Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Valiant

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Valiant by Holly Black

8 reviews

michaelat21's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

This book was not what I would consider ya. It was filled with drugs, addiction, abuse, animal cruelty. I couldn’t relate to the main character at all and found myself upset for most of the book. I only liked one character the whole book. I am hopeful the third book is better.

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kristinrdub's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

5.0

What could be better than faerie drugs and monster boyfriend? Holly Black makes these tales just dark enough to make you reconsider ever wanting to see a fae and also makes you hope you still will. A runaway girl becomes a reluctant troll errand girl with a side hustle of murder solving.

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sleeping_jem's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Though not as strong as the first book in the series, Valiant is still a very well written book which blends the dangers of the real world with the excitement and intrigue of the fantasy world.

Generally darker and grittier in tone than Tithe, potential readers should be aware that this story features sensitive topics such as homelessness and drug abuse. The romance element is once again quite light but does end up being a driving factor in the story.

Val is a complex character who often confounds or frustrates the reader but is nonetheless an interesting protagonist. Her actions feel in line with the behaviour of a struggling teenager who feels abandoned by her friends and family, even if they are often misguided and lead to trouble.

The setting of New York city is an unlikely place for a faerie story - a bold choice which expands on the worldbuilding begun in Tithe but might have been a bit more clear or detailed at times.

The cast of supporting characters (including the love interest) felt slightly under-developed; while morally ambiguous characters are realistic, the four friends Val spends time with all have similar temperaments and flaws, making them slightly indistinguishable. Several of them have no backstory whatsoever, and the characters who do recieve very little time to explore their respective pasts.

Overall, a well-written and unique book which doesn't hesitate to explore the darkest parts of both the human and faerie worlds. My main criticism lies in the fact that I couldn't help but feel while I was reading this book that it mainly served to set up the final book in the series.

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camiclarkbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

“Valiant” is the second book in Holly Black’s “Modern Faerie Tales” trilogy and features a different set of main characters than the first book, “Tithe.”

As in the first book, Black weaves a story that balances between showing the wondrous parts of fairyland and the wicked side. She puts her human characters through it, especially the main character Val.

This book was dark in a different way than “Tithe,” with much of the story centered around the main characters’ abuse of a fictional drug called Nevermore.

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