Western Colors: The Rainbow Trail, Riders of the Purple Sage, Desert Gold

What you have here is without argument the greatest western ever written in Riders of the Purple Sage; along with its sequel, The Rainbow Trail. Desert Gold starts a little slow but after the prologue takes off like a bullet and races its way across the desert border country between the U S and Mexico. The hero, Dick Gale, a transplanted easterner, soon finds himself engaged in the border war between the US and Mexico. Set in contemporary times, at least when it was written, it detailed the troubles along the border at that time--events appearing in the newspapers on a daily basis. Along the way, you will meet one of ZG's greatest Indian heroes, Yacqi, and one of his vilest of villains,the Mexican Rojas. And the fight scene between the two is more than a classic; it's one never to be forgotten, nor repeated by any writer at any time. There is a secret which must be revealed as well, which affects the life of Nell Belding, and her relationship with Dick. What can one say about "Riders of the Purple Sage"? For as long as man has dreamed of the west, he has written about it or sought it out for himself. Yes, James Fennimore Cooper wrote about the "west". There were the Dime Novels and the Penny Dreadfuls of the 1800's written by such as Ned Buntline. Then an Eastener named Owen Wister created a character called "The Virginian" and Zane Grey had already written "Heritage of the Desert" but "Riders of the Purple Sage" would immortalize both the author and the genre of "westerns". From then on every "western" would be compared to this one. The ironic part is: Zane Grey never considered them to be "westerns"; they were romances, romantic adventures, romantic novels. The Rainbow Trail brings closure to the novel Riders of the Purple Sage. It answers the question, What happened to Jane and Lassiter? But more importantly, it opens up a new series of events and characters that a reader can identify with and become emotionally involved with. Zane Grey knew how to get the reader hooked and then keep him on the line to the finish, just like he knew how to fish for world record sharks in the ocean. With the back drop being the desert and plateau and canyon country of Utah and Arizona which Zane Grey could so vividly and memorable describe in words no other author has managed to emulate, he tells a story so unique and compelling that I am sure when it was published no one could resist to read it, especially since it brought Riders to a conclusion. A defrocked minister comes west after hearing the story of Fay Larkin, and Jane and Lassiter, from two of his parishioners and decides to hunt for them, and in so doing find himself and his God. The twists and turns he faces in his search make for good mystery and good romance. For sheer excitement and romance and history, buy this book for yourself and have an enjoyable time getting lost in Zane Grey's West.