The Valiant (The Valiant #1) by Lesley Livingston
The Valiant was one of my weekend reads and a book that I couldn’t put down. I have a bit of a hit and miss record with YA. Quite often I find that the story lacks the attention to detail that I enjoy and that I feel helps to build the world and on top of that love triangles and instalove more often than not are the flavour of the day. Fear not in terms of either of those quibbles when picking up this book. Livingston has bought to us a gripping story about a young woman who, against her own will, becomes a gladiator. This is well written, uncluttered and fast paced. The characters are well drawn, particularly the leading lady and on top of all of that it brings the opportunity to read a highly entertaining narrative set in a period of time that I really enjoy reading about.
The story begins with an introduction to Fallon as she trains out in the country with her childhood friend Mael. Mael and Fallon’s relationship has grown over the years and both of them have feelings of love for each other. Fallon, however, is determined to follow in the footsteps of her sister Sorcha. Sorcha was killed in battle, fighting the Romans. Fallon longs to be part of her father’s war band and on the day of her 17th birthday she believes her wishes will finally come true. Unfortunately for Fallon things go deeply amiss and although I won’t spoil for you the whys and wherefores Fallon finds herself captured by slavers and shipped off to Rome to be sold to the highest bidder. One minute Fallon thought her dreams were a hair’s breath away and the next she was snatched from her world and everything she knows.
So, Fallon is sold to a school for gladiators – nothing could offend her honour more. Worse than that – the school is directly owned by Julius Caesar, a man who Fallon despises and blames for the death of her sister. Fallon finds herself trying to survive in a school which, in spite of the veneer of sisterhood, has fierce rivalries bubbling just beneath the surface. Through no fault of her own Fallon finds herself on the receiving end of some rather harsh attention from the other females of the school and although you might expect her biggest challenge to be surviving in the gladiator’s arena it some becomes apparent that Fallon will first of all need to survive the training! On top of that Fallon has attracted the attention of one of the Roman soldiers and much to her dismay she finds herself becoming attracted to him in return – I will stress, that this romance is not an integral part of the book, it isn’t the main focus of the story and is really well paced! (Just thought I’d chuck that out there).
Why did I love this. I think that the author has managed to find the perfect balance in so many respects. Her writing gives you a flavour of the Roman empire without being over burdened with flowery prose or heavy descriptions. She throws in characters that we know about already such as Julius Caesar and Cleopatra but shines a slightly different light on their characters. Her main character Fallon, is very easy to like. She’s also incredibly foolish and gullible sometimes but nobody’s perfect after all! Fallon struggles with her training, she has some ability as a fighter but is in no way perfect. What she does have as a character is ‘heart’. She’s been raised as the daughter of one of the Celtic Kings and as such she has a certain demeanour that refuses to be brow beaten. She simply has spark and I really enjoyed that about her. Livingston also has a way with words when it comes to the fight scenes. They’re easy to imagine and frankly exciting to read. She knows when to draw a line and not labour the point and I just really enjoyed that she sometimes had to make Fallon rely on her wits as well as her fighting prowess.
I really enjoy reading novels set in this period and on top of that the idea of female gladiators just really appealed to me. I confess that I went into this story expecting to a certain degree to love it – but – I wasn’t expecting it to take me by storm and give me a protagonist, a bunch of surrounding characters, a setting and a plot that surpassed my expectations and that I fell easily in love with.
Perfect pace, unpredictable plot, polished writing and plenty of action. I loved it – can you tell?? Sign me up for No.2!
In terms of criticisms. None. Okay, this is not a fantasy book. Dragons do not sweep across the horizon and there is no magic. I guess the only fantastical element could be the inclusion of female gladiators – although there does appear to be some evidence that they did in fact exist! But mythical creatures and the lack thereof aside I have no hesitation in recommending this. It was absolutely compelling.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher through Edelweiss for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Weekly Wrap Up: 19/2/17
Well, this week my reading has taken an upward turn, which is good of course, after last week. What can you do – book hangovers! But, this week. This week people. Such a lot of good reads. Good. Reads.
Last week’s reads:
- The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams
- Miranda and Caliban by Jacqueline Carey
- The Valiant by Lesley Livingston
- The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire (readalong week 2)
Woah – do all those covers look good together or what!!!
Currently reading:
- Blood Upon the Sand by Bradley P Beaulieu
- Windsinger by AFE Smith
- Game of Shadows by Erika Lewis
And, finally, my cover compare this week: normally I compare two of the same covers this week however, there seems to be a lot of blue(ish) covers going on so I’m going to pick my favourite from the covers above:
My favourite cover is this one:
I really like this cover – the font and the colours.
