Dauntless

By Elisa A. Bonnin

A teen girl must bring together two broken worlds in order to save her nation in this lush, Filipino-inspired young adult fantasy novel from debut author Elisa A. Bonnin.

“Be dauntless, for the hopes of the People rest in you.”

Seri's world is defined by very clear rules: The beasts prowl the forest paths and hunt the People. The valiant explore the unknown world, kill the beasts, and gain strength from the armor they make from them. As an assistant to Eshai Unbroken, a young valor commander with a near-mythical reputation, Seri has seen first-hand the struggle to keep the beasts at bay and ensure the safety of the spreading trees where the People make their homes. That was how it always had been, and how it always would be. Until the day Seri encounters Tsana.

Tsana is, impossibly, a stranger from the unknown world who can communicate with the beasts - a fact that makes Seri begin to doubt everything she's ever been taught. As Seri and Tsana grow closer, their worlds begin to collide, with deadly consequences. Somehow, with the world on the brink of war, Seri will have to find a way to make peace.

"Dauntless captures the best parts of every action-packed fantasy—breathtaking scenes of power and victory that push the limits of human tenacity. This is a triumphant tale of courage and self discovery that will make you believe in your own strength." —Kylie Lee Baker, author of The Keeper of Night

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Aug 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781250795625

Elisa A. Bonnin

Elisa A. Bonnin was born and raised in the Philippines, after which she moved to the United States to study chemistry and later oceanography. After completing her doctorate, she moved to Germany, where she now works as a scientific writer. A lifelong learner, Elisa is always convinced that she should “maybe take a class in something” and as a result, has amassed an eclectic collection of hobbies. But writing will always be her true love. Publishing a book has been her dream since she was eight years old, and she is thrilled to finally be able to share her stories. She is the author of Dauntless and Stolen City.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

The valiant who met Seri at the entrance to the command hall was a woman. She was on the short side, energetic, with close-cropped black hair. Her name was Raya, and her armor—heavy, dark-colored, and decorated with several menacing spikes—seemed entirely at odds with her cheerful personality. There was a mark on her face just below her right eye, the symbol for courage in the face of danger. She eyed Seri with no small amount of skepticism as Seri stammered out an explanation for why she was there.

Yes, she said, when Seri finished. Captain Turi said something like that in his reports. You’re the new aide.

Seri nodded slowly. She clutched the wooden chit the captain had given her in one hand, feeling the edges press into the skin of her palm. She had no idea what she had done during the journey to make the captain think she was worthy of this role. All she’d done was keep an inventory of their supplies, and she had a feeling they’d only assigned her that task to keep her out of the way.

Turi had good things to say about your work. Raya watched as Seri shifted uncomfortably on the platform outside the door, still dressed in the damp, mud-spattered clothes that had seen her through five days in the rainforest. Come in. The commander’s office is this way.

The headquarters was simple as far as buildings went, but after five days in the wild, it seemed an unimaginable luxury. Seri’s mind was spinning, trying to make sense of rooms and structure and not the chaotic tangle of trees, roots, and vines that made up the world below. She was sure she was staring and quickened her step, not wanting Raya to think she was dawdling. If Raya had noticed Seri’s lapse of attention, she didn’t show it, opening the door to a room at the end of a hall and stepping back to let Seri peer inside.

The room smelled strongly of ink and the oil the valor used to tend to their armor. Inside it, Seri could see a low writing desk with a well-worn cushion placed in front of it. A cot rested in the corner of the room under swathes of insect netting, neatly folded and put away.

Seeing Seri’s gaze drawn to it, Raya spoke up.

The commander’s using the office as her quarters at the moment. We haven’t gotten around to building the barracks yet, and the valor wouldn’t hear of her sleeping outside. Don’t worry, though. With as little time as she spends in here, you’re not likely to bump heads.

Um…, Seri said. Her mouth was dry—she wondered if she should have stopped to get a drink of water before racing all the way up here. "What exactly am I supposed to do?"

Turi didn’t explain?

Seri shook her head. He said that Commander Eshai—even saying the name out loud did not help any of this feel real—that the commander needed a personal assistant. And he thought that I would be a good fit.

Raya frowned in thought, cupping her chin. Hmm. Well, you’re to help the commander keep herself organized and on schedule and help her with anything else she requires. She inclined her head toward the writing desk. The commander should have a list of things that need doing somewhere in that mess.

