Reed is an initiate to an immortal order of Lady knights. To complete her task she must find her appointed hero and give him glory and fame, making him a legendary figure.

This was an intriguing quest with very interesting world building. It was fast paced, and had a lot of action. It also had the feels a lot like The Eye of The World, King Arthur, and Joan of ARC got a mashup.

Unfortunately for me, the doomed love/star crossed lovers trope landed in a way that made me very uncomfortable. I know there will be a continuation, but honestly they way this book ended didn't leave me with enough resolution to satisfy OR with enough hope at the end that I wanted to see where it goes in the next volume.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars. Reed, orphaned by violence, is taken in by the Order of the Aristene, a sacred female warrior group committed to the glorification of the world's heroes. As she prepares for her Hero's Trial to become a full member of the Order, it's clear that the elders are favoring her and expecting above average things from her. Reed's hero Hestion is soon to be engaged in a massive holy war, and it's up to her not only to convince him to fight in the first place, but to make sure he achieves glory and to keep him from harm at the same time. A large ask, even before factoring in all the odds stacked against them when they come face to face with a foe that even the eldest Aristene don't dare to fight.

This was a really fun fantasy novel with Valkyrie-like women and immortal horses with seriously sassy attitudes! It's definitely a young adult novel, as the themes and writing structure are solidly within the bounds of that genre. I found the story a bit slow at first, but I had expected that since this is book one of a planned fantasy series, and there's usually a lot of set up for the later books. It picks up pretty rapidly after the first third or so! Reed is a strong teenage character, though I think I liked her friend Lyonene best, and I found the romance aspect to be a bit too contrived and "insta love" for my personal taste.

You could definitely read this book and stop, there's not a massive cliffhanger, but I'm too interested in how the storylines will continue so I'll be grabbing the second book when it comes out. If you like YA fantasy and have a soft spot for horses and/or female warriors, this is definitely the book for you!

Thank you to Kendare Blake, HarperCollins/Quill Tree, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins Children's Books (Quill Tree Books) for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinion expressed here are my own.
This is my first Kendare Blake book so I really had no idea what to expect. The premise of the book sounded interesting with warriors who become immortal. The blurb gave me the Nordic Valkyrie vibes.
The book is about Reed, an orphan who falls in with two of the Artisene order's warriors and is raised to become one herself. But when the time comes for her to have her challenge that will help her become an Artisene, she begins to question everything she was ever taught about the order.
Reed is a strong enough character and I can see where she is relatable. She has many flaws, which was nice to see. She wasn't just this suddenly strong warrior who could win all her battles. She's well developed and fleshed out. I appreciated the growth she had as she came to terms with questioning all she was brought up to know. Of all the characters, she is the most well developed. I really didn't get enough for the other characters to form solid opinions of them. Hestion, her hero, really doesn't have much personality. Lyonene was hard to pin down. At times I felt like she and Reed were not friends, at least in the way she treated Reed. But at other times I felt they had a strong bond.
The plot of the book follows Reed's progression to becoming an Artisene. At times the pacing was very slow. There were times I put the book down because I felt like I was a bit bored. The author did a fair job with the world building. I liked the idea of the Veil and how it lead to this other realm. I enjoyed the strong female characters.
If you're looking for romance, you're not really going to get it with this book. It's there but it is not developed. And what was there almost felt a bit like insta-love as it happened immediately upon the characters being introduced.
Overall, this book was just ok for me. The ending felt a bit rushed. I'm not sure I will pick up the next book in the series.

I really loved this one! Kendare Blake is one of my favourite authors and this was so good!!! The world was captivating, I loved the characters, and could not get enough of the magic. I liked the plot though I was concerned slightly with her motivations near the end. I don't think she was going to risk her future for a boy, I think her story beginning with the death of her entire village is important to note and I don't think she wants a future covered in death, but still. I'm looking forward to book two!

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.

oh my god. this is just. fantastic. amazing.

thank you to quill tree books and netgalley for the egalley!

