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Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, Book One (The Cadeleonian Series, #3)

Ginn Hale

Start date: May 1, 2022

Finish date: May 31, 2022

Discussion: Book of the Month Club

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What Members Thought

Oct 01, 2014 Mandapanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Such a pleasure to read this book! This sequel to the popular Lord of the White Hell series features the conflicted and spurned former best friend of Javier. Elezar is struggling with his memories and guilt, both for his involvement in his brother's death and his violent act against Javier. He can't seem to remove himself from a cycle of violence and the lives he has taken weigh heavily on his spirit. His self-loathing is compounded by his realization of his preference for men.

To save Elezar fr Such a pleasure to read this book! This sequel to the popular Lord of the White Hell series features the conflicted and spurned former best friend of Javier. Elezar is struggling with his memories and guilt, both for his involvement in his brother's death and his violent act against Javier. He can't seem to remove himself from a cycle of violence and the lives he has taken weigh heavily on his spirit. His self-loathing is compounded by his realization of his preference for men.

To save Elezar from his latest disaster, Fedeles, now Duke of Rauma, sends Elezar and his friend, Atreau, to the distant city of Milmuraille, on an undercover mission to stop a war between their two civilizations.

Elezar's love interest, Skellan, is a beautifully realized character. His poverty, his bone-deep connection with the city and its inhabitants, from the highest personage down to the smallest stones at his feet, his mysterious origins, his belief in himself and his destiny, and his tenderness with Bonecrusher and the witch children, made him complex and lovable.

Skellan pressed his face close to the black granite, drinking in the thick musky scent of the living body lying just beneath the stone. Old memories of summer afternoons spent sprawled across this warm rock, licking honey from his fingers and laughing as Bone-crusher's deep voice shook his whole body flickered through the cold hunger of his mind. For an instant he felt a chasm of raw sorrow open in him - he would never know that life again.

But he caught himself. He wasn't a child anymore and he'd have his revenge soon enough. Then he'd eat pork and cherries in winter, and he'd wear mink-lined gloves. He'd possess sweet beeswax tapers, burn butter in his lamps if he wanted, and at night he'd sleep on silk and goose down. But he'd get none of that by scrubbing his face raw against a rough stone while mourning the ruin of his boyhood.

Oesir's treachery had taught him one thing very well. Fortune favored those with the daring and drive to seize what they wanted.

"Tonight I'll break Oesir and take the sanctum," Skellan whispered. "And I will keep my promise to you, Bone-crusher."

It's a very slow burn romance and not overly graphic when it gets down to the intimate scenes but it's one of those relationships where I felt completely convinced by the hero's love because I felt it myself.

Whereas Lord Of The White Hell had a definite YA feel, this book is the grown up version. Certainly darker. These heroes are men and the fate of the world rests heavily on their shoulders. But there is plenty of light-heartedness as well and I especially enjoyed Atreau's obsession with his memoirs.

I can't remember when LOTWH was written but it must have been several years ago. In that time the author's writing skills have got even better and I found it incredibly pleasurable to read the beautiful passages and vivid descriptions.

Cool, sea-scented winds rose off the river and brushed over Elezar like cold-fingered pickpockets.

The city of Milmuraille was a powerful presence right throughout the story and the world of the witch-queen Grimmas was frightening. This is fantasy at its best, packed with mythology and marvels and an epic battle.

You definitely should read Lord Of The White Hell before starting this and even better read the short story that comes after books 1 and 2 as well: A Very White Hell Solstice. I'm really grateful that book 4 is not so far off (Dec. 31st).

An excerpt of the first chapter can be found on Tor.com: http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/10/ch... ...more

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Dec 15, 2013 ttg marked it as to-read

This is now out! And a week early to boot! Copies can be grabbed at Weightless: https://weightlessbooks.com/genre/fic...

(Book 2 out on 12/31/14. Wah!) ;_; ...more

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Oct 06, 2014 Susinok rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, mystery, glbt, romance

Best fantasy I have read in many years! And I am so glad I started this book when the second one was already out, and I could move to it immediately.

Just fantastic fantasy.

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