First published 1992
Timov and Hamr stand at the edge of survival. Their people are gone, wiped out, leaving only these two to face a hostile world. A new tribe offers sanctuary, but acceptance comes with a deadly price. The survivors must track down and kill the ghost dancer, a brutal Neanderthal who stalks the tribal lands. This creature has murdered their hunters and terrorized their families for too long. The tribe demands proof of courage before they will accept outsiders into their circle. Timov and Hamr take up the hunt, knowing failure means exile and certain death in the wilderness. The ghost dancer moves like a phantom through familiar territory, using ancient cunning against their modern weapons. Each encounter brings them closer to understanding their quarry's savage intelligence. The hunt becomes a test not just of skill, but of what it means to belong somewhere when everything you once knew has been destroyed.
Genres: dystopia, historical-fiction, adventure, fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, outsiders
Setting: Tribal Lands
Period: Ancient
480 pages · Paperback · HarperCollins
Content warnings: violence