37th out of 1,728 books
—
7,117 voters
Valiant (Modern Faerie Tales #2)
by
Holly Black (Goodreads Author)
When seventeen-year-old Valerie runs away to New York City, she's trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city's labyrinthine subway system.
But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends.
And when one talks Val into tracking down the lair of a mysterious creature...more
But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends.
And when one talks Val into tracking down the lair of a mysterious creature...more
Paperback, 313 pages
Published
October 2006
by Simon Pulse
(first published May 31st 2005)
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I think the main reasons most people don't like this series, older adults and parents especially, are because:
a. they don't want their own children, whether young or old teenagers, to be exposed to such drug/profanity use, even though most teenagers have already been exposed in high school settings, even as young as middle school, and/or
b. they can't possibly believe that teenagers have actually lived in poor conditions.
I have to admit that this book's not as good as the first, Tithe. But I d...more
a. they don't want their own children, whether young or old teenagers, to be exposed to such drug/profanity use, even though most teenagers have already been exposed in high school settings, even as young as middle school, and/or
b. they can't possibly believe that teenagers have actually lived in poor conditions.
I have to admit that this book's not as good as the first, Tithe. But I d...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I found the idea of the story captivating. Faeries are real, and they walk among us, hidden by glamour from human eyes. And they aren't necessarily good faeries--like humans, some are good, and some are stealthy. 17 year old Val discovers this world when she runs away from home and lives under the New York subway tunnels. Through unforeseen circumstances, she ends up indebted to a troll, delivering potions to faeries. But faeries are being poisoned, and Val...more
Many people loved Tithe and the Spiderwick Chronicles (though I haven't read those, I've only read Tithe) and they're very highly recommended books.
I was a little more than dissapointed, though, when I read Tithe.
The language was very vulgar, and the characters not very lickable at all.
And there were numerous other things that bothered me about that book.
When Valiant came out, I delayed in reading it.
I decided it was time to read it last week.
And this is all I have to say about it-
It's almost t...more
I was a little more than dissapointed, though, when I read Tithe.
The language was very vulgar, and the characters not very lickable at all.
And there were numerous other things that bothered me about that book.
When Valiant came out, I delayed in reading it.
I decided it was time to read it last week.
And this is all I have to say about it-
It's almost t...more
This second book of the series has a whole new cast of characters. Val, a seventeen year old girl from New Jersey, runs away to New York City after she walks in on her boyfriend and her mom. (I know, gross!)
Val ends up living in a subway tunnel with a bunch of homeless teens - finds out that fairies are real - makes friends with a troll - becomes addicted to some fairy "drug" her friends call Never - and must win the heart of the one she loves.
I really liked this one. Eager to read the third in...more
Val ends up living in a subway tunnel with a bunch of homeless teens - finds out that fairies are real - makes friends with a troll - becomes addicted to some fairy "drug" her friends call Never - and must win the heart of the one she loves.
I really liked this one. Eager to read the third in...more
Jan 02, 2010
Amanda
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
posers, wanna-bes and those looking to flush their lives away
I hated this book from the first page.
Strong words, I know, but let's just have it out. I continued reading primarily because I was interested in contacting Black's agent to represent my own work.
Trite, lame and basically a waste of tree. The plot was blurg, the characters were frighteningly unenthralling, the writing was fair, but you can find decent writing on the back of a cereal box.
The one book's one saving grace was a troll and though the idea was cool, it was hardly enough to save the e...more
Strong words, I know, but let's just have it out. I continued reading primarily because I was interested in contacting Black's agent to represent my own work.
Trite, lame and basically a waste of tree. The plot was blurg, the characters were frighteningly unenthralling, the writing was fair, but you can find decent writing on the back of a cereal box.
The one book's one saving grace was a troll and though the idea was cool, it was hardly enough to save the e...more
Valiant, the second book from Holly Black’s “Modern Faerie Tales” series, starts of after Roiben, from Tithe, became King of the Unseelie Court. But the story isn’t about the characters from Tithe; it opens us to the life of Valerie, a human who basically falls in love with a faerie – a troll to be exact.
Valiant reminds me of the well-known tale of “Beauty and the Beast”, somehow told in a dark, profane, rebellious world; although, there was a part that the tale was more like “Beast and the Bea...more
Valiant reminds me of the well-known tale of “Beauty and the Beast”, somehow told in a dark, profane, rebellious world; although, there was a part that the tale was more like “Beast and the Bea...more
Originally reviewed here.
