Valour

by John Gwynne

Book 2 of the The Faithful and the Fallen series

War erupts. Corban flees with his band of outcasts. Maquin awakens in darkness, burning for revenge. Nathair conquers kingdoms for the seven treasures. Gwynne's sequel: three epic sieges, unpredictable betrayals, and battles that outshine Malice.

Valour carries on literally minutes after the action when Malice presented us such an amazing breathless finale. We witness the so-called Bright Star Corban and his bizarre accumulated band of all sorts that incorporates warriors, witches, Queens and outcast woodsmen - following on from the evacuation of Dun Carreg due to the unforeseeable monstrous actions that took place, with the effects still lingering amongst the groups' morale.

War has erupted in the Banished Lands as the race for power intensifies. Corban flees his homeland searching for peace, but he soon discovers that there is no haven in the west as the agents of Rhin and roaming bands of giants hound his every step. As Corban comes into his own and accepts his role as the Bright Star, their flight transforms from desperate survival into pursuit and rescue. Meanwhile, the camaraderie of Corban's band of outcasts - who love and support each other through all challenges - provides heartwarming moments amid the darkness.

It also picks up with readers favourite, Maquin awakening in the tombs underneath Haldis after the ultimate betrayal and follows him overcoming his tragic loss, knowing that his main ambition is now purely revenge. His journey as "the Old-Wolf" through arena combat and torture tests the limits of loyalty, vengeance, and what price freedom demands. Valour is highly focused around three amazing sieges and battles following High King Nathair and his alliance with Rhin in the West of the Banished Lands. Nathair believes he is the heralded Seren Disglair and has been advised by his Lord that he needs to obtain the seven Giant treasures to save the world from darkness.

Valour contains an impressive number of battle or duel sequences, from war skirmishes to gladiatorial arena combat: in every instance you can find a precision of detail, a sort of choreography to the action that turns these scenes into quite cinematic portrayals. Gwynne's shield-wall tactics and authentic Viking combat create what many consider the best battle sequences in fantasy. The prophecy advances rapidly - identities of the Bright Star and Black Sun revealed - while darker POVs from Asroth's forces add brutal complexity.

Shortlisted for the 2014 David Gemmell Legend Award, critics praised Valour as superior to Malice in every way. Readers compared it favorably to A Song of Ice and Fire for its unpredictable plot, three-dimensional characters, and emotional gut-punches. With approximately half the novel devoted to phenomenal action while maintaining character depth and emotional resonance, Valour proves sequels can surpass debuts.

Perfect for readers seeking improved second volumes, epic siege warfare with authentic tactics, revenge narratives that test morality, found family dynamics amid darkness, and stories where evil triumphs more often than not - until heroes rise to challenge fate itself.

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