The Champion of Barésh

Star #4

by Susan Grant

NOTE: The latest edition of Star Champion (Kindle B01B5LBYM0) with a new cover is HERE.

RITA® winner and New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Susan Grant sweeps readers away to exciting new worlds in another romance and action-packed story!

Dreaming big on a dead-end world... Jemm Aves toils for a mining company by day, but at night she is a successful bajha player, disguised as a male to compete in the violent underworld of the colony’s fight clubs. Every win puts her one small step closer to her goal: saving enough to escape Barésh with her family. When a royal recruits her to be a star player for his team, her ruse proves to be her most perilous game yet when it puts both their lives—and her heart—at risk.

Prince Charming he was not... Prince Klark is eager to reverse his reputation as the black sheep of the Vedla clan. If his bajha team can win the galactic title it would go a long way toward restoring the family honor that his misdeeds tarnished. On Barésh, he tracks down an amateur who has risen to the top of the seedy world of street bajha, offering the commoner a chance of a lifetime: a way off that reeking space rock for good. But his new player comes with a scandalous secret that turns his plans and his beliefs upside down. He sets out to win a very different prize—his champion’s reluctant heart.

RITA® finalist *** Galaxy Award Winner

Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Romance, Aliens, Futuristic, Space Opera

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 26, 2016

About the author

Susan’s childhood dreams of becoming a space explorer fizzled when she found out calculus was involved. Luckily, she didn’t need math skills to fly jets--or to create sky-high stories in her head, first for herself, then for friends, and now for readers everywhere.  

A New York Times/USA Today bestselling author and a military veteran, Susan won the prestigious RITA® Award for her book Contact, a sci-fi aviation-thriller romance.

Reviews

[Marta Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a book by Susan Grant for quite some time and have fond memories of her Star series. I seem to recall a certain well meaning Prince causing all manner of madness and mayhem and what do you know Prince Klark Vedla not only finally gets his own book but it just happens to be the first in a whole new series.
Yes Klark has always known his brother Che is heir to the throne which makes him the spare! Not really what any honourable male wants to consider himself but Klark unfortunately has a lot to make up for. Helping his nations bajha team win the galactic cup is his chance and there's nothing he won't consider . So if travelling to a back water planet searching for raw talent is what's called for than bring it on but the player he discovers will turn his previous notions upside down!
Jemm Aves has dreams of escaping Baresh and taking her family with her. Prepared to do anything and if pretending to be a lad is what it takes then she is fully onboard with that . Her lifeline is her talent for the street version of bajha, a sport only played by males traditionally. Yet she gets the chance of a lifetime to go off planet and play for an elite team. So ok then, time to leave Jemm behind and fully embrace the (male) persona of Kes but that's proving tricky as there's just something about her new employer Klark that's proving hard to ignore. What started out as a hopeful dream rapidly escalates into a scandal and caught in the eye of the storm? Jemm and Klark!
As usual it's a fast paced read that just pulls the reader in. It's so easy to root for Jemm with her humble beginnings because she is brimming with self confidence and just doesn't see herself as less or low. Yes she accepts that she is considered a commoner and not an elite noble but it doesn't dampen her spirit or love of life one iota. You go girl!
Klark initially comes off as quite jaded and it's only his passion for his beloved sport and fondness for his youngest sister that brought him to life. His place in the hierarchy of the monarcy is changing and he needs to prove he is mature not only to his father but indeed himself as well. I truly enjoyed seeing him come to terms with change and whilst he is a traditionalist he never felt biased or prejudiced in any way. It would be too easy to view him as chauvinistic because frankly he is far more open to ideas then he initially believed. Such a juxtaposition as this noble and somewhat conventional male acknowledges that long established and historic customs are just that, traditional and restraining
So essentially it's a sci fi romance yes but it's not full of gobbledygook or too much technology. Yes it does feel futuristic but strangely it never feels alien. There's a realism here that surprised me. Pairing up a gutsy heroine with a hero struggling with self doubt worked beautifully . Klark has made mistakes and wishes to atone and as he starts to really see the reality through Jemm's eyes he opens himself up to a world of possibilities . I'm not really sure who saves who here but I was entertained by these likeable characters . Speaking of characters Klark has a somewhat brusque uncle and Jemm has a devil may care brother who both have sad back stories and I am kind of hoping that the author will let her readers catch up with them and hopefully see them get happy ending too
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review
Four and a half from me

[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful SF romance!

The will the heroine, Jemm, has is incredible! She's ready to do everything to take care of her family and to take them away from the grim place they're living in. And when the occasion presents itself, she's ready to take it. So, diguised as man, she enters the dangerous world of bajha.

Bajha is a honored martial discipline everywhere else, but on Baresh it's wild and governed by underground lords who will do anything to secure the best players for themselves, even maim and kill.

Bajha is a combination of mental and physical combat and is also reserved for men only. Never a woman was allowed to compete... So Jemm's doubly in danger...

Klark is a prince, a second born to the royals of the Federation. One of the ruling caste, he did something that brought dishonor to his family (I think that this story was told in some other book by Ms. Grant that I haven't read...), now he's serves his convinction and he's ready to redeem himself by doing eveyrthing to winn the Galactic Cup in bajha.

So, Klark, employing Kes, Jemm's name in disguise, in a way saves her giving her a way to gain enough money for her family, but puts her in an awkward poition since he doesn't know that she's a woman.

The interesting part of this book is the descripption of how bajha is played and what makes Jemm such an extraordinary player. I loved the descriptions of her fights and her training!

Jemm, being such a honest person, tells Klark her secret when she can't keep it any longer and Klark, a staunch defender of the fact that bajha is reserved to men only, struggles to accepts the fact that a woman can be such an excellent player. That was one other thing that I've appreciated here!

