I got 50% of the way through this book and did not care about any of the characters AT ALL. I'm super disappointed.

I enjoyed reading Valiant, it had an interesting plot line and ended with more questions then answers, ripe for a sequel down the road. The thing that bothered me that it seemed the main character was more concerned with her love with Justin then defending her little brother Gabe. The other characters were a little one-sided and I wish the author gave more time on the different time jumps.. The cover is a delight, but the story seemed like it needed a little more. Maybe a little more fleshed out then it was. But I would recommend it as a rainy day read.

I don’t think I’ve ever wanted the next book in the series more than at the ending of Valiant!

The Valiant has taken off and - uh - the aliens have invaded. Much like the Apollo missions, the Valiant was intended to bring people together but all that was thwarted when silver-turn-smoke aliens pull an invasion of the body snatchers.

Protagonist Sara has the blessing of knowledge, now in charge of saving the world. But first, she has to save her brother, because saving her brother means saving the world.

After many attempts, she finally figures out the right methodology to save the world. Or does she?

What I loved most about Valiant was Sara’s sass. Even though the world is falling apart around her, her inner monologue constantly made me laugh. That and her swoony romance with Justin. Childhood friends to lovers - you have a good one here.

If you love action, romance, aliens, and teens saving the world, Valiant is the book for you!

VALIANT by Merrie Destefano is a new sci-fi book for teen readers featuring time travel, aliens, and plenty of action. It’s a futuristic-thriller that takes place here on Earth after hostile aliens have invaded. The story follows a seventeen-year-old girl named Sara who tries to save the world, but in order to do so, she must repeatedly time-jump trying to save her brother who is the key to Earth’s survival.

“The Valiant was supposed to save us. Instead, it triggered the end of the world.”

There is a lot to love in this adrenaline-filled book, especially for science fiction readers.

The Earth seems to be in shambles globally, the US is in a Great Depression and natural resources are in ruins, with much of our survival and future hinging on the hopes of a new mining expedition being sent to Titan, only the expedition goes terribly wrong, and instead ends up alerting the Xua (aliens) to Earth’s resources. The launch of the Valiant was supposed to be a day of celebration but instead, it caused the Earth’s downfall.

Destefano has definitely created a race of scary aliens. These aliens have the ability to possess humans. They jump from body-to-body like switching outfits—only when they do it, it shreds the human from the inside-out from the sheer force of it.

“Death was behind me, so I leaned into the future, a loop of time travel that would let me relive this horrible day, always hoping for a better ending. One where I somehow saved the world.”

The books premise is really interesting with the additional use if time-travel.

If you have ever watched the movie Groundhog Day, a comedy starring Bill Murray who is caught in a time loop repeatedly reliving the same day, then you’ll understand the similar concept for VALIANT—only the consequences in this book are very different—our very existence.

Sara, the protagonist meets a rebel alien named Aerithin who, with his help, she can time jump in order to try and save her brother from the Xua. Each time she fails, she must try again doing something different in order to try and outmaneuver them.

I really enjoyed this concept, it led to many moments of adrenaline-fed and action-packed scenes between Sara, her brother, and friends against the aliens. Destafano packs a powerful reading punch when it comes to danger and action scenes.

“To save the world, she must save him.”

Too many moments of intense-action led to less connection with characters.

Although I really enjoyed the concept and page-turning quality of VALIANT, my main issue is how the fast-pace also made it hard to build a connection to the characters. I wanted to know more about Sara and her brother Justin’s connection to the Xua. There is also a sweet romance that is touched on, but I couldn’t get a good sense of either. The characters are definitely compelling, I just wanted more in-depth time spent one-on-one with them.

In the End

VALIANT by Merrie Destefano starts out with a bang and is a compelling new sci-fi story filled with plenty of action and danger. There is definitely room for a sequel and hopefully, more world and character building. I’m definitely curious to see more from this author!

3 stars — OK, I know this is going to sound childish, but I’m not a fan of not knowing ahead of time if a book is going to be the first of a series or a standalone. Does it matter in the end? I suppose not. But I find if I think it’s a standalone (as I had with this one), as I get closer and closer to the end, I begin to panic wondering how it’s all going to get resolved in the end. The answer? It doesn’t. So for anyone else like me: this is the start of a series. Or at least, there is no resolution to the overall plot at the end.

So hmmmm…this one had potential, and there were definitely aspects that I enjoyed. But it also suffered from being a bit confusing in places (especially if you pay attention to details). In particular, the whole time travel aspect was confusing. OK, so this is her like 15th try…but how far back in time does she go for each do-over? Because she makes it sound like she’s been doing this forever, but the impression I get from the last jump is that she jumps in a day or two before the Valiant event. And she always fails, which means she doesn’t keep her brother alive until morning. So that’s like 15-30 days. The way Sara talks about it, it seems like years. It was just inconsistent.

And holy action Batman. I felt like we barely ever got any breathers. I like the breathers, b/c that’s when we get character development and all the things that are most important to me in a story. We got glimpses, but I’m not sure I could tell you who Sara was outside the context of the alien invasion.

And for all that happened, it also kind of felt like nothing happened. Just a lot of encounters with the Xua. We did learn things now and again, but it felt a bit repetitive in the end.

Gah. This is sounding so negative! It’s just that I got to the end of the story and I was so disappointed with my lack of answers, that I guess I’m focusing on that. I did enjoy the little bit of romance we got with Justin and Sara…Justin was super sweet. I did appreciate the strange futuristic world that was described, even if I was a bit disturbed with all the drugs and violence and gangs and stuff. And even though I didn’t learn nearly enough about them, I liked the range of secondary characters we got: Natalie, Justin, Gabe, Anna, and Carla.

Honestly, I couldn’t help but think of the Terminator through most of it. And in the end, I’m not sure I was sucked in enough to continue on and get answers. I’d need a more balanced story in order to invest.

When I read the synopsis of Valiant by Merrie Destefano I was intrigued and so very excited to get the opportunity to read and review it early. Plus, the cover is gorgeous!

From the start this book is fast paced and you're kind of thrown into what's happening. It was a lot to take in and I found myself having to re read sections because it became confusing for me to figure out what was what. Like I said, the overall premise of this book is solid and I think Destefano had some really great ideas, but it was just hard to get into the story when I kept having to re read things to make sure I understood. There wasn't a lot of world building...the author gave us hints of it being set in the future during the second Great Depression, but other than that you're lost trying to figure out how the world is now within this book. I would have really enjoyed a bigger backstory where Destefano built up the world in which she created.

The characters, mostly, were likable and I really did want Sara to save her brother and the world. For some reason Gabe, her younger brother who died right from the start is a primary piece in saving the world and it's Sara's job to keep him alive.....over and over again.

Overall, I wanted to like this book and for the most part it was okay. I was confused a lot and asking "why" with every other chapter, but Destefano created characters that you just couldn't help but root for.

Actual rating 3.5 stars

Although sci-fi is often very hit and miss for me, the premise of Valiant caught my attention. I enjoyed the outline of the plot, the non stop action and the twists near the end, but a fair bit of the book felt rushed and I just felt like I had SO many questions that were never answered. And I cared enough about this story that I really want them answered! 

We didn’t get a lot of info about the technology in this version of the near future, and it seemed to play a big part. The skintags seemed to be a bit of a ‘do it all’ imbedded technology - news broadcasts with holographic images, TV shows, communication devices etc which really peaked my interest, but there was no real information about how they work etc and comments were thrown in, like the mention of ‘addicts’ (I assume to the skintag system like TV / social media?) but there was no storyline attached to it or explanation. Even the ‘Genetics’ like Julian and Carla needed a bit more to their story - how are they made? What exactly are they? I wanted to know more.

The story starts with the launch of the Valiant to save the world but instead aliens invade at the same time. There was no real information on the Valiant or why the Xua were attacking. What did they want? Why were they after Gabe? Even the person Sara is told she is fated to meet - I wanted to know what his role was.  I’m really hoping there’s going to be a sequel that elaborates on all the questions! 

I think the storyline of Valiant has a lot of promise, but I would have liked to see it fleshed out a bit more. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy this story.  It's just that although I usually dislike long winded discussions and explanations in books and wish they’d just get on with it, Valiant felt like it needed to slow down a touch and give us a little more world building.

"We don't talk about things that break our hearts.
But it doesn't mean our hearts aren't broken" (chapter 13)

Thank you Entangled Teen and Merry Destefano for a free eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I had pretty high hopes for this book. I love seeing more sci-fi books in the YA genre, and the cover is exciting. However, I had issues from the first page, starting with the very short and repetitive sentences. There was nothing about the writing that was engaging.

In the beginning of Valiant, Sara watches the launch of the much anticipated Valiant ship to usher in the future everyone needs. After the celebrations of the coming future, the world is turned upside down with an alien invasion from the very planet the Valiant is headed to. Sara watches everyone in her life die, only to then be confronted by one of the aliens, who tells Sara that she needs to go back in time to save her brother, who will save the world.

I wish Sara didn't travel through time. Maybe the alien could've come earlier to tell her what she needs to know about this horrible day--I'm thinking more along the lines of The Terminator. But there was a lot of inconsistencies and confusion and I'm not really sure why she has to KEEP mentioning that she has done this fifteen times and this timeline is different. It would be better and less repetitive if this wasn't part of the plot at all--it doesn't add anything. The Valiant's launch is constantly regarded as the thing to end the world, but the plot isn't very clear that it's because of the mining trip, so I spent most of the book confused what they had to do with each other.

The concept could've been great, but it needs a lot of work to get there, tying up all the inconsistencies and focusing more on character development. Sara and Justin's relationship is so flat, as well as the character development between the crew, that I didn't feel engaged or really any emotion for them. I wanted so much more than I was given.

WOW. Valiant is a heart stopping ride, one that dunks you head first from the prologue and keeps you guessing with every twist and turn till the very last word. And just for the record, this had better not be the end. I cannot find anything about a follow up and I NEED MORE!

Valiant has a brilliant set of characters: Sara, Gabe, Justin, Natalie, Billy, Carla, and Ella. This end of the world apocalyptic story is in a constant state of movement. And it is brilliant. The world building is good but you don't need tons of backstory. You jump straight into the danger and it never lets up. The fast pace and constant flow keeps the story from being stagnant. The story telling is intriguing and it kept me on the edge of my seat. When you think you know one thing, another comes to refute it. I couldn't put the book down! And now in the end I am at a loss. I didn't realize there would be more. I am left flailing in the end but MAN, what a ride. I cannot wait to see what happens next. Those last few pages had me second guessing so many things in the story and now I need to read again and see if any clues were left along the way.

Merrie Destefano builds a world that seems not to far off from the world we know. She blends a dark future of an economic depression with one of sci-fi warfare. A group of relatable characters rises up to fight the invasion, and you never know what is coming just around the corner. If you love stories that are filled with action and gripping story telling, Valiant is for you.

This was a brutal story, and not in a bad way.

I was instantly in this story from chapter one. There are parts to this world that take a few more chapters to really wrap your head around it, but overall, I was hooked!

And I was really surprised with the time travel elements. We are thrown into this crazy, completely brutal alien invasion where the main character is approached by rebels. Their mission for her is to repeat the invasion until she is able to successfully save her brother until the next morning, when the rest of the world is supposed to be saved.

And when I say brutal, I mean it. There are eye-popping ways that the aliens control the humans, leading them to kill, shoot, or run over. Literally, it's like the Walking Dead meets Independence Day. And I can say that it really hooked me into the story!

The world building is given quickly to us, but I couldn't get enough of it. We have a run-down Earth leading to an apparent 'Second Depression' and the Valiant mission was supposed to bring a new era to their world. That is, until the very last thing they thought would crush the planet ends up possessing each other, and they are all after her.

I read this book in one day. It was a quick thriller that I think is perfect for readers who love dooms-day catastrophes, crazy aliens out to get you, or unique time-travel stories. I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars.

And, if you love a hint of romance in your adventures, this book won't disappoint.

I will say that the ending brings the idea of a sequel. I was left with a ton of questions that I hope become answered soon!

Disclaimer: I was provided an e-galley copy of this book from the publisher Entangled Teen via Netgalley. In no way has the author or the publisher influenced my review. All opinions good or bad are my own.

This book was not bad, but nothing amazing either. The problem for me is that a science fiction book has to be truly outstanding for me to love it because it isn’t a genre that I tend to read too often. It isn’t too often that you see aliens and time travel in the same book though, so that really intrigued me.

Sara got on my nerves quite a bit throughout the book. I didn’t love her as the main character, and because of that I felt like I couldn’t really connect to the story. I felt like all of the characters were pretty shallow actually. Like you didn’t really get to know the depth of them which kept me from really connecting with them. I was interested in them and how they fared but in the end I was more interested in the plot.

Natalie seemed a little unrealistic. She’s this amazing hacker, smart, and a deadly killer? I know that Sara needed a friend like this, but it just made her character seem a little too good to be true. I knew that the Xua would have a mole amongst her friends and I had my suspicions that it was Natalie. I was surprised to find out that it was actually Billy instead though. Surprised, but it made sense. It made me feel bad for Natalie though.

I don’t why the resistance on earth wasn’t really helping Sara or her team. Why do they keep turning their back on her and escaping? Why do they see her as such a threat? Isn’t she supposed to save the Earth, and that is their goal? But how is she supposed to do that on her own?

Aerithin is an interesting character that I really want to learn more about. Sara describes him as having a regal manner and I want to know if he is a member of the Xua royal family that didn’t agree with going to war and started the rebellion. I understand that he needs things to go along a certain timeline so it doesn’t deviate but why can’t he or his rebels give her more information? It is frustrating and I want to know more. I need answers!

I don’t think Justin is fully possessed, I think his Genetic abilities may save him in the end. At least that’s what I hope because his character is the sweetest of them all and the one I like the most. The romance between Justin and Sara was pretty cute so I hope that everything turns out ok in the end.

Something was always happening, but I felt like the story never really progressed that far. It was kind of confusing that we started off in the future and had to learn about this new Earth and what is happening then and then deal with the alien apocalypse on top of it. Normally I can usually pick up quite quick and move on with the story but this one took a bit of time. I sometimes had to think and ponder about something that was mentioned in this world, even commonplace things because they don’t exist in our reality and I needed to understand how it influences that world and their choices.

It is kind of an interesting loop. What I think has happened is that the people on the Valiant are going to that planet to mine, right? I think they will get there and the Xua live on that planet but those on the Valiant start a war and decimate them. But because the Xua have time travel technology that decide to make a preemptive strike and take out humans first. I’m looking forward to seeing if that theory is true.

I was hoping we would get more answers in this book on why this brother/sister duo are so important to save Earth but I guess that will come in the next book. I’m interested to find out more about Noah as well. While I didn’t fall in love with the first book I have high hopes for the sequel and where we go from here!

Overall this book was a quick and easy read that will tickle your fancy if you love aliens and tons of action. I am intrigued enough in the story that I will continue on with the sequel when it comes out. I have too many questions and I am looking forward to finding out the answers!

"Valiant" Is the newest book with a beautiful and bright cover from author Merrie Destefano, who's known for books like Lost Girls, Fathom, Shade, and many others. Though I haven't gotten to read any of her other books, after reading this one, I'm very interested in doing just that. If they're anything like this one, I know I'll like it.

The story is told in the first person view point of Sara, who is a girl who's stumbled upon something bigger than her. The day the invasion happened, everyone was ecstatic. Maybe the aliens would be the ones to save the planet, because everyone knows that humans couldn't. Facing a drought, a depression, and an energy crisis that couldn't be saved by solar power in space, their last hope lies in a rocket called the Valiant, one that will shoot off onto another planet to mine, and make everyone rich while simulatiously saving the planet. What no one expected, however, was an alien invasion the second it was out of sight.

After seeing her little brother and friends die, Sara comes in contact with an alien named Aerithin, who's part of a resistance within their race of silver and sparkly aliens. She time travels with him over ten times, trying to not only save her little brother, who the aliens seem to be obsessed with getting, and her friends, but fails every time. This book is about her last try.

I really enjoyed the world that was built around these characters, full of futuristic technology and the same things we know now, it's in the distant future of 2037. Though everyone thinks she's crazy, they trust her enough to help her out, on the off chance that she isn't. Together her friends create a viral video to warn the planet of the invasion. I think my favourite character probably has to be Justin, and even though I don't know him very well, I think it's really interesting that he's a genetic super soldier.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, but only gave it for stars because I feel like although it was packed full of action, not very much actually happened story wise. If you like books that mix new world technology with a slight dystopia, as well as time travel, then this is the book for you, and I'm sure you'll love it.

Thanks for reading!
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

Imagine your stuck on a time loop. You have one goal, to stop your brother from dying but if you knew what was going to happen would you also try and save a few others? Sara is given the chance to change history. She is visited by an alien who is again the invasion on Earth. He tells her what she needs to do but it isn’t easy. Sara wants to save the boy she has always had a crush on and her close friends. She has re-lived armageddon over and over. She has to find a way to save what’s most important. Every time the outcome turns out differently but Sara needs to work out how to change fate.

Earth needs help but reaching out has consequences. Now Aliens have invaded earth. They are killing people and Earth is being taken over. This book is in the horror genres but there is some romance. It’s about survival and is supposed to get you thinking about what you would do. It’s an interesting idea and I like the acknowledgement section so don’t skip it!

The ending leaves room for a second instalment. 4 stars out of 5. It’s quick paced and creative. The romance is sweet and the Earth take over is gory.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

** Review can be found at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ **
Sara and her friends are just as excited as the rest of the world's population to see the Valiant space ship launch since it gives them hope for a better future. But when it launches, the alien invasion will begin which will wipe out almost everyone. But Sara already knows that, because she has lived this over and over again. With the help of a rebel alien, she has traveled through time to attempt to stop the death of the one person who can save humanity- her younger brother Gabe. If she can just save him, she can save the world.

I was really excited to discover that Valiant was a mix of time travel and aliens, two things that are almost never put together and bring me joy- it was kind of like Doctor Who but instead of the tardis there was a giant fiery beast and instead of a useful sonic screwdriver there was a deadly laser switchblade, and instead of feel good lessons there was destruction and violence- and basically everyone dies...ok, so not so much Doctor Who, but the time travel and aliens match up. And as all good alien invasion stories, this was very much a gritty survival book, full of death and gore as well as angst and overwhelming sorrow. Don't expect unicorns and rainbows here, but instead an intense non-stop action read that you will not want to put down until you reach the very end.

Valiant is the second book I have read by Merrie and she has proven that she can write mystery thrillers as well as science fiction equally as fantastic, the one thing she does especially well is making compelling, realistic characters no matter the plot. We have this normal, unassuming girl Sara, who basically has the weight of the world on her completely unprepared shoulders. She tries and plots and plans, but nothing goes right and she has to deal with the heart-wrenching consequences of her bad choices over and over again. Would you be able to keep going when everyone dear to you was murdered in front of your eyes- over and over? Yeah, that would be grounds for a mental break I think, but Sara has her big girl panties on and deals- and I appreciated that. The few times she has break downs and irrational behavior are warranted.

The ending had a lot of surprises as well as terrible shocks and a ton of unanswered questions. I really hope this is the first in a series because even if the battle may be over, the war has really just started.

4 1/2 stars

For the briefest of moments at the beginning of Valiant by Merrie Destefano, I was confused, but it didn’t matter because I was thrown on a roller coaster and clinging for dear life.

For most of the novel’s 304 pages, the action and tension do not let up. The reader is literally swishing through pages to find out what happens next.

