Synopsis, purchasing info, and reviews of A Rare and Dangerous Beast, by me!
Synopsis
When Anatoly Lukyanov arrives in the U.S. during the California Gold Rush, he is just a wide-eyed, idealistic Russian/Buriat kid, in love with the idea, and ideals, of America. Soon, he finds work he loves as a cowboy, along with a new American name: Nate Luck. Over the next forty years, Nate experiences both the best and the worst that America has to offer – as a cowboy, a soldier, an adopted member of the Nez Perce tribe, a deputy sheriff, and a prisoner awaiting trial for murder. Through it all, he fights for freedom and justice alongside, or against, iconic Westerners like Colonel John Chivington, Captain Silas Soule, Chief Black Kettle, Chief Joseph, Yellow Wolf, General Oliver O. Howard, Nate Champion, Tom Horn, and many others.
Nate’s story is one of love and heartbreak, triumph and tragedy, high adventure and darkest horror, but even when things are darkest, Nate never loses his dedication to the American ideals of freedom, justice, and equality under the law.
Reviews viewable below purchase info.
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Reviews:
Note: Some reviews were done using the working title, To Be Free: The Life and Times of Nate Luck. The only thing that has changed is the title.
IndieReader Pro review:
TITLE: TO BE FREE (The Life and Times of Nate Luck)
AUTHOR: Lloyd Mullins
RATING: 4.8 stars (out of 5)
Half-Russian, half-Mongolian Nate Luck immigrates to America in 1854 and spends the next forty years seeking a path to social justice—a path soaked in the blood of the Black and Native Americans he calls family and friends.
In Lloyd Mullins’s historical novel TO BE FREE (The Life and Times of Nate Luck), a half-Russian, half-Mongolian young man immigrates to America in 1854 in the search for freedom from the confining pressures of his home. Anatoly Mikhailovich Lukyanov, now called Nate Luck, is often mistaken as Chinese, but he soon finds solace in work as a cowhand (calling himself a cowboy) with the help of his newfound friends Jack and Dave. Steered by his moral compass, when the Civil War breaks out, Nate fights for the Union to help end slavery, after which time he spends over a decade among Native Americans, marrying and having children with a wonderful woman named Coming Together. Gruesome and traumatic experiences later turn his new life upside down, but Nate continues to be consumed by thoughts of justice. His unique perspective and his lifelong theme of social justice lead to an ironic yet cathartic conclusion—if the ending is abrupt—with profound implications.
Each chapter is a self-contained scene describing a specific event Nate endures, sandwiched by wisdom he learns on that adventure. The introduction paragraph to each chapter is usually ominous and foreboding, as when Nate offers foreshadowing on the dangers of nicknames, while the conclusion is typically insightful—for instance, this follows a tense scene where character suggest names to tell three men named Dave apart: “Always beware a man who changes his own name, no matter what position he may hold. He is not to be trusted.” While each chapter is a self-contained scene, the chapters build on one another to progress the story forward at a steady pace propelled by character relationships and Nate’s personal ambitions. Nate is a moral man, driven to act in ways he feels are “right” and “responsible,” though he is often led astray by material distractions, like lust and money and revenge, which makes him both a likable and a relatable hero.
The book’s historical setting is masterfully cultivated, not only with era-appropriate content but also with dialogue that feels true to the time period. While most of the characters’ beliefs and values are products of their time, Nate and his friends tend to be more liberal, showing how social progress was made at the time. For instance, Nate is an avid reader of philosophy and shares his books and knowledge with Dave, who is a freed slave, but Nate often butts heads over this with Jack, who is fiercely loyal to Dave and aims to protect him from the dangers of white men who would kill a black man who knows how to read. Other minor characters, like Nate’s tenacious wife Coming Together, have full, lush personalities that challenge Nate’s beliefs and influence the plot while successfully respecting their individuality. While the book’s major antagonist at times feels one-dimensionally evil, most characters remain dynamic and complex. The traumas of Black and Native Americans are approached with tact and powerful empathy.
