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"I like 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 like 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, like-giving kiss. I live for stuff like that😍😍 Moreover, you can leave it to Holly Black to make murder the least shocking thing that happened in the first fifteen pages of the book. I was wondering what drove Val to run away from home before I started reading the book, but the truth was so much more astounding than I ever could have guessed. I know for sure that I would run away as well if my mom was sleeping with my boyfriend. Like...W T F!!! 🤯🤯 That lady needs some major parenting skills. ASAP!! And maybe revisit some very common laws...👀👀

There is one thing I didn't like, however. It is just one thing but feels significant to me. As many of you must be aware, Valiant is actually the second book in the Modern Faerie Tales series, but I read it last. (My reading order was: Tithe, Ironside, Valiant) This is because Tithe and Ironside have the same protagonists, but Valiant doesn't. It's not that big of a deal, but it did confuse me a lot in the beginning, since I was completely unaware of that fact, and I didn't (still don't) really understand why the series would be ordered this way. I've read all three books and I can safely say that there is nothing that demands the reading order to remain fixed. In fact, there were barely any mentions (I'm pretty sure it was just the one very, very brief mention) of the events of Valiant in Ironside that I was started to see Kaye and Roiben making a brief appearance and interact shortly with two of the characters. The scene was pretty cool but the whole time I was wondering if it was a plothole. Don't worry, I went back and checked, the events are mentioned in Ironside, it was just so fleeting that it escaped my mind completely. So, if you're thinking of reading this series you can easily finish Roiben and Kaye's story before you continue with Val's. I do wish that I read the bonus story, "The Lament of Lutie-loo" AFTER I finished all three books because I spoiled for myself Ravus and Val's relationship. Not that it wasn't obvious soon after their first meeting in the book but still.

Val was a delight, a troubled, tomboyish, video game-loving badass that plays lacrosse. She's been through some pretty shocking things and didn't get better until she got much worse. She, along with several other characters like Lolli and Dave, became addicted to a faerie potion that even the fae themselves should use in moderation. Yeah...it was bad. In my opinion, as far as representations go Val and the others portrayed addiction in a very realistic, authentic way. They all showed the readers the horrors of addiction. Especially Dave's character. Kudos to Holly Black. She won't half-ass anything.

As for Ravus, he's got the whole silent and intimidating vibe going on for him and I'm all for it, but he is also a gentle, lovable giant and I'm definitely all for that, too. His imposing figure is such a contradiction to his character. Just because you 'look like a monster, doesn't mean you are one. It might be an obvious cliche but I still love it. If Val is the beauty then he is definitely the beast. Except he is not cursed to look like a troll, he was born one. That didn't make him any less worthy of love, though, and Val knew that.

I think I've made it pretty clear already, but I ship Val and Ravus sooo haaard. Beauty and the Beast is my all-time favourite fairytale as a child and an adult. I love it so much and to see it retold so well brings me joy. Val and Ravus had incredible chemistry between them, shown through beautiful acts of affection that both had a difficult time admitting and acting on. They also had serious issues to deal with, each one with their own, yet they couldn't help but fall in love. I'm simping. I'm simping haaard. 😍😍

I want to mention a few things about some of the other characters, as well. Starting with the ones I really liked, Luis and Ruth. He may have been a total jackass at first, but all Luis wanted to do was protect his younger brother. Just like literally every Holly Black character he went through some intense, traumatizing shit that made him cynical both toward humans but especially and to a far greater degree toward the fae. Justifiably so. He was irreversibly hurt by them. Yet, he is also brave and kind and didn't think twice before he risked his life to help Ravus. Sure, helping his brother has always been his first priority and most likely prompted him to help the troll in the first place. However, he still showed a lot of concern, it didn't matter to him that Ravus was fae. As for Ruth, I wasn't too fond of her in the beginning. She knew about Val's mom dating her boyfriend but didn't say anything. Understandably, it is a difficult subject to discuss and Val's mother was opposed to anyone else telling her daughter. I still think that Ruth should have spoken out. It wouldn't hurt any less but catching your mom having sex with your boyfriend is not a pretty picture, either. I did start to like her later on, however. She showed that she truly loved and cared for Val deeply. She was supportive and understanding even after all the crazy, unbelievable revelations she's heard about the fae. She was pretty funny, too. 😝😝

Now, the two people I didn't really like were Dave and Lolli. They were both meticulously written by Holly Black and like I've already mentioned, were drug addicts. Holly Black made a fine job of representing all the horrendous aspects of drug abuse through these two characters. Dave's erratic, rude behaviour, and proneness to betrayal came from his addiction. It made him a difficult character to like, as his selfishness ruled over all his other senses constantly. Yet there was this part of me that saw this troubled teenager in desperate need of medical help but was excluded by the system because he nor his brother couldn't afford that help. I said I didn't like him but I actually have a lot of mixed feelings about him. I feel sorry for him and I am angry with him at the same time. Much like I imagine his brother feeling. Lolli, on the other hand, I absolutely loath with my entire being. She was the one that drove Dave, Val, and a girl named Nancy to addiction. She was an incredibly selfish, self-serving person that took her friends for granted, betrayed them, and used them for her benefit. Oh...and SHE THREW A CAT ON TRAINTRACKS AS A TRAIN WAS PASSING THROUGH!!!! WHAT KIND OF A SICK BASTARD DOES THIS???? WHAT THE HELL??? So yeah, I have no respect for this asshole.

Enjoy my rant. See you in The Darkest Part of the Forest😉😉