The story is so very inetersting and I loved it really very, very much! It's also fast paced and hot when needed. There're no sizzling moments that are not necessary - such a nice mix!

If you want to find out how they resolved the situation and got their HEA, you'll have to read the book! You'll not be disappointed!

[Pattrycia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found out about this book from one of my GR friends who recommended it to me. I just finished which is a fantasy book & was still in the mood for more of this type of genre. So I requested this book on Netgalley & surprisingly got approved.

The girl-disguised-as-a-boy theme is actually nothing new. BUT, since this book involves a Prince, this makes it much more interesting. So, Jemm is a girl who works in the mines in order to provide for her family. Her father is dead & she's left with the responsibility of the sole breadwinner of the family. She lives with her Mom, her brother & her niece who is actually her brother's kid. Ever since she was young, she was trained bajha by her father. To make some more money for the family, she agreed to fight bajha in a shady club against an unbeatable opponent. Surprise surprise, she won the game quite easily & soon after she started to gain name as a rising street bajha star. Prince Klark of Vedla heard about her & sought her out. He offered her a contract to play bajha professionally for his team. So, here begins her journey as a professional bajha player.

I am actually quite impressed with the bajha game. I think it's similar to fencing played in utter darkness. It requires a lot of concentration & the focus of the mind. I have to admit that I have quite a hard time imagining the world out there. The place, the language & the appearance of people left me kinda confused. The sexual tension between Jemm & Klark is too high it's palpable. IMO, they give in to their attraction too quickly & too early in the book. Sure I don't mind their active sexual lives but I thought if the author make them give in much later in the book, it'd be a lot sweeter. You know, like build the anticipation so that we readers are even more eager to see them together. I find that while I love how they live happily ever after, the scenes leading to the end are not that eventful. I think they are just not emotional enough (I know I'm such an angst-whore :p).

Aside from the angst-free part, I'd still recommend this book for those of you who love fantasy. For Klark & Jemm, I'd give 3.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

This book is fabulous. Automatic new favourite.

I fell in love with Jemm, the main characters, from the first few pages of the book. She’s strong, she’s worried about her family and she wants a better life for them. She wants to follow her dreams, but the same sport that is putting food on their table is the one their mother claims killed her father. Oh, and girls aren’t allowed to play bahja, a kind of sensory-deprived fencing/martial art/yoga. Oops.

The story of the girl dressed as a boy, updated, in space! I also appreciated that unlike many of these stories, the other main character, Klark, catches on early in the book, making it their secret to protect rather than her versus him. It was a pleasant change of pace and really helped raise the stakes: he was not another victim of her deceit, he was her co-conspirator. He wasn’t just training a hot new talent, he was training a woman he was learning to love.

One of the best things about this book was the way the three planets the action took place on we're so different. The cramped, dirty, dome-covered planet of Barésh felt claustrophobic and dangerous. We could understand why Jemm would do anything to escape it. There are dirty children everywhere, crime and corruption are constant, and the poor die of things the rich get cured in an instant. Still, Klark’s world is no less dangerous, if more comfortable; every move is being watched and calculated, women have less power than on Barésh, and your mistakes are not only your own, they shame your whole family. The tropical planet where Jemm and Klark train was lush and felt like a perfect hideaway, one they knew was only a reprieve from the real world of competition and backstabbing.

THE CHAMPION OF BARÉSH is related to other books in the previous series, but is isolated enough that you don’t need to have read them. Even without knowing the full story, I knew that Earth was a new player, that the in-fighting of the noble families was serious business and that the universe can be a harsh, unfair world.

The romance between the two characters evolves slowly, at first confusingly because he thinks she’s a boy, then hesitantly because he’s the team’s owner and he trains them as well. They almost tumble into it, and as a reader you’re just cheering for them to just get it sorted!

Susan Grant’s books always make me happy when I read them. The worldbuilding is top notch, the characters feel alive and real, and I always end up thinking about them for days after I finish them. I have re-read MOONSTRUCK and CONTACT so many times, I nearly know them by heart, and I still enjoy them fully every time. I’m adding THE CHAMPION OF BARÉSH to my short list of science-fiction romance favourites!

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

Because I kept conflating this story with the excellent The Empress Game by Rhonda Mason, I was kind of expecting that the stakes in The Champion of Baresh would be slightly bigger than they are. And then they actually are, but not quite in the way I thought. And that’s always a good thing. I also kept wondering if this story linked at all to Grant’s Star series. It turns out that it does, but it is not necessary to have read, or to remember in my case, the details of the earlier series to enjoy The Champion of Baresh.

Baresh is a dead-end world, and Jemm Aves has a dead end job – but then all the jobs on Baresh are pretty much dead end, if not downright deadly. Not deadly as in dangerous per se, but deadly as in the working conditions are so totally awful that the job will kill you one way or another if you live long enough, and if you quit the poverty will kill you even quicker.

Think about all the diseases that miners have been proven to get on this planet, and then multiply that by an entire manufactured world that is completely dependent on mining a deadly and necessary ore. That’s Baresh.

And Jemm Aves wants off.

But the only chance she has for getting herself and her family – mother, brother, niece – is to pick up her dad’s old sens-sword and compete in barroom bajha. And the only way to make her way into the bajha circuit, even on a backwater world like Baresh – is to pretend to be a man. Or at least a boy.

The more she wins, the more that the local gangleaders want to tie her down to an exclusive contract. The better she does, the more she earns – and the more dangerous it gets.

Until she’s presented with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play in the professional leagues. But that’s only possible if she can keep her secret – or find someone else to keep it with her.

Escape Rating B+: In the end, The Champion of Baresh is a love story about breaking down barriers.

