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Lakota Skies #1
Lakota Winds
When Wind Dancer, who is destined to save his tribe and Chumani, a beautiful and fiery warrior, unite to avenge their loved ones, who were murdered by the Crow tribe, they must overcome many obstacles and surrender to the healing power of love. Reprint.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1997
66 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Janelle Taylor
101 books243 followersThe legendary Janelle Taylor was born on June 28, 1944 in Athens, GA. In 1965, she married Michael Taylor with whom she had two children, Angela Taylor-MacIntyre and Alisha Taylor Thurmond. Ms. Taylor attended the Medical College of Georgia from 1977 to 1979 and Augusta State University from 1980-1981. She withdrew from the latter after she sold her first two novels. Today, she is the author of thirty-nine novels, three novellas, and many contributions to other collections. There are thirty-nine million copies of her works in print worldwide and she has made The New York Times Bestseller List eight times. Ms. Taylor's works have also been featured ten times on the "1 million +" bestseller's list at Publisher's Weekly.
Some of Ms. Taylor's most recent books include By Candlelight, Someday Soon, Lakota Dawn, and Lakota Winds (due out in paperback in May 1999). She has also made contributions to other books including The Leukemia Society Cookbook, Christmas Rendezvous, and Summer Love. In addition, readers can see her as co-host of the QVC/TV Romance Book Club Show.
Ms. Taylor's interests include collecting spoons, coins from around the world, ship models, dolls, and old books. She loves to fish, ride horses, play chess, target-shoot, travel (especially in her motorhome and out West), hunt for Indian relics, and take long walks with her husband. Reading, in particular books set before 1900 and current Biographies, Thrillers, Horror, or Fantasy novels, is also one of Ms. Taylor's favorite activities. She is also extremely active with charity work and was even featured on the cover of Diabetes Forecast in February of 1998.
She lives in the country on seventy-nine acres of woods and pasture with a lake and a catfish pond. She writes her novels in a Spanish cottage which overlooks a five-acre lake, a working water mill, gazebo, and covered bridge.
Some of Ms. Taylor's most recent books include By Candlelight, Someday Soon, Lakota Dawn, and Lakota Winds (due out in paperback in May 1999). She has also made contributions to other books including The Leukemia Society Cookbook, Christmas Rendezvous, and Summer Love. In addition, readers can see her as co-host of the QVC/TV Romance Book Club Show.
Ms. Taylor's interests include collecting spoons, coins from around the world, ship models, dolls, and old books. She loves to fish, ride horses, play chess, target-shoot, travel (especially in her motorhome and out West), hunt for Indian relics, and take long walks with her husband. Reading, in particular books set before 1900 and current Biographies, Thrillers, Horror, or Fantasy novels, is also one of Ms. Taylor's favorite activities. She is also extremely active with charity work and was even featured on the cover of Diabetes Forecast in February of 1998.
She lives in the country on seventy-nine acres of woods and pasture with a lake and a catfish pond. She writes her novels in a Spanish cottage which overlooks a five-acre lake, a working water mill, gazebo, and covered bridge.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 6, 2013
I don't think I have ever given a book just 2 stars before. That's because my research is usually a guarantee I will like the book. Not necessarily this time. This was my first purely American Indian romance. Maybe I just had a hard time relating to the culture. But I found the conversation stilted and unemotional. The storyline was OK. I definitely felt sorry for them knowing that their lifestyle was doomed. I've never struggled so to finish a book and this one seemed to go on forever.
Chumani and Wind Dancer are our primary characters. They are fated and foretold to be together. This story is about the quest to protect their respective tribes from enemies. They do this by going on a visionquest which was foreseen by their shamen. The story ends with a big meeting in Laramie of all the tribes with the Whites and entering into a treaty which will allow whites to travel freely through Indian lands.
I did like the fact that Chumani and her best friend, Zitkala, were strong and fierce warriors. There would have been no story at all without that.
This has really put me behind in my reading goals. I don't know if I can bring myself to read the other 3 in this series. Someday, maybe.
Chumani and Wind Dancer are our primary characters. They are fated and foretold to be together. This story is about the quest to protect their respective tribes from enemies. They do this by going on a visionquest which was foreseen by their shamen. The story ends with a big meeting in Laramie of all the tribes with the Whites and entering into a treaty which will allow whites to travel freely through Indian lands.
I did like the fact that Chumani and her best friend, Zitkala, were strong and fierce warriors. There would have been no story at all without that.
