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Darest #1
Champion of the Rose
Soren Armitage is an anachronism. Proclaimed Rathen Champion by the Rathen Rose, intended to support the rule of a Rathen King or Queen.But there are no Rathens.Resigned to symbolising only Darest's faded glories, Soren is not prepared for the sudden appearance of a Rathen. Now she must find and support the heir despite the machinations of the kingdom's regent, sylvan curses, and the strange behaviour of once-dormant protective enchantments. While the odds seem stacked against her, Soren is determined to do her best to live up to the name of Rathen Champion. But what is she to do when it seems that there is something very wrong with her Rathen? Can she trust the person she is meant to protect?
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2010
22 people are currently reading
1780 people want to read
About the author
Andrea K. Höst
24 books815 followersBorn in Sweden and raised in Australia, Andrea K Höst currently lives in Sydney. She writes fantasy, but wanders occasionally into science fantasy.
Her novel "The Silence of Medair" was a finalist for the 2010 Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel. Her novella "Forfeit" won the 2016 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novella.
She also occasionally publishes romance under the name Karan K Anders.
Her novel "The Silence of Medair" was a finalist for the 2010 Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel. Her novella "Forfeit" won the 2016 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novella.
She also occasionally publishes romance under the name Karan K Anders.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
March 28, 2013
This is a 4.5 rounded to a five, for me—making it my lowest-rated novel by Andrea K. Höst. And yes, I have read all of her novels, now (though I've been blocked on reviewing them for a few weeks for some reason).
With this novel, Höst proves she's equally at home in fantasy as she is sci-fi and contemporary novels. Dare is a country carved out of fairy by a promise from the fairy queen ages ago. That promise hangs by a thread as the family it was given to died out over 200 years ago. Since many of the ancient protections built into the capital and the country itself are tied to that family, the country is in the midst of a long decay. Soren is the latest "Champion" of the rose—the living embodiment of the protections on the royal family line (obviously, protections that failed at some point). Since the rose hasn’t had a bloom for 200+ years, Soren's position is... laughable. Only then the rose blooms again and Soren finds herself searching for a royal heir who seems to have been generated from nothing.
Soren has to come to terms with her newly important role in Dare's political upheaval even as she adjusts to having an actual heir to champion for—and focus her life around. Her job is complicated by the machinations of the rose itself. As the rose takes direct interest and action early on, we see that its protection is two-sided (at best). A powerful, amoral, coercive force tied directly into your own perceptions and emotion becomes as much burden as anyone should have to bear, even as events cascade into crisis brought about by the inevitable political disruption of the appearance of a new ruler.
I found the plot itself engaging on its own, but the addition of Soren’s struggle with the heir and the rose added intriguing emotional layers I greatly appreciated. Daringly, Höst chose to add a bit of social alchemy into the mix by making the inhabitants of her world truly and essentially bi-sexual. Surprisingly, this works very well as Höst seldom does things by halves. The social institution of marriage is updated with some minor adjustments to allow same-sex couples to have children. The surprise comes as you see a society where literally everyone is both a potential partner and a potential rival. This, by itself, effectively eliminates sexual discrimination and does so pretty naturally without ignoring the realities of gender differences (so there are few female guards, but the profession isn't closed to women). So, for example, a man can be the nurturing parent even as women can be the breadwinner—indeed, since many couples are same-sex, it's pretty much a requirement of functional families that they do so.
By keeping the fundamental bi-sexuality of the characters as a given and keeping it as a simple, acknowledged background, Höst avoids coming across as didactic or agendized. Indeed, I thought it functions as an interesting exploration of gender and sexuality without being prurient or exploitative.
My only qualms with the book, and what dragged it down a bit for me, was mostly built around Strake's character and my impatience with him. This is all spoiler, though, and I'm sorry for that.
Yeah, I got over the disappointment with him, eventually. The book ends well and functions as a stand-alone novel. I understand that another book is planned in the world, but I’d be surprised if it deals with the same characters—their story seems pretty well wrapped-up. I hope that we get new characters with a new story to explore the very intriguing world of Dare. Whatever it turns out to be, I’ll snatch up a copy as soon as I can.
A note about Steamy: There isn't really a lot of steam in this book. There are frank discussions of sex, the occasional attempted seduction, and a short scene of sexual coercion. There is, however, enough explicit sex that, while not titillating, needs to be taken into account by those who might be sensitive to such things.
With this novel, Höst proves she's equally at home in fantasy as she is sci-fi and contemporary novels. Dare is a country carved out of fairy by a promise from the fairy queen ages ago. That promise hangs by a thread as the family it was given to died out over 200 years ago. Since many of the ancient protections built into the capital and the country itself are tied to that family, the country is in the midst of a long decay. Soren is the latest "Champion" of the rose—the living embodiment of the protections on the royal family line (obviously, protections that failed at some point). Since the rose hasn’t had a bloom for 200+ years, Soren's position is... laughable. Only then the rose blooms again and Soren finds herself searching for a royal heir who seems to have been generated from nothing.
Soren has to come to terms with her newly important role in Dare's political upheaval even as she adjusts to having an actual heir to champion for—and focus her life around. Her job is complicated by the machinations of the rose itself. As the rose takes direct interest and action early on, we see that its protection is two-sided (at best). A powerful, amoral, coercive force tied directly into your own perceptions and emotion becomes as much burden as anyone should have to bear, even as events cascade into crisis brought about by the inevitable political disruption of the appearance of a new ruler.
I found the plot itself engaging on its own, but the addition of Soren’s struggle with the heir and the rose added intriguing emotional layers I greatly appreciated. Daringly, Höst chose to add a bit of social alchemy into the mix by making the inhabitants of her world truly and essentially bi-sexual. Surprisingly, this works very well as Höst seldom does things by halves. The social institution of marriage is updated with some minor adjustments to allow same-sex couples to have children. The surprise comes as you see a society where literally everyone is both a potential partner and a potential rival. This, by itself, effectively eliminates sexual discrimination and does so pretty naturally without ignoring the realities of gender differences (so there are few female guards, but the profession isn't closed to women). So, for example, a man can be the nurturing parent even as women can be the breadwinner—indeed, since many couples are same-sex, it's pretty much a requirement of functional families that they do so.
By keeping the fundamental bi-sexuality of the characters as a given and keeping it as a simple, acknowledged background, Höst avoids coming across as didactic or agendized. Indeed, I thought it functions as an interesting exploration of gender and sexuality without being prurient or exploitative.
My only qualms with the book, and what dragged it down a bit for me, was mostly built around Strake's character and my impatience with him. This is all spoiler, though, and I'm sorry for that.
Yeah, I got over the disappointment with him, eventually. The book ends well and functions as a stand-alone novel. I understand that another book is planned in the world, but I’d be surprised if it deals with the same characters—their story seems pretty well wrapped-up. I hope that we get new characters with a new story to explore the very intriguing world of Dare. Whatever it turns out to be, I’ll snatch up a copy as soon as I can.
A note about Steamy: There isn't really a lot of steam in this book. There are frank discussions of sex, the occasional attempted seduction, and a short scene of sexual coercion. There is, however, enough explicit sex that, while not titillating, needs to be taken into account by those who might be sensitive to such things.
February 5, 2011
Warning: THE COVER IS DECEIVING. This is not a middle-grade book. Rather, this story contains adult situations that, while handled tastefully, would not work for a young readership.
The Rose determines who will rule the kingdom of Darest -- and, on the day the Garden of the Rose calls to King's Champion Soren, she begins to realize that all she knows about the kingdom, its ruling family of Rathen, and even its guardian Rose are more than she ever could have realized. . .
I will admit: this book is not fantasy literature that brings to mind The Chronicles of Narnia or even The Lord of the Rings. Rather, this is a book with a fantasy background while the main story revolves around political intrigues a la Megan Whalen Turner's books (though I must admit this story doesn't touch that series as far as twists and turns go). I would almost compare this story to what Kristin Cashore has sought to accomplish with her fantasy novels, Graceling and Fire. What I didn't like most about the story was that I didn't get enough world-building or description before I was THROWN into a plot with motives and reasoning I barely understood. How can anyone read and continue with a story when the reader isn't allowed to establish an attachment to a character or even the world of the novel? Why should the reader care about the Champion of Rathen when she's as much a mystery as anything at the beginning of this novel? Why should the reader care about who will rule Darest when the world itself is such an enigma within the story?
BUT GOODNESS GRACIOUS, THIS STORY STILL KEPT ME READING.
The writing itself might be hit or miss with some readers because the descriptions of land and places are mostly left up to the imagination. (This book could have used a map!) My main issue was that I found the amoral status of the kingdom off-putting (everyone seems to be bisexual and free loving with their affections, and there are even marriages called 'tribonds' for three people). However, the characters of Champion Soren and Rathen heir Strake made the story so worth it to me. I wanted to keep reading just because I wanted to know what happened to them.
Honestly, the control the Rose has over Sorn and Strake is appalling, robbing them of their free will at critical moments. Most times, in fantasies, enchantments are helpful or only just slightly problematic; here, magic and spells give as much as take. I liked that dichotomy from the plot set-up, but I hated what it did to the characters.
The relationship between Soren and Strake is subtle yet complicated: attraction warring with revulsion, admiration mixing with hatred, desire's claws grappling with enchantment's lure. It was a tug and pull game all the time, yet it didn't overwhelm the main story of the new king, political intrigues and conspiracies, and the Rose which seemed like a puppeteer in the kingdom's future and fate. (I don't know about any other readers, but I like stories that keep me guessing about whether the heroine and hero will work through their differences and get together by the end! It's very difficult to keep me wondering like that!)
Lest I make you think this is a romance novel (it isn't!), the actual plot towards the latter half of the book follows the killer targeting Rathens and those in the kingdom of Darest. However much intrigued by the plot I was (Court intrigues! Conspiracies! Fae! Magic!), I thought that some portions could have been spelled out better. I found myself getting confused when it came to past events and back stories, but I still enjoyed myself immensely when it came to following Soren, Strake, and is-he-a-friend-or-a-foe Aristide.
