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Gray Eagle #8
Forever Ecstasy
SAVAGE ECSTATSYâ ¦WHISPERED KISSESâ ¦FOLLOW THE WIND These are just a few of the books that have made Janelle Taylor such a beloved and bestselling author of historical romance. And her sweeping tales of Gray Eagleâ s love for the beautiful Alisha, and the passion-filled adventures of their descendants are among her most unforgettable novels. Now, at last, the legend continuesâ ¦Forever Ecstasy Morning Star knew it was her duty as an Oglala princess to join with a warrior of her tribe. After all, she was the granddaughter of the revered Gray Eagle, and her father was the great Chief Sun Cloud. But the moment she gazed into the sky-blue eyes if Joseph Lawrence, she realized he was fated to be in her life-circle. For he was the man of legend, the white man who would lead her tribe to peace. He was also the lover who would stir her soul with forbidden desires. Together they would know a great destinyâ ¦and an everlasting love!
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1991
41 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
About the author
Janelle Taylor
101 books244 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 3, 2017
This review is of “Forever Ecstasy”, book #8 (9th published) in the “Ecstasy/Gray Eagle” series by Janelle Taylor.
The story: In the year 1831, a Teton Oglala shaman reveals a vision that of a white man and an Oglala maiden will help battle whites and bring temporary peace to the Teton Oglala people. The identities of the white man and Oglala maiden were not revealed in the vision.
Fast forward 20 years to 1851. Joseph Lawrence, Jr, the “white man” and the hero of the book, rescues Morning Star, the Oglala maiden and the heroine of the book, from evil white men. Both have a connection to previous characters in the series; Morning Star is the daughter of Singing Wind and Sun Cloud, and granddaughter to Gray Eagle. Joe is friends with Stede Gaston, son of Powchutu, who has a long, complicated connection with Gray Eagle. (See previous books for explanation.)
Based on the aforementioned vision, Joe lies to Sun Cloud to get him to help Joe in his mission, but there are pockets of resistance, notably from Morning Star’s brother, Night Stalker, and another Oglala brave who desires Morning Star, Knife-Slayer.
As their investigation goes on, Morning Star and Joe fall in love and become lovers. However, they face challenges to their love: the fact that Morning Star is mostly Oglala; the fact that Joe is white; and the question of where they will live their lives together. Another challenge comes from another man, Clay Thorne, a.k.a. Sky Warrior, who is half-white, half-Cheyenne and may also be the man in the shaman’s vision. Clay falls in love with Morning Star's best friend, Buckskin Girl, and they marry.
Eventually, Morning Star and Joe complete their mission to bring peace to the plains, but their love comes at a very high price; Morning Star is banished forever from the Oglalas for loving Joe. She and Joe marry, move to his home in Virginia, have two daughters who will play roles in the final book in the series, and have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Mrs. Taylor’s books in the series are always well-researched. Morning Star and Joe are pretty strong characters, and their emotions toward each other are on display throughout the book.
Downside: I’m not sure Mrs. Taylor made me care about either Morning Star or Joe the way a book like this is intended to. I’m not thrilled with the way Joe tried to manipulate Morning Star to coming to the white world with him. Some of the storylines, such as the mission that Morning Star and Joe undertake to obtain temporary peace between Indians and whites was so dense as to be difficult to follow. I also found the ending of those storylines to be unsatisfactory.
Sex: Mrs. Taylor’s love scenes are incredibly flowery, and that is certainly the case here.
Violence: Assault, battery and killings. The violence is not overly graphic.
Bottom Line: From my perspective, it feels like Mrs. Taylor was running on fumes with “Forever Ecstasy”. It’s still a good book, but I feel that there were things left on the table.
The story: In the year 1831, a Teton Oglala shaman reveals a vision that of a white man and an Oglala maiden will help battle whites and bring temporary peace to the Teton Oglala people. The identities of the white man and Oglala maiden were not revealed in the vision.
Fast forward 20 years to 1851. Joseph Lawrence, Jr, the “white man” and the hero of the book, rescues Morning Star, the Oglala maiden and the heroine of the book, from evil white men. Both have a connection to previous characters in the series; Morning Star is the daughter of Singing Wind and Sun Cloud, and granddaughter to Gray Eagle. Joe is friends with Stede Gaston, son of Powchutu, who has a long, complicated connection with Gray Eagle. (See previous books for explanation.)
Based on the aforementioned vision, Joe lies to Sun Cloud to get him to help Joe in his mission, but there are pockets of resistance, notably from Morning Star’s brother, Night Stalker, and another Oglala brave who desires Morning Star, Knife-Slayer.