This has really put me behind in my reading goals. I don't know if I can bring myself to read the other 3 in this series. Someday, maybe.
February 4, 2017
This review is of “Lakota Winds”,“ (Lakota Skies” series, book #1) by Janelle Taylor.
The Story: In 1851, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the heroine of the book, Chumani, a Brule Lakota woman, and Wind Dancer, an Oglala Lakota man, meet. They later are told that their eventual union is seen in visions by members of both of their tribes, and as a result, they are compelled to marry. Both Wind Dancer and Chumani have something in common; both are widowed at the hands of Crow Indians, and both have a burning desire to avenge their loved ones deaths.
Chumani and Wind Dancer marry, but problems quickly arise, due in part to their own insecurities-neither had a happy first marriage-and in even larger part due to individuals who tries to separate the couple.
Part of the plan in the vision that brought them together is for the Lakota couple to encourage warring between the Crow and white soldiers and settlers. In doing this, Wind Dancer is captured by Crows, and is later rescued by Chumani. As the book ends, a treaty is made between the Lakota and the whites, Chumani discovers she is pregnant, and she and Wind Dancer have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: I learned a great deal about Lakota culture.
Downside: I never felt any connection between Chumani and Wind Dancer, or with them as characters. Nor did I feel any connection with any of the other characters. Character development was non-existent. There is no real passion between Chumani and Wind Dancer. There are under and overtones which were bothersome to me.
Sex: The love scenes in “Lakota Winds” are much milder than usual for Mrs. Taylor, perhaps that’s why I didn’t love this book so much!
Violence: Mrs. Taylor’s books (in particular her “Ecstasy/Gray Eagle” series) usually are pretty violent. That is not the case here; the few violent scenes are mild, at best.
Bottom Line: I’m usually a fan of Mrs. Taylor’s work, but “Lakota Winds”, is by far my least favorite of her books, and I’m not holding out much hope for the other two books in the series.
The Story: In 1851, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the heroine of the book, Chumani, a Brule Lakota woman, and Wind Dancer, an Oglala Lakota man, meet. They later are told that their eventual union is seen in visions by members of both of their tribes, and as a result, they are compelled to marry. Both Wind Dancer and Chumani have something in common; both are widowed at the hands of Crow Indians, and both have a burning desire to avenge their loved ones deaths.
Chumani and Wind Dancer marry, but problems quickly arise, due in part to their own insecurities-neither had a happy first marriage-and in even larger part due to individuals who tries to separate the couple.
Part of the plan in the vision that brought them together is for the Lakota couple to encourage warring between the Crow and white soldiers and settlers. In doing this, Wind Dancer is captured by Crows, and is later rescued by Chumani. As the book ends, a treaty is made between the Lakota and the whites, Chumani discovers she is pregnant, and she and Wind Dancer have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: I learned a great deal about Lakota culture.
Downside: I never felt any connection between Chumani and Wind Dancer, or with them as characters. Nor did I feel any connection with any of the other characters. Character development was non-existent. There is no real passion between Chumani and Wind Dancer. There are under and overtones which were bothersome to me.
Sex: The love scenes in “Lakota Winds” are much milder than usual for Mrs. Taylor, perhaps that’s why I didn’t love this book so much!
Violence: Mrs. Taylor’s books (in particular her “Ecstasy/Gray Eagle” series) usually are pretty violent. That is not the case here; the few violent scenes are mild, at best.
Bottom Line: I’m usually a fan of Mrs. Taylor’s work, but “Lakota Winds”, is by far my least favorite of her books, and I’m not holding out much hope for the other two books in the series.
February 1, 2017
This was a nice read. I like the h/h. There was a lot of setting description that did get a bit distracting from the story. I wish the author would have blended in the surroundings using the POV of the characters. All in all, I enjoyed this and look forward to the next book.
September 4, 2009
Meh. This book was ok. I didn't care much for the politics. The couple just didn't spark for me. It was ok, but not great.
December 30, 2017
Another great author.
January 8, 2024
First, I love Janelle Taylor’s historical novels but I have to say this book took me awhile to read. It just seemed to drag along. It was still a good read but I like a little more action. This one for me is the first book of Janelle Taylor’s that I have given my lowest review. I hope the others in the series are faster paced.
November 21, 2021
Always come back to the ones you loved
I Read it years ago and still love love love it . I can't wait to re-read the next two.
I Read it years ago and still love love love it . I can't wait to re-read the next two.
February 26, 2024
Really good
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews