Lesley Livingston Books In Order

Publication Order of Never Books

Publication Order of Starling Books

Publication Order of The Valiant Books

Publication Order of The Wiggins Weird Books

Publication Order of Wondrous Strange Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of The Almost Epic Squad Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Lesley Livingston
Lesley Livingston is an award-winning fiction writer who is as comfortable with the written word as she is with theatre. The talented author-cum-actor holds a University of Toronto English master’s degree. She is also a principal performer and the founder of Tempest Theatre Group that brings Shakespeare’s classics to life. Her target audience is mostly young adults, but she has co-authored some children’s series with Jonathan Llyr. The Canadian author enjoys performing for high school students across the country whenever she is not writing. Livingston lives in Toronto by her works keeps her travelling throughout Canada.

Wondrous Strange
Wondrous Strange comes first in the Wondrous Strange series. The book stars Kelley Winslow, a seventeen-year-old actress with big dreams. Kelly has just moved to New York for her acting career. While she is passionate about the arts, she doesn’t see herself getting a major role soon, at least not until she has learnt the ropes in her new home. However, when the actress supposed to play Titania in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s pulls out, Kelly is chosen for the role. This comes as a surprise, and because she is a little terrified, she ends up messing her lines. Fortunately, everyone is understanding and convinced that she is capable of doing the play right with just a little bit of practice.

To ensure that she doesn’t mess again, Kelly purposes to practice her lines after leaving the theatre and where better to do this than in Central Park. Kelly finds a quiet spot where she can recite her lines uninterrupted. This is where she meets Sonny. Sonny is a guard for the gate between realms. On this gate, fae creatures try to pass to the mortal’s side, so Sonny has to be extra-vigilant to ensure that this doesn’t escape his eye. There are also indications that a fae ruler is working to resurrect the hunt. Sonny is quick to notice that there is something unique about Kelley. Could it be her pointed ears or the power that comes from her every time she takes off her necklace?

Soon enough, Sonny realizes that Kelly could be under attack and he has no choice but to alert her. Kelly is shocked once the truth is revealed. She is thrown into a world of faeries she knows little if anything about. It is not just shocking that faeries exist but also that she could be part of this world. Fortunately, she has Sonny to guide her as she comes to terms with who she is. A relationship between these two follows, and while they can no longer hide their feelings for each other, Kelly has to concentrate on saving humankind first. She also has to stay a step ahead of the powerful forces haunting her.
Wondrous Strange is a captivating tale characterized by an original plot and memorable characters. The author has done a good job with the character development making even the secondary cast striking. While you may figure out a few things before they are revealed, there are numerous surprises too, and the ending will just blow your mind. The fae-lore comes in just the right dose, and the author manages to bring the Fae world to life. If you are looking for a captivating fantasy story with a great storyline, lovable characters, and flawless narration, this book is a perfect choice.

The Valiant
The Valiant comes first in The Valiant series. This book introduces seventeen-year-old Fallon, the daughter of the Celtic king and Julius Caesar’s worst enemy. Now that she has come of age, Fallon is looking forward to becoming a warrior just like her brother Sorcha and her late sister. However, her dream doesn’t come to fruition. Fallon is kidnapped and turned into a slave. In a funny twist of fate, she ends up joining Julius Caesar’s training school where she and others are trained to become gladiators. While being a slave comes with its fair share of challenges, Fallon is happy to be doing what she has always wanted. If only she weren’t Caesar’s responsibility.

While Fallon was young, her sister was killed defending her people, but she remained as one of the bravest warriors who ever lived. Caesar’s armies had invaded her kingdom, and Fallon’s sister was one of the people who died in the battle that ensued. Fallon swore to take revenge when she is old enough. She has also been working to live up to her late sister’s memory. However, in her current situation, Caesar’s is her only chance of staying alive. Can she concentrate on becoming a female gladiator and hide all the bitterness she feels for Caesar? How about her current distraction Cai or the man she was in love with before she was turned into a slave?

While the idea of female gladiators sounds like a myth, there is evidence that they were part of ancient Rome. However, there is little information on this part of history. It is amazing how the author has used whatever little evidence is available and incorporated a fantasy twist to weave a fantastic story. The author lays a lot of emphasis on the themes of honour and sisterhood, which adds a lot of depth to the story. It is admirable how Fallon is determined to honour her sister’s memory by following her footsteps.

The Valiant is a fantastic story with lovable characters, a unique storyline, and captivating action from the first page. The battle scenes are brutal, and it is exciting reading about the female gladiators and their outstanding fighting skills. Fallon is a lovable character, and she makes excellent relationships with the people that cross her path. The story comes with decent twists, and the forbidden romance is just the icing on the cake. You can enjoy this book alone if you are not a series fan. There is no cliffhanger at the end, and the last chapter will answer almost all your answers. However, you may be curious to see what adventures Fallon and the rest of the cast will get into in future.