Valour
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Pan Macmillan
Published:11th Sep '14
Should be back in stock very soon

Compared to David Gemmell and George R. R Martin, John Gwynne's first novel Malice was called a 'Hell of a debut' by bestselling author Conn Iggulden and shortlisted for the Gemmell award for best debut novel. The story continues in his second novel, Valour.
Perfect heroic fantasy for fans of George R. R. Martin and David Gemmell, Valour is the second entry in the Faithful and the Fallen series, which began with Malice – called a 'Hell of a debut' by bestselling author Conn Iggulden.
From the masterful John Gwynne, Valour is the second epic fantasy in the Faithful and the Fallen series, following Malice.
The Banished Lands are torn by war, as the army of High King Nathair sweeps the realm challenging all who oppose his holy crusade. Allied with the manipulative Queen Rhin of Cambren, there are few who can stand against him. But Rhin is playing her own games and has her eyes on a far greater prize . . .
Left for dead – her kin have fled and her country is overrun with enemies – Cywen fights to survive. But any chance of escape is futile once Nathair and his disquieting advisor Calidus realize who she is. They have no intention of letting such a prize slip from their grasp. For she may be their one chance at killing the biggest threat to their power.
Meanwhile, the young warrior Corban flees from his conquered homeland with his exiled companions, heading for the only place that may offer them sanctuary. But to get there they must travel through Cambren, avoiding warbands, giants and the vicious wolven of the mountains. And all the while Corban struggles to become the man that everyone believes him to be – the Bright Star and saviour of the Banished Lands.
Embroiled in struggles for power and survival, the mortal world is unaware of the greatest threat of all. In the Otherworld, dark forces scheme to bring a host of the Fallen into the world of flesh to end the war with the Faithful, once and for all.
Continue the fantasy series with Ruin and Wrath.
Praise for John Gwynne:
'It gets faster and more fascinating by the page' – Conn Iggulden, author of Empire
'Reminds me of why I became a fantasy enthusiast in the first place' – Robin Hobb, author of Assassin's Apprentice
'One of the modern masters of heroic fantasy' – Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time
'Exciting,...
The prose is sharp, the pace works wonderfully well and when added to a whole cast of complex character that bring not only the world in which they inhabit to life but bring their own thoughts and desires to the reader with space to spare. All round, this series is building into one of favourites of the last few years and to have an author who can produce a second book of high quality in good time and schedule shows that this author has a bright future. Great stuff. * Falcata Times *
Valour is hands down, the best fantasy I have read in an age. I thought Providence of Fire might have claimed it, but Valour came swooping in and stole the title . . . may be becoming one of my all time favourite fantasy series . . . I’d probably class it with early Eddings, Gemmell and Goodkind, but with more maturity, stronger characters.. And more Omph! (technical term) * Bookfrivolity *
Valour manages to surpass what was already a very strong debut, somehow managing to be even better than Malice . . . John Gwynne is a writer good enough to create characters you can love, and confident enough to kill them off when the time is right . . . A great read. Real characters in a well crafted world you can really immerse yourself in to. * Dominish Reviews *
The ‘Chosen-One’ offspring of George R R Martin and J K Rowling, raised on the bedtime stories of Tolkien and whipped into fighting shape by David Gemmell . . . but still 100% Gwynne . . . John Gwynne wades in with a depth of world building that’d see most newbie authors flounder. * Written With a Sword Reviews *
I really enjoyed the parts of the story that were set in the Celtic-influenced areas. The settings are beautiful and vivid, and the forests and mountains and castles distinctly brought to my mind the time I’ve spent in Wales and Scotland. * Half Strung Harp Reviews *
A real gem . . . the traditional good versus evil tale in with very nontraditional twists. * Power and Page Reviews *
Influenced by Gemmell's Rigante and GRR Martin's Game of Thrones - two good strands of DNA. Great characters and plot - it gets faster and more fascinating by the page . . . Highly recommended -- Conn Iggulden, author of Empire, on Malice
With all manner of battles, betrayals and revelations. I particularly enjoyed the battle scenes and duels . . . If it sounds like your thing, then it probably is -- Mark Lawrence, author of Prince of Thorns, on Malice
It’s exciting when you find a strong new voice ringing out through the halls of fantasy, and John Gwynne hits all the right spots in his epic tale of good vs evil . . . Gwynne is definitely one to watch -- SFX on Malice
Reminds me of why I became a fantasy enthusiast in the first place -- Robin Hobb, author of Assassin’s Apprentice, on A Time of Dread
John Gwynne is one of the modern masters of heroic fantasy -- Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time
Brilliantly compelling heroic fantasy . . . kept me reading late into the night -- James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost, on A Time of Dread
Visceral, heart-breaking and unputdownable -- Jay Kristoff, author of Empire of the Vampire, on The Shadow of the Gods
The stakes are high, the characters are engaging and relatable, and the action is thrilling -- SciFiNow on A Time of Dread
- Short-listed for David Gemmell Legend Award 2015 (UK)
ISBN: 9780330545761
Dimensions: 197mm x 130mm x 39mm
Weight: 471g
672 pages