American Shaman, Book 1

American Shaman, Book One is an acutely written page-turner for those who grew up reading about magic but then grew up -- now they are looking for a more real magic. American Shaman, Book 1 draws upon the ancient stories of the world's oldest religion, shamanism, to tell the story of Geser, a trainee shaman who must undergo the third and final trial to become a full-fledged shaman. His tutor is the owl-spirit Icci. His friends and allies include the beautiful Alma Mergen, a junkie who Geser saves from addiction, Steve, a young, enthusiastic skatepunk who never learned fear, and Verdad, the conguero leader of Geser's drum circle. The central conflict is between young Geser and his boss Raven, leader of a car theft ring. But the real conflict is within Geser himself, who must decide whether he wants to be a white shaman, who deals only with Spirit Ground and cannot heal, or a Black Shaman, who reconciles Spirit and Human Ground in order to heal the sick. The book incorporates imaginative graphics that include photos, contemporary illustrations and ancient Siberian drum paintings -- a book that doesn't feel like a book.