Warsworn [Mass Market Paperback]

Warsworn is the second book of the trilogy that began with Warprize. Starting a few days after the first book finished, it continues the story of Lara and Keir as they journey towards the Plains; where Lara will hopefully be confirmed as the Warprize. Unfortunately before they can get there, events take an unexpected turn and they are delayed near the town of Wellspring.

Warsworn is very much the middle book of a trilogy and I would definitely recommend you read Warprize first. If Warprize was a coming together, then Warsworn is where everything falls apart. Your enjoyment of the story will depend on your opinion of Lara's actions and attitude. Is she selfish or just mistaken in her beliefs? Would the situation have occurred anyway or did she precipitate it? Elizabeth Vaughn leaves the decisions up to the reader. Lara, herself, questions her actions, but given the person she is I think if she had the choice to make again she would have made the same decision. She remains true to her beliefs, though it's slightly annoying that she HAS to be right.

I admit I struggled on my first read of this book (the review was written after my second read through). The story is completely heartbreaking in parts - have tissues handy. This is one author who is not afraid to let her characters suffer. Thank goodness for Simus's letters which help lighten some of the darker moments.

The beauty of this story remains in the depth of the world building and the attention to detail of the Firelander/Plains culture. And also in the relationships between characters,(Marcus and Lara, Keir and Lara, Epor and Isdra etc.) who are so well written they seem real.

I don't think it quite manages the intensity of Warprize, but I liked it much more on a second reading, I felt I had a better understanding of the character's actions. I was much more aware of how the decisions each individual character takes would impact on everyone else - Lara's decision to heal, Isdra's / Keir's decision to ignore Lara. Definitely a book you can re-read, and I'm glad I have Warlord on hand so I don't have to wait for the story to continue.

See also:-
Warprize (Book 1)
Warlord (Book 3)

"Warsworn" is the middle book in a trilogy and although it's a very good read it suffers a little from its position - it doesn't quite have the freshness and excitement of the first novel or the sense of completion of the third. If Amazon did half stars in their rating I'd give it four and a half - it's still a really good book!

It's the follow up to "Warprize" which was an excellent read, following Xylara, daughter of the old King and half-sister to the current King of Xy who is given as tribute to a raiding warlord, Keir. Xylara understands her position as Warprize to be that of slavery but submits to it in order to keep peace for her people, although she fears her dreams of carrying on her work as healer in the community are over. However she gradually realises that position of Warprize is not that of slave but is in fact very important, and that the Warlord has no rights over her but is trying to woo her. With threats on both their lives, eventually things are sorted out, Xylara becomes Queen after the death of her brother but chooses to follow the Warlord back to the plains after appointing an appropriate person to rule in her place.

Warsworn picks up the story five or six days after the end of Warprize. Lara is trying to get used to the difference in life that she is now experiencing as a member of an army on a long march home. She's never been more than a few hours' ride away from Water's Fall, her city, and yet now she is travelling with thousands of people from a different culture whose traditions and language she still only knows in part.

Lara's behaviour in this story is sometimes problematic. The central part of the story, that she goes into a walled city to treat those with the plague, ends up a disaster. Sometimes it feels that Lara just ploughs her own furrow without proper consideration of other people. Equally Keir doesn't seem able to always choose the sensible option and lets heart overrule head. It's also hard to get to the bottom of Lara's personality in this story as she appears rather self-centred in much of her decision-making whereas in "Warprize" her actions were shaped by the needs of her people. Her rather all-encompassing drive towards healing others is good in some ways but in others can make her seem heartless towards those who perhaps see the bigger picture. Having read Warsworn and the final instalment, "Warlord", it's hard to know whether Lara did the right thing in her actions in this book.

What was good about the book was the way that the reader learns more of the Firelanders' culture and the ways in which it differs from the City Dwellers. Lara finds much of their behaviour shocking and they find some of hers strange too - I like the realism of the fact that people from different cultures can struggle to fit in with new traditions. Keir feels a little more elusive in this story - he's still a heroic character (although with his own faults) but this story is more about Lara and her actions, as well as giving us more details about the Firelanders' world and characters such as Marcus.

It's a very good read set in a really excellent world but I only give it four stars as both "Warprize" and "Warlord", the two books around this one in the trilogy, are more enjoyable and a rounder read.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book www.curledup.com © 2007 Helen Hancox

The second in the trilogy, 'Warsworn' follows on a few days from 'Warprize', where Lara managed to get Kier to re-accept her as the warprize, after his efforts to leave her in Xy for her own safety. The army is travelling to the Plains where Lara will (hopefully) be confirmed as a warprize. As I havn't read Warlord yet, I don't know what this will entail, but I'm guessing it won't be a smooth ride...

After reading the other reviews on here, I fully expected to read Warsworn and start to hate Lara (even just a little bit) for her actions which lead to much death and suffering for all in the book. I hate it when characters do stupid things and don't THINK about their actions, especially as a plot device to create a 'problem' that then needs to be resolved.
However, I found the book as a whole to be a very enjoyable read, and I can't wait for the sequal to arrive! Lara has not changed, in that her desire to heal is still very strong, despite whatever consiquences she might face. In this case, she persuades Kier to let her try and heal a village that has fallen ill with the plague. I thought this would be the thing that I would struggle with the most in the plot, but instead Vaughen writes in a very eloquent and emotional way, and I completely agree with Lara's reasons for wanting to enter the village. she doen't recklessly bring the disease down upon the heads of all the warriors; instead, she makes sure only herself and two guards enter the village, with strict instructions that all others must keep away for fear of contamination. She believes that the army could already have been in contact with the disease, and so if they continue marching towards the plains without helping the village, then they could be bringing it to all the women and children in the plains without realising. While they are in quarantine, she wants to help those suffering in the village.
Even when she herself falls ill, she has no desire for Kier or anyone else to come into contact with the deadly disease, which she has no idea how to treat depsite her best efforts. Her actions are selfless and speak of her love for Kier and his people. This, among other reasons, make the plot easier to read and follow.

The novel isn't all doom and gloom, however; there are some very funny and light moments, for example when the warriors learn chess for the first time! In typical warrior fashion, they soon change the rules, and even form a contest out of it.

Be prepared to finish the novel with sore eyes and a headache: there were so many moments where I just couldn't stop crying, and at some points I had to stop reading to try and cry myself out before I could continue. Lara does not wallow in self pity, but her self-examination of her own actions, and the damage she thinks she has caused, is heart-wrenching and you really feel her pain, and yet Vaughan manages to avoid it all being Woe me!!, cliched and depressing, much to her credit.

The love between Kier and Lara is a joy to read (and again had me in tears at some points) as they support each other through various difficult and perilous moments. They learn that they must completely trust each other, and that they must be honest with each other for their 'bonding' to be true and complete in the future...

All in all, if you liked Warprize, you will definitely enjoy this book. It has humour, compassion, sorrow, anger and some very disagreeable characters, as well as joy happiness and hope. I can't wait to read how their story ends in Warlord, and I find myself hoping that their journey isn't too hard once they're there...!