ancient rome,
When I about 14, I began reading historical fiction. That's not a very exciting sentence, but in the context of my reading life, it meant a big change had just happened. Up until then, fantasy was the genre that pulled me into most books and made me stay up late reading. But historical fiction quickly began pulling me into its pages. One of the historical fiction novels that sparked my interest in reading more broadly was "Cleopatra's Daughter" by Michelle Moran. It was a sprawling story of a book, set in ancient Rome and Egypt, and it was full of adventure, far off places, and settings which simply captivated me.
Since then, I have loved reading books that are set in or inspired by ancient Rome (see "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir) and am always looking out for new releases in that vein. At the end of 2016, I began to hear chatter in the YA community about an upcoming book called "The Valiant" by Lesley Livingston- and I knew I needed it. I requested it from my local library, but after reading the first few chapters, I placed an order for it, too. I was hooked.
Having now read "The Valiant" I am so ready to go buy more of Lesley Livingston's books, because this one was stupendous.
PLOT
"The Valiant" is a young adult novel that follows the story of Fallon, the daughter of a Celtic warrior
king, part of a ferocious tribe in Durovernum. Fallon wants to follow in the footsteps of her deceased sister, Sorcha, a brave and fearless warrior who died on the battlefield. But things take a turn when Fallon's father announces she it not to become a warrior, but rather be wed to a prince from another tribe. When she decides to take matters into her own hands, Fallon finds herself captured by slavers from Rome. She is taken far from her homeland and bought by an elite training school for female gladiators. And this school? It happens to be owned by the man Fallon despises most- Julius Caesar.
FALLON
Right from the beginning of the story, readers see how determined Fallon is. She attempts chariot tricks no one else dares, she speaks her mind, and she is a strong fighter who wants to be even better.
After the wedding announcement is made, we see this strength as she decides her fate:
"I would be the master of my own fate. Me and the goddess Morrigan. No one else- and certainly no man. Mael and Aeddan could fight over me until they were both bloody. My father could deny me my blade. But they couldn't force me from my warrior's path unless I let them."
Fallon refuses to let anyone tell her she cannot be who she wants to be. At first, I was a little worried that Fallon might be one of those heroines who is essentially a "Mary Jane"- no flaws (EVER), always right, and always putting other people in their place. But that's not true. As Fallon's story progresses, she finds herself in situations where her beliefs are challenged, and what follows is some beautiful character development.
Fallon doesn't want to fight in a school owned by Caesar. Her tribe has fought against him for years, and Fallon despises the thought of fighting for him. But other characters encourage Fallon to think about what she can accomplish by doing so.
"You think I should fight for Caesar?"
"I think you should fight for yourself," he said. "But those things needn't be exclusive. Temper passion with control, conviction with cunning."
"Temper passion with control" is a perfect way to describe Fallon's character arc. She is fiery, brave, and smart, but also a little stubborn. Throughout the book, she learns to use her attributes to fight for what she wants, even in bad situations.
"Be an idealist, by all means, but be a pragmatic one."
SISTERHOOD & FEMALE FRIENDSHIP
The friendship between Fallon and Elka, a fellow gladiatrix, was by far one of the best parts of "The Valiant". What started as two captive girls at odds with one another quickly became two strong girl fighting side by side to survive. Elka is also a captive, and she and Fallon don't start out on the best terms. Both stubborn and spirited, they literally butt heads before ending their friendship truly begins.
I actually got quite emotional reading about Fallon and Elka. As much as I love reading Young Adult novels, one of the aspects I think is not very well represented is female friendship. Livingston does a marvelous job here, writing two young women whose friendship develops and grows in a genuine way.
Fallon and Elka fight for each other. They train together, each encouraging one another. They joke, they confide, and they look out for one another. After their initial fight, there is no moment when Livingston uses their true friendship as a plot device to make drama.
Yes, there is another female character, Nyx, who acts as a foil to Fallon. But even in the end, Fallon tries to do what she thinks is right and save Nyx from a horrible fate (see bottom of page 370). Fallon recognizes that she has the chance to give something better to someone who hates her, even if it may be a little difficult for Nyx to adjust.
