Status
Available
Call number
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Publication
Berkley (2011), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 320 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Romance. HTML:�??Vaughan�??s brawny barbarian romance recreates the delicious feeling of adventure and the thrill of exploring mysterious cultures created by Robert E. Howard in his Conan books and makes for a satisfying escapist read with its enjoyable romance between a plucky, near-naked heroine and a truly heroic hero.�?��??Booklist The daughter of a Warrior King, Lara was trained as a healer. With her father dead and her incompetent half-brother on the throne, the kingdom is in danger of falling to warring Firelanders. Unable to depose her sibling or negotiate peace, Lara serves her people by healing the warriors�??on both sides of the conflict�??who are injured in battle. Lara finds herself educated in her enemy�??s language and customs in return for her attention and compassion. She never expects that her deeds, done in good faith, would lead to the handsome and mysterious Firelander Warlord demanding her in exchange for a cease-fire. To save her land and her people, Lara trades her freedom to… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member flemmily
A sweet, classic fantasy-romance. I love the clash of cultures and the "barbarian nomads." It took a couple chapters to get interesting, but a very quick read after that. I read it on a recommendation based on Kate Elliot's Jaran series, and it really is a similar, although simpler story. It also
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reminded me a bit of Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword, but again Warprize is simpler, and the world is not quite the unique and compelling Damar. Show Less
LibraryThing member new_user
Warprize disappointed me. I had my first clue a few pages in when I realized the prose I could expect would be basic at best, for a romantic fantasy. While I liked the premise of Warprize and Vaughan's grasp of relationships and human dynamics, the plot was mild, with little conflict to speak of
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and thus, little suspense or action or even upset. It's all very ho-hum. I liked the hero Keir -he was to all appearances strong and charming and everything nice, an admittedly refreshing change from the normal gamut of romance heroes- but we only know him superficially, through the heroine's eyes. For those who don't like first person narratives, Warprize embodies all that form's weaknesses. Readers are treated to a painstaking list of the heroine's every mundanity in a flood of monotony: "I...went into the bathing area to remove the dress carefully. I tried to fold it, but the material slipped and slid, the dress ending up on the floor every time. Tired, frustrated and upset, I finally gave up and left it lay on one of the benches. A tunic and trous were set out for me, and I climbed into them for sleeping. After washing out my undergarments, I washed up quickly. My hair was windblown from the tower and the ride, so I gathered up a comb and returned to the other room to try to deal with the tangled mess."Was her editor unavailable that day? I've heard my GoodReads friends describe first person narratives as journal writing. Warprize is journal writing if the writer were a drone. The heroine lists events, lifelessly recounts her reaction in brief (if that) and repeats indefinitely. There is next to no internal dialogue, so we never know the heroine. Since most of these events revolve around her work in the field as a healer, the account becomes excruciatingly repetitive and descends into unnecessary detail (as above). I can't count the number of times I read about Lara brewing fevers foe, but I'm sure a recipe would sum up the book nicely.I can understand completely when readers question whether Warprize can be called a romance. Since the heroine, or more properly, the disinterested observer, has no feelings, there's no sexual tension or tension of any kind. Nine times out of ten, we see the hero from a distance. He's gone fishing most of the time. Else, we receive only a brief report of his dialogue with a woeful lack of body language, or any insight into Keir's character. Warprize is certainly not like the passionate romances, explicit and non-explicit, to which I'm accustomed. It is more appropriately an account of a foreigner in an army camp or a remote ballad. I've seen romances with too much inner dialogue where the heroine stews and wrings her hand endlessly. This is the other end of the spectrum entirely. Two-thirds through the book I finally realized, nothing is happening. It's essentially about the heroine learning about her new people and caring for them. A travelogue, in short. I would recommend this book for someone wanting a calm, mild, relaxed romance with no moral questions, darkness or turbulent emotion. Perhaps on a rainy day. Also, for those wondering, this is PG, maybe 13 for some "kissing" and a vague sex scene. I'm sure this is someone's cuppa. At least the ending was nice.Just a note: there is no middle-eastern culture. Someone mentioned such a label on the book in another review. Just a clarification. Show Less
LibraryThing member unfufu
Very entertaining romantic book. The heroine Lara is very lovable. The hero Keir is what any woman would want. The traits of the "Firelanders" and their customs are very interesting. The book is fun to read and the romance is heartfelt. I enjoy the series very much. This first one book being the
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best of the three. Show Less
LibraryThing member holly123
I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this at first. I did not like the first person perspective at the beginning but once I got into it I loved it! I enjoy the supporting characters as much as the principals. An imaginative world. It's just a pity that EVs recent books are not up to the standard of
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this first trilogy. Show Less
LibraryThing member Trojanprincess
I loved this book. There are few rare occasions that I read a book and feel that the writing was flawless. I felt that about this book and The knife of never letting go by Patrick Ness (completely different to this book, but wonderfully done). The writing of Warprize impressed me with it's
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exploration of the cultures. We have two very different cultures opposing each other, but each have elements in them of our own lives, thus the reader is able to relate to both cultures, and understand both of their difficulties in accepting each other. On the other hand, both cultures also have elements uniquely their own that create a colourful and intersting world. I was also quite satisfied with the heroine. She is independant and strong-willed in her ideas, without being the modern stereotypical beautiful, athletic, fearless warrior woman who is good at everything. Show Less
LibraryThing member blodeuedd
My thoughts:
I had heard good things about this series, and then book 1 got re-published so of course I had to take a look, and I am glad I did.