Overall, I don't know if I would recommend Champion of the Rose to my book aficionado friends -- but I do know that I liked it for being different and for trying to achieve things that other fantasies seem afraid to touch. The story worked for me, and I really hope it works for other readers too.
The Rose determines who will rule the kingdom of Darest -- and, on the day the Garden of the Rose calls to King's Champion Soren, she begins to realize that all she knows about the kingdom, its ruling family of Rathen, and even its guardian Rose are more than she ever could have realized. . .
I will admit: this book is not fantasy literature that brings to mind The Chronicles of Narnia or even The Lord of the Rings. Rather, this is a book with a fantasy background while the main story revolves around political intrigues a la Megan Whalen Turner's books (though I must admit this story doesn't touch that series as far as twists and turns go). I would almost compare this story to what Kristin Cashore has sought to accomplish with her fantasy novels, Graceling and Fire. What I didn't like most about the story was that I didn't get enough world-building or description before I was THROWN into a plot with motives and reasoning I barely understood. How can anyone read and continue with a story when the reader isn't allowed to establish an attachment to a character or even the world of the novel? Why should the reader care about the Champion of Rathen when she's as much a mystery as anything at the beginning of this novel? Why should the reader care about who will rule Darest when the world itself is such an enigma within the story?
BUT GOODNESS GRACIOUS, THIS STORY STILL KEPT ME READING.
The writing itself might be hit or miss with some readers because the descriptions of land and places are mostly left up to the imagination. (This book could have used a map!) My main issue was that I found the amoral status of the kingdom off-putting (everyone seems to be bisexual and free loving with their affections, and there are even marriages called 'tribonds' for three people). However, the characters of Champion Soren and Rathen heir Strake made the story so worth it to me. I wanted to keep reading just because I wanted to know what happened to them.
Honestly, the control the Rose has over Sorn and Strake is appalling, robbing them of their free will at critical moments. Most times, in fantasies, enchantments are helpful or only just slightly problematic; here, magic and spells give as much as take. I liked that dichotomy from the plot set-up, but I hated what it did to the characters.
The relationship between Soren and Strake is subtle yet complicated: attraction warring with revulsion, admiration mixing with hatred, desire's claws grappling with enchantment's lure. It was a tug and pull game all the time, yet it didn't overwhelm the main story of the new king, political intrigues and conspiracies, and the Rose which seemed like a puppeteer in the kingdom's future and fate. (I don't know about any other readers, but I like stories that keep me guessing about whether the heroine and hero will work through their differences and get together by the end! It's very difficult to keep me wondering like that!)
Lest I make you think this is a romance novel (it isn't!), the actual plot towards the latter half of the book follows the killer targeting Rathens and those in the kingdom of Darest. However much intrigued by the plot I was (Court intrigues! Conspiracies! Fae! Magic!), I thought that some portions could have been spelled out better. I found myself getting confused when it came to past events and back stories, but I still enjoyed myself immensely when it came to following Soren, Strake, and is-he-a-friend-or-a-foe Aristide.
Overall, I don't know if I would recommend Champion of the Rose to my book aficionado friends -- but I do know that I liked it for being different and for trying to achieve things that other fantasies seem afraid to touch. The story worked for me, and I really hope it works for other readers too.
March 19, 2013
Soren's position at the Darest court is a joke. She was proclaimed Champion of the Rose, the protector of the Rathen kings--but there have been no Rathen kings in Darest for two hundred years. Her status as ignored non-entity abruptly changes when a blooming rose appears in the palace's magical garden, signaling the birth of a Rathen heir. Soren knows that the regents of Darest will do anything to maintain their position, and she needs to get to the heir before their agents do. Because the myths are right--only Rathen rule can avert the terrible doom that afflicts all of Darest.
Soren and
I really loved the magic in this book. It has a sort of dream-logic to it, and has an understated power, the kind where you only realize how impossible something is when you glance at it a second time. There's one scene, when Soren meets the fairy queen, that was particularly astounding. And I really liked that the story deals with the dark sides to ordained rule and magical tools in a really thoughtful manner.
Oh! And I nearly forgot to mention, because it's so casual and unremarked, that this is a completely queer universe. Everyone has lovers of either sex (although some people seem to have preferences) without it even needing a name, triads are as legal a relationship as couples, and both genders are perfectly equal in status and in roles. Love it!
The first five chapters are available to sample on goodreads or the author's website, but beware: they so intrigued me that I bought this book, and I am so frugal I buy a book once every five years. It is quickly, dangerously, enthralling.
Soren and
I really loved the magic in this book. It has a sort of dream-logic to it, and has an understated power, the kind where you only realize how impossible something is when you glance at it a second time. There's one scene, when Soren meets the fairy queen, that was particularly astounding. And I really liked that the story deals with the dark sides to ordained rule and magical tools in a really thoughtful manner.
Oh! And I nearly forgot to mention, because it's so casual and unremarked, that this is a completely queer universe. Everyone has lovers of either sex (although some people seem to have preferences) without it even needing a name, triads are as legal a relationship as couples, and both genders are perfectly equal in status and in roles. Love it!
The first five chapters are available to sample on goodreads or the author's website, but beware: they so intrigued me that I bought this book, and I am so frugal I buy a book once every five years. It is quickly, dangerously, enthralling.
Read
September 28, 2012I read this on the train while crossing the country; I meant to make it last from L.A. to Boston, but I ended up finishing it while waiting for my connection in Chicago, sitting in a cafe overlooking the river.
Soren is an ordinary woman who finds herself appointed Champion to the missing king, a position that makes her laughable in Darest's court, as the kings have been missing for two centuries. That's until the mysterious Rose, in its enchanted garden, lets her know that there is a king--and she is compelled to find him.
This fantasy takes common fantastic story elements and turns them around to re-examine them as Soren and her Rathen (the family name of the king) solve several mysteries, with grisly murder at the center.
It's a story about magical impulses, control, obsession, agency, and forgiveness, as well as love, set in a land whose cultures must deal with the Fae. The magical Rose is a great symbol for that--beauty but ooh watch for those thorns.
I do wish that the author had a good copyeditor--it wasn't so much the grammar oopsies as the many dangling modifiers that made some passages difficult to comprehend. This was a complex story, with a strong strain of darkness, and nicely realized human touches, but best of all, moments of the numinous, so far and which I love so much. I'll grab any sequel in a heartbeat.
Soren is an ordinary woman who finds herself appointed Champion to the missing king, a position that makes her laughable in Darest's court, as the kings have been missing for two centuries. That's until the mysterious Rose, in its enchanted garden, lets her know that there is a king--and she is compelled to find him.
This fantasy takes common fantastic story elements and turns them around to re-examine them as Soren and her Rathen (the family name of the king) solve several mysteries, with grisly murder at the center.
It's a story about magical impulses, control, obsession, agency, and forgiveness, as well as love, set in a land whose cultures must deal with the Fae. The magical Rose is a great symbol for that--beauty but ooh watch for those thorns.
I do wish that the author had a good copyeditor--it wasn't so much the grammar oopsies as the many dangling modifiers that made some passages difficult to comprehend. This was a complex story, with a strong strain of darkness, and nicely realized human touches, but best of all, moments of the numinous, so far and which I love so much. I'll grab any sequel in a heartbeat.
September 6, 2016
It was a whim that made me decide to read Champion of the Rose. I had read Host’s dystopian offering and though I hadn’t loved it unequivocally, I had liked it enough to be curious about her epic fantasy work. I strode into the book completely unprepared as I hadn’t even read the synopsis. And in hindsight, I am glad that I went into it as unsuspectingly as I did because the pleasure I received from the novel was intensified by the very fact that I hadn’t been expecting it to be there.
Host builds a vibrant, credible world in 306 pages which any writer will tell you is not an easy feat. Soren is a layered complex character. She was “chosen” for reasons unknown to her by a somewhat sentient spell whose entire purpose is to keep the Rathen line (lineage?) on the throne and protected. She is the “champion” of a Rathen whom the readers believe to be a newborn baby but who turns out to be a fully grown King to be who had been lost in time.
There are court politics and intrigue, colourful characters peopling the narrative and a clear and crisp narrative tone that keeps the plot together and focused.
Political intrigues aside, the sexuality of the people in Darest is very interesting. Homosexuality and bisexuality are normalized and do not elicit any explicit dialogue in the novel. The romance is particularly well done though a bit shocking initially. It is the first time I have read something like the incident that occurs between the two main leads and it threw me for a bit because I didn’t know who to side with.
The King is lovely. Very flawed and spilling over with issues, as anyone who has been displaced centuries would be, but I found Soren and his relationship to be compelling. The hint of a similar relationship between Soren and the other dude was just as interesting and I truly hope the next book shows some more development in that regard.
I loved this book and cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy so I can reread it. I have read many novels in the epic fantasy genre and this one, though slim at 306 pages (compared to other novels in the genre) delivers just as much if not more. If epic fantasy is your thing and you want fantastic prose without compromising the plot and characterization, this book is for you. Strongly recommended.
Host builds a vibrant, credible world in 306 pages which any writer will tell you is not an easy feat. Soren is a layered complex character. She was “chosen” for reasons unknown to her by a somewhat sentient spell whose entire purpose is to keep the Rathen line (lineage?) on the throne and protected. She is the “champion” of a Rathen whom the readers believe to be a newborn baby but who turns out to be a fully grown King to be who had been lost in time.
There are court politics and intrigue, colourful characters peopling the narrative and a clear and crisp narrative tone that keeps the plot together and focused.
Political intrigues aside, the sexuality of the people in Darest is very interesting. Homosexuality and bisexuality are normalized and do not elicit any explicit dialogue in the novel. The romance is particularly well done though a bit shocking initially. It is the first time I have read something like the incident that occurs between the two main leads and it threw me for a bit because I didn’t know who to side with.
The King is lovely. Very flawed and spilling over with issues, as anyone who has been displaced centuries would be, but I found Soren and his relationship to be compelling. The hint of a similar relationship between Soren and the other dude was just as interesting and I truly hope the next book shows some more development in that regard.
I loved this book and cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy so I can reread it. I have read many novels in the epic fantasy genre and this one, though slim at 306 pages (compared to other novels in the genre) delivers just as much if not more. If epic fantasy is your thing and you want fantastic prose without compromising the plot and characterization, this book is for you. Strongly recommended.
October 8, 2015
I recently re-read this, and enjoyed it just as much as my first read, so I'd thought I'd write a review.
Summary: The Kingdom of Darest was supposed to be ruled by the Rathen line forever, but there have been no Rathens for 200 hundred years. Not that the enchantments supposed to protect the Rathens and Darest know this; they've carried on as before. Which is how Soren Armitage, our protagonist, has found herself in the redundant position of Rathen Champion. She is technically part of the Darest court, but without duties and purpose, she is more a joke than anything else. Until a Rathen turns up out of nowhere. Thus, Soren goes off to find her Rathen, and to protect them from the dangers of both internal and external politics, a magical murderer who is hunting Rathens, and from the an enchantment, which is supposed to protect the King, but shows early on that it cannot be completely trusted to do so.
Thoughts: The plot is intriguing and has a few surprises, but it was Soren’s internal growth that I liked the most about this book. Soren’s struggle to adapt to her abrupt change in importance, struggle to use and control the Rathen Rose, which is connected to her, and her need to prove herself worthy of the Champion role, despite the fact that her Rathen would rather she stay far away, were all well done. I felt for her. And she is supported by an equally dynamic cast.
I can’t talk about this book without talking a little about the world a little. Specifically the way same sex relationships and polymory are casually integrated into Darest society. In fact, rather than heteronormative, the world is binormative, and in a way that feels very natural. Both Soren and her male love interest in the book have had same sex relationships in the past, which are presented as equally valid as their relationship with each other. Soren’s interest in women is expressed several times throughout the story without it feeling forced or out of place.
Having read some of the author's other works, I must say this is my favourite by her, and also one of my favourite self-published books.
9/10
Content warning:
Summary: The Kingdom of Darest was supposed to be ruled by the Rathen line forever, but there have been no Rathens for 200 hundred years. Not that the enchantments supposed to protect the Rathens and Darest know this; they've carried on as before. Which is how Soren Armitage, our protagonist, has found herself in the redundant position of Rathen Champion. She is technically part of the Darest court, but without duties and purpose, she is more a joke than anything else. Until a Rathen turns up out of nowhere. Thus, Soren goes off to find her Rathen, and to protect them from the dangers of both internal and external politics, a magical murderer who is hunting Rathens, and from the an enchantment, which is supposed to protect the King, but shows early on that it cannot be completely trusted to do so.
Thoughts: The plot is intriguing and has a few surprises, but it was Soren’s internal growth that I liked the most about this book. Soren’s struggle to adapt to her abrupt change in importance, struggle to use and control the Rathen Rose, which is connected to her, and her need to prove herself worthy of the Champion role, despite the fact that her Rathen would rather she stay far away, were all well done. I felt for her. And she is supported by an equally dynamic cast.
I can’t talk about this book without talking a little about the world a little. Specifically the way same sex relationships and polymory are casually integrated into Darest society. In fact, rather than heteronormative, the world is binormative, and in a way that feels very natural. Both Soren and her male love interest in the book have had same sex relationships in the past, which are presented as equally valid as their relationship with each other. Soren’s interest in women is expressed several times throughout the story without it feeling forced or out of place.
Having read some of the author's other works, I must say this is my favourite by her, and also one of my favourite self-published books.
9/10
Content warning:
January 23, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. I dropped 1 star because there were a few details making it not quite perfect, but it's more a 4.5.
This book arrived when I was in the middle of another fantasy series. I had planned to finish that one—I was in the middle of the 8th book out of a total of 10—before starting this but, since the other series was oriented to young audiences, I was a little tired of it because though there was a lot of adventure, quests and battles to make them enjoyable, the plot of each book was always straightforward and the characters black and white. Either knight in shining armor heroic or twisted, depraved, I-want-to-rule-the-world-and-kill-everyone-in-it evil.
So it was that I open this book. It was just what I needed. There aren't quests or epic battles—most of the story happens inside a castle—and I was glad for it, but the complex characters, the court intrigue, the multiple mysteries and the myriad grey situations where there's no easy answer, work together to make a wonderful read—for those who enjoy fantasy worlds and court intrigue, of course.
At first glance, the plot seems simple. For centuries the realm of Darest have been ruled by someone of the Rathen family. Every ruler has a champion, someone with unique qualities depending on what each ruler need the most. There are enchantments in place to choose both persons and the life of each Rathen is represented by a rose in a magic garden. It's a neat system except for a little problem: over two centuries ago the Rathen bloodline died out. The enchantments, however, kept working choosing champions. They became a symbol, a reminder of a time past, little more than palace decoration. Now, quite unexpectedly, in the garden that has been empty for so long a new rose has appeared. So there's a Rathen, a champion and the powerful enchantments that will protect them, right? Not quite. Soon, it will become evident that the enchantments are more trouble than they thought and being champion is not all that it's cracked up to be.
Aside from the main character—and you probably know this only because you are in her head—there are no good guys or bad guys. Instead, there are a group of powerful people, everyone with their own agenda trying to impose their will over the rest. But seriously, at one point or another, you have reason to doubt the motives behind anyone's actions. Maybe because this other series I was reading, where the bad guys were so very evil, I kept trying to find someone to blame—to hate. However, much as it happens to the characters in the book, most situations could be looked at from different perspectives and with enough reasons for their actions, instead of anger, the most you can feel for some characters is pity.
Soren is a great heroine. So different from the usual portrayal of strong women (i.e tough, sarcastic, sassy, obliviously beautiful) and yet very strong in her own style. Strake is nice character to read, but definitely the least complicated of the three main characters. Aristide, on the other hand, was a lot of fun—so many layers.
At first, it takes a little while to understand the background story and how everything works. I'm not a fan of infodumps, but perhaps a few extra explanations early on would have save me some guessing. This is a minor nitpick, really, because by the end of the book you have a complete understanding of the world. Anyway, because of this—or maybe the story itself—this book picks up momentum with each passing chapter and, after a certain point near the middle of the book, I just couldn't put it down.
A couple of things that could improve the reading experience should there be a sequel to this one: A map and a glossary. I'm yet to find a fantasy book that can't benefit from a map, even a badly hand-drawn one. The first few times I had trouble recognizing some of the names and nicknames of the different characters. Like Jansette Denmore, who is first referred to by her full name, then by Lady Denmore and then by just Jansette like four chapters later and I had to go back a bit to check if it was the same person. The same happened with Aristide and "The Diamond." With as many titles, places and occupations as there are, it's useful having all this information in one place.
This book arrived when I was in the middle of another fantasy series. I had planned to finish that one—I was in the middle of the 8th book out of a total of 10—before starting this but, since the other series was oriented to young audiences, I was a little tired of it because though there was a lot of adventure, quests and battles to make them enjoyable, the plot of each book was always straightforward and the characters black and white. Either knight in shining armor heroic or twisted, depraved, I-want-to-rule-the-world-and-kill-everyone-in-it evil.
So it was that I open this book. It was just what I needed. There aren't quests or epic battles—most of the story happens inside a castle—and I was glad for it, but the complex characters, the court intrigue, the multiple mysteries and the myriad grey situations where there's no easy answer, work together to make a wonderful read—for those who enjoy fantasy worlds and court intrigue, of course.
At first glance, the plot seems simple. For centuries the realm of Darest have been ruled by someone of the Rathen family. Every ruler has a champion, someone with unique qualities depending on what each ruler need the most. There are enchantments in place to choose both persons and the life of each Rathen is represented by a rose in a magic garden. It's a neat system except for a little problem: over two centuries ago the Rathen bloodline died out. The enchantments, however, kept working choosing champions. They became a symbol, a reminder of a time past, little more than palace decoration. Now, quite unexpectedly, in the garden that has been empty for so long a new rose has appeared. So there's a Rathen, a champion and the powerful enchantments that will protect them, right? Not quite. Soon, it will become evident that the enchantments are more trouble than they thought and being champion is not all that it's cracked up to be.
Aside from the main character—and you probably know this only because you are in her head—there are no good guys or bad guys. Instead, there are a group of powerful people, everyone with their own agenda trying to impose their will over the rest. But seriously, at one point or another, you have reason to doubt the motives behind anyone's actions. Maybe because this other series I was reading, where the bad guys were so very evil, I kept trying to find someone to blame—to hate. However, much as it happens to the characters in the book, most situations could be looked at from different perspectives and with enough reasons for their actions, instead of anger, the most you can feel for some characters is pity.
Soren is a great heroine. So different from the usual portrayal of strong women (i.e tough, sarcastic, sassy, obliviously beautiful) and yet very strong in her own style. Strake is nice character to read, but definitely the least complicated of the three main characters. Aristide, on the other hand, was a lot of fun—so many layers.
At first, it takes a little while to understand the background story and how everything works. I'm not a fan of infodumps, but perhaps a few extra explanations early on would have save me some guessing. This is a minor nitpick, really, because by the end of the book you have a complete understanding of the world. Anyway, because of this—or maybe the story itself—this book picks up momentum with each passing chapter and, after a certain point near the middle of the book, I just couldn't put it down.
A couple of things that could improve the reading experience should there be a sequel to this one: A map and a glossary. I'm yet to find a fantasy book that can't benefit from a map, even a badly hand-drawn one. The first few times I had trouble recognizing some of the names and nicknames of the different characters. Like Jansette Denmore, who is first referred to by her full name, then by Lady Denmore and then by just Jansette like four chapters later and I had to go back a bit to check if it was the same person. The same happened with Aristide and "The Diamond." With as many titles, places and occupations as there are, it's useful having all this information in one place.
January 20, 2014
'Champion of the Rose' is another throughly compelling and intricate novel by Andrea Höst. I think this is perhaps even better than 'Hunting' in its complexity of world-building and character. Again, there are many little blips of sentence structure which could easily have been edited out, but otherwise the writing is wonderful. While at times 'Hunting' reminded me a little of Martha Wells (I’m not sure exactly why; perhaps it was the protagonist’s voice), there were bits of this one that were reminiscent of Patricia McKillip. It was mainly the way the many levels of meaning were intertwined, and occasionally a whole sentence would seem to me to have a particular McKillip-like resonance.
