What do you think?
Rate this book
Age of the Andinna #6
The Champion's Ruin
Pride comes before the fall.
Riding the high of the victories their rebellion had been able to claim early in their campaign against the tyranny and oppression of the Empire, the Andinna stand tall. They find reasons to celebrate with every won skirmish, every freed slave, and every reunion with their friends from Olost. Mave stands at the top beside her king, her friend, and her brother, Alchan Andini, as they claim each of those victories. Supporting them, the full force and power of the Ivory Shadows, helping lead the Andinna to freedom. Her husbands, their extended families, their community, a band of warriors brought together in the most terrible of times. A band of warriors who will stop at nothing to see freedom before their lifetimes are over.
But Shadra has joined the fray now. A thousand years before, a cunning noble woman knew how to cut to the heart of the Andinna and bring them to their knees. Her generals and admirals are floundering. Her son and heir is dead. There are traitors and spies in her midst. But she is Empress Shadra of the Elvasi Empire and she has defeated the warrior Andinna people before. She is resolved to do it again.
Pride comes before the fall.
And when one can fly, that fall can be a very long way down.
The Champion’s Ruin is a 155,000+ words, full-length novel.
Age of the Andinna is a reverse harem epic fantasy series. The female lead will collect her lovers as the series progresses.
There is triggering content in this series including but not limited to: abuse, violence, mature language, and sexual content. It’s recommended for mature audiences.
Riding the high of the victories their rebellion had been able to claim early in their campaign against the tyranny and oppression of the Empire, the Andinna stand tall. They find reasons to celebrate with every won skirmish, every freed slave, and every reunion with their friends from Olost. Mave stands at the top beside her king, her friend, and her brother, Alchan Andini, as they claim each of those victories. Supporting them, the full force and power of the Ivory Shadows, helping lead the Andinna to freedom. Her husbands, their extended families, their community, a band of warriors brought together in the most terrible of times. A band of warriors who will stop at nothing to see freedom before their lifetimes are over.
But Shadra has joined the fray now. A thousand years before, a cunning noble woman knew how to cut to the heart of the Andinna and bring them to their knees. Her generals and admirals are floundering. Her son and heir is dead. There are traitors and spies in her midst. But she is Empress Shadra of the Elvasi Empire and she has defeated the warrior Andinna people before. She is resolved to do it again.
Pride comes before the fall.
And when one can fly, that fall can be a very long way down.
The Champion’s Ruin is a 155,000+ words, full-length novel.
Age of the Andinna is a reverse harem epic fantasy series. The female lead will collect her lovers as the series progresses.
There is triggering content in this series including but not limited to: abuse, violence, mature language, and sexual content. It’s recommended for mature audiences.
530 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 24, 2020
157 people are currently reading
436 people want to read
About the author
Kristen Banet
27 books1,391 followersKristen Banet has a Diet Coke problem and smokes too much. She curses like a sailor (though, she used to be one, so she uses that as an excuse) and finds that many people don’t know how to handle that. She loves to read, and before finally sitting to try her hand at writing, she had your normal kind of work history. From tattoo parlors, to the U.S. Navy, and freelance illustration, she’s stumbled through her adult years and somehow, is still kicking.
She loves to read books that make people cry. She likes to write books that make people cry (and she wants to hear about it). She’s a firm believer that nothing and no one in this world is perfect, and she enjoys exploring those imperfections—trying to make the characters seem real on the page and not just in her head.
She might just be crazy, though. Her characters think so, but this can’t be confirmed.
Check out her social media to catch what's going on in the worlds inside her head. She drops teasers, new covers, and opens ARC reader slots through her Facebook group, The Banet Pride.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/kristenbanet...
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBa...
She loves to read books that make people cry. She likes to write books that make people cry (and she wants to hear about it). She’s a firm believer that nothing and no one in this world is perfect, and she enjoys exploring those imperfections—trying to make the characters seem real on the page and not just in her head.
She might just be crazy, though. Her characters think so, but this can’t be confirmed.
Check out her social media to catch what's going on in the worlds inside her head. She drops teasers, new covers, and opens ARC reader slots through her Facebook group, The Banet Pride.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/kristenbanet...
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBa...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
December 10, 2020
I have so many thoughts. Spoilers will be found in the review.
Surprisingly, this book went in the complete opposite direction than I thought it would go.
First:
The first half of this book was like a soap drama. Drama, drama, everywhere. The Andinna THINK they are winning and they are relaxed. It’s a joyous time in which people worry about things like relationships and what not.
Emerian and Trevan I believe will be the last of Mave’s harem, giving her a total of freakin 6 males. Wowwwza. My favorites are Bryn and Zayden. And I’ll be happy to see Emerian and Trevan join the family.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT??
Fucking Lillian.
NO RAIN, I don’t want her for Alchan.
Ughhhhh.
It’s supposed to be just Rain + Alchan. I am not accepting Lillian so easily. And her tiny voice and acting scared all the time just annoys the shit out of me. Noo, no, no. Please undo this.
Second:
The deaths.
I did not foresee Kristen just going on a killing spree in the second half of the book but here we are.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? How did they not see that it was LEAREN? The freakin’ bottles?? I mean cmon. Poor Dave paid for everyone’s lack of intuition.
The moment Bryn thought there was a spy, I thought to myself: it’s Learen.
Guess who was right?
Poor Senri for losing her husband, who will never get to see his other child.
And Dave, our sweet Dave. *cries river*
The only positive in this book was Varon getting his voice back, and Alchan and Mave getting to be Avatars.
Again, this book went in a completely different direction than I foresaw, but we are blessed with another book so I am not upset, even if we have to wait til April.
As more thoughts come to me, I’ll add to this review.
Edit: I think I made it sound like I didn’t like this installment. That’s not the case, I was surprised, sometimes pleasantly, and then just thrown off my chair when some shit hit the fan.
IT WAS STILL A GREAT BOOK.
Surprisingly, this book went in the complete opposite direction than I thought it would go.
First:
The first half of this book was like a soap drama. Drama, drama, everywhere. The Andinna THINK they are winning and they are relaxed. It’s a joyous time in which people worry about things like relationships and what not.
Emerian and Trevan I believe will be the last of Mave’s harem, giving her a total of freakin 6 males. Wowwwza. My favorites are Bryn and Zayden. And I’ll be happy to see Emerian and Trevan join the family.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT??
Fucking Lillian.
NO RAIN, I don’t want her for Alchan.
Ughhhhh.
It’s supposed to be just Rain + Alchan. I am not accepting Lillian so easily. And her tiny voice and acting scared all the time just annoys the shit out of me. Noo, no, no. Please undo this.
Second:
The deaths.
I did not foresee Kristen just going on a killing spree in the second half of the book but here we are.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? How did they not see that it was LEAREN? The freakin’ bottles?? I mean cmon. Poor Dave paid for everyone’s lack of intuition.
The moment Bryn thought there was a spy, I thought to myself: it’s Learen.
Guess who was right?
Poor Senri for losing her husband, who will never get to see his other child.
And Dave, our sweet Dave. *cries river*
The only positive in this book was Varon getting his voice back, and Alchan and Mave getting to be Avatars.
Again, this book went in a completely different direction than I foresaw, but we are blessed with another book so I am not upset, even if we have to wait til April.
As more thoughts come to me, I’ll add to this review.
Edit: I think I made it sound like I didn’t like this installment. That’s not the case, I was surprised, sometimes pleasantly, and then just thrown off my chair when some shit hit the fan.
IT WAS STILL A GREAT BOOK.
December 15, 2020
Awful, the last book isn't out yet. But I can't wait to get my hands on it!
There have been so many ups and downs in the series, I've loved it and I'll definitely miss it!
Cheers, author, for this amazing series!
There have been so many ups and downs in the series, I've loved it and I'll definitely miss it!
Cheers, author, for this amazing series!
February 10, 2021
SPOILERS BELOW - BEWARE
I liked this book significantly more than the last one. We get to see more of everyone as page time is more evenly split, which I was grateful for. We also start to see the culmination of multiple plot arcs that have been building over the course of the series. It was both satisfying and heart wrenching, not gonna lie. I gobbled this down in a day because I couldn’t stop reading it — hence the 5 stars.
Some things I loved:
Mat, one of my fav characters, got a blood bond. ❤️ I didn’t realize you could have more than one, honestly, so that was a pleasant surprise. He is such a good person and anchor for Mave that I’m so happy he got one.
More action! Oh god, do things start to go to hell in this book as almost everything starts to go wrong in the missions. And very few get out unscathed. We really see the horror of war here, the heartbreak and trauma. The stakes have risen as the darkest hours descend.
