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Tribute to the Warlord
When Evran's actions bring scandal upon his noble house, his father casts him out in the cruelest way imaginable—sending him to the dreaded Drakkari clan as tribute. To his people, the Drakkari are little more than bloodthirsty savages who rule the northern wastes, and Evran arrives at their stronghold expecting chains, brutality, or worse.
Instead, he finds himself face-to-face with Warlord Vaike, whose cold fury burns at the insult of being sent a human offering. The Drakkari, Evran discovers, are not the monsters of his people's stories—and Vaike refuses to be complicit in what he sees as a father's enslavement of his son disguised as a peace offering.
When the warlord announces his intention to return Evran immediately, panic seizes the young exile. He knows the reception waiting for his father's wrath, a living death worse than anything these so-called barbarians could devise.
With nowhere left to run and nothing left to lose, Evran does the only thing he can—he pleads with the stern warlord and offers a bargain that will bind their fates his absolute service in exchange for Vaike's protection.
Instead, he finds himself face-to-face with Warlord Vaike, whose cold fury burns at the insult of being sent a human offering. The Drakkari, Evran discovers, are not the monsters of his people's stories—and Vaike refuses to be complicit in what he sees as a father's enslavement of his son disguised as a peace offering.
When the warlord announces his intention to return Evran immediately, panic seizes the young exile. He knows the reception waiting for his father's wrath, a living death worse than anything these so-called barbarians could devise.
With nowhere left to run and nothing left to lose, Evran does the only thing he can—he pleads with the stern warlord and offers a bargain that will bind their fates his absolute service in exchange for Vaike's protection.
243 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 5, 2025
119 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 19, 2025
Very repetitive and very little in the way of interesting dramatic points. But! If you want to read about gardening or how a mountain clan is run better than a stodgy southern lord's lands, well, here you go!
Look, overall, this book had potential, but I don't think it knew where to go after the initial setup. There was no drama at the mountain clan once he got there, because the Drakkari are perfect, so it was a bit of a flat storyline except for a few points of interest.
The main couple also annoyed me, since Vaike was so passive that it came off as completely disinterested, which made Evran completely insecure, and I get that it was trying show Vaike as respecting Evran's boundaries and offering him a choice, but I feel like he could do that in a way that doesn't make him seem like he doesn't have any feeling towards him at all. And it also resulted with Evran spending more time talking to the women in the book than his love interest. Which was a shame, because when they finally did start interacting more, they were quite cute together.
Look, overall, this book had potential, but I don't think it knew where to go after the initial setup. There was no drama at the mountain clan once he got there, because the Drakkari are perfect, so it was a bit of a flat storyline except for a few points of interest.
The main couple also annoyed me, since Vaike was so passive that it came off as completely disinterested, which made Evran completely insecure, and I get that it was trying show Vaike as respecting Evran's boundaries and offering him a choice, but I feel like he could do that in a way that doesn't make him seem like he doesn't have any feeling towards him at all. And it also resulted with Evran spending more time talking to the women in the book than his love interest. Which was a shame, because when they finally did start interacting more, they were quite cute together.
February 11, 2026
As others had noted: very repetitive and slow, no real conflict or characterization. No showing and all telling so enormous chunks of text are internal monologues that are just circular arguments that our MC is having with himself again and again.
February 9, 2026
Very shallow and one dimensional all the way through. I don’t know why I finished it, nothing about it kept my interest.
February 18, 2026
Had so much potential. unfortunately.
This book was so good for the first like 25%. Evran is hurt, is scared, there's some real good whump going on.
And then for the next X%, absolutely. Nothing. Happens. It's nearly entirely internal dialogue and repetitive, circular thinking. Evran can't stop looking at the Warlord, someone notices and comments, Evran thinks he shares a moment with Vaike but then Vaike turns away so Evran can't possibly have seen what he saw. Fear keeps Evran from saying anything, fear keeps Evran from saying anything, by the way, Evran is scared to say anything. Also Vaike is looking at him. Vaike is looking at him. They're looking at each other. Everyone else is watching them look.
Evran comes to the conclusion that he's falling in love with Vaike after two weeks in the mountains and a grand total of maybe sixteen sentences spoken between them, twelve of which were Vaike being angry about Evran being sent to the North in the first place. It makes no sense, because this isn't an instalust book. I genuinely think the author thought a good job had been done in showcasing the evolution of Evran's feelings.
And why does VAIKE like Evran? Is THAT instalust, just on Vaike's end? Because this Warlord leader sure falls hard and fast for no reason... but sure I guess he could think Evran is cute.
