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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ambessa…AMBESSA THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE!!!!!! Drop another body and my life is yours!!! Jk it’s too late for me. This is how you do a prequel! I started this book the same way I ended it; frothing at the mf mouth. I thought I knew what the music video was about. But to get a play by play for the Legend Herself?! I knew she was power hungry and literally losing it—as most of the God’s Touched are. But what can I say? I love to see it. I would follow you anywhere Matriarch Medarda. 🫡❤️
In related news, FUCK ‘EM UP MEL! Bring the Black Rose to their knees. I can’t wait for you to meet your evil twin. Hope you two end up as friends (or lovers??) instead of mortal enemies. Or in addition to. I’m not picky. 😘✨💕
P.s. To Whomever this may concern, (read: the slimy bitch, who played in my face and said that sneaky shit about “a girl kiss”) I want you to know that Ambessa would NEVER adopt you as a Medarda. And she told me to tell you that. 🦊 🐺
In related news, FUCK ‘EM UP MEL! Bring the Black Rose to their knees. I can’t wait for you to meet your evil twin. Hope you two end up as friends (or lovers??) instead of mortal enemies. Or in addition to. I’m not picky. 😘✨💕
P.s. To Whomever this may concern, (read: the slimy bitch, who played in my face and said that sneaky shit about “a girl kiss”) I want you to know that Ambessa would NEVER adopt you as a Medarda. And she told me to tell you that. 🦊 🐺
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf is a story about sacrifice. It's a question of what we would sacrifice for our family, our beliefs, the ones we love. For Ambessa, her life has been about her family. What she can do to keep her family in power and safe. While Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf is about Ambessa, we also get insights into Mel and other side characters which become crucial to the series especially in Season 2. C.L. Clark has written a fabulously immersive introduction which is a must read for fans of the series.
Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf is a story about sacrifice. It's a question of what we would sacrifice for our family, our beliefs, the ones we love. For Ambessa, her life has been about her family. What she can do to keep her family in power and safe. While Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf is about Ambessa, we also get insights into Mel and other side characters which become crucial to the series especially in Season 2. C.L. Clark has written a fabulously immersive introduction which is a must read for fans of the series.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
**Minor spoilers if you haven't seen Arcane season 1**
This book shows the events leading up to Mel being sent to Piltover and Ambessa's rise to power as the head of the Medarda family. CL Clark does an excellent job staying true to the characters of the show while making the events and story her own. As someone that has only seen the show, I'm sure I missed some easter eggs that were hidden in the book, but it was still an enjoyable story without that knowledge. Furthermore, it was easily digestible; I made it through this book in approximately 36 hours, though I have been very excited for its release.
That being said, I was a little disappointed in this book. I was looking forward to seeing the Ambessa of the show that has backup contingency plans and is always 2 steps ahead of the protagonist. There's a new development to the story and bam, Ambessa is already there and involved! I was especially looking forward to this because I know CL Clark can write that sort of thing because she has done it in her other books. I assume some of these limitations were put in place by the Riot team, and that Ambessa gains her political maneuvering once she rises to the head of the family, but it would have been nice to see more of that.
This book shows the events leading up to Mel being sent to Piltover and Ambessa's rise to power as the head of the Medarda family. CL Clark does an excellent job staying true to the characters of the show while making the events and story her own. As someone that has only seen the show, I'm sure I missed some easter eggs that were hidden in the book, but it was still an enjoyable story without that knowledge. Furthermore, it was easily digestible; I made it through this book in approximately 36 hours, though I have been very excited for its release.
That being said, I was a little disappointed in this book. I was looking forward to seeing the Ambessa of the show that has backup contingency plans and is always 2 steps ahead of the protagonist. There's a new development to the story and bam, Ambessa is already there and involved! I was especially looking forward to this because I know CL Clark can write that sort of thing because she has done it in her other books. I assume some of these limitations were put in place by the Riot team, and that Ambessa gains her political maneuvering once she rises to the head of the family, but it would have been nice to see more of that.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to love this and I think ultimately I had higher expectations for this book than it was able to deliver... I was really hoping for this book to include some commentary on Noxus as an imperialist, colonialist nation, and while that aspect was certainly present in the backdrop... It never really felt as though it was anything except that. I wouldn't expect for either Ambessa nor Mel to grapple with the implications of Noxus' colonialism, especially because they directly benefit from it, but I would've liked for it to have shaped the feeling of the world and the characters who live in those colonies. The only negative positioned as such is Ambessa's sometimes copious violence, and the way she treats it as a first impluse over all else. The soft power Mel and Kino exhibit over the same colonized regions is treated as the "right" and respectable option, when I would've hoped for some criticism or acknowledge of it as a form/the result of the same violent power.