The book is about Xylara, and she is one brave woman. I admired her strength, and courage. She was taken as a warprize, but instead of sitting in a tent
The whole book is told in 1-person, so we always got her thoughts and fears, and it does work. Because this way there is a lot of confusion and fear in the air. I had no idea what a warprize was, neither had she, and I wanted to know. Then when I the reader finally found it, oh I will not tell you, but it sure made the book good.
What we have in this book is one strong woman, a feared warlord, and some behind the scenes backstabbing and politics. Some are not happy that the firelanders won and they want revenge. Danger is in the air, from both sides, since there is this one firelander warrior that wants to take over as warlord.
The book has a happy ending, even though there is a book 2 and 3. I was glad for this because I just wanted happiness.
Conclusion:
A good fantasy romance, I would recommend this book to others, and I do want to read book 2 and 3. It has so much to offer, a good couple, great side characters, and interesting world, and a story that will have you turning page after page top find out more.
Rating:
I enjoyed it, a quick read.
I had heard good things about this series, and then book 1 got re-published so of course I had to take a look, and I am glad I did.
The book is about Xylara, and she is one brave woman. I admired her strength, and courage. She was taken as a warprize, but instead of sitting in a tent
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being scared she went outside and found the tent with wounded soldiers and got straight to work. She knew what she wanted and that was to help people. The hero in the book is the warlord that crushed all resistance and took over their country (which is a good thing because her brother is a hopeless and bad king, so perhaps it was for the best). Anyway Keir was strong too, protective, and he wanted her, but he also wanted her to want him. He is one barbarian to fall hopelessly in love with.The whole book is told in 1-person, so we always got her thoughts and fears, and it does work. Because this way there is a lot of confusion and fear in the air. I had no idea what a warprize was, neither had she, and I wanted to know. Then when I the reader finally found it, oh I will not tell you, but it sure made the book good.
What we have in this book is one strong woman, a feared warlord, and some behind the scenes backstabbing and politics. Some are not happy that the firelanders won and they want revenge. Danger is in the air, from both sides, since there is this one firelander warrior that wants to take over as warlord.
The book has a happy ending, even though there is a book 2 and 3. I was glad for this because I just wanted happiness.
Conclusion:
A good fantasy romance, I would recommend this book to others, and I do want to read book 2 and 3. It has so much to offer, a good couple, great side characters, and interesting world, and a story that will have you turning page after page top find out more.
Rating:
I enjoyed it, a quick read.
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LibraryThing member blodeuedd
My thoughts:
I had heard good things about this series, and then book 1 got re-published so of course I had to take a look, and I am glad I did.
The book is about Xylara, and she is one brave woman. I admired her strength, and courage. She was taken as a warprize, but instead of sitting in a tent
The whole book is told in 1-person, so we always got her thoughts and fears, and it does work. Because this way there is a lot of confusion and fear in the air. I had no idea what a warprize was, neither had she, and I wanted to know. Then when I the reader finally found it, oh I will not tell you, but it sure made the book good.
What we have in this book is one strong woman, a feared warlord, and some behind the scenes backstabbing and politics. Some are not happy that the firelanders won and they want revenge. Danger is in the air, from both sides, since there is this one firelander warrior that wants to take over as warlord.
The book has a happy ending, even though there is a book 2 and 3. I was glad for this because I just wanted happiness.
Conclusion:
A good fantasy romance, I would recommend this book to others, and I do want to read book 2 and 3. It has so much to offer, a good couple, great side characters, and interesting world, and a story that will have you turning page after page top find out more.