I ended up DNFing this book unfortunately. I don't actually think this was a bad book. It is action packed and fast paced and I think a lot of teens will have fun with this book. I simply didn't care about how the story would end and decided not to waste my time on what I assume would have been a perfectly fine story. I'll still be purchasing this for my library's teen section, I think this may have just been a case of not being for me personally.

There is nothing that Reed wants more than to be an Aristene. Finally, her time has come to guide her chosen Hero, pass her Trial, and officially become part of the order. However, she will discover that there is more at stake than just her Trial. Her home, her friends, her dreams, and even her heart will be put beyond the test.

As someone who has never read Kendare Blake, I went to his story blind about her writing. First off, it was an extremely interesting and entertaining story. While this heavily spells out YA in its story and execution, the narrative and dialogues were very pleasant to read and had a rather unique and slightly mature aspect to them. There was a very nice pacing of both development, action, and interactions. While the story progressed at a engaging level, it didn't sacrifice the building relationships between the different characters.

One thing I loved was that there was no petty rivalry, no betrayals, no malice, and definitely no love triangles. Despite the war setting, different princes collaborating together, and characters interacting with one another, it was refreshing to see that among them what slowly built up was friendship and trust between them. I especially loved that Belden and Hestion had such a loving relationship, and that Alsander grew from a immature boy to a reliable leader.

One thing I didn't like was the lack of descriptions in characters. I feel maybe I missed them in their initial introduction, but after a while they all looked like blurred faceless blobs in my head except Reed and Hestion. I was lost on how the others were supposed to look. In addition, the part focused on the war was a bit lack luster in a more action and military sense. While this part was more focused on the character's individual and collective growth, there was a lack of actual strategic situations and war-like scenarios.

The ending I hated. My hope was for Reed to forgo the order and discover she did have the choice of another life. The fact that she still accepted to become an Aristene because she had nowhere else to truly go was disappointed. I'll look forward to the sequel and see if this little situation is fixed.

3.5/5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Champion of Fate is the first book in the new Heromaker duology by Kendare Blake. Layered and complex, Reed’s story starts when she is young and witnesses unimaginable horror when her entire village is massacred. Her backstory is a defining moment in her life, as is being rescued by two female warriors. Now an initiate for a group of warrior women called Aristene, Reed wants nothing more than to prove herself and become an official, immortal member. I really enjoyed her story as she fights to complete her challenge and lead her first hero to victory.

Blake has created a strong, intelligent, and passionate female protagonist in Reed, and I like that the story explores her friendships, her personal journey, and her growing feelings for Hestion, the man she’s charged with helping. She’s had such clear goals before this challenge, but her feelings begin to waver as new relationships and revelations develop. Her journey is messy, and her character is flawed, yet she is so easy to root for, and I totally did.

The world-building is really interesting too with well-crafted politics, history, mythology, and more. It’s very easy to become immersed in this unique world and reed’s journey. And as developed as the world is, it never felt like an info-dump. It weaves seamlessly into the story. I’m also really intrigued by the Aristene and their roles in bringing glory to others.

Overall, I thought this was a great start to the series, and I would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy slow-building and immersive YA fantasy. I’m thankful to NetGalley and Harper Collins Childrens Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Eight years ago, Reed was orphaned and taken in by a group of immortal warrior women called the Aristene. They help those marked as heroes achieve glory and in turn this bolsters goodwill with the goddess they serve. After passing her trials, Reed is ready to become a full-fledged member, but she has one final test. She must help her assigned hero to glory in a fight against two warring nations. If she wins, she can join her sisters-in-arms, if she fails, she potentially loses her home and family...again.

The order is all Reed has known for so long and she's determined to succeed at all costs, but she's unprepared for her hero - Hestion. He makes her question everything she thought she knows and believes in and forces her to confront what she truly wants her life to be.

When an evil more powerful than thought possible threatens to upend all they're fighting for, Reed will be faced with a choice.

I have read a lot of Kendare Blake's previous books (though by no means all of them), and I appreciated that Champion of Fate could have such high stakes and serious tone, yet feel light. Somehow feeling like it's not going to take an emotional toll on me like I've felt in previous books of hers (and that might just be a "me" thing).

I felt like this story goes a long way in developing the world. Kendare Blake does a great job with this. By the end, I knew who the Aristene were and everything that was at stake. I wasn't left with questions about their purpose or their power.

Clearly this is Reed's story so understanding everything she's been working toward and the family she's brought into is essential, but there were definitely moments where the story felt a bit stagnant. Like it needed a push to get going again. And eventually that happened, but it took a lot of build up to get to the actual point of the story I think.

Knowing that this is a duology, I can almost forgive this as I expect the next book to take off running from where things have been left and we won't need a lot of that backstory.

I will say, by the end of the book, I'm invested in seeing how Reed's story continues to unfold. There's a lot of uncertainty I think in regards to Reed's hardwon loyalty to her goddess and the Aristene. She's seen a version of life that she never thought existed for herself and, naturally, this makes her question everything.

A lot happens in the end that is too spoilery to really talk about but suffice it to say I like the way that things are left so uncertain and even broken in places. I think it'll make the redemption in the next book all the better.

Champion of Fate is Kendare Blake at her absolute best. An exquisite study of trauma, power, and sacrifice, the novel is a stunning addition to the legacy of YA Fantasy. Reed is the type of heroine that is both flawed and easy to root for. What I enjoyed most was Blake's worldbuilding skill and how she was skillfully able to write a protagonist faced with difficult choices. On a personal note, I loved that Reed was tall and described herself as "large"; it's a rarity in this genre and so refreshing. I cannot wait for Book 2.

I loved the Three Dark Crowns series so I went into Champion of Fate with high hopes, and maybe they were a bit too high.

This is a very different story than Three Dark Crowns, the hallmarks are still there that Kendare Blake does very well: complex love stories, impactful female friendships, and a lot of action. But for some reason, it took me a very long time to actually complete the book. It kept dragging for me when I kept hoping that it would pick up the pace and I never fully bought into the story. I wanted to feel strongly one way or another about the Aristene and the love story with Hestion but both fell a little flat for me.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will update the review with the link to on our blog closer to publication date. I'd like to thank the publisher HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

https://onereadingnurse.com/2023/08/31/arc-review-champion-of-fate-by-kendare-blake/

I was extremely excited to receive a digital advanced copy of Champion of Fate! Kendare Blake is one of the few young adult authors that I still read on a regular basis because I love her darker and more unpredictable stories that tend to keep the pace moving and my interest level high. As a bonus we have sentient horses here too, from a KB other than Kristen Britain!

...

My Thoughts:
I think my favorite thing about Champion of Fate is that I was expecting it to follow “the YA formula”, and it started to, but then didn’t. Blake isn’t afraid to go off the beaten path, break a few hearts, kill people off, wreak mayhem, and keep things generally interesting.

I also love that she doesn’t fall into the YA trap of repetitive inner monologue. Reed and Hestion both have great character arcs without dwelling repetitively on their issues. The story is fast paced and stays fresh throughout which created a book that felt much shorter than 480 pages and was hard to put down.

“Wait WHAT, you couldn’t put a YA book down!?!?”

“You heard me!”

Anyone who knows me also knows that I’ve got a lifelong obsession with the Green Rider series, and the magically enhanced sentient horses. I wondered at times while reading the Three Dark Crowns series if Blake was a rider, but now we know for sure. I was so happy to see snarky, sentient, immortal horses in the book. *Quick, add this one to Kristen’s book list*!

I liked Reed and her Aristene training

I mean there’s a lot to say but what you guys need to know is that if you like warrior women, magical orders with secrets, sentient horses, happy-sad endings and fast paced books where you’re never quite sure who the villain is going to be or what’s going to happen, this is a good one for you.

Blake can get more than a little dark and occasionally gorey too so I do recommend this one for upper/mature teens. There is also a little more promiscuity and references to multiple partners that I would give to a teen without parental guidance, although the main character does not partake in this.

There’s a lot to say but what you guys need to know is that if you like warrior women, magical orders with secrets, sentient horses, happy-sad endings and fast paced books where you’re never quite sure who the villain is going to be or what’s going to happen, this is a good one for you. I think adults can easily enjoy it too.

Thanks for checking out my book review of Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake. I received a free digital advanced copy via NetGalley and as always, all opinions are my own ❤️

[arc review]
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Champion of Fate releases September 19, 2023

2.75

<i>“To become an Aristene is not to thrust one sword into your heart. It is to thrust the same sword into your heart, over and over, until the end of time.”</I>

When Reed was 8 years old, raiders attacked the settlement where she lived with her parents, which lead to their deaths.
Two women riders passed through by chance, and paid to save Reed and a horse.

8 years later, Reed is now an initiate of the Order of Aristene, and is about to embark on her Hero’s Trial.
Reed was a marked girl, but Aster and Veridian stumbling upon her was an act of fate.
Becoming an Aristene means becoming an immortal.

This first installment in this new duology was a <u>really slow build</u> set up for what I <I>hope</I> will be an epic conclusion.
I wasn’t all that invested in the main character Reed, and I’d much rather dive deeper into the elders, and the origin story of Aster and Veridian because their characters seem way more interesting!
There were never really any repercussions for Reed’s actions. Like Lyonene often said: Reed was a clear favourite. It felt like everything was given to her too easily, and I wanted her to work for things a bit more and gain some sort of independence.

The romance between Reed and her hero, Hestion, felt forced to me and I would have preferred things between them to have stayed more platonic.

The worldbuilding with the veil was up my alley, but the overall pacing could have used some improvement to keep the reader engaged.

All in all, a pretty middle of the road read. I’d probably read the next installment but since there wasn’t much of a cliffhanger, it’s not at the top of my tbr.

This book was ok; I don't regret reading it, but it wasn't my favorite. I don't mind a more slowly, thoughtfully developed plot, but this was just a *bit* too slow for me. In terms of the characters and character development, I felt the same way. It was ok, I didn't hate it, but I also didn't really fall in love with any of them.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read an ARC of this book!

When Reed's entire family is viciously murdered, she is adopted into an Order of kick A$$, female warriors called The Aristene, who make heroes out of men. For most of her life, Reed trains to participate in the Hero's Trial and become a true Aristene. Unfortunately, the Elders of the Order have not been completely honest with Reed about her real mission for The Hero's Trial or her true fate. When Reed realizes what being an Aristene truly means, she is forced to make a hard decision and choose between the life she has always wanted and a life she never imagined she could have.

This book starts off slow, but stick with it because once it gets going, you will not be able to put it down. The vivid world building draws you into the story but it's the cast of character that keeps you intrigued and curious to know how this story is going to end.

I'm not entirely sure where I sit with this one. I struggled in the beginning with waning interest, but that picked up as the story progressed. Though my interest wasn't fully caught until a good third of the way through the book, which definitely had me considering not finishing.

The premise has potential: an order of immortal women warriors, champions of the goddess of glory. They receive heroes to guide, to make into legends. Reed was rescued from the slaughter of her family, and raised as an initiate. Now it's time for her trial and to receive her first hero. If she succeeds, the portion of Aristene strength she's been granted will come to it's full, and be hers forever.

Reed must be careful of her connection with her hero - she was always meant to guide him to his glory, and then move on to the next hero. But Reed learns there's more to her fate than just turning a boy into a legend. She must choose - between the order she loves, and the gifts it could grant her; or her hero and leaving behind everything she knows.

The journey was definitely worth it for this book. It did pick up in a satisfying way, pulled on my emotions and <i>eventually</i> got me involved. However, I'm not sure if I'd be interested in picking up the next book in the series. Definitely worth looking into though, and there is a brief nod to the Dark Queens series as well that was nice to see.

Thank you to the publishers through NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book.

After dropping Kendare Blake’s Three Dark Crowns series, I wanted to see what the cards held for me in her newest book, Champion of Fate. I thought the premise of immortal women sent to turn men and women into heroes was intriguing, and I was more than ready to follow them into battle, but ultimately the book’s issues were too many, and it couldn’t win me over.

