Palin is a land still torn by civil war. Here corruption and greed have taken the throne of power, and the streets run red with the blood of the people. The king and his heirs are dead under mysterious circumstances and The Usurper sits unchallenged, for none dare oppose him. Here a prophecy is born. It travels on the wind and spreads like wildfire, for it represents hope and in these darkest of times, hope is all that's left.

The prophecy is this: a Chosen One will appear to claim the throne, slay the tyrant and set free the oppressed. It will be then and only then, that the land will heal and be returned to its former prosperity. The Chosen will be known by a dagger-star birthmark. The story spreads, whispered in the dark and barely believed. Until the Chosen start to appear...and are just as quickly struck down.

A woman known only as Red Gloves bears this mark. Her family dead and her birth name long forgotten, Red is a mercenary. Prophecies, lost causes and ventures with no sure profit hold little interest for her. Traveling with her sword-sister Bethral, Red is on the road and looking for work. Caught in a rainstorm, she stops at a ruined farm and asks for food and shelter for the night. The goat herder, the only one currently in residence, takes in the warriors.

Once the High Baron of Athelbryght, Josiah's "rule" now extends to the burned out farm and five goats. Where once he was a mage who commanded great power, now he has none. Betrayed by the woman he loved, his lands burned, his people murdered or taken as slaves, Josiah is a man without much hope. But there is a little -- and the promise of vengeance, however slight the chance, keeps him alive and drives him. When he sees Red, he thanks the Gods, for he knows his prayers have finally been answered.

Although Red isn't in search of her destiny, she has stumbled across it all the same. Now that it has snagged her, she is well and truly caught. Against her better judgment, she throws her lot in with Josiah and the rebels he's in contact with. She tells herself that a throne isn't a bad piece of plunder for a swordswoman, but her heart tells her something different. Her heart longs to heal not only the land, but the lonely, broken goat herder, as well.

Wow! I can't believe I somehow missed Vaughn's previous books, The Chronicles of the Warlands trilogy. That's something I intend to remedy as soon as possible. DAGGER- STAR is the perfect blend of fantasy and romance. The romance may help drive the story, but it certainly isn't the main plot. This is a really enjoyable read. Although Red and Josiah's story comes to a satisfactory conclusion, there are a few tantalizing, unanswered questions still drifting about in the storyline and some secondary characters just begging for their stories to be told. Since this is set in the same world as her previous trilogy, I expect we'll see a return to it. I just hope the wait isn't a long one.