Scan barcode
A review by chingwan7
Valor by John Gwynne
5.0
Actual Rating: 5.0/5.0
SPOILER FILLED!
I thought Malice, the first novel of The Faithful and the Fallen, was interesting. I liked how it tackled fantasy tropes and added onto it. In spite of its reinventions, I thought Malice had little events that did not add much. I hoped the following books would reawaken my interest in the series . Fortunately, its sequel, Valor , has hooked my attention and made me engrossed with its amazingness.
According to Oxford Languages, valor is defined as great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle. Valor is a central theme in this book, with many characters displaying it in their arcs. In addition, Valor further emphasizes the themes of family and friendship. We see families and brothers-in-arms sharing heartwarming interactions, showing kindness, and trusting each other. Furthermore, this novel portrays the painful losses of loved ones and how our characters recover from it. These themes were masterfully used to grow and humanize the cast, especially these memorable POVs.
The first POV I will share is Corban. After escaping the Invasion of Ardan, Corban learned he is prophesied as the Seren Disglair. To briefly explain, the Seren Disglair is the champion of Elyon in the upcoming God-War; and is fated to fight the Black Sun, champion of Asroth. Although his arc is the ‘Chosen One’ trope, Corban is still very sympathizable. Being chosen to lead in a world-changing battle when you’re only a teenage boy is overwhelming. Because of the significance of the role, Corban is conflicted about whether he should assume it. In addition, what I like about Corban is that he does not glorify his chosen status and has become more humble as a result.
Alongside Corban, his older sister Cywen has also been a sympathizable POV. Following the invasion of her kingdom, Cywen finds herself separated from her family and taken hostage by King Nathair and Calidus. I thought Cywen was one of the more charming characters in the previous book because of her wit and humor. That is why I was grateful that she has a prominent role in this novel. In spite of being outnumbered, Cywen was kept alive to lure Corban to the enemy, so she took advantage of her status. She learned more about her captors and their malicious schemes against her brother. On the other hand, she was able to better understand and sympathize with Veradis and Alcyon, who both have internal conflicts serving Nathair and Calidus. During her time as a hostage, she occasionally questions whether Corban would rescue her. Nonetheless, Cywen still hopes that her family will save her. For this reason, we could not help but yearn for the reunion between Cywen and Corban, as this is reminiscent of our love for family.
I greatly rejoiced when Corban and Cywen reunited. The moment the siblings and their mother hugged each other was very fulfilling and emotional.
Our next POV is Camlin. Throughout the novel we see Camlin having internal debates about his loyalties. Before he joined the group of Corban, he was a member of bandits working with Rhin. His past life is the source of his internal conflicts. Sometimes Camlin would chide himself for being too brave and would doubt his chance of redemption. Despite his apprehensions, Camlin continues to be selfless and to not back away from a fight.
The last and most favorite POV is Maquin. Maquin first appeared in Malice as a side character in Kastell’s POV. Because Kastell died in the previous novel, Maquin became the new POV to fill the gap. I doubted Maquin would hook me because I lacked interest in Kastell’s story with the Gadrai. Maquin has been really wonderful to read. Maquin’s POV was arguably the most detached from the main plot, the God-War, and it is easily described as a revenge arc. However, his POV was the most compelling. Witnessing Kastell’s murder by his cousin, Maquin, and his fellow Gadrai (giant hunters), Orgull and Tahir, want to avenge their comrade’s death.. Maquin’s kinship and honor with his battle brothers is relatable and heartfelt. For that reason, I like how Maquin’s values have been challenged in intense situations. Maquin fought in overwhelmed sieges and rogue gladiatorial pits, and felt himself. It seemed Maquin would break under the psychological strain, yet he persevered and maintained his principles. When Maquin had to fight Orgull in a gladiatorial duel, I expected he would be forced to kill him so he could regain his freedom. But to my astonishment, Maquin spared his brother’s life. This scene alone was enough to make him the most admirable and compelling character I have read in Valor .