Host has interwoven several themes through character and plot (which I won’t describe as so many others have already done so). To me, the thread that stands out and that unites them all is that of agency. It weaves through the developing personalities of Strake and Soren, the two central characters (though the extraordinary Astride could be considered a third) and the growing relationship between them, the nature of the enchantment that’s at the novel’s centre, and the way in which the plot is resolved. I thought there were aspects of Strake’s behaviour early in the novel that could have been more explicitly explored later in the novel in the light of the agency theme – both his and Soren’s agency - but really, this is just nit–picking. This is another novel by Höst that I’m completely sold on.
Host has interwoven several themes through character and plot (which I won’t describe as so many others have already done so). To me, the thread that stands out and that unites them all is that of agency. It weaves through the developing personalities of Strake and Soren, the two central characters (though the extraordinary Astride could be considered a third) and the growing relationship between them, the nature of the enchantment that’s at the novel’s centre, and the way in which the plot is resolved. I thought there were aspects of Strake’s behaviour early in the novel that could have been more explicitly explored later in the novel in the light of the agency theme – both his and Soren’s agency - but really, this is just nit–picking. This is another novel by Höst that I’m completely sold on.
September 12, 2012
I really enjoyed this book - occasional missing prepositions and all (and the cover is just gorgeous). My .epub file says it's roughly 300 pages and these are needed to bring this arc (I assume there will be more in Darest as this is the 1st in a series) to a satisfying if a bit too abrupt conclusion.
As this book is told from the viewpoint of Soren, the champion, your enjoyment will depend on how much you like her. Personally I really liked getting to know the dead-end situation she starts out in, directed by her role as champion to a reigning house that no longer exists and ignored by the current court for the most part.
When the power of the Rose - protection of the kingdom - suddenly awakens after 200 years and drags her along, this situation only intensifies - but instead of becoming dark and moody and despairing, Soren decides to try and fulfil her role as the champion, to be what the country seems to need to the fullest extent of her good intentions even if she has to face off against the acknowledged but uncrowned current king.
The way she recovers a king of the previous dynasty is well-told on the one hand, a bit too hasty on the other (not to mention that a horse doesn't quite work that way - but at the time of the book's writing Judith Tarr's Writing Horses wasn't out yet ^^).
If you've read the Booksmuggler review that made me finally buy this, you'll be aware that there is rape at this point - but with the way it is initiated and explained and acted upon (never ignored) in the book I thought the developments were believable, It might even have been more realistic to me if Soren had developed an antipathy in the long run. But then I have never been raped myself... so at least be aware that there is this trigger.
The author has a gift with characters: the lost prince now king, the uncrowned but acknowledged leader of the country who has worked tirelessly for years to stave off a final dissolution of the country into misery, the court members jockeying for position in the new array of power (nasty and nice, former friends, ambitious lovers, the dethroned queen) are - if they have any dialogue at all - interesting people and no carbon copies of each other. My favourites were Jansette, the duchess of Rothwell, Halcean, Aspen, Frick and Aristide.
The particular difficulty of the situation of the kingdom, the rose power that is able to overrule the minds of the people it is supposed to protect, a murder mystery, the triumvirate (and their interactions) who have to solve all the problems and make the transfer of power externally and internally ultra-smooth (the question of whether all three of them actually are working towards the same goal AND the desire for friendship and love) all build up to a satisfying climax whose decisions I could follow.
I just wanted more epilogue ^^.
-----------------------------------------
On reread I got the feeling that the book was centred around Soren, but because it wasn't narrated in first person the reader also gets a lot of subtle insight into Strake and Aristide. I was also more struck by the casual positive portrayal of polyarmory and same-sex love. Lovely integrated. I thought the court intrigues were well scripted as well, and especially the pyrotechnics of the audience with the Fair were gorgeous to imagine.
The love and acceptance between Strake and Soren are still a bit too fast for my taste, but the page count probably meant there had to be a choice between solving the intrigue, the problem of the Rose and discover what truly is wrong in the state of Darest - OR there could be in-depth emotional shenanigans between Soren, Strake and Aristide.
I do hope the promised second book will show up at some point, the general Darest situation is still deeply in trouble and the new King has only worked under danger of death so far, but I most want it because I'm hoping for a place for Aristide. I know where I want him to end up, but as long as he gets a place and support of his own I'll be content ^^.
As this book is told from the viewpoint of Soren, the champion, your enjoyment will depend on how much you like her. Personally I really liked getting to know the dead-end situation she starts out in, directed by her role as champion to a reigning house that no longer exists and ignored by the current court for the most part.
When the power of the Rose - protection of the kingdom - suddenly awakens after 200 years and drags her along, this situation only intensifies - but instead of becoming dark and moody and despairing, Soren decides to try and fulfil her role as the champion, to be what the country seems to need to the fullest extent of her good intentions even if she has to face off against the acknowledged but uncrowned current king.
The way she recovers a king of the previous dynasty is well-told on the one hand, a bit too hasty on the other (not to mention that a horse doesn't quite work that way - but at the time of the book's writing Judith Tarr's Writing Horses wasn't out yet ^^).
If you've read the Booksmuggler review that made me finally buy this, you'll be aware that there is rape at this point - but with the way it is initiated and explained and acted upon (never ignored) in the book I thought the developments were believable, It might even have been more realistic to me if Soren had developed an antipathy in the long run. But then I have never been raped myself... so at least be aware that there is this trigger.
The author has a gift with characters: the lost prince now king, the uncrowned but acknowledged leader of the country who has worked tirelessly for years to stave off a final dissolution of the country into misery, the court members jockeying for position in the new array of power (nasty and nice, former friends, ambitious lovers, the dethroned queen) are - if they have any dialogue at all - interesting people and no carbon copies of each other. My favourites were Jansette, the duchess of Rothwell, Halcean, Aspen, Frick and Aristide.
The particular difficulty of the situation of the kingdom, the rose power that is able to overrule the minds of the people it is supposed to protect, a murder mystery, the triumvirate (and their interactions) who have to solve all the problems and make the transfer of power externally and internally ultra-smooth (the question of whether all three of them actually are working towards the same goal AND the desire for friendship and love) all build up to a satisfying climax whose decisions I could follow.
I just wanted more epilogue ^^.
-----------------------------------------
On reread I got the feeling that the book was centred around Soren, but because it wasn't narrated in first person the reader also gets a lot of subtle insight into Strake and Aristide. I was also more struck by the casual positive portrayal of polyarmory and same-sex love. Lovely integrated. I thought the court intrigues were well scripted as well, and especially the pyrotechnics of the audience with the Fair were gorgeous to imagine.
The love and acceptance between Strake and Soren are still a bit too fast for my taste, but the page count probably meant there had to be a choice between solving the intrigue, the problem of the Rose and discover what truly is wrong in the state of Darest - OR there could be in-depth emotional shenanigans between Soren, Strake and Aristide.
I do hope the promised second book will show up at some point, the general Darest situation is still deeply in trouble and the new King has only worked under danger of death so far, but I most want it because I'm hoping for a place for Aristide. I know where I want him to end up, but as long as he gets a place and support of his own I'll be content ^^.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2011
Edit: I forgot to add that I won this book through first-reads. My review is completely honest and independent of that fact though.
The kingdom of Darest has always been ruled by Rathen's. With the help and protection of the Rathen Rose, a magical enchanment that helps protect the family, the Rathen's were expected to rule the kingdom forever. At least until a few centuries ago when plague and family rivalry wiped the last of the Rathen family out. Now Darest is being ruled by a regent Queen and experiencing a slow decline. The magical forests of the Fae are starting to take back the land and neighboring kingdoms are helping the inevitable death of Darest along with greedy eyes. And in the kingdoms time of great need, the Rathen Rose's enchantments are dormant. With one exception that is: The Rathen Champion. The Rathen Champion was once the right hand of the Rathen King or Queen. Confidant and protector, there was no role the Rathen Champion couldn't fill. Yet even though there are no more Rathen's left, the Rathen Rose still calls upon a Darest citizen to become Rathen Champion once a generation. But instead of having a role in palace life, the Champion is now just a reminder of what once was.
This is where Champion of the Rose opens. Soren is the latest Rathen Champion trying to find a place for herself in the palace. Resigned to simply organize the Champion library, Soren's life is turned upside down when the Rathen Rose appears to have a single flower on it's vine after centuries of being bare. This single new rose indicates a living Rathen and sets Soren on a journey that will change everything.
Champion of the Rose has everything an epic fantasy should have. Journeys, evil enemies, court intrigue, and complicated relationships are all par the course for this novel. What I went into with little expectation, ended up completely surprising me. I loved Champion of the Rose. For some reason I thought the cover/blurb of the book made the story seem like it would be for older children or younger teens, but that's definitely not the case. Unlike most stories I've read, especially fantasies for young teens, this book focuses on the space between right and wrong. There is a lot of gray throughout this book and things are never as obvious as they seem.
While the plot is pretty basic in this story, the relationships between Soren and...well pretty much everybody is what really caught my interest. I found myself staying up far too late to finish the story and I just adored Soren. She wasn't perfect, but she's the kind of protagonist I want to read about. Not entirely confident in her place, we get to watch Soren grow and overcome her mistakes along the way. And I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I love flawed characters.
My only two issues with the book are personal. I prefer not to read stories with any kind of rape (though it's very complicated and I think Höst handled it well) and I thought the ending was a bit cheesy. The way Höst treated relationships in this book was a breath of fresh air though. I know I've left a ton of stuff vague, but you really should experience the story for yourself. You know how every once and a while a book comes a long and reminds you why you love to read? Well this book did that for me.
The kingdom of Darest has always been ruled by Rathen's. With the help and protection of the Rathen Rose, a magical enchanment that helps protect the family, the Rathen's were expected to rule the kingdom forever. At least until a few centuries ago when plague and family rivalry wiped the last of the Rathen family out. Now Darest is being ruled by a regent Queen and experiencing a slow decline. The magical forests of the Fae are starting to take back the land and neighboring kingdoms are helping the inevitable death of Darest along with greedy eyes. And in the kingdoms time of great need, the Rathen Rose's enchantments are dormant. With one exception that is: The Rathen Champion. The Rathen Champion was once the right hand of the Rathen King or Queen. Confidant and protector, there was no role the Rathen Champion couldn't fill. Yet even though there are no more Rathen's left, the Rathen Rose still calls upon a Darest citizen to become Rathen Champion once a generation. But instead of having a role in palace life, the Champion is now just a reminder of what once was.
