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The Warriors of Taan
Prince Khian needs the help of a woman, an Earthman, and the Stonewraiths to drive the Earthling Outworlders from Taan and restore peace
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
About the author
Louise Lawrence
40 books58 followersElizabeth Holden, better known by her pen name Louise Lawrence, is an English science fiction author, acclaimed during the 1970s and 1980s.
Lawrence was born in Leatherhead, Surrey, England, in 1943. She became fascinated with Wales at a young age, and has set many of her novels there. She left school early on to become an assistant librarian. She married and had the first of her three children in 1963. Her departure from the library, she recalls, gave her the potential to turn toward writing: "Deprived of book-filled surroundings, I was bound to write my own."
Lawrence was born in Leatherhead, Surrey, England, in 1943. She became fascinated with Wales at a young age, and has set many of her novels there. She left school early on to become an assistant librarian. She married and had the first of her three children in 1963. Her departure from the library, she recalls, gave her the potential to turn toward writing: "Deprived of book-filled surroundings, I was bound to write my own."
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 15, 2015
This has probably the most inadequate blurb ever. Like many of Louise Lawrence's books, this was probably intended initially for an adult rather than a YA audience but at the time of writing, if you were writing fantasy or certain types of sci-fi, you were writing them for children. That said this fits into no known YA mould. It is rich and densely layered, looking at the politics of conquering, guerilla warfare, opposing cultures, sexual politics and is passionately feminist. There are times when this book veers into stridency, so loud does it advocate gender equality and environmental awareness. It certainly pulls no punches on unpleasant issues. And perhaps it is a little dated and of its time.
Personally I don't care. I loved this book as a child and re-reading it as an adult has been a treat. While I can't agree with what appears to be some of the message - ie that women and men are easily divisible into brutes and healers, and that men are only brought to their best through the subtle, often manipulative wiles of a woman, or that women only have agency through influencing others, rather than taking direct action, often violent action - I think the sentiment behind a call for gender equality in this book does stand up to the test of time. If nothing else, reading it and finding certain assertions close to the knuckle or outright wrong will certainly make you think.
Elana is a great character - a strong female lead before there was a fashion for them in a YA book written before there was YA. There are elements here of the Bene Gesserit from the Dune series so if you liked that, you may well like this. Be warned however, this will not have an expected YA end. I remember when I first read this at 13yrs old, feeling a bit miffed but seeing that it made sense. It maks even greater sense now.
Unfortunately, like most of Lawrence's books, this is out of print so you may have to scout around. Still a strong read today and a thinking YA book when there is an increasing amount of vapid imitation about.
Personally I don't care. I loved this book as a child and re-reading it as an adult has been a treat. While I can't agree with what appears to be some of the message - ie that women and men are easily divisible into brutes and healers, and that men are only brought to their best through the subtle, often manipulative wiles of a woman, or that women only have agency through influencing others, rather than taking direct action, often violent action - I think the sentiment behind a call for gender equality in this book does stand up to the test of time. If nothing else, reading it and finding certain assertions close to the knuckle or outright wrong will certainly make you think.
Elana is a great character - a strong female lead before there was a fashion for them in a YA book written before there was YA. There are elements here of the Bene Gesserit from the Dune series so if you liked that, you may well like this. Be warned however, this will not have an expected YA end. I remember when I first read this at 13yrs old, feeling a bit miffed but seeing that it made sense. It maks even greater sense now.
Unfortunately, like most of Lawrence's books, this is out of print so you may have to scout around. Still a strong read today and a thinking YA book when there is an increasing amount of vapid imitation about.
September 28, 2020
I feel very lucky this year, in that The Warriors of Taan is the second book of the year that I would describe as 'Danm-Near perfect.'
As others have noted, the blurb is horrendously misleading and uninformative. The Warriors of Taan is more than a coming-of-age story, but a rich treatise on some deep, ominous and complex themes told through a compelling, engaging narrative and in wonderful style. Reading this from the point of view in Adulthood in 2020, The Warriors of Taan is both incredibly, progressively ahead of it's time and inextricably rooted in it.
The set-up takes an atrocity of real human history and re-imagines it as the basis for a narrative that turns the magnifying glass inwards. For a book at it's core about humanity, it was intriguing and refreshing it did not have a 'human' (Outworlder) PoV character.
The book follows two major characters, both of which are well-written and believable, with strong story arcs. The supporting cast is also well-written, if understandably less in-depth. I particularly enjoyed how the introduction to the fantasy world was drawn out naturally, without the feeling of the 'camera' being drawn away as it is in most modern fantasy. In fact, the Warriors of Taan is quite short (The edition I read at hitting 196 pages, including the title page et al.), and while this may be a major surprise for a plot that lasts several years, it was a great strength of the book. Lawrence seems to know when to draw out a scene or conversation in 'real time', and when to pass months away in a sentence. I initially thought there could be no way such an encompassing and ambitious plot set-up could be satisfactorily finished in so few pages, but it was done, and brilliantly so. The Warriors of Taan proves fantasy doesn't need to be a trilogy of 4-600 page tomes, and is much the better for it.
