Ravus nodded again. “I will make you as terrible as you desire.”
“I don't want to be-,” she started, but he held up his hand.
“I know you're very brave,” he said.
“Or stupid.”
“And stupid. Brave and stupid.” Ravus smiled, but then his smile sagged. “But nothing can stop you from being terrible once you've learned how.”
Holly Black has, apparently, been crafting marvelous worlds and characters for quite a long time now. I adored this story even more than her earlier Tithe.

Valiant is a Beauty and the Beast retelling following Val, who, upon running away from home, falls in with some pals on the subway. Upon running into a troll named Ravus, she finds herself falling deeper and deeper into the faerie world – and maybe in love. Everyone is completely awful, everyone makes really big mistakes, and you cannot look away.

Woo! Okay. So this book was just an absolutely wild ride. Holly Black’s writing is so, so engrossing – she is just absolutely magical. The plot is twisty and creepy; you can almost feel the book getting darker by the moment, as Val falls increasingly into drug addiction and into the faerie world. The characters are not exactly likable but remain compelling; no one feels good and no one feels bad. The romance is equally compelling, with the love interest’s backstory standing out is absolutely incredible. And the book deals well with the idea of becoming haunted by a friend’s death; despite the fantastical outer layer of the story, the emotional core is quite solid.

And since HollyÂ’s faerie world is overlapping over itself, letÂ’s talk about how well sheÂ’s crafted this universe, shall we? The idea of the seelie court vs. the unseelie court is a common one, and the concept of morally grey fairies is not new. But itÂ’s been said before and will be said again: no one writes fairies Holly Black. The delicious evil, mixed with bits and pieces of humanity, is somehow equal bits enthralling and repulsive. I felt the thematic core and character writing of this book was far stronger than that of Holly BlackÂ’s debut, Tithe, but her fairy writing has remained excellent from the start.

“She thought of something her mother had told her when she'd finally broken up with one of her most dysfunctional boyfriends. When a man tells you he's going to hurt you, believe it. They always warn you and they're always right.”
Holly BlackÂ’s love of ladies and of lady knights is consistent and honestly my favorite thing about her canon. Her female characters are so deliciously and delightfully morally gray: TitheÂ’s Kaye, Coldest GirlÂ’s Tana, Darkest PartÂ’s Hazel, and The Cruel PrinceÂ’s Jude are each very different, but they share a core of strength and willingness to do messed up things for their reasons. She writes characters who are consciously mean and consciously kind and focuses on their agency. Despite the terrible circumstances Val finds herself in, the romance of this story is built on firm ground from the leadÂ’s side.

This was one of the sequels I needed to read in 2019, so IÂ’m excited that I actually succeeded in reading it! Onto Ironside.

TW: drug addiction, and a moment of serious animal murder that made me sick to my stomach.

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"I all the things that make you mostrous."

Rating: ????,8

?This review contains some spoilers?

??Trigger Warning: Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, coarse language??


So, I am steadily making my way through all of Holly Black's Elfhame books. The Stolen Heir will be released on January 3rd and there's no time the present to catch up on all the books. I've read all The Folk of the Air books a long time ago and since there's a new one coming, which I'm very excited about, I've decided that it would be fun to read them all and see if I find any references or characters from the previous books.

I am pleased to say that this one might be my favourite in the series. As always, Holly Black introduced her story with murder and you might call me weird but I looove this consistency. She even concludes with the same consistency. Cute, sweet moments between two lovers (sometimes with their other loved ones there) that make me squeal even in my old age. Also, I will always love pop culture references in books. I will. They make the characters more relatable to me. I feel much closer and connected to such characters. Not to mention the incredible execution of the Beauty and the Beast modern retelling that Holly Black had going on. Seriously, I think it might be even better than the original because there's no magic that turns the monster into a hunk. You loved the monster and you stayed with the monster. That's the deal. There was even a magical, -giving kiss. I live for stuff that
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If curiosity killed the cat, it was satisfaction that brought it back.
This is one of those rare few books that really shows me why we need a 3 1/2 star rating, and I donÂ’t to give 1/2 stars. ThisÂ… was so fun, and a four star book for me, and also it bugged the shit out of me to the point where I texted someone to bitch about it. ButÂ… I honestly did have so much fun.

Let’s get the complaining out of the way: god, I fucking hate 2004 YA. I mean, this text has a bunch of homophobia and racism in there for “realism,” and yet somehow it still managed to sound How No Teen Talks Ever. Everything that happens with Corny kind of pisses me off a lot. And some of how Kaye’s being biracial is introduced… rubbed me the wrong way? I can’t really figure out why. It just felt weird.

BUT.

So first of all, on the good sideÂ… the fairies . The way Holly Black draws her fairy worlds and fairy characters is genuinely so imaginative, gorgeous, andÂ… creepy. Every time I dive into one of her books, I find myself both terrified and enamored with her fairy world, and I am so okay with that.

And more importantly, this is a very thematically strong book! ThereÂ’s the fantastic meta-narrative about growing up, and learning to live with how others perceive you. There is no easy fix for KayeÂ’s life; no box to easily fit into. She is a member of the fairy world of the human world and she canÂ’t figure out which one is which.