Rating:
I enjoyed it, a quick read.
I had heard good things about this series, and then book 1 got re-published so of course I had to take a look, and I am glad I did.
The book is about Xylara, and she is one brave woman. I admired her strength, and courage. She was taken as a warprize, but instead of sitting in a tent
Show More
being scared she went outside and found the tent with wounded soldiers and got straight to work. She knew what she wanted and that was to help people. The hero in the book is the warlord that crushed all resistance and took over their country (which is a good thing because her brother is a hopeless and bad king, so perhaps it was for the best). Anyway Keir was strong too, protective, and he wanted her, but he also wanted her to want him. He is one barbarian to fall hopelessly in love with.The whole book is told in 1-person, so we always got her thoughts and fears, and it does work. Because this way there is a lot of confusion and fear in the air. I had no idea what a warprize was, neither had she, and I wanted to know. Then when I the reader finally found it, oh I will not tell you, but it sure made the book good.
What we have in this book is one strong woman, a feared warlord, and some behind the scenes backstabbing and politics. Some are not happy that the firelanders won and they want revenge. Danger is in the air, from both sides, since there is this one firelander warrior that wants to take over as warlord.
The book has a happy ending, even though there is a book 2 and 3. I was glad for this because I just wanted happiness.
Conclusion:
A good fantasy romance, I would recommend this book to others, and I do want to read book 2 and 3. It has so much to offer, a good couple, great side characters, and interesting world, and a story that will have you turning page after page top find out more.
Rating:
I enjoyed it, a quick read.
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LibraryThing member cedargrove
This book was both not quite what I expected, and exactly what I expected both at the same time. It was predictable, but even those moments were tackled in an interesting way that made you want to read on. I got this book over a year ago, and wanted to read it because of the obvious parallels: The
One of the things I liked about the book was the way the clash of cultures was approached and dealt with by the writer. It was never overstated, but since it was a central cause of conflict in the story, it was an important element and played its part perfectly.
There were points in the book where I felt myself become so emotionally invested that I almost wanted to cry, and times when I laughed out loud. There were points when the behaviour of the characters put me in mind of other people from different stories, going to show that some of the things we do for love are universal, even when that concept is almost completely alien to us. For a blatantly obvious 'romance' novel, (the author thanks her chapter of RWA), it was surprisingly engaging.
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woman of noble blood who becomes a master healer, whose healing leads her to a life changing situation was quite the draw for me, and it was hard to wait to read this book.One of the things I liked about the book was the way the clash of cultures was approached and dealt with by the writer. It was never overstated, but since it was a central cause of conflict in the story, it was an important element and played its part perfectly.
There were points in the book where I felt myself become so emotionally invested that I almost wanted to cry, and times when I laughed out loud. There were points when the behaviour of the characters put me in mind of other people from different stories, going to show that some of the things we do for love are universal, even when that concept is almost completely alien to us. For a blatantly obvious 'romance' novel, (the author thanks her chapter of RWA), it was surprisingly engaging.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Interesting culture clash romance. Cityfolk against the nomads - with some seriously nasty folk on each side, and a good many seriously decent ones. Excellent worldbuilding. One thing I really liked was that the author didn't take any of various easy ways out - nomads come to the city and
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immediately settle in; city girl goes among the nomads and, again, immediately settles in (happy in her new life); all the good guys unite against the bad guys and happy ending...no, none of that. Good guys pulling in various directions, each with their own notion of what's right. Lots of culture clashes, on every level from food and clothes to honor and the value of oaths. Even when the bad guys' manipulations are uncovered, it doesn't end the clashes - in some ways it makes them worse, because she's no longer fighting an enemy but someone she'd like to know better - but she's still completely out of her milieu. If this were a pure romance, the author could have stopped with this one; but since it's a culture clash story, there's still quite a lot to tell. Show Less
LibraryThing member elmyra
Very occasionally, this is just what a girl needs: cheerful, undemanding, entirely politically incorrect, badly written, slightly pronographic romance. Normally, when I'm in this sort of mood, I find myself some fanfic on the internet. I picked this up a couple of weeks ago at Borders, though, to
Ultimately, to say that I enjoyed this book is probably a bit too much. I did find it mildly addictive, though, in much the same way as Sudoku, or Dan Brown. And the underlying theme of caffeine addiction was particularly amusing.
I am still not sure whether I was horrified or delighted to find out that there is a sequel. Ho hum. Watch this space.
