Valour by John Gwynne

A stellar second book in what is quickly becoming one of my all time favourite epic fantasy series. As detailed and complex as Game of Thrones but with fewer slow points and a raft of memorable characters whose lives are at constant risk of a gruesome and bloody death.

It is a real testament to a book’s quality when you can put it down for a few weeks, read two shorter books, pick it back up and feel right back at home in the story. This happened to me twice while reading Valour after I received an ARC I was highly anticipating and another few that were pleasant surprises. Both times my reintroduction to the banished lands was a quick one and it only took a chapter or two with Corban, Veradis, Conall or Maquin to be back in the mix.

I am seriously invested in these characters and there are a couple I am really putting all my emotional chips on, so I will be pretty devo if some get taken before I feel their time has come.

This book constantly lived in my thoughts when I wasn’t reading it and I simply cannot wait to get going on the next book. In fact I haven’t. I’m 180 pages in which is why this review is out a week late. I’m just enjoying myself too much to care.