Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
First Book in a New Romantic Fantasy Series, April 2, 2008
Dagger-Star tells the story of Red Gloves - a female mercenary who has come to the land of Palins in search of work. Josiah - a goatherder - knows very little about her, but he knows her dagger-star birthmark indicates she's a Chosen. Part of a prophecy that may set the land of Palins free.
Red Gloves is a name, that for me, took some getting used to and I think it distanced me a little from the story to begin with, though by page 7 I was interested and by page 40 completely hooked. It's more like a label than a name as such - she's a mercenary who wears red gloves. This is in a world where people change their names as their circumstances change.
Red is the alpha in this story, and is not exactly the most sensitive person. She's a much more prickly character than Lara(from the War Plains books) not so ready to be the martyr. She's practical to the point of insensitivity, stroppy, knows her own mind. But she's also loyal, brave and determined. This is a woman we believe capable of leading an army.
There is a slight role reversal. Red is very take charge, whilst Josiah is more beta. That doesn't mean he's a wimp - think Daniel Jackson from Stargate. There's strength in being able to bend rather than break. I also think it can be harder to write a believable beta hero, than a believable alpha.
This book has a large 'cast' and is told from multiple points of view, but each character has their own beliefs, quirks, desires and ambitions. Red - the mercenary, Bethral her sword-sister, Ezren - the storyteller, Evelyn - the priestess. I suspect for some people this style won't work, but I do like seeing the same situation through different eyes. There are a couple of wonderfully written parallel scenes where it's clear Red and Josiah are thinking the same thing, but are convinced the other person is thinking something else. They need to talk. :) I think as long as it adds more to the story then it's working. I wish the book had been longer so we could have gone into more depth, but hopefully there will be more books to come.
My main concern whilst I was reading was how this world fits in with that of the War Plains trilogy. The thing I liked about the trilogy was that it was a fantasy, which dealt with the cultural conflict between two peoples. There was no magic, no easy solution. Everything had to be strived for. There are hints that this is the same world - kavage, references to the Tribes of the Plains. I think what concerns me, is how what we find out in Dagger-Star, affects the world of the Plains.
In Dagger-Star we find out there is magic - elves, portals, magical fire. And in a way I wish Dagger-Star had been set in a new world, that the two worlds had been kept separate. If magic is real then maybe the warrior-priests of the plains weren't lying to Lara.
That aside, this was another story I immersed myself into and at the end there are still questions that haven't been answered. Still stories there to be told. I want to know what happens next not only to Red and Josiah, but also to Ezren, Bethral, Evelyn, Dominic, Fael, Helene. And I really want to know how Verice and Warna got together.
Elizabeth Vaughan writes stories about women who change their world. Heroines who may doubt themselves or their gifts but who ultimately triumph. And it's not through use of magic but through self-belief and determination. She's one of my favourite authors and I'm counting the days 'til the next book.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hero's Journey Is A Joke, May 16, 2008
WOW! I just bought this and had to MAKE myself go slow. I loved Vaughn's first trilogy that started with <u>Warprize</u> and bought this book based on that love.
Red Gloves is a true mercenary. Everything has a profit or it is of no use to here. Vaughn doesn't muddy Red's focus with emotions right away. She truly crafts a character that upholds the idea of sword-for-hire. When Red discovers that her unusual birthmark tags her as an answer to a prophecy, she wisely saddles up her horse and leaves! Finally a heroine that does what I would do. No diving into someone else's mess for our girl!
Josiah, however, intrigues her on such a deep level that Red can't even vocalize at first. She tries to tell her sword-sister and fails. When she and her sword sister buy a badly injured slave, they are forced back to Josiah when the sellers suddenly want this slave back.
Weaving in a very funny poke at the traditional hero's journey via the character of Ezren, Vaughn managed to keep me amused as a writer as well as an informed reader. She literally mocks Joseph Campbell's time-honored hero's journey--not in a mean, derisive way but rather a nudge in the ribs to those of us who get the joke.
The only thing that bothered me in this book was Red as sexual aggressor. At times she seemed to be emulating masculine tendencies without any motivation for it. By the end of the book, the reason for this behaviour is revealed.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted high fantasy with a healthy dollop of romance. This hero's journey is one I will keep on my shelf (or rather my e-book reader) for ever.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Keep Vaughan on your to-be-read list!, April 18, 2008
Dagger-Star is the first book in a new series by Elizabeth Vaughan, the much talked about author of the Chronicles of the Warlands trilogy. With a distinctive story-telling style and a talent for creating a rich tapestry of characters Vaughan has another hit on her hands.
Meet Red Gloves, a saucy, seductive warrior woman and Bethrel, her sword-sister. The story begins with these strong women of Soccia seeking shelter from the rain in the war ravaged land of Palins. Taken in by a lonely goat-herder named Josiah, the two women get drawn into a world of prophecies and preistesses, mages and barons. A rescued slave turns out to be a legendary story-teller and Josiah himself holds some great secrets. Born with the dagger-star birthmark, Red too, is pulled against her will into fighting for the future of Palins and maybe for the love of Josiah. But when Red claims the throne will she be able to remove her mysterious scarlet gloves and rule over Palins, leaving behind the humble goat-herder she's grown to love?
Fans of Vaughan's Chronicles of the Warlands won't be dissapointed to know that this series is indeed set in the same world as her previous trilogy. It's uncertain whether it is set in another part of the same world or perhaps the future but you'll notice some similarities right away. With strong world-building and even stronger character creation I fell in love with Ezren and other members of the secondary cast. If you're new to Vaughan this book is a great place to start as this series is completely seperate from the Warlands and is a decent example of Vaughan's ability to tell a story. My only trouble with this story was how easily Red won everyone over in her adventure and how easily she defeated her enemies, warrior woman or no I felt like she needed some weakness. Overall this is a great fantasy story and an okay romance. I look forward to hopefully reading Bethral's story next.
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