Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie, is a young adult urban fantasy novel by Holly Black. It was published in 2005 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, who recommended it for ages "14 up". Valiant is a sequel to Black's debut novel Tithe, and the second in a trilogy that is sometimes called [A] Modern Tale of Faerie (2002–2007). Where Tithe is set mainly on the Jersey Shore, Valiant is set in New York City. The two novels share a major premise, or fictional universe, but Valiant also works as a stand-alone story. According to online excerpts from a 2006 Locus interview and short biography of Black, "Valiant (2005) is another contemporary fantasy loosely related to Tithe, and Ironside, a direct sequel to Tithe, is forthcoming." Valiant won the inaugural Andre Norton Award as the year's best U.S. science fiction or fantasy for young adults as selected by vote of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFFWA). It was also a finalist for the annual Mythopoeic Fantasy Award in children's literature, as Tithe had been. Plot summary Valerie Russell, a high school student, discovers that her single mother and her boyfriend, Tom, are having an affair. Val runs away to New York City and meets up with a group of teen-squatters, including Lolli (as in lollipop), Dave, and Luis. Val earns the nickname "Prince Valiant" after she helps a drag queen locate her shoe. She soon learns about the group's contact with a troll, Ravus, who lives beneath a bridge, as in the fairy tale "Three Billy Goats Gruff". Ravus makes "Never", which faeries in exile take in order to resist iron. These exiles are dispersed throughout the city, and Dave and Luis must deliver the glamour to them. Never can be used as a highly addictive drug by humans, who can then use magic for a short time. Lolli and Dave introduce Val to "Nevermore", as they call it, and she, like the other squatters, is soon hooked. Ravus, despite Val's first impressions, is much kinder than he appears. He begins to teach her swordplay and the bond between them strengthens. Val's mounting problems and addiction take a nasty turn, and the trust Ravus has in her is threatened. Many of the Seelie court exiles are being poisoned and Ravus is blamed. When Val's friend Ruth arrives, attempting to convince Val to come home, Val