Jeff Wheeler has quickly become my favorite author, and this book only further cements that. It is very well written and has a very good tempo. It mixes slower moments with faster to make a book you don't want to set down. Character development is phenomenal as always and they feel like real people. Overall, amazing book for a fantastic series.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is another great book in this YA Fantasy series. If you haven't read the first book yet, you have time to pick it up and read, and then read this one before the third book comes out in September 2021.

Sir Ransom Barton starts the book off on a pilgrimage to the East Kingdoms looking for a blessing from the Fountain, the source of magic for the kingdom. He then returns home to find a new patron and to seek out Claire, the heiress he loves. He arrives in Kingfountain and is unexpectedly welcomed by King Devon and made a part of his Council. The King grants Ransom another castle and two wards to oversee. He then sends Ransom on several missions to try to broker peace with the King's enemies. One of these missions puts him in contact with the poisoner who shot him in the leg and killed Devon the younger. His suspicions of who she is is correct, but she proposes she and Ransom join forces. As King Devon's sons start to betray him and join forces with his enemies, Ransom is thrust into more and more dangerous battles. The tides are turning against King Devon and Ransom's sense of honor and duty could leave him once again without a patron.

I loved this book. The action starts immediately and the intensity doesn't let up until the satisfying ending, although, of course, there is a juicy cliffhanger in the epilogue. The book is paced well and is a quick and easy read. Ransom shows growth in this book, and is not the young, inexperienced knight he was in the first book. He has a better sense of himself and trusts his instincts more, and is able to speak truth to power. Of course, he still serves a master, and must follow orders he doesn't necessarily agree with.

Claire is still imprisoned in the tower with the Queen, and still resists King Devon's efforts to marry her off to his sons. She sporadically hears news of the battles going on and is frustrated by her inability to take action. King Devon begrudgingly allows Claire and Ransom to write each other, which helps bring the two closer together. Of course, in typical star-crossed lover fashion, neither is sure of the other's feelings, so time is lost in the lack of communication. I highly recommend you start reading this series. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and 47North. All opinions are my own.

I received “Warrior’s Ransom” by Jeff Wheeler from the publisher as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I will also note that I hadn’t read book one, “Knight’s Ransom” before reading this book, but it didn’t really affect my reading and understanding of this book after reading some summaries of book one!

The cover greatly grabbed my attention and I was not disappointed! I liked that I was able to jump in without having read the first book in full and I wasn’t entirely lost as I read. I really enjoyed the characters and how they were portrayed, especially Ransom. You can't not love him! I really liked that I could quickly tell that the characters were all unique and their own person which you could pick out easily. This was a refreshing change! Also, the book also had a wonderful magic system that wasn’t too complicated, but still brought increased depth to the novel and the world. Since I liked the novel, I’m looking forward to going back and reading book one and seeing how the story continues in book three.

Another well written and gripping story by this author.
Good world building and character development, a tightly knitted plot that flow.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Another book set in the world of Kingfountain with battles and romance.

The main characters are really interesting, and much like Knight’s Ransom, Warriors Ransom is well written and easy to follow. There were several interesting plots throughout, and loads of drama and intrigue, which kept a good pace from beginning to end.

I adore Ransom, he’s an extraordinary character. He’s is still in love with Claire, even though he’s not matched because he’s extremely loyal and follows his heart. It’s understandable why he’s so in love with her. Claire is spunky, feisty and an amazing character too.

I found the maps helpful, and the diary entries at the beginning of each chapter to be a nice touch.

I’m looking forward to the next instalment in this series.

I really enjoy Jeff Wheeler's writing. I have read all of the other series and this one is as good as the others. I love the depth of world building and the attention to detail. His characters are always so easy to immerse yourself into. It was nice to get a backstory into the Kingfountain and I am excited to read more in this series~

An other fantastic book by Jeff Wheeler.

I was hooked into this one and I just couldn't put it down. I love it so much that I have to buy myself a copy of this book.

I do recommend this.

Warrior’s Ransom is book two in a four-book series about an unlikely hero named Ransom, who started with nothing and ended up the one chosen to save a kingdom.

What I Love

Well, quite simply, I love everything about this story. Jeff Wheeler, who gets his inspiration from anywhere and everywhere, is such a masterful fantasy storyteller and his world-building and writing techniques are tops in the genre. This high fantasy story immediately pulled me into its immersive world with intricately developed characters and magic that is both subtle and awe-inspiring. He took parts and pieces from Medieval history and lore, including Arthurian legend, and he made it uniquely his own.

One of the small things that I love the most because I find it ingenious is the inclusion of letters written by Claire. They are short, only a page or two, but they are packed full of essential story components. They let the reader know Claire with an intimacy that can only be found in something as personal as a letter to a loved one. I love this natural look into her mind. The letters also provide a synopsis of the story in between events without adding hundreds of pages of exposition to do the same thing. And, the letters let the reader see the story from a by-standard point of view and not just the warrior and politicians. It’s incredible to me all the essential information contained in such short messages.

The relationships between characters are complex and riddled with conflicting emotions that reflect that complexity. Ransom and Claire have one of the sweetest, most natural love stories. Whether or not they will be permitted to be married is one of the most compelling aspects of the story and one of the biggest creators of tension. The king’s relationship with his sons is another. The themes of greed and power play out destructively in the royal family and make Ransom’s role all that more critical. Lastly, Alix’s role and her relationships with each character kept me on the edge of my seat as her story is just beginning to unfold.

I love the play of the building and the release of tension in the story. After the tension builds and builds and builds from one event to the next, the reader is permitted a reprieve where everything is right with the world for a time. Then the tension builds and builds again, only to culminate in that relief I needed as a reader and was grateful to be given. Also, relatedly, I loved that this book in the series ended with a soft conclusion and not with a cliffhanger. It was absolutely the way I enjoy it the most.

To Read or no to Read

If you love high fantasy, especially if you have not ever read a Jeff Wheeler novel, your library is not complete without this series. It truly has it all and then some.

Great sequel. The politics continue. Plenty of action and some romance. Still some mystery about what is fountain blessed.

It's the 2nd book in Jeff Wheeler's new trilogy and it's not disappointing for me! The characters are very likable and the pacing is also perfectly done! Can't wait for the next book to come!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Over the past few years, Jeff Wheeler has easily become one of my favorite authors. Each new book and series instantly competes for a favorite position, with story lines and characters that are fun to love, mixed with some complex characters that you love to hate.

Warrior's Ransom picks up with Ransom, our lost and loveable knight, on a journey to discover if he is truly fountain blessed. The story retains an almost meta feel as characters express a looming sense of de ja vu, as if they are reliving a story that has repeated itself again and again. Although this is a consistent theme throughout Wheeler's stories, this series takes a few surprising turns.

With heartbreakingly beautiful relationships and deep revelations, Ransom's strength and confidence grow as the story progresses. Just when you start to feel frustrated by Ransom's naivete and self-depeicating nature, his honor, loyalty, and determination give you hope, and you find yourself rallying for him to succeed.

My only fear is that Ransom seems to have found himself hopefully looking toward the future, and Wheeler has a habit of not playing nice with his most loveable characters.

I cannot wait for the rest of the series to come out to see Ransom's story unfold.

ARC from NetGalley

Another excellent read from Jeff Wheeler.

This is a classic sword and sorcery type fantasy. Lots of castles, nobles, knights, and intrigue. There's a smattering of magic, but only from a few of the characters. We spend most of our time in Ransom's perspective, but we read frequent journal entries from Claire. We follow Ransom in his service to his king while he pines for his lady love. Ransom is as always stringently loyal, else his magic won't work at all, but that isn't his motivation. He's just a really honourable dude. It never gets old though. I never rolled my eyes, though I did with the king's sons. You have everything, and you feel you need to have a little bit more, and you are willing to betray your blood to get it. It's not that I thought it was unrealistic, it was realistic enough for me to dislike them strongly as characters and objectively shitty people.

The story wraps up well. There is a tentatively "happy" ending which I am absolutely certain will be foiled in the next book because there are 2 more books to go, and Ransom's story is, after all, THE story, so we've got to drag it out and make the poor bloke suffer. All for our amusement. How horrid are we?

