Shadows of Valor by Elsie Park Review

Blurring the psychological haze between justice and revenge,
Park's debut novel brings new meaning to the Dark Knight.
On the surface, Graywall is content and booming. Lord Shaufton, who
presides over the city, is a fine ruler. The poor are well-cared for, the
area is popular, and morale is high—but within Graywall’s roots,
something dark is stirring. This darkness threatens to overpower the
once-peaceful town, until a mysterious figure appears: The Shadow.
! As much a figure of fear to the unruly as legend to the innocent,
The Shadow is an enforcer of justice and aid to the King. Due to an
outrageous export tax set by King Edward, smuggling has tainted the
kingdom, so The Shadow is sent to hunt the smugglers down. Contrary
to legend, The Shadow is simply a man known as Sir Calan who,
although talented and just, struggles to keep his dark thoughts of
revenge from becoming ruthless action.
! Due to sheer coincidence, The Shadow learns of a deadly plot
against Lord Shaufton on a journey to Graywall. Now, he must enter a
pseudo courtship with Lord Shaufton’s daughter under his original guise
of Sir Calan, all while old emotions are stirred by the lovely Elsbeth,
Lord Shaufton’s niece. Elsbeth, it seems, is the only woman who can
heal his troubled soul, but she has a story of her own. What transpires is
a glorious tale full of deceit, greed, inner struggles, betrayal, and most of
all—love.

About the author
From a wildland firefighter to a security guard, police officer, and student
of botany and zoology, ELSIE PARK has done it all. It was only a matter
of time before she wrote her first novel. While on a hiatus to Italy, Park
was inspired by the thick presence of ancient and medieval history. She
felt it in its walls, and slowly, yet surely, a story was born.

My Review:
I thought that this was a cross between Spiderman and The Scarlet Pimpernel. I was really interested in the characters, especially Sir Calan and Elsbeth. It was entertaining to see these two characters interact with each other, and even more interesting was that Elsbeth knew him as both his identities. She was drawn to both, but she was only a cousin of the King's daughter. I loved the time period and the fact that the author definitely did her research on that time period. I also felt that they were a great couple and were meant to be. I would love to read a sequel where Elsbeth fights crime with Sir Calan and does her midwife duties. 
As if that is not enough there is also an inner battle with Sir Calan. He is so close to the edge that he is constantly in doubt. This was a great book and I liked the ending. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.