Champion of the Rose

Mar 19, 2013 Wealhtheow rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Robin McKinley, Patricia McKillip, Kari Sperring, or Sherwood Smith

Recommended to Wealhtheow by: Sherwood Smith

Shelves: fantasy, disabled-character, queer-characters, mannerpunk

Soren's position at the Darest court is a joke. She was proclaimed Champion of the Rose, the protector of the Rathen kings--but there have been no Rathen kings in Darest for two hundred years. Her status as ignored non-entity abruptly changes when a blooming rose appears in the palace's magical garden, signaling the birth of a Rathen heir. Soren knows that the regents of Darest will do anything to maintain their position, and she needs to get to the heir before their agents do. (view spoiler)...more Soren's position at the Darest court is a joke. She was proclaimed Champion of the Rose, the protector of the Rathen kings--but there have been no Rathen kings in Darest for two hundred years. Her status as ignored non-entity abruptly changes when a blooming rose appears in the palace's magical garden, signaling the birth of a Rathen heir. Soren knows that the regents of Darest will do anything to maintain their position, and she needs to get to the heir before their agents do. (view spoiler) Because the myths are right--only Rathen rule can avert the terrible doom that afflicts all of Darest.

Soren and (view spoiler)[Strake have an uneasy relationship, made harder by the Rose that twines through them. The first Rathen ruler created the Rose as a protection for the Rathens that would follow, but over the centuries it has gradually transformed from tool into something almost sentient. To protect the Rathen bloodline, it mind-controls Strake and Soren into sex, leaving her pregnant and each of them deeply traumatized and bitter about the other. The rape is utterly without details (in fact, I didn't realize what had happened until several pages later), but the characters deal with the emotional and physical aftereffects for the rest of the novel.

The Rose has other powers, too. With its magic, Soren is the only human who can sense the physical presence of the doom that stalks Darest. She, Strake, and the former regent's heir Aristide, work to halt Darest's decline and forstall the lethal magic that seeks Strake's death. They are beset with intrigue from neighboring countries and internal jockeying for power.

I liked Soren, although I wished I had a harder handle on her characterization. I think the trouble is that I'm used to characters falling into a category: scholarly, battle-hungry, fascinated by magic, family-oriented. Soren isn't particularly bookish, doesn't have combat training or inclination, can't do magic...mostly she rides her horse, works, and worries about Strake. Her internal workings are clear to the reader, but her outward seeming remained a bit opaque. Strake is pretty straightforward: smart, a bit snarly, dealing with a great deal of shock and trauma. Their romance comes kinda out of no-where, and was the only thing I didn't like about the book. The minor characters have charm and verve of their own--I was an avowed fan of Aspen from the very first. Aristide is the character I was most drawn to. He's so self-contained and perfect that the court calls him the Diamond, and stories of how he deals with those who cross him are legendary. At the start of the story I assumed he would be the villain, but his role is far more interesting. (hide spoiler)]

I really loved the magic in this book. It has a sort of dream-logic to it, and has an understated power, the kind where you only realize how impossible something is when you glance at it a second time. There's one scene, when Soren meets the fairy queen, that was particularly astounding. And I really liked that the story deals with the dark sides to ordained rule and magical tools in a really thoughtful manner.

Oh! And I nearly forgot to mention, because it's so casual and unremarked, that this is a completely queer universe. Everyone has lovers of either sex (although some people seem to have preferences) without it even needing a name, triads are as legal a relationship as couples, and both genders are perfectly equal in status and in roles. Love it!

The first five chapters are available to sample on goodreads or the author's website, but beware: they so intrigued me that I bought this book, and I am so frugal I buy a book once every five years. It is quickly, dangerously, enthralling. (less)

8 likes · like · see review

Sep 12, 2012 Estara rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: friends of fae, fantasy of manners and intrigues

Recommended to Estara by: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/03/book-review-champion-of-the-rose-by-andrea-k-host.html

Shelves: ebook, read-in-2011, re-read, read-in-2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really enjoyed this book - occasional missing prepositions and all (and the cover is just gorgeous). My .epub file says it's roughly 300 pages and these are needed to bring this arc (I assume there will be more in Darest as this is the 1st in a series) to a satisfying if a bit too abrupt conclusion.

