Through The Fire

Review for Through the Fire from Long and Short Reviews

Rating: 4.5 Books
Review by Poinsettia

Rebecca Elliot has had a rough life to say the least. She fled England and married a man in the colonies in order to free herself from her abusive father, who was trying to force her to marry someone against her will. Unfortunately, her husband, a British soldier, was killed during the French and Indian War. Rebecca decides to take her younger sister, Kate, out to the colonial frontier where she hopes they can stay with some family. However, her escort of British soldiers is attacked by a band of Shawnee warriors, who are allied with the French.

Kate manages to escape, but Rebecca is taken captive by a warrior named Shoka. At first, Rebecca fears that she will be killed, but Shoka treats her with kindness. Although Shoka originally intends to sell Rebecca to a Frenchman, it soon becomes apparent that the chemistry between he and Rebecca is too strong to ignore. Before they know it, they've fallen in love, but the path before them will not be an easy one. The French and Indian War is raging all around them, and Rebecca's sister is still missing. To make matters worse, Shoka is being pursued by a Catawba warrior named Tonkawa who is bent on killing Shoka. If Tonkawa can't kill Shoka, he just might settle for taking Rebecca instead.

As a heroine, Rebecca is extremely tough. Her life in England was spent shielding her younger sister from their abusive father, and Rebecca has the scars on her back to prove it. While the abuse Rebecca suffered could have broken her, instead, Rebecca developed into a strong young woman who is protective not only of her sister, but also of the people she cares about. Although Rebecca's strength is certainly admirable, she can also be tremendously stubborn, which gets her into more then one scrape throughout the story that could have been avoided if she'd listened to those around her.

Shoka is a scarred hero. He doesn't trust his immediate attraction to Rebecca because his first wife had many affairs and eventually left him. This has left him distrustful of women, especially very beautiful women. Even though he tries to fight it, Shoka finds himself falling in love with her, much to the dismay of his brother and some of the other members of the tribe. Despite their disapproval, Shoka is determined to protect the woman he loves no matter what.

I had previously admired Ms. Trissel's use of descriptive language in one of her other works, and that is one of the reason's I chose to read Through the Fire. I was very pleased to discover that this story contained the same strong imagery. "Shafts of late-day sunlight streamed through breaks in the thickly clustered trees to touch the nodding heads of columbine and rosy mountain laurel. The woods were like a garden long ago abandoned." As I read this passage, I felt as though I were riding through the woods alongside Rebecca. "Wounded men writhed in the crushed grass, their piteous cries in her ears, while the dead lay where they'd fallen. Crimson stains pooled beneath them." This brief passage describes one of the many action-packed battle scenes that really pulled me into the story so that I could see and hear the fighting around me.

Through the Fire is full of interesting characters, beautifully described scenery, and vivid action sequences. It is a must read for any fan of historical romance.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommend

This is a breathtaking tale that will keep you glued to your seat. Ms. Trissel is a master of description. You can absolutely hear the birds twittering in the trees high above your head. This is her best book yet!

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