War Maid's Choice by David Weber

In this most recent book in the War God series by Weber, recently released, we see all of the traits that the author has become known for, especially in the Honor Harrington novels, but with some common threads with his Safehold series, as well. Weber makes a full shift to multi-threading of the plot lines, with Tomanak's Champion, Bahzell, not exactly taking a back seat, but getting nowhere near as much airtime as in earlier books. Interestingly, seven years have passed since the events in Windrider's Oath, and seven years have passed in our world, as well, since the last book was published.

The war maid in the title is Leanna, daughter of Baron Tellian, and one thread of the story begins with her returning home for her twenty-first birthday. She has slowly come to grips with the way that many of her old friends, fellow nobles, and her father's servants have treated her since she "disgraced" her family by becoming a war maid, and possibly the thing that has saved her from bitterness has been knowing that she has always had the unconditional love of her mother and father. One of her reasons for returning is to tell her mother about her desire to make her own love known to a very unconventional (for her culture) person, and let the chips fall where they may. Leanna also surprises us in some other ways; being chosen by a courser as a windrider and having her love affair blessed by a visit from gods Tomanak and Lillinara.

The evil wizard, Varnaythus, plays more than a cameo role in this story, as his incessant travels and plotting are highly detailed here. By the time we get to the climactic last 100 pages or so of the book, we begin to wonder how ever can our heroes escape his tightly woven web of treachery. And, indeed, some of our beloved characters pay a price at the end, though one of them puts in a strange Obi Wan Kenobi appearance after being killed by one of three devils summoned to this plane by one of the dark gods, Krashnark.

Varnaythus' plot to kill Baron Tellian and blame him for the simultaneous assassination of King Markhos, having sent a group of mercenaries to do the job, with a false trail laid leading to the Purple Lords, but Baron Cassan is scheduled to arrive just in time to kill all the witnesses and put his own spin on things, is enough to make your head spin. But Leanna, the War Maids, loyal Lord Trisu (who is a bit of a jerk in earlier novels, but demonstrates that personality traits don't necessarily override loyalty and competence), and the Quaysar Temple Guard manage to squish the pests in the end.

Another thing that really makes this a Weber-esque novel are the theme which we've seen before in Honor Harrington stories, is exploring the human  telepathic bonding with other sentient species; tree cats vs. coursers. Also, we see the same sort of Connecticut Yankee development that he writes about in the Safehold stories, except that the source of technology there is the android Merlyn Athawres, and in this story it is the dwarves who are inventing newer, faster, weapons with better alloy technology and building canals and light rail to move goods more quickly - Oh!, and a funicular, as well. Also, it's LONG - 596 pages, a typical Weber trait these days.

The conclusion of this book leaves us with a strong alliance between dwarves, Sothoii and hradani, the forces of the dark gods seriously weakened for a time, and rising enemies from those in surrounding lands who see their own prosperity threatened  by this new union between hereditory enemies. It will be interesting to see what develops next.

Wind Rider's Oath by David Weber

Weber, I believe, really began to hit his stride as an author at about the same time as Windrider's Oath was published. His Honor Harrington novels were showing a deep complexity, with a well-imagined social and political back story, and antagonists within the plot line who had their own deep motivations, aside from being foils for Honor and her friends. We begin to see the same depth and richness appear in the War God series in this iteration, as well, though there were certainly indications of a broader story arc and deeper plot all along.

Bahzell, Brandark and Kaeretha are right in the middle of things up on the Wind Plain, as Bahzell has become an unofficial ambassador between the hradani and the windriders, or Sothoii, in Baron Tellian's court. The Sothoii who have objections to making peace with the hradani after centuries are, for the most part, quite loudly and openly making their opinions heard, but there are also those who are engaging in guerrilla warfare against those who want peace, and darker conspiracies are underfoot, and there are subtle intimations that the dark gods are involved in stirring up trouble in the kingdom, too.

