'Warsworn' by Elizabeth VAUGHAN

From the BLURB:

A powerful healer, she has sworn an oath of loyalty to Keir the Warlord, and his people. Now the Warlord and his chosen mate face enemies within the tribe and danger lurks on every hand as they journey toward Keir's homeland.

When they reach a village marked with the warnings of the plague, Keir forbids Lara to heal the sick, commanding that she not risk her own life. But both Lara and Kier are strong of will and neither will bend easily, even for love; and when Lara disobeys, she pays the price: both she and Kier are plague-struck... and so is their entire encampment.

In the midst of the dying, Iften, a rival warrior, gathers his followers and challenges Keir for the right to rule their tribe. If Keir, weakened by the sickness, loses -- he dies.

And so does Lara.

To save her love, her life, and her adopted people, Lara must find a cure for the plague -- and fully embrace her sworn role as Warprize to her Warlord.

This is the 2nd book in Vaughan’s ‘The Chronicles of the Warlands’ trilogy’.

There’s quite an upheaval in this book. Lara and Keir’s relationship is put to the test; by their own actions, and the growing resentment of Keir’s soldiers who are disgruntled at their lack of bounty after such a long battle.

The plague storyline has Vaughan killing many beloved secondary characters, but the fast-paced, gripping plot more than makes up for the heartache.

Vaughan still has a problem with writing sex scenes. The good news is that Lara and Keir are far more open with their affections in book 2. The bad news is Vaughan still stumbles through intimate scenes, and at one point she describes an orgasm thus; “we both cried out, shattering into a thousand bright pieces of pleasure”. Urgh. She does get a little bit better, letting Keir use innuendo frequently and with teasing affection for Lara, but the actual logistics of such scenes still fall-short.

Still, the book supplies romance in spades. Lara is put to the test as she realizes the weight of her decision to leave home and follow her Warlord to unknown lands. But there is never any doubt that she made the right decision; her and Keir’s love for one another is palpable, and even without overly steamy sex scenes Lara and Keir sizzle in their scenes together. Vaughan explores their relationship in depth in ‘Warsworn’, and the stakes are heightened as they pledge themselves to one another amidst the death and destruction plague brings.

Bonding binds two souls, and as with all bindings it can cause pain as well as pleasure. Where once one mind and body worked together, now so must two mesh. This is more of a challenge than the fiercest battle, for a battle lasts but hours, but the work of a bond is constant and never-ending.

I really loved this book. Despite quite a depressing plague plot, and the death of a few beloved characters – the pace is fast and furious, the romance sizzles and there is a delicious build-up to the third and final book

4/5

Warprize REVIEW