds roll in is both striking and symbolic.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from D.J. Stephens.


Title: Death Rider
Author: D. J. Stephens
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
ISBN: 0-7414-4550-6
U.S. Price: $11.95