As their investigation goes on, Morning Star and Joe fall in love and become lovers. However, they face challenges to their love: the fact that Morning Star is mostly Oglala; the fact that Joe is white; and the question of where they will live their lives together. Another challenge comes from another man, Clay Thorne, a.k.a. Sky Warrior, who is half-white, half-Cheyenne and may also be the man in the shaman’s vision. Clay falls in love with Morning Star's best friend, Buckskin Girl, and they marry.
Eventually, Morning Star and Joe complete their mission to bring peace to the plains, but their love comes at a very high price; Morning Star is banished forever from the Oglalas for loving Joe. She and Joe marry, move to his home in Virginia, have two daughters who will play roles in the final book in the series, and have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Mrs. Taylor’s books in the series are always well-researched. Morning Star and Joe are pretty strong characters, and their emotions toward each other are on display throughout the book.
Downside: I’m not sure Mrs. Taylor made me care about either Morning Star or Joe the way a book like this is intended to. I’m not thrilled with the way Joe tried to manipulate Morning Star to coming to the white world with him. Some of the storylines, such as the mission that Morning Star and Joe undertake to obtain temporary peace between Indians and whites was so dense as to be difficult to follow. I also found the ending of those storylines to be unsatisfactory.
Sex: Mrs. Taylor’s love scenes are incredibly flowery, and that is certainly the case here.
Violence: Assault, battery and killings. The violence is not overly graphic.
Bottom Line: From my perspective, it feels like Mrs. Taylor was running on fumes with “Forever Ecstasy”. It’s still a good book, but I feel that there were things left on the table.
September 3, 2021
It took me a bit longer to read this book than the previous 7. It was slow moving for a while but it is a great story. It is about Morning Star, daughter of Sun Cloud/granddaughter to Gray Eagle, and Joe Lawrence, a white man. Years ago, the old shaman, Payaba, had a vision that would entail the Oglala making peace with the Whites. The vision showed a White Warrior coming to help the Oglala. The vision also included an Indian maiden working/helping this White Warrior. The story starts off with Morning Star having been captured by some evil white men working for the "Snake Man". The Snake Man is someone who doesn't want peace and works with the Crow by selling them guns and supplies so the Crow will battle their long time enemy, the Oglala. Snake Mans plan is to use the Crow to attack whites/Indians and blame it on the Oglala so the military can wipe out the Oglala. No one knows who he is, if he is Indian or White. Along comes Joe Lawrence, who has been tracking a supply wagon, in hopes of it leading to Snake Man. Snake Man is responsible for killing Joe's best friend, Tanner Gaston, grandson to Powchuta (half-brother to Gray Eagle). As Joe approaches the wagon at night he notices a female, Morning Star, tied up. This is where their life circle begins.
February 28, 2023
Great books
I have loved these books twice now. Such great reading. I am sad that I am starting the last book of this series.
I have loved these books twice now. Such great reading. I am sad that I am starting the last book of this series.
November 20, 2014
Book 8 of the Gray Eagle series. Not as entertaining as some of the other books in the series. The romance part of the book was simple, no conflict between the hero and heroine. Joe, the hero, was a likable guy (a regular Joe). It's a who-done-it kind of plot. I would have liked the unmasking of the villain to have been more of a surprise like on Scooby-Doo. I was satisfied with the ending. The books of this series were written/published a little out of order. This book was sort of filling in the blank and telling the story of the twin heroines in book 9. Gave it the feeling at times that it was dragging on. Joe and Morning Star wandered around the Dakota Territory during the book on their spirit mission and it could have used more action and drama.
January 18, 2015
I've only read a couple books in this series, and I do want to read the rest of it. The storyline is interesting...
That said, the dialogue seems a little forced at times, and the plot is predictably similar to Avatar and Pocahontas (though this was written before Avatar).
If you want some light reading, this is it.
There are some fairly descriptive sexual scenes - it *is* a romance novel after all.
That said, the dialogue seems a little forced at times, and the plot is predictably similar to Avatar and Pocahontas (though this was written before Avatar).
If you want some light reading, this is it.
There are some fairly descriptive sexual scenes - it *is* a romance novel after all.
April 10, 2015
Morning Star knew it was her duty as an Oglala princess to join with a warrior of her tribe. After all, she was the granddaughter of the revered Gray Eagle, and her father was the great Chief Sun Cloud. But the moment she gazed into the sky-blue eyes of Joseph Lawrence, she realized he was fated to be in her life-circle.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews