Shak is anything but a simple soldier with a clear-cut mission in life. He’s consumed with the relentless need for revenge against a man who was once his best friend. But that obsession is far from his only. Shak can’t forget he’d abandoned two helpless children during a battle. Though the deed that he can’t forgive himself for happened in the past, far from changing, he can’t get past it…until his grandmother, a witch, offers him the chance to redeem the dishonorable act. 

Those same children he’d left to their fate are in dire straits. To rescue them, he must travel to the mysterious and treacherous Crystal Valley and then find a way to get them back where they belong. Further complicating his life, the Crystal Valley holds a secret that threatens two armies, and Shak alone can save them. With an unequivocal mission staring him in the face, he discovers his enemy is close by–actually following him–and vengeance could at last be his. 

At a crossroads, he has no choice but to determine which task he’ll undertake… and which to give up forevermore.

Stories from the Vale is a novel I was desperate to read ever since discovering it and caught my attention right away thanks to its description which alludes to mysterious place and dangerous world and race against time which intrigued me. Now and then a reader will come across that one book that blows them away, it is a somewhat generic term, but that is what Stories from the Vale did to me. That is why I am already going to recommend Stories from the Vale to you lovely readers, and yes, it may be early on in my review, but Stories from the Vale is a novel not to be missed!

Stories from the Vale for me was thrilling, captivating and addictive right from the start and I felt this from beginning to end. Stories from the Vale was captivating to me from the start thanks to the unique premise of the story and the bewitching literature courtesy of the author, Kathy Ann Trueman who from the start hooked me with her unique story that was unlike anything I have read before. It is rare to find a refreshing fantasy novel, and it is even more challenging to discover a fantasy story that does not rely on gimmicks and ridiculous action sequences! Stories from the Vale does have action-packed moments; however, they are tasteful and in no way gimmicky which is always fantastic in a book!

Stories from the Vale is a breathtaking novel that will introduce the reader to the star of the book, Shak. The reader will follow Shak on his many highs and lows throughout this book as he goes on a journey unlike no other. Shak is a man who wants one thing, revenge. Shak wants to seek revenge on a man he once called his best friend but events made him his enemy. However this is not all that Shak wants, Shak wants to escape his past and right his wrongs, especially regarding his past and a couple of children he could not save. This forces him to embark on a dangerous journey across Crystal Valley to redeem himself, and this book lovers is the premise of the incredible Stories from the Vale!

The premise of Stories from the Vale is exceptional, original and unlike anything I have read before. I loved the many themes and elements explored throughout the book, and all themes are explored by Trueman wonderfully, and she does this by lacing these interesting themes throughout the text flawlessly and weaving them with the story. The result of this makes Stories from the Vale a highly addictive and fascinating read that is never once lackluster or predictable.

Kathy Ann Trueman is a phenomenal writer who knows how to grasp her reader’s attention from the first page. Trueman instead of writing long, drawn-out builds up which are commonly found in fantasy novels, decides to ditch this approach and thrust her reader into the heart of the story straight away so that the reader is instantly captivated and immersed.

Kathy Ann Trueman is not only a brilliant writer for her ability to captivate the reader’s attention straight away, but she is also an excellent author for her ability to lace exceptional twists and turns throughout her story that genuinely had me shocked at points! The combination of Trueman’s shocking twists and her explanatory powers will immerse the reader in the story and make them be able to visualize every detail, no matter how small. This writing approach is one of my favorites because it makes the reader feel included in the story and make the reader feel as if they are in the same situation as the protagonists of the novel.

Overall Stories from the Vale is a thrilling, compelling and thought-provoking novel that will easily entertain readers for many days and nights and so I, of course, have to award this stellar gem of a book five stars! If you are a reader who loves fantasy then I implore you to read Stories from the Vale; it is a fast-paced, action adventure that should not be missed so have a read of the preview below and get reading!

Thank you so much for reading book lovers! I appreciate it so much, I love discussing wonderful books with all of you so please comment below and let me know your thoughts. Do you see yourself reading this book? Do you love the genre? Please let me know your brilliant thoughts below and I will be sure to comment back. Thank you so much again for reading!

Goodbye for now book lovers,

P.S. Here is a preview of the book for all of you lovely readers to enjoy! Please have a read of the preview and if you find that you have loved what you have read then all you need to do is follow the links below!

Below I have attached some links about the author and this wonderful book so if you would like to learn more about the author and the book then please have a browse. Thank you so much again for reading book lovers, I can’t wait to read your thoughts on this book!

Amazon U.S. – Amazon U.K. – Goodreads

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