Valor (Rogue Hunter #5) by Kevis Hendrickson

Valor (Rogue Hunter #5) Reviews

• 
  Trang Tran

  Being a bounty hunter is never easy, Zyra is assigned to one of her biggest mission yet to repay her boss Lawrence. The book is a full package of action but something was lacking for me. Considering the this was the 5th book in a series and I didn't have any context while reading it, it was quite hard for me to feel the world building. I think more details about that aspect would be nice. You can expect everything in this science fiction universe : laser fights, space ships explosion, etc. Some scenes were relatable and realist which I liked. But other than that, there was nothing that really impresses me. I think it's an enjoyable and a light read.
  
  Thank you to the author for giving me a free e-book copy in exchange for an honest review.
  Trang - Book Blogger and Book reviewer
  
  http://bookidote.wordpress.com
• 
  Ratrilyn

  Valor drops the reader into action right away as bounty hunter Zyra Zanr's past catches up to her in violent fashion. Captured by one Lawrence Murphy, she is given ninety days to pay back her debt or die in spectacular fashion.
  
  This is the fifth book in the Rogue Hunter series. I haven't read the previous installments and as a first introduction to Zyra, I struggled to keep up. Although some of the other reviewers seem to have had no trouble with Valor as a standalone, it didn't work as well for me without the context of the rest of the series to fall back on. In particular, character relationships seemed to come with an assumed background. Who is Murphy and why exactly does Zyra owe him? How did he capture her? Would her time be better spent trying to find someone else who can remove the nanites rather than playing Murphy's game? Jack and Jaxa also seem like characters that should be familiar and thus their connections to Zyra are never truly explained.
  
  If the summary sounds like something you're interested, I would probably recommend beginning with the first book in the series so you can fully appreciate the context and background to the events of this book.
  
  Unfortunately, I dnf Valor. This review is based off of the first 139 pages (out of 329). Hopefully, my experience will help someone else who might be on the edge in trying to make a decision.
  
  Characters
  * I enjoyed the Helship-II, Zyra's sassy and stubborn custom ship. Although she didn't have a voice, her personality came through in her interactions with Zyra and Jaxa, adding a nice element of humor.
  * I also thought the initial scene between Zyra and Jack was well done. Later, after she betrays him and regrets it, he doesn't forgive her immediately, although they work together. The progression of their relationship felt understandable and relatable.
  * Zyra and Jaxa were harder for me to get a handle on. Their motivations and interactions felt a little too fluid, without much buildup. Also, Jaxa is described as having a Southern accent, which in a multi-planetary universe felt a bit odd.
  * Wolf and Grendel intrigued me, for the obvious Beowolf connections as well as the killer robot angle. Beowolf is referenced explicitly as the inspiration for one of Zyra's tricks, so there may be more intriguing interplay as the novel continues.
  
  Worldbuilding
  The worldbuilding is a little light in this novel, with some mentions of planets/distances and a governmental body but no solid details. It may rely on details established in earlier books. Even though the universe is theoretically quite large, it seems to take very little effort to track someone down or travel from place to place.
  
  Plot
  Valor is action-packed. Laser gun fights, torture, mysterious witches, and exploding space ships - most of the familiar tropes of the space opera genre make their appearance here. I honestly have no idea where the story is headed next. The characters seem for the most part reactionary so far, though that may change past the half way point.
  
  Writing and Formatting
  The cover is attractive and professional and the interior formatting follows suit. I didn't notice any spelling errors to detract from the reading experience. The writing style is a little clunky for my personal tastes, but here's a sample as your tastes may differ.
  

  Langston came alert when she heard an electronic buzz. There was only one
  person who would dare to interrupt her after she had given implicit instructions not to be
  disturbed. She had to fight to keep the annoyance from her voice as she gazed at her
  communicator to see the square jawed face of the man staring back at her.

  
  
  Overall, this book was not for me, but I feel it has much to offer the right reader. If you can get swept up in the ride and the action, then Valor may carry you away.
  
  Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
• 
  Megan

  Zyra is finally back to being her original badass self that we saw in the very first Rogue Hunter adventure. In Valor, there is plenty of action, space battles and intrigue. We finally get to see some of the things that have been happening throughout the series get resolved, which is nice. We also get to see some mentions to previous books and how some of that ties in to this story, with characters that we have met already. It was nice to see everything tie together this way as it makes Zyra's world feel more connected.
  For the plot of this book, Lawrence Murphy wants his money and finally gets his hands on Zyra and forces her to pay up or die. This pushes Zyra to hurry up and catch some high paying bounties. She goes after a female pirate, Jaxa, who has a very nice bounty on her head. Zyra knows Jaxa's grandfather Jack and so gets clues as to where Jaxa might be. There are lots of twists and turns along the way and we learn some very important information about the galaxy. The story turns into so much more than Zyra after a bounty.
  I really liked the action and how there was less of Zyra being unsure of herself and more of her taking control and getting it done. I also enjoyed seeing characters from the previous books show up in this one and interact with Zyra. Yes, some of them I wanted Zyra to kill, but it works out in the end. I also enjoyed the little bit of romance that Zyra finds on this adventure. Some of the new characters are pretty great, mostly Trevor. He is funny and really likes Zyra. They worked really well together and seemed like they had chemistry on the page.
  Overall, this is one of the better Rogue Hunter books in my opinion. Nothing will quite compare to that first time of reading about Zyra and her adventures, but this book feels closer to that than any of the others before this one. 4 out of 5 stars and I want to say thank you to the author, Kevis Hendrickson for allowing me to read about Zyra's many adventures and give feedback.
• 
  Star

  VALOR is the fifth Rogue Hunter adventure featuring Zyra Zanr. With the threat of certain death looming over her ensured by Lawrence Murphy, the crime boss to whom Zyra owes much, Zyra must go after her biggest bounty ever. However, there’s more to this bounty than even Zyra could imagine. VALOR is a kick-ass book with a kick-ass heroine. Zyra’s truly coming into her own and it’s a pleasure to see her go to the wall for something she believes in. I appreciated seeing Zyra take charge and owning up to her mistakes. There are so many twists and turns which capture the imagination as well as some interesting revelations about the nature of the universe. I adore Zyra and VALOR is a wonderful new chapter in her adventures. I can’t imagine what’s in store next for Zyra, but I can’t wait!
• 
  Thomas

  High quality space opera with all the trimmings. Well written with good character development. The pacing is appropriate to the scenes,
  
  The book is one complete tale. It ties up some loose ends from previous books but leaves you with a few to get you ready for te next one.
  
  I'm waiting for the next one.
• 
  Cori Dyson

  This is an exciting science fiction read and though it is in a series, it can be read as a stand alone novel. I have not read the entire series, but trusted that it could be read by itself and glad I did. Kevis did a nice job of weaving in the important bits from the previous novels into the current novel without being noticeable. I really enjoyed the journey with Jyra through the galaxy. Kevis did a great job of showing us her tough exterior that hides tender heart. The character development was better than most.
  
  I like how I thought I had the book figured out about 25% into reading it and turned out I was totally wrong! Love that when an author destroys the expected and throws in the unexpected. Kevis did a great job with adding a plot twist at nearly every chapter. It really kept you on the edge of your seat.
  
  He is very imaginative creating unique worlds that draw you in. There were a few times where the details were just not enough to describe this new world quite enough. Most of the time he hit the sweet spot of just enough detail.
  
  I didn't like how Jyra and Jaxa's name were so close in spelling/looking similar. It took me out of the flow to pause and figure out who he was talking about. This was minor detail that was not annoying or too distracting.
  
  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science fiction, excellent world building, believable characters, and edge-of-your-seat excitement.
• 
  Anna Fantabulous

  Hendrickson constructs an exciting action-packed space adventure that has the tough heroine Zyra Zanr forego the ticking time bomb in her stomach (nanites) to save a seemingly vulnerable soul and the universe. It’s an engaging, spine-chilling thriller played out on board space ships and planets. Zyra betrays her savior Jack, tries to rectify her mistake and buttheads with nearly every other character in the book - be it official, rogue, pirate, captain, major, alien or unexplained phenomena. Zyra’s romantic feelings for both women and men also continue.
  
  The author maintains a tight control over the story telling while juggling numerous characters, never once slacking in suspense, pace or structure. It’s a fulfilling read.
  
  I received a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair, unbiased and non-reciprocal review.
  
• 
  Angie ~aka Reading Machine~

  I believe I would've enjoyed this book more if I could have gotten to read the four books ahead of this one. It's my own fault for not investigating to see whether it's in the middle of a series or not. So I have no one to blame but myself. I realize many are not turned off by starting in the middle of a series I'm not one of them. The story always feels incomplete or missing parts that are inferred through out the whole book. It would be like reading Jim Butcher's Dresden Files Cold Days without having read Storm Front.
  
  Don't get me wrong the storytelling and characters captured my interest or I wouldn't be reviewing this book. I had several moments through out the book wondering where certain information was coming from which gave me the incomplete feeling. I wish the author the best of luck in his future writing and books.
• 
  Iffix Santaph

  A gritty, dark sci-fi adventure for the geek who still dreams of far away galaxies. Because let's face it, with Star Wars all but rejecting its roots, it's exciting to find this sort of spacefaring adventure can still find its way to the page. Though it is not without its faults, I embrace this story wholeheartedly. Give Kevis a chance to rekindle that spark of imagination once brought to mind by intergalactic bounty hunters. Zyra is the sort of bounty hunter an bounty hunter's guild would be proud to call their own. And Valor is the sort of book I'm glad to call mine.
• 
  TDCbookreviews

  This is the fifth book in the series. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
  Zyra is back and she is desperate. This is the lowest Zyra has ever been this far, but she is fighting for her life. Zyra comes in contact with her old boss and she owes him money. He puts nanobytes in her stomach and if she doesn't give him ten million credits she will die.
  
  Zyra does the unthinkable and goes againsts one of her very few friends and captures his granddaughter, in an effort for a sizable bounty!
  
  In order to not disclose spoilers, I will say this book is action packed, new people are introduced in and alot of the questions I have had throughout this series were answered, FINALLY. At least most of them!
  
  Great book!
  Book Blurb:
  Forced to repay the vengeful crime boss she owes, Zyra takes a dangerous assignment that will pit her against both friend and foe alike. Unbeknownst to her, the bounty she seeks is a trap door, drawing her into a world of intrigue and mysticism.
  
  Zyra’s only hope to survive this new threat depends on a young pirate and the dark secret she is carrying: a secret so powerful, it could shatter the very foundations of the galaxy.