I pretty much guessed who the spy/traitor was going to be all the way back in book 2 (I was waiting for him to show up again lol), so anytime he was around I was like noooo, someone realize it’s him!!! He’s killing everyone!! 😭😭😭 Considering all the people who are supposed to be trained as spies, you would think someone would have figured out the common denominator with the wine bottles etc.? Like, come on! lol
I really enjoy the dynamic between Alchan and Mave. Like, the character development since book 1! Damn. Amazing. Loved it. I started off disliking Alchan in book 1, but he is such a nuanced character and he really does have a caring, honorable core. He has grown on me so much, and I love how he and Mave have grown closer despite their initial differences. They have a great sibling bond, and they care about each other so much, like when Mave returned from her disastrous mission or when she challenged him about the avatar. They had some of the best moments in the book. I enjoyed the parallel moments between them as well. I can’t wait for them to kick some Elvasi butt in the last book.
More moments between the Mayara. I always wish for more of these because I love all those characters so much, and this book gave us more of what was missing from earlier. Still wish there was a bit more romance, but at least I got to see them.
Can we talk about how amazing Luykas is? He’s one of my favs in the group along with Mat. Even though he butts heads with Mave and makes mistakes (hooray for imperfect, realistic characters), he’s such a caretaker. Trevan and Emerian are still somewhat outsiders, and Luykas is a large part of why they really become part of Andinna culture. He’s such a great older brother/mentor figure. Loved it.
Trevan. MY BOY GOT TATUA AND THE EYES. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ That made me so damn happy. He’s such a good soul. Now I’m going to be greedy and hope he gets wings! 😬
Also Rain. He still has such a loving heart after all the shit he’s been through. Just like with Mave in book 1, he sees someone alone and goes “um no, you’re not allowed to be alone. I’ll be your family.” with Lily. There aren’t as many people like that in the world as there should be, and I appreciate how he still maintains that characteristic despite everything.
Varon and his voice. ❤️
Seanev - another really complex character. We get to see a version of domestic abuse in his relationship where Leria abuses the blood blond to dominate his will and control his actions. His talk with Alchan about how he couldn’t really think about anything but her when he was around her, and how he could finally be himself and breathe when he was away really resonated with me. She’s a powerful public figure who is mostly well liked, and he was stripped of his power and will, and was in a difficult position to try to break away from her because their system is broken and he lacks the normal support networks. It’s a similar story to what we hear in real life, but through a fantasy lens and with a male character rather than a female character. I appreciated that the author took time to include this arc like she did with male rape/sexual assault. Those things happen to men too, and I think it’s important to talk about it. I look forward to him fully getting away from her in the last book and find himself. I hope we get to see him find some happiness by the end.
If you can’t tell, my fav things are character based. They are always the heart of a good story for me, and that’s no exception here.
Cons:
Lily. Ok, I don’t hate Lily. I’m actually very interested in her plot arc, and I appreciate how the author is looking at the “outsider” character types for both males and females in this culture through both Alchan (the bedru) and Lily (the ahren). Right now, I’m not the biggest fan of how afraid and timid she is, but I’m guessing that’s part of the point. She’s conflated submissiveness with no backbone, which Rain points out in his POV. She doesn’t HAVE to be afraid of everything; she just needs to find her own sense of power. I’m thinking that the author is laying the groundwork for her own growth in the next book. While it’s obvious she’s another match for Alchan, I don’t think her only significance will be to help fix the heir problem. I have more faith in Banet than that. Just like Rain found his power again, I think we’ll see the same with Lily. On a side note, I do appreciate having a character that isn’t just another warrior but more ... I guess “traditionally” feminine. She’s got the traits of being gentle, caring, a giver, and she likes making clothes. I like it when authors show that women can have a range of personalities and things they enjoy and that’s ok. Lily doesn’t have to be a warrior to be “strong,” so I’m hoping that arc will be realized in the last book.
Emerian grew on me a bit, but he’s still rather ...meh compared to the others. There still isn’t that strong of a connection between him and Mave, and some of that stems from his lack of page time with her over the course of the series. As an individual I liked his growth, but the relationship aspect is lacking. I felt so terrible for him with the eye, but we don’t really get much of a sense of trauma from that? Like, at all, except for when he has to get rid of it after the ambush. We don’t see his POV much, so there’s a lack of a sense of loss and dealing with it etc. Maybe these aspects will develop more in book 7? I’m just not sure because book 7 is obviously supposed to focus on Trevan (finallyyyy), so I fear neither of them will get the development they deserve to make their relationships seem authentic and real.
Kian. Just 😭😭😭😭😭😭<— that was me. I was so sad and upset when he sacrificed himself. Like, I had that feeling it was coming because of the background with his son, but I just kept hoping and hoping he somehow survived and would somehow make it back after everyone and he didn’t. I just...I wanted so badly for Mave to keep both him and Senri through the end. She finally found a father and mother, and I loved his relationship especially with her so much that it felt so unfair and horrible for her to lose him. I know it’s war, I know it happens, I know that fantasy tropes include killing the parents/mentor for character growth, but...it still fell like too much. She already lost her parents and her brother. I just wanted her to be happy. Why twice? :( Agh. I want more MCs to be able to keep their parent figures rather than losing them traumatically, or at least their found parents.
I am currently upset about that bullshit where Amanora agreed to apparently take away Mave’s ability to have children because she killed so many in the Colosseum. Like, I was horrified and saw red. Even though Mave didn’t think she wanted children, at least at this point in her life especially with the fear around her fertility cycle and the rapes she experienced in the past, that ability shouldn’t be something taken away from her. The goddesses say it’s because she caused too much death and can therefore not be allowed to create life. That’s some bullshit. This poor woman did not choose to be there; she had no choice. She was enslaved as a young child, almost raped before she was even an adult and then thrown into the pits for defending herself and because the Empress is horrible, and she was just trying to survive. She never intentionally tried to hurt others; she was trying to defend herself. The kills on the sands were because she was forced to fight or die. This is just like guilting someone for holding onto their life with their fingertips in the worst of scenarios. Amanora is ok with her finding love but nothing more? Like how dare Mave survive? This is a survivor’s story and she’s trying so hard to build a happy life, and this is just...needless punishment. It made me really angry. I REALLY hope that gets addressed and fixed before the end of the story. Otherwise, this sends a horrible message.
So, uh, if you read all of that, I’m super impressed. I had a lot of rambling thoughts and feelings about this book. I’m looking forward (and dreading the end :( ) of the last book in this series. April can’t come soon enough.
I liked this book significantly more than the last one. We get to see more of everyone as page time is more evenly split, which I was grateful for. We also start to see the culmination of multiple plot arcs that have been building over the course of the series. It was both satisfying and heart wrenching, not gonna lie. I gobbled this down in a day because I couldn’t stop reading it — hence the 5 stars.
Some things I loved:
Mat, one of my fav characters, got a blood bond. ❤️ I didn’t realize you could have more than one, honestly, so that was a pleasant surprise. He is such a good person and anchor for Mave that I’m so happy he got one.
More action! Oh god, do things start to go to hell in this book as almost everything starts to go wrong in the missions. And very few get out unscathed. We really see the horror of war here, the heartbreak and trauma. The stakes have risen as the darkest hours descend.
I pretty much guessed who the spy/traitor was going to be all the way back in book 2 (I was waiting for him to show up again lol), so anytime he was around I was like noooo, someone realize it’s him!!! He’s killing everyone!! 😭😭😭 Considering all the people who are supposed to be trained as spies, you would think someone would have figured out the common denominator with the wine bottles etc.? Like, come on! lol
I really enjoy the dynamic between Alchan and Mave. Like, the character development since book 1! Damn. Amazing. Loved it. I started off disliking Alchan in book 1, but he is such a nuanced character and he really does have a caring, honorable core. He has grown on me so much, and I love how he and Mave have grown closer despite their initial differences. They have a great sibling bond, and they care about each other so much, like when Mave returned from her disastrous mission or when she challenged him about the avatar. They had some of the best moments in the book. I enjoyed the parallel moments between them as well. I can’t wait for them to kick some Elvasi butt in the last book.
More moments between the Mayara. I always wish for more of these because I love all those characters so much, and this book gave us more of what was missing from earlier. Still wish there was a bit more romance, but at least I got to see them.
Can we talk about how amazing Luykas is? He’s one of my favs in the group along with Mat. Even though he butts heads with Mave and makes mistakes (hooray for imperfect, realistic characters), he’s such a caretaker. Trevan and Emerian are still somewhat outsiders, and Luykas is a large part of why they really become part of Andinna culture. He’s such a great older brother/mentor figure. Loved it.