As this book is told from the viewpoint of Soren, the champion, your enjoyment will depend on how much you like her. Personally I really liked getting to know the dead-end situation she starts out i...more I really enjoyed this book - occasional missing prepositions and all (and the cover is just gorgeous). My .epub file says it's roughly 300 pages and these are needed to bring this arc (I assume there will be more in Darest as this is the 1st in a series) to a satisfying if a bit too abrupt conclusion.

As this book is told from the viewpoint of Soren, the champion, your enjoyment will depend on how much you like her. Personally I really liked getting to know the dead-end situation she starts out in, directed by her role as champion to a reigning house that no longer exists and ignored by the current court for the most part.

When the power of the Rose - protection of the kingdom - suddenly awakens after 200 years and drags her along, this situation only intensifies - but instead of becoming dark and moody and despairing, Soren decides to try and fulfil her role as the champion, to be what the country seems to need to the fullest extent of her good intentions even if she has to face off against the acknowledged but uncrowned current king.

The way she recovers a king of the previous dynasty is well-told on the one hand, a bit too hasty on the other (not to mention that a horse doesn't quite work that way - but at the time of the book's writing Judith Tarr's Writing Horses wasn't out yet ^^).

If you've read the Booksmuggler review that made me finally buy this, you'll be aware that there is rape at this point - but with the way it is initiated and explained and acted upon (never ignored) in the book I thought the developments were believable, (view spoiler)It might even have been more realistic to me if Soren had developed an antipathy in the long run. But then I have never been raped myself... so at least be aware that there is this trigger.

The author has a gift with characters: the lost prince now king, the uncrowned but acknowledged leader of the country who has worked tirelessly for years to stave off a final dissolution of the country into misery, the court members jockeying for position in the new array of power (nasty and nice, former friends, ambitious lovers, the dethroned queen) are - if they have any dialogue at all - interesting people and no carbon copies of each other. My favourites were Jansette, the duchess of Rothwell, Halcean, Aspen, Frick and Aristide.

The particular difficulty of the situation of the kingdom, the rose power that is able to overrule the minds of the people it is supposed to protect, a murder mystery, the triumvirate (and their interactions) who have to solve all the problems and make the transfer of power externally and internally ultra-smooth (the question of whether all three of them actually are working towards the same goal AND the desire for friendship and love) all build up to a satisfying climax whose decisions I could follow.

I just wanted more epilogue ^^.
-----------------------------------------
On reread I got the feeling that the book was centred around Soren, but because it wasn't narrated in first person the reader also gets a lot of subtle insight into Strake and Aristide. I was also more struck by the casual positive portrayal of polyarmory and same-sex love. Lovely integrated. I thought the court intrigues were well scripted as well, and especially the pyrotechnics of the audience with the Fair were gorgeous to imagine.

The love and acceptance between Strake and Soren are still a bit too fast for my taste, but the page count probably meant there had to be a choice between solving the intrigue, the problem of the Rose and discover what truly is wrong in the state of Darest - OR there could be in-depth emotional shenanigans between Soren, Strake and Aristide.

I do hope the promised second book will show up at some point, the general Darest situation is still deeply in trouble and the new King has only worked under danger of death so far, but I most want it because I'm hoping for a place for Aristide. I know where I want him to end up, but as long as he gets a place and support of his own I'll be content ^^.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 24, 2011 Alana Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Edit: I forgot to add that I won this book through first-reads. My review is completely honest and independent of that fact though.

The kingdom of Darest has always been ruled by Rathen's. With the help and protection of the Rathen Rose, a magical enchanment that helps protect the family, the Rathen's were expected to rule the kingdom forever. At least until a few centuries ago when plague and family rivalry wiped the last of the Rathen family out. Now Darest is being ruled by a regent Queen and...more Edit: I forgot to add that I won this book through first-reads. My review is completely honest and independent of that fact though.

The kingdom of Darest has always been ruled by Rathen's. With the help and protection of the Rathen Rose, a magical enchanment that helps protect the family, the Rathen's were expected to rule the kingdom forever. At least until a few centuries ago when plague and family rivalry wiped the last of the Rathen family out. Now Darest is being ruled by a regent Queen and experiencing a slow decline. The magical forests of the Fae are starting to take back the land and neighboring kingdoms are helping the inevitable death of Darest along with greedy eyes. And in the kingdoms time of great need, the Rathen Rose's enchantments are dormant. With one exception that is: The Rathen Champion. The Rathen Champion was once the right hand of the Rathen King or Queen. Confidant and protector, there was no role the Rathen Champion couldn't fill. Yet even though there are no more Rathen's left, the Rathen Rose still calls upon a Darest citizen to become Rathen Champion once a generation. But instead of having a role in palace life, the Champion is now just a reminder of what once was.

This is where Champion of the Rose opens. Soren is the latest Rathen Champion trying to find a place for herself in the palace. Resigned to simply organize the Champion library, Soren's life is turned upside down when the Rathen Rose appears to have a single flower on it's vine after centuries of being bare. This single new rose indicates a living Rathen and sets Soren on a journey that will change everything.

Champion of the Rose has everything an epic fantasy should have. Journeys, evil enemies, court intrigue, and complicated relationships are all par the course for this novel. What I went into with little expectation, ended up completely surprising me. I loved Champion of the Rose. For some reason I thought the cover/blurb of the book made the story seem like it would be for older children or younger teens, but that's definitely not the case. Unlike most stories I've read, especially fantasies for young teens, this book focuses on the space between right and wrong. There is a lot of gray throughout this book and things are never as obvious as they seem.

While the plot is pretty basic in this story, the relationships between Soren and...well pretty much everybody is what really caught my interest. I found myself staying up far too late to finish the story and I just adored Soren. She wasn't perfect, but she's the kind of protagonist I want to read about. Not entirely confident in her place, we get to watch Soren grow and overcome her mistakes along the way. And I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I love flawed characters.

My only two issues with the book are personal. I prefer not to read stories with any kind of rape (though it's very complicated and I think Höst handled it well) and I thought the ending was a bit cheesy. The way Höst treated relationships in this book was a breath of fresh air though. I know I've left a ton of stuff vague, but you really should experience the story for yourself. You know how every once and a while a book comes a long and reminds you why you love to read? Well this book did that for me.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Sep 28, 2012 Sherwood Smith added it · review of another edition

Recommended to Sherwood by: Estara Swanberg

Shelves: fantasy

I read this on the train while crossing the country; I meant to make it last from L.A. to Boston, but I ended up finishing it while waiting for my connection in Chicago, sitting in a cafe overlooking the river.

Soren is an ordinary woman who finds herself appointed Champion to the missing king, a position that makes her laughable in Darest's court, as the kings have been missing for two centuries. That's until the mysterious Rose, in its enchanted garden, lets her know that there is a king--and s...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who liked Kristin Cashore's Fire and Graceling and/or Leah Cypess's Mistwood

Shelves: covers-i-love, surprisingly-liked, exceeded-my-expectations, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, best-characters, 2011-reads, glad-i-gave-it-a-chance, reviewed

Warning: THE COVER IS DECEIVING. This is not a middle-grade book. Rather, this story contains adult situations that, while handled tastefully, would not work for a young readership.

The Rose determines who will rule the kingdom of Darest -- and, on the day the Garden of the Rose calls to King's Champion Soren, she begins to realize that all she knows about the kingdom, its ruling family of Rathen, and even its guardian Rose are more than she ever could have realized. . .

I will admit: this book is...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 08, 2013 Mijeong rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was not really prepared for how intricate it was (at least it was for me). Usually, I am bad with political/ruling stories because it is difficult for me to be interested and patient enough to follow. However, for some reason, this story was written so it was relatively easy to follow and intriguing enough for me to. Perhaps just enough characters and memorable names so that it doesn't get too mind-boggling. Perhaps a clear flow of events.

Admittedly, I wish there had been more explanation of t...more

like · see review

Aug 15, 2011 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

I quite liked the overarching story - reluctant champion protects king - as it was quite a nice take on the usual story of knowing the King from the beginning, however I just found it a really boggy read.

We were given little introduction to the main character, Soren, nor the world in which she lived, so having her rush off in what seemed like the first few pages felt like you were missing something. It then gets confusing - all-male or all-female pairing, not a problem, but it's presented in suc...more

like · see review

Apr 26, 2011 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

My second book by this author and another enjoyable, albeit fast read. The plot has been outlined by several other reviewers, so no need to go there.

