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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
I have to say when I saw C.L. Clark was writing the Ambessa book I preordered it SO fast and was not disappointed! We got Ambessa's backstory and rise to power in Noxus and a closer look into her family dynamic, including both Mel and Kino and their respective fathers. If you enjoyed arcane and Ambessa's role in the piltover storyline, you'll enjoy the backstory. And for arcane fans, Ambessa's voice actor narrated the audiobook, so if you wanted to hear more of her here's your chance!
So I did not know the lore of other regions in the league universe outside of what was in the show, so the region of Noxus was a blank slate for me. That said, I really enjoyed learning how the politicking and power systems work there! Ambessa continues to be a baddie, and what I really appreciated about Clark's take on her was that she remained morally grey and no excuses were made for her more unsavory decisions and cruelty. I thought Clark did a great job sticking to Ambessa's character.
My one criticism is the first half of the book was a slow start. I do think it picked up and got much more engaging in the second half and at that point I was able to binge the rest of the book in one sitting. The beginning is a bit dry, with a lot of exposition to set up the plot. It wasn't bad, just could have been more engaging. Definitely worth the journey tho.
We did get a new sapphic couple introduced! (Not Ambessa sadly, I admit - that may be too powerful) I really enjoyed Rell's story and really hope we get to see her in future arcane shows (PLEASE 🙏) Also Mel, it's never too late to come out as bisexual 👀
So I did not know the lore of other regions in the league universe outside of what was in the show, so the region of Noxus was a blank slate for me. That said, I really enjoyed learning how the politicking and power systems work there! Ambessa continues to be a baddie, and what I really appreciated about Clark's take on her was that she remained morally grey and no excuses were made for her more unsavory decisions and cruelty. I thought Clark did a great job sticking to Ambessa's character.
My one criticism is the first half of the book was a slow start. I do think it picked up and got much more engaging in the second half and at that point I was able to binge the rest of the book in one sitting. The beginning is a bit dry, with a lot of exposition to set up the plot. It wasn't bad, just could have been more engaging. Definitely worth the journey tho.
We did get a new sapphic couple introduced! (Not Ambessa sadly, I admit - that may be too powerful) I really enjoyed Rell's story and really hope we get to see her in future arcane shows (PLEASE 🙏) Also Mel, it's never too late to come out as bisexual 👀
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-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:
No
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
Something about how a prequel can only ever be a tragedy, and hitting that tragedy feels like running head first into a glass door that you knew was there, but somehow you had to do it anyway!!! This was very good.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
adventurous
dark
fast-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
adventurous
dark
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