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read over my Starbucks coffee, and was sufficiently entertained to buy it.Ultimately, to say that I enjoyed this book is probably a bit too much. I did find it mildly addictive, though, in much the same way as Sudoku, or Dan Brown. And the underlying theme of caffeine addiction was particularly amusing.
I am still not sure whether I was horrified or delighted to find out that there is a sequel. Ho hum. Watch this space.
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LibraryThing member Capnrandm
This book felt like a throwback to highschool, a more romantic version of Kate Elliott's JARAN. I love how the cultural differences between Lara and Kier are resolved, very uncomplicated HEA but done in a straightforward way that felt new.
LibraryThing member Kaetrin
4.5 stars.This is a fantasy romance about Lara of Xy, a royal daughter and Keir, Warlord of the Plains. Lara is given as "warprize" to Keir as part of a peace deal between he and Xymund, King of Xy (Lara's half-brother). Xymund tells Lara she must be Keir's slave in order to ensure peace between
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the two peoples. Lara, despite being a princess, is also a sworn Healer and it is in her nature therefore to seek peace - not without some trepidation, she nevertheless goes to Keir, prepared to sacrifice herself for her people.At heart, it is the story about the clash of two cultures and how they, through Lara and Keir find some common ground and a way forward together. The People of the Plains (called "Firelanders" by the Xy) are horse people and live a nomadic existence - (I imagined a Genghis/Attila type arrangement here, with a bit of Native American thrown in also). The Xy are city-dwellers - similar to medieval England but a bit more advanced. Unknown to Lara, Keir has a dream of uniting the two cultures for mutual benefit. Lara's understanding of the term "warprize" is incorrect - because the story is told from Lara's 1st person perspective, this "big misunderstanding" didn't bother me - in fact I was grateful for it. If Lara's understanding of the situation had been correct, it would have been very difficult for me to like Keir. However, his treatment of Lara is always honourable and I was very happy there was no "forced seduction" in this book. The story itself takes place over only a matter of days but this didn't really occur to me until after I'd finished reading the book - despite the short time frame, I did buy the feelings Keir and Lara had for each other and their HFN (I say HFN, because I knew there were other books featuring this couple and logic therefore tells me that there would be some future conflict to be resolved). The only thing that really bothered me was that there were occasionally words used which I felt didn't fit my image of the setting of the book - for example, when Lara says "I feel fantastic", it felt, to me, like those words didn't belong in the time period of the story - so there were a couple of occasions where I was thrown out of the story by the apparent anachronism. Of course, this is a made up world so Ms. Vaughan can use whatever words she chooses - they cannot be historically inaccurate. Still, there were a few times when I felt it jarred. It was something that I noticed (albeit with decreasing frequency) over the whole series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Savanna11
I absolutely loved this book! Perfect realistic romance between two opposite beautiful people. A must read. Read book 2,3 and follow a relationship that holds strong. Five Stars!
LibraryThing member Bea_writer
I really enjoyed this book, it is one that I often re-read. This is a book deeper than some of the other romances you might read. It has rich descriptions and I loved the way the cultures mix and clash. We get a full understanding of how it must feel to be captured by a conquering army and not
The only thing that was hard for me to get through was the first person. I always hate first person, it makes me hard to picture it like a movie in my head. It certainly makes you have to hope that what our main character sees and tells us is accurate.
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understand your place.The only thing that was hard for me to get through was the first person. I always hate first person, it makes me hard to picture it like a movie in my head. It certainly makes you have to hope that what our main character sees and tells us is accurate.
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LibraryThing member aoibhealfae
Sigh... warlord.... I read this book solely on Ilona Andrew's review....honestly by the end of the book, thats the only thing you think of.
I hope the book doesnt go like Windlegend series... which I adore the first book until the politics made a huge mess of it and Charlotte Boyett-Compo kill off
I would have made a proper review but I'm going to read the next book so in short : the book is mostly about politics, seduction without actual smuttiness, medicine (which I like, being biomed) and the character/world building is very intriguing. Keir is like a mixture of arabian sheikh and native american tribes. Oh well.. its a series, so... next
I hope the book doesnt go like Windlegend series... which I adore the first book until the politics made a huge mess of it and Charlotte Boyett-Compo kill off
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the main female character and produce an identical twin... nightmare...I would have made a proper review but I'm going to read the next book so in short : the book is mostly about politics, seduction without actual smuttiness, medicine (which I like, being biomed) and the character/world building is very intriguing. Keir is like a mixture of arabian sheikh and native american tribes. Oh well.. its a series, so... next
Show Less
LibraryThing member aoibhealfae
Sigh... warlord.... I read this book solely on Ilona Andrew's review....honestly by the end of the book, thats the only thing you think of.
