White Star (Epic of Palins, Book 2)

Loved this one even more than the first in the series - Dagger Star. I love her writing. It is not rushed at all. If you haven't read the Warlord trilogy by this author, I highly recommend it. It is even better than this series.

Elizabeth Vaughan's romantic characters don't sit around watching the windswept moors and pining for one another. Instead, they are in the thick of the action, fomenting revolution, charging into battle, delving into foul dungeons, and saving farmers and villagers from the ravaging odium (animated dead). The passions of the characters are just as intense as their actions, resulting in a book that has plenty of suspense, plot twists, political intrigue, sexual tension, and heated action (in every sense). Moreover, there is true depth and emotion here--the souls of the characters being far from the black and white that their clothing might suggest. Once again, Elizabeth Vaughan has created a vivid portrait of strong, believable men and women living and struggling for power and justice in a strange and complex fantasy world. White Star is especially for readers that want a balance of heart-pounding action adventure and heated passion, loss, lust, and romance, with plenty of unexpected turns along the way. Highly recommended! Donald J. Bingle, author of GREENSWORD

I have read all of Elizabeth Vaughan's novels, and I think this is the best one yet. The action is well-paced and the dialog is terrific. The heroine is terrific, but my favorite things are the undead . . . and the scene in the medieval bathroom. Great reading.

Excellent book! White Star by USA Today Bestselling author Elizabeth Vaughan is an excellent book. I was hooked from the very beginning and finished reading it at 4:18 AM. Ouch! The writing is fantastic the Vaughan got her hooks into me right away with tense scenes and snappy dialogue. She has so many great opening lines, and closing lines of chapters, which really impressed me. Most importantly, the main characters: Lord Orrin and Lady Evelyn are very well done. Orrin is one of those bad guys who the girls fall for. He's dark, handsome, brooding and someone you do not want to make angry. Lady Evelyn, a High Priestess and a Mage, has serious power. She can throw down with the best of them and burn people to a crisp if need be. She's one of those really cool characters that you love to read about. The secondary characters are great too. Lord Orrin's men are very entertaining, especially Archer, who can't use his real name because of the things he's done. I especially liked the fact that he had certain proclivities . . . no spoiler here. The plot of the book involves the fall of Lord Orrin's barony, and the repercussions of what the Baroness did--which involves undead zombie-like creatures--which Vaughan calls odium. Lady Evelyn, "Evie" is right in the middle of it all and Orrin can't help but fall for the beautiful woman with white hair and piercing blue eyes. The world was well thought out and I really liked the magic, especially the portals, which allow people to travel far and wide. It all fits together in a realistic way that I truly appreciated, as I can always tell when writers don't do a thorough job on world-building. This book is sort of a sequel to Dagger Star, but you don't need to have read Dagger Star to get White Star, which should be considered a stand-alone novel. There are quite a few characters who appeared in Dagger Star though, so readers of that book will enjoy seeing some of their favorite characters return. The ending of White Star was satisfying, and another storyline was opened, involving different characters. I look forward to the next installment and I'm definitely hooked on Vaughan's writing. I loved her Warlands trilogy, War Prize is the first book. Happy reading, [...]

In the war-ravaged Palins, Lord Marshal Orrin Blackhart knows his guilt and remorse will remain with him long after his bones are interred as his loyalty to his late Lady High Baroness Elanore was misplaced. Whereas she created evil Odiun warriors causing death and destruction, he ignored the dark magic she used to bring these killers to life. Following Elanore's death, Orrin, in spite of having captured the Chosen One High Lady Priestess Evelyn, turns himself in to the rebel opposition to insure his loyal men are not killed or imprisoned. Ironically, Evelyn claims his life as hers; Orrin is grateful to the Chosen One not because she saved him, but she has given him time to somewhat atone for his transgressions though he realistically knows he will never wipe the slate clean. He vows to Evelyn and himself that he will eradicate the Odium roving the countryside. Although the Chosen One can claim almost any bounty, High Priestess Evelyn struggles with a powerful archbishop with a personal agenda. With the devastating wars allegedly over (see Chronicles of the Warlands trilogy), the aftermath and dark evil remain throughout the Palins even as malevolence has been killed (see DAGGER STAR). The beloved enemies Evelyn and Orrin were powerful leaders of opposing forces in the vicious hostilities war that still has the people of the Palins reeling. Fans will appreciate the clever twist that Elizabeth Vaughn writes in WHITE STAR as the latest return to her Warlands saga is a welcome entry in one of the best romantic fantasies of the last few years. Harriet Klausner