This is where Champion of the Rose opens. Soren is the latest Rathen Champion trying to find a place for herself in the palace. Resigned to simply organize the Champion library, Soren's life is turned upside down when the Rathen Rose appears to have a single flower on it's vine after centuries of being bare. This single new rose indicates a living Rathen and sets Soren on a journey that will change everything.
Champion of the Rose has everything an epic fantasy should have. Journeys, evil enemies, court intrigue, and complicated relationships are all par the course for this novel. What I went into with little expectation, ended up completely surprising me. I loved Champion of the Rose. For some reason I thought the cover/blurb of the book made the story seem like it would be for older children or younger teens, but that's definitely not the case. Unlike most stories I've read, especially fantasies for young teens, this book focuses on the space between right and wrong. There is a lot of gray throughout this book and things are never as obvious as they seem.
While the plot is pretty basic in this story, the relationships between Soren and...well pretty much everybody is what really caught my interest. I found myself staying up far too late to finish the story and I just adored Soren. She wasn't perfect, but she's the kind of protagonist I want to read about. Not entirely confident in her place, we get to watch Soren grow and overcome her mistakes along the way. And I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I love flawed characters.
My only two issues with the book are personal. I prefer not to read stories with any kind of rape (though it's very complicated and I think Höst handled it well) and I thought the ending was a bit cheesy. The way Höst treated relationships in this book was a breath of fresh air though. I know I've left a ton of stuff vague, but you really should experience the story for yourself. You know how every once and a while a book comes a long and reminds you why you love to read? Well this book did that for me.
January 9, 2014
I'm beginning to realize that I simply connect with Andrea K. Höst's books in a way that is deeply satisfying to me, no matter what she's writing. In Champion of the Rose I'm captivated by how both Soren and Strake are bound by things outside their control, Soren by her unwilling appointment as Champion of the Rathen family and therefore her ties to Strake (never mind how attracted she is to him) and Strake's sudden rise to rule that comes at the cost of losing every person, every thing he knows.
Soren is chosen by the semi-sentient entity woven into the fabric of Tor Darest not because she is a warrior or a mage or anything particularly special, but because she is fertile--Champion Brood Mare, she thinks of herself. And then she refuses to accept that role, proving that she has qualities the Rose never anticipated. I like her relationship with Strake, which begins with an act of violence neither of them (particularly Strake) ought to be able to get past, and their overcoming of it makes sense and made me care more about each of them.
I like Höst's unusual social/sexual society, which makes sense and provided a very strong sense of family in all the ways family was formed in Darest. And the ending, in which Strake gives up vengeance in favor of justice, was powerful. I'm rating this 4.5 stars because I think the writing isn't as strong as in her other books, but I enjoyed it enough that I'm going to round up instead of down. Very much looking forward to the sequel(s).
Soren is chosen by the semi-sentient entity woven into the fabric of Tor Darest not because she is a warrior or a mage or anything particularly special, but because she is fertile--Champion Brood Mare, she thinks of herself. And then she refuses to accept that role, proving that she has qualities the Rose never anticipated. I like her relationship with Strake, which begins with an act of violence neither of them (particularly Strake) ought to be able to get past, and their overcoming of it makes sense and made me care more about each of them.
I like Höst's unusual social/sexual society, which makes sense and provided a very strong sense of family in all the ways family was formed in Darest. And the ending, in which Strake gives up vengeance in favor of justice, was powerful. I'm rating this 4.5 stars because I think the writing isn't as strong as in her other books, but I enjoyed it enough that I'm going to round up instead of down. Very much looking forward to the sequel(s).
May 9, 2013
4/5; 4 stars; A-
In all the books I've read by this author I really like her female protagonist. This book is no different. Soren Armitage is a woman pushed into a difficult role by a magic so vast and old, no one really understands how it works. Named the Champion of the Rose, she is sent on a quest to find the person she is supposed to 'champion', the rightful king of Darest. There has been a champion named but no 'king of the line' for about 200 years.
Soren develops skills and abilities due to the magic's influence, yet she is a puppet at the hands of this powerful magic. Much of the angst in the story is created by Soren's resistance to this magic that seems to usurp her will. When the magic forces Soren and Strake, the king, to behave in ways that is not THEIR will it makes for a lot of hard feelings between them. Combine that with court intrique, a death threat hanging of the king's head, and a mysterious unkillable fae assassin, there are many obstacles to peace for the main characters and the kingdom.
I liked the world building in this book. The magic system was interesting. The cultural aspects around sexual relations was kind of different. There was no graphic sex in this book but there was reference to partnerships, particulary same sex as well as polyamory type of relationships
In all the books I've read by this author I really like her female protagonist. This book is no different. Soren Armitage is a woman pushed into a difficult role by a magic so vast and old, no one really understands how it works. Named the Champion of the Rose, she is sent on a quest to find the person she is supposed to 'champion', the rightful king of Darest. There has been a champion named but no 'king of the line' for about 200 years.
Soren develops skills and abilities due to the magic's influence, yet she is a puppet at the hands of this powerful magic. Much of the angst in the story is created by Soren's resistance to this magic that seems to usurp her will. When the magic forces Soren and Strake, the king, to behave in ways that is not THEIR will it makes for a lot of hard feelings between them. Combine that with court intrique, a death threat hanging of the king's head, and a mysterious unkillable fae assassin, there are many obstacles to peace for the main characters and the kingdom.
I liked the world building in this book. The magic system was interesting. The cultural aspects around sexual relations was kind of different. There was no graphic sex in this book but there was reference to partnerships, particulary same sex as well as polyamory type of relationships
March 13, 2016
More a Grimm fable interpretation of a magical land than what we are accustomed to (thanks to Disney ). Complex plot of resentment, politics and unintended consequences.
First read Nov 2012
First read Nov 2012
October 4, 2025
This was a fascinating and compelling read. Andrea K Host took a fairy tale scenario (a kingdom run by an enchanted rose bush) and ran it right into some thorny realities. Enchantment seems more like horror when a rose can deny you free will, using you as its puppet to ensure that things run the way it deems they should. I loved the characters and seeing how they dealt with this situation was truly interesting. I also liked the low key way Host brings to life a society that values women as much as men and bisexual polyamory is as common as heterosexual monogamy. This is never foregrounded, it just runs as a hum in the background, making us question the assumptions we make about social norms while the plot raises questions about rape, forgiveness and politics. The consequences of rape are central to the plot, Host manages to set up a situation where and I don't think this book would work for younger readers. But it is an interesting treat for us adults!
December 28, 2010
This is an awesome book. And I got to read it for free through first-reads! The story begins a bit vaguely because although it's the first book, it starts in the middle of a story. But the world is eventually shaped into an understandable setting and the story takes off.
It is literally addicting. The main character Soren is the perfect blend between lovable and identifiable weakness, and resolute strength, that bonds her with the reader and eventually gets you to fall in love with her.
I really enjoy this kind of book, it has enough of a fantasy element to get your imagination dreaming, while keeping some of the same problems and issues that we deal with in our world. It comes together to make a realistically engaging story that keeps you reading late into the night, and into the early morning. I'm definitely anticipating reading the sequel.
It is literally addicting. The main character Soren is the perfect blend between lovable and identifiable weakness, and resolute strength, that bonds her with the reader and eventually gets you to fall in love with her.
I really enjoy this kind of book, it has enough of a fantasy element to get your imagination dreaming, while keeping some of the same problems and issues that we deal with in our world. It comes together to make a realistically engaging story that keeps you reading late into the night, and into the early morning. I'm definitely anticipating reading the sequel.
September 18, 2021
Really interesting world-building and multi-layered characters. I enjoyed the casual approach to gender and sexuality. It's strange how many "fantasy" worlds can imagine all sorts of strange creatures and customs and other external differences from the world we know, but can't get past the most conventional and old-fashioned gender roles.
July 13, 2018
3.5/5 stars.
Like a lot of Host's fantasy, it's overly-complicated and a little hard to follow. But the world-building is quite creative, the prose is well-written, and the characterization is exceptionally interesting. I found the plot a bit slow-paced, and I'm not really a fan of stories about monarchical drama, but as far as they go, this one worked pretty well.
Like a lot of Host's fantasy, it's overly-complicated and a little hard to follow. But the world-building is quite creative, the prose is well-written, and the characterization is exceptionally interesting. I found the plot a bit slow-paced, and I'm not really a fan of stories about monarchical drama, but as far as they go, this one worked pretty well.
February 27, 2018
I was surprised just how much I enjoyed this novel. Not for any real reason, I just didn't expect to find myself so drawn in with the character's plight(s). I felt so bad for Soren, and to a lesser degree Strake. Well to be fair I should have felt equally bad for Strake all things considered, but we saw how deeply the entire ordeal hurt and diminished Soren, Strake we got bits and pieces as Soren saw him.
This begins as a fairly standard fantasy--Soren finds out that she isn't as superfluous as she thought she was, a short quest is had, heroics are done and then she meets her Rathen (Strake). Thing is neither of them are quite what the other expects (or really wants) plus they don't know how to get along.
Her Rathen, the first in centuries I might add, is surly, bitter and angry. He was never meant to be King. He was never meant to be period. Unfortunately the Rose that has protected Darest since the earliest days has also become a problem that Darest can't control. Its become an entity unto itself and it will do what its programmed to do--no matter the cost.
I thought the twists that Host tossed in were clever. Soren and her Rathen are given a very real reason why they can not instantly become best friends and allies. Neither trusts the other, despite the imperative set upon them by the Rose and it creates a tension that effects everything. I also appreciated the menace of the Rose that slowly unfolded. In the truest sense of the phrase 'good intentions pave the way to hell', the Rose took its duty--to announce the next Rathen Heir and bring the Champion to the Heir to protect Darest--to the extreme.
