The Valiant by Lesley Livingston: A Book Review

The Valiant
Author: Lesley Livingston
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fantasy
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Pages: 381
Source: Edelweiss/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Princess. Captive. Gladiator. Always a Warrior.

Fallon is the daughter of a proud Celtic king and the younger sister of the legendary fighter Sorcha. When Fallon was just a child, Sorcha was killed by the armies of Julius Caesar.

On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Fallon is excited to follow in her sister's footsteps and earn her place in her father's war band. She never gets the chance.

Fallon is captured and sold to an elite training school for female gladiators—owned by none other than Julius Caesar himself. In a cruel twist of fate, the man who destroyed Fallon’s family might be her only hope of survival.

Now, Fallon must overcome vicious rivalries, deadly fights in and out of the arena, and perhaps the most dangerous threat of all: her irresistible feelings for Cai, a young Roman soldier and her sworn enemy.

A richly imagined fantasy for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Cinda Williams Chima, The Valiant recounts Fallon’s gripping journey from fierce Celtic princess to legendary gladiator and darling of the Roman empire.

My Review: Fallon, a Celtic princess, is kidnapped from her home and taken to Rome. When she arrives, she is sold into slavery to a female gladiator training school. The owner of the school is Julius Caesar, who has destroyed her family. To win her freedom, Fallon must fight to be the best female gladiator. At the school, she learns the true nature of freedom and survival.

Fallon is a fascinating and engaging character! I like how she can fight! Throughout the novel, we see Fallon’s struggle as she realises that to survive she must kill or be killed. Fallon has her faults. She can be judgemental, reckless, and bitter. but, her strength lies with her compassions for others, including her enemies. It is through her empathy that she eventually wins the hearts of those around her. Fallon also questions what her role is in the brutal world of Rome. When bad things happen to her, she doubts her faith in herself and in her goddess. but, her faith helps her to triumph. Thus, Fallon is a character will root for because she learns from her experiences.

Overall, this book is about family, friendship, love, faith, and freedom. The message of this book is to believe in yourself. This book is full of action, mystery, and romance. The story is quick-paced, and I read it in one sitting, as I was dying to find what would happen to Fallon. I would like to see more development of other characters. They can be lost in the background because much of the novel focuses on Fallon. However, I liked the setting of Ancient Rome, and I thought that the author had done her research. The Valiant has left me excited for the sequel, and I can’t wait to find out is next for Fallon! I recommend this novel for fans of Cleopatra’s Moon, Gladiator: Fight For Freedom, Getorix, and The Hunger Games.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Release Date: February 15, 2022 Pages: 381 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweath

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn: A Book Review

The Rose Code Author: Kate Quinn Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Harper Collins Release Date: 2021 Pages: 635 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: 1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire. Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. 1947, London. Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the royal wedding between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, disaster threatens. Osla, Mab and Beth are estranged,

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) by Lucinda Riley: A Book Review

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) Author: Lucinda Riley Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Atria Release Date: 2015 Pages: 463 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Maia D’Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, “Atlantis”—a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva—having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each of them is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage—a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story and its beginnings. Eighty years earlier in Rio’s Belle Epoque of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to

History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

Search This Blog