The two have no chemistry. By 76% they've barely talked and have only exchanged heated glances. I don't know about you, but when I read a romance, I actually?? Want the two characters to communicate?? With each other?? Is this just me??
At 80% they finally have the feelings conversation which turns into falling asleep in each other's arms and having a sex scene upon waking. And by then you couldn't. Have paid me. To care. I legitimately almost called it quits at EIGHTY PERCENT but I wanted to stick it out because I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.
I also have to say, Aether the all knowing was infuriating to read. Eira was at least likeable. Aether was a busybody who somehow always knew what everyone was thinking like she had premonition or the author's ear. Every time she showed up to expound in order to move the plot along, I wanted her to shut up. How about!! Instead of this random lady having all of Evran's conversations, he actually TALK TO VAIKE.
Anyway. The big black moment happens at 92% and is so rushed and quickly dealt with that it barely even happens in the first place. The pacing in this book is ALL off. What a disappointment, from something that started out so good.
This book was so good for the first like 25%. Evran is hurt, is scared, there's some real good whump going on.
And then for the next X%, absolutely. Nothing. Happens. It's nearly entirely internal dialogue and repetitive, circular thinking. Evran can't stop looking at the Warlord, someone notices and comments, Evran thinks he shares a moment with Vaike but then Vaike turns away so Evran can't possibly have seen what he saw. Fear keeps Evran from saying anything, fear keeps Evran from saying anything, by the way, Evran is scared to say anything. Also Vaike is looking at him. Vaike is looking at him. They're looking at each other. Everyone else is watching them look.
Evran comes to the conclusion that he's falling in love with Vaike after two weeks in the mountains and a grand total of maybe sixteen sentences spoken between them, twelve of which were Vaike being angry about Evran being sent to the North in the first place. It makes no sense, because this isn't an instalust book. I genuinely think the author thought a good job had been done in showcasing the evolution of Evran's feelings.
And why does VAIKE like Evran? Is THAT instalust, just on Vaike's end? Because this Warlord leader sure falls hard and fast for no reason... but sure I guess he could think Evran is cute.
The two have no chemistry. By 76% they've barely talked and have only exchanged heated glances. I don't know about you, but when I read a romance, I actually?? Want the two characters to communicate?? With each other?? Is this just me??
At 80% they finally have the feelings conversation which turns into falling asleep in each other's arms and having a sex scene upon waking. And by then you couldn't. Have paid me. To care. I legitimately almost called it quits at EIGHTY PERCENT but I wanted to stick it out because I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.
I also have to say, Aether the all knowing was infuriating to read. Eira was at least likeable. Aether was a busybody who somehow always knew what everyone was thinking like she had premonition or the author's ear. Every time she showed up to expound in order to move the plot along, I wanted her to shut up. How about!! Instead of this random lady having all of Evran's conversations, he actually TALK TO VAIKE.
Anyway. The big black moment happens at 92% and is so rushed and quickly dealt with that it barely even happens in the first place. The pacing in this book is ALL off. What a disappointment, from something that started out so good.
February 13, 2026
DNF’d at 60%, whole lot of words without a whole lot of plot or character development
February 16, 2026
Better than the bad reviews make it out to be
This book initially caught my attention, but then I almost didn’t read it because of the mixed reviews. Many people liked the story unreservedly. For the unsatisfied readers, the chief complaints were that 1) the story was repetitive and 2) the romance seemed unfounded. I understand both of these, but respectfully disagree.
As a person who favors character development over setting, if the descriptions of the environment were too much, I would absolutely object, but I didn’t find them onerous at all. Evran’s thoughts were repetitive, but it was part of his character and actually made him more believable. At the time he arrived in the “barbarian” stronghold, Evran had zero confidence and was actually his own worst critic (since his father wasn’t present). No matter what he achieved, he couldn’t stop thinking that he should have done more. He’d beat back the negative thoughts, only for them to return in full force the moment he was alone. This is a very real phenomenon. There was one moment when I thought it was unrealistic, until the author explained why Evran was still being plagued by pessimism despite all the positive indicators he’d received. I nodded along and ultimately agreed that the spiral was believable.
