Destiny's Star

I did enjoy this one, Bethral, the lady warrior and Ezran Silvertongue, storyteller with wild magic coursing through his veins, find themselves in the plains trying to work out how to control his power and stay alive. The people of the Plains live a very rigid life and their intrusion is unwelcome. They have to survive and try to control his magic without ending up dead from the magic or the people and plotting around them.

I liked this series, found it very readable, found the second and first to be the better stories, against some others this would be 4 star material. I'm adding these to my collection. There's space for more stories in this world, this wraps up the story arc nicely.

I really enjoy EV's clear, descriptive writing style. Good world-building, a slow building romance between Bethral and Ezren (that started two books ago), and realistic characters that fit into Good and Evil archetypes based on the choices they make. (In the case of the Big Bad in this book, he gets that status after making a series of self-serving rationalizations.) The focus on the romantic elements and the fantasy elements varies depending on what else is going on in the story.

If you like Maria V. Snyder or early Mercedes Lackey and want something that features fully grown characters, I think you'd like this. It's tied to the earlier books in this series and set on the Plains, so also has some tie-in to the Warprize series, but can show more be read as a stand-alone. show less

Unfortunately off work sick, I powered through this trilogy. They were just right for a relaxing read whilst feeling yeuch. Of the three, it was the final book I enjoyed the most - the romance of a warrior woman and a scholarly man.
It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger though and I'm not sure if there will ever be a follow up.

Third in what I think of as the "Red Gloves" sequence, ties back to the previous Warlands series by this author.

She does a pretty good job of creating a fantasy world that works, more or less, for me as a fantasy reader.

I found the bad guy to be a bit over the top, and would mind more nuanced antagonists, but the female warrior heroine worked for me and while I usually have little or no use for horse nomad stories this one was better in that the horses were so supermagical and the people actually made sense to me.

Of course some of the elements were stupid utopian, but I enjoyed the ride and the poet/storyteller wounded hero.

Not a great book, but a good little fantasy novel. Nomads, epic love, and skulls on sticks, who could want more? There is little complexity in the plot or the characters, but basic human feelings and good versus evil still makes a good story. I haven't read Warprize and this book intersects with that one so I'm even more interested in reading it.

This is book 3 but you can read it as a standalone novel. I read book 2 two years ago and I had forgotten some things but thanks to the book I was soon up to speed on things. Because each of these books are about a new woman. I actually read book 2 first, then book 1 and then this one (you know how it is.) Also to be noted is that yes this is the series by Elizabeth Vaughan but she is published as Beth Vaughan in the UK.

Bethral is in love with Ezren and he is on love with her. But neither thinks they stand a chance and therefore they do not make a move. Bethral is your typical warrior woman, strong, tough and she can take on any man. Ezren is a storyteller, not a warrior. They are in a way like night and day. He thinks she pities him, show more and she thinks he wants someone soft. Oh people in love are fools.

Magic brings them to the land of Bethral's mother. The books known from Vaughan's War series. And they also tie in to those books since the civil war no going on got started in the War books. I do like this land of nomadic warriors because it is just so weird. Like how men and women need to have 5 babies each before they can commit to anyone and they are also very free in their sexual life. She has done well with creating this rich world and as two strangers with very different ideas they are certainly out of place.

The book is also about adventure as they try to find a way back home and escape those who want to kill Ezren for the magic he holds. They meet new friends, learn about a new culture and since this is about romance too they fall in love.

Conclusion:
A good fantasy romance. There is love, magic, action and a strange new land in this conclusion to a great series. show less

I think I liked this one of the three the best. There's something about Ezren I like.