I have retellings on the brain right now. So you'll have to bear with me, as this is one of my favorites. VALIANT is the second book in Holly Black's excellent Modern Tales of Faerie trilogy. I read Tithe back in the day, and it immediately became my favorite Tam Lin retelling. I've been somewhat his and miss with that tale, and this angsty teen version of it worked remarkably well for me. So my introduction to Ms. Black was a fine one. When VALIANT came out, I didn't k...more
I have retellings on the brain right now. So you'll have to bear with me, as this is one of my favorites. VALIANT is the second book in Holly Black's excellent Modern Tales of Faerie trilogy. I read Tithe back in the day, and it immediately became my favorite Tam Lin retelling. I've been somewhat his and miss with that tale, and this angsty teen version of it worked remarkably well for me. So my introduction to Ms. Black was a fine one. When VALIANT came out, I didn't k...more
I hated loving this book. Having read Black's Titheand Ironside, I was none to keen on reading Valiant. Black has a penchant for writing about the scourge of human society, leaving me with a sense of filth, and therefore compelling me to exfoliate. None the less, Black’s writing is so perversely alluring, that she all but grabs you by the neck and drags you into the story.
Val is impossible to describe. She’s a shell of a girl. In possession of one lezzie best friend, a mohawk donning boyfriend,...more
Val is impossible to describe. She’s a shell of a girl. In possession of one lezzie best friend, a mohawk donning boyfriend,...more
Really really good! It was way better then the first book Tithe, but I want to tell everyone that it is NOT a direct sequel to Tithe! This book can be read independently This book was about a young girl who runs away from home into New York City and gets tangled up in the modern fairy world which is trying to survive the iron of the city. I think that the thing I loved most about this book was the kick ass heroine who wasn't pretty, was a total jock, and had an attitude. The book was slow in a f...more
First of all, I was surprised that this book held only a small appearance of one of the characters who was introduced in Tithe. I expected this to continue that story, but it didn't though the faerie realm was the same. Whilst I was disappointed that the plot from Tithe wasn't continued, I found this book to be more accessible and an easier read thanks to the slight improvement in writing - it seemed to flow a lot better. I don't think that the plot was exciting as Tithe but I did prefer the cha...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Valiant by Holly Black
Valiant by Holly Black is a very intense teen-fantasy novel about a seventeen-year-old girl named Valerie Russell-also known as: Val. Valiant is Holly Black’s second novel. The first to her collection is Tithe. Both of these books are beautifully written and tie into the world of faeries and trolls and things of such nature. Black is an avid collector of scary stories, creepy dolls, and crazy hats.
Val is this amazing character who changes drastically throughout this book....more
Valiant by Holly Black is a very intense teen-fantasy novel about a seventeen-year-old girl named Valerie Russell-also known as: Val. Valiant is Holly Black’s second novel. The first to her collection is Tithe. Both of these books are beautifully written and tie into the world of faeries and trolls and things of such nature. Black is an avid collector of scary stories, creepy dolls, and crazy hats.
Val is this amazing character who changes drastically throughout this book....more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Jun 26, 2007
Erin
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of faerie stories
Val Russell is at an okay spot in her life - she's got a relationship that's sketchy at the moment, but it's good enough for the time being. She's got her best friend, and she's got her mother. For the time being.
Until Val leaves for a date with her boyfriend one night, returns home to get something she forgot, and happens upon her boyfriend and her mother having sex. Her mother and boyfriend...together? And her best friend knew all along! So she does the only thing she thinks she can in this si...more
Until Val leaves for a date with her boyfriend one night, returns home to get something she forgot, and happens upon her boyfriend and her mother having sex. Her mother and boyfriend...together? And her best friend knew all along! So she does the only thing she thinks she can in this si...more
I was a bit disappointed when Valiant didn't start up where Tithe ended. However, I quickly got over it.
This story follows 17-year-old Val Russell who runs away from her dysfunctional home within the first few chapters. In a moment of shedding her confusion, she embraces a new identity and shaves her head, leaving everything behind. She also finds herself in the company of three homeless teens--Lolli, Dave, and Luis who live on an abandoned subway platform.
Eerie and strange, Val finds herself c...more
This story follows 17-year-old Val Russell who runs away from her dysfunctional home within the first few chapters. In a moment of shedding her confusion, she embraces a new identity and shaves her head, leaving everything behind. She also finds herself in the company of three homeless teens--Lolli, Dave, and Luis who live on an abandoned subway platform.
Eerie and strange, Val finds herself c...more
After the first two pages, I was pretty shocked to find this book in the kids section. Ms Black certainly enjoys splashing graphic terms and descriptions in her works (there seems to be a lot at the beginning, though it is far more sparse later on).
