The Valiant by Lesley Livingston

Synopsis:
Fallon is the daughter of a proud Celtic king, the sister of the legendary warrior Sorcha, and the sworn enemy of Julius Caesar.

When Fallon was a child, Caesar’s armies invaded her homeland, and her beloved sister was killed in battle.

Now, on the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Fallon is eager to follow in her sister’s footsteps and earn her place in the fearsome Cantii war band. She never gets the chance.

Fallon is captured and sold to an elite training school for female gladiators—owned by none other than Julius Caesar. In a cruel twist of fate, the man who destroyed Fallon’s family might be her only hope of survival.

Now Fallon must overcome vicious rivalries and deadly fights—in and out of the arena. And perhaps the most dangerous threat of all: her forbidden yet irresistible feelings for Cai, a young Roman soldier.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).

My Thoughts:
The Valiant has been getting a lot of buzz lately. When I saw one of my favorite Booktubers, Peruse Project, review it and saw how much she loved it, I knew I had to read the book. She and I typically have similar tastes in books, and this was no exception. I loved the book. 

At first when I started The Valiant, I wasn't sure what to think of it. The first few pages weren't catching my interest at all. However, after the suction scene, I was all in. I love books set in ancient Rome. The way Lesley Livingstone wrote the book makes the reader feel like they were in ancient Rome beside Fallon, the main character, training to be a female gladiator. I loved how descriptive and detailed the world building was. The author did a great job bringing the world to life.

The main character, Fallon, was so badass. She was a kickass warrior, but that's not the only reason for her badassness. When she first came to the gladiator training school, she faced a lot of adversity. She was bullied constantly, but she never let that get her down. In fact, in a way, she used it to push herself to become stronger.

The Valiant was the first Lesley Livingston book I've read, but it won't be the last. I plan on reading her Wondrous Strange trilogy next, a trilogy about faeries. I loved The Valiant. I think with the way it ended, it could be read as a standalone. However, I'm going to read the rest of the trilogy because I'm so excited to get more of these characters.

I give The Valiant: 5/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.lesleylivingston.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LesleyLivingstonAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LesLivingston
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1312879.Lesley_Livingston

I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.