Kaye, though, is a really unlikable lead. I don’t mean that she’s flawed – though she is – I mean, I actively didn’t her at all, and I love unlikable lady leads. I found that she was one of those early YA protagonists who’s written just generic enough that she’s easy to make into a self insert.

She’s not... awful. But she’s very selfish. And not in a delicious way — in a way that’s really annoying because she keeps fucking up and the narrative doesn’t notice or criticize it.

Oh, but I will admit - I fucking love Roiben. I really hate reading YA sometimes because inevitably, if thereÂ’s some male love interest that everyone fangirls over, the female lead will be unquestionably the best character in the narrative. [I mean, to mention another Holly Black book, The Cruel Prince?? some of you just donÂ’t appreciate Jude you should.] But no, Roiben is so incredibly likable and compelling. ItÂ’s a cliche trope, but I adore it when characters who keep up walls fall for characters who encourage them not to do so. I absolutely loved him.

The main thing I want to say is that this is justÂ… a really fun book. It's so short that I basically bingeread it and oh, loved it. And do you guys even understand how fucking short this book is? it's 320 pages but every page is , in sixteen point font, and also half the size of a normal book page, and I'm honestly just confused as to how this is a full novel. This would be great for fans of any of Holly BlackÂ’s current books or anyone who just wants to read a really fun, trashy YA book with a gorgeous fairy world and a really good love interest. Hey, I d it.

Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube?Look out for my review of book two and my review of book three!3-star elle-recs-list fantasy ...more362 s1 comment Bryce Rocks My Socks464 773

if u were thinking about reading this because u loved the cruel prince series: don'tfantasy230 s1 comment Regan469 113k Read

DNF - just not for me lol219 s Melanie1,224 101k

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Ugh. I don't know where to start with this one so I'm gonna jump right in. I didn't it. It was all just a raging bunch of WTF?! for me. I mean, it was random. My brain hurts so this isn't going to be a very coherent review.

Before I go to my detailed ravings, it's best if I gave a brief overview of what this book was about. It's the story of Kaye, a changeling, who was put under a glamour to hide her true green-skinned self and lives with her rockstar wannabe "mother", Ellen. Her life ultimately changes when her mother was almost murdered in a pathetic, lame excuse of an attempted stabbing, and having nowhere else to go, they return to their home town.
Here, Kaye suddenly finds herself reunited with her childhood "imaginary" friends, who needs her to help them plot against the unseelie court and win the freedom of the faeries.

Narrative
It was painful. It's listening to a child with ADHD jumping from one thing to the next. Everything seemed so rushed that you don't get a single connection to the story.

First example of it popped up right there in the freaking prologue.
Frank, Stepping Razor's drummer, grabbed Lloyd's arm. Lloyd had just enough time to punch Frank in the face before other patrons tackled him and somebody called the police.
By the time the cops got there, Lloyd couldn't remember anything. He was mad as hell, though, cursing Ellen at the top of his lungs. The police drove Kaye and her mother to Lloyd's apartment and waited while Kaye packed their clothes and stuff into plastic garbage bags. Ellen was on the phone, trying to find a place for them to crash.
"Honey," Ellen said finally, "we're going to have to go to Grandma's."

So a bit of background info, that's the scene where Lloyd, the dude Kaye's mum is dating, the dude they live with -- tried to kill Kaye's mum. And that is literally the single paragraph where it is mentioned.
I don't know about you, but if my boyfriend suddenly lost his marbles and tried to kill me, I'd be in a state of hysteria. I'd be wondering what the flying fook was that all about?!? I'd be dedicating at least an extra paragraph or two to explore the psychological damage that's done me, and probably wrap things up a little smoothly.
But nope; not this. Apparently they're happy with "We're going to have to go to grandma's."
and the next scene, they're living with Nana and Kaye's off to some rave some whacko never tried to gut her mama. wtf is wrong with you people?!

And this sort of thing continues persistently throughout the rest of the book. I guess what I'm trying to say is the narrative came out as choppy and rushed; it was emotionally detached from the readers, an exposition of events. This was happening, and then this, this followed by a whopping amount of this.

Characters
And this is the second reason why I simply couldn't Tithe. I just couldn't relate - or even respect - any of them.

I'm sorry, Black, was I supposed to root for Kaye and her friends? Was I supposed to care when Janet died??

So here's the thing. Black was trying to make it seem Grandma was the annoying, self-righteous, imposing old woman butting into her daughter & grand-daughter's business; and we were supposed to hate her. For shame, Granny, you should know that school is for wussies and you don't need an education for a decent future. Look at your own daughter Ellen! You tried to bring her up with your strict rules and educayshen but she turned out some groupie whore/rockstar wannabe ... better let HER make the decisions for Kaye; she is, after all, her mother. And mother knows best, right? Right??

Also, the depiction of these ... urban (?) teens really frustrated me. It seems that all they do is get stoned, drink, rave, oh and shoplift. And yes I am aware that some people do do this nonstop and burn their pretty little brain cells away, but if you want to make characters with these traits and no redeeming qualities whatsoever, please don't expect me to care about them.