Ms Black does not get caught up in overwhelming and petty descriptions, which is (I think) what made me go back and buy Tithe. Not only are you allowed to let your imagination do the talking, but the emphasis in the story is laid on the dialogue and...more
Ms Black does not get caught up in overwhelming and petty descriptions, which is (I think) what made me go back and buy Tithe. Not only are you allowed to let your imagination do the talking, but the emphasis in the story is laid on the dialogue and...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The second book in the Ironside "series" features an entirely different set of characters from the first, which may disappoint readers just coming off a Tithe high. While I certainly missed those other characters, I personally found many of the new characters to be more dimensional and more intriguing than Kaye. My only major complaint is that the initial presentation of Val's character (i.e., the way she was perceived at school) and the circumstances that cause her to run away felt forced and s...more
This one barely got a 3, you where just plunged in and had no feelings towards anyone as things start rolling. In the first chapter alone she gets in a fight protecting her lesbian friend and because of it gets kicked off the lacrosse team and she finds her boyfriend sleeping with her mom. All in the first chapter. But it was a okay/good book and if you like the first (and really it's more of a companion) Tithe you might like this.
This is another book I really really loved, I just couldn't put it down! It is much darker that Tithe, and just the was I like my faeries. Holly Black succeeds in making the book gritty and realistic without being patronising or just plane lame like some adult authors are when they try and write teen dialogue. Another MUST READ book!!
//EDIT/UPDATE
Please note that I wrote this review aaaages ago.... I'm not quite so keen on Valiant now! But I'll keep it how it was because 15/16 year old me obviou...more
//EDIT/UPDATE
Please note that I wrote this review aaaages ago.... I'm not quite so keen on Valiant now! But I'll keep it how it was because 15/16 year old me obviou...more
Dec 06, 2008
Melissa
added it
When seventeen-year-old Valerie Russell runs away to New York City, she's trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city's labyrinthine subway system.
But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends. Impulsive Lolli talks of monsters in the subway tunnels they call home and shoots up a shimmery amber-colored powder that makes the shadows around her dance. Severe Luis claims he can make deals...more
But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends. Impulsive Lolli talks of monsters in the subway tunnels they call home and shoots up a shimmery amber-colored powder that makes the shadows around her dance. Severe Luis claims he can make deals...more
Nov 28, 2008
Elizabeth
marked it as to-read
When seventeen-year-old Valerie Russell runs away to New York City, she's trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city's labyrinthine subway system.
But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends. Impulsive Lolli talks of monsters in the subway tunnels they call home and shoots up a shimmery amber-colored powder that makes the shadows around her dance. Severe Luis claims he can make deals...more
But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends. Impulsive Lolli talks of monsters in the subway tunnels they call home and shoots up a shimmery amber-colored powder that makes the shadows around her dance. Severe Luis claims he can make deals...more
I just reread this book, although it was one of my favorites as an early teenager. I think it takes rereading to realize how much YA books really affect a reader. For example, at the beginning of each chapter Tithe and it's sequels, there is a literary quote (with the author) that helps explain any allusions mentioned in that chapter. For example, the "drug" named "Nevermore" in this story is explained in a chapter which opens with a few lines from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven".
It follows a you...more
It follows a you...more
When Val returns to her suburban home and discovers her mom having sex with her boyfriend, she flees to New York and befriends a group of homeless kids who live in the tunnels under Grand Central Station. Dave, Luis and Lolli make money by delivering a serum that is made by a troll named Ravus to magical beings that live in the city. Iron is toxic to faeries, and the potion, called Never, keeps it from affecting them. The teens can’t help trying Never themselves, and finds that it gives them mag...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Amidst the torrents of negative reviews, I'd like to say that Valiant is probably my favorite book on the planet. All the things others dislike about it are some of the things I really appreciate in it. Val is a very real character. She's an offbeat character pushed to the limit by severe circumstances, and she takes a leap that anybody at the brink of their sanity could make. The fantasy elements are grungy, dark, and not for the faint of heart. That's another piece that I like. Immortal beings...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The author of Valiant is Holly Black and she is the winner of the Andre Norton Award for young Adult fiction from the science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. I think that Valiant is a good read and I liked it very much. She is also the author of Tithe a book similar to Valiant. Holly Black wrote Valiant with a good mix of characters that are very believable. The plot of Valiant is written very well and has a lot of twists and turns. The style that Holly Black writes in is a little to ov...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ask Holly Black!: Val and Ravus | 6 | 102 | Dec 01, 2012 09:01pm |
Holly Black is a best-selling author of contemporary fantasy novels for kids, teens, and adults. She is the author of the Modern Faerie Tale series (Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside), The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi), and The Good Neighbors graphic novels (with Ted Naifeh) The Poison Eaters and Other Stories, a collection of short fiction, and The Curse Worker series (White Cat, Red Gl...more
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“You carried my heart in your hands tonight," he said. "But I have felt as if you carried it long before that.”
—
125 people liked it
“I would remain nearer you for what time there is."
"Gone in one faerie sigh," she quoted.
Leather-clad fingers brushed over her short hair, rested on her cheek. "I can hold my breath.”
—
89 people liked it
More quotes…
"Gone in one faerie sigh," she quoted.
Leather-clad fingers brushed over her short hair, rested on her cheek. "I can hold my breath.”

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Dec 14, 2012 06:20pm
Jan 14, 2013 11:34pm