The theme of female empowerment is strong in "The Valiant". The school in which Fallon learns is a sisterhood, where are the girls are expected to bind together and find freedom among themselves, even if it's not in the "normal" sense of the word freedom. During an oath ceremony, Livingston writes:
"This oath is the oath we all swear. Not to a god, or a master, or to the Ludu Achillea...but to our sisters who stand here with us. Our sisters. This is the oath that binds us all, one to one, all to all, so that we are no longer free. We belong to each other. We are bound to each other. In swearing to each other, we free ourselves from the outside world, from the world of men, from those who would seek to bind us to Fate and that which would make us slaves. We sacrifice our liberty so that, ultimately, we can be truly free."
At the start of the novel, Fallon believes being free to run about the forests of her home is true freedom. She doesn't understand how freedom can be found anywhere else. But throughout the book, she encounters characters who have made a life for themselves and are completely happy- even though they are slaves. One such character says to Fallon, "I've made my own freedom, and that is something I'll never give up."
Later, another female character confronts Fallon about her belief of what freedom is and what it can be. She asks Fallon is fighting over cattle back home was more honorable than what was going on in Rome. She proclaims that she is fighting for Fallon and for a sisterhood.
ROMANCE
At one point, I was really upset because I thought this was about to become a love triangle romance- but it didn't! The romance in "The Valiant" is lovely because it takes a back burner to the main story arc.
I don't want to say too much about the romance and spoil it for anyone, but I will say I very much enjoyed how Livingston brought two worlds together in the romance. She allowed both her characters and readers to learn something from the clashing of worlds, and we were allowed a look at both of the characters motivations and thoughts.
(also, the love interest is <3 <3 <3 )
OTHER
My only issue I had reading this was that, geographically, I was confused a bit at the beginning of the book. Livington uses older names of countries/cities, so I had to go and Google a couple names to find out where they were. For instance, Fallon is from Dunvernum, which I found out is actually modern day Canterbury in England. Clearly I knew where Rome was, but during the beginning of the book I needed to figure out where we were starting. I think a map would have been a good addition to the book (maybe we'll see one in the second?). It wasn't a huge factor at all, I just think it would have been helpful for the first half of the book.
CONCLUSION
If you are a fan of "An Ember in the Ashes" read this book.
If you like historical settings woven with a hint of magic, read this book.
If you like strong female characters who fight and grow, read this book.
This was a wonderful, epic read that transported me to ancient Rome in a heartbeat. It is woven with hearty descriptions, sharp dialogue, and a cast of characters that felt incredibly lifelike. I will absolutely be adding more books by Lesley Livingston to my bookshelf!
5/5 stars!!
"The Valiant" by Lesley Livingston || Book Review
 |
| Photo by Deborah Embury |
Since then, I have loved reading books that are set in or inspired by ancient Rome (see "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir) and am always looking out for new releases in that vein. At the end of 2016, I began to hear chatter in the YA community about an upcoming book called "The Valiant" by Lesley Livingston- and I knew I needed it. I requested it from my local library, but after reading the first few chapters, I placed an order for it, too. I was hooked.
Having now read "The Valiant" I am so ready to go buy more of Lesley Livingston's books, because this one was stupendous.
PLOT
"The Valiant" is a young adult novel that follows the story of Fallon, the daughter of a Celtic warrior
king, part of a ferocious tribe in Durovernum. Fallon wants to follow in the footsteps of her deceased sister, Sorcha, a brave and fearless warrior who died on the battlefield. But things take a turn when Fallon's father announces she it not to become a warrior, but rather be wed to a prince from another tribe. When she decides to take matters into her own hands, Fallon finds herself captured by slavers from Rome. She is taken far from her homeland and bought by an elite training school for female gladiators. And this school? It happens to be owned by the man Fallon despises most- Julius Caesar.
FALLON
Right from the beginning of the story, readers see how determined Fallon is. She attempts chariot tricks no one else dares, she speaks her mind, and she is a strong fighter who wants to be even better.
After the wedding announcement is made, we see this strength as she decides her fate:
"I would be the master of my own fate. Me and the goddess Morrigan. No one else- and certainly no man. Mael and Aeddan could fight over me until they were both bloody. My father could deny me my blade. But they couldn't force me from my warrior's path unless I let them."
Fallon refuses to let anyone tell her she cannot be who she wants to be. At first, I was a little worried that Fallon might be one of those heroines who is essentially a "Mary Jane"- no flaws (EVER), always right, and always putting other people in their place. But that's not true. As Fallon's story progresses, she finds herself in situations where her beliefs are challenged, and what follows is some beautiful character development.
 |
| Photo by Deborah Embury |
Fallon doesn't want to fight in a school owned by Caesar. Her tribe has fought against him for years, and Fallon despises the thought of fighting for him. But other characters encourage Fallon to think about what she can accomplish by doing so.
