Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
A hunt for a traitor. A desperate search for salvation. An uncovered secret that could destroy everything they hold dear.

Victory over an unstoppable barbarian horde and the salvation of an allied clan are distant memories for Aravon and his Grim Reavers. Now, they have a single objective: unmask the turncoat selling vital information to the enemy, and bring to justice the one guilty of murdering Aravon’s mentor and surrogate father.

The noble quest throws the specially-trained champions directly in the path of a rampaging force of ruthless enemies. Scrambling to defend a precarious position, Aravon and his companions must rely on the courage and skill of mysterious masked warriors guarding a secret treasure.

But even with their forces bolstered, the soldiers have little hope of survival…much less victory.

Can Aravon defeat overwhelming odds to protect his people, or is his mission doomed to end in failure and death?

Steel and Valor is the third book in the epic Silent Champions military fantasy series. If you like intricate tactics, thrilling battle scenes, and brave soldiers fighting to their last breath, then you’ll love Andy Peloquin’s gripping series.

Buy Steel and Valor to join the war against the savage invaders today!


In The Silent Champions series:

Book 1: Shields in Shadow
Book 2: Battle for Peace
Book 3: Steel and Valor
Book 4: Courage to Sacrifice
Book 5: Ragged Heroes -- (companion novel)
Book 6: The Last March -- (companion novel)

828 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 29, 2019

199 people are currently reading
123 people want to read

About the author

Andy Peloquin

89 books1,289 followers
I am, first and foremost, a storyteller and an artist--words are my palette. Fantasy is my genre of choice, and I love to explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of fantasy heroes, villains, and everything in between. I'm also a freelance writer, a book lover, and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about my fascination for the worlds I encounter in the pages of fantasy novels.

Fantasy provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle--it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand new way. Fiction at its very best!

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
148 (60%)
4 stars
75 (30%)
3 stars
19 (7%)
2 stars
4 (1%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for kartik narayanan.
766 reviews231 followers
July 31, 2020
This series is like a dirty dozen/ guns of navarone type military themed fantasy. I liked Shields in Shadow so much that I ended up binge reading the entire quadrilogy. There are shades of Richard Sharp in the main character when it comes to the relentless fighting and moving from one dire situation to the another. The series has a satisfying ending too which is rare in this kind of fiction. The one criticism I have is its immense length - I feel that half of the books could have been cut away to keep the series nice and tight.
Profile Image for Lana.
2,767 reviews59 followers
September 22, 2019
I have been blown away by this massive book not just for its length, but for the greatness of our heroes. The Grim Reavers, the wolf pack, chosen by the Prince himself, seven in number, a Seiomenn, a Secret Keeper, a Scout, an Agrotora, a Lieutenant, a Strong Man and their Leader, seven silent champions who fought with all their might to save the Princelands, watched from above by their courageous Snarl, Aravon’s enfield. All of them have different abilities which when teamed together were undefeatable. They fought to free their lands of the invaders, the Eirdklrs who hated those who they considered to be half-man and who fought with grim brutality and wreaked havoc on unarmed civilians be these women, children, the aged and the infirm, they had no pity as they burned and looted every village they encountered. However our heroes found out that these were not their worst enemy, there was a traitor in the midst of Icespire itself, someone close to the Prince who knew every step they would take before they even took it and who was conspiring with the enemy. After facing so many deaths of people he loved Aravon vowed he would find this traitor to Prince and Country, and make him pay but the cost paid was a high one. I love the way our group always found time to bolster each other up when their past caught up with them. This book is one of the most heroic epic sagas I have ever read, grim dark fantasy at its very best, with death defying battle scenes, fought with sword aided by some magic but mostly through courage and loyalty between friends and comrades in arms. Even when their hearts where breaking, our group of heroes always put their mission, and the safety of the Princelands and its people, before their own desires and their own families. This is book 3 in the series which I believe all who love epic sagas should read, I cannot praise this book highly enough yet I fear I am doing it an injustice!
Profile Image for ShannaBanana✨.
548 reviews40 followers
January 3, 2022
First book of 2022 and first review done ✅ This was a super long book but it was non stop action from start to finish with a lot of heartache in there too. The banter and camaraderie between our Silent Champions is awesome and gives us some humor during so much turmoil. We meet some new characters that I found very interesting and the traitor is revealed! Now, I’m off to start the next book! Happy reading!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
85 reviews1 follower
September 23, 2019
Loved reading this book. The battles were amazing. I love seeing how the Captain Envalar comes up with crazy ideas that make perfect sense, or Belthar pulls a trick out of his past to get them through. I couldn't help thinking the antagonist was working on the Sage's behalf, once the team figured out the scheming involved. The best part of this book was seeing how the Lady of Blades came to be and how Killian was hurt. "Seeing" them in Icespire with Issa's "grandparents" AND the Hunter of Voramis was amazing! I loved seeing familiar faces in this. Andy wrote the Hunter well enough, short changed Illana, then gave us the Heirs of Destiny and each time I was hoping he would further develop those characters and their story. However, this is by far my favorite "series," if you will. Absolutely loved this one!!!
1,302 reviews4 followers
February 8, 2023
Wow, what a great book. There is non stop action as the Grim Reapers basically solve one problem after another. You learn more about the characters back stories and the problems that happen because of it. This is a long book 800+ pages and it took me longer than normal to read it probably because of some of the names, I slowed down to figure out how to pronounce them. My only complaint is sometimes the descriptions of both the heroes and the enemy are repetitive. Definitely recommend this series
Profile Image for Carolyn.
110 reviews1 follower
October 16, 2019
I received this book as an ARC.

Finished up Steel and Valor...and WOW! Just WOW!!!! This the third book in the series, and it just keeps getting better! The story of Aravon and his team as they race their way towards a traitor and a hoard of giant tribesmen that want nothing but kill everyone in their path.
If you love tactical battle scenes and going against all odds, then you'll love this book and series. I love the way Andy Peloquin writes about the soliders point of view, insight of each member of the team and those they meet along the way. The people, the culture and their enemies. Andy writes a tale that encompasses all the readers senses.. intrigue, adventure, heartbreak, the essence of survival as they depend on each other in order to survive. The way the author sneaks in little tidbits of the other characters that live in the same world...like The Hunter of Voramis ❣
Andy Peloquin has created a place..a world that the reader can and will become immersed in...the characters and what each and everyone of them gave up, left behind or walked away from in order to save their way of life and the world they live in. These characters will become unforgettable to the reader or they did to this reader. Things happen that make you want to swear, hold your breath and just smack the crap of one them for the idiot things they do in order to save the other members.

I Absolutely love this series ❣❣ Andy Peloquin, writes such an action packed, intense and heart pounding tale! I really can't wait for the next book..! This is a must read for anyone who loves military fantasy!
Profile Image for Noxwitchbooklife.
863 reviews12 followers
March 5, 2020
Just as epic if not more so now the going is getting so tough as the first two.

Great epic military fantasy book by the very talented writer Andy Peloquin.
818 reviews3 followers
November 22, 2019
Book 3

Book 3 had a few errors and was a fun read. The characters and plot have developed well. There was repetitive information that dragged the book to be very long and winded, but overall was fun. The plot was exciting and the characters well done. I look forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Alyssia Cooke.
1,418 reviews38 followers
June 30, 2022
Once again, Aravon and his little band of irregulars are thrown into death-defying situation after death-defying situation, the circumstances surrounding them becoming ever more dire and treacherous as they move from one conflict to another. With Aravon on the hunt for the traitor putting his country and everything he holds dear at risk, I was expecting a book filled with political machinations and dastardly plots. Well, there is some of that. But there's a whole lot more of the raging battle scenes, hopeless odds, inventive solutions and last stands involved.

That is perhaps my only niggle with the book; much like Shields in Shadow, there was an edge of repetitiveness here. It's an absolutely huge book and some of the desperate fight scenes could certainly have been cut short without hurting the plot development or the character development, whilst making it a tighter read. However, the sheer length of the novel means that whilst there are a huge amount of slashing, hacking, slicing and magical tricks, there's more than enough meat on the bones to satisfy.

Once more, the character development here is superb and the relationships between the band of irregulars only continues to grow and build. Each have strengths and weaknesses, and the bonds build between them are stronger than steel. The depictions of each characters personal struggles felt real; each of them have something niggling in the back of their heads from their past and the novel slowly but inexorably draws out the secrets and fears of failure of each and every character.

All in all, another excellent novel in the series, although very heavy on the death-defying battle scenes. There's still a lot of character development here and it would be impossible not to be drawn along by it. There are some really moving scenes, at least one of them nearly moved me to tears on public transport so thanks for that... There is some world-building, furthering what we already know from the first two books and I really appreciated being taken 'back' to Icespear, regardless of the personal cost to the characters. There are also a introductions to characters who play significant roles in Peloquin's other series which is quite cool.

I'm thoroughly looking forward to the final instalment in this series.
Profile Image for Matt.
164 reviews
February 12, 2021
Corpses clad in heavy black armor lay among the fur-clad savages, fingers locked around throats, gauntlets stained with blood clawed from eyes, mouths, and faces. Sickle-shaped khopeshes and seven-sided shields discarded beside bloodstained axes, clubs, and spears. Barbarian and mainlander, Eirdkilr and Shalandran, intertwined in death.

Steel and Valor is very close to being as good as its predecessor, but just slightly misses the mark. The hallmarks of the series are there - the great characterization, the writing and the brutal action is all intact. Why is this not as good as Battle for Peace? The book suffers slightly from idea bloat, that doesn't mean the content isn't enjoyable, but by the time you get to end you are just yearning for the plots' resolution. There are sections that could have been cut and the novel wouldn't have suffered (*Minor Spoiler* Theres a battle involving a mine, which seriously just drags on).

Otherwise a good book, 4/5
Profile Image for Lara R..
380 reviews10 followers
July 26, 2024
This installment in the series made me go through all possible emotions. I was sobbing more than once, felt rage and laughed out loud a lot of times.

It feels as if the characters have become friends I care for and this is something I highly appreciate in fantasy books.
Andy Peloquin wrote them with so much detail and depth, I sometimes had to hit the pause button just to get my emotions under control. I wouldn't have been able to focus on the story otherwise.

My book boyfriend (The Hunter of Voramis🥰) made a short appearance as well.

The action here was never-ending and my headphones were glued to my ears. Sweaty palms, cries of rage and tears in my eyes? Yes, yes and yes!

Read this series, it is absolutely worth your time.
Profile Image for Scott.
1,484 reviews12 followers
August 15, 2020
Great Action

This is probably the best for action yet as the battles and grit shown make this great reading with quite a few twists.
The characters have come to life and the Grim Reavers have become known to do the impossible as with rach challenge the odds and the quality of writing improve.
Profile Image for Geri Winney.
283 reviews6 followers
October 4, 2020
Will I ever not tear up when common folks answer a call to arms, and everyone from street thugs to grey beards fight side by side? Never.

Will I ever not get goosebumps when someone says "it was a pleasure serving with you" with words or a look, right before an epic battle? Never.

Epic military fantasy, indeed!
20 reviews
November 22, 2024
Wonderful

I love these books. They can get long winded sometimes when telling about a battle but they're great people doing only the right things to save there fellow man.
I would recommend this to anyone who who enjoys epic military fantasy.
Profile Image for Bertha Alicia .
649 reviews57 followers
March 11, 2020
Amazing!
One of the things I love of this book are the cameos of some characters from the other series written by Mr. Peloquin. It was very interesting to read about those characters!
In this book, our heroes are trying to discover the name ot the traitor. The only lead is that felon must be one of the members of the high society from the Princelands, and to find who is the person that ordered the murder of Duke Dyrund, Aravon and his Grim Reavers must go to Icespire, where more danger is waiting for them.
And the traitor is... Oh, c'mon! Buy the book and read it to know who the traitor is! I just can say that this is one of the biggest surprises you'll find in this book.
65 reviews
March 16, 2020
Third book in the series

I have read the two books prior to this. I was excited to find the 3rd volume. Again our little band of soldiers are all that stand in the way of the traitor . I will next be reading volume FOUR.
Profile Image for Shivani McFarland.
294 reviews2 followers
October 20, 2019
The amazing saga continues and this book is like getting two stories for one. What I like most about Mr Peloquin's writing is the empathy he puts into his characters. Any great team has a great leader and with that comes the understanding of each team member. Just like in the work world or on the field in hand to hand combat the loyalty and organization is due to that loyalty and team leadership. You see that Captain Aravon has a great understanding for his team, their strengths and his ability to help them move past their weakness and create team sharing. The knowledge and intensity in which he writes shows in the hand to hand combat scenes, it made me reflect upon what so many WWI, WWII, Korean, on up to present day veterans have experienced. Mr. Peloquin's books may seem gory and it's just a story, but I can't help but think what the men and women in our military go through each day for our freedom. That being said I enjoy these books immensely as the author weaves such a wonderful story in the well built world of his creation. I am so intimately drawn into each characters' pains and loss. I feel each sword strike and loss of friend fighting beside them and the respect Captain Aravon earns from those who question his authority and I try to figure out how will they get out of the impossible situations they are thrown into. My favorite part is the battle at the mine Wow, just Wow and we get to know so much more about Belthar, my favorite character, and yes I cried near the end. There is no disappointment in reading Steel and Valor only praises for the 3rd book in the series, my new favorite.....I Love This Book!!!
Profile Image for R.
360 reviews5 followers
October 29, 2019
This story is truly magnificent!
I cried more times reading this book than I ever have, even when watching Titanic!

The deaths and the tragedy in the aftermath of battle touched me deeply. I felt some of the pain that these ficticious characters were feeling. A most surreal experience.

As I was reading the story, the excitement in the action scenes had my pulse throbbing and my muscles twitching!
I felt myself fighting along with those who battled for their lives; at one point I was so engrossed in the book that my lunch went cold as I read on, seeing only the film playing inside my head. This book is so well written that it melded with my reality to such a degree that after one particularly impressive fight scene, I looked up from my tablet expecting to find corpses all around me. Instead I found my living room devoid of blood, guts and gore. For a moment I was honestly confused, because the book felt so life like that i truly couldn't figure out what was, in fact, real. It was a very powerful feeling

I have found that books that can do that to me, end up living long in my memory. I am certain that this one will be no different.

How does one describe a book like this. Words like, amazing, impressive, and engrossing all come to mind.

I think the very best words I can use to describe this book, would be; utterly immersive, and very hard to put down.
272 reviews5 followers
October 29, 2019
Received this as in arc.
Another masterful book by Andy. Here we have intrigue, excitement, tactics, despair, unimaginable decisions, swords, shields, axes, spears, bows, blood, death, guilt. The Grim Reavers are busy trying to find the traitor in their mists, trying to keep people alive, trying to keep themselves alive. They rely on their camaraderie, the strong points each of the Grim Reavers give towards team. Will they find the traitor? Will they come out in one piece whilst fighting the Eirdkilrs? Will they stay strong as a team? Fantastic read.

Merged review:

Received as an arc
A phenomenal continuation to Andy's two previous book in this series. The Grim Revers are busy trying to find a traitor in their mists, trying to keep themselves and others alive. They rely on their camaraderie with one another and their own set of special skills they bring to their small team. In this book you will find intrigue, excitement, tactics, despair, unimaginable decisions, sword, shields, axes, spears,maces, bows, blood, death, guilt, magic, determination.
383 reviews10 followers
November 3, 2019
Author Peloquin did it again!

This third book in the series continues the breakneck action, plotting, double-crossing, astonishing planning, odds breaking, and just plain awesome Military Fantasy that I've come to expect of him.

Captain Snarl and company continue to battle against near impossible odds. I say near because with this crew, nothing is impossible! Team reliance and interaction is an integral part of the story as is the fact that each member can work on his or her own as well. Don't ask me to choose a favorite, I can't!

Please read the first books in the series before this one as each book builds on the last.

A truly enjoyable read.

I was gifted a copy of the book and have chosen to review it.
Profile Image for Tabitha Ormiston-Smith.
Author 53 books59 followers
November 4, 2019
This new instalment in the Silent Champions saga is the most gut-clenchingly exciting yet, and I was literally on the edge of my seat time after time. Several times I caught myself actually holding my breath as I read. For all the grainy authenticity of the battle scenes, though, never does the work cross the line into splattergore; Peloquin treads the fine line between 'enough' and 'too much' with the grace of a highwire dancer.

The action, thrilling as it is, however, was not my favourite thing in the book. No, that accolade goes, as always, to the thoughtful exploration of human themes; in the instant work of coping with grief, and with rejection in all its forms.

I have been following this writer's career since its beginning, and he just goes from strength to strength.
138 reviews
November 28, 2019
Like all of his books (most of which I have read), I enjoyed this book a lot. I did feel it was overly long and would probably have been better divided into two books; one about events below the Chain and the other about events above the Chain. It did have a lot of battles; however, for me they seemed to become a little repetitive in the specifics. I guess there are only so many ways Aravon can us his staff to kill or injure an opponent. This being said, please don't let my opinions keep you from reading the book and entire series. The characters are well thought out and the plotting excellent, as usual. On to Book Four in the series.
2 reviews
October 29, 2019
I was not warned that I might get as emotional involved with the plot and the characters in all four books in this series. Mr Peloquin writes in such a way that you are not just the reader, he draws you in and makes you feel as if you are one of the Grim Reapers. Feeling the highs and the lows of every discovery and every battle. Andy Peloquin is an amazing writer. If you ever see a book with his name on, Grab it, start reading it,and don't worry if you don't have time to read. Once you start reading,you can't put the book down.
634 reviews17 followers
November 2, 2019
This is another great read by Andy Peloquin! And this is going to be a fairly short review because I don’t know what else to say other than how much I loved it! I don’t want to give away any spoilers. Basically the Grim Reavers are searching for a traitor while still fighting a war with the barbarians. It’s full of action and mystery and, as usual, the world building and character development is stellar! Definitely worth the read!

I received an ARC from the author and I’m voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Profile Image for Patti.
1,502 reviews13 followers
October 29, 2019
Overall rating:5

Once again this epic tale has kept me at the edge of my seat. The pull on my emotions through this gut wrenching storyline is staggering! When a reader seeks out new authors to grab their attention, this one is now my go to referral. A true must read for any that crave the trials and tribulations of fantasies in epic proportions! This tale has me almost afraid to read the next book, yet it is a guarantee that I must! All my reviews are always voluntarily written.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
418 reviews2 followers
October 20, 2019
Wow! Non-stop action! The Grim Reavers need to get the Duke’s body back to Icespire and identify & stop the traitor, without being killed first! Great character development and several nods other Peloquin series. Absolutely fabulous! A great story, told well, and wrapped up nicely. I look forward to Captain Snarl & companies next adventure and wish them the best of luck!
776 reviews2 followers
November 10, 2019
Wow, wow and wow again. If you liked the previous two, you will absolutely love this one. I trifle longer this time but worth every second. I have read a lot books by this author but this has to go down as his best yet by far. Action and intrigue all the way. Unputdownable. Highly recommended must read.
271 reviews2 followers
January 7, 2020
Too much of a good thing?

I’m quite interested to find out what is going on but, found myself fed up with war. There was just too much, I need to read something different before I go to book #3. As ever a good story, well told but - personally, I can only take so many battles......
201 reviews2 followers
October 30, 2019
As always Andy delivers an extraordinary story. He’s such a great storyteller. I read all his books. Excellent writer, the best characters, full of action & adrenaline. It has it all. Wonderful job. I received a copy and voluntary leaving a review.
Profile Image for Alan Behan.
736 reviews18 followers
November 20, 2019
Wow, what a bloody series, my blood pressure will never be the same again and there is still more to come, Andy Peloquin reels you with epic battles and good Oul comadarie between soldiers, absolutely amazing edge of the seat stuff... highly recommend..💙
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.