Champion of Fate (Heromaker #1) by Kendare Blake
We received an advanced reader copy of this book.
Published: September 19, 2023
Review:
Myth: 3.5/5
The story of the hero makers, the Aristene, an order of female warriors that help guide heroes to their victory and their glory. We dive into an orphan girl’s adoption into training and through her first hero’s quest. I have a hard time with stories that spend a great deal of time on the origin of the character as opposed to the character as they are in the story (and give us glimpses of who they were). This story did the former, and it made the first ~30-40% of the book a bit slow.
Magic: 4/5
An immortal order of warriors, magical portals, sensing the shape of destiny and glory, I will say that the magic felt unique to this story and characters. I thought it was pretty well delivered, especially with some of the order-specific plot points that are unveiled through this first book.
Overall: 3.5/5
I certainly recommend it for those that enjoy a bit deeper world-building. Though not a specific callout from the author or publisher, I couldn’t help but get Greek mythological hero vibes from the book. A unique concept and story in YA fantasy.