Where is she right now?

On patrol. She should return soon. I’ll leave you to it, but I’ll be outside if you need anything.

With a nod, she left, Seri lingering in the doorframe. Seri took a deep breath to steady herself before walking forward, feeling the gentle give and sway of new flooring beneath her feet. She dropped her pack and knelt beside the cushion, not wanting to dirty it with her traveling clothes. The desk was made of new wood, like everything in the settlement. She could still smell the resin and sap.

Less than a week ago, she had been a nobody in her home village, just another face in the crowd when Captain Turi and a few other valiants had come through. It was the last stop on their tour of the border villages, looking for volunteers willing to settle a new spreading tree. Now, she was sitting in front of Eshai Unbroken’s desk. Eshai Unbroken, the youngest person in history to command an entire valor. A whole company of valiants, sworn to protect the People. The girl who had slain a legend.

Seri pinched herself, but when the world failed to dissolve, she realized she wasn’t dreaming. Feeling oddly disrespectful, she reached out, sorting through the scraps of rough-pressed paper and the wooden chips the valor favored for their expeditions, before finally pulling out a string of small boards, each one with writing on them. They were tasks, as Raya had promised. A few looked simple enough—Set up platforms for the settlers, Name the settlement, Arrange patrols. Others looked a little more complicated—Found provisional government, for one. Another was simply labeled Turi??? Some of them had been scratched through with what looked like the point of a knife, in a vicious way that suggested satisfaction. Many of them—most of them—looked untouched.

She was still sorting through them, letting unfinished tasks dangle from her fingers, when she heard someone clear her throat from the doorway. Seri startled and dropped the boards, letting them clatter onto the desktop.

A girl stood at the door. She was young, somewhere in her late teens, and taller than Raya. Seri wouldn’t have immediately called her pretty, although she was striking in her own way. If Seri had seen her out on the street, she might have marked her for a valiant, but not for a hero. That was, of course, if Seri hadn’t seen the pale, milky white of her armor, the marks that snaked their way up what was visible of her arms, marks of excellence and leadership and resourcefulness in battle that stood out sharply against her brown skin.

She wore her hair long, which was a vanity Seri wouldn’t have expected. Black as night and straighter than Seri could ever hope to get hers. It fell to the small of her back, cutting through the white of her armor.

She realized she was staring and scrambled to her feet, thrusting her hands behind her. The valiant tilted her head to the side, unamused.

So, you’re the one Raya and Turi decided to foist on me. What was your name?

S-Seri, Commander.

The valiant sighed, stepping into the room. She loosened the ties on her gloves, slipping the armor off her hands. The name-mark on the back of her right hand read ‘star.’

There’s no need to call me ‘Commander.’ You aren’t part of my valor. I’m Eshai. But from the way you’re acting, you’ve figured that much out already.

Seri nodded, her heart thudding. She hoped her nerves didn’t show on her face. Eshai put her gloves down on the desk, flexing her fingers and gently rotating her right wrist. Seri wondered if something was bothering her. An injury?

Noticing her gaze, Eshai gave her a chagrined smile.

"Hurt it in a training session. Most of the valor fight well enough to keep me on my toes. I hope that doesn’t disappoint you too much."

N-Not at all. Seri looked away. I didn’t mean to stare.

Eshai sighed. It’s fine. If we’re going to work together, you can stop being so skittish. I don’t bite.

Yes, Com— She caught herself, her face warming. Er, ma’am.

Eshai rolled her eyes, but the gesture was almost fond. She slid her gloves back on without looking at them. Well, come on. I’ll give you a tour of the settlement. If you’re going to assist me, you should know what we’re up against.

---

The settlement—Seri’s new home—was in rough shape. The spaces where the settlers were supposed to make their homes were nothing more than naked platforms suspended among branches in the spreading tree, the bridges rickety, makeshift things that swayed alarmingly when Seri walked on them. Eshai didn’t even notice, leading her across the bridges as if they walked on solid earth, but Seri held on to the rope railings with a death grip. The town hall, a large structure in the central square, had four walls and a roof but was otherwise bare on the inside except for a serviceable kitchen. For all the comforts they had, they might as well be camping out in the rainforest.

But the air was cleaner and cooler up here. And if the civilian architecture was roughshod, anything belonging to the valor was solid. The barracks hadn’t been built yet, but a platform had been designated for the purpose, and there were tarps spread over it to keep off the rain. Although there weren’t many buildings, there were ballistae, great huge bows that fired arrows as large as spears, mounted so that at least two of them could be trained on any enemy that approached the village at any time.

