Customer Reviews

Lakota Surrender

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Quick FYI: This book is the PREQUEL to Proud Wolf's Woman. Read Lakota Surrender first. You will be introduced to main characters for Proud Wolf's Woman, which is also a beautiful love story.

I've read several of Kay's books and this is definitely one of her very best. Whether you've read her work before or not, whether you've loved her work or not in the past... read this one. You'll be swept away.

Kristina, a young and adventurous white woman, is brought to live in an army fort. Her father is an honest and honorable officer, whose job is to keep piece and uphold the laws between the whites and the Indians. He has raised Kristina to be tolerant, and even provided her with an Indian nanny as she grew up. This nanny taught her to speak the universal sign language of all Indian tribes.

Now a young adult, Kristina is asked to act as interpreter for a small band of 3 Indians who claim to seek trading within the fort. But they actually have another purpose...

Tahiska, White Buffalo, is a young Lakota brave of 23. At this early age, he has already earned great honors among his tribe. His peace and happiness are destroyed when his father is murder by drunken soldiers. He vows revenge, traveling with his 2 most devout friends to the white man's fort to seek out the murders. When he arrives there, he meets Kristina.

From their first meeting, Kristina and Tahiska are fascinated by one another. Soon, that fascination becomes attraction, then love. Seeking to honor Kristina, Tahiska brings gifts to her father in the Lakota tradition. Her father accepts them, not realizing that by doing so he is agreeing to allow Tahiska to marry Kristina. Even Kristina is unaware, until after the ceremony is complete. Worried that Tahiska will be killed by angry soldiers if their love is found out, the couple keeps their marriage a secret. Worried that Kritina will not understand the ways of his people, Tahiska keeps his revenge plot from her.

Through acts of bravery, Tahiska proves his love for Kristina many times. He slowly romances her and teaches her the ways of his people, hoping that she will one day agree to live with him in his village. In return, Kristina proves her love by sneaking away from the fort each day to be with him. Throughout the entire story, the couple's love radiates. The love scenes are beautiful and steamy.

I spent a cold winter day indoors with this book. I never wanted to put it down. The story was exciting and heart- warming. What a great day!

From the back cover:

Destiny's dream...

Bored and restless back East, high-spirited Kristina Bogard is thrilled when her cavalry officer father summons her to join him on the Kansas frontier. Since childhood, she has yearned to know the life and people so lovingly described by her Indian nanny. And Kristina has often dreamed of a breathtaking Lakota warrior with flashing dark eyes--unaware that the handsome brave is real...and waiting.

Vision of desire...

A need to avenge his father's murder brings proud Tahiska to the white man's outpost. But one glimpse of Kristina transforms the bold Lakota brave's rage into passionate longing. And though gathering war clouds darken their separate worlds, Tahiska must have this green-eyed beauty as his wife. For they are one, in heart, in body and in spirit--as eternally bound as the stars are to the sky.

And my review:

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I didn't find this book all that amazing. In fact, I didn't even finish it. I am a big fan of Native American romances, so whenever I see something in this genre, I buy it. Maybe I'll have to stop doing that, as it seems that not many authors can do this subject justice.

It says in the back of this book, in the 'about the author' section that this is her first novel. Well, it shows.

First off, the historical detail was vast, and painted a vivid picture of the Lakota. The author had obviously done her research. However, I felt that the love story was sacrificed for the sake of the history. This was one of those stories where the hero and the heroine, without really knowing all that much about each other, look at one another, and BAM, they're in love (and then just as quickly into bed). Well, I want a realistic portrayal of the struggles of falling in love. Love at first sight is just too convenient, and lazy on the part of the author, I think. Is it unreasonable of me to expect actual romance in my romance novel?

A lot of things in this book just didn't make sense, either. For example, Kristina was raised by an Indian nanny. Did this actually happen during the early 1800s? I've never encountered this idea before. I'm not going to say that this was a mistake, as I'm not entirely sure it was, but it just didn't ring true with me. But what really didn't make sense, is why did Kristina's mother, who was a huge bigot, have an Indian woman raise her child? That did not make any sense at all. If you hate Indians, and think that they're savages, why on earth would you let one even come near your daughter, let alone raise her? The author needed Kristina to have been raised by an Indian woman so that her knowledge of Indian sign language, and her nanny's vision that Kristina's future lay with the Lakota could appear in the story, but I don't think that it worked. It seemed like a huge mistake to me.

This story read much like on of Cassie Edward's stories. So if you like her work, then you'll probably like this. If you're like me, and find her work silly, and the romance weak, then you won't like 'Lakota Surrender'.

Tahiska and Kristina, an Indian warrior and a white woman...They fell in love..This is a great story...and my 4th book of Karen Kay...She is a great writer.... I enjoyed reading her books...If you like this one, then you must read her other books... they are GREAT!! =)

Tahiska and Kristina, an Indian warrior and a white woman...They fell in love..This is a great story...and my 4th book of Karen Kay...She is a great writer.... I enjoyed reading her books...If you like this one, then you must read her other books... they are GREAT!! =)

PS: The reviewer from Arcadia, CA is me, I have moved to Norway!

I absolutely adored this book. Tahiska and Kristina have such a beautiful connection that you won't be able to put it down. The emotions in this book will carry you along through a heartwarming romance and terrific story too. I have had this book since it was released and can't wait for the kindle version to be available. I plan to buy it for my kindle because it is a keeper I can re-read. The cover can turn you off, but don't let that get in the way. You must remember the author has no control of that. This is my all time favorite romance in this genre. Some of the heros I have read are an insult to American Indians. This is not. The man has integrity and treats the heroine with respect.

I found this book to be tedious and predictable.While reading it, I found myself skimming the pages to see if the story became a bit more adventurious but to my disapointment, it did not.

A Lokata warrior steps foot into a white man's fort to seek revenge for the death of his father. The warrior speaks no English, and the only interpreter on hand is a young white woman who was raised by an Indian nanny. The two communicate using sign language, and are slowly drawn to each other.

As a person of bicultural heritage, what I appreciated most about this book was that it truly felt like an interracial/intercultural romance. The story dealt with very real world issues impeding their relationship such as society's unacceptance, as well as cultural misunderstandings between the two lovers. It is also sweet to see both making earnest efforts to learn about each other's language and customs.

The love scenes are not the most erotic you will ever encounter, but they are incredibly heartfelt. The hero is sigh-worthy with his loving words and fierce protectiveness. It's hard not to get swept up in the intense passion of the hero and heroine, whose love drives them to defy social taboos to be together. You'll be wanting your own Lakota warrior whispering, "mitawicu (my wife)" into your ear!