Valor (The Faithful and the Fallen, #2)

by John Gwynne

‘I don’t understand.’ ‘Yes, you do. You just do not want to. You humans are all the same. Willing to live a lie, any lie, as long as it is prettier than the truth.

Is the human heart so fickle? So ready to embrace such evil? He snorted at himself. Listen to me. I am the heart of this wickedness, its root. The crowds hushed as the next entertainment entered the ring. Lykos led the way. No, he is the root of all this. I am just a foot soldier in it all. A willing participant.

‘Drop your weapons, Uncle. You can’t win.’ ‘Sometimes it’s not about the winning, Con. It’s about how you lose.’ ‘It’s always about the winning,’ Conall said. ‘That’s always been your mistake,’ the old man said, shaking his head sadly.

‘Memory is a double-edged sword, Uthas. It can keep you strong through dark times, but it can also cripple you, keep you locked in a moment that no longer exists.’