It was necessary, Eshai explained when Seri stopped to stare. They were in the borderlands, and while the innermost parts of the known world had mostly been cleared of any beast too dangerous, the same couldn’t be said for this place. A lone beast wouldn’t be too much of a challenge, but they tended to hunt in packs. In that case, winning a battle became a question of speed.

You may think you understand beasts, but the beasts of the known world are tame compared to what’s out here, Eshai said, her expression growing distant as she looked out at the endless expanse of green. There are beasts here straight out of children’s stories, beasts with power no one in the known world has ever seen. If you want to survive out here, you need to remember that.

Seri nodded, her stomach churning at the mention of strange beasts. She knew all too well how true that was.

Eshai looked at her, and might have been about to say something more, but a valiant who Seri didn’t recognize leapt from one of the nearby branches with inhuman agility, landing on their platform. Seri stumbled, nearly falling over from the impact. Eshai barely moved, turning her head toward him.

Commander, the valiant said, not sparing Seri a second glance. Zani and I found something while on patrol. Something that we think you should see.

Danger? Eshai asked, one hand already reaching for the long spear strapped across her back.

Not at the moment. It’s just odd. And closer to the settlement than we’d like.

Eshai’s fingers still hesitated over the shaft of her spear, but as Seri watched, she relaxed them, letting her hand fall back to her side. Is it on the ground?

Yes, Commander.

All right, Eshai said. Lead the way. To Seri she added, You might as well come along. This could be educational.

There was something in the way she said educational, something wry and sarcastic that had Seri’s stomach twisting itself into knots all over again. But she nodded, trailing along behind Eshai as the valiant led them both away.

---

The thing in the woods was a carcass. Not a beast carcass—Seri wasn’t sure she could have handled seeing that—but a monkey. It was curled around itself, its throat torn out. It looked like it had been there for a few days at least, and it stank. Seri coughed, turning her face away as she felt her gorge rise. Eshai spared her only a glance before walking toward the animal, her other two valiants close behind. They looked troubled, casting the trees around them a dark look. Seri didn’t understand why they were so bothered by a dead animal, but their unease was catching. She knew valiants were used to fighting beasts on the ground, but she wasn’t a valiant. Valiants had armor to protect them, armor that made them incredibly powerful in close combat. Seri had the clothes on her back and no weapon.

She stayed close to Eshai, keeping one hand over her nose and mouth.

Eshai used the shaft of her spear to turn the animal over, letting off a wave of noxious gas that made Seri’s eyes water. The wound was infested with maggots. She looked away, unable to watch. The ground squelched as Eshai bent down.

A natural predator? Seri heard her ask.

One of the valiants, the one that had approached Eshai, shook his head. Predator would’ve eaten it, Commander.

Only a beast kills like this, the second valiant said. He was an older man, his black hair streaked through with gray. Seri assumed he must be Zani.

Monkeys usually manage to get away, Eshai said. Could this one have been slow? Or injured?

Zani shook his head. Blood on the branches. It was killed in the trees. And fell.

Eshai’s gaze shifted from the creature to the trees, and with a sudden terrible certainty, Seri understood what the problem was. Beasts didn’t climb. They couldn’t. Shouldn’t. That was why the spreading trees were safe. The teachings echoed in her head.

The beasts roam the forest paths. Be cautious, child of the People.

Double up patrols for the next three days, Eshai said, her voice carrying the clear tone of command as she looked back at the other two. Search for any evidence of this beast. Work in pairs—no one leaves the settlement alone. Inform the settlers of the extra precautions. If we’re lucky, it’s already decided to pass us by, but I’m not taking any chances.

Yes, Commander, the valiants said, touching their hands to their hearts in salute.

---

On the way back to the settlement, Seri kept her eyes on the trees, unable to shake the feeling that they were being watched. Eshai kept her gaze fixed ahead of her as she walked, calm and confident. Seri didn’t know how Eshai could be so calm. The tension coiled inside her so tightly she thought she might burst. When she couldn’t take it any longer, she opened her mouth.

There couldn’t possibly be a beast in the trees. Could there?