Host was careful not to cross any lines, or if she did (one instance in particular comes to mind from the beginning when Soren traveled with Strake) she made it explicitly clear the feelings of all involved. In her fantasy world gender doesn't particularly matter as far as romance and love goes. Female/female, male/male, threesomes or more are all treated equally and are entirely the business of those involved. As far as anything goes the world is about gender-neutral as possible in all aspects.
I admit to hoping that Soren and Strake worked things out. I grew a bit frustrated every time progress was made and suddenly flung backwards for any reason at all. A lot of it could be laid on Strake's doorstep; he had a lot to come to terms with even before the Rose's machinations started to become more overtly sinister. This doesn't excuse Soren, she started to become irritating with her 'maybe if I change this way, he will tolerate me better' attitude, but Strake by far takes entirely too long to come to grips with things.
This begins as a fairly standard fantasy--Soren finds out that she isn't as superfluous as she thought she was, a short quest is had, heroics are done and then she meets her Rathen (Strake). Thing is neither of them are quite what the other expects (or really wants) plus they don't know how to get along.
Her Rathen, the first in centuries I might add, is surly, bitter and angry. He was never meant to be King. He was never meant to be period. Unfortunately the Rose that has protected Darest since the earliest days has also become a problem that Darest can't control. Its become an entity unto itself and it will do what its programmed to do--no matter the cost.
I thought the twists that Host tossed in were clever. Soren and her Rathen are given a very real reason why they can not instantly become best friends and allies. Neither trusts the other, despite the imperative set upon them by the Rose and it creates a tension that effects everything. I also appreciated the menace of the Rose that slowly unfolded. In the truest sense of the phrase 'good intentions pave the way to hell', the Rose took its duty--to announce the next Rathen Heir and bring the Champion to the Heir to protect Darest--to the extreme.
Host was careful not to cross any lines, or if she did (one instance in particular comes to mind from the beginning when Soren traveled with Strake) she made it explicitly clear the feelings of all involved. In her fantasy world gender doesn't particularly matter as far as romance and love goes. Female/female, male/male, threesomes or more are all treated equally and are entirely the business of those involved. As far as anything goes the world is about gender-neutral as possible in all aspects.
I admit to hoping that Soren and Strake worked things out. I grew a bit frustrated every time progress was made and suddenly flung backwards for any reason at all. A lot of it could be laid on Strake's doorstep; he had a lot to come to terms with even before the Rose's machinations started to become more overtly sinister. This doesn't excuse Soren, she started to become irritating with her 'maybe if I change this way, he will tolerate me better' attitude, but Strake by far takes entirely too long to come to grips with things.
February 7, 2011
The first pages of this novel plunge the reader into the kingdom of Darest, where Soren Armitage plays the role of Champion to a Rathen King that doesn't exist. Darest has not had a king for a long time and is ruled by a Regent.
But things change when the Rathen Rose ( the most sinister plant I've encountered since the Triffids or the Crinoids from Dr Who) announces a new King exists, somewhere. As Champion it is Soren's job to find him and quickly. In this she is both hampered and helped by the Rose which controls her and gives her special powers.
If this sounds complicated it is. I'm new to fantasy so can't compare it to other novels in that genre. However Darest is a completely thought out world with its own economy, neighbours, sexuality, laws of magic, and politics. There's a lot of information to absorb, and a bit too much palace politicking for my liking. But the premise is intriguing and Soren is a strong, interesting and appealing character. You want her to succeed just because she is not like everyone else in the kingdom. The author has a sly sense of humour and a good sense of the dramatic development that throws everything on its head.
To get back to the plot, Soren finds the King but in unexpected form, and then the Rose throws a curve ball which has the effect that she and the King, Strake, are both bound together but have good reason to hate each other as well. Enter romantic attraction!
I wasn't sure how this story would end until the very end. Soren is a character I would like to see more of.
But things change when the Rathen Rose ( the most sinister plant I've encountered since the Triffids or the Crinoids from Dr Who) announces a new King exists, somewhere. As Champion it is Soren's job to find him and quickly. In this she is both hampered and helped by the Rose which controls her and gives her special powers.
If this sounds complicated it is. I'm new to fantasy so can't compare it to other novels in that genre. However Darest is a completely thought out world with its own economy, neighbours, sexuality, laws of magic, and politics. There's a lot of information to absorb, and a bit too much palace politicking for my liking. But the premise is intriguing and Soren is a strong, interesting and appealing character. You want her to succeed just because she is not like everyone else in the kingdom. The author has a sly sense of humour and a good sense of the dramatic development that throws everything on its head.
To get back to the plot, Soren finds the King but in unexpected form, and then the Rose throws a curve ball which has the effect that she and the King, Strake, are both bound together but have good reason to hate each other as well. Enter romantic attraction!
I wasn't sure how this story would end until the very end. Soren is a character I would like to see more of.
December 29, 2019
Andrea Höst has given me consistently good storytelling, and I loved the concept of CHAMPION: a king's champion who has essentially been made redundant and whose main purpose is purely decorative... and then suddenly everything changes and Soren is thrust blinking into the spotlight. And this is the story of how she faces up to the challenge.
I liked how Andrea Höst colours in her characters - the shades-of-grey villain, the true "otherness" of fae, and so on. Also unusual was how the practicalities of rescuing a failing kingdom were considered - its issues may have been caused by magic, but trade becomes a way of bringing the country back to life. Having said that, traditional fantasy elements were also present and perhaps the most disturbing was the use of magic to bring about the loss of free will.
The ending, perhaps, was a little too easy and I'm dying for a sequel to find out more about certain characters. And as there will be one, I'm all excited.
**********
Not really relevant and not really a spoiler
I liked how Andrea Höst colours in her characters - the shades-of-grey villain, the true "otherness" of fae, and so on. Also unusual was how the practicalities of rescuing a failing kingdom were considered - its issues may have been caused by magic, but trade becomes a way of bringing the country back to life. Having said that, traditional fantasy elements were also present and perhaps the most disturbing was the use of magic to bring about the loss of free will.
The ending, perhaps, was a little too easy and I'm dying for a sequel to find out more about certain characters. And as there will be one, I'm all excited.
**********
Not really relevant and not really a spoiler
March 22, 2015
My second book by this author and another enjoyable, albeit fast read. The plot has been outlined by several other reviewers, so no need to go there.
The story jumped into gear and catching up with it and the characters kept my attention. The character development was nicely done, with sufficient internal dialogue by Soren to get to know her fairly well. She is well-balanced character (i.e. not particularly judgmental or biased, and as honest externally as she is to herself) so that her observations of the other characters revealed more about them, even though the reader isn't privy to their thoughts. Quite a few likable characters here and I would like to read more of them.
I enjoyed the way the magic was handled in this book, with an interesting line of thought of protective magic gone/going awry and what that could mean. The inclusion of the fairies/fae/fair was well-done and they comprised one of the longer set scenes in the book. That scene provided a wealth of background information and interactions and was quite interesting, making me wish for a little more lingering in some of the other sections, to really let a sense of the place sink in. I would have enjoyed taking more time to make this journey.
And I will read the sequel.
The story jumped into gear and catching up with it and the characters kept my attention. The character development was nicely done, with sufficient internal dialogue by Soren to get to know her fairly well. She is well-balanced character (i.e. not particularly judgmental or biased, and as honest externally as she is to herself) so that her observations of the other characters revealed more about them, even though the reader isn't privy to their thoughts. Quite a few likable characters here and I would like to read more of them.
I enjoyed the way the magic was handled in this book, with an interesting line of thought of protective magic gone/going awry and what that could mean. The inclusion of the fairies/fae/fair was well-done and they comprised one of the longer set scenes in the book. That scene provided a wealth of background information and interactions and was quite interesting, making me wish for a little more lingering in some of the other sections, to really let a sense of the place sink in. I would have enjoyed taking more time to make this journey.
And I will read the sequel.
September 23, 2011
Well, this is a muddle and no mistake. It shouldn't work and I haven't figured out yet what made me read it and want to know what happened all the way to the end! We're dumped into the world with no backplot, scene-setting, character development...even a map, let alone a timeline of the 200-year history before the novel opens. And yet the twists on the standard fantasy settings (particularly on relationships and equality, given that bisexual, multiple marriages are the unquestioned default) are deftly done.
The characters are mostly unlikeable with little scope to be sympathetic - other than the sheer awfulness and pity you feel for people caught up in a destiny dictated by a sentient bush.
Yeah, take a minute to boggle at that one. The rose of the title isn't a reference to flowery chivalry.
I recommend it, actually. And I recommend the author writes more to her story - there is a richness just under the surface that another 100 pages could have captured - and finds a new editor who really understands the genre.
The characters are mostly unlikeable with little scope to be sympathetic - other than the sheer awfulness and pity you feel for people caught up in a destiny dictated by a sentient bush.
Yeah, take a minute to boggle at that one. The rose of the title isn't a reference to flowery chivalry.
I recommend it, actually. And I recommend the author writes more to her story - there is a richness just under the surface that another 100 pages could have captured - and finds a new editor who really understands the genre.
November 27, 2014
The intricacy of this book really pulled me in. So much is going on, but it adds to the world rather than distracts from the plot. I delightfully devoured the prose (even if a few sentences left me scratching my head, but that's nothing a good edit couldn't fix) and the character interactions and their emotions.
The helplessness that Soren feels when invaded by the Rose was intriguing and believable, and so was her relationship with the lost king, Strake. All of the anger, self-doubt, and confusion experienced made sense; none of it felt misplaced or misused. The emotions were used thoughtfully and not as fluff which helped give grip to the story. I loved it.
The world of Darest that Andrea K. Höst created sucked me in completely. The Rose, the Fae folk, and a richly splendid history for a backstory weave together an engaging story. I can't wait to read the sequel!
The helplessness that Soren feels when invaded by the Rose was intriguing and believable, and so was her relationship with the lost king, Strake. All of the anger, self-doubt, and confusion experienced made sense; none of it felt misplaced or misused. The emotions were used thoughtfully and not as fluff which helped give grip to the story. I loved it.