But to foster great protagonists, there must be great antagonists, and Valor is not short of antagonists. I was delighted to see more of Queen Rhin and her schemes. Seeing her utilize her cunning in manipulation and dark magic was really intriguing. I wanted to know her. Meanwhile, Jael, the cousin of Kastell, was properly written as an irritating character. Jael’s arrogance and pettiness makes us wish he would be back slapped so hard. Meanwhile, pirate leader Lykos was really disgusting and violent. His wrongdoing against Queen Fidele was degrading, thus Maquin saving Queen Fidele was very liberating. Lastly, while Calidus has been a backstage character in Nathair’s POVs, he immediately becomes an dangerous antagonist at the end of the book.
Valor also vastly improved on the pacing than the first book. I understand Malice is a pure setup novel for readers to familiarize themselves with the characters and setting of the series. I wished Malice had more spark, particularly the first half, as it felt more meandering. Thankfully, Valor equally spread out the hype. Each chapter was full of action with enough moments of rest in between. There were neither abrupt or dragging points in this book, which I absolutely love. Combined with that seamless pacing are the balanced plot. Gwynne was able to develop each storyline with enough time and relevance. The Flight to Domhain, Kidnap of Cywen, Maquin’s Perseverance, and the Tenebral Coup were worth the attention . Not only were the conclusions satisfying and contained, but it also excites the readers for the upcoming books.
The narrative is aided by high stakes, specifically deaths. Characters are continuously threatened by many intense events. After the end of Malice, Gwynne tells readers that anyone, even a POV, can die. Because of this thought, readers feel the sense of urgency that our characters must achieve their goals or else they are in trouble. Whenever a fight sequence occurs, we worry about who will survive or not in the outcome. The losses are emotionally impactful to the characters and readers. I cannot understate how much I cried for Corban and Cywen to lose their mother; and for Maquin to save Queen Fidele from Lykos. The stakes are a testament to how vulnerable the characters are and how much they can lose in this series.
The only nitpick I have is some characters were a bit one-note. For example, I only remember Farrell and Vonn, both Corban's companions, as the tall blacksmith apprentice and the traitor’s son respectively. They. Though my nitpick will surely fade because these characters will surely have more time to be characterized in the sequels.
To conclude, Valor is a phenomenal novel and sequel and I highly recommend you read it. It is a high stake, action paced novel with characters that will uplift or rend your heart. . I have faith that the positive points of Valor will become a trend in the next books of The Faithful and Fallen.
SPOILER FILLED!
I thought Malice, the first novel of The Faithful and the Fallen, was interesting. I liked how it tackled fantasy tropes and added onto it. In spite of its reinventions, I thought Malice had little events that did not add much. I hoped the following books would reawaken my interest in the series . Fortunately, its sequel, Valor , has hooked my attention and made me engrossed with its amazingness.
According to Oxford Languages, valor is defined as great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle. Valor is a central theme in this book, with many characters displaying it in their arcs. In addition, Valor further emphasizes the themes of family and friendship. We see families and brothers-in-arms sharing heartwarming interactions, showing kindness, and trusting each other. Furthermore, this novel portrays the painful losses of loved ones and how our characters recover from it. These themes were masterfully used to grow and humanize the cast, especially these memorable POVs.
The first POV I will share is Corban. After escaping the Invasion of Ardan, Corban learned he is prophesied as the Seren Disglair. To briefly explain, the Seren Disglair is the champion of Elyon in the upcoming God-War; and is fated to fight the Black Sun, champion of Asroth. Although his arc is the ‘Chosen One’ trope, Corban is still very sympathizable. Being chosen to lead in a world-changing battle when you’re only a teenage boy is overwhelming. Because of the significance of the role, Corban is conflicted about whether he should assume it. In addition, what I like about Corban is that he does not glorify his chosen status and has become more humble as a result.
Alongside Corban, his older sister Cywen has also been a sympathizable POV. Following the invasion of her kingdom, Cywen finds herself separated from her family and taken hostage by King Nathair and Calidus. I thought Cywen was one of the more charming characters in the previous book because of her wit and humor. That is why I was grateful that she has a prominent role in this novel. In spite of being outnumbered, Cywen was kept alive to lure Corban to the enemy, so she took advantage of her status. She learned more about her captors and their malicious schemes against her brother. On the other hand, she was able to better understand and sympathize with Veradis and Alcyon, who both have internal conflicts serving Nathair and Calidus. During her time as a hostage, she occasionally questions whether Corban would rescue her. Nonetheless, Cywen still hopes that her family will save her. For this reason, we could not help but yearn for the reunion between Cywen and Corban, as this is reminiscent of our love for family.
