Wow. Wow, wow, WOW.
Talk about going out with a bang! Susan May Warren has, once again, outdone herself. I'm not what you'd call a thriller junkie, or a fan of action-driven spy and military stories--but if Susan May Warren writes them, gimme! Especially after this one, which was definitely the best in the Global Search and Rescue series.
This is when I would normally talk about the individual characters, the relationships, and so on--and all of that is great. But for perhaps the first time, the plot is what kept my pages turning and made me give this book a perfect rating. The plot is easily Susie's best-crafted, and kept me not only guessing, but racing through the book.
The plot of The Price of Valor takes risks I have never seen a Christian fiction book take. Maybe any book, but particularly a Christian one. Without spoiling anything, I never knew where Signe and Ham's relationship was going to go, or if it could survive. More than once, I said to myself, "There is no way in Heaven, on Earth, or under the earth, they can fix this." Throw in the red herrings and the doubts about Signe's story, and that element just got stickier. Yet, Susie handled it so well, every piece made sense. She wrote Signe as so relatable, determined, and vulnerable, that I never once thought she was a terrorist. As for Ham...yes, our swoon-worthy hero is back!
But before I get to the characters and other threads, I've got to brag on the plot a little bit more. First, The Price of Valor is easily the scariest Susan May Warren book I've read--and I've read 90% of her stuff. That plunge in the ancient lift, that toxic volcano cloud...I had an adrenaline rush right there in the safety of my bed. I never felt Ham and the rest of the team were unbelievable in their skills and stunts, but they did have me on the edge of my seat often. Couple that with the high-stakes relationships and--just how did I sleep, again?
Speaking of the relationships and characters, yes, gotta brag on them. Signe and Ham's relationship is possibly my favorite of the series (although Aria and Jake were amazing, so I'm unsure). I loved how Ham and Signe had known each other since they were kids, had such a rich history, and rescued each other in equal measure, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I especially applaud Susie for putting a twist on an old trope, giving the hero and not the heroine the Cinderella circumstances. With anybody but Ham, it wouldn't work, but he's manly enough that his vulnerabilities come across as human, not pathetic.
Additionally, I loved the scenes with Signe, Ham, and Aggie as a family, and the scenes in Deep Haven, brief though they were. I rooted for this family to make it, to find "normal," but the reason I did was because so much of their lives weren't "normal." More than any other book, Susan May Warren used this one to show that not everything can always be tied up in a pretty bow. The "American Dream" is a lot more complicated than we think, and sometimes it's not possible. But God...
Ah, yes, God. Yup, the spiritual threads are spot on, too. Valor's spirituality is both subtle and organic, and straight to the point. In a way, it's not subtle at all; characters talk openly about God, their faith, and refreshingly, the way faith intermingles with their doubts and past mistakes. But the spiritual thread is also organic because most of it simply exists in how the characters live their lives. They run more often than not, but God chases them, and they find nothing but His open arms when they finally trust. This was especially great for Signe because of her background and her complex choices, but I loved seeing everyone find God's love.
In short, if you haven't read this yet, grab a copy ASAP (although you might want to savor, as I did; I waited more than a week after the release date because I didn't want it to end). This is, again, Susie's best yet. I don't know how or if she'll top this--but I'm sure sticking around to find out.
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Thank you in advance to Revell (a division of Baker Books) for providing a complimentary review copy through Library Thing. A positive review was not required and all words are my own.“The Price of Valor” is the thrilling, high adventure conclusion to the Global Search and Rescue series that started in January with “The Way of the Brave”. Orion and Jenny’s story does get some conclusion in this book.This is Hamilton “Ham” Jones’ story, most of which was established in the prior book – “The Heart of a Hero”. Jake and Aria are present in this book with the hurricane being mentioned as well.Since some of the events referenced in this book were previously established in the two prior novels, it is best to read “The Way of the Brave” and “The Heart of a Hero” prior to reading this one. Those two books are how I was introduced to Warren’s suspense line. I do have a romance book of hers that I got for free but have yet to read.There is a mention of rape in this novel. This is an off-page, prior to the book’s beginning event. Readers sensitive to that subject might want to take caution when reading it.“The Price of Valor” is a multi-faceted, fast-paced, thrilling read set with a touch of international spy intrigue. Written intensely from the beginning with a natural disaster (volcano anyone?) to start things off, the pacing doesn’t stop thanks to Warren’s vivid and descriptive writing. It was definitely an exciting, thrilling, edge of seat intense read that produced some heart-stopping and head-whipping moments. There were a few issues with some past/present scene transitions which could be confusing though it doesn’t take away from the story.In addition to more of Jenny’s background being revealed, so too is Ham’s which is expected since this is his story.I was slow to get into this one for some reason, but as I stayed with it, it picked up and left me not wanting to put it down. Worse once it got halfway. I did find I liked it the best of the series, and it had far less technical language. As a Revell Reads reviewer for book one (#1) and winning book two (#2), I was eager to see how the series was going to end.There is a hot issue in this novel with the Russia/election deal and some readers might find this a bit too close to reality. And, it could seem like this novel has political undertones – which it does, to a point.The intensity of the intrigue and plot added to the enjoyment of this novel. It was slightly predictable which was Signe was going to turn. But, the author did her best to stir up quite a bit of doubt.Somewhat spoiler here – fans of the Montana Marshalls series (“Knox”, “Tate”, “Ford”, “Wyatt”, and “Ruby Jane”) will be glad to see the return of some of the main characters (Ford, and Ruby Jane), a mention of one (Knox) and a supportive one from that series (Scarlett) appears here as well.I enjoyed the Shakey’s Pizza reference as it was part of my childhood when I lived in California. I also enjoyed the “I Will Always Love You” (Dolly Parton) song inclusion as well.This story, unlike some, is not wrapped up in the matter of days or weeks; it does go about one (1) to two (2) months, which is pretty interesting. Usually stories that drag out that become boring and monotonous. Not this one. It is hard to tell a story such as this without rushing it or dragging it along. Warren obviously masters story telling in keeping this interesting.There is a lot of high-octane drama that seems natural with the series. I’m wondering what Warren has planned next and who next we’ll see.As it is distributed by a Christian/Faith themed publisher, there are loads of references to God, prayers, and lots of bible quotes. Though, given what Ham and his crew does for a living – this is to be expected.Fans of the author, the previous two books, and the Montana Marshalls series will more than likely enjoy this.As soon as I can save up the money, I’ll probably be adding “Knox”, “Tate”, “Ford”, “Wyatt”, and “Ruby Jane” to my library – they’re on the Amazon wish list for certain.
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