I’ve seen a lot of things that shouldn’t be possible out here, Eshai said. "And beasts do occasionally get into the spreading trees. Sometimes they get desperate. They’re poor climbers and any valiant worth their armor would shoot them down before they made it halfway, but…" She shrugged, as if to say, things happen, but Seri wondered if a clumsy, desperate beast would have been able to kill something as nimble as a monkey.

She shivered, thinking back to the settlement, to the platforms open to the air, no walls yet, nothing but tarps to keep off the rain. The settlement—

If you’re afraid, you can sleep in the command hall tonight. I’m probably going to work late, so I might need you.

Relief flooded her, relief she immediately hated herself for. How could she feel relief at being able to rest within the safety of four walls when the other settlers would brave the open air? And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to turn Eshai’s offer down.

We’ll have the other settlers stay inside the town hall for the next few nights, Eshai said, as if reading her mind. There will be guards on watch until we’re sure it’s safe. Take note of that in case I forget.

I—yes, ma’am, Seri said, her fingers itching for something to write on. She made up her mind never to report to work without a writing board again. I’ll remember.

Good, said Eshai. Ivai and Zani should be relaying my orders as we speak. I’ll address the valor during the evening muster. And you and I have work to do.

She changed direction quickly, making Seri stumble to keep up.

Work, ma’am?

Eshai nodded. I’ll be teaching you how to operate the ballistae. If you’re going to be at my side, you should know how to defend the village. What would you say to noon tomorrow? We should train when the light is best.

The ballistae. Seri’s mind flashed back to those killing machines. And, as always, she thought of blood. Blood, on the grass, on her body. On Ithim.

Her stomach lurched, but she nodded.

Yes, ma’am.

CHAPTER 2

Wake up, sprout. We’ve got work to do.

Seri groaned, rising from a dream of running through the rainforest. She could still feel soft earth beneath her hands, smell rain on the air. Another one of those dreams. They had been coming to her more often since leaving the village. She shoved the thoughts away, rolling over onto her back. The floor was hard beneath her. At some point, she must have rolled off the pallet she had made up in the corner. She blinked up at the unfamiliar ceiling above her, momentarily confused, and then she remembered.

The settlement. They’d arrived. She was in Commander Eshai’s office.

Seri sat up, eyes wide, but Eshai was gone. Her cot was still there, tucked into a corner, but there was no sign of her. Instead, the same valiant who had met her yesterday stood before her—Raya, Seri remembered. Raya cocked her head to the side as Seri stared at her.

Come on, Raya said. Up, up. You’re helping me fetch water.

Seri rose, her legs a little unsteady. After five days of hard travel, her muscles were stiff and sore. She bent down to rub some life back into her limbs while Raya watched impatiently.

I—I think I’m supposed to be helping Commander Eshai.

Raya grinned. The commander’s busy. And if you’re going to stay with the valor, you’ve got to work. Everyone does.

Before she smiled, Seri would have said she had a face like a doll, heart-shaped and perfectly framed by short hair, a darker shade of brown than her skin. Adorable. When she smiled, Seri quickly revised that concept. Raya’s smile was like a panther baring its teeth.

Don’t worry, sprout, Raya said. I’ll put you to work.

---

Raya led her down one of the ladders fixed to the trunk of the spreading tree, then down to the water. The lake that fed their settlement’s tree was small but deep, the water crystal clear and blue as the sky. Good water, Raya told her as they walked. That was what a border settlement needed to be successful. Good water, and a capable valor.

Seri had been born in the borderlands, and her own village had been the closest to the unknown world before this settlement was founded. She didn’t need Raya to tell her what she already knew, but she held her tongue.

It was early in the morning, but the settlers were already about their business, scurrying like ants across the open ground at the base of the spreading tree. Many of them were heading to the water themselves, carrying jars slung across their backs or waterskins over their shoulders. A few were heading out to the farms. Seri was surprised to recognize some of the settling party that had come with her from Elaya. She had thought they would still be resting from the long journey, but maybe Elaya had more settler spirit than she’d believed.

The sight of them made her feel uneasy. She recalled Eshai’s words about a climbing beast. She wanted to tell them to head indoors, but what were they supposed to do? They were in no more danger on the ground than they had always been, and there was work to be done.

Something red hurtled through the air toward them, resolving itself as a valiant in red armor only when he whistled sharply at Raya. Seri drew up short, startled, as he landed on the ground in a crouch. She was surprised to find she recognized him. Tarim, who had always had an easy smile and a friendly word for the settlers. He had been one of the valiants that had guarded them during the march.

Tarim paused to give Seri a grin.

I see she’s put you to work already. He spoke to Seri, but she had the distinct sense the comment had been meant for Raya.

Raya sniffed. Everyone needs to work. And the commander said I could have Seri help me with the water.

Is that what she told you? Tarim cupped his hand over his mouth and said to Seri in a stage whisper, Raya won’t do her chores unless she bullies someone else into doing them with her.

At least I do my chores at all, Tarim, Raya said. Unless hopping around for the settlers’ amusement is on the duty roster now.

"I’m patrolling. The commander doubled the patrols, or haven’t you heard?"

If you’re patrolling, then get moving. It’s not like a beast is going to fall on us here. Seri and I have work to do.

Before Seri could say anything, Raya grabbed her by the arm, maneuvering her around Tarim. Fully armored as she was, her grip was like iron. Raya hardly noticed when Seri stumbled before catching up.

Seri looked up at Raya’s face, expecting to see her angry, but Raya was smiling. No, not just smiling. Chuckling, as softly as possible to keep the sound from reaching Tarim.

Fates, he can be an idiot sometimes.

You two are friends?

We trained as valiants together. I don’t know if that makes us friends. She snorted, waving dismissively, but Seri wasn’t convinced. Raya released Seri’s arm quickly, as if she were surprised to find that she was still holding it. Oh! Sorry about that. Now, about the water…

Grass faded to silt at the lake’s edge, the smooth surface of the water reflecting the sky. Seri stood a little apart from Raya, watching as the valiant dropped the buckets she had been carrying to the ground. There were four, each tied to one end of two poles Raya had slung over her shoulders. She had brought them from headquarters, but while a valiant’s strength meant carrying them filled would be easy, Seri wasn’t a valiant. She didn’t think she could lift one of them full, let alone climb with it, and she had no idea how Raya would manage to carry both by herself. Strength aside, Raya wasn’t very big, and four full buckets of water took up space.

Raya stretched her arms up over her head, rubbing at a knot in the small of her back. She grinned at Seri.

Now, she said, picking up one of the poles and handing it to Seri. Here’s how we’re going to do this. You’re going to fill these buckets for me.

I am?

Raya nodded. Yes. And while I run this set back, you’re going to fill the other. If we keep going like this, we can fill up water stores for the entire settlement. We could go faster if Tarim would help, but— She shrugged.

Seri looked at the buckets skeptically. You’re going to drop these off … and come back? she repeated. Are you sure we shouldn’t just get a cart?

Raya grinned, a flash of teeth. "Never underestimate a valiant. Now, if you don’t mind, the water?"

Seri was still uncertain, but she nodded, taking the buckets from Raya. She stripped off her shoes and rolled her trousers up past her knees, wading into the lake. The lake’s sandy bottom squelched between her toes.

Filling buckets for someone else to carry was a child’s job, and every child of the People knew the best water was farther out from the shore. In the eyes of the People, Seri was an adult, but she hadn’t been an adult very long. She still remembered going down to the water with—

—with Ithim. With her mother.

No. Don’t think about that.

The buckets sliced through the surface of the water as she dipped them in, first one and then the other. Raya didn’t wait for her to return to shore, instead wading in after her to take the pole. She hoisted it over her shoulders with one hand, raising her other hand in a mock salute before kicking up a spray of water and leaping into the air. By the time the water settled, Raya was almost to the spreading tree, faster than Seri would have thought possible. Although she’d lived in a border village, she hadn’t really seen valiants move until now. Elaya had been a quiet, sedate place. Maybe there was a lot Seri still didn’t know about the world.

She blinked water out of her eyes and started filling the second set of buckets.

It was done quickly, which left her time to stand there, waist-deep in the water, and think. Time to look down at the surface of the lake, at the sky reflected in it, and at her own face staring back at her.

It always surprised her to see her own face. She had some vague image of herself as a child, all wide eyes and bare feet and messy hair. There weren’t too many opportunities for her to sit by the water and look at herself, and each time she found herself wondering if the creature looking back at her could truly have the same body as the one she inhabited.

Eyes too big for her face, brown skin. Brown hair that refused to lie flat no matter what she did to it, cut roughly so it fell just past her chin. Unremarkable brown eyes. She looked like a child wearing her mother’s clothes, pretending to be an adult.

What was she doing out here?

