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blodeuedd's review
3.0
White Star is the sequel to Dagger-star that came out last year. It's fantasy romance set in a world she described in an earlier trilogy.
The Lady High Priestess Evelyn is virtuous and loved. She is one of the leaders of the rebellion against the usurper who has claimed the throne. She is a healer who helps the injured and the sick.
Orrin Blackheart, the scourge of the Palins is despised and hated. He is known as an evil man who stands at his Duchess side against those who rebel. He has killed many, and he stood by his Duchess and Sorceress as she created an army of the dead. An army that plagues the countryside and claims more for their ranks.
Orrin takes Evelyn prisoner during the war and takes her to the castle at Black Hills. Here she knows what she will face, death and torture, but instead they both find something in each other that they didn't expect, passion, but can it withstand.
I liked this book, it was cute and I do love my fantasy so what better than romance and fantasy. And it had zombies, I am not a fan of zombies, they can give me nightmares. What more horrific than something that just keep coming at you. And yes these zombies keep coming.
This is then book 2, I didn't know that, and you can read the book without reading the first one. Of course where did elves come from? I did wonder about red gloves and queen Gloriana, and the obsession with a lord called Josiah. Still she explained vital things in the beginning and what I wondered about I got answers to in the end, well except where those 2 elves came from.
Early in Evelyn s capture Orrin learns that his Duchess is dead, and he lets Evelyn go, and negotiates a truce for his men. Then he must stand trial for the crimes he has committed. I will not say more, but their love doesn't have an easy road to take.
Evelyn seems to be a good hearted heroine, but she does have past too. There is nothing that makes me dislike her. Orrin, oh he has been wicked, truly evil, I have to like him. Because even though he has done horrific things in the past and he wants redemption, he wants to change, he wants his men to have their freedom. He is a good man who sure took the wrong way, but love makes fools of all of us. He wants her, but he don't wants to spoil her purity with his evil past and ways.
Can there be a HEA, and even if there is one, he will always be hated. They are such opposites and that shows too in how they look. Evelyn always in white with white hair. A beacon of light to his own darkness. I do want their happy ending, they both deserve to be that. And I have a soft spot for the bad guys.
I did wonder about those elves in the beginning and I do want to know more about this world, or at least give me a map. That would help to build it better. But the story is more focused on romance, and wiping out those zombies. The war behind them, and politics is not focused on. If the lands are rebuilt I do not know. But in the end I don't care, I get romance and action and can be happy with that.
The Lady High Priestess Evelyn is virtuous and loved. She is one of the leaders of the rebellion against the usurper who has claimed the throne. She is a healer who helps the injured and the sick.
Orrin Blackheart, the scourge of the Palins is despised and hated. He is known as an evil man who stands at his Duchess side against those who rebel. He has killed many, and he stood by his Duchess and Sorceress as she created an army of the dead. An army that plagues the countryside and claims more for their ranks.
Orrin takes Evelyn prisoner during the war and takes her to the castle at Black Hills. Here she knows what she will face, death and torture, but instead they both find something in each other that they didn't expect, passion, but can it withstand.
I liked this book, it was cute and I do love my fantasy so what better than romance and fantasy. And it had zombies, I am not a fan of zombies, they can give me nightmares. What more horrific than something that just keep coming at you. And yes these zombies keep coming.
This is then book 2, I didn't know that, and you can read the book without reading the first one. Of course where did elves come from? I did wonder about red gloves and queen Gloriana, and the obsession with a lord called Josiah. Still she explained vital things in the beginning and what I wondered about I got answers to in the end, well except where those 2 elves came from.
Early in Evelyn s capture Orrin learns that his Duchess is dead, and he lets Evelyn go, and negotiates a truce for his men. Then he must stand trial for the crimes he has committed. I will not say more, but their love doesn't have an easy road to take.
Evelyn seems to be a good hearted heroine, but she does have past too. There is nothing that makes me dislike her. Orrin, oh he has been wicked, truly evil, I have to like him. Because even though he has done horrific things in the past and he wants redemption, he wants to change, he wants his men to have their freedom. He is a good man who sure took the wrong way, but love makes fools of all of us. He wants her, but he don't wants to spoil her purity with his evil past and ways.
Can there be a HEA, and even if there is one, he will always be hated. They are such opposites and that shows too in how they look. Evelyn always in white with white hair. A beacon of light to his own darkness. I do want their happy ending, they both deserve to be that. And I have a soft spot for the bad guys.
I did wonder about those elves in the beginning and I do want to know more about this world, or at least give me a map. That would help to build it better. But the story is more focused on romance, and wiping out those zombies. The war behind them, and politics is not focused on. If the lands are rebuilt I do not know. But in the end I don't care, I get romance and action and can be happy with that.
nelsonseye's review against another edition
3.0
Quite a fast read. Liked the secondary characters, but I wish the villainy had been more drawn out/developed.
redhairedashreads's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars - It was really good
Lady High Priestess Evelyn was kidnapped by Orrin Blackhart, the Scourge of Palins, and expects to be abused and killed but insteads finds herself falling for Blackhart.