As for the romance…honestly, this story felt more like a hero’s journey than a romance. Vaike is a strong, stable character who doesn’t really need character development. He doesn’t have any major flaws or weaknesses to work on. We don’t need to see anything from his perspective or to be inside his head at all, which is why this is a single-POV story. I believe that he was immediately attracted to Evran, but he understood that Evran was not capable of having a romantic relationship when they initially met. So he watched over Evran, helped when necessary, and allowed Evran to grow independent. He admits that this was a challenge for him. It’s not obvious, but if you read between the lines, you can see that Vaike followed Evran’s progress, so by the time they come together, Vaike knows Evran very well. In Evran’s case, it’s initially about physical attraction, but he can see what kind of man Vaike is by observing the way Vaike interacts with his people. Evran is fully aware of Vaike’s honor, integrity, and dedication to his duty, which are all things that Evran finds attractive (since they stand in counterpoint to his father). So, I did NOT feel that the romance was unfounded. I merely felt that the romance was secondary to Evran’s personal development.
As for MY concerns, I spotted several typos and there were places where the author could have been more precise in their descriptions. For example, early on, there are multiple references to Evran losing weight from not eating. This didn’t make sense at first, since it had only been three days. It wasn’t until the third time this is mentioned that the author explains that Evran’s father has been causing him a lot of anxiety for months now. The author should have explained that upfront. This sort of thing is easy for an author to miss in their own work, and it’s the kind of thing you’d hope any editor would catch, so that the writing can be tightened up. Annoying, but forgivable.
My final assessment is that the story was a quick, easy read. I found Evran to be realistic and sympathetic. I liked his journey and the supporting characters. I have to deduct a star for poor editing, but the basic story was engrossing and satisfying.
This book initially caught my attention, but then I almost didn’t read it because of the mixed reviews. Many people liked the story unreservedly. For the unsatisfied readers, the chief complaints were that 1) the story was repetitive and 2) the romance seemed unfounded. I understand both of these, but respectfully disagree.
As a person who favors character development over setting, if the descriptions of the environment were too much, I would absolutely object, but I didn’t find them onerous at all. Evran’s thoughts were repetitive, but it was part of his character and actually made him more believable. At the time he arrived in the “barbarian” stronghold, Evran had zero confidence and was actually his own worst critic (since his father wasn’t present). No matter what he achieved, he couldn’t stop thinking that he should have done more. He’d beat back the negative thoughts, only for them to return in full force the moment he was alone. This is a very real phenomenon. There was one moment when I thought it was unrealistic, until the author explained why Evran was still being plagued by pessimism despite all the positive indicators he’d received. I nodded along and ultimately agreed that the spiral was believable.
As for the romance…honestly, this story felt more like a hero’s journey than a romance. Vaike is a strong, stable character who doesn’t really need character development. He doesn’t have any major flaws or weaknesses to work on. We don’t need to see anything from his perspective or to be inside his head at all, which is why this is a single-POV story. I believe that he was immediately attracted to Evran, but he understood that Evran was not capable of having a romantic relationship when they initially met. So he watched over Evran, helped when necessary, and allowed Evran to grow independent. He admits that this was a challenge for him. It’s not obvious, but if you read between the lines, you can see that Vaike followed Evran’s progress, so by the time they come together, Vaike knows Evran very well. In Evran’s case, it’s initially about physical attraction, but he can see what kind of man Vaike is by observing the way Vaike interacts with his people. Evran is fully aware of Vaike’s honor, integrity, and dedication to his duty, which are all things that Evran finds attractive (since they stand in counterpoint to his father). So, I did NOT feel that the romance was unfounded. I merely felt that the romance was secondary to Evran’s personal development.
As for MY concerns, I spotted several typos and there were places where the author could have been more precise in their descriptions. For example, early on, there are multiple references to Evran losing weight from not eating. This didn’t make sense at first, since it had only been three days. It wasn’t until the third time this is mentioned that the author explains that Evran’s father has been causing him a lot of anxiety for months now. The author should have explained that upfront. This sort of thing is easy for an author to miss in their own work, and it’s the kind of thing you’d hope any editor would catch, so that the writing can be tightened up. Annoying, but forgivable.
My final assessment is that the story was a quick, easy read. I found Evran to be realistic and sympathetic. I liked his journey and the supporting characters. I have to deduct a star for poor editing, but the basic story was engrossing and satisfying.