An e-copy of this book was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thanks to netgalley and 47North. This book is the second of what appears to be a four book series called the Argentines, set in the world of the Fountain. The Fountain is the mysterious magic source of this world that provides boons, items and guidance to characters in the novel. This series, and Wheeler, who is one of my favorite writers, is set apart by a constant attention to the economics of the world. This makes it feel more realistic. While the main character no longer has the money troubles as he had in the first book, economics plays a major motivating factor in this world, as it does in ours. The motives of the antagonists are partially economic, but still not fully elucidated. Both sides have magical items and powers, and, presumably are getting guidance from the fountain, but the books hasn't yet unveiled why these forces appear to be in opposition. In the author's note, Wheeler says that there are some real life inspiration for the battle scenes, which I find interesting in its own right. The battle scenes are very well done. Think Last Kingdom or anything by Anthony Ryan or Evan Winter. The book feels nicely paced as well. It took me a few days of reading to get hooked, but then I blew through 60% of the book, and stayed up way too late on the final day of reading-so this book will grab you in the best possible way. There are enough mysteries here to keep a reader wanting more, and the plot advanced farther in this book, and deepened beyond what in the first book was mostly Ruler Vs Ruler to hinting at something much deeper at play. A complex antagonist, who may or may not be a villain has a more prominent role here and it sets up exciting possibilities to see how these characters develop in the next two books. The book follows Ransom's POV, which each chapter starting with a letter from Claire. The thing that sets Ransom apart from everyone else in this world is his dedication to his word-he doesn't betray it. Which sets up the possibility that the author is going to throw everything possible at the character to see if he will break, which I find compelling. Woman characters play important roles here, but because the POV follows Ransom, you may not feel it at first. The character of Alix in particular will be one the reader will enjoy. Fans of Ryan, Winter, Feist, Lawrence and Martin will like this, and fans of Hobb will find Ransom to have Fitz like characteristics, despite it not being a first person POV. I highly recommend this author and series

I really like this series. Ransom is a good and true knight, a veritable flower of chivalry. If you’ve any fondness for the King Arthur legends of noble and heroic knights this is really the series for you.
It’s such an uplifting and wholesome feeling read too, let your stress just fall away and follow the adventures. If it appealed to a teen or even a preteen reader, if the child was a good enough reader to enjoy it, it would be content safe fairly young, Injuries are described and there are deaths but I think any kid that is okay with the level of violence you can see I a Marvel or a Star Wars movie would be ok with this book.
The author’s note says there are 2 more books in this series. They are going on my to read list!

The second book in the series and the story pics up where the previous book ended. The battles, intrigue and betrayal continue while Ransom remains steadfast and loyal.

Some secrets are revealed but new ones arise..

Like the first book it is a book filled with details, complex characters and wonderful .

A must read for any fantasy fan.

If you recall my review of the prior book in this series - and honestly, why would you? I rated it just Four Star though I am certainly what most would characterize, fairly, as a Jeff Wheeler fan. Here are the highlights from that review -

Honestly, this review pains me to write. I've struggled with it, delayed it, written it, deleted it, rewritten it, deleted it again, and... I'm still not perfectly happy with it. Sadly, I feel the same with Knight's Ransom, the First Argentine. and disclosure, I received an Advance Copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Quote] [...]
Structurally, King's Ransom is hung on a familiar framework, but with some inspired choices. By placing the novel, chronologically, prior to earlier works, Jeff avoids the pitfalls of some of his earlier crossover works. Dedicated and experienced readers can rediscover the magic of the world all over again, without passages of explanations for readers new to the world. It also obviates the need for particular reading order, whether chronologically in world, or chronologically by order of writing. This is another choice I strongly applaud.

That brings me to Claire, and the reason for a four star rating, after the praise above. In the first book of the series, Claire is one of many background characters, but a clearly important one to future works. Knowing Jeff's style and themes, I expect certain things of her character, her story arc to raise to the fore in future works. In short, I bring baggage to the story, baggage this work failed to satisfy. Scenes where Claire was present were fine - not exceptional - but fine. Too brief to show the kind of development I was seeking, but enough to lay groundwork for future novels.

Jeff Wheeler also, quite effectively, makes use of epigraphs in prior works. Some of which contain profound quotes which remain with me long after the last page is turned, the novel done. Here, however, many epigraphs are given over to letters or diary entries attributed to Claire. I absolutely hated these. They captured almost nothing of the character for me, and did little to advance the story line. Mostly, they consisted of brief reporting of events happening to her, and her response at times, but little enough of her struggles to comprise those responses. I believe the book would have been better had they been entirely stricken from the work.

For that reason, a book I loved is rated just four star. I'm eagerly looking forward to Claire getting the pages she deserves in a future work.