While I found Evelyn to be a bit snobbish in the previous book, I changed my mind about her in this one. She is compassionate, kind, and determined to make the world a better place. I really enjoyed getting to know her and learning about how dangerous and badass she can be. Orrin Blackhart is a man who has done terrible things in the past. He is no longer willing to sacrifice everything for his people and is determined to change the situation in the Black Hills. I really enjoyed Blackhart and watching him fight for his people and a new future.
Orrin and Evelyn have instant attraction but both of them being prisoners to each other prevents any kind of true relationship from happening. With each interaction these two have, the harder it is to fight their feelings. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed their relationship. There was a lot of tension and barriers that kept them apart but they still keep gravitating towards each other. I also liked that Evelyn understood Orrin’s past and states that even though she loves him she would still fight against him if he returned to the man he used to be.
This land of Palins continues to be very interesting. Gloriana seems to be a very good queen and I look forward to seeing how the land progresses under her reign. I can’t wait to jump into the next book and see what happens to Bethral and Ezren after they go through the portal to the Plains.
Trigger Warnings: kidnapping; imprisonment; death of side characters; slavery; sacrificing people, including children, to become zombies;
mdlaclair's review
3.0
while this book did have some nice charaters and an interesting storyline. I felt that it just fell a little flat it did not hold up the high stander that the Warland series had set.
loverofromance's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
Introduction
White Star is the second installment in the Epic of Palins series. This was also a BUDDY READ with a friend from Instagram. And it was such a blast to buddy read this with her. I absolutely couldn't get enough of this one here. This was so much better than book one, and honestly, this was the perfect fantasy romance, everything all came together just right. And it was everything that I expected and more. It had some fabulous elements that really build depth into the story and Elizabeth Vaughan definitely wrote a work of art with this one here. White Star is part of a series, and I do recommend reading these in order.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero:Orrin Blackhard, Scourge of the Palins
-Barbarian
-Leader
-Warlord
-Warrior
-Alpha Mellow
The Heroine: Lady High Priestess, Evelyn
-Priestess
-Powerful
-Spiritual Leader
-Noble
-Virtuous
Summary
Orrin Blackheart, is a warlord and leader of his people, but has had no choice in obeying the commands of the one he answers to. When he and Evelyn first meet, she was his prisoner and there was a instant connection made between them. But when his sorceress is killed, he is captured and about to be executed for this crimes, when one of the Goddesses whispers to Evelyn, that he must be saved and that there is good in him. So she uses her boon with the queen to save his life and give him a chance to redeem his past crimes to save his people and drive the undead scourge out of their lands. But when Evelyn is in danger, Orrin rescued her and with her aid, they work together to destroy the scourge and they find a love that is worth fighting for..
My Outlook
This book *sigh* was so precious and delightful to read! There is something about reading a Elizabeth Vaughan that just works so well for me. If you love a good epic fantasy romance, and you haven't had a chance to read this author, then you definitely need to. Book one was pretty slow in comparison to this one. There might be some drawbacks of this one to some readers, such as the instant love theme, but I actually loved seeing this being implemented. And we have a pining HEROINE!!! And it was just so good. I know everyone is obsessed with a pining hero, but I feel like we get that a lot in romance lately, so it was so REFRESHING to have a heroine that was the pining focus.
Now I first want to mention the redemption arc of this story. This is where we see the hero go on a journey of his own in working on atoning for his past mistakes, endeavoring to save his people and improve the lands for the better. I actually really loved the hero though. He wasn't uber alpha male, but definitely had alpha tendacies but had a sweet soft side at times. I enjoyed the bantering between Orrin and Evelyn. Evelyn sees the good in Orrin. I love how in tune she is with her spiritual side and yes I love a spiritual theme in a romance, and it worked so well within these books. If you have read Elizabeth Vaughan, it just works so well. But seeing the way she is willing to fight and stand by Orrin was so wonderful. I was cheering her on all the way. Orrin is SO stubborn haha he knows that Evelyn has made a vow of chastity in her order as a priestess and he doesn't want to threaten what she has worked so hard for. But Evelyn loves Orrin, and is willing to do what it takes to prove to him she is in it for real and the long haul. But honestly the ending was so epic, beautiful and just swept me away!
Overall View
White Star is a thrilling tale of unforgettable love, sacrifice and healing that will inspire its readers! KICKS A PUNCH TO THE HEART!
Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 5
World Building: 5
Cover: 4
Hero: 5
Heroine: 5
Steam: 5
Heart & Feels: 5
Ending: 5
Overall View: 5
Introduction
White Star is the second installment in the Epic of Palins series. This was also a BUDDY READ with a friend from Instagram. And it was such a blast to buddy read this with her. I absolutely couldn't get enough of this one here. This was so much better than book one, and honestly, this was the perfect fantasy romance, everything all came together just right. And it was everything that I expected and more. It had some fabulous elements that really build depth into the story and Elizabeth Vaughan definitely wrote a work of art with this one here. White Star is part of a series, and I do recommend reading these in order.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero:Orrin Blackhard, Scourge of the Palins
-Barbarian
-Leader
-Warlord
-Warrior
-Alpha Mellow
The Heroine: Lady High Priestess, Evelyn
-Priestess
-Powerful
-Spiritual Leader
-Noble
-Virtuous
Summary
Orrin Blackheart, is a warlord and leader of his people, but has had no choice in obeying the commands of the one he answers to. When he and Evelyn first meet, she was his prisoner and there was a instant connection made between them. But when his sorceress is killed, he is captured and about to be executed for this crimes, when one of the Goddesses whispers to Evelyn, that he must be saved and that there is good in him. So she uses her boon with the queen to save his life and give him a chance to redeem his past crimes to save his people and drive the undead scourge out of their lands. But when Evelyn is in danger, Orrin rescued her and with her aid, they work together to destroy the scourge and they find a love that is worth fighting for..
My Outlook
This book *sigh* was so precious and delightful to read! There is something about reading a Elizabeth Vaughan that just works so well for me. If you love a good epic fantasy romance, and you haven't had a chance to read this author, then you definitely need to. Book one was pretty slow in comparison to this one. There might be some drawbacks of this one to some readers, such as the instant love theme, but I actually loved seeing this being implemented. And we have a pining HEROINE!!! And it was just so good. I know everyone is obsessed with a pining hero, but I feel like we get that a lot in romance lately, so it was so REFRESHING to have a heroine that was the pining focus.
Now I first want to mention the redemption arc of this story. This is where we see the hero go on a journey of his own in working on atoning for his past mistakes, endeavoring to save his people and improve the lands for the better. I actually really loved the hero though. He wasn't uber alpha male, but definitely had alpha tendacies but had a sweet soft side at times. I enjoyed the bantering between Orrin and Evelyn. Evelyn sees the good in Orrin. I love how in tune she is with her spiritual side and yes I love a spiritual theme in a romance, and it worked so well within these books. If you have read Elizabeth Vaughan, it just works so well. But seeing the way she is willing to fight and stand by Orrin was so wonderful. I was cheering her on all the way. Orrin is SO stubborn haha he knows that Evelyn has made a vow of chastity in her order as a priestess and he doesn't want to threaten what she has worked so hard for. But Evelyn loves Orrin, and is willing to do what it takes to prove to him she is in it for real and the long haul. But honestly the ending was so epic, beautiful and just swept me away!
Overall View
White Star is a thrilling tale of unforgettable love, sacrifice and healing that will inspire its readers! KICKS A PUNCH TO THE HEART!
Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 5
World Building: 5
Cover: 4
Hero: 5
Heroine: 5
Steam: 5
Heart & Feels: 5
Ending: 5
Overall View: 5
veryreaderie's review
2.0
DNF at about halfway through. This book is fantasy romance, which is exactly what I was in the mood for when I picked it up, but it suffered from several things for me:
1. Being a sequel, despite the fact that it didn't say so anywhere in the book--ugh! (That being said, no one looking this up on goodreads will have this problem, so it's a moot point.)
2. IMMEDIATE attraction that seemed to come out of nowhere. There was no sense of settling into the romance; it was just abruptly there.
3. The sense that all the action was happening somewhere else and you were somehow meant to know what was going on regardless (possibly related to point 1).
My investment in what the book could be kept me going for a while, and the bit of worldbuilding I experienced was enjoyable, hence 2 stars instead of 1. It wasn't bad--I just wish I could have cared. Definitely read this series in order, and probably don't read it if you prefer slow-burn romance.
1. Being a sequel, despite the fact that it didn't say so anywhere in the book--ugh! (That being said, no one looking this up on goodreads will have this problem, so it's a moot point.)
2. IMMEDIATE attraction that seemed to come out of nowhere. There was no sense of settling into the romance; it was just abruptly there.
3. The sense that all the action was happening somewhere else and you were somehow meant to know what was going on regardless (possibly related to point 1).
My investment in what the book could be kept me going for a while, and the bit of worldbuilding I experienced was enjoyable, hence 2 stars instead of 1. It wasn't bad--I just wish I could have cared. Definitely read this series in order, and probably don't read it if you prefer slow-burn romance.
brinnet's review
4.0
I love the increased focus on fantasy elements in this book and the faint glimmer of a tie to the Warlord series. A vast improvement over the previous books, despite the front cover of this book, which could use an update.
Much, much less focus on pure romance, which meant that we learned about more characters and had a stronger plot.
A few odd twists and turns, but I thought a much more rewarding story overall.
Maybe more of a 3.5 star book, but I wanted to make it plain that I preferred this to others I've been reading.
I'll keep reading the series — eagerly awaiting to see how we connect to my other series.
Much, much less focus on pure romance, which meant that we learned about more characters and had a stronger plot.
A few odd twists and turns, but I thought a much more rewarding story overall.
Maybe more of a 3.5 star book, but I wanted to make it plain that I preferred this to others I've been reading.
I'll keep reading the series — eagerly awaiting to see how we connect to my other series.
nelsonseye's review against another edition
3.0
Quite a fast read. Liked the secondary characters, but I wish the villainy had been more drawn out/developed.