Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake
Narrated by Shayna Small
Publication Date: September 19, 2023
Summary from 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.
Confession:
I really enjoyed this layered and complex story of found family, a sisterhood, a boy that the main character is not suppose to fall in love with, and a mysterious magical order. There is a lot packed into this story, but it is a story with wonderful world building and characters that you will find yourself rooting for. Shayna Small does an excellent job with the narration, lending many different voices for all of the characters. She does a marvelous job conveying emotion as well, making the characters feel even more real.
I really liked the main character Reed. She has a very tragic backstory, but that doesn’t stop her from becoming an intelligent, strong and passionate young woman. She is confident that she can overcome her final trial to become an Aristene, until it finally starts and she discovers some truths that make her doubt not only herself but everything she once believed in. She makes some choices that cost her a great deal, but she is stronger in the end.
Hestion is a bit of an ass when we first meet him, but he soon grows on you. He is headstrong, but loyal to his brother, his friends and to his duty as a prince. He is a bit of a reluctant hero, but he does what he needs to when the time comes. His relationship with Reed is complex, although maybe a tad on the instalove side for him. I felt that his feelings for her came more from the fact that she was so different from other woman he has known, rather than for who she really was.
The world building was phenomenal, with a fully realized world with its own politics, history, mythologies, and even more. This world is slowly revealed throughout the narrative and felt very much like real place. This world is populated by many characters, many that we get to know well. All of the characters that we encounter feel well fleshed out and like real people you might want to know. I especially liked Lyonene her fellow Aristene initiate. She is also smart and brave, but she has a less serious side which comes out in fun ways. I also liked Silco, Reed’s horse that she rescued as a colt, who was often there for some comedic moments.
My only small issue was with the pacing. There were quite a few draggy bits in the middle that made this seem like a much longer book than it was. But the action sequences and the twisty plot turns at the end certainly make up for this.
Overall, I thought this was a marvelous start to a new series by one of my favorite authors. I don’t know when the next book is going to be available, but I will be keeping my eye out for it. In the meantime, if you are looking for a book with amazing world building, characters that you can adore and relate to, and an action pact and twisty plot, than I can’t recommend this one to you enough.
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