Valiant : A Modern Tale of Faerie
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Valiant : A Modern Tale of Faerie, is an urban fantasy novel by Holly Black. It is a loose sequel to her earlier book Tithe : A Modern Faerie Tale, but can also be read as a stand-alone novel.
[edit] Plot Summary
The book follows the life of runaway Valerie Russell in New York. Like Kaye, Valerie is the child of a single-mother. At the start of the novel, Val attends high school, is an athlete that plays lacrosse, and is best friends with the eccentric Ruth.
The story unfolds with Val's discovery that her boyfriend, Tom, and her mother are having an affair. Betrayed and not sure where to go, Val runs off to downtown New York. She shaves her head and meets up with a group of teen-squatters, Lolli (as in lollipop), Dave, and Luis. Val earns the nickname "Prince Valiant" after she helps a drag queen locate her shoe. This may be a homage to Hal Foster's comic strip, Prince Valiant or Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur.
Though she earns the trust of the rest of the group, Luis remains weary of Val. Despite his doubts, Val learns about the group's contact with a troll, Ravus. He lives beneath a bridge (a reference to the traditional fairy tale, The Three Billy Goats Gruff) and makes glamour that faeries in exile use so their bodies can be resistant towards iron. These exiles are dispersed through out the city, and Dave, and Luis must deliver the glamour to them.
Glamour, according to the novel, can be used as a drug by humans, giving them magic for a short period of time. It's highly addictive, and Lolli and Dave introduce Val to it. They refer to the glamour as Nevermore because of its certain constraints. To them, unfortunately, it's similar in nature to the illegal drug, cocaine. Val, like the other squatters, is soon hooked.
Ravus, despite Val's first impressions, is much kinder than he appears. He begins to teach her swordplay and the bond between them strengthens. Their relationship develops over time, mirroring the story of Beauty and the Beast. Val's mounting problems and addiction take a nasty turn, and the trust Ravus has in her is threatened.
In the book, many of the Seelie court exiles are being poisoned by someone. Ravus is blamed for the crime. With Ruth's help, Val discovers the real criminal and embraces the nickname of Prince Valiant by coming to the rescue of Ravus. Not only is she able to overcome her addiction, she takes revenge on the true murderer, Mabry with a glass sword. It turns out that Mabry had been hired by the Unseelie Court to kill Seelie exiles. However, Silarial caught her and they made a deal for Mabry to kill Roiben possibly in exchange for her life.
At the end, Val decides to get off the streets and return home. She's discovered independence and new, emotional strength.
Note: In the book Rath Roiben Rye and Kaye make appearances, as well as Silarial and Nicnevin's name is mentioned by Mabry.
[edit] References
• Holly Black • Tithe : A Modern Faerie Tale