The initial barrier that needs to be broken is the custom that says that women can’t play bajha. Think of bajha as a real-life version of the arena fighting video games, with a few changes. Matches are fought blindfolded, and all contestants use the same weapon, a sens-sword that administers a shock rather than a slice. Although there are professional teams, matches are fought one on one. But it’s the combined score of the whole team that leads to the championship.

Of course, the barroom circuit on Baresh is a LOT less formal. There’s only two individuals, and a whole lot of crowd noise. When Jemm, fighting as Sea Kestrel, steps into the ring, she’s the best that Baresh has ever seen. She’s living proof that women can play bajha, and play it well. But she has to compete as a man. Not just because of the social conventions, but because it is way safer for her and her brother/manager if no one knows who she really is.

Prince Klark Vedla has a whole lot of barriers to jump over, many of them all by himself. He has to convince himself that this street rat is capable of making the jump to the big leagues, a difficult feat all by itself. Then he has to decide to become complicit in Jemm’s secret, defying not just social convention but his own moral code. He wants to win the Championship for his family to erase the stigma of his own intemperate actions in The Star Princess.

And then Jemm and Klark have to bridge the barrier between street rat and prince-not-so-charming. Two people who have never fallen in love fall for each other, each believing that it can’t possibly work. It takes a wise and somewhat scary old man to get Klark’s head out of his ass on that score.

But as much fun as the romance is in this book, the fun is in breaking down the wall that prevents women from playing bajha. When Jemm’s secret is finally revealed, after a series of stunning victories, the powers-that-be in the sport try to bury everything under the rug, and attempt to keep Klark and his team silent with vague but menacing threats.

Watching Jemm and Klark set their entire sporting world on its ear, by proving that women not only can play bajha, but that they want to play bajha, and that encouraging them to play bajha is good for the sport. In the end the score is Neanderthals 0 and Opening Doors to Opportunity a very satisfying 1.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to hike on the paths, too. I want to smell everything, to taste everything, to see the birds, and the trees. All of it. In my wildest dreams I couldn't have imagined a place like this. I feel like I've been caged all my life and now I'm finally free.

I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Holy craggin crat! This is the first book of Susan Grant that I have ever read. And I should say, I am so glad I read this book.



I love this book. I love everything of this book. The idea behind this book, the execution of the idea, the characters, the story-line. Everything is blended perfectly.

Jemm Aves is a woman who's in need of money which is why she disguised herself as a male to play bajha at night. And gosh, she is good at it, especially as a female.

Let's cheer for Sea Kestrel!


Then she is discovered by Prince Klark who's desperate to repair his reputation in his family clan. Klark wanted her to play in his team seeing how it would bring victory to his team which would lead to his reputation being restored.
So that is the gist of the story of how they met.

The character development in this book is amazing, Jemm is one of a few female characters that I actually loved. She's a strong woman who will do anything for his family and I feel connected to her somehow. Klark is great and sweet. And I actually sympathize Nico, he's been through a lot, such sadness that he had to bear.

The world-building as well as he story-line is perfect, the romance balanced the action. It was clear and easy to understand. It is very much well-written.

Overall, I very much enjoy this book and I am looking forward to reading another book of Susan Grant's and I certainly am looking forward for the next book in series.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Klark Vedha is the disgraced second son, but he has paid his dues and is now free. He knows he has a lot of ground to make up if he is to have his father's respect once again. His most immediate way to do this is to bring the bhaja Galactic Cup back for his people. He owns a promising team, but he hears about an outside shot- a street bhaja player out in the frontier on Baresh. He has a feeling about the mysterious 'Sea Kestrel' who has the instincts that only the best of the pros have for the sport. So, he makes the deal and trains young Kes to go all the way.

Jemm has grown up scrambling for even life's basic needs, but her father's dreams of making good and getting his family off world live inside her. He taught her to play bhaja even though girls and women were kept from competing and playing and she showed she had his great skill at the sport which she has hidden until now when her family needs the money beyond what her ore hauling job can bring in. Her street sport work gets noticed by a pro team manager and she decides to conceal the truth about being a woman so she can compete and earn the money to take care of her family and fulfill her dad's dreams. It gets complicated when Prince Klark doesn't turn out to be like no other of his class and he genuinely cares about people- about her. She's falling for him, but must protect both their dreams by not revealing the truth when they really have a shot at the Galactic Cup.

A sci-fi sports romance! Who would have thought? I was glad to see Klark redeemed after being the villain figure in an earlier book and it was great seeing him paired with a woman from the wild and struggling world of Baresh. I kind of wish bhaja was a real sport- clever and even mystic as well as physical prowess all rolled into one. Loved seeing this pair figure it out in spite of secrets, pasts, class differences, and tradition. Great way to finish the main arcs of the series though I'm glad there are still some side stories to enjoy.

[Coco.V]

🎁 The Star Series: The Complete 7 Book Sci-Fi Romance Boxed Set is FREE on Amazon today (1/12/2021)! 🎁

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page to the last there's much about this book that left me giddy with its virtually angst-free romance between apparent opposites and exhilarating action scenes set amidst class and gender distinctions. Some of the themes are familiar but Ms. Grant put a fresh spin on them which added to my overall enjoyment and I didn't want it to end.

