Winterfire

Reviewed by Diana Castilleja © 2006

Wild Child Publishing.com © 2006

Title: Winter Fire
Author: Kathy Fischer-Brown
Publisher: Cambridge Books
Genre: Historical Romance
ISBN Number:1-59431-278-8
Release date: July 2006
Author's website: Kathy Fischer-Brown

Zara Grey was a child when she was taken hostage during an Iroquois Indian attack. Over time, she grew to be a respected member of The People, her family. But tragedy would again tear her from a familiar home, and from her husband when her tribal home is attacked by the military.

Homeless after the attacks, she is returned to her uncle, who quickly announces she will wed his son. She is reviled and scorned by many in the white world, and her uncle pushes her until her only chance to avoid being married to the young man is to flee.

Ethan Caine is a recluse, hiding from his past, seared by a deep-seated guilt from his youth that he has never discussed with anyone. A guilt that forced him from his closest family and sister. Yet, when he rescues the young woman, recognition is swift, and self-incrimination is a bitter taste. But he cannot leave her to the posse who has already judged her. Ethan agrees to take her to her grandfather in Albany.

Their journey through the woods and canyons of the northern wilderness is hazardous. Even as they race to find the one man who can possibly save Zara, Ethan cannot deny that he feels for her, an undeniable desire which has been growing from the beginning.

As the winter looms ahead of them, the loss of Zara's grandfather is redeemed by the newfound family in Ethan's sister and their home. Ethan knows he has to put his past to rest and promises he will return in the spring to claim her for his own. Again, tragedy snatches Zara from a loving family. The posse catches up with her and returns her to be tried for her uncle's murder.

But the reprieve granted to Zara is a bargain made with the devil. She must save the very townspeople who have condemned her to death from the same Iroquois tribe who were once her family. When she confronts the leader behind the attack on the small town, she is brought face to face with her believed-to-be-dead husband. To make matters worse, the same warriors have captured Ethan.

Kathy Fischer-Brown has woven a historically articulate story, encompassing the Indian Wars of the mid to late 1700's. While I enjoyed the writing, and lightly enjoyed the story for it's historical content, I found the hero difficult to become truly enamored with, as the reasoning behind his internal struggle was hidden until late in the story. His sense of hopelessness weighed heavily on him as a character until the facts behind his guilt were given in much clearer detail. Zara was a great portrayal of coming from two different worlds, and trying to find a common ground to move forward when there was no way to return to what she had known.

The story itself felt minimal in the middle. The conflicts in the beginning and the ending were apparent, while the middle portion was sedate and less able to keep my attention. The real tension and conflict didn't arise again until Zara was captured by the posse. This happens late in the telling, and is when more emotion and passion infuse the writing. While sexual description, in my mind, is not necessary to make a romance believable, passion and emotion are. I felt this was lacking to a large degree between the two characters because of the large wall of guilt barring Ethan, and his unwillingness to allow his feelings to mature. The appearance of Ethan's "lost love" wasn't built up through his internal struggles, nor did it give any weight to this woman's ability to sway him from his attraction to Zara. I didn't see the same depth from him, so her appearance in the story wasn't believable from Ethan's standpoint. Zara's struggles, however, were fully personalized

Rating: 3 Cats

* * *

To find out more about how to purchase Winter Fire, visit Kathy Fischer-Brown's website.