Trevan. MY BOY GOT TATUA AND THE EYES. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ That made me so damn happy. He’s such a good soul. Now I’m going to be greedy and hope he gets wings! 😬
Also Rain. He still has such a loving heart after all the shit he’s been through. Just like with Mave in book 1, he sees someone alone and goes “um no, you’re not allowed to be alone. I’ll be your family.” with Lily. There aren’t as many people like that in the world as there should be, and I appreciate how he still maintains that characteristic despite everything.
Varon and his voice. ❤️
Seanev - another really complex character. We get to see a version of domestic abuse in his relationship where Leria abuses the blood blond to dominate his will and control his actions. His talk with Alchan about how he couldn’t really think about anything but her when he was around her, and how he could finally be himself and breathe when he was away really resonated with me. She’s a powerful public figure who is mostly well liked, and he was stripped of his power and will, and was in a difficult position to try to break away from her because their system is broken and he lacks the normal support networks. It’s a similar story to what we hear in real life, but through a fantasy lens and with a male character rather than a female character. I appreciated that the author took time to include this arc like she did with male rape/sexual assault. Those things happen to men too, and I think it’s important to talk about it. I look forward to him fully getting away from her in the last book and find himself. I hope we get to see him find some happiness by the end.
If you can’t tell, my fav things are character based. They are always the heart of a good story for me, and that’s no exception here.
Cons:
Lily. Ok, I don’t hate Lily. I’m actually very interested in her plot arc, and I appreciate how the author is looking at the “outsider” character types for both males and females in this culture through both Alchan (the bedru) and Lily (the ahren). Right now, I’m not the biggest fan of how afraid and timid she is, but I’m guessing that’s part of the point. She’s conflated submissiveness with no backbone, which Rain points out in his POV. She doesn’t HAVE to be afraid of everything; she just needs to find her own sense of power. I’m thinking that the author is laying the groundwork for her own growth in the next book. While it’s obvious she’s another match for Alchan, I don’t think her only significance will be to help fix the heir problem. I have more faith in Banet than that. Just like Rain found his power again, I think we’ll see the same with Lily. On a side note, I do appreciate having a character that isn’t just another warrior but more ... I guess “traditionally” feminine. She’s got the traits of being gentle, caring, a giver, and she likes making clothes. I like it when authors show that women can have a range of personalities and things they enjoy and that’s ok. Lily doesn’t have to be a warrior to be “strong,” so I’m hoping that arc will be realized in the last book.
Emerian grew on me a bit, but he’s still rather ...meh compared to the others. There still isn’t that strong of a connection between him and Mave, and some of that stems from his lack of page time with her over the course of the series. As an individual I liked his growth, but the relationship aspect is lacking. I felt so terrible for him with the eye, but we don’t really get much of a sense of trauma from that? Like, at all, except for when he has to get rid of it after the ambush. We don’t see his POV much, so there’s a lack of a sense of loss and dealing with it etc. Maybe these aspects will develop more in book 7? I’m just not sure because book 7 is obviously supposed to focus on Trevan (finallyyyy), so I fear neither of them will get the development they deserve to make their relationships seem authentic and real.
Kian. Just 😭😭😭😭😭😭<— that was me. I was so sad and upset when he sacrificed himself. Like, I had that feeling it was coming because of the background with his son, but I just kept hoping and hoping he somehow survived and would somehow make it back after everyone and he didn’t. I just...I wanted so badly for Mave to keep both him and Senri through the end. She finally found a father and mother, and I loved his relationship especially with her so much that it felt so unfair and horrible for her to lose him. I know it’s war, I know it happens, I know that fantasy tropes include killing the parents/mentor for character growth, but...it still fell like too much. She already lost her parents and her brother. I just wanted her to be happy. Why twice? :( Agh. I want more MCs to be able to keep their parent figures rather than losing them traumatically, or at least their found parents.
I am currently upset about that bullshit where Amanora agreed to apparently take away Mave’s ability to have children because she killed so many in the Colosseum. Like, I was horrified and saw red. Even though Mave didn’t think she wanted children, at least at this point in her life especially with the fear around her fertility cycle and the rapes she experienced in the past, that ability shouldn’t be something taken away from her. The goddesses say it’s because she caused too much death and can therefore not be allowed to create life. That’s some bullshit. This poor woman did not choose to be there; she had no choice. She was enslaved as a young child, almost raped before she was even an adult and then thrown into the pits for defending herself and because the Empress is horrible, and she was just trying to survive. She never intentionally tried to hurt others; she was trying to defend herself. The kills on the sands were because she was forced to fight or die. This is just like guilting someone for holding onto their life with their fingertips in the worst of scenarios. Amanora is ok with her finding love but nothing more? Like how dare Mave survive? This is a survivor’s story and she’s trying so hard to build a happy life, and this is just...needless punishment. It made me really angry. I REALLY hope that gets addressed and fixed before the end of the story. Otherwise, this sends a horrible message.
So, uh, if you read all of that, I’m super impressed. I had a lot of rambling thoughts and feelings about this book. I’m looking forward (and dreading the end :( ) of the last book in this series. April can’t come soon enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2020
Pros:
Things actually happened in this book. Lol. It was slow in the beginning, but got a lot more interesting in the last quarter of the book (which bumped it up from a 3.25 star book to a 4 star book). I especially dug the whole "avatar" situation.
Cons:
I don't know if this really is a "con" for me, but as much as I like the story, character development and world building, I just wish there was more romance. It seems we get to know the men, Mave collects them, but then once they are in her harem we don't really see them interacting emotionally with each other and continuing the bond that got them there in the first place. For the love of all that's holy, WHY isn't Trevan in the harem yet? I am more emotionally invested in him than I am with any of the people she has actually bonded with TBH.
___________________________________
A pleasant surprise this is being released in November! This author needs to continue writing RH novels. She is one of the only authors that I know produces QUALITY slow-build RH (even though sometimes I feel like it drags). I feel like I have been reading a lot of not-so great RH lately which makes me appreciate this author even more, whether I like the book or not.
___________________________________
June 19, 2023
Definitely my favorite one of all of them, I’ve laughed, cried, screamed while reading this, I’m exhausted, this series is so beautiful and the writing and the way it’s crafted is just amazing. I’m speechless
Re-read 18/06/23
Re-read 18/06/23
November 25, 2020
My general rule of thumb is that if a book a.) keeps me from doing my homework despite a looming midnight deadline or b.) makes me cry, that book probably warrants 5 stars.
This book managed to do both, so here we are.
In the second-to-last book of the Age of the Andinna series, the Andinna are faltering in the war effort against Shadra, and Mave and Alchan must decide what they are willing to risk to win this war. Oh, and Emerian gets his time to shine, because why shouldn't Mave get another husband while she's at it? The more the merrier, I suppose.
The best part about this series is that the characters are always growing. Mave has to confront her grief and the darkness inside of her, and it's fascinating to watch her mentor someone else when, at the beginning of the series, she was the one being taught not so long ago. Meanwhile, Alchan really comes into his kingship, and I actually found myself liking how his relationship with Rain developed with Lily entering the mix. Beyond that, Mave fixing her relationship with Seanev was a welcome development, and the reveal of another sapphic couple was a pleasant surprise.
Also, there were some really rather traumatizing character deaths. Like, yikes. People were dropping like flies. Around the 79% mark I was about ready to throw hands because and he did not deserve what happened to him whatsoever.
But, most importantly, my boy Trevan had a little bit of an arc for himself and, as Trevan's #1 fangirl since book 1, I am all but falling over myself cackling with glee. And for all the Nevyn/Varon shippers, y'all are in for a happy development.
My only quip is that the whole thing is something of an abuse of power situation, especially cuz it happens twice and is generally frowned upon in their society, but I mean... as readers it's clear to see that the intentions are pure, and I guess they talked about it in the previous book, so... *shrug*
Book 7 is amping up to really be something marvelous. Can't believe I have to wait until April 2021 to read it :(
This book managed to do both, so here we are.
In the second-to-last book of the Age of the Andinna series, the Andinna are faltering in the war effort against Shadra, and Mave and Alchan must decide what they are willing to risk to win this war. Oh, and Emerian gets his time to shine, because why shouldn't Mave get another husband while she's at it? The more the merrier, I suppose.
The best part about this series is that the characters are always growing. Mave has to confront her grief and the darkness inside of her, and it's fascinating to watch her mentor someone else when, at the beginning of the series, she was the one being taught not so long ago. Meanwhile, Alchan really comes into his kingship, and I actually found myself liking how his relationship with Rain developed with Lily entering the mix. Beyond that, Mave fixing her relationship with Seanev was a welcome development, and the reveal of another sapphic couple was a pleasant surprise.
