The events in John Gwynne’s second instalment of the Faithful and The Fallen series starts immediately where Book 1, Malice, left off.

Valour, by John Gwynne

Although I didn’t count them,  I’m sure this second book introduces more point of view characters than the first. Almost all of the events we witness, however, are told through the eyes of characters we met in Malice. With so many characters and subplots, there’s a danger of developing favourite characters and wanting to skip chapters to focus on their subplots. Not a chance! Every chapter moves the overarching story forward, and every viewpoint character has an interesting story of their own to tell. Coming in at a stonking 673 pages (according to Amazon), this is quite a feat!

With so much going on, I’d have to write an essay to cover the action. Suffice to say, Corban does some more growing up and is settling into the role he has been prepared for. I was pleased, and relieved, to read that Veradis no longer sees his friend—Nathiar—through rose-tinted spectacles.

But there is so, so much more and trying to explain everything that’s going on would be a disservice to John Gwynne’s storytelling. Quite simply, if you enjoyed Malice, you’ll love Valour. And if that isn’t enough, Valour, unlike Malice, comes with not one but two talking crows!

Image: Amazon.com, 30-Nov-20

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