Oh and what's with the lack of parental figures in YA? Alright, in this case, what's with the lack of *significant* parental figure? It's the author wrote Ellen that way just so she conveniently butts out of her daughter's business and doesn't get in the way of her adventure.

Kaye shook her head. It was kind of stupid to think that her mother would just give up on going back to the city, but she couldn't help hoping. "Tell Grandma I won't be home late."
"You come home when you want. I'm your mother."

....yes, yes you are.

So she comes home at , three in the morning and all's dandy at breakfast the next day. Man am I glad *my* parents weren't that lenient and actually cared if I came home raped or not.

((sidenote)) I don't understand why Kaye was made half-Japanese? Is this somehow relevant in the next installments? --cuz it dang well wasn't in this one! --or is it just some odd otaku homage?


Romance
This is the problem with most YAs. I just don't see how these two characters could fall for each other - especially in such short amount of time. Kaye saw Roiben once and fell instantaneously in love with his ... hair? I have no idea. By the way, she met him, bleeding in the woods and her first sentence was "You're a fairie, aren't you?"



...and what if I am?

I also don't know what Roiben sees in Kaye. Apparently she's "Kind, lovely and terribly, terribly brave." I'm not sure about the kind part, just read over the times she lets her best friend's boyfriend feel her up (twice!), get caught, and just run away (both times!) without bothering to see if her "bff" was fine or not.[image error]

I'm going to go now because everything's a jumble in my head and I have no idea how to put it in a coherent structure. Final word is, I will not be reading the sequels.



***
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contemporary-fantasy craptastic fantasy ...more160 s Shannon413 81

Read #4? probably
Started on June 4, 2019
Finished on June 5, 2019

“If you would help me, draw this arrow." His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. "If not, then push it in as deep as you can and hope it kills me.”

Still a hoe for Kaye and Roiben and I'm not sorry about it

(This masterpiece made me do a re-read. My eyes will never be the same. Petition for more Kaye/Roiben fanart)

OG REVIEW THAT I'M STILL AMAZED SO PEOPLE HAVE LIKED SO *THANK YOU* IF YOU'RE ONE OF THEM



??????????

I'm going to be up front... this series? You will either love it or hate it. Personally, I absolutely love gritty real-life/fantasy stories when they're written well, and I think Holly Black does the combination so much freaking justice. It doesn't try too hard to be overly badass. Kaye is such a great lead -- although I don't always see myself in her actions throughout the book, I still d her because she was real. I never got the sense that Holly Black was trying to impress me; she was just writing about a real girl. And honestly, when I compare female leads in other books, I always think about Kaye and if they live up to her standards (which is not often enough for me).

So many people cut down Tithe for its "objectionable" content, but I was actually able to find a lot of realism in the way most of the characters behaved. As I was growing up, the teenagers I knew cursed sailors and were always trading stories about sex. Unfortunately or not, it's a way of life nowadays -- teenagers are naturally curious. I think in this case, Holly Black's choice to include these situations and words make her characters come alive. However, that's not all Tithe is about -- people want to focus on that, but it's only a small portion of the entire book. Tithe is different, and some people just don't enjoy or understand how YA can fit that profile. But that's the one thing I appreciate about Holly Black: her ability to take YA to another level. She proves that the genre doesn't have to be a complete trope-fest with beginnings and ends that fit together perfectly.

For me, Holly Black's writing in Tithe is really hard to pin down. It's a combination of trippy and poetic. The way she describes things, you feel you're reading poetry -- I love the detail she pours into Tithe. I think my favorite sections have to be when she describes the faeries and where they live -- she makes it all gothic-y and enchanting and it just makes me feel I have a spell cast over me that forces me to be in this complete daze. I can't get out of it if I wanted to. I just keep reading every sentence she writes and loving them.favorites home-library-read my-140 s Julie KagawaAuthor 85 books25.2k

Tithe is a very raw, very dark faerie tale. While not suitable for younger readers (lots of swearing, random torture and violence, and mature themes), I loved its take on the darker side of faerie. It deals with faerie themes Changelings and the knowing of one's True Name very well, and Roiben is probably my favorite faery hero of all time. (Kind of Sephiroth. If you know who Sephiroth is, you'll understand.)

The writing was a teensy bit sporadic and hard to follow at first. I found myself going back and re-reading passages to understand them. All-in-all, though, a great story for older, more mature audiences. By the time I got to its sequel, Ironside, I was hooked on Holly Black.143 s toointofiction255 313

"Nevertheless, he found himself no longer wanting to punish her for her faith in him. Instead, he found himself wanting to be worthy of it. He wanted to be the knight he had once been. Just for a moment."

Rating: ???,5

?This review may contain minor spoilers?

??Trigger Warning: Coarse language (I only mention it because this series is YA), violence??

To be perfectly honest, I expected just a little better. I was really excited to read this, I mean The Folk of the Air was A MASTERPIECE!!!!! It wasn't as good as I thought it'd be, but I still enjoyed it. And I can't wait for The Stolen Heir AAAAAAAAAH!!! I need it right now!!
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