Into the Shadow of the Black Sun : A Review of Valor by John Gwynne

If Malice was the promise, Valor is the proof, John Gwynne is writing something truly masterful. Valor is the second book in The Faithful And The Fallen written by John Gwynne and it certainly succeeded in pushing off the strong base built by Malice. In Malice the plot was driven forward at a startling rate, but in Valor things start to slow down and the attention is driven back to the characters. Due to this a large portion of the character development in The Faithful And The Fallen is attributed to Valor. This book still drives the plot but you really get to see how the characters process the events of Malice while John adds a few new POV’s that begin to become some of my favorites to read such as Tukul and Maquin. Gwynne also begins to show all the masterfully placed threads come together. Throughout this review we explore the ups and downs of Valor and get more in depth on the characters and plotline.

Since we went through the way John wrote and the age rating in the review on Malice, lets just get directly started on the review of the book. Throughout the book we see all the schemes of the Fallen One start to come together as the kings and rulers of The Banished Lands are either tricked, coerced, blackmailed, or straight up killed, letting the shadow of the Black Sun fall over their respective kingdoms. Our heroes are certainly on the back foot at this stage of the story. But through it all we see many hold onto the ideals of truth and courage even as mentors, friends and even parents are killed around them to fulfill the grand plans of a vengeful archangel. I really enjoyed Valor as you can feel so many contrasting emotions as you see characters slip into the darkness such as Nathair or hang desperately onto the light like Corban and his motley gang of friends. Valor also doubles as a bloody saga speaking of pitched battles, grand sieges, and great acts of Valor such as the Battle Of Domhain or the Siege Of Dun Kellen. Through these we really see Gwynne’s famous writing style take hold of the story. 

Just like Malice it is clear to see the amount of effort and care went into this book as you read it. Gwynne always goes above and beyond when writing these types of books and as always I highly recommend it to any lovers of fantasy such as myself. Valor shows a more in-depth look at the characters and the hardships many of them face, while still pushing the plot and holding the reader in suspense, and leads us into the epic continuation that is Ruin. Highly recommended, and if you loved Malice or any of Gwynne’s other books, Valor is a must-read.