The world of Darest that Andrea K. Höst created sucked me in completely. The Rose, the Fae folk, and a richly splendid history for a backstory weave together an engaging story. I can't wait to read the sequel!
January 26, 2018
The best
There are a lot of quickly written books available these days. I can’t say the level of thought put into them isn’t a lot (who knows?) but i can fly through them, and they don’t make me pause to think of the author’s talent and want to exclaim about craftsmanship.
THIS book (and this author’s other works) are *amazingly* well-crafted. Her stories are original - you truly won’t find others like them. Her characters have depth, they’re real, they’re intriguing, they infuriate and captivate. Her plot lines MOVE and hook you. There’s mystery, magic, a bit of romance....all things that can make a book enjoyable.
But what I find astonishing is the amount of action and meaning she is able to convey in each sentence. Her books take me longer to read (per page) because the beauty of how she’s written and conveyed the story makes me pause, makes me re-read - like staring at an artist’s painting that has depth and new things to find every time you look. You may not pick up/buy a book for this reason - but I assure you all the other reasons you’d buy a book are present in this. But just note how much her powerful prose adds to the experience when you do buy it. I can (and do) read her books over and over, and marvel each time at her craftsmanship.
There are a lot of quickly written books available these days. I can’t say the level of thought put into them isn’t a lot (who knows?) but i can fly through them, and they don’t make me pause to think of the author’s talent and want to exclaim about craftsmanship.
THIS book (and this author’s other works) are *amazingly* well-crafted. Her stories are original - you truly won’t find others like them. Her characters have depth, they’re real, they’re intriguing, they infuriate and captivate. Her plot lines MOVE and hook you. There’s mystery, magic, a bit of romance....all things that can make a book enjoyable.
But what I find astonishing is the amount of action and meaning she is able to convey in each sentence. Her books take me longer to read (per page) because the beauty of how she’s written and conveyed the story makes me pause, makes me re-read - like staring at an artist’s painting that has depth and new things to find every time you look. You may not pick up/buy a book for this reason - but I assure you all the other reasons you’d buy a book are present in this. But just note how much her powerful prose adds to the experience when you do buy it. I can (and do) read her books over and over, and marvel each time at her craftsmanship.
January 10, 2018
Darest's Last Rathen King died 200 years ago and the Coeurvoeur Regents have kept things ticking along. But things in Darest are not well. Hundreds of years of small losses, tragedies, and defeats have reached a tipping point, and the country is failing.
Soren, the Rathen Champion, is in a pointless, powerless job. With no Rathen on the throne, what is the point? And then the Rathen Rose blooms.
Magic, but not too much. Politics, quite a lot. Bad things happening to our girl Soren, too many. Some kick-ass world building, yes indeed. Loved it!
Soren, the Rathen Champion, is in a pointless, powerless job. With no Rathen on the throne, what is the point? And then the Rathen Rose blooms.
Magic, but not too much. Politics, quite a lot. Bad things happening to our girl Soren, too many. Some kick-ass world building, yes indeed. Loved it!
October 23, 2012
Sometimes, when I feel as if I’m drowning in a sea of haven’t-I-read-this-before fantasy, the only antidote is some Andrea K Höst. Her work is original, intelligent and quirky, and reassures me that there are some authors out there who aren’t simply recycling the tired old tropes.
The premise here is that the country of Darest, ruled by the Rathen family, has been without a monarch for two hundred years. Being hedged about by unbreakable magic, however, which manifests as a rose bush, it continues to rumble along as if one will turn up any day, creating champions (guardians of the monarch) and protecting the royal palace. Until one day the rose bush produces a flower - an heir has appeared once more. The plot is largely about how the champion finds the heir and the ramifications of that, together with an intriguing mystery - why did all the heirs disappear anyway, and why has Darest been in decline for the past two hundred years?
The magic of the rose is one of the most intriguing aspects of the story. There isn’t anything terribly outlandish about the type of magic the author’s world can produce - there are spells created through spoken words or casting with the hands or carved runes, basically - but the way it is bound up through the rose, the champion, the Rathen heirs and the royal palace is fascinating. It’s also very creepy in the way it is actually a more-or-less physical part of the champion, giving her powers while also controlling her mind and body in very scary ways.
Soren, the champion, is an all-too-rare type of heroine - neither a warrior babe nor a princess nor a mage, just an ordinary woman chosen for no obvious reason for a job she feels spectacularly unsuited for, but which she nevertheless does to the very best of her ability. She doesn’t make stupid mistakes, she doesn’t turn into Wonder Woman, she doesn’t turn to jelly at the thought of a man, she’s just a normal woman using her common sense and intelligence. The romantic relationship resolves itself rather fast for my taste - I would have thought it would have taken longer to get over the traumatic early events - but it wasn’t a huge problem.
The two male main characters, Strake and Aristide, are much less ordinary, but then both have been part of the royal court from birth. They are both complicated and charismatic characters, and both have to suffer emotional shocks which they cope with in very different ways, but the way they inch towards a pragmatic working arrangement is very believable. The minor characters are well sketched out and perfectly believable, although I sometimes got confused about who was who. The Fae were particularly convincing, and the author beautifully captures the ‘other���-ness of them.
The created world is not especially unique, but that’s not a problem as most of the action takes place in and around the royal palace. Superfically the social structure is conventional: a ruling family, several other noble families, the usual array of soldiers, farmers, millers, innkeepers and so on. It’s nice to see that women are just as likely to be guards or monarchs or champions as men. The unique feature here is the prevalence of same sex marriage and also tribond marriages, which is thrown in as part of the background without much discussion or explanation. Much as I applaud this approach, I would have liked to know more about how it works.
The early part of the book feels both rushed and rather slow, if that isn’t too contradictory a description. It seems rushed because there is no background at all to Soren herself and not much about her role as champion before she’s tearing off to find the heir. And then the actual search for the heir feels a bit slow. But from then onwards, the pace picks up and becomes breathlessly fast, in that wonderful page-turningly riveting way. A lot of chores were neglected so that I could finish this as-fast-as-possible. The external threats - a magical killer on the loose and a possible assassin in the palace - plus the internal threat of the enchanted rose itself, which seems to have its own agenda, together with the political machinations of neighbouring countries and the tricky relationships between the champion and the monarch she has to protect, all of these combine to make a compelling story.
My only criticisms are the slightly bumpy start and a few confusing moments where it wasn’t quite clear to me what was happening. And I would have liked a map, too, but it wasn’t a big deal. Overall, a refreshingly different story about believable, complicated people who behave in realistic ways, and revolving around a cleverly-devised enchantment which is almost a character in its own right. A good four stars.
The premise here is that the country of Darest, ruled by the Rathen family, has been without a monarch for two hundred years. Being hedged about by unbreakable magic, however, which manifests as a rose bush, it continues to rumble along as if one will turn up any day, creating champions (guardians of the monarch) and protecting the royal palace. Until one day the rose bush produces a flower - an heir has appeared once more. The plot is largely about how the champion finds the heir and the ramifications of that, together with an intriguing mystery - why did all the heirs disappear anyway, and why has Darest been in decline for the past two hundred years?
The magic of the rose is one of the most intriguing aspects of the story. There isn’t anything terribly outlandish about the type of magic the author’s world can produce - there are spells created through spoken words or casting with the hands or carved runes, basically - but the way it is bound up through the rose, the champion, the Rathen heirs and the royal palace is fascinating. It’s also very creepy in the way it is actually a more-or-less physical part of the champion, giving her powers while also controlling her mind and body in very scary ways.
Soren, the champion, is an all-too-rare type of heroine - neither a warrior babe nor a princess nor a mage, just an ordinary woman chosen for no obvious reason for a job she feels spectacularly unsuited for, but which she nevertheless does to the very best of her ability. She doesn’t make stupid mistakes, she doesn’t turn into Wonder Woman, she doesn’t turn to jelly at the thought of a man, she’s just a normal woman using her common sense and intelligence. The romantic relationship resolves itself rather fast for my taste - I would have thought it would have taken longer to get over the traumatic early events - but it wasn’t a huge problem.
The two male main characters, Strake and Aristide, are much less ordinary, but then both have been part of the royal court from birth. They are both complicated and charismatic characters, and both have to suffer emotional shocks which they cope with in very different ways, but the way they inch towards a pragmatic working arrangement is very believable. The minor characters are well sketched out and perfectly believable, although I sometimes got confused about who was who. The Fae were particularly convincing, and the author beautifully captures the ‘other���-ness of them.
The created world is not especially unique, but that’s not a problem as most of the action takes place in and around the royal palace. Superfically the social structure is conventional: a ruling family, several other noble families, the usual array of soldiers, farmers, millers, innkeepers and so on. It’s nice to see that women are just as likely to be guards or monarchs or champions as men. The unique feature here is the prevalence of same sex marriage and also tribond marriages, which is thrown in as part of the background without much discussion or explanation. Much as I applaud this approach, I would have liked to know more about how it works.
The early part of the book feels both rushed and rather slow, if that isn’t too contradictory a description. It seems rushed because there is no background at all to Soren herself and not much about her role as champion before she’s tearing off to find the heir. And then the actual search for the heir feels a bit slow. But from then onwards, the pace picks up and becomes breathlessly fast, in that wonderful page-turningly riveting way. A lot of chores were neglected so that I could finish this as-fast-as-possible. The external threats - a magical killer on the loose and a possible assassin in the palace - plus the internal threat of the enchanted rose itself, which seems to have its own agenda, together with the political machinations of neighbouring countries and the tricky relationships between the champion and the monarch she has to protect, all of these combine to make a compelling story.
My only criticisms are the slightly bumpy start and a few confusing moments where it wasn’t quite clear to me what was happening. And I would have liked a map, too, but it wasn’t a big deal. Overall, a refreshingly different story about believable, complicated people who behave in realistic ways, and revolving around a cleverly-devised enchantment which is almost a character in its own right. A good four stars.
February 22, 2017
I was torn between 2 and 3 stars, but settled on 2 because I think some of the things could have been easily rectified.
I think this book is set in an intriguing setting and driven by interesting characters, but I feel that it would have benefitted from a more thorough editing. There are a few nitpicky things I noticed once in a while (incomplete sentences, too-long senteces, unclear description/dialogue), but more than that I think it failed to tie the different challenges together and resolve them in a good manner.