Jemm's grown up on a harsh world where her people are considered amongst the lowest class. A lack of food, medical care, and a family torn apart by the death of her father and her brother's wife has her dreaming of a way out. With so much oppression and feelings of hopelessness she clings to those moments of joy that playing bajha with her father's encouragement bring her and plans to use her talents to make a better life for them all despite the adversity. Long held beliefs of a woman's role casts a shadow over her dreams though and leads to her hiding her sexuality at first in order to play. When she meets Prince Klark though keeping her secret becomes even harder as their connection becomes more palpable with its increasing sexual tensions once he discovers the truth. Twists and turns take them on a heartwarming and uplifting journey that leads to radical change across the universe in an ultimately rousing conclusion. Jemm's a delightful heroine, strong-willed and loyal. She has a big heart, an open mind, and her joy in playing bajha is infectious. She dreams big and her belief in herself and her dream had me cheering. She's a bit rough around the edges with her constant cursing but it made her all the more likable. She brought joy to Klark's stale life and together they made a formidable match.

Klark grew up knowing his role as The Spare to his brother's one day ascending to the throne. It's his role to protect his brother and keep their family line honorable. That belief led to a horrible decision that hurt his family and bruised his relationship with them, as well as landing him on house arrest. With his sentence ended he's sworn to himself that he'll bring honor to their family name and make them proud of him once again. For so long he's lived a meaningless life of frivolity, never finding something meaningful to him, until he formed a bajha team. Having them win the championship is his main goal and is what brings him to dirty and dangerous Baresh and the unforgettable bajha player who's like nothing he's ever seen before. He's in awe of her the minute he meets her, drawn to her wholeheartedly, despite knowing nothing about her. Discovering her true gender creates new drama but it also opens his heart to feelings of love he's always denied before. She brings happiness to his structured life, giving him moments of carefree fun. Soon, he too is dreaming....dreaming of a future with her despite the odds and familial expectations. Theirs is a joyous relationship full of laughter and smiles, along with steamy encounters that are both sensual and playful. Klark may have started off a bit standoffish and a bit lost, but meeting Jemm had him focusing on a future with her, a future that has him a part of many big changes. His heart was hidden early on but with each word and deed directed at Jemm he became a true romantic. He fought for her on every level, reminding her that she was so much more than the downtrodden existence she came from and it left me in love with him.

This was a well-paced story for the most part with only a bit of lag in the middle as Jemm and Klark were training and getting to know more about each other. The main characters were strong-willed with personalities that were immensely appealing with a romance that had me smiling and cheering. The secondary characters were a colorful bunch, from Jemm's heartbroken brother Nico to her fellow bajha teammates and their brotherly and playful interactions with her, and they added much enjoyment to the story and plenty of fodder for more stories set in this universe in the future. Baresh is vividly depicted, warts and all, and shows the true strength of Jemm to rise above its bleakness. The sport of bajha is similar to fencing and Ms. Grant's depiction of it is an exhilarating one full of pulse-pounding scenes that had me feeling like a part of the sweaty action and became a driving force for change across many levels. Fans of sci-fi will find this an entertaining and satisfying read that once again shows Ms. Grant to be the queen of this genre and I look forward to revisiting this world soon!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Grant is an author that I read years ago when she first came out with her Star King, Star Prince, Star Princess books. I adored them and they still are on my 'Keepers' shelves. I recently read the new Star Princess book, and I will review that next, but first The Champion of Baresch.

Susan Grant did a wonderful job of world-building for me. Baresch is a small planet that was once technologically advanced and superior in all respects. They might have been the ancients. Remnants of their tall beautiful buildings remain, and they left behind the all-important dome that protects its current inhabitants. Now, the only major employer is the mining operations that eventually kill all who work there. There are also gambling dens and fight clubs where a sport called bajha is played. Professional teams play it in total darkness and without their hearing. They must rely on their other senses. Professionals play as part of teams. the fight clubs on Baresch fight it out against the winner, one fight at at time.

On Baresch Jemm Aves is perhaps the only female bajha player in the universe. She plays because they are desperate for the money she bring in with her winnings. She is tall and lanky and with all the padding the players ware, she easily passes for a youthful male. Her brother Nico is her 'manager'. He was fired from his job and cannot get another one. An accident occurred that caused him to kill his beloved wife. Two others live in their tiny apartment on the 17th floor walk up: her mom, and her niece, Button.

As the first scene opens we see Nico giving Jemm, who goes by the name Sea Kestral, some last minute instructions as she is about to fight in one of the more famous fight clubs against the undefeated champion. He tells her to try to last as long as she can, as they pay more, the longer a bajha player lasts. As this is in a noisy, smelly, foul dive bar, they use blindfolds instead of turning off the lights. The play with shock sticks, the object being to sense where your opponent is with your other senses and strike him on his chest plate. As they wear these special suits, no one is injured. To the great amazement of all, she quickly wins over the champion.

Elsewhere on the planet Eireya, Prince Klark Vedla is trying to win back his honor and that of his family. He has recently been released from house arrest and is anxious to bring the bajha Galactic Cup home this year to honor his team and Eireya.
Several members of his team show him a video of Sea Kestral winning. Klark views her performance several times and decides that they must try her out against his professional team. IF she is really that good and can be quickly trained, his team just might have a chance at the Galactic Cup.

She is brought onto Klark's Star Ship to see how 'he' does against seasoned professional players. 'Kes' routs them all. With her trained, they all feel that they just might have the long sought Galactic Cup. It takes some time for Klark to find out that he is a 'she'.

This book is fast paced adventurous, has some moments of angst, danger, political maneuverings, delightful romance that is not over played, and finally our HEA!

[Paraphrodite · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 - 4 stars.

This one is a lot more sci-fi than the previous one and the hero is actually the villain Prince Klark from book 2 Star Prince. He sort of redeemed himself in book 3 Star Princess and is now free of his house arrest.

Klark is the manager of their clan's bajha team. Bajha is a sort of one-on-one blindfolded fight with stun swords for men only. I keep hearing "Use the force...." in my mind whenever the game is on. 😏 Klark wanted to get his team to win the Galactic Cup, to reclaim some honour for his clan. So when he saw a video of a very skilled young bajha player on the mining colony of Barésh, he went to recruit him, not knowing that the player is actually our heroine Jemm in disguise.

