Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Second in trilogy of Xylara and Keir, 15 Mar 2007
"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
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Moving Sequel to Warprize, 18 Jul 2007
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)
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Moving Sequel to Warprize, 20 Mar 2007
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)
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