IR Verdict: With many moving parts and taking place over several decades, Lloyd Mullins’s TO BE FREE is a sweeping historical novel populated by richly complex characters about a man’s search for justice in a world rife with violence and discrimination. – IndieReader
To Be Free Review (review by D.K. Marley, CEO Historical Fiction Company)
To be Free is a biographical novel about Nate Luck, a Russian of Mongolian descent who immigrated to the United States in the 19th century. Luck’s Russian name was Anatoly Mikhailovich Lukyanov. The novel begins with his childhood in Russia, follows him through his journey across the Pacific, his time as a cowhand and Civil War soldier, his joining Native American tribes, and a legal officer. It opens with an editor’s note, which states one of the book’s most interesting features. Lloyd Mullens, the author, explains that he discovered Lukyanov/Lake’s unpublished memoir manuscript within a trunk his friend purchased. Mr. Mullens then says that he left most of the memoir intact, primarily editing the language common in the 19th century but offensive in the 21st. Other clues imply a modern hand had a larger role in shaping this novel. It contains direct, post-Hemingway prose that would have been uncommon for a writer in the 1890s. It also has an extensive bibliography of sources at the back, and most of all, contains modern conceptions about marginalized communities. For example, here is a quote from Esme, one of Luck’s primary love interests, about relying on men:
“There’s not a woman in this world that’s safe, and a woman who counts on a man to make her feel safe is a fool. Besides, anything I can’t handle with this, Samson’ll take care of.”
Samson was Esme’s pimp/club owner. Similarly, here’s a quote from a Native American chief justifying his people’s actions against white American encroachment:
“Enough!” Wolf Chief who interrupted, “You call us savages! We fight yes, to protect what is ours! Who wouldn’t? But you ve’ho’e who come here to take everything and leave us nothing — you call yourselves civilized! You bring nothing but disease and death and destruction, and all in the name of your Jesus Christ.
“I was there,” he continued, “when your soldier chief Eayre attacked our village at Ash Creek. Lean Bear rode out to greet them with your president’s paper in his hand, your president’s medal on his chest. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he told us, ‘The soldiers are our friends.’ The soldiers shot him down and kept shooting his body as they rode over it.”
All of these elements lead To be Free to read like a modern composition. If the Editor’s Note is accurate, and the document was minimally edited, Mr. Mullens made a remarkable find and readers of biographical fiction have an exciting new entry into the genre. Like some other biographical novels, To Be Free acts as a fictional memoir. Unlike some of those contemporaries, (such as Marguerite Yourcenar’s Memoirs of Hadrian) it reads more like a first person novel than a memoir. The novel is largely dialogue driven, much of it excellently written, and each character possesses a unique voice.
The novel’s main theme is finding a place in American society as an outsider. Lukyanov flees Russia under the threat of violence and holds an idealistic view of the US, largely due to his Enlightenment-infused father. He quickly learns that his Asian features result in discrimination from his new countrymen, his first step toward cynicism. His Enlightenment views lead him to critique America’s hypocrisy on slavery, including this interesting exchange about American slavery and Russian serfdom:
Dave sat deep in thought for a while and then said, “You Russians sure done us one better.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well here at least, a slave’s free when he dies. You boys have figured out how to keep him in chains and make money off him even when he’s dead.”
Much of the plot also deals with US-Native relations, which contributes to Lukyanov/Lake’s disenchantment with his adopted country. He lives among them multiple times, once infiltrating a tribe as part of an Army assignment and once joining from genuine choice. Each time culminates in witnessing the Army’s brutality toward Natives. Lake’s outsider perspective allows him to see 19th century America more objectively than its natural-born citizens. By the novel’s end, he views much of American society as a corrupt sham, and no longer blames his enemies for their behavior, but society’s incentives. The end result is a tragedy of sorts. This means that To be Free shares themes with two of America’s greatest artistic works, The Godfather and The Great Gatsby. The first implied that assimilating into mainstream American society was impossible, the second made a similar statement about fulfilling the American dream. Lake’s commentary fits along similar lines.
Most stories prioritize either their plot or their characters. Biographical fiction generally falls into the latter camp, with much of the genre serving as character studies for their respective subjects. To Be Free does an unusually good job at balancing both. Its adventurous plot of voyage, cowboys, wars, Native Americans, love, rivalry, and corruption will keep most readers hooked through what is admittedly a long narrative. But Lake discusses his view of himself and the world, building a compelling psychological portrait. He discusses his support for the Enlightenment, his love of novels, his skills at language and in horseback riding, and his thoughts on Manifest Destiny, on killing during war, and on what makes a good life. Each chapter opens with a fragment about its theme, which is a nice touch and gives additional insight into Lake’s mind and beliefs. One of this reviewer’s favorite quotes was the following:
It was funny, but then I thought about “Blessed are the peacemakers.” In my experience, all too often, the peacemakers pay the price for all of us. Look at Jesus. Or Black Kettle. The world would be a whole lot better off if we’d listen to men like them rather than kill them because they’re inconvenient.
Side characters, such as Esme, a love interest, and Bill Morrow, Lake’s rival, also receive thoughtful character analysis that produces important character arcs. The romantic and conflict driven plot-lines help ensure a well-rounded narrative that will appeal to most readers.
In conclusion, To Be Free balances the different aspects of storytelling better than most novels. It contains an exciting plot and thoughtful characters, good dialogue and descriptions, conflict and romance, social commentary that is forward looking and doesn’t overwhelm the narrative, and even functions as both a biographical novel and a memoir. It is highly recommended for fans of creative nonfiction (biographical fiction) and westerns.
“To Be Free” by Lloyd Mullins receives five stars and the “Highly Recommended” award of excellence from The Historical Fiction Company
Screencraft Cinematic Book Competition
TO BE FREE tells the action-packed, vivid story of Nate Luck, a Russian-Buriat immigrant to
America during the heyday of the “wild west.” As a rancher, a soldier, and a father, he transforms effectively from a starry-eyed, adventure-craving idealist to a disillusioned but still principled American in every sense of the word. The characters, plot and structure are all there to make this a dynamic feature or limited series, and the storytelling should be noted as a standout. . . .
Nate Luck is a captivating protagonist, driving the action forward with his impulsive love of life, fighting spirit, as well as sunshiny optimism. Whether he’s defending someone outside a brothel or battling the love of his life, Esme, the plot hinges on his action and his character. He also is a unique protagonist in terms of his heritage, and the specificity that brings to him navigating The West is truly wonderful. His strength as a horse-rider due to his Mongolian grandfather and mother, his resistance to being seen as anything other than independent, they are ripe for bumping up against this classic American setting. How he transforms into someone who seems the cracks in the shiny marquee of The American Dream are
all the more heartbreaking for the great spirit he brings to fulfilling it.
The women characters are also refreshingly vital and active, which is all to rare in male-dominated genres and historical stories. From the engaging way Nate’s mother is described to the feisty Esme, there would unquestionably be desirable parts for actors of many different genders, ages, and ethnicities. This diversity is a definite plus, but all the more so because it doesn’t feel on-the-nose, but rather — simply — earned and factual.
Speaking of factual, the historical research . . . add so much (seeming, at least) authenticity, whether talking about the cargo laborers traveling on credit-tickets to the differences between the Cheyenne and the Nez Perce tribes. While at times the line between reality and fiction is blurred, much like in the novel of The Princess Bride by William Goldman, this only serves to plunge us deeper into the story and is effective. My only caveat would be that some of the racial realities of the time, even if they are grounded, can be a tough pill to swallow. For instance, Nate’s reaction to the Chinese as an “inherited prejudice” may shut down some readers, even if he very quickly realizes the error of his ways in America. . . .
One quick thematic note: I really like the idea presented that, because Nate has a wealth of
memories to “draw on and remember,” that he can live as a “King of Infinite Space.” This poetic
counter to the ravenous demands of Manifest Destiny elevates the story into the arena of the best-themed Westerns, like NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, TRUE GRIT or UNFORGIVEN. Overall, this is a highly readable story that has the action-oriented, visual elements to translate well to the screen. – Screencraft Cinematic Book Competition
Beth’s Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble Review:
A Rare and Dangerous Beast introduces the reader to Nate Luck, a Russian-Buriat immigrant to the American West in the mid 19th century. He comes to the U.S.—like all of those immigrants before him—to make a better life for himself and to weave the fabric of his life with that of his adopted country. Nate carries with him a rich understanding of philosophers like Locke and Mill, his own code of ethics, and a strong sense of adventure.
Nate himself is a compelling character as are those who cross his path, whether friend or foe. It is easy to picture him in Colorado or Wyoming or Washington Territory because of the rich description of the landscape and the people living in it. Whether prospector, cowboy, soldier, lawman, or Native American, these feel like real people living real lives.
The novel is an education. Mullins’s careful research and presentation, the use of historical events and characters, offers a reading experience balanced somewhere between a novel like McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove and Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven. Nate’s eyewitness account of historical happenings like the Sand Creek massacre leaves the reader wiser and, perhaps, more horrified, at some of the ugliness at work in the shaping of America.
Though this reader would have loved to see more female characters in the narrative, those who appear within the novel are strong individualists who can hold their own on the brutal frontier and they almost always enhance whatever scene they are in.
This is a richly textured novel that leaves the reader with much to think about re: what it is to be American, to build a country, or to be a decent human. It will appeal to readers who like Westerns, U.S. history, Native American history, and the truth that arises in the very best fiction.
Laverne’s Amazon/Barnes & Noble Review:
5.0 out of 5 stars highly entertaining! Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2024
Meet Nate Luck, the mixed race Buriat-Russian and adoptive American who leads this highly entertaining, tragicomic novel of the westward expansion. Nate describes friends and lovers lost and found; joining the battles of the Nez Perce against encroachment; and picaresque adventures that take the idealistic Nate across the continent. Tenderhearted toward children, progressive in his attitudes toward women, and hilarious with his friends, Nate Luck explains that this is a tale of the “small and the powerless coming out of the woodwork to take a crack at the mighty.” I greatly enjoyed this novel, which has inspired me to learn more about the westward expansion and the Nez Perce. I look forward to reading author Lloyd Mullins’ future novels.
Barbara’s Goodreads Review:
I thought this book was educational and engaging . Nate Lucius and immigrant, complex and drives the narrative…I did not want to put it down.
This book has so many interesting facets, adventure, well constructed characters and events and great depth.
I was engaged from the first page and highly recommend reading this book.
Virgil’s Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble Review:
I Loved This Book!
I give this book 5 stars as the story was a delightful surprise for me, as I’m not typically drawn to Western literature. Mullins masterfully blends historical events with fictional characters, crafting a gripping tale that kept me engaged through every chapter. His skillful storytelling shines through in his creation of those memorable characters, particularly Nate Luck (Anatoly) who undergoes a remarkable journey from wide-eyed Russian immigrant to a resilient cowboy navigating the complexities of the American west. Esmeralda the saloon keeper, fondly nicknamed Esme, adds a layer of depth and emotion to the narrative with her strange role in Nate Luck’s life, culminating in a poignant letter, or more a love note, that resonates long after the final page is turned. Mullins’ ability to defy genre expectations while delivering a “very cool” story makes A Rare and Dangerous Beast a must-read!
Ross’ Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble review:
☆☆☆☆☆5 out of 5 stars.
Great Read!
A truly wonderful tale of American historical fiction featuring a character full of charisma, wit, and intelligence. Nate’s life is told with amazing development of his personal values and personality. Living through many fascinating segments of American history and surviving them all. You will fall in love with this tale and find it hard to put the story down.
Shelley’s Amazon Review:
There is immense value in the telling of stories, but one aspect in particular, I think, stands out, with “A Rare and Dangerous Beast” by Lloyd Mullins: within the context of a story, we can hear the things we need to hear, within the best possible construct for us to grasp them. The exchange of stories gives us a rich world in which we can safely explore those things we wrestle with… or know that we ought to.
As someone who grew up with a deep love of all things historical, I knew a good many facts about American history, and about my ancestors. It wasn’t until late adolescence that I became curious about the world they lived in, the experiences that shaped them, and how those things went on to shape my own worldview. Later still, I discovered history tends to be written by the winners, and that for all I thought I knew, there was a vast world of truth I did not. These were not just facts from a historical ledger, but the stories of fellow human beings who, within their own worldviews and cultural biases, tried to live and love and fight and sort out what was right amidst harsher realities than many of us have ever faced.
And so here, I find myself with a novel, carefully researched and woven upon the backdrop of recorded history, that bravely attempts to flesh out what it would have been to walk in the shoes of one such person. It does so in a way that reads so authentically through rich detail and dialogue that at times I questioned if I’d somehow completely misunderstood the book to be fiction, and that it was, in fact, transcribed mostly verbatim from the journal of Russian-Buriat immigrant Anatoly Lukyanov (protagonist “Nate Luck”), as found in a dusty old trunk in Huachuca City, Arizona.