I enjoyed the plucky Jemm, who had to take charge of her family after her father was killed in the mines. I also liked seeing the book deal with gender and class inequality which are so prevalent in society. Unfortunately the issues cannot be resolved as easily in RL as in the book. But hopefully things will get better....

[Jenny Delandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Prince Klack was a villain and a misunderstood champion for his brother…
But he has served his time for his transgressions and he has taken on the Vella Bajha team, with the view of winning the Galactic Cup, to bring honour back to his family. Traditionally, Bajha players are men only
His team bring Sea Kestrel, a street Bajha fighter out in the frontier, to his attention. Klack decides to snap up this talented player before anyone else.
Sea Krestel is undefeated and eager to leave the mining colony… She feels that she has to tell Klack what she is…
He decides she can still play and she mows through the elite players bringing the team to second place, when her identity is discovered and she is expelled from competition… her team don’t care if she is a woman, something she had worried about.
Along the way Klack and Jemm(Sea Krestel) become lovers and when she returns to her home world, he realises she is his mate. His uncle takes over the league negotiations and he follows Jemm. She is playing as a woman, and that does not deter anyone trying to beat her. Her brother has started training new players and Jemm insists girls and woman be allowed in.
The league can’t ignore the positive influence Jemm has had so they allow her back into the competition and the Vedla team wins!
I really liked the story, and strong side characters made it perfect. I especially liked the friendship of Ma and Uncle Yul… quite unexpected.

[ChatterBoxReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jemm 🫶 Klark

Ahh, my favorite trope never fails to deliver! This was amazing!

I had so much fun with this book, Jemm was so cool, the world building was enthralling, the competitive world of bajha was riveting and watching Klark lose his hard edges and fall in love with his star player was everything!

I only wish this could have been longer. I wanted to read about more bajha matches and see Klark and Jemm’s wedding 🥹. Ughhh, but as it stands this was an amazing read that did, the “girl disguised as a boy” trope absolute justice!

Highly recommend this if you want a fascinating alien sports romance!

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Champion of Barésh is a story of the underdog vs. life. Jemm Aves is the underdog, living on a backwater colony planet where only the wealthy and privileged have any hope of living a comfortable life. As a transport driver for the mines during the day, she barely manages to support her family. But at night, disguised as a young man, Jemm rocks Barésh’s underworld bajha games. Using all the lessons her father taught her and her own innate talent, Jemm can’t be beat.

Why does Jemm need to disguise herself as the man Kes (short for Sea Kestrel)? A woman doesn’t play bajha because it is an ancient game, devised by the wealthy royal families as a path to a higher state of consciousness to practice their warrior skills. Women aren’t warriors. They must be protected. Can you see where this is going?

Jemm/Kes doesn’t care about the ancient tradition. She just wants to make enough money to get her family to a better world. Enter Prince Klark – royal screw up and owner of a very successful bajha team. Looking to be even more successful, and in the process redeem himself, Klark recruits Sea Kestrel to play for Team Eireya. With Kes on the team, the championship is in sight.

The secret that Jemm/Kes harbors is going to come out. The real story of The Champion of Barésh is how the people around her handle that secret. Prince Klark has a difficult and satisfying struggle with the truth and how he feels and if he has any right to happiness with a woman like Jemm. The traditionalists struggle with the implications of how Jemm’s place on Team Eireya has far reaching effects, even beyond the elite league of bajha players.

The book blurb leaves little room for surprise as to how the story will play out. Despite that, the characters in the story kept my attention and encouraged me to keep reading to find out how Jemm and Klark would get their happily every after.

I really liked Klark’s little sister Katijan, who questions why women can’t play bajha, presaging the personal struggle Klark is about to experience. Early in the story Klark’s answers to his sister make it look like he has it all figured out. With both Jemm and Katijan working to undermine that elitist attitude, does Klark really even stand a chance?

Another nice moment is when the people of Earth show up on Barésh. You see, sociologically speaking, Earth is a bit more advanced than those that currently run the colony on Barésh. In their own subtle, or not so subtle way, Earth is going to have a say in making Barésh a place where people want to live, rather than run away from.

Susan Grant’s lush descriptions of life on Barésh vs. life on Eireya are as effective at setting a scene as they are at pointing out class differences. After feeling like I was there, it is easy to venture that Eireya would be a lovely vacation destination. Barésh, not so much! Ms. Grant’s depiction of poverty vs. privilege makes The Champion of Barésh slightly more than a romance, but the social message is not too in your face.

The Champion of Barésh is tied to the Star series, but stands quite well on its own. For SciFi Romance readers, sports fans and anyone who appreciates a feel good story, The Champion of Barésh is a lovely, uncomplicated story that will have you cheering for the unlikely couple of the underdog and the Prince.

Review copy provided the author.

Originally posted at Smart Girls Love SciFi Romance.

[Florence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of Susan Grant since I first picked up a copy of The Legend of Banzai Maguire on a newsstand in 2004. I have read all her books, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read her latest work in advance and review it.

The Champion of Baresh is very much in keeping with the rest of Ms. Grant’s Vash Nadah series: strong women flying against tradition in a heavily male-dominated society. Some of the sexual double standards, which I found quite “icky” in previous books, are downplayed in The Champion of Baresh, which was a plus for me. In its place, the disparity between privilege and poverty is managed with masterful attention to detail and just enough emphasis to make its points without being preachy. I did find it surprising that the class difference was not judged more harshly – or at least addressed more specifically – by more of the secondary characters among the Vash and their retainers towards the end of the book. Perhaps this represents progress in the development of the society, albeit perhaps more rapidly than real life social change occurs, but it might have been a bit more clearly explained.

