ADULT title
by
Miriam Newman
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GENRE: Ancient times historical romance
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BLURB:
Barely more than a girl, Sannah is taken by a man who is both warrior and shaman in a winter raid on her Stone Age camp. But Memmet believes the spirits have given her to him and he will keep her at any cost.
Two strong people must find the reason they have been brought together, because lives depend upon it.
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EXCERPT
Stumbling through snow, she looked up at the man above her, trying to deduce what sort of monster had taken her. Not much was visible amid the hooded bearskin except the craggy profile of a man not as young as their young hunters but much younger than Jodiah. There were two diagonal scars beneath his eyes, too symmetrical to have been caused by injury, and a strip of thumb printed blue paint in a line from the bridge of his nose to his hairline. Unlike the men of her clan, he had no beard, though shaggy dark hair stuck out at places beneath his hood. He looked savage and alien.
He was more sun-browned than her men—not one of the fair mountain tribes. Those tribes did not often stray from their mountain camps, anyway, and had no horses. This rider was something different. His language was not far removed from hers, since she had been able to understand him. But he didn’t say a word or look at her except to slow his horse slightly when she stumbled.
That was a more frequent occurrence as biting cold sliced through her hide shoes, even though the fur had been turned to the inside. Her feet grew cold, then burning hot, then numb as she faltered beside the horse down the slope that led to the lowlands. Her hands quickly lost all feeling and her breath came hard, then in panting gasps, and apparently he finally heard that.
He stopped his horse, calling to the others, who did the same, granting their captives a precious moment of respite. Sannah stood, ribs heaving, starting in terror as he dropped down from his horse. He would cut her throat if she could not keep up, and though perhaps in a way it was a better, she had the instinctive fear of death and jumped back from him.
“No,” he said—just that. Short, sharp, an unmistakable command. She froze and he reached for her, one hand gripping the back of her wrap, the other around her leg. Lifting her easily, he pushed her on top of the horse and forward, almost over its shoulders. “Move.”
Feeling like she would topple off at any moment, she did her best to comply as he mounted behind her. Reaching around, pinning her with his arms, he picked up the reins, clucking to the horse. She gasped in alarm and clutched its mane as best she could as it began to walk, but there was nowhere she could go. She would not fall as long as he held her.
Her feet hung down along the warmth of the heavy-coated horse just as her hands rested on its neck, and eventually she regained some feeling there, but the rest of her was frozen. As the horse plodded solidly on, followed by the others, the man behind her opened his bearskin, wrapping it around her, sharing its heat.
But he was an enemy. He might speak to her or not, might kill her or not, might rape her or not. Silently, trying not to let him hear, she sobbed in despair.
He lifted one hand from his reins, pushing it inside her hood, his hand cupping her face.
“Be quiet,” he said. “No one will hurt you.”
She was too shocked to move, but she did stop crying because tears were freezing on her cheeks.
Saying nothing more, he rode on.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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GIVEAWAY
The tour dates can be found here
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My review
4.25 stars
Sannah by Miriam Newman follows one young Stone Age woman’s struggle to survive in harsh times as she is ripped away from her camp and forced to join another tribe.
This historical romance is a gritty and compelling look at the struggle to survive during a time when the existence of mankind is still being challenged. Those who have triggers should be warned that there are uncomfortable but understandable scenes that reflect the need for populating the tribe.
The author artfully depicts the day-to-day challenges of pre-Industrial life and the advantages of both location and the use of tools and animals to enhance survival. I was captured by the vivid imagery and compelled to find out what would happen next, even though this is not my typical fare and I was wincing at some of the brutality involved.
The hints of mysticism combined with pragmatism made the hero appealing, and his careful but implacable wooing of the woman he has chosen for his own was impressive. This story gave me interesting insights into the elements of survival and I recommend it to anyone who wants a fascinating glimpse of the challenges of primitive living,
A copy of this title was provided for review
