Valour And Vanity

by Mary Robinette Kowal

Hardcover, 408 pages

English language

Published Nov. 6, 2014 by Tom Doherty Associates Books.

ISBN:: 978-0-7653-3416-9

(7 reviews)

Acclaimed fantasist Mary Robinette Kowal has enchanted many fans with her beloved novels featuring a Regency setting in which magic--known here as glamour--is real. In Valour and Vanity, master glamourists Jane and Vincent find themselves in the sort of magical adventure that might result if Jane Austen wrote Ocean's Eleven.

After Melody's wedding, the Ellsworths and Vincents accompany the young couple on their tour of the continent. Jane and Vincent plan to separate from the party and travel to Murano to study with glassblowers there, but their ship is set upon by Barbary corsairs. It is their good fortune that they are not enslaved, but they lose everything to the pirates and arrive in Murano destitute.

Jane and Vincent are helped by a kind local they meet en route, but Vincent is determined to become self-reliant and get their money back and hatches a plan to do so. …

Jane and Vincent are helped by a kind local they meet en route, but Vincent is determined to become self-reliant and get their money back and hatches a plan to do so. But when so many things are not what they seem, even the best laid plans conceal a few pitfalls. The ensuing adventure is a combination of the best parts of magical fantasy and heist novels, set against a glorious Regency backdrop.

This description comes from the publisher. Valour and Vanity is the fourth book in the Glamourist Histories, the first of which is Shades of Milk and Honey.

2 editions

Alex Keane reviewed Valour And Vanity by Mary Robinette Kowal (Glamourist Histories)

Review of 'Valour And Vanity' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I love how Kowal writes her characters. The relationships are all so important to how the plot advances. And they get strained for sure, but she definitely shows how "love triumphs" through sheer stubbornness and refusal to be broken.

I also love the cons and reverse cons in the book. It's a regency fantasy heist novel, which is something I didn't know I wanted but was absolutely fantastic in its execution. Attacks by pirates, husband and wife plotting, post-Napoleonic European politics, it's all here. And done so well.

Yashima reviewed Valour And Vanity by Mary Robinette Kowal (Glamourist Histories)

Review of 'Valour And Vanity' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I had stopped reading the series on book #3 because I didn't enjoy that one so much, and found it was too light for my taste. So this one I used as a palate cleanser after a series of heavy sci-fi books. I finished it quickly and enjoyed my return to Jane and Vincent more than I expected. Their travels take them to Venice and Murano this time, and we get to meet Lord Byron along the way.

It's the Oceans 11 of the series - the central plot is a heist. I liked the way the heist crept up on me. I had not read any blurbs on the book though I remember now that it was mentioned on Writing Excuses a couple of times. And I think the heist and counter-heist were reasonably well executed but not comparable with the likes of Locke Lamora.

The romantic theme between Jane and Vincent remains strong, so I would probably not recommend this for anyone but fans of romance with a dash of history and fantasy. This remains light reading. As such it was entertaining and provided a good story. If you liked any of the first three books this will be a good read.

This is definitely not an Islay whisky. Most likely I'd drink a Cragganmore 12yo with this - if I had one - herbal, flowery with just enough smokiness to remind me of the bad weather (it rains a lot in this book).