The story jumped into gear and catching up with it and the characters kept my attention. The character development was nicely done, with sufficient internal dialogue by Soren to get to know her fairly well. She is well-balanced character (i.e. not particularly judgmental or biased, and as honest externally as she is to herself) so that her observat...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 23, 2011 Seawood rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fantasy nerds

Recommended to Seawood by: Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, kindle

Well, this is a muddle and no mistake. It shouldn't work and I haven't figured out yet what made me read it and want to know what happened all the way to the end! We're dumped into the world with no backplot, scene-setting, character development...even a map, let alone a timeline of the 200-year history before the novel opens. And yet the twists on the standard fantasy settings (particularly on relationships and equality, given that bisexual, multiple marriages are the unquestioned default) are...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 27, 2013 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, indie-books, reviewed

This was a fascinating and compelling read. Andrea K Host took a fairy tale scenario (a kingdom run by an enchanted rose bush) and ran it right into some thorny realities. Enchantment seems more like horror when a rose can deny you free will, using you as its puppet to ensure that things run the way it deems they should. I loved the characters and seeing how they dealt with this situation was truly interesting. I also liked the low key way Host brings to life a society that values women as much...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 27, 2010 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This is an awesome book. And I got to read it for free through first-reads! The story begins a bit vaguely because although it's the first book, it starts in the middle of a story. But the world is eventually shaped into an understandable setting and the story takes off.
It is literally addicting. The main character Soren is the perfect blend between lovable and identifiable weakness, and resolute strength, that bonds her with the reader and eventually gets you to fall in love with her.
I real...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 05, 2012 Li rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, read-in-2012, series, 2012-new-to-me-author

Andrea Höst has given me consistently good storytelling, and I loved the concept of CHAMPION: a king's champion who has essentially been made redundant and whose main purpose is purely decorative... and then suddenly everything changes and Soren is thrust blinking into the spotlight. And this is the story of how she faces up to the challenge.

I liked how Andrea Höst colours in her characters - the shades-of-grey villain, the true "otherness" of fae, and so on. Also unusual was how the practicalit...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 28, 2013 Jacob Proffitt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, steamy

This is a 4.5 rounded to a five, for me—making it my lowest-rated novel by Andrea K. Höst. And yes, I have read all of her novels, now (though I've been blocked on reviewing them for a few weeks for some reason).

With this novel, Höst proves she's equally at home in fantasy as she is sci-fi and contemporary novels. Dare is a country carved out of fairy by a promise from the fairy queen ages ago. That promise hangs by a thread as the family it was given to died out over 200 years ago. Since many o...more This is a 4.5 rounded to a five, for me—making it my lowest-rated novel by Andrea K. Höst. And yes, I have read all of her novels, now (though I've been blocked on reviewing them for a few weeks for some reason).

With this novel, Höst proves she's equally at home in fantasy as she is sci-fi and contemporary novels. Dare is a country carved out of fairy by a promise from the fairy queen ages ago. That promise hangs by a thread as the family it was given to died out over 200 years ago. Since many of the ancient protections built into the capital and the country itself are tied to that family, the country is in the midst of a long decay. Soren is the latest "Champion" of the rose—the living embodiment of the protections on the royal family line (obviously, protections that failed at some point). Since the rose hasn’t had a bloom for 200+ years, Soren's position is... laughable. Only then the rose blooms again and Soren finds herself searching for a royal heir who seems to have been generated from nothing.

Soren has to come to terms with her newly important role in Dare's political upheaval even as she adjusts to having an actual heir to champion for—and focus her life around. Her job is complicated by the machinations of the rose itself. As the rose takes direct interest and action early on, we see that its protection is two-sided (at best). A powerful, amoral, coercive force tied directly into your own perceptions and emotion becomes as much burden as anyone should have to bear, even as events cascade into crisis brought about by the inevitable political disruption of the appearance of a new ruler.

I found the plot itself engaging on its own, but the addition of Soren’s struggle with the heir and the rose added intriguing emotional layers I greatly appreciated. Daringly, Höst chose to add a bit of social alchemy into the mix by making the inhabitants of her world truly and essentially bi-sexual. Surprisingly, this works very well as Höst seldom does things by halves. The social institution of marriage is updated with some minor adjustments to allow same-sex couples to have children. The surprise comes as you see a society where literally everyone is both a potential partner and a potential rival. This, by itself, effectively eliminates sexual discrimination and does so pretty naturally without ignoring the realities of gender differences (so there are few female guards, but the profession isn't closed to women). So, for example, a man can be the nurturing parent even as women can be the breadwinner—indeed, since many couples are same-sex, it's pretty much a requirement of functional families that they do so.

By keeping the fundamental bi-sexuality of the characters as a given and keeping it as a simple, acknowledged background, Höst avoids coming across as didactic or agendized. Indeed, I thought it functions as an interesting exploration of gender and sexuality without being prurient or exploitative.

