Orphaned at a young age after her village was wiped out by a violent tribe, Reed was taken in by the infamous Aristene, a sect of warrior women that guides famous heroes to their glory. After training for years as an initiate, she is finally ready to go out into the world and nurture her first hero, the test which will make, or break her as a fully-fledged Aristene.
Reed’s first Hero test will not only challenge her ability to nurture a budding hero through their trials, but her own resolve through hardship, betrayal, and even love.
Well known for her Three Dark Crowns series amongst many others!), Champion of Fate is the first of Kendare Blake’s new Heromaker duology, which is set in a varied and at times brutal world where anyone can be a hero and the magical sect of Aristene women help bring them to glory.
This book has the overall feeling of an epic Greek myth with heavy emphasis on female strength. Some might think this is a just a feminist tale (or even the opposite), but instead, it shows powerful male and female characters side by side without diminishing each other. Anyone in this tale has the potential for glory, and in fact, it might make you question your definition of what glory can be.
The first third of Champion of Fate richly sets the scene of the world and introduces most of the main characters in the book. While at times I was impatient to meet some of the other players hinted at in the beginning, the worldbuilding sets a good pace and manages to go through quite a lot in a short span of time.
I really loved how Blake built and developed the characters in the world. Reed’s journey from half-feral orphan to sister initiate, to Heromaker is masterfully written and as she progresses, your heart bleeds for her when she’s faced with heartbreak and it soars when she triumphs. You can see a clear difference between the Reed you’re introduced to and the one you leave on the last page.
Not only did the main character go through her own arc of growth, you can see the main side characters go through their own journeys. There was one minor character whose progression was a bit sudden, but for the most part Blake leads the readers subtly through their own feelings and realisations about each character as new elements are revealed. Some of the arcs are so nuanced that they make you wonder if you like or don’t like someone, and don’t really know until the end. Somehow, you end up loving a cranky horse, a cheeky enemy, and a young brat and you have no idea how it happened.
The technique of showing and not telling was expertly utilised in this book. Blake uses dialogue and character actions efficiently to perform the character development mentioned above, while also building anticipation and suspense in the plot. The anticipation specifically was the perfect balance to keep you turning the page to find out more, while providing enough information to progress the story. She shows just enough information to keep your interest piqued and wondering how things will play out, but keeps the reveals for the most impactful timing.
In a book about heroes and their glory, you can be assured that there will be plenty of battle scenes. What is refreshing, however, is that they are by no means gratuitous or tedious. The various fight scenes are masterfully described with enough detail to ensure you know what’s doing on, but not so much that you’re left bored, or confused about the movement of the various characters.
While there are some adult themes hinted at, this book is quite friendly to younger readers. Anything of a romantic nature is quite chaste and the action mentioned above was engaging rather than graphic or uncomfortable. Champion of Fate can be suited for young teenager readers and above, or anyone wanting an easy-to-read fantasy book.
Champion of Fate literally made me laugh, and then it had the audacity to make me cry. It made me obsessively read when I really should have been doing other things, and it also made me stop and pause when I’d read something shocking or thought-provoking.
At its core, Champion of Fate is a compelling story of feminine strength over adversity and heartbreak and I can’t wait for the next instalment.
Champion of Fate is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 19th.
Will you be picking up Champion of Fate? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Behind every great hero is an Aristene.
Aristene are mythical female warriors, part of a legendary order. Though heroes might be immortalized in stories, it’s the Aristene who guide them to victory. They are the Heromakers.
Ever since she was an orphan taken in by the order, Reed has wanted to be an Aristene. Now, as an initiate, just one challenge stands in her way: she must shepherd her first hero to glory on the battlefield. Succeed, and Reed will take her place beside her sisters. Fail, and she’ll be cast from the only home she’s ever known.
Nothing is going to stop Reed–until she meets her hero. Hestion is fiery and infuriating, but what begins as an alliance becomes more, and as secrets of the order come to light Reed begins to understand what becoming an Aristene may truly cost. Battle looming, she must choose: the order and the life she had planned, or Hestion, and the one she never expected.
