It Wakes in Me

According to the tradition of the Black Falcon People, each person has three souls: the eye soul, which stays with the body forever, the shadow-soul, where all evil is leeched and shed at death, and the reflection-soul, which lives on among the Blessed in the Land of the Dead, pure and clean. But on rare occasions, a shadow-soul can sneak into a living person's body to commit hideous crimes.

Sora, the High Chieftess from the Black Falcon Nation, has been plagued with blackouts and fits since her seventh winter. As her world went dark, two gleaming eyes burned to life inside her. She named these occurrences the Midnight Fox, and remembered nothing after them. Now accusations are being made against her by rival clans. She has been accused of seven murders, including the murder of her friend and Loon People War Chief, Skinner. With villages rallying against her, and plagued with this terrible spirit illness, she looks for healing of her soul and mind, the strength to lead her people, and the courage to save her own life.

“Once again, Kathleen O'Neal Gear has brought alive with extraordinary vividness and realism the lives of the first Americans in her splendid novel, It Wakes in Me. I read this dramatic and haunting novel in one sitting. Gear is more effective than any time-machine in transporting the reader back to the vast, beautiful, and unspoiled world of prehistoric North America.” —Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling author of Tyrannosaur Canyon

“A tale of sinister passions . . . Suspenseful . . Darkly erotic . . . Spicy.” —Romantic Times Book Club Magazine on It Sleeps in Me

“Readers will appreciate the strong female characters and the powerful role women play in the intriguing world of the Black Falcon nation.” —Juliet Marillier

“Extraordinary....Colorfully integrates authentic archaelogical and anthropological details with a captivating story replete with romance, intrigue, mayhem and a nail-biting climax.” —Library Journal on People of the Owl

“Gripping plot, lots of action, well-developed characters, and a wealth of authentic historical facts.” —Booklist on People of the Masks

“Simple prose brightened by atmospheric detail sweep this fluid, suspenseful mix of anthropological research and character-driven mystery to a solid, satisfying resolution.” —Publishers Weekly on People of the Mist