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A review by ellaray236
Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf by C.L. Clark
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
‘Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf’ is an Arcane prequel nov following Ambessa Merdarda’s rise to power to become the head of her clan. As someone who recently devoured all of Arcane AND is obsessed with the immense talent of CL Clark, I was incredibly hyped for this book.
Perhaps I was too hyped?
You don’t need to have watched Arcane or played LoL to read this, I’ve only seen the former and not played the latter. My watching of Arcane helped with the world building only slightly, but I do feel it helped understand some of the emotional weight behind the story.
So, what did I like?
Firstly, Ambessa was perfection. CL Clark nailed it there; she was strong, decisive, and the definition of morally grey. However, I feel we got to see a softer side - just glimpses - throughout which rounded her character well. The other prominent secondary characters of Mel, Kino, Rictus, and Rell were great, too. I know both Mel and Kino from Arcane, but I really fell in love with both Rictus and Rell, and their relationships with Ambessa as the novel progressed.
The plot followed Ambessa, mostly, with a few scattered other POVs from major characters, as the death of her grandfather leads to a power struggle between herself and her cousin as the Merdada clan are thrown into civil war. Both of them believe they should become the head of house Merdarda, and this fractures the clan into sides prepared to wage war. Combining bloody battles, political intrigue, and just a touch of magic, this was truly a story of how far should one go for power.
So, why did I not love it?
A few reasons. Firstly, the cast of characters is HUGE for a standalone (I know it’s part of a wider universe but still). The seemingly minor characters played pivotal roles and keeping track of them all was a bit of a task. The pacing was steady, but also a little jarring at times. Months passing in a sentence, almost casually, meant I felt out of sync at times with the story. There were a lot of threads being pulled and while I did feel pretty satisfied by the end, I also thought it a smidge anticlimactic, too.
Overall, this will probably hit for fans of Arcane and League, with plenty of Easter Eggs to feast on, but not sure those unfamiliar with the work it’s based on will get a huge amount out of it. CL Clark’s writing is fantastic as usual, but I felt their creative prowess was somewhat suffocated by the confines set for them.
3.5 🌟
Perhaps I was too hyped?
You don’t need to have watched Arcane or played LoL to read this, I’ve only seen the former and not played the latter. My watching of Arcane helped with the world building only slightly, but I do feel it helped understand some of the emotional weight behind the story.
So, what did I like?
Firstly, Ambessa was perfection. CL Clark nailed it there; she was strong, decisive, and the definition of morally grey. However, I feel we got to see a softer side - just glimpses - throughout which rounded her character well. The other prominent secondary characters of Mel, Kino, Rictus, and Rell were great, too. I know both Mel and Kino from Arcane, but I really fell in love with both Rictus and Rell, and their relationships with Ambessa as the novel progressed.
The plot followed Ambessa, mostly, with a few scattered other POVs from major characters, as the death of her grandfather leads to a power struggle between herself and her cousin as the Merdada clan are thrown into civil war. Both of them believe they should become the head of house Merdarda, and this fractures the clan into sides prepared to wage war. Combining bloody battles, political intrigue, and just a touch of magic, this was truly a story of how far should one go for power.
So, why did I not love it?
A few reasons. Firstly, the cast of characters is HUGE for a standalone (I know it’s part of a wider universe but still). The seemingly minor characters played pivotal roles and keeping track of them all was a bit of a task. The pacing was steady, but also a little jarring at times. Months passing in a sentence, almost casually, meant I felt out of sync at times with the story. There were a lot of threads being pulled and while I did feel pretty satisfied by the end, I also thought it a smidge anticlimactic, too.
Overall, this will probably hit for fans of Arcane and League, with plenty of Easter Eggs to feast on, but not sure those unfamiliar with the work it’s based on will get a huge amount out of it. CL Clark’s writing is fantastic as usual, but I felt their creative prowess was somewhat suffocated by the confines set for them.
3.5 🌟