Also, there were some really rather traumatizing character deaths. Like, yikes. People were dropping like flies. Around the 79% mark I was about ready to throw hands because and he did not deserve what happened to him whatsoever.
But, most importantly, my boy Trevan had a little bit of an arc for himself and, as Trevan's #1 fangirl since book 1, I am all but falling over myself cackling with glee. And for all the Nevyn/Varon shippers, y'all are in for a happy development.
My only quip is that the whole thing is something of an abuse of power situation, especially cuz it happens twice and is generally frowned upon in their society, but I mean... as readers it's clear to see that the intentions are pure, and I guess they talked about it in the previous book, so... *shrug*
Book 7 is amping up to really be something marvelous. Can't believe I have to wait until April 2021 to read it :(
April 21, 2021
When I first saw the title of this novel, I'll admit... I was scared. The Champion's Ruin...... how can that not make you nervous? Mave is THE Champion, not only from the Pits but for the King and her People. Well, the title IS accurate, but not quite in the way I feared. It's a bit worse, actually. Painful and heartbreaking - but so, so worth it. I cried as I read, having to step away a time or two in order to gather myself, as I love these characters I am thoroughly invested in their journey. And what a journey it is turning out to be.
The Empress is still on the periphery, making moves and causing havoc - and the war is encroaching ever closer to the heart of all the Andinna hold dear. The next book will be the final in this long running saga, and judging by the length and breadth of the first six, not to mention all the threads that still need to be tied, it promises to be a doozy of a tome.
I have loved every single book in this series so far, but this one? It has to be my favorite. At least until April 2021, when book 7 comes out.
**I received an ARC of this novel and am thrilled to share my honest opinion**
Perspective:
Third Person, Multiple POV
Ending Type:
Cliffhanger.... sort of.
Rating:
Adult
Romantic Dynamic:
FMMMMMM
Character Age Range:
Adult
My Final Verdict on The Champion's Ruin
This book was everything I was looking for in my Epic Fantasy - with plenty of RH action to soothe my soul. Adventure, danger, determination, love, loss.... it's all here, and it's a journey worth taking.
The Empress is still on the periphery, making moves and causing havoc - and the war is encroaching ever closer to the heart of all the Andinna hold dear. The next book will be the final in this long running saga, and judging by the length and breadth of the first six, not to mention all the threads that still need to be tied, it promises to be a doozy of a tome.
I have loved every single book in this series so far, but this one? It has to be my favorite. At least until April 2021, when book 7 comes out.
**I received an ARC of this novel and am thrilled to share my honest opinion**
Perspective:
Third Person, Multiple POV
Ending Type:
Cliffhanger.... sort of.
Rating:
Adult
Romantic Dynamic:
FMMMMMM
Character Age Range:
Adult
My Final Verdict on The Champion's Ruin
This book was everything I was looking for in my Epic Fantasy - with plenty of RH action to soothe my soul. Adventure, danger, determination, love, loss.... it's all here, and it's a journey worth taking.
November 30, 2020
4 stars
This was one of the best books in the series. I absolutely loved where the author took this book. The only downfall is the previous characters keep getting forgotten. I don’t even know who Mat is anymore. I also cannot stand Lily. I don’t want her and Alchan together.
This was one of the best books in the series. I absolutely loved where the author took this book. The only downfall is the previous characters keep getting forgotten. I don’t even know who Mat is anymore. I also cannot stand Lily. I don’t want her and Alchan together.
November 28, 2020
My review in emoticons
🥺🎢🖤 😍 🥺😫💔💀🤬💔💀💔💀☠️🤬😡😭🎢🥸🧐🎢💀😞😢😮🤞😳😤🖤😍 🔥 💛😍 🔥 🎢⛰🥶🚼🤞😨😰😮💛😭🆙⛰ 🐉 🤯😜💕💞🤴 👑 🐉🥳🔚 🔥 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
& if that didn’t clear it up 🤷🏻♀️ read the book.
5 stars!! This book was crazy good! Can’t wait for the avatars debuts in April 2021.
🥺🎢🖤 😍 🥺😫💔💀🤬💔💀💔💀☠️🤬😡😭🎢🥸🧐🎢💀😞😢😮🤞😳😤🖤😍 🔥 💛😍 🔥 🎢⛰🥶🚼🤞😨😰😮💛😭🆙⛰ 🐉 🤯😜💕💞🤴 👑 🐉🥳🔚 🔥 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
& if that didn’t clear it up 🤷🏻♀️ read the book.
5 stars!! This book was crazy good! Can’t wait for the avatars debuts in April 2021.
September 17, 2022
Another great entry into the series. It's fantasy with a fairly strong romantic element but I wouldn't consider it a true romance because while the heroine falls in love and stuff, the main thrust of the story is the conflict between the two races on this planet. There are multiple characters and story lines. Characterization is well done. The major characters do change and grow. Even though there was a lot of hoo haw about gods and stuff which is generally an anathema to me I still enjoyed it. Let's see where it goes now that the gods have entered the story more strongly. Waiting anxiously for the next one.
March 4, 2025
I'm 80% through this series and I honestly don't know if I will ever finish it.
Somehow the characters and pacing just don't really appeal to me.
Ever since the original first mega villain did a switcharoo and turned face, I just don't care anymore
Somehow the characters and pacing just don't really appeal to me.
Ever since the original first mega villain did a switcharoo and turned face, I just don't care anymore
December 31, 2020
Time after time in this series I have been in awe of the way Kristen Banet puts words to page. The emotions this book brought forth in me wrecked me, put me back together, wrecked me some more, and reformed my all to human soul into an honorary Andinna soul.
So much happens in this book. Triumphs, love, defeats, love, loss, love, betrayal, justice, love, and the climactic cliffhanger. The Andinna people wormed their way into my heart a year and some change ago. Their struggles are mine, their triumphs are mine, their darkness is mine, and their light is mine.
I am truly looking forward to April when the final chapter of the Andinna story is released to us. I envision great things and an EPIC battle that brings Shadra to her knees, brings freedom to the Andinna, and gives Mave her final husband and peace at last. I also kinda hope Trevan gets his very own wings, though I know that’s a long shot. 😂
So much happens in this book. Triumphs, love, defeats, love, loss, love, betrayal, justice, love, and the climactic cliffhanger. The Andinna people wormed their way into my heart a year and some change ago. Their struggles are mine, their triumphs are mine, their darkness is mine, and their light is mine.
I am truly looking forward to April when the final chapter of the Andinna story is released to us. I envision great things and an EPIC battle that brings Shadra to her knees, brings freedom to the Andinna, and gives Mave her final husband and peace at last. I also kinda hope Trevan gets his very own wings, though I know that’s a long shot. 😂
November 25, 2020
Pros:
Things actually happened in this book. Lol. It was slow in the beginning, but got a lot more interesting in the last quarter of the book (which bumped it up from a 3.25 star book to a 4 star book). I especially dug the whole "avatar" situation.
Cons:
I don't know if this really is a "con" for me, but as much as I like the story, character development and world building, I just wish there was more romance. It seems we get to know the men, Mave collects them, but then once they are in her harem we don't really see them interacting emotionally with each other and continuing the bond that got them there in the first place. For the love of all that's holy, WHY isn't Trevan in the harem yet? I am more emotionally invested in him than I am with any of the people she has actually bonded with TBH.
Things actually happened in this book. Lol. It was slow in the beginning, but got a lot more interesting in the last quarter of the book (which bumped it up from a 3.25 star book to a 4 star book). I especially dug the whole "avatar" situation.
Cons:
I don't know if this really is a "con" for me, but as much as I like the story, character development and world building, I just wish there was more romance. It seems we get to know the men, Mave collects them, but then once they are in her harem we don't really see them interacting emotionally with each other and continuing the bond that got them there in the first place. For the love of all that's holy, WHY isn't Trevan in the harem yet? I am more emotionally invested in him than I am with any of the people she has actually bonded with TBH.
December 25, 2023
I should have known all the good luck would come to an end eventually. This book broke my heart. We lose two important characters and even though they were not her mates (one I thought would become a mate, but still) I was gutted to lose them. It was like a bubble burst and all the fire and momentum was lost all because of one traitor. Mave also does not deal well with loss though I will say I was never so mad at her as I was when she froze in the middle of a battle. When someone is sacrificing themselves, you have no time to wait, don’t let it be in vain 😡😡😡 Apparently I’m still wounded lol. Not gonna lie this series is kinda dragging along at this point and I’m ready for a conclusion. The empress needs to die and this damn world needs peace once and for all after thousands of years of war.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2025
Representation: Bisexual main characters, Gay main character, Gay supporting characters, Bisexual and non-verbal supporting character, Bisexual supporting character, Graysexual supporting character, Lesbian side character
So.freaking.good. Exceeded my expectations!
Follow Me
Blog • Instagram • Goodreads • Facebook • BlogLovin'
Safety Rating:
Possible Triggers:
Ending:
So.freaking.good. Exceeded my expectations!
Follow Me
Blog • Instagram • Goodreads • Facebook • BlogLovin'
Safety Rating:
Possible Triggers:
Ending:
August 30, 2021
KRISTEN HOW DARE YOU RIP MY HEART OUT, SHATTER IT, THEN BUILD IT BACK UP TO BURSTING IN A MATTER OF CHAPTERS????
This instalment was absolutely breathtaking and completely gut-wrenching at the same time.
After finishing the book, I was the picture of an emotional wreck; bloodshot eyes from bawling every few pages, hands gripping the bed next to me, while my face was the picture of complete awe with a touch of despair.
I can’t even explain how absolutely MONUMENTAL the changes and developments of this book are to the overall story.
Ok so we get this WEIRD prologue and after reading it a few times, I predicted it was Varon talking to Amonora and I ended up being right on the money with that; however, what I didn’t see coming was the event they were discussing, which will come to pass in this book (I’ll get to that). It was a bomb of epic proportions, I can say that.
I really was NOT IMPRESSED when miss Lilliana showed up and just immediately barged into Alchan and Rain’s life; all I have to say now is that, thankfully we get a POV from each of them otherwise I would not be comfortable with this development at all. I’m not sure what it is about her but I just felt Alchan and Rain together were perfect and I didn’t want anyone adding to that; until Rain becomes her bestie and figures out their budding attraction, before mentioning him eventually dying before Alchan… fuck Kristen, you really got me there.
I didn’t think there was anything she could have said that would have changed my mind about it but Rain loving Alchan so much and wanting him to be happy after he’s gone did it for me.
I still hate how simpering and submissive Lily is, I don’t think I’ll ever truly accept her but it’s definitely happening.
Moving on.
We find out (rather, Emerian does) that our little Elvasi Trevan is IN LOVE with Mave, a secret he has been keeping to himself for hundreds of years; not hard to believe, considering everything he sacrificed and went through for her but I have to say, it kinda hit me in the face! I was oblivious that he may love her but it now all makes total sense and finally, we know who the final harem member is (I think I predicted this on a whim in my last review too). He obviously doesn’t feel like he truly fits in and after a devastating loss to the group, Luykas (love them as besties) does him the honour of attempting the tatua on him, so he can be officially part of the Andinna. Trevan doesn’t expect to see the dragon gods but he does and they deem him worthy. It was fucking epic and when he comes out ANDINNA, with black eyes and tatua, I was fucking screaming.
Oh yes, Mave will have him once she knows.
LIVING FOR THIS.
Emerian makes some serious moves in this book.
Luykas discovers his attraction to Mave and recommends that he ask her to be her nemari. She contemplates it but decides to take him on, meaning they become quite close during all the sparring and time spent together. It isn’t until they go on a mission, him, Mave, and Kian that shit really started to hit the fucking fan.
….
KRISTEN YOU ARE TRULY CRUEL.
I have blissfully gone through the series not shedding a single tear for anyone who has died until now.
KIAN????
Are you fucking kidding me, you had to kill Kian?
Albeit, he went out in a blaze of heroic glory.
After bonding to Mave and becoming her father and Senri is expecting their other child?? Seriously????
NO.
This was too much.
I lost all composure and I’m pretty sure I dehydrated myself from the floodgates that erupted from my tear ducts.
I will never be okay without him moving forward; he was such a light and an amazing father to her.
When he said it was an honour to be her dad and she called him baba at the end, I literally felt my heart crack in two.
Physical pain in my heart, I can’t even explain how devastating.
Kian gave up his life for Mave but he also pledged Emerian with getting her out and home safe. Mave fought and they had a fucking rough journey home, with Emerian losing his eye and Mave being beaten half to death; but they made it and Mave blames herself as well as Emerian for dragging her away as Kian’s dying wish.
This really added so much drama to their growing romantic relationship but I’ll get to how that comes to a head in minute.
The Andinna are losing the war and even Kristanya has lost faith in them at this point.
It seems like all hope is lost, with so many deaths (poor Leshaun, Dave, and Vahn) and a spy in their midst (fucking Learen that piece of shit).
Then all of a sudden..
VARON REVEALS A HUGE SECRET.
I should have expected something so fucking epic from him but I was still stunned when we find out that he is in fact an Avatar for Amonora.
We didn’t even know what the fuck that was until now; and I found it so cute in the author’s notes at the end, how Kristen mentioned that this was her and Varon’s secret all along.
Very devious and sneaky of them.
So Varon he comes to Alchan with this admission, along with a crazy potential solution to help end the war with the Empire; it’s incredibly dangerous and would probably kill him..
Varon also wrote letter to Mave, beseeching her to go on the very same quest.
That is, to become the Avatar’s of Lariana (something no male Andinna has ever done) and Kristanya (who said she would never take an Avatar and never has before), respectively.
BLOODY FUCKING HELL.
I didn’t know it was possible but shit just got so much more interesting.
Alchan refuses at first, realizing what a death wish this journey would be for him and his “sister”.
They have an extremely intense and passionate conversation about the realities of their future; leading to Alchan agreeing to potentially walk both of them to their ends.
Mave and Alchan set off to become avatars, having to each face a test of unpredictable and impossible proportions to gain the power of the dragon gods.
Alchan faces down death by asking Lariana personally to be her first male avatar, in the presence of all the queens before him; his experience with her is nothing short of captivating, along with the beautifully executed speech he made to convince her why he deserves to be the first true King.
When she does grant him the power, I couldn’t believe he did it! I was so fucking moved by his passion and need to do this so that he could be worthy of Mave and his people.
Alchan stole my heart so long ago but he somehow still manages to make me love him even more with every sacrifice he makes.
Mave’s journey on the other hand had me clutching the edge of my seat with pure anxiety.
Before she leaves to climb the mountain of the dragon gods, she clears the air with Emerian and it was OH, SO DELICIOUS.
They talk about what happened with Kian and Emerian makes a point of admitting to Mave that he will always protect her because he considers her his FEMALE.
AHH SO HOT.
She does his tatua and since their nakey already, it inevitably leads to them getting down and dirty.
It was actually quite sweet (and sexy as hell) the way it all played out.
Emerian got his girl for the night but she doesn’t commit to anything knowing she may die the next day…
Her climb to the top of the mountain is gruesome.
When Kian’s spirit shows up on Al Moro Nat to guide her, I was an instant wreck again.
How many times are we going to tug on those heartstrings?? I can’t handle it.
Anyway, she makes it to the peak through the treacherous storm and is greeted by the black dragon herself.
Kristanya refuses to have an avatar and so she gives Mave the impossible task of getting one blood on the goddess of war during a spar.
The alternative is to die in battle with the goddess herself.
Mave is almost defeated, she’s on the ground with a fucking broken back, about to see the end of her days until she pulls one last move that stops it all.
By refusing to die and successfully getting a blood on Kristanya, she proves herself worthy.
She receives the power of the black dragon and when she pulls up to her husbands as a LITERAL FUCKING BLACK DRAGON WITH EYES OF COLD STEEL, I fully gasped.
I am virtually bowing down to the badass bitch who fought her way through life just to become the greatest warrior to ever live.
I NEVER saw this coming and I’m in a state of AWE.
As if that ending wasn’t enough…
This takes the fucking cake.
Varon once again sits with his goddess in his dream but this time, the two remaining dragons visit him as well; they acknowledge how he pushed Mave and Alchan onto the paths they chose in order to save their people and the reasons for which he did so. He reminded them of a very important lesson on love and to that end, they bestow on him a gift of great honour.
He wakes in bed with the love of his life and he HAS HIS FUCKING VOICE BACK.
I’m seriously getting teary just writing this now because it was absolutely perfection.
I bawled like a baby when Nevyn realized his lover could talk after thousands of years being unable to.
Varon is a true fucking beauty and he’s so majestic, I simply adore his very existence.
Kristen, queen, you have done it again.
I’m not ready to dive into the last book and leave this series behind but I simply cannot continue living without knowing how this comes to an end.
~5 shining stars
This instalment was absolutely breathtaking and completely gut-wrenching at the same time.
After finishing the book, I was the picture of an emotional wreck; bloodshot eyes from bawling every few pages, hands gripping the bed next to me, while my face was the picture of complete awe with a touch of despair.
