In the Name of Pride
Courtney Collins, Clarke Collins
The one place she always wanted to be, is now the one place she cannot escape.
After a lifetime of separation, Kaleela now reconnects with her elven family inside the Sun’Din Forest as a beloved member of the royal family. But not everyone supports a greater union between the elven and human lands, and a fission enters the great forest.
Dimitar now serves as a knight in the city of Blackburn, his life’s dream come true. Everyone he cares about thrives, yet his life darkens with the weight of failure. All he wants is Kaleela’s nearness, their growing love a beacon in his shadows.
When extremist exiles overtake the elven kingdom, Kaleela doesn’t hesitate to return to the forest. She must ensure her family’s safety, and Dimitar insists on protecting her. An unthinkable threat rises from within, and an exile sets his special attention on Kaleela. Dimitar must overcome his inner demons and find a way to reach Kaleela before her greatest wish becomes their worst nightmare.
- Pages
- 373
- First published
- January 27, 2026
Shelved by 1 Litcadian
Reviews
Started January 16, 2026 · Finished January 22, 2026
Thank you to The Nerd Fam and to the authors, Courtney and Clarke Collins, for sending me this digital ARC to review! IN THE NAME OF PRIDE is the highly anticipated second installment of the Vows and Valor trilogy, and it blew me away. The stakes were risen tenfold in this book, with evocative, visceral imagery, a masterful pull at the heartstrings, and an absolutely despicable villain. Mostly everything I critiqued about the first book (IN THE NAME OF HONOR) proved to be a massive improvement here in Book Two. The character development alone was incredible. Especially for Kaleela, our dutiful, resilient princess who will stop at nothing to protect the ones she loves, even if it costs her greatly to do so. This girl went THROUGH IT in this book, and at times, I was genuinely afraid to see what would happen next. I personally would’ve liked to see Vin’Saar suffer even MORE in the end than what he got. I am his biggest hater, I swear. Every point of view offered added so much to the story as well. I have such an appreciation and respect for Dimitar’s unwavering devotion; I enjoy Olaf’s comedic relief and support so much; and I adore our beloved cheese-stealing thief, Ral. In spite of dealing with such an oppressive and ignorant force, a message of hope is sparked within the reader that I feel is so essential, especially in today’s climate, reaffirming as always that reading is political. Although not explicitly a romance, the recurring themes of love (romantic, friendly, familial, communal) are so important here. Double this with mental health representation and queer identity normalization, and you’re in for an all-around phenomenal read. My only down-rating for the book would be a couple of pacing issues and more things being told than shown. I felt we “wintered” in Stormgard a little too long, didn’t get to see the in-time progression with Dimitar and Pyper’s therapy sessions, and the ending overall felt a little rushed. I am genuinely so excited for Book Three! IN THE NAME OF PRIDE will be available everywhere on January 27, 2026!