Misty Beller writes novels with strong women who are ahead of their times for the positions of leadership they fill.
Brielle Durand is the protector of her village of Laurent, and when she sees a stranger heading toward the village. Ever since her mother and several other villagers were massacred by interlopers, Brielle has been hyper-vigilant. She notches her arrow and takes aim at the stranger and shoots him in the side. She brings this stranger into the village for the purpose of finding out why he was there.
Evan MacManus has been charged with finding a source of pitchblende, a mineral that could end an ongoing war, commonly known as the War of 1812, but he is not willing to disclose the reason for being in the area. He wants to fulfill his mission, and leave, but the villagers hold him as a prisoner until he is ready to talk.
I had to look up what pitchblende is, and it is a uraninite mineral with radio-active properties. The people of Laurent were living in apartments carved out of a mountain containing pitchblende. Misty does not address the health implications of living in a radio-active setting, but I'm sure the dangers were not known at the time.
The longer Evan stays, the more he comes to hate his mission and the more he comes to love Brielle. He thwarts a couple of bad events that were planned by one of the hunter/warriors of the village and gains the trust of the villagers and Brielle.
This novel was a delight to read and from the subtitle it is the first of a series of novels about the people of Laurent. I am hoping with great anticipation that the next ones will be just as good as this one. The romantic parts of the book were not at all smarmy, the way that the village came together in ways that showcased each member's strengths was so satisfying, and the development of the characters was realistic and engrossing. By my best guess, I'd say that the novel takes place in northern British Columbia. It's a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a well shot arrow to the heart.
Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the free copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely and totally my own.
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