Heart of Valor [Hardcover]

L. J. Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 1990 | Age Level: 10 and up

When their friend, sorceress Morgana Shee, embarks on a mission to recover the Heart of Valor, a ruby giving the possessor almost limitless power, four children already in serious danger pursue her to offer their help. Sequel to "Night of the Solstice."

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7-- California is the setting for this sequel to Night of the Solstice (Macmillan, 1987), which combines Arthurian legend and original fantasy. Thia Pendriel, a power-hungry sorceress from the Wildworld, awakens the great magician Merlin; Alys, Charles, Janie, and Claudia must once again help the sorceress Morgana defend the world. Smith's imaginative reworking of legend casts Merlin not as a sage, but as an unscrupulous trickster. She exhibits a sure touch with children's thoughts and feelings, and the opening scene in Claudia's third-grade classroom will draw readers quickly into the story. In the beginning, Merlin's story is entwined with the children's through Alys' dreams. The magical beings from the Wildworld are part of a third plot strand, which is less well realized than the other two. For this reason, the coming together of these elements in a pyrotechnic display of magical power at the climax does not live up to the promise of earlier pages and may leave readers with unanswered questions. --Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

L.J. Smith is the NYT Bestselling author of the Night World series.  She has written over twenty-five books and lives in California.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 227 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (November 30, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0027858618
• ISBN-13: 978-0027858617
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,593,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Let's see, I've known that I wanted to be a writer since I was about six, when a teacher praised a horrible poem I'd written. I wrote my first book in high school, finishing it in my first year of college. Then I became a special ed teacher before I was able to become a writer full-time. That's about it!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book, July 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Heart of Valor (Hardcover)

This book is the sequel to L.J. Smith's first book, "The Night of the Solstice." In it, four siblings come together to help the sorceress Morgana Shee, who is the only hope of their world's safety. I enjoyed this book more than the first one because it combines Arthurian lore, other legends, and an original plot, which is a talent L.J. Smith has continued to show in her more recent books. Unlike her recent Night World series, these books were more for children than young adults, and focus more on fantasy than romance. They are wonderfully simple, with an easy-to-follow format, but contain things that even adults can enjoy. Unfortunately, relationships and characters, especially the underused Morgana, are not explored very deeply, but this book is perfect for readers of any age...especially fans of magic and legends.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This was an absolutely thrilling book., February 18, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Pennsylvania,USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heart of Valor (Paperback)

I read the whole book in a matter of 3-4 hours, I just couldn't put it down! I'm dissapointed that I could never (and still can't) find one single copy of Night of the Solstice. I have read Heart of Valor a countless number of times. L.J. Smith is the only adolescent author that I buy and read their books nowadays (I'm 16, but I started reading adult novels when I was 7). That is really something too, and I give all of her books that I have read great! reviews.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A terrific book, but not quite as good as the first one., October 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Heart of Valor (Hardcover)

I liked this book a lot because it was very believable. I admire most of the characters, especially Janie, because they are very good examples, but they're not perfect. My favorite part was the trial before the Council and I think that particular scene was the most thrilling scene in the whole book, although nothing too gruesome or sensational happened. I loved the ending, although I cannot give any reasons why because they would give it away. However, it does a lot of explaining in the text, and I was a bit disappointed about that, because in the first book most of the explaining was in the dialogue. I appreciate this style more because it makes everything clear without boring the reader at all. Not that I think the sequel was boring! It is definitely one of my favorite books, but nonetheless, I like Night of the Solstice better than its successor.