After his enigmatic appearances as a side character in The Star Prince and The Star Princess, I was delighted to see Klark Vedla get his own book and his own chance for a happily ever after. I was glad to finally see events from his perspective. His sense of Vash Nadah honor, isolation, and regret for his previous actions are compelling, and his willingness to admit and correct a mistake is admirable. I appreciated his growth of character across all three books. Jemm, of course, is lovely as a tough but sweet young woman trying to keep her family safe and healthy amid difficult circumstances. It’s refreshing to see a romance novel heroine who is not struggling with low self-esteem. I love the way she acts independently to solve her problems throughout the book, despite being slightly swept away as events move rapidly in unexpected directions.

The game of Bajha is an interesting combination of fencing and Blind Man’s Bluff, with aspects of meditation, steeped in centuries-long tradition of warrior honor, and followed with the fervor of modern football. Even as a dedicated non-sports fan, I enjoyed the descriptions of the various Bajha matches, which were original, detailed, and at times suspenseful. However, I have to admit, I never really “got” the fanaticism aspect of football (either American or European) even in real life, and therefore had a bit of difficulty seeing success in the sports arena as a convincing vehicle for Klark to counteract his galactic-level humiliation and restore his family honor. However, I know I’m in the minority on this, and I imagine it won’t be a problem for other readers.

To say The Champion of Baresh is not my favorite of all Susan Grant’s books is to say I prefer Chocolate Moose Tracks ice cream over Rocky Road. It still deserves 5 stars in my opinion, it’s still among my favorite books, and I will still read it over and over. And as always, my final question is… when can I buy the audiobook?

I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[KJ Van Houten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two people on opposite ends of the social spectrum, each searching for a place to belong. Each with something or someone to protect, to fight for. Brought together by a shared loved for bajha – a form of fighting that involves swordplay while restricting a player’s sense of sight, where a player must rely on intuition, focus, and intense control.

Two people: Klark, owner and trainer of a professional bajha team, highly skilled in his own right, seeks to redeem his name, regain the acceptance of his royal family, and bring honour to his clan. Jemm, a rising bajha star, hiding her identity to make her way in a sport played and controlled by men, fighting to gain a basic necessities and a better life for her family living on the harsh frontier world of Baresh.

In a Federation ruled by trade and traditions, how long can Jemm keep her secret? How will Klark react when his prize fighter is revealed to be a woman? What will be their greatest struggle – to win the Galactic Cup and gain fame, fortune, and honour? Or to fight against tradition to find themselves in each other’s arms?

Susan Grant was the first author I read within the science fiction romance (SFR) genre. Her Star series, beginning with Star King, hooked me right in and I didn’t come up for air until I had read everything she’d published in SFR. I eventually moved on to (many) other authors and their works within SFR, but Grant’s works have always remained in a special category for me. Champion of Baresh, first novel in Grant’s new Star World Frontier series brings me full circle, as it follows directly after Star Princess, the last novel in the original Star series. Seeing familiar characters and familiar settings felt like a sort of homecoming. Klark, a ‘bad boy’ in two of the Star series novels, finally gets a chance to be heard and better understood, and quite frankly, it’s hard not to be attracted to him here. While, yes, Champion of Baresh can be read and understood as a standalone, I think readers will get a far richer experience and better understanding of what compels Klark in particular by reading the Star series (in order) first.

As a whole, I think Champion of Baresh represents a new phase for Susan Grant – not because it begins a new series, and not because it shows Grant’s return to writing after too many years off. Rather, it’s a new style of writing. Oh yes, it’s familiar in tone and atmosphere, but the writing itself seems better, her characters more developed, her stories both simpler and yet more compelling. LOL, maybe I was just drawn in faster and more completely!

Yes, I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review – but I’d have preordered this one and read it as soon as possible anyway! I consider Grant’s novels as ‘autobuys’ for me.

[Cara Bristol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply amazeballs!
The world-building is phenomenal. Reading The Champion of Baresh isn't like reading book it's like having a ring side seat as the story unfolds in front of you. Just amazing. If you've ever wondered what "world-building" is; The Champion of Baresh ought to be required reading.

Author Susan Grant also did an excellent job of building tension in small ways throughout the book, to keep me turning the pages. I was biting my nails to think that something might mess us Jemm's chance to join the team and get off Baresh.

Great characters and dialogue, too!

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hero. Heroine. Who saves whom? The winner here would be them both. While the prince was working to find his way in a world that he was just a spare to the throne, he had to define himself and define what his life meant. Jemm was just your atypical girl that wanted better for her family. She just did not sit around waiting for things to get better. She made her own way and made it being something she was not but doing what she loved.

Some would say she was playing with fire. She was really playing with life. She was working to make her life and that of her family better. Being a bajha player was something that was classified as male dominated and usually the elite were the ones that played. Jemm went out made a name for her/himself and became a commodity that the prince wanted for his team.

Jemm and Klark had a connection beyond the physical. They connected over the intense game of sword and darkness. There was much control, focus and intuition needed to be successful.

Susan Grant has gained a reader. I was captivated and consumed. I was engrossed by this sci-fi, fantasy, romance with things familiar and unfamiliar. I was caught up in the fight for better and search for purpose by both the hero (Klark) and heroine (Jemm).
**This ARC was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a long five-year wait for the start of a new series by Grant. It is a very good story with great characters. One, Prince Klark, is a carry over from her Star series and another, Jemm Ave, is brand new. I loved how Klark was trying to bring honor to his family after his actions in a previous book did the reverse. Jemm is perfect in the role of a very strong woman who is working hard to help her family. The world building is very good and back-story for Jemm is spot on. My only complaint - It has been a long time since I read the Star series and the back-story for Klark is based on that series and I had forgotten a lot about what he did. It does work as a stand-alone and has numerous hooks for future books set in the Star World Frontier.

