Ripley of Valor had been on my to-read list ever since I spotted artwork for it on social media. I wasn't even sure what to expect, other than seeing those exciting images play out with more context. As of writing this, I have just reached the final page.

This story is a generational period piece that is grounded in reality. We start off with a strong opening plays out as a short story in itself involving Ripley's parents and provides a clear window of the times and environment. It does a good job in setting up several things to come and expect, in addition to allowing the reader to understand more about Ripley before her own story plays out.

We then finally see Ripley grow up into a strong woman who is forced to endure many hardships of being a woman during these times. This eventually culminates into her goal of being accepted into the military. While Ripley of Valor doesn't offer much in terms of large battles (more on that later), it does touch deeply into the protagonist's inner struggle and determination to overcome the odds. Even when all hope is lost, she continues to persist. A sort of medieval Rocky if you will. Ripley's perseverance doesn't change her, but also inspires the people around her. The author does a great job at keeping up the suspense, particularly towards the last few chapters where I really questioned what kind of outcome was going to happen.

I also want to comment that the presentation of this book is incredible. From the cover, the artwork, and other little touches make this feel like a premium product. As an author who has recently published his own story, I am very envious and believe this sets the bar for the next book I write. You can tell everybody who contributed to this story all believed and want it to succeed. There was a price drop or sale at the time I got it, but the full price is definitely worth it. With that said, I pledge to pre-order this author's next book to help support and make up for not picking this up earlier.

As far as any negatives. There are a few, but perhaps more so as suggestions rather than deep criticisms. Sometimes the author will insert small historical facts into the narrative. For example, he will describe a character as suffering from some kind of medical condition and then mention how that condition wasn't diagnosed into centuries later. These facts are interesting, but can also take the reader out of it. I would have probably preferred an annotation or glossary at the back of the book to and keep the perspective from the time period rather than insert the present day context.

Outside of that, I really don't have any complaints with this book. I would suggest this to any fans of the time period and in particular women who are looking for a more realistic and down to Earth heroine.

Going back to what I said about the absence of large battles, there are things that suggest this is only the beginning of Valor. I will be interested in seeing where the author takes things going forward.