Many works of fiction have inspired me; a few have even influenced my thinking. But this novel in particular feels like an important work of actual historical significance, rather than something cobbled together and churned out to fit a formula for its genre. It is not a heavy book in terms of its flow; following the protagonist’s adventures is easy to get caught up in, with that draw that I love in all my favorite stories: “Maybe just one more chapter,” repeated over and over until I’ve lost half a night of sleep. The characters have good depth and are well-developed; I found myself celebrating their joys and grieving their heartbreak. While it wasn’t heavy to read, however, “A Rare and Dangerous Beast” is weighty — there were moments in the book that frankly gutted me — and it uses a weaving of real history and the human experience to bring to light things that we as people, and Americans in particular, need to consider. I believe it does so masterfully within Luck’s story, as Mullins has created through this novel.
If you’re just wanting to read a good, western fiction with an authentic feel steeped in history, or to simply get caught up in an enthralling story, you will certainly find it in Nate Luck’s adventures, from his first days of being a hopeful youth coming to America in the mid-19th century and recounting the events that set him on that path, through his life as a cowboy, soldier, lawman, adopted member of the Nez Perce tribe, and finally, a man on trial for convicted murder. But despite its historical setting, I believe readers will find the novel resonates well with the kinds of topics we navigate today, and courageously and carefully handles parts of our past (and perhaps present) that we are less than proud of. There are nuggets of wisdom throughout the novel that I found myself jotting down for consideration, and historical events and characters contained in its pages that prompt me to do more research. Thankfully, the author provides some great resources to do just that.
A book that not only takes you on an adventure, but expands your horizons and gives you room to grow right along with its characters is a rare book indeed, and I can’t recommend this one highly enough. Lloyd Mullins is a gifted storyteller, so you won’t go wrong in listening to his telling of Nate Luck’s story in “A Rare and Dangerous Beast.”
Reese’s Amazon Review
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating western and character studyReviewed in the United States on October 10, 2024
Fascinating tale about the life of a Russian immigrant who comes to America and spends his life in the West during that period before and after the Civil War, which includes the chasing out and essential extermination of the Native Americans.
The narrator and main character is Nate, a fictional character inserted by the author into many true events and interacts with many real-life characters. I don’t have the knowledge to know how accurate these stories are, but my sense is that the author did significant research and that these events are probably accurately depicted. In that respect, this book provides a great history lesson of much that happened during this period. The four main sections of the book are entitled Cowboy, Soldier, Indian, and Lawman, so Nate spans a long lifetime and experiences a wide range of roles.
Probably the most disturbing element of history in this book is just the appalling and savage way that the Native Americans were treated by the U.S. Calvary and government. If you are an American and maintain a rosy view of the righteousness of American expansion, you might prepare yourself for an internal battle at the realization of just how deep were the crimes that enable you to live the life that you are living.
In addition to being a compelling glimpse into the history of the west, this is also a character study. Nate has close friends and his narration shares many conversations with those friends. In addition, Nate shares his philosophy of life as he grows older. One thing I enjoy is to see an evolving worldview in fictional characters. I want to see characters learn and grow wiser as a story progresses, and I believe we see that in Nate, even amidst significant hardship and pain.
I would recommend this as an engaging and substantial glimpse into the American West, and into one character’s mind and heart during that period.
(One final note. Right at the beginning of the book, there is an ‘editor’s note’ that contains a brief account of the ‘editor’ finding the memoirs of Nate, and using those as the foundation of the book. I initially thought that part was true, but later realized that was part of the narrative. So in my mind, it’s kind of like ‘The Princess Bride’ – it’s a story within a story. In mind mind, the dialog and events of the book are much too detailed to have been recorded by some guy wandering around the West in the adventures described. This bugged me, but I was able to relax once I figured out that the main characters were fictional and not contained in a true memoir – which is clearly stated by the author at the end of the book. I would recommend the reader turns to the very end of the book and reads the author’s note – that the main characters are fiction. )
Michael’s GoodReads review:
December 3, 2024
Excellent. I wasn’t sure as I started the narrative, but soon found myself captivated by the main character, Nate Luck. As the story winds from Russia to San Francisco to Colorado to the far northwest and finally settles into Wyoming, this piece of historical fiction (mid to late 1800’s) pushed me through an emotional roller coaster. If you enjoy historical fiction and western tales, give this one a read.
