If swords, castles, fair maidens in distress and epic battles culminating in an enduring love that is both meaningful and satisfying is what you look for in books then Marlayne Giron’s The Victor will live up to your expectations.

Often some of the enjoyment of well-told stories comes from several elements that are present in successful books. Our willingness to suspend disbelief and submerge ourselves in King Eloth’s Camelot type-kingdom is based on the fact that The Victor is full of accurate and realistic detail that allows us to set our sights and imagination in the Kingdom of Ellioth. This contributes significantly to the page-turning feel that’s easy to experience in reading The Victor.  

Another of the story’s appeals is the timeless premise of an ancient and universal struggle for power that’s both personal and political. The Kingdom of Ellioth is ruled justly and compassionately by King Eloth, who strikes a distinctively Arthurian pose complete with a mysterious sword of power aptly named “Ephal.” The action begins when the king’s trusted servant and close friend Baron Lucius covets the power behind the throne, the sword Ephal, with the intention of supplanting the Crown Prince, Joshua, and eventually ruling Shiloh. 

 When the plot is discovered King Eloth demonstrates his compassionate judgment when he bans Lucius instead of putting him to death. Lucius does not sulk off quietly into the wilderness, but instead plots his return and revenge. While this is developing, the Crown Prince, Joshua, needs a wife and is betrothed at a young age to Llyonesse, the daughter of his older and foster brother, Ardon who is designated Steward of Shiloh until Joshua comes of age. After they are betrothed to Joshua her family shoves off on their own adventure across the seas as they travel to establish a new kingdom for Joshua.  It’s in Shiloh that Llyonesse earns her spurs as a worthy companion and despite the mortal difficulties she faces; she escapes and returns home to Ellioth to inform the king of the unfortunate developments in his distant kingdom. It’s after her return home that Joshua faces his romantic test and is forced to choose his enduring love. As an emotional moment it is one of the stronger events in the story. The climax is epic and universal and all I can tell you is that true love wins out.        

 If there is any weakness to the story that serious readers of medieval romances will most likely notice is that the good guys are really good, and the bad guys have few, if any, redeeming qualities.  What’s missing here is a fully developed Joshua that gives readers a deeper experience of characterization, complete with formidable obstacles to overcome such as festering doubts (even Jesus taught his followers that they should pray they don’t fall into temptation and he himself was severely tempted), personal adversaries, and conflicting ambitions.

 Aside from this The Victor is an engaging story that can be enjoyed on both a literal and allegorical level. There is no doubt that parallels exist between the elements of the story and biblical story of salvation. Part of the enjoyment for Christians will be how well those elements are dramatized. This is another compelling reason The Victor can be enjoyed by high schoolers, casual readers, and the meticulous romance story lover.  

 John DeSimone