I can’t even explain how absolutely MONUMENTAL the changes and developments of this book are to the overall story.
Ok so we get this WEIRD prologue and after reading it a few times, I predicted it was Varon talking to Amonora and I ended up being right on the money with that; however, what I didn’t see coming was the event they were discussing, which will come to pass in this book (I’ll get to that). It was a bomb of epic proportions, I can say that.
I really was NOT IMPRESSED when miss Lilliana showed up and just immediately barged into Alchan and Rain’s life; all I have to say now is that, thankfully we get a POV from each of them otherwise I would not be comfortable with this development at all. I’m not sure what it is about her but I just felt Alchan and Rain together were perfect and I didn’t want anyone adding to that; until Rain becomes her bestie and figures out their budding attraction, before mentioning him eventually dying before Alchan… fuck Kristen, you really got me there.
I didn’t think there was anything she could have said that would have changed my mind about it but Rain loving Alchan so much and wanting him to be happy after he’s gone did it for me.
I still hate how simpering and submissive Lily is, I don’t think I’ll ever truly accept her but it’s definitely happening.
Moving on.
We find out (rather, Emerian does) that our little Elvasi Trevan is IN LOVE with Mave, a secret he has been keeping to himself for hundreds of years; not hard to believe, considering everything he sacrificed and went through for her but I have to say, it kinda hit me in the face! I was oblivious that he may love her but it now all makes total sense and finally, we know who the final harem member is (I think I predicted this on a whim in my last review too). He obviously doesn’t feel like he truly fits in and after a devastating loss to the group, Luykas (love them as besties) does him the honour of attempting the tatua on him, so he can be officially part of the Andinna. Trevan doesn’t expect to see the dragon gods but he does and they deem him worthy. It was fucking epic and when he comes out ANDINNA, with black eyes and tatua, I was fucking screaming.
Oh yes, Mave will have him once she knows.
LIVING FOR THIS.
Emerian makes some serious moves in this book.
Luykas discovers his attraction to Mave and recommends that he ask her to be her nemari. She contemplates it but decides to take him on, meaning they become quite close during all the sparring and time spent together. It isn’t until they go on a mission, him, Mave, and Kian that shit really started to hit the fucking fan.
….
KRISTEN YOU ARE TRULY CRUEL.
I have blissfully gone through the series not shedding a single tear for anyone who has died until now.
KIAN????
Are you fucking kidding me, you had to kill Kian?
Albeit, he went out in a blaze of heroic glory.
After bonding to Mave and becoming her father and Senri is expecting their other child?? Seriously????
NO.
This was too much.
I lost all composure and I’m pretty sure I dehydrated myself from the floodgates that erupted from my tear ducts.
I will never be okay without him moving forward; he was such a light and an amazing father to her.
When he said it was an honour to be her dad and she called him baba at the end, I literally felt my heart crack in two.
Physical pain in my heart, I can’t even explain how devastating.
Kian gave up his life for Mave but he also pledged Emerian with getting her out and home safe. Mave fought and they had a fucking rough journey home, with Emerian losing his eye and Mave being beaten half to death; but they made it and Mave blames herself as well as Emerian for dragging her away as Kian’s dying wish.
This really added so much drama to their growing romantic relationship but I’ll get to how that comes to a head in minute.
The Andinna are losing the war and even Kristanya has lost faith in them at this point.
It seems like all hope is lost, with so many deaths (poor Leshaun, Dave, and Vahn) and a spy in their midst (fucking Learen that piece of shit).
Then all of a sudden..
VARON REVEALS A HUGE SECRET.
I should have expected something so fucking epic from him but I was still stunned when we find out that he is in fact an Avatar for Amonora.
We didn’t even know what the fuck that was until now; and I found it so cute in the author’s notes at the end, how Kristen mentioned that this was her and Varon’s secret all along.
Very devious and sneaky of them.
So Varon he comes to Alchan with this admission, along with a crazy potential solution to help end the war with the Empire; it’s incredibly dangerous and would probably kill him..
Varon also wrote letter to Mave, beseeching her to go on the very same quest.
That is, to become the Avatar’s of Lariana (something no male Andinna has ever done) and Kristanya (who said she would never take an Avatar and never has before), respectively.
BLOODY FUCKING HELL.
I didn’t know it was possible but shit just got so much more interesting.
Alchan refuses at first, realizing what a death wish this journey would be for him and his “sister”.
They have an extremely intense and passionate conversation about the realities of their future; leading to Alchan agreeing to potentially walk both of them to their ends.
Mave and Alchan set off to become avatars, having to each face a test of unpredictable and impossible proportions to gain the power of the dragon gods.
Alchan faces down death by asking Lariana personally to be her first male avatar, in the presence of all the queens before him; his experience with her is nothing short of captivating, along with the beautifully executed speech he made to convince her why he deserves to be the first true King.
When she does grant him the power, I couldn’t believe he did it! I was so fucking moved by his passion and need to do this so that he could be worthy of Mave and his people.
Alchan stole my heart so long ago but he somehow still manages to make me love him even more with every sacrifice he makes.
Mave’s journey on the other hand had me clutching the edge of my seat with pure anxiety.
Before she leaves to climb the mountain of the dragon gods, she clears the air with Emerian and it was OH, SO DELICIOUS.
They talk about what happened with Kian and Emerian makes a point of admitting to Mave that he will always protect her because he considers her his FEMALE.
AHH SO HOT.
She does his tatua and since their nakey already, it inevitably leads to them getting down and dirty.
It was actually quite sweet (and sexy as hell) the way it all played out.
Emerian got his girl for the night but she doesn’t commit to anything knowing she may die the next day…
Her climb to the top of the mountain is gruesome.
When Kian’s spirit shows up on Al Moro Nat to guide her, I was an instant wreck again.
How many times are we going to tug on those heartstrings?? I can’t handle it.
Anyway, she makes it to the peak through the treacherous storm and is greeted by the black dragon herself.
Kristanya refuses to have an avatar and so she gives Mave the impossible task of getting one blood on the goddess of war during a spar.
The alternative is to die in battle with the goddess herself.
Mave is almost defeated, she’s on the ground with a fucking broken back, about to see the end of her days until she pulls one last move that stops it all.
By refusing to die and successfully getting a blood on Kristanya, she proves herself worthy.
She receives the power of the black dragon and when she pulls up to her husbands as a LITERAL FUCKING BLACK DRAGON WITH EYES OF COLD STEEL, I fully gasped.
I am virtually bowing down to the badass bitch who fought her way through life just to become the greatest warrior to ever live.
I NEVER saw this coming and I’m in a state of AWE.
As if that ending wasn’t enough…
This takes the fucking cake.
Varon once again sits with his goddess in his dream but this time, the two remaining dragons visit him as well; they acknowledge how he pushed Mave and Alchan onto the paths they chose in order to save their people and the reasons for which he did so. He reminded them of a very important lesson on love and to that end, they bestow on him a gift of great honour.
He wakes in bed with the love of his life and he HAS HIS FUCKING VOICE BACK.
I’m seriously getting teary just writing this now because it was absolutely perfection.
I bawled like a baby when Nevyn realized his lover could talk after thousands of years being unable to.
Varon is a true fucking beauty and he’s so majestic, I simply adore his very existence.
Kristen, queen, you have done it again.
I’m not ready to dive into the last book and leave this series behind but I simply cannot continue living without knowing how this comes to an end.
~5 shining stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2023
creo que de los seis libros este es con el único con el que llore enserio :') ctm que manera de hacerme mierda wn, basta por favor yo en un minuto no podía dejar de llorar
creo que pasaron tantas cosas que me cuesta como poner todo en orden, pero sin duda una de las cosas que más me gustaron Y QUE NO ME ESPERABA, es la amistad de rain con lily
like?????