How was your week? What you currently reading?
The Winter Long (October Daye #8) by Seanan McGuire. Readalong week 2
18 February 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Readalong week 2, Seanan McGuire, The Winter Long, Toby Daye #8
Today is week two of a three week readalong of Seanan McGuire’s The Winter Long (October Daye #8). Today I am hosting the questions – and they’re a big mess which totally reflects my brain after reading the last chapters. The Goodreads page link is here. Feel free to join in or just jump into the discussion in the comments and be aware that spoilers will be lurking below for not only this book but for the previous books in the series. If you haven’t started reading the Toby Daye series and you like urban fantasy then I strongly recommend this series to you.
Wow, what is going on around here! I think this week I’m more puzzled than ever not to mention the emotion! I’m all over the place. The questions are incoherent I’m afraid:
Firstly, The Luidaeg said that Toby’s mother had told her to beware The Lady of the Lake, but to be more afraid of Morgana. So we know a little more about the Lady of the Lake (I think) – but who is Morgana. So much seems to be wrapped up in the fairytales or myths and legends we have already heard of. What do you make of it all?
All these elements of fairytales and folklore that are creeping into the story really fascinate me. Clearly the Lady of the Lake is all wrapped up in the Arthurian tales – I thought Morgana was Arthurs half sister and adversary in the old tales. The Lady of the Lake is sometimes known as Viviene amongst many other versions of the name. Then we have this whole Snow White issue with Winterrose being Snow White – so not exactly the nice version of our fairytales though. She makes use of the part of the story where Snow white sleeps to recover (or in the tale sleeps with an apple lodged in her throat) – I wonder who is going to play the role of Arthur – or the Wicked Queen. Actually, I love that McGuire is twisting these tales for the purpose of her fae to infer that our stories have all been invoked by the fae living amongst us – just slightly different versions that those that we are familiar with. I love this aspect of the story where McGuire builds up the legend of the fae living amongst us.
The Luidaeg – oh my giddy aunt. How could this have happened! The Luidaeg is the one who every one is afraid of – how can this have happened! Is her attacker so very powerful, is it because of the geas? How do you think the Luidaeg will react to Toby saving her life (well, bringing her back from the dead) and the Court of the Cats giving her a safe haven?
OMFG Noooooooo! I could weep!! What is going on here. Who could do this to the Luidaeg. I confess I don’t understand it at all. I mean, obviously at the moment we don’t know who attacked the Luidaeg although it would be easy to infer certain characters. And then Toby to the rescue – give that woman a cape! I wonder what the Luidaeg will make of all her new allies – so, she’s obviously got more friends than her prickly demeanour really portrays. I wonder how she’ll feel about all this warm cuddliness surrounding her – she’ll probably eat somebody’s head or something! I’m hoping that she’s going to turn all badass – I want to see the Luidaeg in motion – put Winterrose back in her place!
So, as things have moved on it appears that maybe Simon, in a very odd ‘I will turn you into a tree’ fashion maybe did think he was helping Toby. When he was told the Luidaeg was dead he said that he was too late. It all points to the fact that maybe he was trying to help – do you think that is the case?
I really can’t figure him out – clearly he is still working for Winterrose isn’t he?? Is he scared of her too? Why has she got everyone under her power somehow. In some ways he comes across as crazy but maybe trying to help – like giving Toby the flower clues. But then at the back of my mind I think was he helping or not – it seems that he keeps leading Toby straight to Winterrose! And, to get back to the point in the first question – turning Toby into a tree – does that remind anybody of Apollo and Daphne – sorry just thought I’d chuck that in there!
Eira Rosynhwry, Evening Winterrose – (and can I say I NEVER saw that coming) what is she up to??
I really didn’t see that coming. It now makes me feel like I have to go back to the first books and read them again with this knowledge. So, Winterrose is behind it all – she’s First Born – and why oh why would she want Toby dead? Is this all about Armandine – is there a man between the two of them, why did they hate each other – did Armandine take her sister’s favourite dress and never return it? I have no ideas. But then, after Toby recovered from her fishy period Winterrose was her friend – or at least helped her, helped her back into the land of the fae even by cursing her. I’m confused!
Finally, the First Born – of which Evening Winterrose is one – what sort of impact is this going to have on their children? Will it turn fae against fae? Why would one of the firstborn be hiding in plain sight?
I can’t figure out what Winterrose’s long game is. What does she want? Was she involved with the Queen of the Mists then – why would she want Rayseline and Luna to be kidnapped? It feels like there’s a lot of bad blood between the First Born and memories are long.
