Fresh Fridays: Champion of Fate (Heromaker #1) by Kendare Blake

Fresh Fridays: On Friday, I review a brand new series (ie. only has one book released so far) to see if the series is worth keeping up with. Here is this week’s offering:

Heromaker Series

Other books planned to be in the series:

Synopsis for Champion of Fate (from Goodreads):

Behind every great hero is an Aristene.

Aristene are mythical female warriors, part of a legendary order. Though heroes might be immortalized in stories, it’s the Aristene who guide them to victory. They are the Heromakers.

Ever since she was an orphan taken in by the order, Reed has wanted to be an Aristene. Now, as an initiate, just one challenge stands in her way: she must shepherd her first hero to glory on the battlefield. Succeed, and Reed will take her place beside her sisters. Fail, and she’ll be cast from the only home she’s ever known.

Nothing is going to stop Reed–until she meets her hero. Hestion is fiery and infuriating, but what begins as an alliance becomes more, and as secrets of the order come to light Reed begins to understand what becoming an Aristene may truly cost. Battle looming, she must choose: the order and the life she had planned, or Hestion, and the one she never expected.

Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Heromaker
# of Books: 2 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: No
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Action, Romance
Heat Rating: warm
Point of View: Third Person, Multiple
Publication Date: September 2023 – ongoing
Source & Format: Public Library–Audiobook

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I would say overall I am a little hit-and-miss with Kendare Blake’s books. I didn’t particularly enjoy Anna Dressed in Red (but horror isn’t my thing) but I’ve enjoyed her Three Dark Crowns Series (high fantasy & court politics). This sounded like it would be more action based with a forbidden romance to add to it all so I was excited to give it a try.

What I Liked:

–Fierce Females–

I immediately conjured ideas of Wonder Woman and the Amazons when I read the synopsis. Strong females who save the world behind the scenes and don’t always take credit for their impact. I loved the whole idea of the society Reed is adopted into and the idea of her grand role in the world.

–Politics of the World–

I enjoyed the politics of the world and the war games at play. Once they got started and became more entwined in the plot, that’s when things picked up for me and I started to enjoy the story.

What I Didn’t Like:

–Romance–

One of the things I was looking forward to the most was the forbidden romance and I think it was what disappointed me the most. I just did not see the chemistry between these two; and it felt to me like a quick switch happened for Reed and her feelings. I know logically things are more layered on Reed’s end given her role but I wasn’t sold. I want lots of tension and longing and it just wasn’t there for me.

–Slowwwwww Start–

I would say that the crux of the synopsis doesn’t start to happen until the 60% mark. It’s a lot of world building, Reed character building and meh romance moments. While it helps establish the narrative, I just craved more excitement.

My Audiobook Experience:

This was an easy listen. I honestly think I would have DNF’d this book had I picked up the hardcover instead of the audiobook. I didn’t realize how far into it I was when I started to question how slow it felt. (For reference: I listen to my audiobooks at 1.75X so things don’t feel as long)

My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:

The last third of Champion of Fate (#1) was great and what I expected this story to be. I have no idea what is going to happen next so I’m curious to see.

My Rating: 3/5

Champion of Fate 3/5 | Warrior of Legend TBP

While I enjoyed this at the end, I likely would have DNF’d this had I read the paperback of this book. I’m curious about what the next installment will be and will likely give it a shot before I make a final verdict.

Read if You Like: strong female focuses stories
Avoid if You: want quicker action