As others have noted, the blurb is horrendously misleading and uninformative. The Warriors of Taan is more than a coming-of-age story, but a rich treatise on some deep, ominous and complex themes told through a compelling, engaging narrative and in wonderful style. Reading this from the point of view in Adulthood in 2020, The Warriors of Taan is both incredibly, progressively ahead of it's time and inextricably rooted in it.
The set-up takes an atrocity of real human history and re-imagines it as the basis for a narrative that turns the magnifying glass inwards. For a book at it's core about humanity, it was intriguing and refreshing it did not have a 'human' (Outworlder) PoV character.
The book follows two major characters, both of which are well-written and believable, with strong story arcs. The supporting cast is also well-written, if understandably less in-depth. I particularly enjoyed how the introduction to the fantasy world was drawn out naturally, without the feeling of the 'camera' being drawn away as it is in most modern fantasy. In fact, the Warriors of Taan is quite short (The edition I read at hitting 196 pages, including the title page et al.), and while this may be a major surprise for a plot that lasts several years, it was a great strength of the book. Lawrence seems to know when to draw out a scene or conversation in 'real time', and when to pass months away in a sentence. I initially thought there could be no way such an encompassing and ambitious plot set-up could be satisfactorily finished in so few pages, but it was done, and brilliantly so. The Warriors of Taan proves fantasy doesn't need to be a trilogy of 4-600 page tomes, and is much the better for it.
October 21, 2024
just truly awesome. the greatest!!!
February 10, 2017
Rapacious Outworlders have occupied the planet of Taan to plunder its natural resources. Pushed back into reservations and marginal areas, their culture threatened with extinction, the warrior caste agitate for war whilst the temples advocate a peaceful resolution. Everyone's hope rests on the shoulders of a rebellious young prince: will he lead his father’s troops to battle or help the sisterhood make peace?
I loved this book as a teenager, and I'm delighted to see it hasn't suffered too much in the interim. It's definitely not written for adults, but its romantic subplot doesn't slot neatly into modern YA tropes either- which makes it all the more interesting.
Unexpectedly for a book about characters staring the possible end of their civilisation in the face, the novel focuses on the build-up to world-changing events rather than their resolution. This is less about young people trying to save the world and more about how they pick sides and what future they are prepared to fight for.
…which suddenly feels rather relevant, doesn’t it?
Throw in world-building, character-building and some rather awesome aliens (the stonewraiths, making it clear that no civilisation has a completely clean record), and it's a solid galactic fantasy. There's no dodging the feminist and environmental politics, so it’s certain to outrage some readers with its manipulative peace-mongering priestesses and its criticism of humanity’s right to plunder the stars in the name of capitalism. But as long as you can jump on board with the politics, there’s lots to like.
It’s biggest flaw (and again, it’s big enough to be a complete turn off for some readers) is its gender essentialism: there’s a lot of men being aggressive idiots while women have special instincts and are inherently peaceful, which I can’t subscribe to. I’ll admit nostalgia is my best armour against this, as I forgive it thanks to my love of the rest.
And that end is a shock every time.
More thoughts but still no spoilers.
I loved this book as a teenager, and I'm delighted to see it hasn't suffered too much in the interim. It's definitely not written for adults, but its romantic subplot doesn't slot neatly into modern YA tropes either- which makes it all the more interesting.
Unexpectedly for a book about characters staring the possible end of their civilisation in the face, the novel focuses on the build-up to world-changing events rather than their resolution. This is less about young people trying to save the world and more about how they pick sides and what future they are prepared to fight for.
…which suddenly feels rather relevant, doesn’t it?
Throw in world-building, character-building and some rather awesome aliens (the stonewraiths, making it clear that no civilisation has a completely clean record), and it's a solid galactic fantasy. There's no dodging the feminist and environmental politics, so it’s certain to outrage some readers with its manipulative peace-mongering priestesses and its criticism of humanity’s right to plunder the stars in the name of capitalism. But as long as you can jump on board with the politics, there’s lots to like.
It’s biggest flaw (and again, it’s big enough to be a complete turn off for some readers) is its gender essentialism: there’s a lot of men being aggressive idiots while women have special instincts and are inherently peaceful, which I can’t subscribe to. I’ll admit nostalgia is my best armour against this, as I forgive it thanks to my love of the rest.
And that end is a shock every time.
More thoughts but still no spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews