Warlord - Elizabeth Vaughan

Lara of Xy and her Warlord, Keir of the Cat, have been through much together. Lara abandoned her lands and people for love of him.? She adopted his ways and learned of his tribe. Together they have faced plague and insurgency -- and despite these struggles, they have known happiness and joy.

Now they face their most arduous task: Keir must take Lara into the Heart of the Plains, and introduce her as the Warprize to the warrior-priests.? She must be tested--questioned, examined, watched--and must find favor with the warrior-priests and the tribe's elders before they will confirm her as a true Warprize.

But in Lara's heart there are doubts--for what if she is found wanting? Will Keir give up everything he knows to be with his Warprize?

Lara - the Warprize - is the main character of this book. She is separated from Keir learning that the Warprize must be courted by others so she can make an informed decision when choosing her mate. Lara and keir have already established their passionate relationship and although she bows to these new customs Lara remains determined to be with Keir.

To make it more difficult she soon realizes that both she and Keir have enemies who would like to see them fail in convincing the council that he should be the Warlord and she should be his Warprize and that their two cultures should be united. I liked how she approached the new reality she lives in and how she wants to learn more about the Warrior Priests while sharing her own knowledge when needed. She is offered the opportunity to return to Xy and give up Keir and her place as his Warprize but she refuses.

There's a lot of action and violence in the second half of the book as Keir has to defend his position as Warlord and not everyone seems ready for the changes that Lara brings. Although things are wrapped up in a believable way we do have to suffer before reaching closure. And I get the feeling that there is more to tell about them. When I closed the book I really wanted for Vaughan to have written a book about what happens next. Maybe some day she will...

Grade: A-