Captivating Tale of the Cheyenne before Little Big Horn—a Love Story to Remember!tThis was my first by Catherine Hart and I have since ordered 4 more of her novels. So I guess you could say I really liked this story.Set in 1866, SILKEN SAVAGE tells the story of 16-year-old Tanya Martin, who travels via wagon train with her family to meet her fiancé in Pueblo, the Colorado Territory, when nearly to their destination, Cheyenne warriors seize five of the women, including Tanya. The chief’s nephew, A Panther Stalks, and leader of the group, claims Tanya for his own and treats her better than the other captives who are treated brutally. Tanya, who Panther calls “Little Wildcat,” takes to Cheyenne life like a duck to water and becomes Panther’s woman, eventually his wife, planning never to go back to her old life.Hart unique style makes for a captivating tale with wonderful characters and many twists and turns. The relationship between Panther and the golden girl who held his heart was certainly well done. And the action never stops. You understand the Indian-white man conflict from the Cheyenne point of view as Tanya becomes one of them, happy to be with Panther and his people. (George Custer is actually one of the characters.) Of course, Panther has a secret that will become very important.To be fair, I have to say I agree with other reviewers who thought the heroine was “too perfect”—at least in the beginning. Actually, her strength and abilities at times seemed supernatural. First, she learns the complicated Cheyenne language in “weeks.” Then she fights off the rival Ute tribe killing and scalping a warrior. But the one that really got me was when she killed two armed men with her knife and, though pregnant, had the strength to load the dead bodies onto the men’s horses, this after she took down a 14 point buck with an arrow (and hoisted the buck up over a tree limb to “bleed out”). After that she killed a full-grown cougar and skinned both animals and preserved the hides. Please. For a 16-year-old white teenager who’d only been in the west for a short while? And I don’t think a white girl taken captive, beaten, branded and treated as a slave, dragged around by a strip of leather around her neck, would be quick to fall in love with the Indian who did it, even if he was handsome and wanted only her. But all this was really only at the beginning of the story—a story I could not put it down. I recommend this one for all of you Western historical lovers, particularly those who love those half Indian hunk heroes. This one’s a saga you won’t forget! It’s going on my “Best Western Historical Romances” list.Here are all the books in her Native American trilogy:Silken Savage (1985)Summer Storm (1987)Night Flame (1989)
I know when I'm beat. The utter perfection and total adaptability of the heroine made this one more cartoonish than Captive Passions and more aggravating than Savage Ecstasy which also had unrealistic and extreme Mary Sue heroines. The relationship between the H/h shortly became a HEA kind of thing - conflict-free - and so the story was mainly descriptions of one Wonder Woman feat by the heroine after another (learning the Cheyenne language within weeks, putting one arrow into the shaft of another, outfighting/outriding/outtracking braves, scalping/torturing/maiming enemies with barely a qualm, having her first child with barely a grunt of pain and no fear at all). And the adopted tame cougar kittens, Kit and Kat. That rates an eyeroll all in itself. When a conflict finally did arrive, it was resolved within two pages and became smooth sailing once more and I threw it at the wall.It's the mood I'm in - I want lots of drama and believable characters and catchy writing, and this ain't it by a mile.
What do You think about Silken Savage (2003)?
Enjoyed this re-read of one of my favorite NA romances. Sure there isn't really any conflict in this book between our hero and heroine except in the very beginning but I don't think it takes away from the overall enjoyment of the story. In fact, I enjoy books more when the H and h aren't fighting through the entire book, as long as it is done well, which it was. The conflict came from the ex-fiance of Tanya after her return to "civilization" when she and the others are "rescued" by the Calvary..
—Lynsey A
It's been awhile since I've read this so the plot is mostly vague to me now. What I recall most vividly about this book is that, I hated the heroine. I remember thinking what an awful mother she was for putting her desires ahead of her own children's health. Moreover, her pathetic willingness to do whatever it took to be with the abusive, raping hero made her seem like a complete spineless idiot. She's was a complete dog, a bitch whining for his attention, it was all pretty sickening and gag-worthy.I don't mind bodice rippers, rapes, alpha a-holes, etc in my romance, but this book was just plain pathetic, because clearly, the heroine wasn't a very good match for this strong, brutish hero. SPOILER:This book has rape, also a scene where the heroine witnesses multiple girls getting raped together. I don't think the hero ever "cheats" on the heroine, but as I mentioned above, it's been so long, I may be wrong about that. I would only recommend this to people I dislike.
—Tina
Even though I don't mind reading the odd bodice ripper, this one was your fairly average Native American variety - the feisty heroine is captured by the handsome young Chief who treats her kindly and secretly has a Spanish mother and is heir to a large ranch in Texas. Full of the obligatory purple prose, it felt quite dated by 2014 standards. For nostalgia's sake, an extra half a star for the lovely Boo Blue eye shadow worn by the heroine on the front cover. ★★☆
—Lisa - (Aussie Girl)