My only qualms with the book, and what dragged it down a bit for me, was mostly built around Strake's character and my impatience with him. This is all spoiler, though, and I'm sorry for that. (view spoiler)

Yeah, I got over the disappointment with him, eventually. The book ends well and functions as a stand-alone novel. I understand that another book is planned in the world, but I’d be surprised if it deals with the same characters—their story seems pretty well wrapped-up. I hope that we get new characters with a new story to explore the very intriguing world of Dare. Whatever it turns out to be, I’ll snatch up a copy as soon as I can.

A note about Steamy: There isn't really a lot of steam in this book. There are frank discussions of sex, the occasional attempted seduction, and a short scene of sexual coercion. There is, however, enough explicit sex that, while not titillating, needs to be taken into account by those who might be sensitive to such things.
(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 22, 2011 Chichipio rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

I really enjoyed this book. I dropped 1 star because there were a few details making it not quite perfect, but it's more a 4.5.

This book arrived when I was in the middle of another fantasy series. I had planned to finish that one—I was in the middle of the 8th book out of a total of 10—before starting this but, since the other series was oriented to young audiences, I was a little tired of it because though there was a lot of adventure, quests and battles to make them enjoyable, the plot of each...more I really enjoyed this book. I dropped 1 star because there were a few details making it not quite perfect, but it's more a 4.5.

This book arrived when I was in the middle of another fantasy series. I had planned to finish that one—I was in the middle of the 8th book out of a total of 10—before starting this but, since the other series was oriented to young audiences, I was a little tired of it because though there was a lot of adventure, quests and battles to make them enjoyable, the plot of each book was always straightforward and the characters black and white. Either knight in shining armor heroic or twisted, depraved, I-want-to-rule-the-world-and-kill-everyone-in-it evil.

So it was that I open this book. It was just what I needed. There aren't quests or epic battles—most of the story happens inside a castle—and I was glad for it, but the complex characters, the court intrigue, the multiple mysteries and the myriad grey situations where there's no easy answer, work together to make a wonderful read—for those who enjoy fantasy worlds and court intrigue, of course.

At first glance, the plot seems simple. For centuries the realm of Darest have been ruled by someone of the Rathen family. Every ruler has a champion, someone with unique qualities depending on what each ruler need the most. There are enchantments in place to choose both persons and the life of each Rathen is represented by a rose in a magic garden. It's a neat system except for a little problem: over two centuries ago the Rathen bloodline died out. The enchantments, however, kept working choosing champions. They became a symbol, a reminder of a time past, little more than palace decoration. Now, quite unexpectedly, in the garden that has been empty for so long a new rose has appeared. So there's a Rathen, a champion and the powerful enchantments that will protect them, right? Not quite. Soon, it will become evident that the enchantments are more trouble than they thought and being champion is not all that it's cracked up to be.

Aside from the main character—and you probably know this only because you are in her head—there are no good guys or bad guys. Instead, there are a group of powerful people, everyone with their own agenda trying to impose their will over the rest. But seriously, at one point or another, you have reason to doubt the motives behind anyone's actions. Maybe because this other series I was reading, where the bad guys were so very evil, I kept trying to find someone to blame—to hate. However, much as it happens to the characters in the book, most situations could be looked at from different perspectives and with enough reasons for their actions, instead of anger, the most you can feel for some characters is pity.

Soren is a great heroine. So different from the usual portrayal of strong women (i.e tough, sarcastic, sassy, obliviously beautiful) and yet very strong in her own style. Strake is nice character to read, but definitely the least complicated of the three main characters. Aristide, on the other hand, was a lot of fun—so many layers.

At first, it takes a little while to understand the background story and how everything works. I'm not a fan of infodumps, but perhaps a few extra explanations early on would have save me some guessing. This is a minor nitpick, really, because by the end of the book you have a complete understanding of the world. Anyway, because of this—or maybe the story itself—this book picks up momentum with each passing chapter and, after a certain point near the middle of the book, I just couldn't put it down.