Towards the end, there are at least three (or four) different trials for the characters, and each of them become a tense moment to "get over" before rushing to the next. Each of these moments divided my attention and gave me only 1/4 or 1/3 of a resolution.
I also thought it was cool that it seems everyone is bisexual and that same-sex and poly marriages are at least as commonplace as opposite-sex ones, but in the first few chapters I felt like it was too much of a focus on this. I don't really like being hit over the head with the character's sexuality repeatedly, at least not when it's not even remotely connected to the plot. I think the setting would have benefited if these factors were revealed more naturally as the book progressed.
All in all I enjoyed the read, it was quick and fun, but I do not think I will by picking up the next book.
I think this book is set in an intriguing setting and driven by interesting characters, but I feel that it would have benefitted from a more thorough editing. There are a few nitpicky things I noticed once in a while (incomplete sentences, too-long senteces, unclear description/dialogue), but more than that I think it failed to tie the different challenges together and resolve them in a good manner.
Towards the end, there are at least three (or four) different trials for the characters, and each of them become a tense moment to "get over" before rushing to the next. Each of these moments divided my attention and gave me only 1/4 or 1/3 of a resolution.
I also thought it was cool that it seems everyone is bisexual and that same-sex and poly marriages are at least as commonplace as opposite-sex ones, but in the first few chapters I felt like it was too much of a focus on this. I don't really like being hit over the head with the character's sexuality repeatedly, at least not when it's not even remotely connected to the plot. I think the setting would have benefited if these factors were revealed more naturally as the book progressed.
All in all I enjoyed the read, it was quick and fun, but I do not think I will by picking up the next book.
March 17, 2014
Andrea Höst's Champion of the Rose is a political-mystery-romance set in a high fantasy realm with great mages, ancient magical constructs and some very daunting Fae. Like all of Höst's novels, it is self-published (with a very beautiful Julie Dillon cover).
You almost feel sorry for Soren Armitage, the mystically chosen personal Champion of the monarch of a kingdom that has been a Regency for a couple of hundred years. Not being naturally inclined to the court, she’s happy enough with the complete lack of prestige or responsibility that comes with a position that nobody takes seriously. Which is when, of course, a magical rose blooms to let everyone know that the King has unexpectedly returned.
The shape of Champion of the Rose is a little hard to pin down. The first third or so is a hunt for a King whom nobody’s seen and who shouldn’t exist. Then the focus shifts to Soren’s navigation of courtly politics flavoured with espionage, betrayal and attempted assassin, all while she attempts to unravel ancient magical secrets and negotiate impossible personal relationships. Finally the last bit is more of the previous, only with the stakes turned up to eleven by the unanticipated presence of a Fae embassy.
Soren Armitage is one of those reluctant heroines who goes from comfortable to out-of-her-depth in a matter of a few paragraphs. With no great martial or magical skills, she holds her own only with a slightly disoriented pragmatism and a tenacity reinforced by a series of confounding magical revelations. While she is far more resourceful and brave than she’s given credit for, I found myself far more interested in several of the supporting cast. In particular Aristide Couerveur, the son of the Regent (and a character with as Höstian a name as the author has ever conjured) is fun. He is the tremendously powerful mage whose ascent to the Regency is arrested by the King’s return - the author successfully teases his inscrutable motives for quite some time before he shows his true colours. Despite the dour self-control that dominates his personality, I found Aristide one of the highlights of the story.
Champion of the Rose is an engaging fantasy political thriller (in part), a tormented romance (in some ways) and a complicated magical murder mystery where the dead bodies are in all the wrong places. I found it an enjoyable read with a satisfying resolution. I would just caution readers that the geopolitical history of the setting set out early in the novel is pretty important. Maybe don’t skim over those bits quite as casually as I did, or you’ll find yourself having to check back when it all comes together in the later chapters.
You almost feel sorry for Soren Armitage, the mystically chosen personal Champion of the monarch of a kingdom that has been a Regency for a couple of hundred years. Not being naturally inclined to the court, she’s happy enough with the complete lack of prestige or responsibility that comes with a position that nobody takes seriously. Which is when, of course, a magical rose blooms to let everyone know that the King has unexpectedly returned.
The shape of Champion of the Rose is a little hard to pin down. The first third or so is a hunt for a King whom nobody’s seen and who shouldn’t exist. Then the focus shifts to Soren’s navigation of courtly politics flavoured with espionage, betrayal and attempted assassin, all while she attempts to unravel ancient magical secrets and negotiate impossible personal relationships. Finally the last bit is more of the previous, only with the stakes turned up to eleven by the unanticipated presence of a Fae embassy.
Soren Armitage is one of those reluctant heroines who goes from comfortable to out-of-her-depth in a matter of a few paragraphs. With no great martial or magical skills, she holds her own only with a slightly disoriented pragmatism and a tenacity reinforced by a series of confounding magical revelations. While she is far more resourceful and brave than she’s given credit for, I found myself far more interested in several of the supporting cast. In particular Aristide Couerveur, the son of the Regent (and a character with as Höstian a name as the author has ever conjured) is fun. He is the tremendously powerful mage whose ascent to the Regency is arrested by the King’s return - the author successfully teases his inscrutable motives for quite some time before he shows his true colours. Despite the dour self-control that dominates his personality, I found Aristide one of the highlights of the story.
Champion of the Rose is an engaging fantasy political thriller (in part), a tormented romance (in some ways) and a complicated magical murder mystery where the dead bodies are in all the wrong places. I found it an enjoyable read with a satisfying resolution. I would just caution readers that the geopolitical history of the setting set out early in the novel is pretty important. Maybe don’t skim over those bits quite as casually as I did, or you’ll find yourself having to check back when it all comes together in the later chapters.
September 6, 2016
4.5
Andrea K Host is such a lovely writer. I am so glad I discovered her through a book review of Stray. Apart from the imaginitive stories and great heroines, Host creates such lovely and elegant prose- pure picutres with words, images that stick with you long after you have finished the story. I found myself highlighting random paragraphs on my kindle, just because it was a really tasty image I wanted to go back and savor later.
The Champion of the Rose is more in the vane of The Silence of Medair than Stray. Host has created another fascintaing world with it's own history and magic system, and she doesn't do the reader the disservice of an info dump. Instead she throws you right into that world, as if it was always in existance and you will have to discover it for yourself as you read on.
This particular story is tragic and heartbreaking, dark at points as we see how things left unchecked can warp. But again, just really lovely. And as I am coming to expect with Host, a satisfying conclusion.
The story in Champion of the Rose is complete, but I am immediately jumping into Bones of the Fair, excited to pick up the story a few months down the road and hopefully answer some of my remaining questions about the founding of Darest.
Andrea K Host is such a lovely writer. I am so glad I discovered her through a book review of Stray. Apart from the imaginitive stories and great heroines, Host creates such lovely and elegant prose- pure picutres with words, images that stick with you long after you have finished the story. I found myself highlighting random paragraphs on my kindle, just because it was a really tasty image I wanted to go back and savor later.
The Champion of the Rose is more in the vane of The Silence of Medair than Stray. Host has created another fascintaing world with it's own history and magic system, and she doesn't do the reader the disservice of an info dump. Instead she throws you right into that world, as if it was always in existance and you will have to discover it for yourself as you read on.
This particular story is tragic and heartbreaking, dark at points as we see how things left unchecked can warp. But again, just really lovely. And as I am coming to expect with Host, a satisfying conclusion.
The story in Champion of the Rose is complete, but I am immediately jumping into Bones of the Fair, excited to pick up the story a few months down the road and hopefully answer some of my remaining questions about the founding of Darest.
January 27, 2015
I liked this but I didn't love it.
I thought the plot rambled around a little too long as it kept getting distracted by trying to include courtly intrigue which all ended up being completely boring and mostly worthless. I liked the fae and the way they were coldly callous and uncaring towards the poor human creatures, but other than the border mage with the title I can't recall I don't think they really added anything to the story. I didn't really dislike the 3 main characters of Soren, Strake and Aristides, but at the same time I found them kind of difficult to connect with because they spent so much time either being whiny and complaining they weren't "good enough", balls of uncontrolled fury, or coldly aloof arsehole.
Still, the writing was pretty good for the most part (I thought at times it got a tad wordy for no reason) and the basic core of the plot was decent when it wasn't being tugged off course by trivialities. I also really, really liked how same-sex and polyamorous relationships/ marriages were just thrown in for absolutely no reason and it was a complete non-event to anyone in the book that their society just happened to involve your parent and possibly your heart-parent. That, along with instances such as the lady blacksmith near the beginning, were a really nice touch I thought.
I'd say that if you're already a fan of Host, or if you just want a fantasy read that's more than overthrowing evil empires or walking for 400 pages, then it wouldn't hurt to give this a go. It certainly had a way of making me keep reading even when I wanted to take a nap and had hit a slow patch.
I thought the plot rambled around a little too long as it kept getting distracted by trying to include courtly intrigue which all ended up being completely boring and mostly worthless. I liked the fae and the way they were coldly callous and uncaring towards the poor human creatures, but other than the border mage with the title I can't recall I don't think they really added anything to the story. I didn't really dislike the 3 main characters of Soren, Strake and Aristides, but at the same time I found them kind of difficult to connect with because they spent so much time either being whiny and complaining they weren't "good enough", balls of uncontrolled fury, or coldly aloof arsehole.
Still, the writing was pretty good for the most part (I thought at times it got a tad wordy for no reason) and the basic core of the plot was decent when it wasn't being tugged off course by trivialities. I also really, really liked how same-sex and polyamorous relationships/ marriages were just thrown in for absolutely no reason and it was a complete non-event to anyone in the book that their society just happened to involve your parent and possibly your heart-parent. That, along with instances such as the lady blacksmith near the beginning, were a really nice touch I thought.
I'd say that if you're already a fan of Host, or if you just want a fantasy read that's more than overthrowing evil empires or walking for 400 pages, then it wouldn't hurt to give this a go. It certainly had a way of making me keep reading even when I wanted to take a nap and had hit a slow patch.
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