"because i love him. and one day I'm going to die centuries before any of you, and don't want him to be alone when that happens. so, i see you, and i see a chance to add someone to our family who will comfort him and love him after i'm gone"
RAIN ES LO MAS LINDO DE ESTE LIBRO, ES UN RAYO DE SOL WN no lo merecemos 😭
really, una de las mejores cosas de este libro, sobre todo porque la introducción de lily a la historia fue de todo menos suave (odio a la pareja del hermano de mave, LA ODIO) pero a pesar de todo siento que lily se full ganó mi corazón, y el de alchan😗😗😗
tbh, me encanta rain y alchan como pareja, son todo lo que está bien en este mundo, pero ver cómo alchan se fija en lily y ver que de verdad es una posibilidad que estén juntos es algo que me hace muy feliz ctm yo solo quiero que mi niño sea feliz 😭😭😭😭
la mamá de alchan en todo caso 💀 y el papá 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀 menos mal el señor ya está muerto porque les juro que esos dos son el ejemplo de que hay personas que NO TIENEN QUE SER PADRES NI MADRES
por otro lado, kian 💔💔💔💔💔💔 oh ctm kian wn mi corazón se rompió en mil pedacitos junto con el de mave, la wea más triste del libro sin duda senri no sé merecía sufrir tanto y mave tampoco
por último, toda la wea de los avatares, alchan reclamando el trono, ver a todas las reinas que lo precedieron y encontrándolo digno del poder de lariana??????? yo jamás dude de ti chiquillo, JAMÁS una de las mejores escenas
y bueno mave consiguiendo el poder de krystiana, a estas alturas ni me sorprende si alguien podía conseguirlo es ella ctm
pd: varon recuperando su voz y que la primera wea que diga es que ama a nevyn??????? YO FUI LÁGRIMAS CHIQUILLAS, LÁGRIMAS ❤️🩹
creo que pasaron tantas cosas que me cuesta como poner todo en orden, pero sin duda una de las cosas que más me gustaron Y QUE NO ME ESPERABA, es la amistad de rain con lily
like?????
"because i love him. and one day I'm going to die centuries before any of you, and don't want him to be alone when that happens. so, i see you, and i see a chance to add someone to our family who will comfort him and love him after i'm gone"
RAIN ES LO MAS LINDO DE ESTE LIBRO, ES UN RAYO DE SOL WN no lo merecemos 😭
really, una de las mejores cosas de este libro, sobre todo porque la introducción de lily a la historia fue de todo menos suave (odio a la pareja del hermano de mave, LA ODIO) pero a pesar de todo siento que lily se full ganó mi corazón, y el de alchan😗😗😗
tbh, me encanta rain y alchan como pareja, son todo lo que está bien en este mundo, pero ver cómo alchan se fija en lily y ver que de verdad es una posibilidad que estén juntos es algo que me hace muy feliz ctm yo solo quiero que mi niño sea feliz 😭😭😭😭
la mamá de alchan en todo caso 💀 y el papá 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀 menos mal el señor ya está muerto porque les juro que esos dos son el ejemplo de que hay personas que NO TIENEN QUE SER PADRES NI MADRES
por otro lado, kian 💔💔💔💔💔💔 oh ctm kian wn mi corazón se rompió en mil pedacitos junto con el de mave, la wea más triste del libro sin duda senri no sé merecía sufrir tanto y mave tampoco
por último, toda la wea de los avatares, alchan reclamando el trono, ver a todas las reinas que lo precedieron y encontrándolo digno del poder de lariana??????? yo jamás dude de ti chiquillo, JAMÁS una de las mejores escenas
y bueno mave consiguiendo el poder de krystiana, a estas alturas ni me sorprende si alguien podía conseguirlo es ella ctm
pd: varon recuperando su voz y que la primera wea que diga es que ama a nevyn??????? YO FUI LÁGRIMAS CHIQUILLAS, LÁGRIMAS ❤️🩹
March 4, 2024
NO ES UNA RESEÑA‼️ es solo mi resumen del libro para no olvidarlo
Simplemente no puede serrrr
Osea esta mujer se vino aguantando 6 libros para decirnos que el sacerdote era el puto avatar de una diosa????
Era obvio también que el sin mano los iba a re cagar, pero he de decir que tenía esperanzas en que Kenav también hiciera algo que lo llevara a sufrir una muerte dolorosa y lenta.
Por otro lado, Mave y el rey??? Esaaa mis avatares nuevossss!!!
Y también ya vemos al rey creando futura dependencia la próxima primavera 😏😏
Lo que si como llore con la muerte del padre de Mave, a moco tendido aparte. Matar al tío de Mat fue triste pero lo veo necesario para descubrir al traidor.
Ahora la muerte de Dave? Era humano bo, dejalo unos años más que me matas al pobre Trevan. Que de paso sea dicho... uffff Trevan, ya está sos parte de Anden. Podes declarartele a Mave de una vez por todas?
Ah también, la muerte del pájaro ese?😭
De momento lo último que me acuerdo. Mave infertil supongo que duele pero tampoco lo veo tan destrozante (? Sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que ahora se puede convertir en un puto dragón la verdad, no me parece un mal precio a pagar para nada
10/5⭐️
Simplemente no puede serrrr
Osea esta mujer se vino aguantando 6 libros para decirnos que el sacerdote era el puto avatar de una diosa????
Era obvio también que el sin mano los iba a re cagar, pero he de decir que tenía esperanzas en que Kenav también hiciera algo que lo llevara a sufrir una muerte dolorosa y lenta.
Por otro lado, Mave y el rey??? Esaaa mis avatares nuevossss!!!
Y también ya vemos al rey creando futura dependencia la próxima primavera 😏😏
Lo que si como llore con la muerte del padre de Mave, a moco tendido aparte. Matar al tío de Mat fue triste pero lo veo necesario para descubrir al traidor.
Ahora la muerte de Dave? Era humano bo, dejalo unos años más que me matas al pobre Trevan. Que de paso sea dicho... uffff Trevan, ya está sos parte de Anden. Podes declarartele a Mave de una vez por todas?
Ah también, la muerte del pájaro ese?😭
De momento lo último que me acuerdo. Mave infertil supongo que duele pero tampoco lo veo tan destrozante (? Sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que ahora se puede convertir en un puto dragón la verdad, no me parece un mal precio a pagar para nada
10/5⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2023
I absolutely loved this series. It had a lot of things that reminded me of Rise of the Iliri which was another favorite of mine.
The main characters were just developed so well. None of them were perfect and their flaws made them so lovable. I was also pleasantly surprised with the epilogue (I'm a sucker for them).
The main characters were just developed so well. None of them were perfect and their flaws made them so lovable. I was also pleasantly surprised with the epilogue (I'm a sucker for them).
June 1, 2021
My TEARS. I cried so many times while reading this one.
June 1, 2021
I loved it, even though part of it broke my heart.
December 6, 2024
4 ⭐️
I’m stressed
I’m stressed
March 13, 2025
WHEW this series!!!!!!! The build up, the tension, the twists and turns. Don’t get me wrong I cried like a baby when a certain scene happened, I know I am in for an even wild in the final chapter of this series. 5/5 stars no question.
June 5, 2021
Uhhhhh this book messed me up not once but TWICE I got misty eyed. Wtf Banet, it hurts so freaking good.
November 25, 2020
April Is so far away
October 24, 2020
Be prepared to cry. And that's all I'm going to say about that.
April 9, 2024
Rating: 3.75 Stars
“There’s balance in all things. Light cannot exist without darkness to purge with its power. But not even light can get rid of all the darkness.”
I almost didn’t read this book due to the amount of reviews warning about major-character deaths. Banet waited until the second to last book to kill off important characters—that’s right, characters, as in plural, as in not just one. I can see why she decided to wait this long—allow readers the time to become emotionally invested and attached to the characters—but it felt like a betrayal.
Death #1
Death #2
Death #3
The Spy
Title: The Champion’s Ruin (Age of the Andinna #6)
POV(s): Multiple—Third Person
Interconnected Series: Yes
Standalone: No
Cliffhanger: Yes
Series HEA:
Relationship: Reverse Harem & MMF
Genre(s): Epic Fantasy, Romance
Triggers: Yes
November 21, 2020
I just cannot say enough good things about this series..OMG..Each new book, you feel like, ... well it cannot get any better..and then Wham! Kristen does it yet again!
The latest book, #6 The Champions Ruin, is a definite roller coaster ride of intrigue, excitement and hella feels!!! There is so much going on, and Kristen has quite a talent of keeping all the side stories moving along. How she does it is amazing, and definitely shows her talent for writing . The way she is able to weave all the characters and their own stories into this book is truly inspiring. As a reader, it amazes me how well she keeps all the story lines relative, keeps us updated, and makes it feel as if every character is important.
Most books, the Main story is the focus, and other than a few supporting characters, you just follow along with the MC. However Kristen is able to maintain it all. You do not just feel like all the additional characters are "Fillers" but she makes you get to know them, know their history, feel their importance in the story and still feel how they are relative and relate to Mave and the goals of all the Andinna. You cannot help but invest in all the characters and feel for what they are going through.
This is an epic fantasy at it's finest!! The saga continues, and gets better and better. Mave has come so far. You cannot help but cheer for her and the Andinna. They are the underdogs, seeking victory freedom, and peace, from a cruel and vicious Queen. At some points, you can feel the triumph, as well as the heartache of the defeat. This book brings love, loss, betrayal and growth. The world building, as well as the characters are extremely well developed. Kristen Banet puts you right there, experiencing the journey with them.
