This is the first book in the MacKinnon's Rangers trilogy, which takes place during the French & Indian War.
After Culloden what was left of the MacKinnon family left Scotland for the American colonies. As a result Iain MacKinnon and his brothers Morgan and Connor have spent most of their lives on the frontier and learned tracking and fighting skills that are second to none. Unfortunately for them British officer Lord William Wentworth discovers those skills and believes that he can use them to help win the war against the French. He knows that as Scottish Catholics they hate the English and won't fight voluntarily so he to sets them up on a murder charge to coerce them into cooperating. As the king's grandson Wentworth absolutely controls their fate, so to save his brothers Iain agrees to form a company of Rangers.
Lady Anne Burness Campbell has lived a life of luxury. Her father and most of his brothers were killed fighting for the British at Culloden and she and her mother were taken in by her only remaining uncle, Bain. Anne grew up treating Uncle Bain like a father, blissfully unaware that he had a very dark side. After her mother's death she learns the truth about him and attempts to run away. Bain has her thrown in jail on charges of theft and when Anne refuses to promise to keep his secrets he sends her to the colonies as an indentured servant. Lady Anne has no practical skills, but works hard to learn and avoid angering the abusive couple who purchased her indenture.
One day while Anne is in the barn the Abenaki attack the house and kill the family. Anne panics and runs away, but the warriors soon catch up with her, intending to rape and kill her also. Iain and the Rangers have been scouting in the area and come upon the scene. Because the Rangers are so valuable to the British Army they're under strict orders not to do anything that might give them away. This includes taking prisoners or intervening to save lives, even of British settlers. Iain is well aware that failing to follow orders could result in him being hanged on the trumped up murder charge, but in spite of the risk he can't bring himself to leave Anne to her fate. He sends the rest of the Rangers on so that they won't be held responsible for his actions and then rescues Anne and takes her with him to the fort that serves as their base. Iain and Anne quickly fall in love, but there are numerous obstacles between them.
Iain is trapped in the Rangers until the war is over. He doesn't feel that he can offer any woman a decent life while he is fighting, but he also doesn't think that it is honorable to ask anyone to wait for him when he has no way of knowing how long the war will last.
Iain and Anne are on opposite sides of the bitter conflict between Scotland and England.
Anne is still an indentured servant. Legally the death of the family that originally purchased her indenture simply means that it will be sold again. Anne is desperate to keep the secret and retain her freedom, even if it means lying to Iain.
Anne has met Lord Wentworth before and there's no telling what he will do if he remembers her.
I enjoyed this book. The setting is unusual and interesting. Iain is a classic Alpha, but Anne isn't a weakling. She does some things that made me scratch my head a bit, but she isn't TSTL. She adapts to her situation as well as anyone could be expected to, without becoming a total Mary Sue. Unfortunately, there is one Mary Sue-ish thing about her. All the good people love her and only the villains wish her ill. The Rangers have no reservations about her, even when they find out that she's a Campbell. Considering that all the Rangers are Scottish loyalists and only Iain is getting the benefit of sleeping with her you would think that someone would be bothered by it, but no one is.
There were some other issues as well. First, while Wentworth turns out to be more complex and nuanced than he first appears Uncle Bain unfortunately does not. He might as well grow a mustache and twirl it. Second, anyone with a low tolerance for what I think of as "Scottish speak" is likely to be unhappy. It's set in America but most of the main characters retain the brogue and there's plenty of didna and wi' and och and all the rest. Those things bothered me but my main problems were with two things that Iain does.
At one point one of the British soldiers at the fort attempts to rape Anne while Iain is out on a mission. When he returns the situation is explained to him in such a way that he thinks she voluntarily slept with Lord Wentworth. I considered his reaction unacceptable and the fact that Anne ends up being fine with it made me hate it even more.
The other problem is how Iain handles the issue of marriage. He's very worried about protecting Anne and any children they may have because it is quite likely that he will be killed in battle. Catholic marriages are not recognized under British law and any children born to such marriages are considered bastards. Add to that the fact that Anne is Protestant and Iain's insistence on taking dangerous risks in order for them to be married by a priest seems more stubborn, selfish and irresponsible than principled.
Over all I found the book an entertaining read whose chief virtue was the interesting setting.
Grade: B-
No comments:
Post a Comment