I greatly rejoiced when Corban and Cywen reunited. The moment the siblings and their mother hugged each other was very fulfilling and emotional.
Our next POV is Camlin. Throughout the novel we see Camlin having internal debates about his loyalties. Before he joined the group of Corban, he was a member of bandits working with Rhin. His past life is the source of his internal conflicts. Sometimes Camlin would chide himself for being too brave and would doubt his chance of redemption. Despite his apprehensions, Camlin continues to be selfless and to not back away from a fight.
The last and most favorite POV is Maquin. Maquin first appeared in Malice as a side character in Kastell’s POV. Because Kastell died in the previous novel, Maquin became the new POV to fill the gap. I doubted Maquin would hook me because I lacked interest in Kastell’s story with the Gadrai. Maquin has been really wonderful to read. Maquin’s POV was arguably the most detached from the main plot, the God-War, and it is easily described as a revenge arc. However, his POV was the most compelling. Witnessing Kastell’s murder by his cousin, Maquin, and his fellow Gadrai (giant hunters), Orgull and Tahir, want to avenge their comrade’s death.. Maquin’s kinship and honor with his battle brothers is relatable and heartfelt. For that reason, I like how Maquin’s values have been challenged in intense situations. Maquin fought in overwhelmed sieges and rogue gladiatorial pits, and felt himself. It seemed Maquin would break under the psychological strain, yet he persevered and maintained his principles. When Maquin had to fight Orgull in a gladiatorial duel, I expected he would be forced to kill him so he could regain his freedom. But to my astonishment, Maquin spared his brother’s life. This scene alone was enough to make him the most admirable and compelling character I have read in Valor .
But to foster great protagonists, there must be great antagonists, and Valor is not short of antagonists. I was delighted to see more of Queen Rhin and her schemes. Seeing her utilize her cunning in manipulation and dark magic was really intriguing. I wanted to know her. Meanwhile, Jael, the cousin of Kastell, was properly written as an irritating character. Jael’s arrogance and pettiness makes us wish he would be back slapped so hard. Meanwhile, pirate leader Lykos was really disgusting and violent. His wrongdoing against Queen Fidele was degrading, thus Maquin saving Queen Fidele was very liberating. Lastly, while Calidus has been a backstage character in Nathair’s POVs, he immediately becomes an dangerous antagonist at the end of the book.
Valor also vastly improved on the pacing than the first book. I understand Malice is a pure setup novel for readers to familiarize themselves with the characters and setting of the series. I wished Malice had more spark, particularly the first half, as it felt more meandering. Thankfully, Valor equally spread out the hype. Each chapter was full of action with enough moments of rest in between. There were neither abrupt or dragging points in this book, which I absolutely love. Combined with that seamless pacing are the balanced plot. Gwynne was able to develop each storyline with enough time and relevance. The Flight to Domhain, Kidnap of Cywen, Maquin’s Perseverance, and the Tenebral Coup were worth the attention . Not only were the conclusions satisfying and contained, but it also excites the readers for the upcoming books.
The narrative is aided by high stakes, specifically deaths. Characters are continuously threatened by many intense events. After the end of Malice, Gwynne tells readers that anyone, even a POV, can die. Because of this thought, readers feel the sense of urgency that our characters must achieve their goals or else they are in trouble. Whenever a fight sequence occurs, we worry about who will survive or not in the outcome. The losses are emotionally impactful to the characters and readers. I cannot understate how much I cried for Corban and Cywen to lose their mother; and for Maquin to save Queen Fidele from Lykos. The stakes are a testament to how vulnerable the characters are and how much they can lose in this series.
The only nitpick I have is some characters were a bit one-note. For example, I only remember Farrell and Vonn, both Corban's companions, as the tall blacksmith apprentice and the traitor’s son respectively. They. Though my nitpick will surely fade because these characters will surely have more time to be characterized in the sequels.
To conclude, Valor is a phenomenal novel and sequel and I highly recommend you read it. It is a high stake, action paced novel with characters that will uplift or rend your heart. . I have faith that the positive points of Valor will become a trend in the next books of The Faithful and Fallen.