You are experiencing the journey, but then BAM!! Kristen adds a "Blow your Damn Mind" ending!!! Whew, I cannot wait to see where she takes us now!! ..and how is she going to go on with these phenomenal new twists and do it all in just one more book? I feel like they can lead to at least another 2-3 books!!
I realize that I am being very vague on this review, but there were just so much happening, heartaches, triumphs, loss, betrayal, love, new gifts, knowledge and so much more, that I don't dare be anything other than vague, because the awesome specifics, all lead to spoilers!
Kristen Banet and her series, The age of the Adinna is such a phenomenal read!! This story could become a classic, to be treasured and read for generations. Her writing is amazing, the way she weaves everyone and everything together into a cohesive, intricate story line is true talent.
This series is a must read. I recommend this book and entire series to everyone! From the very first book, Age of The Andinna Volume 1, to the current volume, Book 6 The Champions Ruin!!
The latest book, #6 The Champions Ruin, is a definite roller coaster ride of intrigue, excitement and hella feels!!! There is so much going on, and Kristen has quite a talent of keeping all the side stories moving along. How she does it is amazing, and definitely shows her talent for writing . The way she is able to weave all the characters and their own stories into this book is truly inspiring. As a reader, it amazes me how well she keeps all the story lines relative, keeps us updated, and makes it feel as if every character is important.
Most books, the Main story is the focus, and other than a few supporting characters, you just follow along with the MC. However Kristen is able to maintain it all. You do not just feel like all the additional characters are "Fillers" but she makes you get to know them, know their history, feel their importance in the story and still feel how they are relative and relate to Mave and the goals of all the Andinna. You cannot help but invest in all the characters and feel for what they are going through.
This is an epic fantasy at it's finest!! The saga continues, and gets better and better. Mave has come so far. You cannot help but cheer for her and the Andinna. They are the underdogs, seeking victory freedom, and peace, from a cruel and vicious Queen. At some points, you can feel the triumph, as well as the heartache of the defeat. This book brings love, loss, betrayal and growth. The world building, as well as the characters are extremely well developed. Kristen Banet puts you right there, experiencing the journey with them.
You are experiencing the journey, but then BAM!! Kristen adds a "Blow your Damn Mind" ending!!! Whew, I cannot wait to see where she takes us now!! ..and how is she going to go on with these phenomenal new twists and do it all in just one more book? I feel like they can lead to at least another 2-3 books!!
I realize that I am being very vague on this review, but there were just so much happening, heartaches, triumphs, loss, betrayal, love, new gifts, knowledge and so much more, that I don't dare be anything other than vague, because the awesome specifics, all lead to spoilers!
Kristen Banet and her series, The age of the Adinna is such a phenomenal read!! This story could become a classic, to be treasured and read for generations. Her writing is amazing, the way she weaves everyone and everything together into a cohesive, intricate story line is true talent.
This series is a must read. I recommend this book and entire series to everyone! From the very first book, Age of The Andinna Volume 1, to the current volume, Book 6 The Champions Ruin!!
January 5, 2021
I don't even know where to start.
I guess I'll begin by saying I'm both happy that I finally finished book 6. Happy because I started this series a week ago and have been so invested that getting work done has been a struggle. Also happy because this series continues to be amazing. The character development is great, as always, and the action never disappoints.
I will say that Liliana has yet to grow on me and I'm praying something happens early on in the next book to change my opinion of her. In a series where every character has been strong, including Dave (who doesn't even bat an eyelash at Alchan's dominance) and Nyria (who plays her mother like a fiddle), Lily doesn't work for me. I get that .
I'm also devastated that I finally finished book 6 because this installment had multiple gut-wrenching moments (cue me bawling while I should have been working). I'm also pretty upset that I've got four more months to go until the final book. I debated waiting until it was out to start reading this series because I know how I am about waiting for books to come out, but I wanted something to suck me in during the last week of my break from work -- it just happened to spill over into my first day back.
Ultimately, it was the right move to read while I had the time because these are pretty lengthy books and I found myself unable to put them down (except for when I had familial obligations or to go to my side-gig), which meant I was reading until the wee hours of the morning and that wouldn't have worked well if I also had to work my full-time job. I'm thinking about using PTO for release day of book 7 (is that doing too much?).
I guess I'll begin by saying I'm both happy that I finally finished book 6. Happy because I started this series a week ago and have been so invested that getting work done has been a struggle. Also happy because this series continues to be amazing. The character development is great, as always, and the action never disappoints.
I will say that Liliana has yet to grow on me and I'm praying something happens early on in the next book to change my opinion of her. In a series where every character has been strong, including Dave (who doesn't even bat an eyelash at Alchan's dominance) and Nyria (who plays her mother like a fiddle), Lily doesn't work for me. I get that .
I'm also devastated that I finally finished book 6 because this installment had multiple gut-wrenching moments (cue me bawling while I should have been working). I'm also pretty upset that I've got four more months to go until the final book. I debated waiting until it was out to start reading this series because I know how I am about waiting for books to come out, but I wanted something to suck me in during the last week of my break from work -- it just happened to spill over into my first day back.
Ultimately, it was the right move to read while I had the time because these are pretty lengthy books and I found myself unable to put them down (except for when I had familial obligations or to go to my side-gig), which meant I was reading until the wee hours of the morning and that wouldn't have worked well if I also had to work my full-time job. I'm thinking about using PTO for release day of book 7 (is that doing too much?).
August 14, 2021
Getting Closer to Freedom for the Andinna
*****Spoilers*****
Mave and Alchan together in this one rise for the Andinna. Influenced by Varon after the traitor Learen helps the Empress get the drop on several Andinna raids as well as orchestrating the poisoning of wine sent to the Andinna from Kerit, the Andinna are headed to a loss in the war. To prevent the destruction of the Andinna, both Mave and Alchan go on a quest to request to be an Avatar from the goddesses. Alchan of Lariana, the goddess who has never allowed a male to become one for her and Mave of Kristanya, a goddess who has never had an Avatar. Using the power of the gods is the only way they see to potentially win the war against the Empire.
Trevan and Emerian get tatua in this book with Luykas doing it for Trevan even though he's Elvasi and Mave for Emerian. Emerian, now changed after a failed mission where Kian died to save Mave is now the warrior Andinna in every way though he lost an eye in the process. Dave was also killed and so was Leshaun due to Learen's beef. I never thought it was a good idea to spread the trust so quickly when the Andinna began to increase, unfortunately the consequences were great. Alchan may finally have a female with which to have children, though it disgusted him at the time, he wants the submissive female that Leria sent. Speaking of which, Seneav, Mave's brother wrote a letter to his bondmate Leria to let her know he was leaving her. Terrible timing I think with everything else and he also lost a hand in his failed mission along with almost 900 Andinna.
We've not heard much from Luykas's sister in this one but get an undercurrent of worry for her following the use of the spell that she used to kill her father Lord Fenoth in a prior book. Hopefully she has a good ending because the rebellion could not be without her aid.
*****Spoilers*****
Mave and Alchan together in this one rise for the Andinna. Influenced by Varon after the traitor Learen helps the Empress get the drop on several Andinna raids as well as orchestrating the poisoning of wine sent to the Andinna from Kerit, the Andinna are headed to a loss in the war. To prevent the destruction of the Andinna, both Mave and Alchan go on a quest to request to be an Avatar from the goddesses. Alchan of Lariana, the goddess who has never allowed a male to become one for her and Mave of Kristanya, a goddess who has never had an Avatar. Using the power of the gods is the only way they see to potentially win the war against the Empire.
Trevan and Emerian get tatua in this book with Luykas doing it for Trevan even though he's Elvasi and Mave for Emerian. Emerian, now changed after a failed mission where Kian died to save Mave is now the warrior Andinna in every way though he lost an eye in the process. Dave was also killed and so was Leshaun due to Learen's beef. I never thought it was a good idea to spread the trust so quickly when the Andinna began to increase, unfortunately the consequences were great. Alchan may finally have a female with which to have children, though it disgusted him at the time, he wants the submissive female that Leria sent. Speaking of which, Seneav, Mave's brother wrote a letter to his bondmate Leria to let her know he was leaving her. Terrible timing I think with everything else and he also lost a hand in his failed mission along with almost 900 Andinna.
We've not heard much from Luykas's sister in this one but get an undercurrent of worry for her following the use of the spell that she used to kill her father Lord Fenoth in a prior book. Hopefully she has a good ending because the rebellion could not be without her aid.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews