THE COBRA & THE CONCUBINE

Author: Bonnie Vanak ISBN: 0843955295 5/2005 HISTORICAL Publisher: DORCHESTER/Leisure
Time Period: Egypt & England 1889 to 1894

THE SAND: Badra sought refuge in the Sahara, but there was no true escape from the sheikh who'd stolen her childhood. The villain had proven that her long dark hair and lush body aroused a passion in men that meant only pain - and neither his death nor protection by her rescuers, the Khamsin, the Warriors of the Wind, could change that. Badra could no more forget her past than one Khamsin's burning sapphire eyes. And she could no more accept the feelings Khepri aroused than she could admit the secret shadowing her heart. & THE FURY: Kenneth Tristan, heir to the duke of Caldwell, had ridden with the Khamsin since his English family's slaughter. Known as Khepri, the Cobra, he'd grown up in Egypt. He loved this land, yet the respect of his Arabic brothers, the title that awaited him in London, the treasures from his family's archaeological dig - it was all sand in the wind, nothing, for he could not touch the woman he loved, could not save her from her past. He would sacrifice all to make her whole. And until he did, they would be just... THE COBRA & THE CONCUBINE.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I love Bonnie Vanak's Egyptian-theme stories. As I read this third installment, THE COBRA & THE CONCUBINE, I realized that I am truly a blessed, modern woman. Not that the scenery in Egypt is all bad, but the things that were endured by so many women living in the place and time Vanak describes, are horrific indeed. I may have not survived in such a world.

Not one of the characters has had a completely charmed life, but their challenging treks have shaped them into smart and intriguing people. Though at times the flashbacks and details involving the heroine's (Badra) past are very disturbing and brutal, they are necessary in understanding just what keeps her from reaching out for her ultimate goal: Khepri, the hero. Lord knows, I would have caved in, swallowed my pride, and begged him to save me. Only when they first meet does Badra do that, and that is what her quiet strength is all about.

The lush backdrops of English and Egypt set the tone for this wonderful and, at times, heart wrenching story. I will say points in the story go a bit slow, but the developing plots and mysteries are worth the wait. Badra's self reliance makes me proud to be a woman, while the storyline with Khepri and a fellow warrior, Rashid, nearly brought me to tears. And, when the three main Khamsin warriors, Jabari, Khepri, and Ramses connect and bond, and even find laughter and joy in troubling times, I knew I was reading something special.