"For Dan Killoe, leading a cattle drive across harsh wilderness newly won in the war with Mexico meant a chance to prove himself to his father and his friends. It also meant riding alongside the man who had been like an older brother to him, a charismatic gunman named Tap Henry. But there was a lot about Tap that Dan didn't know. Through miles of dust, nights under the stars, and a battle with the Comanches, they would ride together, until Tap revealed...

"Majestically it rose from the icy waters, the gateway to the awesome wilderness of Alaska. Sitka drew all brand of adventurers, con men, criminals, and pioneers--men such as trail-tough, battle-hardened Jean LaBarge. He left the swamps of the Susquehanna behind for the rugged beauty--and deadly challenges--of this frozen frontier. But the empire-hungry Russians had already established a foothold in Sitka, and they wouldn't give it up without a fierce...

Left to die by his vengeful grandfather, rescued by outlaws, and raised by Native Americans, Johannes Verne is strengthened by his love for two women and his ambition to survive on the Palm Springs desert.