Shadows of Valor

On the surface, Graywall is content and booming. Lord Shaufton, who presides over the city, is a fine ruler. The poor are well-cared for, the area is popular, and morale is high—but within Graywall’s roots, something dark is stirring. This darkness threatens to overpower the once-peaceful town, until a mysterious figure appears: The Shadow.


As much a figure of fear to the unruly as legend to the innocent, The Shadow is an enforcer of justice and aid to the King. Due to an outrageous export tax set by King Edward, smuggling has tainted the kingdom, so The Shadow is sent to hunt the smugglers down. Contrary to legend, The Shadow is simply a man known as Sir Calan who, although talented and just, struggles to keep his dark thoughts of revenge from becoming ruthless action. 


Due to sheer coincidence, The Shadow learns of a deadly plot against Lord Shaufton on a journey to Graywall. Now, he must enter a pseudo courtship with Lord Shaufton’s daughter under his original guise of Sir Calan, all while old emotions are stirred by the lovely Elsbeth, Lord Shaufton’s niece. Elsbeth, it seems, is the only woman who can heal his troubled soul, but she has a story of her own. What transpires is a glorious tale full of deceit, greed, inner struggles, betrayal, and most of all—love.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Smuggling and plans of murder upset the town of Graywall in Elsie Park's Shadows of Valor. The two main characters become privy to a criminal ring and it's up to them to discover who is behind the raids and save the town leader. 

Elsbeth and Sir Calan take the leading roles in this novel. Elsbeth is a scarred young woman, having been burned badly in the fire fueled destruction of her family home. She's a religious woman who has used her unfortunate past to motivate her future. She spends her time acting as the town midwife and helping various members of the community, regardless of wealth or station. Readers will love Elsbeth's perspective, her gentle nature, and her selflessness.

Sir Calan has known Elsbeth since they were young, but has been away for ten years becoming The Shadow. As The Shadow, Calan works for the King, catching and arresting criminals across the country. Now he's working in Graywall to help break the smuggling ring and save the Lord from a mortal plot. Calan is distrusting and a bit cynical, yet courageous and brave. The combined efforts of Elsbeth and Calan to save the town will silhouette their abilities, strengthening the connection with readers.

The plot follows Elsbeth and Calan as they attempt to identify the criminals so they can be brought to justice before the Lord, Elsbeth's Uncle, is murdered for his land.  Working as The Shadow, Calan keeps his own identity a secret, recruiting Elsbeth to aid him in his investigation. Shadows of Valor is a gem in the genre of historical fiction with a heartwarming and, simultaneously, thrilling story. 

Rating: 4.5/5 cups

WWW Wednesday (95)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

   

01. Currently Reading:
In between books yet again this week. Starting a new one this afternoon. :)

02. Recently Finished:
Shadows of Valor by Elsie Park. When The Shadow comes to Graywall he uncovers a smuggling plot that may end in death.

03. Reading Next:
Finding Mother by Anne Allen. A woman, whose marriage is falling apart, goes on a cross country search to find her biological mother.

Teaser Tuesday (109)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers


Shadows of Valor (Kindle Loc. 238-39)
   - Elsie Park

"Farewell, then, Beth, and take heed. Illicit deeds arise at nightfall."

The Conspiracy Kid

A sonnet is penned and, lo, the Conspiracy Kid Fan Club is born. Beware. To read this sonnet is to join the Club. Membership is automatic and irreversible.
This is the story of the earliest unwitting Conspiracy Kid Fan Club members: Edwin Mars (poet), Joe Claude (billionaire), Walter Cornelius (werewolf), Muriel Cohen (chef),
to name but a few.
Or, as Edwin Mars, being a poet, puts it:

This is the story of Joe Claude and me,
And of my son and the sisters he loved,
And of their father, how he came to be
In a graveyard - naked and uni-gloved;
Hamburgers, hurricanes, murder and string,
Werewolves and waiters and barmen and cooks,
From Maine to Biloxi, Mayfair to Pring,
Furniture, ketamine, golfing and books;
Marriages made and broken and mended
Under the shadow of loved ones who died.
See how the grieving billionaire ended
Up in that prison where laughter’s proscribed.
Will he be rescued then? Read and find out
What The Conspiracy Kid’s all about.

*May Contain Spoilers*

E.P. Rose unites a motley crew of characters in his novel, The Conspiracy Kid. Whether read on accident or on purpose, The Conspiracy Kid Fan Club will welcome anyone as a member when all fourteen lines have been completed. 

There are an abundance of characters that coalesce to create the Conspiracy Kid network. And though, the Conspiracy Kid doesn't actually exist, he is, essentially, the main character. All other characters revolve around his fantastical nature. Readers, therefore, have the opportunity to relate to one supporting character of their choosing, or to a number of characters. The fact that every reader of this book is automatically in the Fan Club helps to create an initial connection to the characters, preceding the sonnet's story.

Edwin is the poet who is dealing with the loss of his beloved. Joe, the billionaire, struggles to discover what his life is missing, also dealing with the pain of his daughter's death. Iris and Muriel are estranged sisters who not only have just lost their mother, but are also about to lose their father. Richard, son of the poet, wants to run his own business. Connected by these five characters, the cast grows quickly as the membership count of the Fan Club steadily rising. 

The plot of the novel begins with Edwin writing the Conspiracy Kid sonnet and ends with a public production. Readers witness each character overcome their obstacles after becoming a club member, as if the Conspiracy Kid had something to do with that. Through death and life, success and failure, acceptance and learning, readers will connect with at least one character. Though the strength of the connection will be questionable, it won't stop readers from enjoying the novel's wit and unique writing style.

Rating: 3/5 Cups