I recently completed reading and listening to the Savior’s Champion by the lovely Jenna Moreci. I have been a fan of Jenna’s YouTube channel for a few years now. I read her debut novel, Eve: The Awakening, which is a fantastic start to a sci-fi series. The Savior’s Champion is a dark fantasy, first in a new series. It is epic and bloody and brilliant!
The story takes place in the fantasy realm of Thessen. When their holy queen, The Savior, turns 20, the realm holds a huge gladiatorial tournament to find her a husband. So, think the Bachelorette, except the challenges are more from the Hunger Games or Survivor on steroids. Twenty men are selected and the last man standing wins. Our hero, Tobias, enters, except he doesn’t give a rats about the Savior. He has his own motives, but revealing that can get him into a world of trouble.
Now, I am not going to give any more details than that because I don’t want to give any spoilers. You really should read this. The characters are engaging and diverse. (Enzo is one of my favorites of the other competitors.) The story is a wild adventure full of intrigue and action. Jenna’s writing style and attention to detail pulls you into the world so fully, you almost forget you’re reading. There were times it felt like you were in the stands or walking the Labyrinth with Tobias and his rivals.
It is, however, incredibly brutal. So, if you’re squeamish, maybe give it a miss. It’s also most definitely an adult book. Some reviewers have miscategorized TSC as a YA book but it’s not. The characters are adult. The subject matter is adult. The details are very adult.
I will, also, highly recommend the audio book. Nick Denton’s voice and Jenna’s story are the perfect combination. (Nick could read the dictionary and make it sound good, although that could be my bias toward swoony British accents) I’ve been on a big audio book kick lately because it’s easy to listen to while driving, working around the house, or playing with my daughter. (Given my prior warning, I did listen only after she went to bed or was napping)
I could gush about specific details but I don’t want to spoil anything. I will link Jenna’s website and YouTube channel below. TSC can be found pretty much everywhere. I hope you check this book out. I can’t wait for the next one in the series! You can bet I’ll be getting my hands on that as soon as it’s out.