January 28, 2026
3 stars
Evran is sent away when he refuses to lay with a political ally his father is trying to curry favor with. Seeing this as a betrayal, he is sent to the Northern clans as "tribute". When he arrives he is terrified of being sent back once the true reason he is there is known. The warlord of the northern clans, Vaike, is understandably furious at the insult of being sent a human as tribute. Evran convinces Vaike to let him stay as long as he can contribute to the clan. So begins his journey on his road to acceptance and love. The romance in this seemed a little forced as Evran and Vaike fall in love despite having minimal contact with each other. There is a lot of pinning along with repetitive descriptions and dialogue, hence why I gave it 3 stars. Spice level: 1
Evran is sent away when he refuses to lay with a political ally his father is trying to curry favor with. Seeing this as a betrayal, he is sent to the Northern clans as "tribute". When he arrives he is terrified of being sent back once the true reason he is there is known. The warlord of the northern clans, Vaike, is understandably furious at the insult of being sent a human as tribute. Evran convinces Vaike to let him stay as long as he can contribute to the clan. So begins his journey on his road to acceptance and love. The romance in this seemed a little forced as Evran and Vaike fall in love despite having minimal contact with each other. There is a lot of pinning along with repetitive descriptions and dialogue, hence why I gave it 3 stars. Spice level: 1
February 18, 2026
This book started well, but went downhill fast and I skimmed most of the last 70 pages just to get it over with. It’s ridiculously repetitive. And I didn’t like that it was very close to being insta-love. Not quite there, since Evran’s first impression of Vaike was literal terror, but within days he was over it and on to staring and drooling. Evran seemed very immature and dramatic, reaching a concerning level of pining and heartbreak after 2 weeks and only a handful of very shallow conversations. And after 240 pages, all I know about Vaike is he’s a nice guy and he’s hot. He has no personality, and they don’t get to know each other AT ALL before sleeping together, exchanging L words, and promising each other forever.
All in all, a solid meh.
All in all, a solid meh.
January 8, 2026
I loved this book. I loved the community and world building. Additionally, the insecurity was very real and the second guessing, etc. I get it! I LOVE the MC's event that takes place that is a catalyst for the acceptance into the community. It makes my hear break that it is unsaid this has happened before based on the reaction of the other character throughout other interaction, but yeah, our hero!
Also SPOILER: I wish the Warlord has staked a little more of a claim or made more of a public stand for the MC. I know in the epilogue he sort of does coming back from being away, but I wish he would have shown everyone his claim vs. everyone pointing out MC's crush.
Also SPOILER: I wish the Warlord has staked a little more of a claim or made more of a public stand for the MC. I know in the epilogue he sort of does coming back from being away, but I wish he would have shown everyone his claim vs. everyone pointing out MC's crush.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2026
I wish this book was longer, it felt as if there was so much that was missing. This book had so much potential with interesting characters and set up, but it all felt so rushed that we didn’t get to see any depth of, well, anyone. At the end of the book we still don’t know basically anything about the characters, we don’t know why Eira was scared of men nor did we get to meet her brother, we don’t get to know ANYTHING about Vaike or his past, Evrans siblings were just never heard of or thought of again after a few chapters, and we don’t even learn the names of ANYONE else in this seemingly “perfect” village beside the handful of people Evran interacts with. There was just so much missing, and I wished we’d seen more action. The plot with the riders attacking could have lifted the story so much with the “this isn’t over” but then we just never saw them again.
So all in all, great idea, but we would have needed at least 100 more pages to flesh out the story and characters more.
So all in all, great idea, but we would have needed at least 100 more pages to flesh out the story and characters more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2026
Two just to be kind
Way to descriptive, on chapter 5 and at least every other paragraph is describing the setting/surroundings. I love a good description as much as the next person but there’s been next to no development plot wise. It’s repetitive too, so much that I’m convinced it’s AI tampered. We get it, they live in a mountain and their culture is quite from what you expected/have experienced elsewhere. Move on, please. 4 chapters in and the main character has thus far been accepted tentatively by the “cold” warlord into the clan, and is currently being assigned a role. That’s it. Dropping.
Way to descriptive, on chapter 5 and at least every other paragraph is describing the setting/surroundings. I love a good description as much as the next person but there’s been next to no development plot wise. It’s repetitive too, so much that I’m convinced it’s AI tampered. We get it, they live in a mountain and their culture is quite from what you expected/have experienced elsewhere. Move on, please. 4 chapters in and the main character has thus far been accepted tentatively by the “cold” warlord into the clan, and is currently being assigned a role. That’s it. Dropping.
February 12, 2026
My reviews are my own. If you liked this book or not, I respect your opinion. This is merely my opinion, so let's keep it courteous. My review is honest and voluntary.
This was painful. The one MC is incredibly pitiful and a crybaby. The other one seems insensible. The story is BORING and repetitive. There is no real plot, and if the focus was on the romance, that also lacked. The internal monologues are AWFUL and never-ending. Not for me!
On to my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!
This was painful. The one MC is incredibly pitiful and a crybaby. The other one seems insensible. The story is BORING and repetitive. There is no real plot, and if the focus was on the romance, that also lacked. The internal monologues are AWFUL and never-ending. Not for me!
On to my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!
February 8, 2026
Surprisingly tender
I was expecting another of those “rough barbarian takes weak twink whether he likes it or not” kinds of books, but this was not it. The story is slow burn and surprisingly tender. The Warlord is strong but thoughtful and kind. The tension between the two is built up so well that, by the time they finally get together, it’s extremely satisfying.
I was expecting another of those “rough barbarian takes weak twink whether he likes it or not” kinds of books, but this was not it. The story is slow burn and surprisingly tender. The Warlord is strong but thoughtful and kind. The tension between the two is built up so well that, by the time they finally get together, it’s extremely satisfying.
February 13, 2026
2 Stars
I wanted to like this much more than I did. The fact that its written in a manner that is supposed to be in our main characters head but yet 3rd person is not great. The story itself was ok but nothing special. The romance was not believable as these men barely knew each other.
I wanted to like this much more than I did. The fact that its written in a manner that is supposed to be in our main characters head but yet 3rd person is not great. The story itself was ok but nothing special. The romance was not believable as these men barely knew each other.
February 22, 2026
Very rarely do I DNF a book so fast, but this is one of those times.
The writing style was so awkward! While a good writer can make a third-person story work brilliantly, this one was not well-executed. It wasn't omniscient or limited. I don't even know how to describe it other than it was BAD.
I don't mean to sound unkind. But this story needed some work. 1 star.
The writing style was so awkward! While a good writer can make a third-person story work brilliantly, this one was not well-executed. It wasn't omniscient or limited. I don't even know how to describe it other than it was BAD.
I don't mean to sound unkind. But this story needed some work. 1 star.
January 26, 2026
It was alright. The writing was good, but incredibly repetitive at times. Insta-love on Evran’s side made sense, but less so on Vaike’s side. Could have used more drama as everyone was just so nice and perfect.
February 9, 2026
I absolutely adored Evren. I truly wish it was dual pov so I could just hear Vaik’s inner dialogue about the beauty of Evren. The best slow burn I have read since TJ Kline and honestly that’s the absolute standard.
February 16, 2026
a delightful surprise
What a great story!! I was pleasantly surprised that a short novella could make me feel so much. I was not expecting this story to be filled with so much heart and wonderful characters.
What a great story!! I was pleasantly surprised that a short novella could make me feel so much. I was not expecting this story to be filled with so much heart and wonderful characters.
February 17, 2026
Feels real
Is a story that is so sweet And feels True to the human experience. The only thing I would say is the romance would have worked better As a mentor or father figure relationship But that's just me
Is a story that is so sweet And feels True to the human experience. The only thing I would say is the romance would have worked better As a mentor or father figure relationship But that's just me
December 3, 2025
It started dragging towards the end and getting repetitive. The conflict with the dad happened way too late and was resolved way too quickly
December 19, 2025
Beautiful
I loved every word of this and would love more of Vaike and Evran. Please tell us more of their lives together.
I loved every word of this and would love more of Vaike and Evran. Please tell us more of their lives together.
did-not-finish
January 1, 2026DNF at 50%. Very slow-paced, not enough romantic tensions, not enough tension overall because the Drakkari stronghold is utopic.
February 10, 2026
This had so much potential but fell flat. Three to five pages of clothes and room descriptions every chapter filled space that should have been used to move the plot forward.
February 11, 2026
was good read
Just my opinion, I felt some sections was slightly long and relating to descriptiveness I took away from the storyline in my
Just my opinion, I felt some sections was slightly long and relating to descriptiveness I took away from the storyline in my
February 12, 2026
It kept me engaged, but it did get repetitive at times.
dnf
February 18, 2026Dnfed at around 43%
No rating
Too boring and repetitive. By 43% the main characters had only interacted two times. Too much description of the clan which felt it was being repeated again and again. We get it. They are amazing and better than the south 🙄
No rating
Too boring and repetitive. By 43% the main characters had only interacted two times. Too much description of the clan which felt it was being repeated again and again. We get it. They are amazing and better than the south 🙄
February 18, 2026
Story is good but the overall writing could use a bit more work. There were multiple passages that were repeated almost verbatim to describe the same thing multiple times across the book.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews