Warprize (Chronicles of the Warlands) [Mass Market Paperback]

Xylara "Lara" is daughter of the late Warrior King Xyron. As such, Lara always knew her fate was a political alliance marriage. Still, Lara's interest has always been healing. Therefore, she grew up and became a Master Healer. Lara treats her people, as well as the prisoners of war. To a Healer, it did not matter if the patient is friend or foe, only that he needs wounds treated. Her half-brother, Xymund, sits on the throne and rules the Kingdom of Xy, but does not do a good job of it. The warring "Firelanders" would soon conquer Xy.

Lara was shunned when she first went to aid the enemy warriors in the prison section. But after much persistence and then proving her healing abilities, the wounded warriors accepted her and looked forward to her visits. It is Lara's fighting spirit, good heart, and healing talent that changes her fate.

When King Xymund and Warlord Keir meet to discuss "true peace", the Warlord demands Lara as "Warprize". Xymund swears fealty to Keir and Lara goes with Keir, not knowing what to expect. But the peace is threatened as assassination attempts are made on Lara. If the Warprize should did, the lands will run red with the blood of thousands.

***** Absolutely fantastic! I lost half a night of sleep because I could not stop reading this novel. Lara and Keir will have three books. But do not worry, this book does not end and leave you hanging. (I hate it when a book does that.) This tale blends what seems to be historical romance (horses, swords, etc) with fantasy. It is obviously not something that could have ever happened on Earth; however, the book never mentions what planet it is set on. If not for the fantasy elements, you could very well believe this was set back in the days of Vikings or knights. Highly recommended reading! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I thought this book was utterly brilliant - what a delight to read a fantasy with some romance which was well-written, the characters well-drawn and which had an interesting message.

Warprize is set in a quasi-Mediaeval world where Xylara is the half-sister of the king, Xymund. Unfortunately Xymund is a bad king and has been unsuccessful at keeping the Firelander warriors from his land - in fact, they are almost at the point of besieging his castle. Xylara works as a healer, a doctor, for the injured from both sides of the battle.

It's in going against her brother's wishes and tending to the sick of the Firelanders that she first begins to get involved in a situation which will change her life forever. She picks up the language of the Firelanders, once they learn to trust her ministrations, and is there when a new injured man is brought in. She discovers that he is actually a very important man within the warrior hierarchy of the Firelanders but chooses not to share this information with her half-brother as she knows it would mean this man's death.

Unfortunately for Xylara, her work with the Firelander men has brought her to the attention of the Warlord of the Firelanders and she discovers that in order to cement a peace treaty her half-brother has given her as tribute to the Warlord as a slave, called a Warprize. Because she is an honourable woman with a sense of duty to her people she submits to this slavery, being taken to the huge camp of the Firelanders and installed in the Warlord's tent.

And thus begins Xylara's discovery of a new culture. It's this that is written particularly well in these books - it is so easy to be confused by strange things from another person's culture and Xylara continually finds herself in unusual situations. As in real life there is good and bad in both cultures and she finds aspects of the Firelanders' culture to be good although others, particularly their treatment of the sick, to be bad. And the Warlord himself, Keir, seems surprisingly gentle with his slave. Perhaps these people aren't barbarians after all. Called only "The Warprize" amongst the people and fearful of her position within them she tries to learn about this different culture and to understand its differences, knowing all the time that the fragile peace between her peoples and the Firelanders may rely on her efforts. And yet peace is not there as she watches the Warlord kill people, she herself is under attack and there seems to be treason fomenting within the Firelanders' camp.

Warprize is definitely several notches above the other books in this genre I have read. It's very readable and the characters are all well-differentiated and different; there's a gentle romance, there are some questions and issues that aren't answered in this book but that only encouraged me to read the next and didn't annoy me. I particularly enjoyed the cultural misunderstandings portrayed and although they aren't ones that we in our world would have they rang true - it's easy to see how people can get the wrong end of the stick when meeting an entirely new culture. Xylara is a very likeable heroine, not whiny or stupid or continually throwing herself into danger but she is a loyal, trustworthy and pleasant young woman; Keir is a mixture of a warrior with a temper and a gentle man courting a maiden and although we don't see as much of him and his personality he's still a worthy hero. This is a book that I know I will enjoy reading again and again - it's going straight onto my "keeper" shelf.

Warprize is a fantasy romance, the beginning of a planned trilogy.

Xylara (Lara) is a healer first, but she is also a royal princess, and when war breaks out between her people an the Firelanders, she takes advantage of her brothers largess in stating that the enemy wounded will be treated as well as there own wounded. Unfortunately his decree was only for show and his intentions were no where near as noble. Lara, however, can not justify to herself lack of treatment to any wounded person, friend or enemy, and uses her own resources to care for the enemy wounded and in doing so discovers they bleed red just like anyone else and are indeed men of honour even if of different races than her own.

When the Warlord of the Firelanders calls off the siege and demands peace talks with the King, Lara's half brother, he also demands Lara as a Warprize. When the King tells Lara she is to be given as slave to the Warlord and gives her poison to either kill herself or the Warlord, she realizes that her brother does not intend to adhere to the intention of the treaty but rather to kill the prisoners prior to their release, as the treaty stated all living prisoners were to be released. She goes to the prisoners and offers herself as a hostage if needed. After all, the king won't kill her as she is the Warprize and the peace is contingent on getting her.

She is to be presented to the Warlord in nothing but a white shift and to take nothing that is not given her by his hand. Imagine her surprise when she realizes she has met the Warlord in the market when she was buying supplies for his men.

It is not until much later, after she has fallen in love with the honourable Warlord, she discovers the extent of her brothers' treachery, that being a Warprize is a highly honoured position much like wife, and not slave as she had been led to believe and that Kier loves her as deeply as she loves him.

The Kings treachery is further revealed in an assignation attempt which is almost successful on Lara's life to which the Warlord Kier reacts aggressively.

What will happen now that Lara's kingdom has no King? Will she be forced to take the crown she does not want and forfeit the man she does?

This is a wonderful, wonderful story of love, honour, justice, sacrifice and the stubbornness of a woman in love with an honorable man. This is a book that will leave you with eagerly awaiting the next in the trilogy.
although this doesnt show the feeling found in this book the only way to yunderstand the glow it leaves you with is to read it yourself