Title: Champion of the Rose
Series:  Darest Book 1
Author(s): Andrea K. Host
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher/Year: Self-Published/2010
-Webpage/Blog: Autumn Wright

Synopsis:  Soren Armitage is an anachronism. Proclaimed Rathen Champion by the Rathen Rose, intended to support the rule of a Rathen King or Queen.

But there are no Rathens.

Resigned to symbolizing only Darest's faded glories, Soren is not prepared for the sudden appearance of a Rathen. Now she must find and support the heir despite the machinations of the kingdom's regent, sylvan curses, and the strange behavior of once-dormant protective enchantments.

While the odds seem stacked against her, Soren is determined to do her best to live up to the name of Rathen Champion. But what is she to do when it seems that there is something very wrong with her Rathen? Can she trust the person she is meant to protect?

Rating:

Review: 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.




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