[Laz the Sailor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very engaging scifi romance, where all of the main characters were well developed. The story of a waif on a backwater planet who becomes a hero for everyone was enchanting, and while there isn't much new here, the author is adept at writing scifi and lite erotica.

I will likely read the next book in this series.

[Coral · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[TINNGG · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - nobody's perfect

A loose end from a series orphaned either by a publisher saying "we don't want " or by a publisher going under. Since I think the first three of the series were published by Dorcester, might be a little of both. Regardless...

Star Princess kinda left a loose end in the form of the H's brother who escaped house arrest to save his brother and the sister of the hero from Star Prince. The author changed publishers somewhere around in here so the series was not completed. That was years ago, and it's been a while since I read the original three. I was delighted to discover she had a new one out, and it was Klark. I really feel I should have pulled the others from my shelf for a refresher though. I wasn't totally lost, mind you.

This picks up several months after Star Princesss and I kinda suspect the author went back and refreshed herself with the world she'd created first - there was nothing that screamed "waitaminute!"

The H - the aforementioned brother who'd been on house arrest and escaped (by removing a tracker chip from his head) - has been on house arrest of a different sort - some kind of beam similar to an invisible fence, that would alert anyone if he left. His sentence is commuted for whatever reason, and he goes back to working with his bajha team.

The h has been playing bajha in disguise because the sport isn't open to women. She caught a scout's attention, and he and a couple of his team go to see and recruit her. He at least figures out she's a female and after a bit of soul searching, decides to aid in the deception.

Bajha is like fencing with light sabers...blindfolded. Only, the lightsabers are more electroshock or tazer than laser knife. And to be good at it means using a sixth sense...kinda like the Force. So...our H/h connect in some odd ways.

Eventually, her skills make other teams suspicious of enhancement tech and the commission attempts to force a physical. He refuses to let them on the grounds that she's a woman, so she's banned for unspecified reasons.

They go their separate ways which lasts all of half a day due to his uncle telling him not to be stupid like he was - go forth and fetch thy woman. Meanwhile the team, and others work to figure out how to get the commission to change their minds. Which does work - public pressure and all that.

So did i like it? Yes. Neither character made me want to shoot something - point in their favor. H was in on the deception (hate it when heroes appear clueless). Heroine was a realist. H didn't give her false hopes. The supporting cast was entertaining (the part where they tried to give their new team member a good time by securing "him" a call girl...oh boy... and the h managed to handle it with aplomb. Even better - the H didn't wig out at finding her missing).

If I had gripes, they were...the several chapters before the h even met the H. I get that they were on opposite sides of the galaxy seemingly but the time taken... and... the whole training and try-outs particularly for women. I'm not sure why this bothers me - it didn't take up that much page count. Maybe because the whole galaxy appeared to have changed its mind in an instant and now everyone is ok with women playing. I dunno - maybe I would have liked to have seen that worked through over another book or three.

[Darlene Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I say I’m a Book Dragon, I mean that when I find a writer whose words inspire me or who creates something special, I will put aside every other book in my pile and read that writer’s whole oeuvre.

That happened. I borrowed a book from my library’s online site…and went into a wormhole I hope I never get out of. My gateway book to Susan Grant’s worlds was The Star King (2013). I’ll review that in another post, but I have to mention it—I still love the characters in that novel more than any I’ve come across recently. . This is not the first book of Grant’s that I’ve read…and I was waiting for this one with bated breath and it totally lived up to my expectations (don’t you love when that happens?).

I’m going to introduce you to one of my favorite sci fi romance writers.

Susan Grant…veteran, pilot, and author. Have you read her work?

Here we go…

What to say about The Champion of Barésh? I loved every moment from the trill rats in the mine and bars to the “aristo” prince. But the reason I’ve read this book five times since it’s publication is the main character, Jemm Aves. If I ever get stuck on a strange planet, I want someone like her at my back – she’s a fighter and has the heart of a lion. She was born on Baresh and works for a mining company by day, but at night she fights in an underground bajha matches. But she can’t fight as a girl, so instead she goes undercover and fights as a guy. She’s the strongest player and soon catches the attention of Prince Klark, the black sheep of his family. Together they challenge the status quo – and try to find each other in the process.

As usual, the details and the ending are left for you to read.

Which I suggest you do, next time you read a book. I’d start here, and then go back to The Star King, The Star Prince, The Star Princess, and then graduate to Banzai Macguire and The Scarlett Empress, and the other books that Grant has penned – she has an impressive list.

Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.

5 stars. And 5 hearts…I think I just came up with a new criteria for romance novels. Thanks, Susan.

[Judy W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grade C+. I must confess that I struggled a bit to finish this one. Wha'ts not to love about the familiar trope of a girl pretending to be a guy so she can do something forbidden? In this case we have Jemm Aves who lives on a less than pleasing mining planet. She supports the family on mining company wages but at night she dresses in her fathers old bajha player uniform and competes for extra cash. Bajha is kinda of a sword/fencing match played in total darkness. The unwritten rule is "no girls" and so she hides her gender behind a baggy suit. In swoops Prince Klark when he hears about the new incredible player. He's fresh off of a 2 year house arrest for vague reasons obviously covered in a previous book (haven't read!). He needs to redeem his honor to the family and as a second son feels the only way is to captain a champion bajha team. Thankfully the gender deception wasn't stretched too thin before Prince Klark discovers the ruse. He wants her for his team anyway because she is THAT good. Love ensues as well as discovery by the public.
I had a few issues. Prince Klark has to redeem his honor by having a winning sports team? Why not try doing something about the planet Baresh and it's horrible pollution, lack of medical care and dodgy living conditions? You know, saving lives or such. I'm not saying he has to pull a Miss America and find world peace but hey, a smidge more noble intentions please. Also, the bajha game was a clever invention but the fight executions were somewhat lackluster. Two sentence set up then a quick "And then Sea Kestrel (Jemm) won!" This made the game seem less important. Because this was such a mixed bag I have to go with a more average grade.

