Wind Dancer

Riveting Historical

Wind Dancer is a dramatic, pulse-pounding tale woven on the frontier of the American Revolution. This book absolutely pulled me in. Isabelle Renoir and her brother travel across the frontier on a mission to collect books for a priest. What should be a relatively "simple" trip turns into much more. Isabelle meets a scout who can match her spark for spark.

This book is beautifully written with a plot that twists and turns. It has a romance that seems star-crossed yet had me absolutely rooting for the characters even when it looked like there was absolutely no way the pair would get together. And the spiritual thread is directed at the reader's heart in a way that is far from preachy because it is so intricately woven into the plot.

If you like historical romance and want one that is set in a fresh time period and place by an author who can take you there, this is one to buy and read over and over.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Amazing story and incredibly romantic!

Wind Dancer is a pulse-pounding, heart-engaging novel that is hard to put down. In fact, I read it in less than two days. As the reader, you are in the world the author created, and you are part of the characters' lives. You are attacked when they are attacked. You are captive and feel helpless when they are bound with seemingly no way out.

The most powerful scene is when Isabella's brother is tortured and the heroine, Isabella, has to watch. I cannot understand the intense emotions she went through, but the author did a great job at helping you see how someone could almost become crazy with grief. And forgiveness? I can't imagine a time when it would be more difficult to do.

The author sets up an incredible stage for showing the struggle this creates for someone who loves God and longs to serve him, yet comes face to face with indescribable evil and the need to survive. Wind Dancer was full of passion, just like all of Jamie Carie's novels are. I've come to expect this with her stories and thusfar I've been pleased with everything she writes. I particularly enjoyed the "pretend marriage" scenario the hero put them in and how that all played out. What fun!

Few female authors are able to describe the horrors of living in that time period as well as Carie does and it's an incredible experience to read it. You will not be able to put this book down, and the story will stick with you after you close the book. I SO love stories that make me care. And unlike many "strong heroines," Isabella was more likeable than most. The author did a great job with her characterization. I highly recommend this book.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

What a great read!!!

I wasn't sure what to expect since I have never read Jamie Carie before. I have to say her writing is colorful and well done. I loved all the characters especially Isabelle. I will definitely be buying more of Carie's books.

Great book, disappointing ending.

I really enjoyed this book but was very disappointed at the end.

Unusual Characters

Wind Dancer is a romance novel set during the American Revolution and is a gripping tale of unusual circumstances that join two strangers.

Jamie Carie created characters that make for entertaining reading and a story that keeps you turning pages. Isabelle can match the ability of most men and is more at home in the timber hunting than in the kitchen cooking the kill. Just as Isabelle is not the typical woman, Julian, her younger brother, is not the typical young man. He enjoys writing poetry over hunting and music over physical labor. Then there is Samuel; strong, unbridled and who most Indians would love to scalp.

Isabelle and Julian are asked to travel to another town for their pastor. They set off, unaware that this trip will forever alter their lives. Along the path Isabelle and Julian meet an American spy, Samuel Holt. The three travel together and their lives remain intertwined forevermore. Their journey turns dangerous, even deadly when they encounter Indians who hold them captive.

Through the dangers, uncertainty and hopelessness of the situation, Isabelle also faces spiritual battles that eventually strengthen her and bring her peace. All the while she clings to the hope of a relationship with Samuel Holt. I enjoyed the spiritual element in Isabelle's life. As a result of the trials and major life changing situations throughout the book, she developed a deeper relationship with her Lord and found her identity in Him.

Two nitpicks for Wind Dancer: the graphic violence in a few scenes and a couple of far-fetched dreams. First, I was taken aback by the detailed battle scenes. I was caught up in the developing love story and caught off guard when I got to violent scenes. The overall story would not be compromised with a more general, non-descript approach to the battles and aftermath.

Second, Samuel has dreams of the future and what America will be like once a free country. What Carie describes in one dream is a country full of big cities with sky scrapers. In another dream you can only assume Samuel is envisioning the Statue of Liberty. It seems unlikely a person in that era could imagine such a time as this and such a gift as Lady Liberty. These passages came across as cheesy.

Wind Dancer is a good read. For those who enjoy romance with flare, read Wind Dancer for the love story. For those who like war stories from another era, read Wind Dancer for the history. For those who desire lots of action, Wind Dancer is a page turner.

ugh

Poorly written with a choppy plot line, the story contained trite, shallow characterizations. The best thing about it was the cover.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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