I hope the book doesnt go like Windlegend series... which I adore the first book until the politics made a huge mess of it and Charlotte Boyett-Compo kill off
I would have made a proper review but I'm going to read the next book so in short : the book is mostly about politics, seduction without actual smuttiness, medicine (which I like, being biomed) and the character/world building is very intriguing. Keir is like a mixture of arabian sheikh and native american tribes. Oh well.. its a series, so... next
I hope the book doesnt go like Windlegend series... which I adore the first book until the politics made a huge mess of it and Charlotte Boyett-Compo kill off
Show More
the main female character and produce an identical twin... nightmare...I would have made a proper review but I'm going to read the next book so in short : the book is mostly about politics, seduction without actual smuttiness, medicine (which I like, being biomed) and the character/world building is very intriguing. Keir is like a mixture of arabian sheikh and native american tribes. Oh well.. its a series, so... next
Show Less
LibraryThing member BookaholicCat
Loved it, loved it, loved it! Now to the next one.
LibraryThing member les121
I had success with the last fantasy romance I tried (Radiance by Grace Draven), so I decided to give it another go. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite do it for me. I enjoyed the worldbuilding, and there are a few great moments where people of very different cultures struggle to understand one
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another. But, ultimately, the characters and the romance were just okay. Lara is basically a good-girl character who can do no wrong, and her relationship with Kier felt like it was missing something in between tentative friendliness and true love. I just couldn't see their connection. (But, then again, maybe Radiance spoiled me with its amazing chemistry and relationship growth.) Overall, Warprize was a decent escape, just not as good as I'd hoped. I suspect romance readers will get more mileage. Show Less
LibraryThing member urph818
Xylara (or Lara to her friends), the heroine, is a Royal Princess and daughter of Xy.She's the half sister to the weak king, Xymund, who hates her. She's a master healer, loved by her people for her warm and generous heart. She heals the wounds of not only her own soldiers,but the captured wounded
I found this first book in the series highly entertaining and I look forward to Warsworn, the next book in the series.
Jack Murphy
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of the enemy Firelanders, barbarians who've invaded their small kingdom.They are now at the very gates to the City. Lara has come to the attention of Keir, the warlord of these Plains barbarians, who has asked Xymund for Lara as Warprize to maintain peace between the kingdoms. Rather then bringing suffering to her people, Lara accepts. I won't go into the specifics but I will say that I loved Lara as well as the Kier the warlord, and how protective he was of Lara. I also found Elizabeth Vaughan's other characters ,such as Marcus, Anna and Simas ,quite entertaining. I enjoyed how Lara managed to win Kier's Barbarian army over by simply treating them as people, with love and respect, after she learned their language. I also enjoyed how the love blossomed between Lara and Keir. I found this first book in the series highly entertaining and I look forward to Warsworn, the next book in the series.
Jack Murphy
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LibraryThing member ijpanko
This was a great gentle read. I really liked this book and look forward to reading the next one.
LibraryThing member rocalisa
This book comes from Tor's relatively new Paranormal Romance imprint. I'm guessing it was started as a challenge to Luna, which is doing very well with its range of fantasy with a good dose of romance. Like the Luna novels, Warprize is a fantasy novel before it is a romance novel, but it does focus
Xylara is a good heroine, determined and strong and thrown into a culture and position she doesn't understand. She makes the best of it and soon builds a place for herself based on her own personality rather than the one custom - and foreign custom at that - has given her. Once most of the misunderstanding are cleared up, she uses her brains and her knowledge to find a solution that isn't only what she wants, but will be best for her kingdom. I would have been disappointed if she had either followed her heart without considering her people, or done the noble sacrifice thing without considering her own wishes. Instead, she manages to find a workable solution that is going to lead to more adventures but hopefully has staved off total disaster.
Keir did suffer a bit from mule-headed-hero syndrome, but he was working on changing it and he deserves points for that. He does also need to learn to talk to people a bit more - or at least to Xylara, as he seems to manage fine with his warriors. I'll be interested to see how he copes with his warprize in the next book, especially now he knows exactly how determined she can be. In a book that is as much a fantasy as a romance, he is a good, strong leader who is trying to bring about change, but is himself caught up in the customs and assumptions with which he grew up. His focus is on his army and his his warriors and their futures as much as his building relationship with Xylara, which is all to the best.
