THE LAST WARRIOR

Author: Karen Kay ISBN: 9780425221006 3/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: BERKLEY SENSATION
Time Period: 1892 London and America

Many centuries ago, a village killed the children of the Thunder God. For their crime, the Creature bannished them to live a half existence in the land of mists, neither dead nor alive. But once in a generation, a brave is given the opportunity to save his clan. In 1892, that warrior is Black Lion. There was only one way for Black Lion to melt the Thunder God's anger: listen for a sacred white-man's song—and sing it perfectly with the one who introduced him to it. He joins Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and travels to London, where he encounters the daughter of two opera singers—the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. However, Suzette Joselyn is already engaged to another man... But the two are destined to meet again when Suzette shows up in America, pregnant and abandoned by her fiance. Reunited with Black Lion, she finds it impossible to turn down his offer of marriage to save her child from life as a bastard. But she doesn't realize that her brave new husband is consumed with a mission that may force him to choose between his people and the woman he loves...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

THE LAST WARRIOR by Karen Kay tells a tale of love promised, love betrayed and love grown. It is based loosely on events surrounding Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and the performers who portray life on the rugged, Wild West. When a warrior joins the show and meets a woman as different from  him as night is from day, he does what any man would do: he falls in love. But when he learns the object of his attention is promised to another, he steps aside. Could it be called good luck, then, when the woman he's smitten with shows up on his turf, pregnant and alone? And would it be considered chivalrous to offer to marry her to save her from the ravages of polite society?

While I was taken with Black Lion's attempt at gallantry I felt somewhat disconcerted by the way Suzette fell into a position of helplessness almost naturally. I suppose I wished she had been stronger. Nonetheless, this is a solid love story, and although Suzette doesn't fill my bill for the ideal heroine, watching this couple overcome their differences to find happiness is entertaining. The use of a Puccini song near the story's resolution ties it all up neatly. Only music and opera aficionados  will know that this song is from a date later than the storyline's. I did, and was happy to see the author's note to the effect after the final chapter.

THE LAST WARRIOR shows Ms. Kay's passion for Native American romance.

Kay James