Weber displays in this novel another one of the traits that he's known for - splitting the action into multiple plot lines, centered on different protagonists. Bahzell and Brandark head away from the capital city of the Sothoii to a Lord Edinghas holdings, where there has been an attack on a herd of Coursers, supernaturally augmented horses who are the companions to those humans who have been chosen by the gods to be wind riders. Kaeritha heads to Kalatha, where a dispute between the local lord, Trisu, and the War Maids may be getting out of hand, and Leeanna, daughter of Baron Tellian, flees the prospect of a politically arranged marriage to ask for asylum in Kalatha and to join the War Maids. We also see another plot line developing, centered on the priests and priestesses of the dark gods, who have their own plans for the Wind Plain, mostly revolving around destabilization and destruction of our heroes' friends' lives and domains.

An interesting philosophical/theological point from the book:

"We need to be able to stand on our own two feet, and if we started to rely on Him for explicit instructions on everything we're supposed to be doing, how long would it be before we couldn't accomplish anything without those instructions? He expects us to be bright enough to figure out our duty without his constant prompting."
A good way for the follower of any god to live their life, I think.

A fun passage about how we often assume things about others' motivations:

"Cunning and intelligent the nobleman might be, but what he'd just said showed an alarming ability to project his own deviousness and inherent dishonesty onto others, whether it was merited or not...but automatically assuming that those same qualities were what motivated an opponent, especially a powerful opponent like Wencit of Rum, was dangerous. Success required that enemies not be underestimated or discounted."

And one of the wisest things any character of Weber's has ever said:

"Any man who has his wits about him ought to be smart enough to know a wife with brains at least as good as his own is a treasure."

The War God's Own by David Weber

Saving us the details of a potentially tedious voyage, this book takes up the saga of Bahzell and Brandark again as they arrive at the port of Belhadan. They are greeted at the port by a knight probationer of the Order of Tomanak, Vaijon Amerhas of Amerhas, a remarkably conceited young nobleman, though he is a well-trained and formidable fighter. Vaijon has a difficult time believing that any hradani has been made a Champion of Tomanak, and expresses his displeasure through most of the pair's stay at the chapterhouse in Belhadan. Sir Charrow, head of the order, does not have a problem with Bahzell's elevation to Champion, though some others within the house to, but Bahzell squelches that problem at just the right time, and those who disagree with the War God's change of policy are roundly chastised. Tomanak also bears somewhat more personal tidings for Bahzell, telling him that at long last the Rage that has plagued his people has undergone a genetic change, and that those hradani who chose to control it, rather than to be controlled by it, will be able to do so.Bahzell also benefits from his visit by getting a thorough grounding on the background of the Order (as do we) from Sir Charrow.

When his task there is done, Bahzell and Brandark journey to the dwarven city of Axe Hallo, taking Vaijon along with them as the logical next step in his training as a knight. Upon arriving in Axe Hallow, they are greeting by their old acquaintance, Wencit of Rum, who escorts them to the Temple of Tomanak in the city, where they are introduced to the Knight-General of the Order, Sir Terrian, and also to Bahzell's fellow Champion, Lady Kaeritha, a human whose induction into the ranks of champions probably caused as much consternation as the hradani's own.

While in underground metropolis of the dwarves, Bahzell once again meets up with the merchant, Kilthandarknarthas, who escorts him one day to an impressive weapons and armor manufacturing plant. There he explains that the Empire of the Axe has determined to support his father's bid to unite the clans of hradani under one rule, and that he will supply Bahnak's men with the best equipment, at a reasonable cost, with the expectation that the peace he will impose will be good for trade and prosperity. Bahzell agrees to take the message back to Hurgrum to deliver to his father.

After arriving in Hurgrum, it becomes obvious to Bahzell and his companions that something must be done to root out and destroy the worship of Sharna in Navahk. They mount a dangerous expedition in the dead of winter to attack the temple in that land and kill or capture the Scorpion God's followers. They run into more of a battle than planned when a centipede demon is raised against them, but together the two Champions and the young knight, Vaijon, are able to prevail. A huge diplomatic furor arises upon their return, and in the resolution of that affair, Tomanak creates the first chapter of his order that has ever existed on the Wind Plains.