The descriptions place the reader in the scene without huge amounts of exposition, which would have diluted the action.

At the beginning we meet Sara, her brother Gabe, and their friends, Justin, Natalie and Billy. All of them except for Sara die on the first day of the alien invasion. Sara, however, becomes a time traveler and has fifteen chances to make it right via the help of the Xua resistance (Xua is the name of the alien race). For Sara, that’s like groundhog day over and over, but more gruesome. On the second to last try, Sara’s Xua mentor is hurt, and she presumes he is dead so she has to try to get by on her own. This time she determines that she will do everything differently.

While I really enjoyed most of the novel, I was not a fan of the ending, which seemed a set up for a sequel and left strings untied, especially the introduction of a character whose name popped up a few times throughout the book. However, the ending was not enough to change my attitude.

If you’re a fan of YA dystopian novels, you might want to give this one a try. It’s fast paced and exciting.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see if there might be a sequel sometime in the future!

I blasted through this book in less than 24 hours. I have a couple of ARCS that I'm currently reading in preparation for their publishing dates in December, and I was a little nervous I wouldn't get through them in time. But I need not worry with Valiant! I couldn't put this down! The world building was easy enough since its based off of a realistic idea of a future world as we know it. Just one small difference being that Aliens have come and are planning on wiping out the entire human race. Its not exactly clear why the Xua hate humans so much but there is one thing we know for sure, Sara must save her brother Gabe from dying, and if she somehow manages this impossible feat then Earth will be saved. There's just one problem. Sara can't keep her brother from dying, even after the 14th do-over she still hasn't figured out how to save Earth. But with one last try at hand, she doesn't have any other choice but to make sure that this time counts.

I thought that even though there isn't a lot of explanation at first, the fact that it drops you right into the action was enough for me. I like to learn as I read about what the plot is rather than a huge info dump at first. And thankfully this book was all about the action. There really isn't a lot of down time, and with good reason! There's no time to rest with imminent death on the horizon! Mix some alien invasion with a little bit of time travel and you have action for days! Or I guess the same three days over and over.

The characters grew on me as the plot evolved. At first I wasn't sure who was who, but its easy enough to figure out after the prologue. I even found myself going back and rereading the prologue after I got into the story a little bit because it made more sense after I had an idea of what was going on. I was so caught up in this that I blew through half the book before I realized I had even read that much. The writing is easy to read and flows well from one scene to the next making it easy to get swept away in the words and feel like you are right there with the characters trying to survive. I like also that no one is safe. You always think when reading books that there's no way that the main characters can die, but in this book, no one is safe from death! In fact, you're just waiting for it to happen knowing that in this book, there's no way that they can all live. This gave me that edge of my seat nail biting tension that kept me flipping through the pages as fast as I could to find out what could possibly happen next.

I also really enjoyed that even though this is a sci-fi, it doesn't get too technical about the science side of things. All of the technology is pretty self explanatory and even as a science illiterate dummy I could follow the plot easily enough without having to reread sentences over and over for them to make sense to me. I appreciate this because who wants to get bogged down with the mechanics of how things work in the middle of a life or death scene!!? I sure don't! And luckily I didn't have to in this book. I was able to fly from one page to the next as if I was under attack by the Xua also. I found myself clamping my jaw shut to keep from being posessed, and even holding my breath hoping that nothing happened to the characters I grew so fond of!

This is a high action, fast paced, post-apocalyptic book you won't want to miss. With a 5th wave vibe mixed with a little invasion of the body snatchers, you won't know who to trust or what will happen next. I really hope that the author decides to continue this story with a sequel because I need to know if there will ever be a Happily Ever After!

Quite honestly, Valiant is one of the most intriguing and fast paced science fiction books I have read in a long time. Don't get me wrong I have read books that have had me feeling like I was a part of that world but Valiant had a different feel. From page one Valiant takes off and doesn't slow down for a moment. Valiant was a page turner that had me flying through the pages with my heart pounding to find out what was going to happen next.

I liked Sara's character a lot she was smart and insightful. Sara is an average teenage girl that is just trying to survive in the near future and keep her friends and family safe. Valiant was suppose to save the earth but instead it opened the door to the Xua invasion. But out of the millions of people in the world Sara's younger brother Gabe is the key to saving the world. In the first invasion Sara watches as all her friends die and Gabe is killed, but an Xua rebel rescues Sara and shows her the secret of time travel and soon Sara has relived the same horrible invasion over 14 times. This time this is the last time to save the world though and Sara will do everything in how power to keep Gabe and her friends alive. Even the boy she is finding herself falling in love with.

As much as I liked Valiant I do wish there was more world building. There are still a lot of questions about the world currently, where the Valiant was traveling too, where the Xua are exactly from. I also wish the genetic manipulation program that Justin was a part of before his birth was expanded upon, it peaked my interest. The whole book revolves around Sara and Gabe and keeping Gabe safe from the Xua who are hunting him. But you never actually learn why Gabe and Sara are so important to the Xua.

Besides the world building I really enjoyed Valiant. I found Sara to be a relatable character and I was easily able to put myself into her shoes. As I said from the first page to the last Valiant doesn't stop. Each page is action packed and full of twists and turns that will leave you entranced until the very last page. Considering the ending I am really eager to have my questions to answered in the next book. Book 2, where you at?

Valiant by Merrie Destefano
5⭐️

Thank you to netgalley and Entangled Teen for the review copy in exchange for an honest review

A Young Adult romantic science fiction fantasy read that starts off action packed from the very beginning. For fans of Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman, and also The 5th wave by Rick Yancey.

The Valiant has just taken off and so the end of the world has begun. Sarah has to save the world from an alien invasion but to do so she must save her little brother; Gabe. In the process of trying to save Gabe, Sara is thrown through time loop after time loop through portal mirrors until she does the exact event that could save the whole world. She must keep Gabe alive at least until morning.

With the alien invasion in full swing she puts it upon her self to try to protect as many humans as she can, from teaching them how to fight and use any weapons they can get their hands on. Just enough to try to save the human race.

I highly recommend this novel if you are in the mood for a fast pace science fiction.

I love this book. Pretty sure it's in the science fiction genre and I don't find that to be a common genre anymore, so it's very refreshing. I was only heartbroken that this book was unexpectedly part of a series when I expected a stand alone, but that just means they'll be able to go more in depth than previously expected and you'll definitely want this the more you read.

A book with a gorgeous cover and an interesting plot where we need to save one person that will save us all. I love those kinds of plots. Unfortunately I did not get a whole lot more from this book than this. I rarely rate books 1 star, and it feels harsh, but I didn’t enjoy any part of this book and I would be lying if I did. I only finished this as it is an arc and it was only 160 pages on my ereader.

The book starts us off with a prologue where our main character Sara, tells us about the invasion, about being contacted by one of the aliens who is in the resistance and how she accepts his help to save her brother. She went through 14 time travels where she failed. Than we get thrown into the story.

At that point I became confused because we got so little on the world building. This story is set in our future and apparently we are doing pretty bad because of another depression. But I’d like a bit more than that. There are also all kinds of technology that get thrown at us and that doesn’t really get explained all that well. Like skintags. I have no grasp on this future of us and since it isn’t too far into the future you’d think filling in the blanks for us wouldn’t be so hard.

The valiant, the ship that goes that launches on the day of the invasion, apparently triggers the invasion. How? Why? No answers. We know nothing of the Valiant except that it launched. But it is the title of the book… Why does Sara’s brother need to be saved? Where is the rest of the resistance? What does the Xua want? What did we do that they want to kills us all? How does the time travelling work? I have so many questions and I got answers to none of them.

Adding onto that, I don’t think the writing was stellar. There is a lot of tell and no show, the whole prologue being a prime example of that. It tries to be action packed but I was bored throughout reading the entire book. Romance also takes a bit of a centre stage but there was no real chemistry on the page. I didn’t care for any of the characters because they were so flat.