The Champion is my first taste of the Bryn and Sinjin series by HP Mallory. I'm no stranger to HP Mallory's books or writing style and The Champion fits right in with my love of all things HP. When Sinjin informs Bryn she's pregnant both characters kind of go off the deep end. Sinjin is positive the baby can't be his because vampires are unable to reproduce. Bryn needs further proof she's pregnant because her disbelief overshadows any rational though. Besides, she's a warrior, not mother material and her past abuse has proven her barren.
Along with the pregnancy crisis, Sinjin, Bryn, Dureau, and several others of the court of Jolie, Queen of the Underworld, are dealing with a madman who is creating an army of Daywalkers. In an effort to prevent war and bloodshed, Bryn and Dureau try to infiltrate the dreams of Luce's tribesmen and tribeswomen with thoughts of truth. They try to inform every dreaming member about Luce's lies and deception. Coming up against roadblocks, the group must succumb to asking for the help of Monsieur D.
The interactions between Bryn and Sinjin are wonderful. Their characters belong together. I love Sinjin's jealousy of Dureau (once he gets beyond his stupidity regarding Bryn's pregnancy). It's good to keep a vampire who's been through 6 centuries on his toes. His humanity shines through in so many ways in The Champion. I love and admire Bryn's strength and endurance. She's a warrior, seen and been through more than anyone should have ever had to, and came out on the other end. She's not unscathed but her experiences aid her in making sure she tries to save all of the captives in Luce's camps.
The story is well-paced and flows along nicely. I enjoyed to the character development and world building. The characters are original and the story is fresh. The story and characters captivated me and kept me engaged.
I was given a copy of the book to read.