Today is my stop on the blog tour for Valour by Richard Cullen!
Here’s the blurb.
Estienne Wace is forced to play a desperate game of cat and mouse, where the only way to win is to survive.
Burzenland 1223 AD
King András II of Hungary has invited the Teutonic Knights to secure his eastern frontier against the nomadic Cuman raiders, establishing fortresses along the Carpathian Mountains to quell the constant incursions by pagan clans.
Estienne Wace, has found purpose serving at the Order’s fortress of Rosenau, and he has earned respect through his unflinching courage. When a Christian mission, led by Fabrisse of Avallon, arrives determined to convert a pagan clan beyond the mountains, Estienne’s warnings of danger fall on deaf ears.
News soon arrives of Fabrisse’s capture and Estienne, along with a small band of knights, undertake a desperate rescue mission through hostile territory where Estienne will face trials beyond endurance.
In the ensuing crucible of violence, he must decide what price he is willing to sacrifice for survival, justice, and redemption, in a land where mercy is a luxury few can afford.
Review
Valour is book 3 in the Chronicles of the Black Lion series and I would highly recommend you read the rest of the series first to truly understand the journey Estienne Wace has been on.
Wace is now serving the Order of Saint Mary.. after the events that played out in book 2 of the series his faith has been shaken too many times.. he’s struggled to find purpose.. but with the help of his friend, Amalric, he has a place in life. Theirs is a friendship forged in the heat of battle.
You know things aren’t going to be quiet for Wace and that’s confirmed when Fabrisse of Avallon arrives, she’s on mission to convert the pagans and to spread Gods word..what’s Wace’s job you might ask.. he’s to escort her and the bishops to a meeting point where the latest tribe ready to convert await. He thinks its a stupid idea.. he knows what the pagans are like but he’s bound to do as commanded.
It was never going to be that simple was it…
The clan themselves are facing struggles a question of faith.. loyalty.. courage… their very way of live hangs in the balance. Things start off okay when Fabrisse arrives and Wace heads back, as intrusted, to the fortress.. but things soon sour.
Internal conflict within the clan sees their leader killed and Fabrisse and the bishops taken hostage.. they are to suffer a fate worse than any…
Luckily for Fabrisse, Wace and the knights are alerted to their predicament and set out to save them!
This will be the biggest test so far for Wace and his friends but can they save Fabrisse?
I won’t spoil it for you but Valour had to be finest offering from the author yet.. exciting but gut wrenchingly brutal..
Richard Cullen knows exactly how to wrap the reader around his finger.. how to get the reader invested in the characters and did a wonderful job of adding new characters to the ensemble not only do they bring fresh blood to the story but also play their own pivotal parts in Wace’s journey.
The plot is engrossing so it was difficult to look beyond that excitement in the heat of the moment but when you decompress at the end of a chapter you can see just how much was packed in, detail of locations, weather, the people, their motivations, all the little bits needed to understand what the people must be facing, painting a vivid picture of their lives.
There’s plenty of battles, blood and death for the action fans too but what really makes it stand out is the raw emotion in those scenes.. every death matters.
I feel what makes this book the 5* read it is has to be the characters and their impact.. a few stand out.. Rotger for example..this massive man left a lasting impression.
The main character that stood out for me was Jurgen.. he’s a trapper.. he knows the land well and is sought to help Wace and the knight’s track the clan down. Jurgen along with his faithful companion Clovis.. I mean I really would love to read about Jurgen’s life and how he came to be where he is, we know he’s felt the pain of loss but I just feel there’s a story there somewhere..
Again no spoilers but another character left a lasting impression…Carsten.. that ending.. wow!!
I can’t praise this book enough..the author nailed everything.. the story is Wace’s journey but it’s so much more than that.. each character has their own journey.. they mean something.. Wace doesn’t overshadow them but I felt his pain, every emotion.. every death just like Wace did.
This will easily make my top 5 books for 2025!
My thanks go to the author, publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources for having me on the tour!
Why not check out the rest of the stops on the tour?
Tempted yet?
Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/Valour
Author Bio –
Richard Cullen is a writer of historical adventure and epic fantasy. His historical adventure series Chronicles of the Black Lion is set in thirteenth-century England.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: @Wordhog-100064278872214
Twitter: @rich4ord
Instagram: @thewordhog
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/RichardCullenNews
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