In this tragic and moving novella, Brown (Stupid Sh*t We Did in College) taps into the seldom-explored Seminole Indian rebellion in antebellum Florida. Topher and his wife, Mercy, escape the plantation where they are enslaved along with Topher’s brother, Skibby, during the rebellion. Mercy is soon killed by gunfire from the master’s posse, who drive the brothers into Seminole territory. There, the warrior Ghost Bear rescues the indomitable Skibby after he is shot by one of the horsemen. Topher is captured by the master’s men and returned home in chains. Feeling a kindred spirit with the Seminole’s plight (“I know nothing of these people, yet I sense we have much in common”), Skibby becomes a “Black Seminole” warrior. Meanwhile, Topher, whose master claims Skibby was killed by “red savages,” agrees to join the Southern Militia’s Black Regiment to quell the uprising in exchange for his freedom. Brown’s eye for detail creates a lush description of the era. The plot progresses quickly amid harrowing descriptions of rape and beatings on the plantation and peaceful scenes of Seminole village life, leaving missed opportunities for emotional impact. Nevertheless, Brown builds anticipation toward the brothers’ inevitable clash during battle. Readers will eagerly follow the alliance between slaves and Indians in their struggles to be free. (Self-published)