Valiant

By Sarah McGuire

Saville hates sewing. How can she not when her father, the Tailor, loves his bolts of velvet and silk far more than he's ever loved her? Yet, when he is struck ill shortly after they arrive in the city of Reggen, Saville must don boy's clothes in the hopes of gaining a commission from the king to keep them fed. The kingdom is soon on edge when stories spread of an army of giants led by a man who cannot be killed. But giants are just stories, and no man is immortal.

And then the giants do come to the city gates, two larger-than-life scouts whom Saville cunningly tricks into leaving. The Tailor of Reggen is the hero of the kingdom, the king promises his sister's hand in marriage, and by the time Saville reaches the palace doors, it is widely known that the Tailor single-handedly killed the giants. When her secret—that she's a girl—is quickly discovered by Lord Galen Verras, the king's cousin, Saville's swept into the twists and turns of court politics.

The deathless man is very real, and he will use his giant army to ensure he is given the throne freely or by force. Now, only a tailor girl with courage and cunning can see beyond the tales to discover the truth and save the kingdom again.

Debut author Sarah McGuire artfully crafts a story of understanding, identity, and fighting to protect those you love most in Valiant, a rich reimagining of "The Brave Little Tailor."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512404104

Sarah McGuire

Sarah McGuire is a nomadic math teacher who sailed around the world aboard a floating college campus. She writes fairy tale retellings and still hopes that one day she'll open a wardrobe and stumble into another world. Coffee and chocolate are her rocket fuel. She wishes Florida had mountains, but she lives there anyway with her husband (who wrote this bio in less than three minutes!) and their family.

Reviews for Valiant

[mal2012-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Would have been a 5 if not for the princess's wedding decision.

[foggidawn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Saville has a complicated relationship with her father, the tailor. He's always loved his craft more than he loves her -- if, indeed, he loves her at all. Now he is determined to travel to the big city and ply his trade for the court, or maybe even the king. Saville doesn't doubt that he's talented enough to do it -- but she hates leaving her mother's grave and everything she has ever known in order to pursue her father's dream. Shortly after their arrival in the city, the tailor is struck with a sudden illness. He can neither speak nor sew, and it's up to Saville to provide for both of them. Though she doesn't love sewing, she is nearly as good at it as her father is. She decides to dress as a boy and pass herself off as the tailor's apprentice, and she even manages to gain a commission from the king. But then the giants arrive. . . .I love fairy tale retellings, and this is one I don't think I've seen done before. McGuire shows a skillful hand at stitching together all of the elements in the old tale to fashion a full, vibrant novel. I was never quite sold on the romance, but the romantic portion of the plot is so slight that enjoyment of the book doesn't hinge on that aspect. All in all, a promising debut!

[roses7184_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Be still, my fairy tale loving heart. Valiant was perfection. Had you happened to stumble upon me while I was reading this, you would have seen one very content bookworm. There wasn't even a tiny portion of this story that didn't impress me. Not one moment that I wished for something more than what was offered. I've read many a fairy tale retelling in my life, but none as beautifully written as this one.

Ah, Saville. Thank you for exceeding my expectations. Saville's character is a brilliant balance. She's strong, but still shows raw emotion. She's honest, but not always. In other words, Saville isn't some built up ideal of a female character. The focus isn't on how pretty she is, or how talented she is, but rather on the fact that she's a person who cares about other people. Her decisions in this story weren't always entirely what I expected, but it just made her more human. She was instantly likable, and I would have followed her to the end of the Earth. Giants or not.

Tying in with this is the simple fact that Sarah McGuire doesn't see the need to wrap everything up with a shiny red bow. Like my favorite Grimm stories of old, this particular retelling doesn't shy away from the gritty reality that fairy tales often gloss over now. Sometimes people die. Sometimes people are horribly altered, whether that be physically or emotionally. Still, there's always that little ray of hope. The idea that good will persevere over evil. That tough times bring true selves to the surface. Seeing that come to life in Valiant stole my breath away.

If you'd allow me, I'd gush about this book until you finally threw your hands up in defeat and went to get a copy. That's how much I am truly in love with it. In the world of YA, there are plenty of love triangles, plenty of teen angst, and more than enough bad boy characters. What I've been seeing a distinct lack of lately is heart. Valiant has that. It has heart and, because of that, it has my heart as well.

[krau0098 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley. This was a very well written young adult fantasy. I really really loved this book. I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed this novel.The story is a retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale The Valiant Tailor with the twist that this story features a young woman named Saville. Saville’s father is a fabulous tailer who values his trade over anything, including his daughter. He decides to pick up and move to a different kingdom so that he can makes clothes the way he wants to make them (in their home kingdom he has been ridiculed for not following the law laid down by the king there). Saville is upset about leaving her life and her friends and hates tailoring with a passion. Upon their arrival in a new kingdom things go very wrong when her father has a stroke and Saville is forced to pretend to be her father’s apprentice (and a boy) to make a living. Saville is an excellent tailor and things go well for her until the giants arrive.I have never read the original story of The Valiant Tailor, but I have heard it is not the most exciting of the Brothers Grimm works. This was a very exciting and very well written fantasy story.I loved the fact that the “brave tailor” in this book is a girl. Saville faces many challenges and is smart and brave again and again throughout the story. She is forced to pretend to be many many different people, but never loses sight of who she is and who she wants to become. There is a lot of action, war, and intrigue throughout the story. The main issue being dealt with is the mystery behind where the giants came from and who their leader is. It’s an entertaining and well done story. The story has a very classic fantasy feel to it, but also incorporates some great humor throughout.The characters are fantastic and really come alive; they are very engaging and interesting. The side characters are also well done.Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing fantasy retelling of The Valiant Tailor. I am very happy I picked up this book to read and would definitely recommend it to fans of classic fantasy. I would also recommend to fans of fairy tale retellings; this is a great story!