A couple of things that could improve the reading experience should there be a sequel to this one: A map and a glossary. I'm yet to find a fantasy book that can't benefit from a map, even a badly hand-drawn one. The first few times I had trouble recognizing some of the names and nicknames of the different characters. Like Jansette Denmore, who is first referred to by her full name, then by Lady Denmore and then by just Jansette like four chapters later and I had to go back a bit to check if it was the same person. The same happened with Aristide and "The Diamond." With as many titles, places and occupations as there are, it's useful having all this information in one place.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 13, 2011 Lindsay Stares rated it 3 of 5 stars

Premise: The land of Darest was taken by treaty from the Fae, and order is maintained by the magic of the Rose, established by the first Queen. Unfortunately, when the line of Rathen kings failed, the magic didn't notice, and it continued to choose Champions to protect a nonexistent royal line. Soren doesn't have any idea why the magic chose her, forced her, into the role of Champion, but now a bloom has appeared on the Rathen Rose. And that means a rightful heir is alive.

The part I liked most o...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 15, 2011 Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting fantasy novel. I would recommend it if you're into the sci-fi/fantasy genre. A review I read complimented the book's "world building" noting that there was never a point where the author resorted to an "information dump" to describe the universe she'd created. I would wholeheartedly agree with that assessment. I also liked the pacing. Things were discussed, decisions were made then action was carried out. All too often you run across books where the discussion part drags...more

1 like · like · see review

May 09, 2013 Laura (Kyahgirl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-and-disturbing, fantasy, fiction-with-animals, fae-faery, magic

4/5; 4 stars; A-

In all the books I've read by this author I really like her female protagonist. This book is no different. Soren Armitage is a woman pushed into a difficult role by a magic so vast and old, no one really understands how it works. Named the Champion of the Rose, she is sent on a quest to find the person she is supposed to 'champion', the rightful king of Darest. There has been a champion named but no 'king of the line' for about 200 years.

Soren develops skills and abilities due t...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 23, 2012 PaulineMRoss rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-fantasy, price-cheap, self-pub, 4-star

Sometimes, when I feel as if I’m drowning in a sea of haven’t-I-read-this-before fantasy, the only antidote is some Andrea K Höst. Her work is original, intelligent and quirky, and reassures me that there are some authors out there who aren’t simply recycling the tired old tropes.

The premise here is that the country of Darest, ruled by the Rathen family, has been without a monarch for two hundred years. Being hedged about by unbreakable magic, however, which manifests as a rose bush, it continue...more Sometimes, when I feel as if I’m drowning in a sea of haven’t-I-read-this-before fantasy, the only antidote is some Andrea K Höst. Her work is original, intelligent and quirky, and reassures me that there are some authors out there who aren’t simply recycling the tired old tropes.

The premise here is that the country of Darest, ruled by the Rathen family, has been without a monarch for two hundred years. Being hedged about by unbreakable magic, however, which manifests as a rose bush, it continues to rumble along as if one will turn up any day, creating champions (guardians of the monarch) and protecting the royal palace. Until one day the rose bush produces a flower - an heir has appeared once more. The plot is largely about how the champion finds the heir and the ramifications of that, together with an intriguing mystery - why did all the heirs disappear anyway, and why has Darest been in decline for the past two hundred years?

The magic of the rose is one of the most intriguing aspects of the story. There isn’t anything terribly outlandish about the type of magic the author’s world can produce - there are spells created through spoken words or casting with the hands or carved runes, basically - but the way it is bound up through the rose, the champion, the Rathen heirs and the royal palace is fascinating. It’s also very creepy in the way it is actually a more-or-less physical part of the champion, giving her powers while also controlling her mind and body in very scary ways.

Soren, the champion, is an all-too-rare type of heroine - neither a warrior babe nor a princess nor a mage, just an ordinary woman chosen for no obvious reason for a job she feels spectacularly unsuited for, but which she nevertheless does to the very best of her ability. She doesn’t make stupid mistakes, she doesn’t turn into Wonder Woman, she doesn’t turn to jelly at the thought of a man, she’s just a normal woman using her common sense and intelligence. The romantic relationship resolves itself rather fast for my taste - I would have thought it would have taken longer to get over the traumatic early events - but it wasn’t a huge problem.

The two male main characters, Strake and Aristide, are much less ordinary, but then both have been part of the royal court from birth. They are both complicated and charismatic characters, and both have to suffer emotional shocks which they cope with in very different ways, but the way they inch towards a pragmatic working arrangement is very believable. The minor characters are well sketched out and perfectly believable, although I sometimes got confused about who was who. The Fae were particularly convincing, and the author beautifully captures the ‘other’-ness of them.

