This review is of “Cheyenne Captive”, book #1 of 4 in the “Iron Knife’s Family” subseries and book #1 of 28-yes, that is not a typo-of the “Panorama of the Old West” series by Georgina Gentry.
The book starts in September, 1858, in Texas. It is here that Summer Priscilla Van Schuyler, the heroine of the book, is running away from her strict Boston father over a scandal there. She boards a stagecoach, which is attacked by Cheyenne Indians. The guard is killed and Summer is captured and injured by a Cheyenne, Angry Wolf; however, she is saved by another Indian, Iron Knife, the hero of the book. (Iron Knife is half-white, half-Cheyenne). Iron Knife takes Summer to the Cheyenne village where he lives.
While there, he treats Summer’s injury-she was slashed by Angry Wolf and the wound has become infected-and they fall in love. Two people are not happy about this: one is Angry Wolf, and the other is Gray Dove, an Arapaho woman who wants Iron Knife for herself.
Summer and Iron Knife face many challenges, some human, some from nature. Iron Knife cuts off the ear of a Comanchero who tries to rape and kill Summer, and tracks down the Pawnee chief who killed his father and kills the man.
Soon after Iron Knife returns, Summer is kidnapped when the Army leads a raid on the camp. Among those who come into the camp is Jake Dallinger, an Army scout with a long history of bad blood between him and Iron Knife. In the attack, Iron Knife is shot, and Summer believes he’s dead.
Summer is returned to her family in Boston, consisting of patriarch Silas, who owns a shipping concern; her mother Priscilla, who spends her days drinking and taking opium; her twin brother David, who is at Harvard, though not happily; and their younger sister Angela, who, although beautiful, is cold and soulless. Also in Boston is their cousin, Austin Shaw, who is David’s best friend and is also in love with Summer. Summer at first agrees to marry Austin; however, after receiving financial help and talking to an unexpected ally, Summer decides to go back West.
Back in the Cheyenne camp, Iron Knife is shot and wounded, but is nursed back to health by Gray Dove. who tries to seduce him. When Iron Knife rejects her, she confesses to her role in the Army attack. Gray Dove is banished from the camp, brutally assaults Dallinger after he rapes her, and goes to the newly minted town of Denver to open a brothel.
Summer decides to travel west with Austin, who is searching for his missing brother, Todd. Leading their group is...Jake Dallinger. Iron Knife finds them, and a violent confrontation ensues. Iron Knife bests Dallinger, but doesn’t kill him; instead, Dallinger doesn’t have everything he was born with. Afterward, Summer is faced with a choice: Austin or Iron Knife. She chooses the latter, and they are happy together. For now, anyway.
Upside: “Cheyenne Captive” is a well-researched book. It is clear that Ms. Gentry did her homework on the Cheyenne tribe and their customs.
Summer and Iron Knife are both strong characters, but this is the rare book where I liked the hero more than the heroine; I generally view romance novel heroes as a necessary evil. Iron Knife checks all the romance hero boxes, but also adds one: vulnerability, something rarely seen in a romance hero. This is in large part to his past, which is hinted at in paragraphs here. (Sadly, it appears Ms. Gentry didn’t write a full story about Iron Knife’s parents; that is a shame as there is a lot of material to mine there), but their stories will be folded into other stories in future books.
Summer is a strong character, although a bit impetuous and naive at times.
Downside: In chapters 1-4, Summer hates Iron Knife and wants to return to white society. In chapter 5, she is madly in love with Iron Knife and wants to stay with him forever. This change-of-heart is neither set up nor realistic.
Sex: Multiple love scenes involving Summer and Iron Knife; they are fairly hot but not erotica-level.
Violence: Be forewarned; there is a lot of violence here and in the series. Assault, battery, knifing, shootings, attempted rape, rape and killings, both of humans and animals. The violence is mildly graphic.
Bottom Line: Those who decided to ditch “Cheyenne Captive” early missed out on a great book.