Bear Claws Reviewed by Readers’ Favorite

Readers’ Favorite has awarded its Five Star seal to Bear Claws, The Iron Horse Chronicles–Book Two, and has provided the following review by Jack Magnus:

“Bear Claws: The Iron Horse Chronicles, Book Two is a historical coming of age novel written by Robert Lee Murphy. Will Braddock is a member of his uncle’s survey inspection team which is charting the westward expansion of the transcontinental railroad. Fourteen-year-old Will’s been working as the assistant to Homer, the cook. The team has been waiting out a week-long snowstorm that’s made the impact of the strange illness affecting most of them even more devastating. After setting up camp in a sheltered area of Rawlins Springs, just east of the Continental Divide, Will’s Uncle Sean rode out to get medicine and supplies from the Wells Fargo stage station, some fifteen miles away, but he hasn’t yet returned and the sick men need nourishment. Will, as the least affected member of the team, sets out to hunt and bring back a deer or antelope, but finds his hunt is interrupted when he falls into a stream and steps on an abandoned beaver trap.

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Robert Lee Murphy’s historical coming of age novel, Bear Claws: The Iron Horse Chronicles, Book Two, is a fast-paced and exciting adventure story set in the late 1800s. Will Braddock is an engaging and enterprising young adult who takes on a lot of responsibility and succeeds marvelously at what he attempts. Murphy’s tale is impeccably researched and brings the story of the westward expansion of the rails across the Rocky Mountains towards California to life. Along the way, the reader gets to experience the west as it was at that point in time, including the interactions with the native tribes before the reservation system was imposed upon them, and a sense of the unspoiled environment and the wildlife that flourished there. This is the second volume in the series and, while I found that the author included enough background information for me to enjoy it as a stand-alone novel, I’m still planning on reading Eagle Talons, the first book, to more fully experience the series. Bear Claws: The Iron Horse Chronicles, Book Two is highly recommended.”

Readers’ Favorite awarded its Five Star seal to Eagle Talons, The Iron Horse Chronicles–Book One, last year. It is particularly gratifying that Bear Claws, the second book in my trilogy, has received Readers’ Favorite’s top award. You may access the Bear Claws review at this website: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/bear-claws.

Bear Claws: The Iron Horse Chronicles, Book Two, will be released by Five Star Publishing on November 18, 2015. You may read the first three chapters of Bear Claws by going to the Books tab of this website. Bear Claws is available for pre-order at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.