Miranda and the Warrior (One Star)

teen fiction
Miranda and the Warrior
Elaine Barbieri
Avon Books
©2002
ISBN 0-06-001134-3
197 pages
US $4.99/$7.99 CAN

"Miranda – The only child of a U.S. Cavalry major, Miranda Thurston has grown up in a watchful, overprotective household. So even after the major’s repeated warnings of Cheyenne raiding parties on the Western frontier, Miranda never believes she is in danger – until a Cheyenne warrior captures her.

"The Warrior – Respected by the Cheyenne, Shadow Walker has earned his reputation as a warrior. At first, he is dismayed to find that his captive is just a girl – a girl worth little in his vengeance against the military. But he comes to realize that she is not just a girl, but a headstrong woman. And even as she defies him at every turn, he wonders if she may be worth something to him in a way he never expected.

"As captive and captor, Miranda and Shadow Walker grow closer, and soon uncover feelings they had thought impossible. But would they risk everything they once held dear – for each other?"

I took a long time to finish this book because it interested me so little. I found the characters typecast, their foibles transparent, and their every move predictable. The plot was lacklustre and, again, predictable. For her part, the author researched the book well. I currently live among natives (Cree, not Cheyenne), but the familial spirit they possess is well represented in this book. As a teen love story, it does what it intends, but neither of the characters is someone that will live long in me, and I doubt I will ever read this book again.