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The Desert Crucible: The Real Sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage Audiobook
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(3.03) - 440 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Zane Grey wrote this splendidly thrilling sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage in 1915, but for almost ninety years it existed in a profoundly censored version.
Young John Shefford, escaping from his troubled past in Illinois, heads west to follow up the curious legend of three people living imprisoned in Utah's isolated Surprise Valley, one of whom is a beautiful girl named Fay Larkin. Shefford, half in love with the girl he's never met, is determined to find the valley and free her—if she's still alive.
Shefford is nearly overwhelmed with his experiences of the beauty of the high desert, his first meetings with Indians, his ideas regarding Mormon men and their secret wives, and his encounter with real love, all of which work their changes in him. He comes out a man made true and good, finally freed from the shame he has harbored for so long.
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""Yes. He wanted to stay, and I had work there that'll keep him awhile. Shefford, we got news of Shadd--bad news. The half-breed's cutting up rough. His gang shot up some Piutes over here across the line. Then he got run out of Durango a few weeks ago for murder. A posse of cowboys trailed him. But he slipped them. He's a fox. You know he was trailing us here. He left the trail, Nas Ta Bega said. I learned at Stonebridge that Shadd is well disposed toward Mormons. It takes the Mormons to handle Indians. Shadd knows of this village and that's why he shunted off our trail. But he might hang down in the pass and wait for us."
— Eddy (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Gough’s distinctive and thoroughly Western voice sets the stage for Grey’s fascinating sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage. These are timeless, articulate stories of the old, untamed Southwest…Gough lovingly reads Grey’s prosaic descriptions of the beauty of the high desert and Navajo culture. His perfectly cadenced reading and accents lend a true storyteller’s dimension to this romantic tale.”
— AudioFile
The Desert Crucible Listener Reviews
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" This is a great easy to read and escape back to the old west book. It is my first Grey book, but I will definitly read his books again. Well written, with a great ability to paint fabulous pictures of the scenery around the characters. The hero of the story learns to survive in the west and discover what he really believes in while saving the woman of his dreams in a very pulp-western way. Great read if you just want to be entertained. "
— Jenylyng, 11/27/2013 -
" Started out ok, with some Abbey like descriptions of the desert. The story plot started out interesting as well. However, about a third of the way through this one got really stale. Descriptions of the land became repetitive, the plot unfolded in painfully predictable fashion, and the protagonist degenerated into hand wringing questioning of his potential relationship with the Sago Lily. This book was fine for the cross-country plane ride I read it on but not one I would go out and buy. If you like Zane Grey or Westerns in general you could consider getting it for free on the Kindle but if your time is limited go ahead and skip it. 2 stars after a relatively strong start. "
— Jacob, 11/24/2013 -
" "He beheld what seemed a world that knew only magnitude." "
— Kerry, 10/22/2013 -
" It's not as good as Riders of the Purple Sage, but still interesting and well-written. "
— Lee, 10/17/2013 -
" Sequel to "Riders of the Purple Sage", Grey clearly has issues with Mormons and presents Indians as noble, wise people. Description of the landscape is first rate. The story is melodramatic. "
— David, 10/13/2013 -
" It is a great book "
— Chris, 8/17/2013 -
" Enjoyed this book alot. Enjoy westerns alot. "
— Sandra, 2/17/2013 -
" This is a wonderful story. I listened to it on Audible.com and the reader compounded the book close to greatness. "
— Benedict, 10/15/2012 -
" A re-read for me. I haven't read it in years but it was as good as I remember. I have always enjoyed Zane Grey's writting. This is one of my two favs of his. "
— Audrey, 9/3/2012 -
" The Rainbow Trail, a Romance by Zane Grey (1943) "
— Mandy, 7/16/2012 -
" rescued mormon sealed wives and statuesque-stereotyped navajos, what more could a girl want from a pulp western "
— Britton, 7/3/2012 -
" The entertaining sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage. I loved it. "
— Rae, 2/9/2012 -
" If you wanted to know more about what those Mormons got up to in the wild wild west this is your book. "
— Jacqueline, 12/22/2011 -
" Zane Grey... need I say more?!? A must read, especially if you are from Utah! I don't know how many times I have read this book! It is just amazing! Make sure you read Riders of the Purple Sage first! "
— Carol, 11/29/2011 -
" ZANE Grey is always a good read. "
— Timm, 8/11/2011 -
" This is my favorite book of the Western genre. The visualization of the country is spectacular. The reading by Jim Gough is 10 on a scale of 10 and truly communicates the beauty of the story itself. Highly recommended. "
— Benedict, 3/26/2011 -
" This is my favorite book of the Western genre. The visualization of the country is spectacular. The reading by Jim Gough is 10 on a scale of 10 and truly communicates the beauty of the story itself. Highly recommended. "
— Benedict, 3/3/2011
About Zane Grey
Zane Grey® (1872–1939), born in Ohio, was practicing dentistry in New York when he and his wife published his first novel. Grey presented the West as a moral battleground in which his characters are destroyed because of their inability to change or are redeemed through a final confrontation with their past. The man whose name is synonymous with Westerns made his first trip west in 1907 at age thirty-five. More than 130 films have been based on his work.
About Jim Gough
Jim Gough’s distinctive voice is well known in the Southwest through his hundreds of commercials and radio shows. He has also appeared in such feature films as Urban Cowboy, Places in the Heart, and JFK. A native of Austin, Texas, he can also be found entertaining with his western swing band, the Cosmopolitan Cowboys.