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A review by rwatkins
Valor by John Gwynne
4.0
I really liked it. Overall: 3.5/5 (17.5/25)
My review of Malice was somewhat negative, so I was worried about if I would like Valour. I found focusing heavily on the daily life of a teenager to be boring and the similarities to GOT were too prevalent. Luckily, Corban is all grown up now. The style of GOT has been maintained but plot and tropes have diverged into their own distinctive story. Gwynne has impressed me once again. If you like the politics and feel of ASOIF, the movie Gladiator, giants, or travelogs and training, then continue with this series.
Some Spoilers Below.
Plot: 3/5
The Bright Star's allies are scattered, on the run, and must find each other if they are to have any chance at survival. The Black Sun's forces are continuing their wars for control of the Banished Lands while Nathair seeks a magical cauldron.
There are some hiccups in the plotlines including problems with travel time and distance. A trope I don't enjoy, and overused in this book, is when a hero or villain escapes capture unrealistically. Chase scenes ending just before capture, captured characters kept alive only so they can escape, that sort of thing happens a lot. Almost every pov character experiences this and it was only enjoyable once, with an emotional payoff attached.
Setting: 1.5/5
There is minimal expansion in the worldbuilding.
The world is still mundane, although we get some new distinctions within the Jehar and different giant clans.
Magic is still mysterious, though a naming system is provided to explain Elementals' magic. There are no identifiable costs, yet the two magic-users rarely use their powers, despite constantly being chased and in danger. This created some plot-holes.
The Otherworld appears to be a hellish landscape with angels and demons in never-ending battle among the sky. Would love to see that place get explored or developed further.
Characters: 4/5
The characters are feeling much more distinctive. I did have to consult the cast list in the front of the book often.
Corban struggles with a destiny he's unsure about but we get signs he's starting to believe in himself by the end.
Veradis gets a love interest that may test his loyalties in the future.
Maquin deals with betrayal, revenge and a gladiatorial subplot with a satisfying conclusion.
Then there's Cywen and her plot armor. She tries to kill people and they just laugh it off, with no consequences for her. She's kept around and alive for no real reason, with the idea of her being bait for Corban is weak (Corban doesn't even know she's alive and they do nothing to broadcast they have her, plus they are already skirmishing over lands and the Treasures so no bait is even necessary). As one of the few female characters, I wish she wasn't in need of rescuing, wasn't so insufferable, and not treated with kid's gloves.
Coralen, the other female character, is also poorly treated. She's the tough girl love-interest for Corban, falls in love but can't tell him yet, then chooses Ban over her favorite brother despite barely knowing him. *Sigh*
These two females aside, there are powerful character moments, distinctive stories being told, and overall the character work is much improved now that the characters have been established. Even new characters are developed with some thought and care.
Style: 5/5
The pacing issues in Malice have mostly been fixed. There are a lot of chase-skirmish-chase cycles, but things are changing and developing throughout so it doesn't become stale.
Prose is clear and easy to follow, although foreshadowing is still a bit obvious.
The training and battle scenes are frequent but were excellent. Gwynne's passion for and experience with battle reenactments shows in his writing. These scenes were varied, descriptive and the action is superb.
Themes: 4/5
Corban is dealing with self-acceptance, having a destiny and what that means for identity. Responsibility is thrust upon him unexpectedly and it will be interesting to see how he copes with that.
Nathair is all ambition and pride, but a seedling for that pride being tested has been planted and I'm excited to watch it grow.
Veradis is developing friendships on opposite ends of the war, entangling his loyalties. Eventually, these must get tested and I'm here for it.
Maquin's honor and courage are on full display.
There are a lot of threads exploring different angles and I eagerly await seeing how things unfold thematically. Until certain things are settled, messages and lessons remain unclear, which keeps themes in a sort of limbo for now. But I'm enjoying the journey.
My review of Malice was somewhat negative, so I was worried about if I would like Valour. I found focusing heavily on the daily life of a teenager to be boring and the similarities to GOT were too prevalent. Luckily, Corban is all grown up now. The style of GOT has been maintained but plot and tropes have diverged into their own distinctive story. Gwynne has impressed me once again. If you like the politics and feel of ASOIF, the movie Gladiator, giants, or travelogs and training, then continue with this series.
Some Spoilers Below.
Plot: 3/5
The Bright Star's allies are scattered, on the run, and must find each other if they are to have any chance at survival. The Black Sun's forces are continuing their wars for control of the Banished Lands while Nathair seeks a magical cauldron.
There are some hiccups in the plotlines including problems with travel time and distance. A trope I don't enjoy, and overused in this book, is when a hero or villain escapes capture unrealistically. Chase scenes ending just before capture, captured characters kept alive only so they can escape, that sort of thing happens a lot. Almost every pov character experiences this and it was only enjoyable once, with an emotional payoff attached.
Setting: 1.5/5
There is minimal expansion in the worldbuilding.
The world is still mundane, although we get some new distinctions within the Jehar and different giant clans.
Magic is still mysterious, though a naming system is provided to explain Elementals' magic. There are no identifiable costs, yet the two magic-users rarely use their powers, despite constantly being chased and in danger. This created some plot-holes.
The Otherworld appears to be a hellish landscape with angels and demons in never-ending battle among the sky. Would love to see that place get explored or developed further.
Characters: 4/5
The characters are feeling much more distinctive. I did have to consult the cast list in the front of the book often.
Corban struggles with a destiny he's unsure about but we get signs he's starting to believe in himself by the end.
Veradis gets a love interest that may test his loyalties in the future.
Maquin deals with betrayal, revenge and a gladiatorial subplot with a satisfying conclusion.
Then there's Cywen and her plot armor. She tries to kill people and they just laugh it off, with no consequences for her. She's kept around and alive for no real reason, with the idea of her being bait for Corban is weak (Corban doesn't even know she's alive and they do nothing to broadcast they have her, plus they are already skirmishing over lands and the Treasures so no bait is even necessary). As one of the few female characters, I wish she wasn't in need of rescuing, wasn't so insufferable, and not treated with kid's gloves.
Coralen, the other female character, is also poorly treated. She's the tough girl love-interest for Corban, falls in love but can't tell him yet, then chooses Ban over her favorite brother despite barely knowing him. *Sigh*
These two females aside, there are powerful character moments, distinctive stories being told, and overall the character work is much improved now that the characters have been established. Even new characters are developed with some thought and care.
Style: 5/5
The pacing issues in Malice have mostly been fixed. There are a lot of chase-skirmish-chase cycles, but things are changing and developing throughout so it doesn't become stale.
Prose is clear and easy to follow, although foreshadowing is still a bit obvious.
The training and battle scenes are frequent but were excellent. Gwynne's passion for and experience with battle reenactments shows in his writing. These scenes were varied, descriptive and the action is superb.
Themes: 4/5
Corban is dealing with self-acceptance, having a destiny and what that means for identity. Responsibility is thrust upon him unexpectedly and it will be interesting to see how he copes with that.
Nathair is all ambition and pride, but a seedling for that pride being tested has been planted and I'm excited to watch it grow.
Veradis is developing friendships on opposite ends of the war, entangling his loyalties. Eventually, these must get tested and I'm here for it.
Maquin's honor and courage are on full display.
There are a lot of threads exploring different angles and I eagerly await seeing how things unfold thematically. Until certain things are settled, messages and lessons remain unclear, which keeps themes in a sort of limbo for now. But I'm enjoying the journey.