Warsworn by Elizabeth Vaughan

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After finishing Warprize, I immediately picked up the second book in the Chronicles of Warlands series, Warsworn. This series is by Elizabeth Vaughan and was my second read for FaRoFeb. I used it for the prompt love the cover. I was also able to use this for the Heaving Bosom's 2022 Reading Embrace prompt stay horny golden girl and Winter's Kiss second board prompt underhyped.

We pick up right after Warprize ends and move forward. Keir, Lara and a portion of the army are headed back to the homelands of Keir and the "barbarians." While traveling, they come across a small town that has been beset by a plague. Lara pushes to stay behind so she can possibly help. When they approach and there is only a couple survivors, a baby the only one not sick, Lara tries to figure out what happened to notify the other cities. When the army gets sick and they are stuck for 40 days to keep from transferring the sickness to anyone else, things start to get political in the group. Since this is the first time the barbarians have dealt with any type of illness, they aren't sure how to handle the "invisible enemy."

So, while I still enjoyed this book, it didn't really improve on the first. With Lara fighting the plague and illness, that was pretty much what most of this book was centered around. Once again we got the abrupt ending, but it didn't bother me as much this time. I think partly because it was the same in the first, but I just didn't see the end coming. It wasn't really wrapped up, even with leaving the overarching storyline open. I liked getting to see Lara and Keir get closer together and to see their relationship strengthen. I read it pretty quickly again, but was once again just left wanting more; and not in a good way.

Warning, there are characters that you have come to love that die in here. I understood why we had to loose someone to help point out that illness doesn't know any bounds, but we lost several people we were close with. It just made the book have such a "downer" type of feeling that didn't go away. I can also see this triggering those that are sensitive with the current pandemic. While this is more plague and not pandemic, I can see how someone might be triggered, especially with the caretaking and high number of deaths due to illness. It didn't really bother me in that way other than just the overall mood of the book being a lot more somber.

I will definitely continue the series. At the very least I want to read the third book since it'll wrap up Lara and Keir's story. I'm not sure how quickly I'll get to it, but I definitely want to get through at least it before the end of the year. I just wish going in I knew that there was going to be sudden endings and that the first three books were a trilogy and not stand-alone. I am having fun with a new fantasy romance author though and hope that the next books will take care of everything that's outstanding. We shall see.

Have you read Warsworn?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Warsworn, Elizabeth Vaughan, 4-stars, 1 day, eBook, 340 pages, published in 2006, traditionally published

Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan

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The first book I picked up for FaRoFeb was Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan. This is the first book of her Chronicles of the Warlands series. I found this book thanks to a Instagram post for a trope Tuesday post, so was able to use it for the prompt recommendation from booksta for the 2nd board of Winter's Kiss. It also works for the Heaving Bosom's 2022 Reading Embrace prompt Ancient Egyptian glory hole. For FaRoFeb, I used this for the prompt something you love to hate.

Xylara is the half-sister of the current King of Xy, but as the second child was allowed a little more freedom. She has taken it upon herself to learn the art of healing. When Xy ends up in the being able to skirt the rules, she starts offering help after hours to the barbarians that are coming to takeover Xy. When Lara saves one of the generals, the Warlord Keir is drawn to Lara and her care for everyone equally. He decides to broker a deal with the King to leave him in seat (under Keir of course) but also wants Lara as his Warprize.

Okay, so first things first. When I found this book I didn't see anything mentioned, but this ends in a cliffhanger and the first three books are about Keir and Lara. I hadn't realized since the covers were different enough, so I don't want anyone else to go in not realizing the same thing. Now, this is also a slow burn and not very steamy. I did really enjoy the world building and the way that things evolved. I did want a bit more romance between them, but now knowing that there's three books about them I wasn't quite as strict with my rating. It is a very abrupt ending though, so just be aware.

Where I did have issue was the misunderstandings that went on so long. I do wish that Keir and his people were more open to having conversations with Lara and actually teaching about their culture and what is actually happening. There were also a few moments where it was pretty obvious that Lara didn't know what was going on or how to act, but they just wrote her off or got frustrated with her. It's like because she quickly learned the language everyone forgot that she was from a different culture.

I did speed through the books and immediately continued the in the series. While not perfect, it sucked me in so quickly and kept me so occupied that I had to give it as close to a 5-star as possible. It just had those few little nitpicks that didn't push it over the hump for me. I'll definitely be reading more in the series; at least finishing the first three books. I'm intrigued to read Elizabeth's other series Epic of Palins since it supposedly intersects.

Have you read Warprize?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Warprize, Elizabeth Vaughan, 4.5-stars, 0-days, eBook, 340 pages, published in 2005, traditionally published