Warsworn (Chronicles of the Warlands, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Elizabeth Vaughan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2006

Lara is the Warprize

A powerful healer, she has sworn an oath of loyalty to Keir the Warlord, and his people. Now the Warlord and his chosen mate face enemies within the tribe and danger lurks on every hand as they journey toward Keir's homeland.

When they reach a village marked with the warnings of the plague, Keir forbids Lara to heal the sick, commanding that she not risk her own life. But both Lara and Kier are strong of will and neither will bend easily, even for love; and when Lara disobeys, she pays the price: both she and Kier are plague-struck... and so is their entire encampment.

In the midst of the dying, Iften, a rival warrior, gathers his followers and challenges Keir for the right to rule their tribe. If Keir, weakened by the sickness, loses -- he dies.

And so does Lara.

To save her love, her life, and her adopted people, Lara must find a cure for the plague -- and fully embrace her sworn role as Warprize to her Warlord.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In a fascinating sequel to Warprize (2005), Lara, the Queen of Xy, and Kier, warlord of the Firelanders, are on the way to his people's homeland. When scouts report that a walled village of the Xy has denied them entry, Kier and his troops are ready to annihilate the village. Lara intervenes, and discovers that a plague has killed nearly everyone inside. When she begins to sicken, Kier helps heal her. As the plague hits the entire army encampment, taking hundreds of lives, Kier's second conspires to displace him. Readers will be delighted to learn more of the customs of this unique civilization, and they will enjoy the growing love between Lara and Kier. It is refreshing for the conflict in a romance to eschew petty misunderstandings and present, instead, life-and-death situations through which together the hero and heroine become stronger. The emphasis is on the emotional rather than the physical in Vaughan's unusual and thoroughly enjoyable tale. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Keir is a hero to savor."--nationally bestselling author Claire Delacroix

"Vaughan's brawny barbarian romance re-creates 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 on Warprize

"The most entertaining book I've read all year."--All About Romance on Warprize

"Warprize is simply mesmerizing. The story is told flawlessly... Keir is a breathtaking hero; you will never look at a warlord the same way again."--ParaNormal Romance Reviews on Warprize

"Ms. Vaughan has written a wonderful fantasy introducing two memorable characters. The story is well-written and fast paced. Run to the bookstore and pick up this debut novel by Elizabeth Vaughan. You won't be disappointed by the touching relationship that grows between the Warlord and his Warprize."--A Romance Review on Warprize

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Tor Paranormal Romance; Regular Print/Single Titl edition (April 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765352656
• ISBN-13: 978-0765352651
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #701,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievably mesmerizing and hard to put down, November 19, 2006

By 

Neilisa (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Warsworn (Chronicles of the Warlands, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Warsworn is the follow up tale to Warprize, a beautifully written saga about Xylara and her beloved Keir. In Warprize, Keir, famed Warlord of the Firelanders, lays siege to Xylara's kingdom. With her cooperation, Xylara is offered up as part of the terms of surrender. Xylara thinks she is to be Keir's slave, but what she discovers instead is that she has stepped into a role that rivals that of a Queen, for Keir's people honor and respect her. But what surprises her the most is Keir's intent on wooing her. They fall in love but circumstances threaten to tear them apart. Keir is willing to do what's best for Xylara's people, which is to give her up, but Xylara has other plans in mind. She appoints an overseer for the kingdom and joins Keir as he leads his army home.

Warsworn opens with a dilemma. Supposedly a town has shut its doors to Keir's army. Thinking this is a rebellion of some sort, Keir is prepared to raze the place to the ground, but Xylara stops him when the signs point to a plague. Because Xylara is a master healer, she's determined to do her duty, which is to enter the town and do what she can to help. She stubbornly forces Keir to acquiesce but also lies to him about the waiting period for the quarantine. Keir is livid but he lets her go.

The events that follow is a domino affect of Xylara's arrogance. The plague spreads to the camp and takes out a tenth of the army. Along with those who fell under the plague are several of the principal characters; some of my favorites. Xylara learns a hard lesson from this, and her and Keir have to rebuild the trust in their relationship that she so blithely destroyed. But what waits for them is a far greater challenge: Keir's enemies at his home have been regrouping to move against him. The delay with the plague has given them an advantage, allowing for time to present evidence of Keir's supposed ill-informed decisions and their consequences. Keir is summoned home before the warrior-priests to respond to the charges brought against him.

This was a hard book to get through, mainly because some of my favorite characters died in this installment. Xylara, whom I liked very much in Warprize, earns no sympathy points from me. Regardless, I continue to remain in awe of Elizabeth Vaughan's gift in weaving such a complex story with rich, enigmatic characters. She allows the characters to evolve, learn from their mistakes, and even struggle with beliefs they once held so dear. I can't wait for the next installment.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This will win a lot of awards., April 15, 2006

By 

Detra Fitch (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Warsworn (Chronicles of the Warlands, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Our tale begins where the first book, "Warprize", left off. Lara, the Warprize, and Keir, the Warlord, are traveling to the Heart of the Plains so that Lara's status may be confirmed in a ceremony. The two have thousands of warriors accompanying them. However, they come to a city with its gates closed and the symbol for plague is upon the gates. Being a Master Healer, Lara goes inside to help the victims.

Soon the plague spreads throughout the warrior encampment. In the midst of the sick and dying, Iften, a rival warrior, gathers his followers and challenges Keir for the right to rule their tribe. Keir is still weak from his recent sickness. If Keir loses, he will not be the only one Iften will see dead quickly.

***** Mark my words: This trilogy will win massive awards! There is no doubt in my mind that this trilogy is one of the best I have ever read! You do not have to read the first novel to understand and enjoy this one; however, you will not enjoy this episode nearly as much unless you do. Each character, even the secondary ones, has their own strong personality. I could not help but get close to them. They are so well developed that I kept forgetting they are not real people. Author Elizabeth Vaughan has won me as a fan and I eagerly await the third book (WARLORD). An outstanding accomplishment from an author that is quickly making her name well known! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Just so so, November 14, 2006

By 

Justwannaread! (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Warsworn (Chronicles of the Warlands, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a transitional book in the series, but I was disappointed because the emotions do not connect in this sequel. There is limited action and too much misunderstanding and mistrust. I really liked Lara in Warprize, but she is not nearly as likable in this book. Keir is also only a shadow of the strong character portrayed previously. I hope the next book will be more on the level with Warprize.