How do you think Toby is going to walk away from this situation – people conflicted, Sylvester seeming to be in a trance! What next?
Why is everyone under a trance, well everyone except Etienne?? And is this going to cause some sort of rift between the fae – the children of the First Born – depending on who their First Born just so happens to be.
As you can see, I have questions upon questions and very little by way of answers. Everybody – chuck me a bone now, come on, put me out of your misery!
‘Nasty smelly things, motorcars!’
17 February 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, Hans Christian Andersen, The Snow Queen
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book, compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future week’s themes are listed below. This week’s theme:
Car “Drivin’ along in my automobile”:
Today I’ve gone for J K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Suffice to say that there were a plethora of covers for this one so I tried to restrict myself to those simply with cars on the front:
I really like the bottom two although I think my favourite would have to be:
Do not ask me why but it just gives me a Howl’s Moving Castle vibe! Next week: Aliens!!
Which is your favourite?
Future themes:
24/02/2017 Alien – “Aliens – if they exist-are little green men with big eyes and spindly arms…or giant insects or something like a lumpy little creature”
03/03/2017 – Playing cards “Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well” or – Spring: a cover that is mainly the colour green.
10/03/2017 – School “I never let my schooling interfere with my education”
17/03/2017 – Bird “Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs are too sweet and wild”
24/03/2017 – Street lamp “He stood under the street lamp, sleet settling in his hair, hands fisted at his side”
31/03/2017 – Casino “Whisky, gambling and Ferraris are better than housework “
07/04/2017 – Circus “You can get the monkey off your back, but the circus never leaves town!
14/04/2017 – Easter “The rabbit of Easter. He bring of the chocolate”
21/04/2017 – Bridge “I demolish my bridges behind me…then there is no choice but to push forward”
28/04/2017 – Beach/Seaside”Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!”
05/05/2017 – Lion “If you place your head in a lion’s mouth, then you cannot complain one day if he happens to bite it off”
12/05/2017 – Phone “Don’t use the phone. People are never ready to answer it”
19/05/2017 – Plane “When everything seem to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it ….”
26/05/2017 – Mice “Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, ‘it might have been’…”
02/06/2017 – Moon “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”
09/06/2017 – Mummy “It shuffles through the dry, dusty darkness”
16/06/2017 – Guitar “You couldn’t not like someone who liked the guitar”
23/06/2017 – Cat “In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this”
30/06/2017 – Hat “It is always cruel to laugh at people, of course, although sometimes if they are wearing an ugly hat it is hard to control yourself “
07/07/2017 – Gold “All that is gold does not glitter”
14/07/2017 – Boats “The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea, in a beautiful pea green boat…”
21/07/2017 – Planet “Any planet is ‘Earth’ to those who live on it”
Friday Firsts: The Valiant by Lesley Livingston
17 February 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Friday Firsts, Lesley Livingston, tenacious reader, The Valiant
Friday Firsts is a new meme that runs every Friday over on Tenacious Reader. The idea is to feature the first few sentences/paragraph of your current book and try and outline your first impressions as a result. This is a quick and easy way to share a snippet of information about your current read and to perhaps tempt others. Stop on by and link up with Tenacious Reader. This week I’m reading The Valiant by Lesley Livingston.
The steam rising off the backs of the cantering horses faded into the morning fog. Our chariot raced toward the far end of the Forgotten Vale and Maelgwyn Ironhand – my chariot, constant companion, and frequent adversary – pulled back on the reins.
“No!” I shouted. “Faster! Make them run faster!”
Mael didn’t bother to spare a glance over his shoulder at me. He knew any argument would be futile. Instead he gave the ponies their head and let them run. We flew over the ground like ravens diving over a battlefield. The horses snorted and strained, hooves drumming the grassy track and sending mist billowing in our wake.
I stood behind Mael with a spear gripped tight in my right fist and my feet braced against the swaying motion of the chariot’s suspended deck. The wind screeched in my ears, and the ground was a blur beneath our wheels. We’d never gone so fast before, and my heart hammered in my chest. I shifted and moved past Mael, stepping out in front of the chariot’s platform to balance on the square-sided draft pole that ran between the two horses.
“Fallon – be careful!” Mael called as one of my feet slipped on the wood.
My First Impressions
Well – that got off to a quick start, literally it exploded right off the page. I can’t wait to dig further into this one. It promises to be a great read and I’ve already read good reviews.
What you reading this Friday??
Books and travelling with Lynn 