Shadow Bear: Lakota

In 1850 South Dakota, Lakota chief Shadow Bear grieves the deaths of his grandpa and parents killed two moons ago by buffalo hunters. Now his grandmother Dancing Breeze informs him of a vision she just had in which a fire will destroy much of the area; he has the tribe build trenches to save their village while he searches for his missing younger brother Silent Arrow. With the death of their father by an arrow with special feathers, Shiona Bramlett, her younger brother Seth and their mom head east. The siblings leave the stagecoach to go to a cave where their father hid gold. However, they hear shots and return to the coach to find everyone dead with the same type of arrow that killed their father. Seth and Shiona reach the cave where she drinks water that seems okay. Seth looks around only to return with that arrow in his chest; he dies. A fire from lightning saves Shiona's life. Shiona wakes up feeling ill from the water she drank when an Indian arrives with that designer arrow in his shoulder. He directs her in removing it and gives her medicine for her fever before leaving. With the fire out, Shadow Bear finds Shiona and takes her to his village. As Shiona and Shadow Dancer fall in love, she fears the killer is lurking nearby. Though this is the typical; Cassie Edwards' tale starring a noble Indian leader and a pure of heart white female as the lead couple, this is a delightful pairing. Shadow Bear's grandmother adds mysticism to the mix and the rest of the tribe especially his brother and his sister-in-law provide depth. Although the use of Lakota words with English translations is distracting and the villain severely burned in the fire rides a horse, kills people, and abducts the heroine which seems implausible, Ms. Edwards' fans will enjoy her latest Indian romance. Harriet Klausner