The created world is not especially unique, but that’s not a problem as most of the action takes place in and around the royal palace. Superfically the social structure is conventional: a ruling family, several other noble families, the usual array of soldiers, farmers, millers, innkeepers and so on. It’s nice to see that women are just as likely to be guards or monarchs or champions as men. The unique feature here is the prevalence of same sex marriage and also tribond marriages, which is thrown in as part of the background without much discussion or explanation. Much as I applaud this approach, I would have liked to know more about how it works.

The early part of the book feels both rushed and rather slow, if that isn’t too contradictory a description. It seems rushed because there is no background at all to Soren herself and not much about her role as champion before she’s tearing off to find the heir. And then the actual search for the heir feels a bit slow. But from then onwards, the pace picks up and becomes breathlessly fast, in that wonderful page-turningly riveting way. A lot of chores were neglected so that I could finish this as-fast-as-possible. The external threats - a magical killer on the loose and a possible assassin in the palace - plus the internal threat of the enchanted rose itself, which seems to have its own agenda, together with the political machinations of neighbouring countries and the tricky relationships between the champion and the monarch she has to protect, all of these combine to make a compelling story.

My only criticisms are the slightly bumpy start and a few confusing moments where it wasn’t quite clear to me what was happening. And I would have liked a map, too, but it wasn’t a big deal. Overall, a refreshingly different story about believable, complicated people who behave in realistic ways, and revolving around a cleverly-devised enchantment which is almost a character in its own right. A good four stars.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 30, 2011 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-type-e-book, genre-fantasy, review-blog

I was surprised just how much I enjoyed this novel. Not for any real reason, I just didn't expect to find myself so drawn in with the character's plight(s). I felt so bad for Soren, and to a lesser degree Strake. Well to be fair I should have felt equally bad for Strake all things considered, but we saw how deeply the entire ordeal hurt and diminished Soren, Strake we got bits and pieces as Soren saw him.

This begins as a fairly standard fantasy--Soren finds out that she isn't as superfluous as...more I was surprised just how much I enjoyed this novel. Not for any real reason, I just didn't expect to find myself so drawn in with the character's plight(s). I felt so bad for Soren, and to a lesser degree Strake. Well to be fair I should have felt equally bad for Strake all things considered, but we saw how deeply the entire ordeal hurt and diminished Soren, Strake we got bits and pieces as Soren saw him.

This begins as a fairly standard fantasy--Soren finds out that she isn't as superfluous as she thought she was, a short quest is had, heroics are done and then she meets her Rathen (Strake). Thing is neither of them are quite what the other expects (or really wants) plus they don't know how to get along.

Her Rathen, the first in centuries I might add, is surly, bitter and angry. He was never meant to be King. He was never meant to be period. Unfortunately the Rose that has protected Darest since the earliest days has also become a problem that Darest can't control. Its become an entity unto itself and it will do what its programmed to do--no matter the cost.

I thought the twists that Host tossed in were clever. Soren and her Rathen are given a very real reason why they can not instantly become best friends and allies. Neither trusts the other, despite the imperative set upon them by the Rose and it creates a tension that effects everything. I also appreciated the menace of the Rose that slowly unfolded. In the truest sense of the phrase 'good intentions pave the way to hell', the Rose took its duty--to announce the next Rathen Heir and bring the Champion to the Heir to protect Darest--to the extreme.

Host was careful not to cross any lines, or if she did (one instance in particular comes to mind from the beginning when Soren traveled with Strake) she made it explicitly clear the feelings of all involved. In her fantasy world gender doesn't particularly matter as far as romance and love goes. Female/female, male/male, threesomes or more are all treated equally and are entirely the business of those involved. As far as anything goes the world is about gender-neutral as possible in all aspects.

I admit to hoping that Soren and Strake worked things out. I grew a bit frustrated every time progress was made and suddenly flung backwards for any reason at all. A lot of it could be laid on Strake's doorstep; he had a lot to come to terms with even before the Rose's machinations started to become more overtly sinister. This doesn't excuse Soren, she started to become irritating with her 'maybe if I change this way, he will tolerate me better' attitude, but Strake by far takes entirely too long to come to grips with things.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Feb 07, 2011 Christa L rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, waiting-for-the-next-one

The first pages of this novel plunge the reader into the kingdom of Darest, where Soren Armitage plays the role of Champion to a Rathen King that doesn't exist. Darest has not had a king for a long time and is ruled by a Regent.
But things change when the Rathen Rose ( the most sinister plant I've encountered since the Triffids or the Crinoids from Dr Who) announces a new King exists, somewhere. As Champion it is Soren's job to find him and quickly. In this she is both hampered and helped by the...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 07, 2012 Scarlett rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Originally posted on my blog here.

