Synopsis:
Where reality fails, dreams are eternal.
After saving the realm from the wrath of the gods, crystal sorceress Everleigh Bennet hopes to return home and relax with her family. Instead, she finds her lover, Felix, imprisoned by the God of Wisdom in a scheme that threatens to remove his free will forever. Everleigh must venture to the kingdom of Terrangus to either free her family from the clutches of the Masked God or, if fate wills it, grant them eternal peace.
Protocol of Valor is a novella set in the world of the Legacy of Boulom series. It takes place 60 years before the events of Platinum Tinted Darkness.
Review:
Protocol of Valor is only 71 pages in print, but in those 71 pages, it packs an emotional depth that is often hard to achieve in a shorter format. It’s excellent. Even better, it works very well as a standalone, and would be a fantastic introduction to the wider Legacy of Boulom trilogy, if I hadn’t read the trilogy previously.
While the novella is set 60 years prior to the trilogy, there are a couple notable characters who appear in both. The goddess of Fear, and the masked god, Wisdom. True to form, Wisdom is as aggravating as he was in the trilogy, and makes for a great antagonist to Everleigh, the main character.
Everleigh is a Guardian and a crystal mage, tasked with protecting the world from the dangerous Harbingers of Fear and/or Death. She’s been a Guardian longer than most can ever aspire to be, and she follows a strict code, her Protocol of Valor. She’s as rigid and unyielding as her crystal shields, but she can also be just as brittle and prone to shattering. And she’s put in a tough situation: To watch her lover become a monster, or to kill him and put an end to his misery.
At its core, Protocol of Valor is a love story, but it’s not a romance. It’s about sacrifices, the lengths one person will go to in order to save another, and what must be done for the greater good. It’s poignantly bitter-sweet, and I loved every second of it.
As I mentioned above, this novella works as a standalone, and if you haven’t read the trilogy (why not?), it acts as a great introduction to the world of Boulom and its meddling deities. Go check it out; it’s worth your time.
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