Tribute to the Warlord

Here's "Tribute to the Warlord" by Atlas Jones.

["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."]

I wasn't too sure about this book. It sounded a lot like Amy Padilla's "Not-So-Savage Barbarian" series. And there was a lot of exposition and scene description (a lot).

But it was beautiful. It was slightly Viking (but not) vibes, all of the found family and strong community and support and love. But more mountains and less fjords.

And these two? Equally as idiotic walking disasters. They both had their reasons to isolate and protect themselves. But everyone (literally everyone) saw the chemistry and the mutual pining between them. It was, quite frankly, as adorable as it was frustrating. It was a slow burn (not usually a fan), but the eventual burn was so worth the wait. 

I could do with more of these people and their HEAs...just saying.

Trigger Warnings: manipulation/blackmail, asshole parents, attempted assault, mild violence, and more.

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