The Order's troops remain behind to guard the women and children when Bahnak finally departs to force a reckoning with Churnazh. A foolish young warden of the Sothoii, horse lords from the upper plains who have a traditional emnity with the hradani (Bahzell's clan is called the Horse Stealers, after all), decides this is the perfect time to invade, and the handful of Order troops are called on to stop the incursion. The cavalry arrives in the nick of time, and it appears that Bahzell will be off to visit Balthar, home city of Baron Tellian of the Sothoii, probably to build even more alliances for his father. Looking forward to Wind Rider's Oath to find out what happens next.

Oath of Swords by David Weber

I began reading War Maid's Choice and soon realized that it had been far too long since I read the other books; I was lost. It's understandable, as I first read Oath of Swords when it came out in 1995, and the others as they each arrived.

Bahzell Banahkson is a prince of Hurgrum and a member of the hradani race. The hradani don't really equate to one of the traditional fantasy races. In Weber's world of Norfressa, they were either created or genetically altered during the Wizard Wars about twelve hundred years before this story takes place, and they seem to have two main characteristics; they're physically imposing humanoids, and they're subject to The Rage, a berserk state of mind that can come on without warning - very useful in battle, but the other races fear them for their savagery during the wars. They also have foxlike ears. Oooh, halflings have horns!

The story begins shortly after Bahzell's father, leader of the Horse Stealers Clan, has conquered a number of other hradani tribes and is carefully consolidating his power. He seems to be a somewhat enlightened ruler for a hradani. Bahzell is a hostage to the temporary peace in the kingdom of Navahk, ruled by Churnazh. Bahzell discovers Churnazh's son, Crown Prince Harnak, raping and beating a servant girl one night, and in a fit of righteous anger beats Harnark nearly to death, rescues the girl and flees the city, knowing that no matter how justified his actions, it cannot end well for him there.

Thus begins a long and epic journey for Bahzell, who has been chosen to be a Champion of Tomanak, the War God of Light and Justice. He is opposed by the dark god, Sharna, patron of assassins, who "coincidentally" is worshipped by Harnak.

I didn't realize it back in 1995, but as we are all now well aware, Weber loves to set up great long sweeping plot arcs in his stories, and we see the elements all begin to fall into place here.

When Bahzell flees Navahk, he is joined by a would-be bard, Brandark, a Bloody Sword clan hradani whose playing skills are marvelous, but who can't carry a tune in a bucket. The banter between these two throughout the novel is quite amusing, and it covers their strong friendship for one another quite nicely. The troubles with other humans in the first part of their journey establishes nicely for us the environment of ingrained suspicion and hatred the hradani are met with by the other races.

The pair end up joining a caravan in the Duchy of Esgan as guards, where they meet the dwarf chieftain and merchant Kilthandahknarthos - Kilthan. They serve honorably on this mission, and create lasting friendships with Kilthan and his guard captains, which sets up some alliances in later books nicely. They are attacked by bands of "dog brothers" or assassins regularly along the way, who have been set on Bahzell's trail by the servants of Sharna, though it takes him a while to figure out it's him they're after.

When they leave the caravan, Bahzell once again gets himself and Brandark in trouble in the city of Riverside when he defends a woman, Zarantha from being raped - this is getting to be a habit. The woman turns out to be the daughter of Duke Jashan, and needs the help of the pair to return to her homeland. We begin to see the gods' hands in all of this...or maybe it's the author. Again, we get the setup for alliances down the road. Bahzell definitely go above and beyond the call of duty to escort her, then rescue her from evil wizards when she is kidnapped from an inn on the road.

Bahzell is a reluctant hero, and fights against becoming the Champion for most of the book, but when it becomes apparent that he won't be able to do what comes naturally to him - fighting evil whenever it appears - without Tomanak's supernatural aid, he succumbs to the inevitable and is given some special powers and a nifty sword, too. Bahzell and Brandark meet up with the centuries old legendary wizard, Wencit of Rum, while they're on Zarantha's trail, and Wencit deals neatly with the evil wizards, while B&B handle the mere forty or so mundane thugs.

The final encounter which may create an alliance takes place at the end of the novel, when Bahzell impresses a group of halfling sailors and their captain, and he and Brandark sail off into the sunset, ready for the next installment in the story.