She’d walked away from Elaya and now, six days later, she was play-acting at being a settler, an aide to Eshai Unbroken. It felt as if everything she’d done since Ithim had been a dream, like the world had ceased being real when Turi arrived in Elaya asking for settlers to come with him to a new spreading tree and Seri had picked up her bag and walked off without looking back.

---

We made good time, Raya said later, as she and Seri made their way back to the spreading tree.

Despite her best efforts at drying off when she got out of the water, Seri’s shoes were soaked. She grimaced at the unpleasant squeaking sound they made with each step. Raya was dry as a bone—she supposed valiant armor did get wet, but it didn’t stay wet for long. Raya wasn’t punctuating every step with something that sounded like a dying bird.

The valiant was in a good mood, but Seri didn’t share the sentiment. She wished Raya hadn’t left her in the water alone. It had been the most time she’d had alone in days. Too much time to think—and she never wanted to think again.

She said something agreeable in response—she wasn’t even sure what it was. It didn’t matter. Raya seemed perfectly capable of holding a conversation without her.

Don’t look so glum, sprout. You’ll be back to your duties soon enough. And the next thing you know, you’ll have a house and a farm, and we’ll be moving on, so you can try your luck assisting the next valor commander. And—oh.

Raya stopped, and Seri did, too, the sudden movement cutting through the drone in her mind. They had come back into the shadow of the spreading tree. Although their ladder was still far off, they could see the platform that would eventually become the town square.

It was packed with people. Valiants stood along the branches, watching the crowd, but the group huddled in the center were entirely settlers. Even from this distance, Seri had no problem recognizing the figure in gleaming white standing in front of them. Eshai. She had her helm tucked under her arm and was gesturing with one hand as she spoke, and though Seri couldn’t hear her voice, she could see the way the crowd shifted uncertainly with her words.

She knew what Eshai was saying. From the grim look on Raya’s face, Raya did, too.

Is she … telling them about the climbing beast?

Looks like it, she said. Then, with a pat on Seri’s shoulder, she added, You’re going to be busy.

She started to walk, leaving Seri to catch up.

---

Raya’s prediction came true—Seri was busy.

She spent her days following Eshai around, staining her fingers with charcoal as she scribbled notes onto the wooden chits she carried with her. She watched as Eshai organized the valor, securing the settlement and patrolling the outskirts. In the early afternoons, when the day was hottest, she sat with Eshai in the sweltering heat of the command hall and listened while Eshai explained how to write correspondence in her name and how to draft official reports to the council in Vethaya. In the midafternoons, Eshai took her out to the village boundaries, where the ballistae waited. Seri joined the group of valiants and volunteers who were being trained to operate them, learning how to load, wind, and fire bolts at wooden targets the valor placed in increasingly difficult locations. It was hard work, and her arms burned with the effort, but Seri’s arrows usually hit their marks, and once she learned the trick of it, she found herself hitting even the most well-hidden targets.

At night she ate her evening meal in the command hall with the valor and fell asleep on a pallet near the back wall of Eshai’s office. Often, she would fall asleep, exhausted, while Eshai was still awake, the sound of the commander’s soft tones or the hiss of a brush on parchment following her into slumber. The exhaustion was good for one thing—it stopped her from having too many dreams.

The settling operation continued at a rapid pace. Makeshift buildings rose faster than Seri could believe, houses appearing where naked platforms once stood. Settlers were assigned to trades, and land was tilled for farms. Industry was everywhere. Seri’s own chosen platform remained bare. There wasn’t enough time to think about her house. Her work with the valor occupied all her thoughts, leaving no room for anything else.

The members of the valor, for their part, took this as the natural order of things. Though Seri wore no armor and carried no spear, they accepted her as one of their own, letting her sit with them at the tables and carrying food to her and Eshai when they worked late at night. Her work often left her isolated from the other settlers, so the fact that the valor went out of its way to include her was

Reviews for Dauntless

[thepageladies · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great fantasy story with plenty of action, fun and some romance! The world building and the unique way things work was interesting and exciting to learn about! It's wonderfully written and the way everything comes together was done nicely! I loved the message throughout the story of bravery and how there are many different ways to be brave! Dauntless is a great fast-paced action adventure story with a world and characters that are easy to become invested in and want more of! I'd love to learn more about this world and how it all works. Hopefully there will be another book! Thank you Xpresso Book Tours and Elisa Bonnin for sharing this story with me!