"You think I should fight for Caesar?"
"I think you should fight for yourself," he said. "But those things needn't be exclusive. Temper passion with control, conviction with cunning."
"Temper passion with control" is a perfect way to describe Fallon's character arc. She is fiery, brave, and smart, but also a little stubborn. Throughout the book, she learns to use her attributes to fight for what she wants, even in bad situations.
"Be an idealist, by all means, but be a pragmatic one."
SISTERHOOD & FEMALE FRIENDSHIP
The friendship between Fallon and Elka, a fellow gladiatrix, was by far one of the best parts of "The Valiant". What started as two captive girls at odds with one another quickly became two strong girl fighting side by side to survive. Elka is also a captive, and she and Fallon don't start out on the best terms. Both stubborn and spirited, they literally butt heads before ending their friendship truly begins.
I actually got quite emotional reading about Fallon and Elka. As much as I love reading Young Adult novels, one of the aspects I think is not very well represented is female friendship. Livingston does a marvelous job here, writing two young women whose friendship develops and grows in a genuine way.
Fallon and Elka fight for each other. They train together, each encouraging one another. They joke, they confide, and they look out for one another. After their initial fight, there is no moment when Livingston uses their true friendship as a plot device to make drama.
Yes, there is another female character, Nyx, who acts as a foil to Fallon. But even in the end, Fallon tries to do what she thinks is right and save Nyx from a horrible fate (see bottom of page 370). Fallon recognizes that she has the chance to give something better to someone who hates her, even if it may be a little difficult for Nyx to adjust.
The theme of female empowerment is strong in "The Valiant". The school in which Fallon learns is a sisterhood, where are the girls are expected to bind together and find freedom among themselves, even if it's not in the "normal" sense of the word freedom. During an oath ceremony, Livingston writes:
"This oath is the oath we all swear. Not to a god, or a master, or to the Ludu Achillea...but to our sisters who stand here with us. Our sisters. This is the oath that binds us all, one to one, all to all, so that we are no longer free. We belong to each other. We are bound to each other. In swearing to each other, we free ourselves from the outside world, from the world of men, from those who would seek to bind us to Fate and that which would make us slaves. We sacrifice our liberty so that, ultimately, we can be truly free."
At the start of the novel, Fallon believes being free to run about the forests of her home is true freedom. She doesn't understand how freedom can be found anywhere else. But throughout the book, she encounters characters who have made a life for themselves and are completely happy- even though they are slaves. One such character says to Fallon, "I've made my own freedom, and that is something I'll never give up."
Later, another female character confronts Fallon about her belief of what freedom is and what it can be. She asks Fallon is fighting over cattle back home was more honorable than what was going on in Rome. She proclaims that she is fighting for Fallon and for a sisterhood.
 |
| Photo by Deborah Embury |
ROMANCE
At one point, I was really upset because I thought this was about to become a love triangle romance- but it didn't! The romance in "The Valiant" is lovely because it takes a back burner to the main story arc.
I don't want to say too much about the romance and spoil it for anyone, but I will say I very much enjoyed how Livingston brought two worlds together in the romance. She allowed both her characters and readers to learn something from the clashing of worlds, and we were allowed a look at both of the characters motivations and thoughts.
(also, the love interest is <3 <3 <3 )
OTHER
My only issue I had reading this was that, geographically, I was confused a bit at the beginning of the book. Livington uses older names of countries/cities, so I had to go and Google a couple names to find out where they were. For instance, Fallon is from Dunvernum, which I found out is actually modern day Canterbury in England. Clearly I knew where Rome was, but during the beginning of the book I needed to figure out where we were starting. I think a map would have been a good addition to the book (maybe we'll see one in the second?). It wasn't a huge factor at all, I just think it would have been helpful for the first half of the book.
CONCLUSION
If you are a fan of "An Ember in the Ashes" read this book.
If you like historical settings woven with a hint of magic, read this book.
If you like strong female characters who fight and grow, read this book.
This was a wonderful, epic read that transported me to ancient Rome in a heartbeat. It is woven with hearty descriptions, sharp dialogue, and a cast of characters that felt incredibly lifelike. I will absolutely be adding more books by Lesley Livingston to my bookshelf!
5/5 stars!!
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