Thursday, September 7, 2023

Quick Thoughts: The Valiant (The Valiant #1) by Lesley Livingston


The Valiant (The Valiant #1) by Lesley Livingston
The Valiant
(The Valiant #1)
by Lesley Livingston
February 14, 2017

Goodreads Summary:
Princess. Captive. Gladiator.

Fallon is the daughter of a proud Celtic king, the sister of the legendary warrior Sorcha, and the sworn enemy of Julius Caesar.

When Fallon was a child, Caesar’s armies invaded her homeland, and her beloved sister was killed in battle.

Now, on the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Fallon is eager to follow in her sister’s footsteps and earn her place in the fearsome Cantii 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. 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 and deadly fights—in and out of the arena. And perhaps the most dangerous threat of all: her forbidden yet irresistible feelings for Cai, a young Roman soldier.


Review

The Valiant came highly recommended by a friend. I was a bit let down by the romance but the story was pretty awesome. I'm all for strong female characters finding their own paths!

What I Liked:
- the easiest writing to read
sneaky politics
- watching skilled warriors fight
- the gruesome training
- action galore
- found sisters!
- Elka is cool
- an honourable protagonist
- Fallon's journey to Victory
- Cai is a decent love interest
- many respectable conversations

The Not So Much:
- the romance was sadly too insta-love for me :(
- the plot twists were predictable
- I know it's a trilogy but the story just felt too unfinished at the end

"Be an idealist, by all means, but be a pragmatic one." (p. 253)

3.5 Cats

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