Received for free through Goodreads First Reads : D

Hmm, where to start with this book? The cover is well done, it's what first drew me to entering the drawing for this book. However, when I started reading it, things just didn't click. I got about 30 pages in and decided to move onto something else. Eventually, I decided to give it another try, got a few pages past where I got stopped before and actually fell more into the book. There were things that were holdi...more Originally posted on my blog here.

Received for free through Goodreads First Reads : D

Hmm, where to start with this book? The cover is well done, it's what first drew me to entering the drawing for this book. However, when I started reading it, things just didn't click. I got about 30 pages in and decided to move onto something else. Eventually, I decided to give it another try, got a few pages past where I got stopped before and actually fell more into the book. There were things that were holding me back from loving this completely, but it was good enough besides.

It does have an original premise, where as mages and elves, etc are common enough in fantasy fare, looking at things from the angle of an enchanted rose meant to protect and a champion to represent it, it was pretty engaging. Towards the end, as things started resolving, I found myself not quite following along all of the implications. There were a couple of paragraphs that summarized things nicely to were I then was able to understand, but at the outset it wasn't easily grasped.

The characters were good enough, Soren was an ok protagonist. I knew the characters enough to recognize them, but I didn't know them whole-heartedly like in some of my most favorite books. That being said, this was still better than a lot of other books that I have come across.

However, and please don't take this the wrong way but I do want to be truthful in my review, when I first started reading this I noticed that something was a little...different, and at first I couldn't put my finger on it. Eventually I recognized that it was the fact that everyone in this world is bi-sexual. That may be your thing, but it's not mine. I prefer my love stories to be the good ol' fashioned guy and girl fare and so was a bit thrown off by this one. The main love story does in fact turn out to be between a guy and a girl, which made it easier for me to read. There is nothing graphic at all, but there were undercurrents that I could feel, but at first could not pick up on entirely.

While the book does end of a sort, it didn't feel entirely like an END and looking it up there is actually a second one slated to come out later this year. Will I read it? Probably not. Was this one a waste of my time? No, I enjoyed it to an extent, and while there where times where I liked a certain description, or way of phrasing, I wasn't completely invested in the characters. I did want to read it to the end to see how things eventually resolved, but will probably not continue with it.

I hope this review makes sense. This book was good, and really may be your cup of tea. I didn't fall completely in love with it but it was good enough to keep me engaged throughout it and want to finish it, thus the three stars.(less)

like · see review

Jan 25, 2013 Summer Peterson rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

I just kept plowing through this story hoping it would get better, but no... First of all I can't stand the Rathan King, he is so selfish. What the Rose made them do happened to both Soren and him but he can only think about himself and blame Soren. Soren is a disappointment, weak. Not to mention all the homosexuality. Just not my thing.

like · see review

Feb 07, 2012 Emily Leathers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, fiction, kindle, read-preview, self-published

Quite enjoyable, though I still like the Touchstone series better.

There's a little more sex in this than in the previous trilogy I read by Ms. Host. It's all very tastefully handled, but is ever-so-slightly less abstracted in this book.

Readability: 5
Writing style: 5
Enjoyed: 5
Learned something: n/a?
Personal appeal: 3
What I expected: 4
Edition read: 4

like · see review

Feb 26, 2011 Min rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

(Won this book through first-reads)

Took ages to finish it since school started and everything. But I did enjoy this book! It is not something I am used to reading and at times I did get a little confused... But overall I am glad I read it.

like · see review

Jan 18, 2012 Sassapphras rated it 4 of 5 stars

Looking forward to reading more about this world.

like · see review

May 20, 2013 Morgan Renae marked it as to-read

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

May 19, 2013 Sophie marked it as to-read

May 19, 2013 Stephanie rated it 1 of 5 stars

May 18, 2013 Hey You marked it as to-read

Shelves: recommended, online

May 16, 2013 Laura Sanchez marked it as to-read

title link	preview: Champion of the Rose
avg rating	preview: Champion of the Rose Goodreads rating: 3.86 (117 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9832204-champion-of-the-rose?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327877953l/9832204.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9832204-champion-of-the-rose?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Champion of the Rose by Andrea K. Höst[/url]

Champion of the Rose (Darest #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Andrea K. Höst

Books by Andrea K. Höst

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Champion of the Rose