The immortal Aristene warriors are sent out into the world to make heroes of men and women. Through their heroes' incredible feats, the Aristene create glory that honors and sustains their goddess, Kleia Gloria. Reed, Lyonene, and Gretchen have been marked by the goddess and have spent their entire lives training as Aristene initiates. When the time comes for their hero trial, the initiates find themselves sent to allying heroes on the brink of war. Reed has found a home among the Aristene and will stop at nothing to make her hero shine in glory, but this trial will become more than a test for Reed, and her failure could put the entire Aristene order in danger.

Reading Champion was difficult for many reasons, but one of the biggest hurdles was the clunky prose. The writing is focused on moving the plot forward, and the story suffers for it. The scenes bump up against one another uncomfortably because there is no connective tissue that builds up to each main plot point. The reader moves from scene to scene ungracefully, and this makes it impossible for the story to have any meaningful substance. All of the characters have flimsy connections to one another and their “development” comes in jumps and starts that don’t make sense. It also makes their actions appear irrational in the context of the story, swinging from love to vile hatred in a matter of paragraphs if it is convenient for the plot. The pacing is moving at such a rapid speed that instead of becoming immersed in the story, I was dragged along behind it and it wasn’t an enjoyable experience.

The premise of this book sounded interesting in theory, but the execution was disappointing. The entire plot centers on women who are selected to train and become powerful, immortal Aristene. They are incredible warriors who have the skills to prop up other people and turn them into heroes. Even as an initiate on her first hero trial, Reed is a talented warrior with incomprehensible fighting prowess. Yet at every turn, Reed’s champion is constantly worrying about her safety in battle. Initially, this feels like a lean into the doubt surrounding a woman’s strength trope. However, the champion is always the first one to come to Reed’s defense when other men question her purpose. Alternatively, this may be an attempt to show that the champion cares for Reed, but again, this is a weird choice because he often remarks that he wants a fierce and capable woman at his side. Maybe we are supposed to be learning something about his internalized sexism through his inconsistencies, but if that’s true Champion doesn’t do enough to capitalize on the theme for it to stick.

All of this is to say that many of my issues with this book stem from the same place. Champion says one thing but fails to back up its claims time and time again. It’s Reed being hyped up as a badass yet she doesn’t demonstrate the feats of a heromaker. It’s the gravity given to the Aristene lore and rules, but they are easily broken to create an easier pathway for Reed. It’s all of the major battles and action scenes that begin and end within a matter of pages. Even with the fast-moving plot, I felt directionless and lost in this volatile story that struggled to stay rooted in the world that was created.

Champion of Fate fails to follow through on so much and by the 50% mark, I was tired of being let down. I pushed forward to finish the book but unfortunately, my feelings did not change, so here is where my time with the Heromaker series ends.

Rating: Champion of Fate - 4.0/10

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The thoughts on this story are my own.

Spoilers

If I could rate using half stars, Champion of Fate would get two and a half but I have decided to round down to two. This is not a horrible book. It’s not badly written and the characters are fine. I think the world is interesting and I really enjoyed the mythological vibe. However, the pacing is so glacially slow.

Pacing can make or break a book. I have a short attention span and for me to enjoy a slower paced story, it needs to bring ALL the emotion and drama. Unfortunately, this one did not. We’re told throughout the story that if certain rules are broken that bad things will happen but we never see that. The rules are consistently bent for Reed and her friends so nothing felt high stakes or important.

The “romance” was also really bad and what I enjoyed the least. I personally did not feel any connection between Reed and Hestion. It was completely based on instalove and us being told, not shown, that they were in love. It should have been emotionally devastating when their relationship broke apart but I did not care at all… and it didn’t seem like Reed did either.

Kendare Blake is a good writer but this is not her best work. I think it would have been better if there was more action, more romance, more deaths and well, just more. At this moment, I’m not particularly interested in reading the next in this duology but that could change.