Vaughan has also created a solid cast of minor characters who step off the page as people rather than ciphers. I'm especially interested to learn more about Altira and Xylara's self-appointed apprentice Gils, while there seems to be a major storyline awaiting Joden once the party reach the Plains.
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sharply on the interactions between the main characters Xylara and Keir. It has its fair share of misunderstandings as well, but these are due to different cultures rather than mutton-headed stupididy, which makes them a reasonable challenge rather than straight out annoyance. I thoroughly enjoyed it, although it does fall into my 'good, solid read' range as there didn't feel like there was anything extra that pushed it up to outstanding. For all that, it was indeed a good, solid read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Xylara is a good heroine, determined and strong and thrown into a culture and position she doesn't understand. She makes the best of it and soon builds a place for herself based on her own personality rather than the one custom - and foreign custom at that - has given her. Once most of the misunderstanding are cleared up, she uses her brains and her knowledge to find a solution that isn't only what she wants, but will be best for her kingdom. I would have been disappointed if she had either followed her heart without considering her people, or done the noble sacrifice thing without considering her own wishes. Instead, she manages to find a workable solution that is going to lead to more adventures but hopefully has staved off total disaster.
Keir did suffer a bit from mule-headed-hero syndrome, but he was working on changing it and he deserves points for that. He does also need to learn to talk to people a bit more - or at least to Xylara, as he seems to manage fine with his warriors. I'll be interested to see how he copes with his warprize in the next book, especially now he knows exactly how determined she can be. In a book that is as much a fantasy as a romance, he is a good, strong leader who is trying to bring about change, but is himself caught up in the customs and assumptions with which he grew up. His focus is on his army and his his warriors and their futures as much as his building relationship with Xylara, which is all to the best.
Vaughan has also created a solid cast of minor characters who step off the page as people rather than ciphers. I'm especially interested to learn more about Altira and Xylara's self-appointed apprentice Gils, while there seems to be a major storyline awaiting Joden once the party reach the Plains.
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LibraryThing member srsharms
On the surface, Warprize is your typical, sometimes over-dramatic fantasy romance. But underneath that...it's a deep undertaking in the clashing of cultures, of the power and pain of listening, thinking, and evolving when two peoples collide.
On one hand you have the Xyians, equivalent to medieval
Lara's journey as she learns to know these people and brings to them the idea of healing with plants and medicines is gripping. You feel with her when she becomes a tribute to the Warlord of the Plains. You grin at the fact that even terrified she can't ignore her true professional calling. You sympathize with her and Keir when progress is achingly slow or outright rejected. You laugh with her when she learns to adopt or let go of new and old ways of thinking herself.
And her relationship with Keir is...wonderful. Their push and pull on each other is sweet and exciting, though sometimes over-dramatic in the way that romances get. But they treat each other as equals. They laugh and fight and work together as a team in the face of the bigger picture - bringing change when the one thing human beings are afraid of the most is change.
On one hand you have the Xyians, equivalent to medieval
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Europe, and heart of modern medicine (at least, modern in their world). On the other, you have the people of the Plains - fierce, open, nomadic tribal folk who worship the elements. I loved getting to know the customs and expectations of these people. I loved bemoaning their reluctance to try more modern medical remedies on religious grounds. I loved their acceptance of certain rituals and ideas, their free-flowing nature. But I loved too the presentation of problems that arose from those old customs and expectations - that the people of the Plains might be different from Lara's seemingly conservative world, but that does not necessarily mean better. It just means that they are conservative about...different things.Lara's journey as she learns to know these people and brings to them the idea of healing with plants and medicines is gripping. You feel with her when she becomes a tribute to the Warlord of the Plains. You grin at the fact that even terrified she can't ignore her true professional calling. You sympathize with her and Keir when progress is achingly slow or outright rejected. You laugh with her when she learns to adopt or let go of new and old ways of thinking herself.
And her relationship with Keir is...wonderful. Their push and pull on each other is sweet and exciting, though sometimes over-dramatic in the way that romances get. But they treat each other as equals. They laugh and fight and work together as a team in the face of the bigger picture - bringing change when the one thing human beings are afraid of the most is change.
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Awards
P.E.A.R.L. (Nominee — Fantasy — 2005)
AAR Annual Reader Poll (2006)
Language
Original publication date
2005-05-31
Physical description
320 p.; 6.69 inches
ISBN
0425240541 / 9780425240540
Local notes
Warlands, 1
DDC/MDS
| Fic Romance Vaughan |