[/QUOTE]

Having set the groundwork then, this is another Four Star work.in the series, which I will continue to eagerly consume. Claire gets more pages, and they are markedly better than her appearance in the epigraphs of the prior novel, but that is, honestly, a very low bar. Ransom continues in his efforts to find a Master worthy of his trust and loyalty, as events buffet him from place to place, ruler to ruler. Job like, he continues to suffer while passing the tests before him admirably, the Reader's hopes buoyed through these setbacks by a certain sense of "rightness", confident that - eventually - Ransom will be rewarded in his efforts.

Some few of the scenes seemed a little rushed, Ransom's luck (or fate) changing rapidly for reasons not always evident, but behind it all, a chessboard is played by an unseen hand. Other characters, besides Claire, receive further development as well - enough so that as I anticipate the release of "Lady's Ransom" (Book 3) in the coming months, I begin to hope that its not about Claire at all....

and in the interest of full disclosure, I did receive a very Advance Readers copy at no charge to myself, though I'd have used my Kindle Unlimited subscription on release date otherwise (and may still) - as some scenes may have undergone minor edits before final publication.

I was given a free copy of Warrior’s Ransom by Jeff Wheeler (author), 47North (publisher) and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Warrior’s Ransom is the second in the First Argetines series and will be published on May 18, 2021. Knight’s Ransom is the first in the series and was published on January 26, 2021 and the third and fourth books will be published soon.

I did not read Knight’s Ransom.

This review will not contain any spoilers.

I would characterize Warrior’s Ransom as high fantasy featuring knights, kings, warring royal families, romance, and a bit of magic.

The setting of the story in what appears to be medieval European kingdoms at war with noble families choosing sides.

The magic system is limited to the main character and one of the antagonists and it seems the ability to use magic is innate.

Warrior’s Ransom has one main character who is knight and is virtuous, kind, loyal, honest, reliable, and nearly infallible. The main character is three-dimensional and very engaging. Mr. Wheeler does a commendable job in fleshing out several of the side characters so that each character appears individual and distinct particularly the king, his sons, and wife.

I thought, however, the antagonists are flat and one-dimensional. I think I would have preferred if Mr. Wheeler wrote some of this story from their perspectives to get a better idea as to their motivations and reasons for doing what they are doing.

The pacing of the story is at a steady clip and the story flows from beginning to end without the mushy middle.

Even though the pacing is solid, I thought there is more telling than showing. It came in sharp relief when the main character’s romantic interest is featured in letters in the beginning of each chapter. I think if this character’s arc was featured in scenes, instead of letters, the story would have additional layers and would have had more of an emotional impact.

Mr. Wheeler presents several interesting plot and character bits that I would have preferred to be fleshed out and expanded to make this story more complex and emotionally satisfying, but this is Mr. Wheeler’s novel and not mine.

Even with these quibbles, I think I would be interested in reading the next novel in the series because the main character is engaging and interesting.

I would recommend Warrior’s Ransom to readers who like fantasy stories featuring knights, warring within royal families, some political intrigue, and told in a straight-forward manner.

I rate Warrior’s Ransom 3.5 stars.

I would like to thank Jeff Wheeler, 47North, and Netgalley for the free ARC.

Another excellent story from Jeff Wheeler! I love that his books promote honor, loyalty and doing the right thing, while telling a great story. This is book 2 of the Argentine series, set in the world of Kingfountain. As always, there are heroes and villains, young love, adventure and strife - and in this case, war - along with that special touch of Kingfountain magic. Ransom is a worthy hero - and I especially love Clare, who brings a bit of humor to the story. I can't wait for the next book in this series. Many thanks to NetGalley and 47North for the e-arc. 4.5 stars!

I received this ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in order to provide an honest review.

First let me say that this is book 2 in a new trilogy - The First Argentines. But, this trilogy is based in the Kingfountain world which already has several series and trilogies that have come before it. While I do not think that you necessarily need to read any of the other series in this world to be able to enjoy this trilogy, I DO think that this book can not be read as a stand alone. You really need to read the first book - Knights Ransom - to get the set up, the timeline and just an understanding of what is going on at this moment in time.

This book brings back memories because it starts us with two children who meet and become friends while being kept as "wards" of the King at the Palace in Kingfountain. In other words, the King had the children to keep their noble parents in line. Sound familiar? Here is where knowing the events in earlier books gives the reader a much bigger picture of the dynamics.

