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nelsonseye's review
4.0
Although slow to start, and confusing at times, [book:Champion of the Rose|9832204], turned out to be a very good read. I liked Soren, and Strake and Aristride both grew on me. The palace intrigues were interesting, but not overwhelming and the scenes with the Fae and their Court, although frustrating, were well done. I do wish that there had been more of a resolution, but overall the story ended well and there is room for more in this series.
larayn's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lsneal's review
3.0
Really interesting world-building and multi-layered characters. I enjoyed the casual approach to gender and sexuality. It's strange how many "fantasy" worlds can imagine all sorts of strange creatures and customs and other external differences from the world we know, but can't get past the most conventional and old-fashioned gender roles.
verte's review
2.0
This was a book I was supposed to love but to be honest I was a bit disappointed. The gender utopia put in place by the author is not so utopian after all, there still lots of oppressions going on - and what was this rape scene about ?? I really didn't understand its treatment. For me both the Rathen AND Soren are raped, it's not as if she gave her consent to do anything either - yet she is made the culprit throughout the whole book ! Overall when she has so little control over the fact that she was a "champion"
I really didn't feel so much any build up of romance, yet there it was, really not so enticing.
The characters fell quite flat, the main one was quite powerless and it was overall very frustrating
I really didn't feel so much any build up of romance, yet there it was, really not so enticing.
The characters fell quite flat, the main one was quite powerless and it was overall very frustrating
prationality's review
4.0
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.
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.
daveversace's review
4.0
Andrea Höst's Champion of the Rose is a political-mystery-romance set in a high fantasy realm with great mages, ancient magical constructs and some very daunting Fae. Like all of Höst's novels, it is self-published (with a very beautiful Julie Dillon cover).
You almost feel sorry for Soren Armitage, the mystically chosen personal Champion of the monarch of a kingdom that has been a Regency for a couple of hundred years. Not being naturally inclined to the court, she’s happy enough with the complete lack of prestige or responsibility that comes with a position that nobody takes seriously. Which is when, of course, a magical rose blooms to let everyone know that the King has unexpectedly returned.
The shape of Champion of the Rose is a little hard to pin down. The first third or so is a hunt for a King whom nobody’s seen and who shouldn’t exist. Then the focus shifts to Soren’s navigation of courtly politics flavoured with espionage, betrayal and attempted assassin, all while she attempts to unravel ancient magical secrets and negotiate impossible personal relationships. Finally the last bit is more of the previous, only with the stakes turned up to eleven by the unanticipated presence of a Fae embassy.
Soren Armitage is one of those reluctant heroines who goes from comfortable to out-of-her-depth in a matter of a few paragraphs. With no great martial or magical skills, she holds her own only with a slightly disoriented pragmatism and a tenacity reinforced by a series of confounding magical revelations. While she is far more resourceful and brave than she’s given credit for, I found myself far more interested in several of the supporting cast. In particular Aristide Couerveur, the son of the Regent (and a character with as Höstian a name as the author has ever conjured) is fun. He is the tremendously powerful mage whose ascent to the Regency is arrested by the King’s return - the author successfully teases his inscrutable motives for quite some time before he shows his true colours. Despite the dour self-control that dominates his personality, I found Aristide one of the highlights of the story.
Champion of the Rose is an engaging fantasy political thriller (in part), a tormented romance (in some ways) and a complicated magical murder mystery where the dead bodies are in all the wrong places. I found it an enjoyable read with a satisfying resolution. I would just caution readers that the geopolitical history of the setting set out early in the novel is pretty important. Maybe don’t skim over those bits quite as casually as I did, or you’ll find yourself having to check back when it all comes together in the later chapters.
You almost feel sorry for Soren Armitage, the mystically chosen personal Champion of the monarch of a kingdom that has been a Regency for a couple of hundred years. Not being naturally inclined to the court, she’s happy enough with the complete lack of prestige or responsibility that comes with a position that nobody takes seriously. Which is when, of course, a magical rose blooms to let everyone know that the King has unexpectedly returned.
The shape of Champion of the Rose is a little hard to pin down. The first third or so is a hunt for a King whom nobody’s seen and who shouldn’t exist. Then the focus shifts to Soren’s navigation of courtly politics flavoured with espionage, betrayal and attempted assassin, all while she attempts to unravel ancient magical secrets and negotiate impossible personal relationships. Finally the last bit is more of the previous, only with the stakes turned up to eleven by the unanticipated presence of a Fae embassy.
Soren Armitage is one of those reluctant heroines who goes from comfortable to out-of-her-depth in a matter of a few paragraphs. With no great martial or magical skills, she holds her own only with a slightly disoriented pragmatism and a tenacity reinforced by a series of confounding magical revelations. While she is far more resourceful and brave than she’s given credit for, I found myself far more interested in several of the supporting cast. In particular Aristide Couerveur, the son of the Regent (and a character with as Höstian a name as the author has ever conjured) is fun. He is the tremendously powerful mage whose ascent to the Regency is arrested by the King’s return - the author successfully teases his inscrutable motives for quite some time before he shows his true colours. Despite the dour self-control that dominates his personality, I found Aristide one of the highlights of the story.
Champion of the Rose is an engaging fantasy political thriller (in part), a tormented romance (in some ways) and a complicated magical murder mystery where the dead bodies are in all the wrong places. I found it an enjoyable read with a satisfying resolution. I would just caution readers that the geopolitical history of the setting set out early in the novel is pretty important. Maybe don’t skim over those bits quite as casually as I did, or you’ll find yourself having to check back when it all comes together in the later chapters.
klreeher's review
2.0
wow do I not find anyone in this engaging. like being dropped into someone's fanfic in a fandom you don't read but she's not pulling it off.
panxa's review
1.0
I did not like this book. A large part of that comes from the magically prompted rape and forced pregnancy plot line, but I also didn't like most of the characters and their interactions with others. I've liked all her other books to some degree of a lot, but this one fell very flat for me.
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