Valiant

by Sarah McGuire

"A reimagined "Brave Little Tailor" about a clever young girl who saves her kingdom"--

• ISBN10: 1606845535
• ISBN13: 9781606845530
• Publish Date: 1 January 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Carolrhoda Books (R)
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Silvara]

Check out my other reviews, discussions and link ups at Fantasy of the Silver Dragon.

I loved this take on The Brave Little Tailor! Saville was believable and smart. She wasn't trying to best the giants for her own gain, she was trying to save the life of a younger boy who she had gotten attached to. And then everything started spiraling out of her control.

The romance was perfect. There was no insta-love, but rather a slow build where you could see just why each of them fell in love with the other.

The characters were fleshed out well, and had enough quirks to make them feel real. There is both plenty of adventure and a little heartbreak. I more than once wanted to hug Saville and smack someone on her behalf. There were some unusual words in the book, but they were explained in context and helped set the scenes. (The Giants call normal-sized humans "lite".)

The way the giants were portrayed was wonderful. Usually when you see giants in stories, they're stupid and or mean. They never seem to have a culture of their own, they are just used as a generic bad guy for the hero to kill or outsmart. Not so in this book. The giants not only have their own way of life, they have songs, hopes and dreams. They're also smart, and just like humans, there are bad and good giants.

The beginning of the book starts off a little slow, but once you're past those early bits, you won't want to put this down until the last word. If you like retellings and unique takes on stories, you need to read this book.

This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon

[ellieroth]

También en: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Uno de mis cuentos favoritos de niño fue/es El Sastrecillo Valiente, cuando eres la más pequeñita a donde sea que vayas, te hace crearte modelos a seguir bastante peculiares. Valiant lo empecé a leer dos veces, recién en la segunda pude terminar el libro con un poco de fuerza de voluntad.

Por la cantidad de buenas opiniones antes de su publicación pensé que amaría el libro, lamentablemente se me hizo muy tedioso poder terminarlo. No sé exactamente qué fue, porque Valiant en teoría tiene todo lo que me gusta en un libro de este tipo, no hay romance desde el inicio, la protagonista no es exactamente una damisela en apuros, usa las habilidades que tiene a su favor al contrario de solo quejarse de ellas, si bien no es exactamente su cosa favorita que hacer, no se la pasa lamentándose su destino.

Se podría decir que en teoría me gustó, pero no será un libro que muera por releer

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[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Source: Netgalley

Valiant is a compelling fairy tale retelling, based on an original tale and featuring a strong female protagonist.  The story follows teenage Saville as she struggles to make her way independently in a new town and as she inadvertently becomes the kingdom’s champion while trying to help a friend.  Events quickly escalate as the people make further demands on her heroism and she becomes embroiled in both politics and battle.

As a take on “The Valiant Little Tailor,” Valiant stands out among YA fairy tale retelllings.  It does not rely on pure novelty, however, but fully takes advantage of its source material, crafting a female protagonist who is as loyal and brave as she is clever.  Many readers will doubtless fall in love with Saville as she tries her best to save her friends and the kingdom she quickly learns to call her home.  A bit of vulnerability and a stubborn streak round her out and make her realistic. The entire cast of characters is drawn with equal attention to complexity.

Of course, the love interest is alluring: bull-headed himself but tempered with kindness and wisdom.  He and Saville play off each other well and build true chemistry.  Saville also makes a number of unlikely friends, and they all exhibit a blend of personality traits.  No one in Valiant is at first what they seem—which may be entirely the point. The plot they all play out is equally entertaining.

There are several moments that are not entirely logical—times Saville chooses to spill vital information, ways she solves problems, etc.—but she gets a pass for being a teen without all the answers.  Also, character mistakes make for interesting action.  Only the first part of the story is heavily based on “The Valiant Little Tailor,” when the tailor tricks a group of giants.  The rest is McGuire’s imagination, and it leads to wonderful places of palace intrigue and giant/human politics.  A bit of kingdom history also plays a role, which McGuire manages to deftly weave into the book.

Overall, Valiant is a fantastically fun fairy tale retelling, replete with everything fans of the genre will want: a strong protagonist; a swoony love interest; a plot filled with tricks, fights, and intrigue.  Valiant is beautifully crafted and a pleasure to read.  Recommended.