Review: Brutal, gritty, not a typical 'romance'.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 12, 2011
Going by the reviews up to date, opinions on this book differ widely.It seems that most of the people who gave this book one star were bothered mainly by the rape scenes, particularly those involving 'Ruth', an 11/12 year old girl (but others too).My family is German and my grandmother was a young woman at the end of the war.  She saw many horrible things.  No need to go into details but, suffice to say, she saw things that make what happened in this book look like a walk in the park.Those reviewers that feel that child rape, rape of dead bodies, etc. are disgusting and should not have been part of this book are partially right.  Yes, it is disgusting but - guess what? - it happens.  It's happening right now in different parts of the world.Don't read this book if you're looking for a typical romance - this is not it.  And the author warns you of that up front.The reason I give this book three stars is not because of the rapes but because the heroine simply didn't ring true to me.In the beginning of the book, the heroine's father is killed (by a sword in the face - ugh), her home overrun, everyone she knows either killed or captured.  That night she is raped (not by the 'hero').  Yet by the next morning, she is getting sexually excited by the motion of the horse she's riding and the arm of the 'hero' around her body.Sorry, but...no.  Yes, I understand this is set in distant history and 'modern sensibilities' should not apply but the sheer quickness of her physical longing for the hero seems false, especially since her one and only experience of sex is the rape the night before.Before I say anything more, I should mention that I've read only about a third of the book so far.  But I doubt I'll continue.  Not because of the brutality, rapes, etc. but because I simply don't like the heroine.  She seems to care/think of nothing but herself.  Everyone she grew up with has been killed/captured but it's never really mentioned.  She seems emotionally unaffected by any of it.I just don't like her.