Helpful Score: 3
I actually liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I was expecting a typical romance - heroine as captive with brave warleader, ugh ugh ugh!
Instead, our heroine is the despised sister of a jealous and despotic king, beloved by the people but destined never to rule. She became a healer, against her family's wishes, and heals wounded for both sides in a war her people fight against a superior horseback army.
She becomes "tribute" to the conquering warlord as a condition of an uneasy peace. We learn later that his people are pretty democratic compared to her own land - leaders are chosen according to their capability and battle prowess, not by family line or divine right, and she is shocked to see women warriors who are not constrained to virginity and certain behavioral codes. However, as advanced as they may be socially, they are woefully inept medically, still praying to elements to heal their wounded.
Misunderstandings between the two VERY diverse cultures are inevitable.
She doens't know what rights, if any, she may have as a tribute slave, only that she'll do anything to secure here people's safety. You can actually see WHY she begins to love the warlord as her misconceptions are gradually addressed. I loathe it when the hero of a book is an arrogant pain in the butt and you can't understand why the lady would love him at all - and you can't think why the heroine doesn't just club him in the first chapter and save herself a good deal of trouble.
Its also very well written - I HATE a good idea ruined by crap writing, so I'm picky about that sort of thing.
And finally, though I've heard it doesn't go as well in the 2nd book (Warsworn), the heroine doesn't do anything STUPID. I hate when heroines constantly have to be rescued from their own folly. Instead she is clever, brave, resourceful - and quite capable of standing up for herself without being a shrew.
It reminds me a bit of the sci-fi series Stardoc (though of course the setting is very different) because the heroine's driving passion is to heal anyone in pain.
Instead, our heroine is the despised sister of a jealous and despotic king, beloved by the people but destined never to rule. She became a healer, against her family's wishes, and heals wounded for both sides in a war her people fight against a superior horseback army.
She becomes "tribute" to the conquering warlord as a condition of an uneasy peace. We learn later that his people are pretty democratic compared to her own land - leaders are chosen according to their capability and battle prowess, not by family line or divine right, and she is shocked to see women warriors who are not constrained to virginity and certain behavioral codes. However, as advanced as they may be socially, they are woefully inept medically, still praying to elements to heal their wounded.
Misunderstandings between the two VERY diverse cultures are inevitable.
She doens't know what rights, if any, she may have as a tribute slave, only that she'll do anything to secure here people's safety. You can actually see WHY she begins to love the warlord as her misconceptions are gradually addressed. I loathe it when the hero of a book is an arrogant pain in the butt and you can't understand why the lady would love him at all - and you can't think why the heroine doesn't just club him in the first chapter and save herself a good deal of trouble.
Its also very well written - I HATE a good idea ruined by crap writing, so I'm picky about that sort of thing.
And finally, though I've heard it doesn't go as well in the 2nd book (Warsworn), the heroine doesn't do anything STUPID. I hate when heroines constantly have to be rescued from their own folly. Instead she is clever, brave, resourceful - and quite capable of standing up for herself without being a shrew.
It reminds me a bit of the sci-fi series Stardoc (though of course the setting is very different) because the heroine's driving passion is to heal anyone in pain.
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