The trilogy itself is based on the writings of a journal found in the archives of one of those children as she is growing up and is said to be one of the only books or writings that have been found that is able to give scholars a better idea of the events that happened so long ago - at the beginning of the Argentine reign.

Claire is hilarious. I loved her right away. She has spunk, tenacity, and she is cheeky and full of snark. The inclusion of a diary entry at the beginning of each chapter is done brilliantly. I will say that I'm glad Mr. Wheeler placed a map at the beginning because geography is important in this series and people are traveling everywhere in the world so the map was very useful.

But, the star of the show is Ransom. What an absolutely wonderful character. I fell in love with him immediately. I ran the gamut of emotions because a lot of things happen to Ransom in the first book and I can not tell you how many times my eyes watered for him, just thinking about what he had to endure. But, this is book 2.

Ransom starts off on his quest and we finally get to see him getting more information on what it means to be "fountain blessed". In the later trilogies, that knowledge is more common knowledge, but back then not only were there not many people who were "fountain blessed" but on the Argentine side of things, they were pretty clueless about what they were up against.

Without giving away spoilers, book 2 is a fantastic continuation of Ransom's story. What can I say other than there is so much drama and intrigue going on in this book that it is sometimes difficult to keep track of all of the schemes in place. And of course, Ransom ends up in the middle of it...EVERY TIME.

If book 1 was the set up, book two throws everything at the wall. There really was more action than I was expecting because Mr. Wheeler tends to build and build as the books go forward so if this is book 2...man, I can not even begin to imagine what to expect in books three and four.

I do have to say that it has been a while since I have been in the Kingfountain world and I really did forget how Mr. Wheeler just is able to pull the reader in and then grab tight and hold the reader on the edge of your seat as things go from bad to worse. I kept saying to myself, "okay, just one more chapter" and before I knew it, it was morning and then I thought, "might as well finish it" because apparently sleep wasn't happening.

One thing I want to say. Ransom is such a wonderful character. His loyalty is something to behold and his sense of honor makes it hard not to just absolutely fall in love with him. I am looking forward to the Argentines learning more in the books to come about the Fountain Blessed and for them to begin to understand the power of the Fountain, the Wizr board, and all of the other things that this involves. As I said before, if you have read all the previous books, it is so exciting to try to see where everything fits in to later things (**hint hint* the heir that will be born that needs to be protected) Oh, and the "thing" with Brythonica! How exciting! It's almost like Easter eggs being found. Kind of.

So, yep. I really liked it. Have REALLY liked the first two books and was excited to see that the wait for book 3 will not be too bad.

This review and my opinions are completely my own and I thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to get a sneak peak at this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I'm loving having more books set in the Kingfountain world, my favorite of all of Wheeler's series. I feel like Wheeler hits his stride in these books where he draws from European history. There's always lots of heart and critical choices being made.

Warrior's Ransom follows directly after Knight's Ransom, picking up with the layers of intrigue and warring nations. Will this Devon king ever figure out what he's done? King Devon jumps off the page as the most willful and inconstant king - making me crazy, but Ransom is loyal to a fault. Devon's sons are all a mess. Mind you, these messes make for an exciting read.

I liked how we got to see more of the mysterious caped woman in this one. Have you guessed her background? I had my sneaking suspicions, but I'll keep them to myself to let you make your own discoveries.

I'm still giving it five stars because I'm so happy to be back in Kingfountain with its special brand of magic.
And love. Let's talk about that for a moment. Are you worried because of what happened with Owen? I fussed over it too. That's all I can add without giving anything away. But I will add one tidbit, and it's this: you are not left hanging and wondering by the end.

I've saved Ransom for last. He's an interesting character because he has so much going for him, but the world is always slapping him down. Seriously, this knight doesn't catch much of a break. The dichotomy of him being a killing machine and noble is so interesting. I seriously want things to work out for him.

The one point I didn't feel completely satisfied with was Claire. She's a strong character with so much potential. (I totally love her.) I wanted to see her getting to DO more and felt like her talents were left by the wayside. Underutilized seriously comes to mind. There's a reason Ransom loves her so much and that's because she's feisty and full of abilities to be an inspiring leader. Hopefully, she'll get more action in the future installments in this series.