Valor by John Gwynne
Genres: Epic Fantasy, War, Supernatural, Good vs Evil
Pages: 640
Cover: Paperback
Age rating: 12+
Buy on: Amazon, Barnes and Noble
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As High King Nathair battles everyone who stands in his way in his holy mission, the Banished Lands is ripped apart by conflict. Few can oppose them when they are allied with the cunning Queen Rhin of Cambren. However, Rhin is pursuing her own interests and has her sights set on a much bigger goal. Cywen is forced to try to survive after being abandoned for dead, her family fleeing, and her nation being overtaken by enemies. However, once Nathair and his unsettling advisor Calidus recognize her, there is little point in trying to get away.
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They have no intention of letting go of such a prize. Because she might be their best chance to eliminate the greatest danger to their authority. In the meantime, the young warrior Corban and his exiled friends escape their overrun homeland and make their way to Domhain, the only location that could provide them with safety. However, they had to pass through Cambren to get there, dodging giants, warbands, and the ferocious mountain wolven. Meanwhile, Corban has to fight to become the Bright Star and savior of the Banished Lands that everyone thinks he is. Additionally, evil forces in the Otherworld plot to send a large number of Fallen into the physical world in order to put a stop to the conflict with the Faithful, once and for all.
Spoil Review
General Opinion:
Book 2 was better than book 1, with more action, the characters being more interesting, and the high-stakes tension all blending perfectly.
​Characters and Plot
So Nathair is officially getting on my nerves. I swear to god if he says that he is the Bright Star one more time, and says that Corban is the Black Sun and should be killed, I'm gonna personally kill him myself. I know that Nathair is being manipulated by Calidus to think that he is the hero of the world, but the number of times he said that he is the Bright Star was infuriating, and the fact that everyone believes him just makes it worse.
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But before I rant more, let's get to what I love about this book. Corban's growth, I didn't care much about him in book 1, but his growth in the second book was admirable. How he came from a scared runaway to a strong and skillful warrior was peak. Moreover, when Gar said that Corban was the Bright Star, Corban didn't believe it, but through his actions and how everyone loves him, it quickly became obvious to everyone but himself that he is Elyon's chosen. Corban also didn't go and yell out to the world that he is the Bright Star, unlike somebody...
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What raises my eyebrows in this book is that it also shows the POV of the villain, which is rare. The villain here is Lykos, the most disgusting, aggressive man ever. Not only is he in charge of the pit fight, owning slaves and forcing them to fight for his clan entertainment, he's also a rapist. Poor Fidele, the queen of Tenebral, had to endure his control for months, I cheered for her so hard when she broke from his spell and attacked him.
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There was never a dull moment in this book, the storyline is action packed, with characters moving around the map, the fight scene are incredible as usual. Seeing all the character growths and how they formed a bond with each other was a wonderful feeling.
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I know that this book barely has romance in it, but here are some possible endgame couple: Camlin and Edena, Corban and Coralen, Cywen and Veradis.
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​​​​​​​​​​Conclusion
I am beyond excited to read the third book in this series, and am curious to how the battle will turn out. How everyone will reacted when they found out that Nathair is the Black Sun. That will be the reaction for a lifetime.