Straight from the Library: Straight Reading from the Library: The Avant Champion: Rising by C.B. Samet

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. C.B. Samet will be awarding an Avant Champion logo tote bag, world map (11x17) and print novella prequel to a randomly drawn winner (US ONLY) via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

READ THE BLURB

All things considered, it was a good day to die . .

When Marrington Castle is overtaken by a dark and ancient evil, Abigail Cross finds herself in the precarious situation of protecting Queen Rachel the Fourth. Her journey to safety quickly transforms into a quest to save Queen and country. Charged with finding the artifacts to raise The Champion to defeat the world’s most powerful enemy, Abigail finds herself traversing the perilous continent—from the roaring waterfalls of Aithos to the scorching heat of the Optato Desert to the freezing fog of Mount Karn… Will Abigail succeed in uniting the kingdom and summoning the Avant Champion to save them all?

READ THE REVIEW

Unusual and fairly unique, The Avant Champion: Rising entertained and kept me reading. The story had a strange feel of "modern" and typical fantasy. Some of the time, I felt as if Abbey was just another college kid here in the contemporary time, and others there was a solid fantasy feel. It was an odd dichotomy that eventually worked itself in my brain and just became what it was.

I liked Abbey, though she was sometimes more hot-headed or impetuous than I would have thought she should be. However, the position she found herself in was unexpected, so she was really just a girl...not a person raised to champion the queen. She had moments where she acted a bit out of character, but maybe it was just her trying to figure out her place in the world. She was alternatively quite mature and then suddenly I was reminded she was actually quite young. Not atypical for a girl her age, I imagine. I wasn't a huge fan of the queen at first. She did eventually grow on me, but she wasn't always the type of person I would like to see as a ruler. I do think she had character growth during their time on the run, though, and was certainly a better person at the end of the book. My favorite character by far was Joshua. He was smart, fun, interesting and mostly kind. It's no wonder Abbey was eventually completely charmed by him.

The story has many things that could make it more young adult: the main character's age, the list of "firsts" she has (including a first love), but it reads pretty adult as well. I think it can be a story enjoyed by any fantasy loved from teens on up. While perhaps a little slower in parts than I would have liked, it still delivers a solid story, manages to wrap up enough of the story to satisfy while also leaving plenty open for the sequel. The author has created an interesting, complex and unique world, here, and some characters I completely enjoyed. I look forward to reading more about Abbey and Joshua down the road.

Four stars.

READ AN EXCERPT

I could hear the confused murmurs of the drivers. Then, the dismissive humphs presumably accompanied by dismissive shrugs.

The carriage began to move forward again, encroaching on some dreadful fate. Even as the lanterns around us illuminated once again, I felt engulfed in numbing darkness.

Paul?

The Queen gazed impassively forward, then with a faint disinterested yawn, spoke. “I think we’ll take a walk for the remaining distance. I’ve not stretched my legs all night.”

One of the guards snapped his fingers, and the carriage halted.

Walk? Out there? With those things?

Despite my quivering knees, I followed the Queen out of the carriage. I had been conditioned over the last several months to follow orders, so it was less of a struggle than it might have been.

When the guards began to follow us, she stopped them with a faint flick of her wrist. “We’re on the castle grounds. We’ll be safe here.”

I wanted to contradict her but my throat seemed to have convulsed shut, the way vocal cords spasm when liquid threatens to erroneously enter the windpipe. It was all I could do just to breathe.

They bowed and climbed back into the carriage.

Floating in a world of confusion, I walked beside her stiff figure. How could we possibly be safe? I started to turn, wanting to look back and see Paul safely sitting in his carriage, though I knew he wasn’t there.

“Don’t,” she snapped in a hushed tone. “Your brother is dead now, and you will be as well if you let on that you saw anything.”

I stiffened, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other while the starry night spun dizzyingly around me. “I don’t understand, mum,” I managed to whisper.

She pursed her lips disapprovingly. “It’s obvious we’re under attack. They are already on the grounds.”

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