The Victor by Marlayne Giron

The Victor

by Marlayne Giron

A benevolent King; ...his sword of power; ...a ruthless traitor bent on revenge; ...and the faithful son who stands in his way with the woman destined to share his throne. Who shall emerge as the victor in this epic struggle between good and evil to govern the lives of hapless men?

In the rich tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, The Victor is an action packed adventure novel of love, friendship, betrayal and sacrifice set in medieval times. Females will love the romance of rescued love while males will devour the scenes of jousting, knights and battles. Using ancient literature as the template, The Victor teaches lessons of enduring love, loyalty and reward in an exciting drama laced with unforgettable characters.

Reviewed by ladygrey on

4 of 5 stars

Share
Exceptional first novel, [b:The Victor|3175948|Les Misérables |Victor Hugo|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg|3208463] is taunt, intense and well paced. The characters are well drawn and even though the language is a bit dense at first (which I think serves to strengthen the medieval setting) I was quickly drawn into the story.

The thing I liked least about [b:The Victor|3175948|Les Misérables |Victor Hugo|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg|3208463] (in a good way) is how insidious Lucius is; how you can see him enacting evil and how oblivious characters let him. It's awful to watch someone's demise, not suddenly but piece by piece in choices they make and lies they listen to. It was horrible and so uncomfortable I had to put the book down a few times. It felt absolutely appalling. Bad things happen, darkness descends and not all evil can be undone, however much can be redeemed.

But there is also good. There is such relief in hope and restoration and sweet, playful love; in strength and courage and humor.

The brilliant thing about it is how real it is. As I was reading it, more than once, I was struck by the thought that, "This is a succinct, poignant picture of the reality we live in." And it's good to remember.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 9 January, 2010: Finished reading
  • 9 January, 2010: Reviewed