Champion of Fate
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4.3 • 11 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake is back with an epic duology starter that follows a young woman training to join a fabled order as she attempts to lead a hero to his critical first victory. A must-read for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Victoria Aveyard.
Aristene are an order of mythical female warriors. Though heroes might be immortalized in legends, it’s the Aristene who guide their paths to victory. They are the Heromakers.
Raised by the order after being orphaned, Reed grew up surrounded by her future sisters-in-arms and the incredible stories of their quests. She’s been counting the days until her initiation, and now one final test stands in her way: shepherding her first hero to glory on the battlefield. Succeed, and her place in the order is secured. Fail, and she’ll be cast out of the only home she’s ever known.
But Reed didn’t count on Hestion, her assigned hero, being both infuriating and intriguing. When their strategic alliance turns into something more, it forces Reed to question the cost of becoming an Aristene. As battle looms and fate hangs in the balance, Reed must make an impossible choice: her hero or her order.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
As the only survivor in her village following a raid, Reed is saved by the Order of the Aristene, a society of seemingly omniscient, immortal female warriors, in this thrilling fantasy duology opener from Blake (All These Bodies). Now 16 and having been raised in the mythical Aristene Citadel, Reed—described as being "big as an ox" and "strong like one, too"—dreams of joining their ranks and becoming a shepherd meant to guide heroes to victory. Finally allowed to begin her Hero's Trial, Reed, supported by her mentor and her beloved horse, and joined by fellow initiate Lyonene, is tasked with helping Prince Hestion, whose country is on the brink of war, defeat the rumored prophet-killing king. If he fails, she will be forced to leave the Citadel. Curiosity-stoking worldbuilding paired with the characters' fully fleshed-out histories—particularly the lore and the tight-knit relationships between the women of the Aristene—keep the story's stakes high, and electric fight scenes proffer steady pacing. Characters are described as having varying skin tones. Ages 14–up.
Customer Reviews
warrior women, divine politics, and unhinged horses
Champion of Fate kicks off with a brutal childhood, a rescue that’s equal parts mercy and recruitment, and a horse with the personality of a disgruntled bar bouncer. Reed grows up inside the Aristene, an immortal order of women whose entire job is to raise heroes the way gardeners raise roses, except sharper and more likely to bleed.
This book moves with a deliberate pace in the beginning. Instead of rushing, Blake takes her time laying out the culture, rituals, and messy moral gray areas of the order. I ended up liking that choice, because it made the second half feel heavier and more lived-in. The Aristene themselves are the real highlight. They’re fierce, disciplined, mysterious, and sometimes infuriating in a way that makes them feel real rather than mythic cardboard.
Reed is stubborn, loyal, and occasionally too charmed by her own destiny, but she works as a protagonist. Her friendships with Gretchen and Lyonene carry the emotional weight, and I found their sisterhood much more compelling than the romance. And yes, the romance leans on the “we met twice and now it’s fate” side of the spectrum. It’s not the strongest element, but it doesn’t ruin anything either.
The standout character, for me, was Silco. This horse is rude, bitey, emotionally unavailable, and somehow still more endearing than several humans in the cast. Every scene with him added the exact chaos the story needed.
By the time the battles hit, the book finds its stride. The action is sharp, the stakes feel real, and Blake isn’t afraid to let things get bloody or painful. The ending lands with equal parts heartbreak and possibility, which is exactly what a first book in a duology should do.
Is it perfect? No. The romance is thin and the pacing stumbles in places. But the worldbuilding, the Aristene lore, the sisterhood dynamics, and those ridiculous horses make up for the flaws.
If you want warrior women, divine politics, complex friendships, and the occasional equine menace, this is absolutely worth your time.