The Hunted Tribe: Book 1: Declaration of War

The War has Begun... Deep in the North American forests lurks an animal spirit known as the Grishla. The Grishla is so ancient it pre-dates the human race by several million years, and it is so powerful and reclusive only very insightful witches know of its existence. Five hundred years ago, the Dwanake tribe possessed such witches. Drunk on their own power and arrogance, these witches attempted to enslave the Grishla. Enraged, the creature began hunting and killing the Dwanake. Desperate, the tribal elders ordered experiments on the Dwanake children to create the ultimate witch to defend their people. Sixteen-year-old Sean Wolf is that witch. But Sean is so powerful that he cannot control his own magic. Will he be able to defeat the Grishla or will he destroy himself and everyone that he loves?

a monster that has taken the form of a ravenous and intelligent dinosaur. The story works, however incredible, because the characters are so well developed andgenuinely likable (or hate-able, if the situation calls for it). You immediately get drawn intoRoma's imagination. You forget the fantasy and plunge headlong into the story. It is convincingand engaging. In the story, our hero Sean is a born loser. He is picked on by everyone (includinghimself) for just about everything. It's him against the world, or so he believes, but it is actuallymuch worse than that. It is him against the world, a monster, and a curse, to boot. But he isn't totally alone in the endeavor. Sean has an ally in his grandmother and anunlikely friend and kindred spirit named Jimmy (as well as a rag-tag group of other young men.).The underdogs set out to face an impossible situation and restore order from a self-imposedfamily curse. If you mess with a bull, you get the horns. If you mess with a Grishla...you getthe, well, you get the idea. Some parts resemble Stephen King's It in a coming-of-age sense. Don't let that fool you,though. It is uniquely Roma Gray. Her style envelops the reader in her vision. Conflict is woven masterfully throughout the story, making tension deliciously palpable.This is not just the main fight with the curse, it is also interpersonal and even intrapersonal. Theresult is well-rounded and dynamic characters. The book is fraught with them. The denouement of the story is sure to both confound and make readers reel withdisbelief. Without giving anything away, it leaves the reader wanting more while they try tocope with what just happened. Truly a wonderful novel in what I hope to be a series of them.Enjoy the path to darkness, but be warned - it just may consume you! - Brian James Lane, author of the "Fright Feast" series

"Gray delivers suspense throughout...the exposition also offers engaging character development." I had the happy experience of first reading Roma Gray's stories when I came across hercollection Gray Shadows under a Harvest Moon: Six Trick-or-Treat Thrillers. I had notproceeded far into the tales before I knew I was in the hands of a deft, capable storyteller with aknack for bringing normal, everyday people into contact with unique terrors that forever changetheir perspectives on life. In Gray Shadows under a Harvest Moon, one of my favorite of these six tales is SummerVacation. This story establishes the foundation for The Hunted Tribe. I was so intrigued by the story that I contacted Roma Gray and volunteered to serve as abeta reader. This commitment led to many delightful hours as I read the manuscript of TheHunted Tribe: Declaration of War. Any discussion of The Hunted Tribe must start with a brief relation of that horrible-wonderful monstrosity, the Grishla! You will never meet its likes again, at least I hope not. TheGrishla is a mighty entity, half-demon, half flesh-and-blood carnivore that has somehowsurvived through the eons from almost unimaginable antiquity to modern times. The Grishladoes not take kindly to interference or insults from that presumptuous race of upstarts calledhuman beings. And the Grishla never, ever forgets a grudge. For five hundred years, the Grishla has mercilessly pursued and slaughtered everymember of the Dwanake Tribe that it can sink its claws into. The scattered remnants of this oncepowerful tribe must resort to hiding their identities and subterfuge to avoid the relentless nemesisthat is pursuing them. Knowing that the final outcome must be the extinction of the tribe, theTrebors, or tribal magicians, decide to make one desperate last stand. They pool their resourcesand occult knowledge to create an Ultra-Witch whose supernatural powers will exceed eventhose of the Grishla. Enter Elizabeth Wolf and her grandson Sean, who has been banished to Elizabeth's homeon Elk Island within the Washington State San Juan Island chain. Sean's religious fanatic of amother suspects him of practicing witchcraft against the family in their New York City home.Grandmother Elizabeth provides the only place of refuge for him. Sean, The Hunted Tribe's viewpoint character, seems like a harmless teenager whoseself-esteem has been shattered by his traumatic upbringing and the hatred of his mother.Grandmother Elizabeth is an eccentric, charismatic family matriarch whose perception of realitydiffers from that of those around her. She is a central figure in the last, desperate stand theDwanakes have decided to take against the marauding Grishla. As Sean acclimates to his newisland home, the tribal Trebors are dying horrible deaths in locations ever closer to Elk Island.The Grishla is on the move! What role will Sean play in the upcoming showdown with the Grishla? Where is theUltra-Witch who it was hoped will even the odds? Will the odd group of friends that Sean hasassembled during his stay on Elk Island--some of them even needier and more emotionallydamaged than Sean is himself―be an asset or a liability when the Grishla strikes? I won't play the spoiler for this unique horror story. I turn it over to you the reader, tojoin Elizabeth and Sean and his friends on Elk Island, to prepare for the onslaught of theGrishla--if you dare! Meanwhile, I happily anticipate embarking on the other suspenseful journeys that RomaGray is preparing for us, as she writes the stories whose roots may be found in Gray Shadowsunder a Harvest Moon. Fasten your seatbelts; there are a lot of great adventures ahead! - G Zimmerman, author of "Verdure" and "Queen of Bones"  Start with a generous dollop of Andre Norton  Fold in several heaping cups of J.K. Rowling  Season with H.P. Lovecraft (to taste)  Knead in engaging characters  Bake in a riveting plotline  Serve with a chill While this may not be on par with something a Trebor from the Dwanake tribe may cast,it is a spell that is steeped in the sensational. It is the formula for fantasy. An incantation forexhilaration. The magic is Roma's The Hunted Tribe: Declaration of War, and it is spellbinding. Roma's adventure is the unveiling of Sean's tale, an unwitting witch pitted against anunspeakable evil in from time immemorial. Sean comes from a long line of cursed tribesmenwho have cast a spell on him to transform him into the ultimate witch--the only thing that cancombat the Grishla

About the Author

Roma Gray is the author of five novels and numerous short stories. She lives in Oregon in a haunted house with two black cats, a chihuahua and a parrot

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