[C.Gard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

Susan Grant's, Star Champion, depicts just that. A girl who rises up to the occasion through a sport that is profoundly important to the galaxy. She hides her identity and dresses like a man in order to play bajha to help earn money for her desperately poor family. Que the hot prince who swoops in and offers to train her and bring honor back to his family if she can secure the championship for his team.

This book was inspiring and had so many good qualities. I loved the descriptions of Jemm practicing and becoming better at bajha, it was super interesting. This gave me major She's the Man vibes which was really fun. I was disappointed with how her gender got revealed, as well as the fact that she didn't get to train with the team after that. I think that setting would have been more interesting. Can we just talk about how freaking cute Klark and Jemm are though? This was a bit of a slow burn romance and I feel like I got a good sense of their connection which is a major part of the story.....but....the thing that kept me from truly loving this book was that it was so anticlimactic. It built up super well but fizzled out at the end. No bang, just a bit of a whimper. And the fact that one of the most important battles didn't get depicted was a huge downer for me. That was an opportunity missed. Don't get me wrong, this book had a lot of development relationship wise and the mutual trust, love, and respect was amazing. The statement they made about women was empowering. If you like pretty even keeled, slightly political, sweet slow burn romance books, then this is your read!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to be glad that I discovered this series and author in one of the Pets in Space anthologies! This is a great addition to the Star series, and I was able to follow along even though I accidentally skipped the book before this - most of the plot referenced here actually refers back to the second book, and I was able to infer anything I missed, though I think there was a minor spoiler for some action in book 3.

Both Jemm and Klark grow and mature over the course of this book, and I was glad to see that what could have been the Big Mis (Jemm's disguise as a male) was dealt with fairly early on between the two leads, and that gave them some closeness and a relationship that could grow into an intimate partnership. The tension then switches to discovery by outside forces - you know it's going to happen, it's just a matter of when. Once again I was pleased with how that was handled, and how Jemm and Klark knew when to step back and let the other one, or someone else, come in to help.

We get to see Klark interacting with Jemm's family on Baresh, and a tiny bit of her interactions with his family, but only in an official capacity - I wish that we'd been able to see that first Vedla family dinner!

Since this is set a few years after the series opener, we're able to see how the Trade Federation is adjusting to their interactions with Earth as well, though that's a minor part of the plot since both Jemm and Klark aren't Earthers. The inclusion of the Earth space station does set up the next two novellas, however.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're into helpless females swept away by prince charming - this is not for you. But if you appreciate strong women who aren't afraid to dream big - and then work hard to reach those dreams - this book will be immensely satisfying.

I love the strong female characters in Susan's books, and Jemm does not disappoint. She grabs onto her dream with a gritty determination, a willingness to do what it takes to be the best she can be, and a noble goal to pull her family out of poverty.

One reason this is such a believable character may be because Susan writes what she knows. A former Air Force pilot and instructor, and now an officer for a major U.S. airline, Susan is, herself, a strong woman with gritty determination. That knowledge base serves her well, both in her character development and her world building. The Champion of Barésh has characters you love to love (and hate!) as well as detailed and vividly varied environments.

I was reminded of the multiple Academy Award winning "Million Dollar Baby" when reading this. It's a tale of an underdog who reaches the top against all odds - including the all-too-real glass ceiling. It's a book with a heroine that any woman who has dreams of her own can identify with and find herself cheering for.

It's a fun, engrossing read - and I simply couldn't out it down.

Well done, and I can't wait for the next in this new series!

[Rhode PVD · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s so off putting to read a ‘feminist’ book set in a universe with only straight people. LGBTQIA erasure is a systematic way to support the patriarchy. Another way the author supports the patriarchy is by making sure that no matter how successful her heroine becomes as she wins the day, her male love interest will always be bigger, wealthier and of far higher social status. Because the patriarchy doesn’t allow women to love their equals, only their superiors.

The naïveté of the plot - despite ten thousand years of enforced gender roles requiring women refrain from sports, one single women star athlete makes everyone change their minds - is also depressing. We all know better. We’ve seen women soccer stars and tennis stars extravagantly outperform men, but they’re still only paid a pittance and nearly lose their lives during common medical procedures when no one listens to them. The fantasy in this book is less pleasure and more painful reminder.

This book feels like a time warp from another decade, but even back then, I really didn’t read SFF universes without any queer people.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jemm's family needs money to get away from their slum like home world of Baresh. She decides to disguise herself as a male to compete in street bajha, a game that only men are admitted to play. Her talent is such that it catches the eye of nearly disgraced prince Klark, who just so happens to manage a professional bajha team. When he discovers that Jemm is a woman he has to go against his beliefs to let her stay. But he does and ends up fighting for a way for her to play openly and to not give in to his desire for her.

I won't pretend that I totally understood bajha and how exactly it was played but I really liked this book. I liked the character, I liked the story, I liked the writing, the setting...just about everything. A great read!

[Carolyn Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opposites Attract

Huge obstacles must be overcome before Jemm Aves can help her family escape extreme poverty on a mining planet on the outskirts of the galaxy. Prince Klarke needs to reclaim his reputation and enhance his family's honor. These two unlikely individuals gain their objectives together, but only after breaking tradition and stirring up the known galaxy. This was an exciting and heartwarming story.