It's an aspect of a larger issue with this book -- Ambessa feels incredibly softened. A lot of this has to do with it being from her POV (of course she sees her actions as justified and righteous) but some of it just makes no sense. She didn't even cheat on her husband. You're telling me Ambessa is doing ethical non-monogamy? Okay. Whatever.
Ultimately, the best parts of this book where how well it fleshed out the world of Runeterra. It's focus on Southern Noxus and Ambessa's familiarity with the region did a lot to make the world feel lived in and I think this is where C.L. Clarke did her best work. I hesitate to blame her for a lot of the shortcomings I identified -- I really should've expected less from a YA novel based on the world's most centrist TV show targeted at League of Legends players. As least Ambessa had multiple fade to black sex scenes and we learned she sleeps naked I guess.
It's an aspect of a larger issue with this book -- Ambessa feels incredibly softened. A lot of this has to do with it being from her POV (of course she sees her actions as justified and righteous) but some of it just makes no sense. She didn't even cheat on her husband. You're telling me Ambessa is doing ethical non-monogamy? Okay. Whatever.
Ultimately, the best parts of this book where how well it fleshed out the world of Runeterra. It's focus on Southern Noxus and Ambessa's familiarity with the region did a lot to make the world feel lived in and I think this is where C.L. Clarke did her best work. I hesitate to blame her for a lot of the shortcomings I identified -- I really should've expected less from a YA novel based on the world's most centrist TV show targeted at League of Legends players. As least Ambessa had multiple fade to black sex scenes and we learned she sleeps naked I guess.
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Who doesn't love a side character? When Ambessa rolled into Arcane I wanted more info and screen time because she ATE up every scene she was in. So when Hachette Audio had "Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf" written by C. L. Clark with the actress reprising her role as Ambessa for the book? Hell yes. Out 18 February 2025.
Ambessa Medarda is everything the Medarda name stands for. Strength to conquer and the cunning to hold it. Her deeds and glory would have earned her a cherished spot among the heroes of the afterlife, but she was not done yet, not when she could go further. First, she must wrangle control of her clan after the inheritance goes contested. With the knives out from inside the family betrayal and secrets crawl out from the woodwork. Her path is an ocean of blood, but will she lose the family she does this all for in the process?
Narrated by Ellen Thomas, from the gravitas of Ambessa to the sniveling voices of those about to die it was a triumph of acting. Need an ominous motivational track from you.
Reasons to read:
-12 more hours of Ambessa voice
-I find the idea of a meritocracy interesting, on paper if would enable the citizens to flourish, in practice...
-The side characters in this book have things fleshed out even more, wasn't expecting Rell to be that much of the story but enjoyed it
-Details that made Arcane land harder
Cons:
-Been clean since 2011, lot of good lore in there, won't go back to the source
Ambessa Medarda is everything the Medarda name stands for. Strength to conquer and the cunning to hold it. Her deeds and glory would have earned her a cherished spot among the heroes of the afterlife, but she was not done yet, not when she could go further. First, she must wrangle control of her clan after the inheritance goes contested. With the knives out from inside the family betrayal and secrets crawl out from the woodwork. Her path is an ocean of blood, but will she lose the family she does this all for in the process?
Narrated by Ellen Thomas, from the gravitas of Ambessa to the sniveling voices of those about to die it was a triumph of acting. Need an ominous motivational track from you.
Reasons to read:
-12 more hours of Ambessa voice
-I find the idea of a meritocracy interesting, on paper if would enable the citizens to flourish, in practice...
-The side characters in this book have things fleshed out even more, wasn't expecting Rell to be that much of the story but enjoyed it
-Details that made Arcane land harder
Cons:
-Been clean since 2011, lot of good lore in there, won't go back to the source
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Classism
Minor: Self harm, Alcohol
An Arcane novel written by CL Clark with a cover like that? Sign me up!
Ambessa Medarda is a warrior, general, mother. She is feared and obsessed with her pursuit of glory and ambition.
When her grandfather dies without naming an heir, she starts a civil war to become the clan head of the Medarda.
Violent, vicious, single-minded.
Ambessa is the main pov, but we get other chapters.
A young pit fighter handpicked by Ambessa who has potential. Raw or volatile?
Her teen children left behind who aren’t good enough, aren’t merciless enough to be named her heir. Soft hearted or trying to prove themselves their own way?
A past amour dabbling in magic experiments.
<b> "Call me cruel and tell me that you have never known me, not once. I would do anything for the good of this family."
</b>
The battle scenes are gritty, explosive, and vivid. The characters are very MORALLY GREY. Each act is chosen with deliberation and purpose. Anger is an arrow.
I have watched Arcane, but not played League of Legends. You can easily enjoy this without prior knowledge of both.
There are also illustrations and they are beautiful! I am not sure if this is the arc copy only, but the hardcover has beautiful coloured art too.
Physical arc gifted by Orbit.
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes