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Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf
Set in the blockbuster and award-winning universe of League of Legends: Arcane and written by award-winning author C. L. Clark, discover a thrilling epic fantasy novel where Ambessa Medarda truly learns what it means to be a Chosen of the Wolf.
Medarda over all.
Ambessa Medarda: Warrior, general, mother. She is a woman to be feared, and the Medardas are unrivaled in their pursuit of glory. She has led conquests and armies. She has slain legendary beasts. She has made grave sacrifices in her ascent up the ranks. And for this she was rewarded: She entered the realm of death and was granted a vision of herself upon the throne of the vast Noxian empire.
But before she can lead her empire, she must become head of her own clan. Yet the title is contested by her cousin and former confidante, Ta'Fik. He knows the bloody sins of Ambessa's past. And he knows he cannot allow her to rise.
They will fight a war for the very soul of the Medardas.
But the war won't be fought on battlefields alone. Ambessa's daughter, Mel, can deftly break through the walls around anyone's heart, and she'll put her talents to use for her mother. Yet despite Mel's strength, Ambessa sees only a child who lacks her killer instincts. Mel knows she can be the leader Ambessa wants her to be, if only she gives her time.
With her family betraying her, enemies closing in on all sides, and unseen forces moving in the shadows, every day proves more dangerous than the last. But Ambessa will not bow. She will burn the world down to claim her place in it.
Medarda over all.
Ambessa Medarda: Warrior, general, mother. She is a woman to be feared, and the Medardas are unrivaled in their pursuit of glory. She has led conquests and armies. She has slain legendary beasts. She has made grave sacrifices in her ascent up the ranks. And for this she was rewarded: She entered the realm of death and was granted a vision of herself upon the throne of the vast Noxian empire.
But before she can lead her empire, she must become head of her own clan. Yet the title is contested by her cousin and former confidante, Ta'Fik. He knows the bloody sins of Ambessa's past. And he knows he cannot allow her to rise.
They will fight a war for the very soul of the Medardas.
But the war won't be fought on battlefields alone. Ambessa's daughter, Mel, can deftly break through the walls around anyone's heart, and she'll put her talents to use for her mother. Yet despite Mel's strength, Ambessa sees only a child who lacks her killer instincts. Mel knows she can be the leader Ambessa wants her to be, if only she gives her time.
With her family betraying her, enemies closing in on all sides, and unseen forces moving in the shadows, every day proves more dangerous than the last. But Ambessa will not bow. She will burn the world down to claim her place in it.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published February 18, 2025
510 people are currently reading
10k people want to read
About the author
C.L. Clark
23books1,854followersC.L. Clark is a BFA award-winning editor and Ignyte award-winning author of several books, including The Unbroken (Magic of the Lost trilogy), Fate's Bane (a novella), and Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf (an Arcane novel). She graduated from Indiana University’s creative writing MFA and was a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. She’s been a personal trainer, an English teacher, and an editor, and is some combination thereof as she travels the world. When she’s not writing or working, she’s learning languages,reading about war and [post-]colonial history,or trying not to throw her kettlebells through the wall. Her work has appeared in various SFF venues, including Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, , , and
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
January 12, 2025
WOW.
i knew this was gonna be good, but this exceeded all of my expectations! ambessa was a character i was immediately entranced by in arcane and i devoured this!
c. l. clark did a great job at staying true to ambessas character, as a ruthless / powerful figure who will do anything for her family and the medarda clan. i love how “the code� was embedded throughout the book, and how we even got some mel povs. they were some of my favourite chapters because i felt so much for her and everything she was going through. we learned so much about mages, the black rose, and noxus, and this makes me even more excited for more LoL shows in this world!
also, there is a sapphic romance (not with ambessa but with another character)! <3
i knew this was gonna be good, but this exceeded all of my expectations! ambessa was a character i was immediately entranced by in arcane and i devoured this!
c. l. clark did a great job at staying true to ambessas character, as a ruthless / powerful figure who will do anything for her family and the medarda clan. i love how “the code� was embedded throughout the book, and how we even got some mel povs. they were some of my favourite chapters because i felt so much for her and everything she was going through. we learned so much about mages, the black rose, and noxus, and this makes me even more excited for more LoL shows in this world!
also, there is a sapphic romance (not with ambessa but with another character)! <3
February 11, 2025
I'm sorry!! I feel like the bad guy! Look I think CL Clark has The Juice as an author which is why I'm so confused that this book is...um...juiceless.
Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf precedes Arcane by a few years, trailing Ambessa, Mel, and a few other characters as they grapple with a succession war within the Medarda family. A friend who may reveal themself if they so choose described this book as a sequence of events where Ambessa travels somewhere, fights about someone who is always offscreen, and then travels somewhere else to repeat the cycle. That's it! That's Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf. Clark's fight scenes are clear and propel you along, but there is little to distinguish one conflict from another even within context. In general the prose is quick and easy to follow, but unornamental, at times amateurish (a product of this being a review copy?), and I had a hard time grasping the appearence of different cities and characters.
This brings me to another mild complaint, which is that there are WAY too many minor characters here who kind of all meld together but who we kind of need to keep track of for politics reasons. That being said, the characters we recognize from League/Arcane (Ambessa, Mel, and Rell, for the most part) feel true to themselves as we know them. Clark captures Ambessa's voice perfectly, and I am sure that the audiobook narration from her voice actress will be fantastic. That ALSO being said, I never felt like I understood Ambessa's character more deeply than I already knew her from Arcane. People who just want MORE of the Ambessa we've seen will be served well; she's here, she's interesting, and she's Mother. But people hoping for deeper insights into the characterization of Ambessa and Mel may be disappointed. I know CL Clark was only able to watch the first three episodes of Arcane Season 2, and I believe this was a huge mistake on Riot's part. There are opportunities for deeper character work, as well as parallels between the show and the book, that are left entirely on the table, and I do not blame CL Clark for that at all.
To stress an earlier point, I think CL Clark is a talented writer. I follow her book recommendations and commentary like scripture, and her many character notes on Twitter and Instagram reveal a thorough understanding of the complexities of these characters and a deep interest in what makes them compelling. She's done the research into Runeterra as a setting. There is a parallel between the jealousies of Ambessa and Mel that I found so fascinating. There's a moment in the climax that made me gasp! But I couldn't help feeling that there is also some clunkiness in the execution here...where the landscapes and worldbuilding details faded into a generic backdrop and the pacing jitters between hours and months passing by within the space of a few paragraphs. I'm choosing to blame these on Riot Games. Not just because they won't give me another Kayn skin, but because I feel like the gap between Clark's goals and the goals of this book is wide and clear. A rushed schedule, maybe? A request to keep the book short, or to make it more accessible to the people coming from Arcane who are not regular high fantasy readers? Maybe it's condescending of me to make that probably-inaccurate guess, but it's an earnest question.
For the fellow League players hoping to have their Marvel fan moment and say I KNOW THAT NAME!!! (this is me): you will be served, but less so than in Ruination, which is probably a good thing. I liked the little cameos, and I like Rell a lot! All four of her fans (sorry) may not like some of the changes made to her lore, but I think her story follows a similar path while maintaining what we know of her character. And because I saw people Discoursing about it online:
Will be interested to hear thoughts from more League players! Thank you to Orbit for the ARC.
Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf precedes Arcane by a few years, trailing Ambessa, Mel, and a few other characters as they grapple with a succession war within the Medarda family. A friend who may reveal themself if they so choose described this book as a sequence of events where Ambessa travels somewhere, fights about someone who is always offscreen, and then travels somewhere else to repeat the cycle. That's it! That's Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf. Clark's fight scenes are clear and propel you along, but there is little to distinguish one conflict from another even within context. In general the prose is quick and easy to follow, but unornamental, at times amateurish (a product of this being a review copy?), and I had a hard time grasping the appearence of different cities and characters.
This brings me to another mild complaint, which is that there are WAY too many minor characters here who kind of all meld together but who we kind of need to keep track of for politics reasons. That being said, the characters we recognize from League/Arcane (Ambessa, Mel, and Rell, for the most part) feel true to themselves as we know them. Clark captures Ambessa's voice perfectly, and I am sure that the audiobook narration from her voice actress will be fantastic. That ALSO being said, I never felt like I understood Ambessa's character more deeply than I already knew her from Arcane. People who just want MORE of the Ambessa we've seen will be served well; she's here, she's interesting, and she's Mother. But people hoping for deeper insights into the characterization of Ambessa and Mel may be disappointed. I know CL Clark was only able to watch the first three episodes of Arcane Season 2, and I believe this was a huge mistake on Riot's part. There are opportunities for deeper character work, as well as parallels between the show and the book, that are left entirely on the table, and I do not blame CL Clark for that at all.
To stress an earlier point, I think CL Clark is a talented writer. I follow her book recommendations and commentary like scripture, and her many character notes on Twitter and Instagram reveal a thorough understanding of the complexities of these characters and a deep interest in what makes them compelling. She's done the research into Runeterra as a setting. There is a parallel between the jealousies of Ambessa and Mel that I found so fascinating. There's a moment in the climax that made me gasp! But I couldn't help feeling that there is also some clunkiness in the execution here...where the landscapes and worldbuilding details faded into a generic backdrop and the pacing jitters between hours and months passing by within the space of a few paragraphs. I'm choosing to blame these on Riot Games. Not just because they won't give me another Kayn skin, but because I feel like the gap between Clark's goals and the goals of this book is wide and clear. A rushed schedule, maybe? A request to keep the book short, or to make it more accessible to the people coming from Arcane who are not regular high fantasy readers? Maybe it's condescending of me to make that probably-inaccurate guess, but it's an earnest question.
For the fellow League players hoping to have their Marvel fan moment and say I KNOW THAT NAME!!! (this is me): you will be served, but less so than in Ruination, which is probably a good thing. I liked the little cameos, and I like Rell a lot! All four of her fans (sorry) may not like some of the changes made to her lore, but I think her story follows a similar path while maintaining what we know of her character. And because I saw people Discoursing about it online:
Will be interested to hear thoughts from more League players! Thank you to Orbit for the ARC.
February 11, 2025
An Arcane novel written by CL Clark with a cover like that? Sign me up!🔥
Ambessa Medarda is a warrior, general, mother. She is feared and obsessed with her pursuit of glory and ambition.
When her grandfather dies without naming an heir, she starts a civil war to become the clan head of the Medarda.
Violent, vicious, single-minded.😩
Ambessa is the main pov, but we get other chapters.
A young pit fighter handpicked by Ambessa who has potential. Raw or volatile?
Her teen children left behind who aren’t good enough, aren’t merciless enough to be named her heir. Soft hearted or trying to prove themselves their own way?
A past amour dabbling in magic experiments.
"Call me cruel and tell me that you have never known me, not once. I would do anything for the good of this family."
The battle scenes are gritty, explosive, and vivid. The characters are very MORALLY GREY. Each act is chosen with deliberation and purpose. Anger is an arrow.
There were a lot of names thrown at you and mentions of clan politics, places, and a wider world I couldn’t follow. Descriptions of characters were similarly very vague or non-existent.
I have watched Arcane, but not played League of Legends. You can enjoy this without prior knowledge of both, yet you might find some of the story relies on you filling in the gaps.
There are also illustrations and they are beautiful! I am not sure if this is the arc copy only, but the hardcover has beautiful coloured art too.
Physical arc gifted by Orbit!
Ambessa Medarda is a warrior, general, mother. She is feared and obsessed with her pursuit of glory and ambition.
When her grandfather dies without naming an heir, she starts a civil war to become the clan head of the Medarda.
Violent, vicious, single-minded.😩
Ambessa is the main pov, but we get other chapters.
A young pit fighter handpicked by Ambessa who has potential. Raw or volatile?
Her teen children left behind who aren’t good enough, aren’t merciless enough to be named her heir. Soft hearted or trying to prove themselves their own way?
A past amour dabbling in magic experiments.
"Call me cruel and tell me that you have never known me, not once. I would do anything for the good of this family."
The battle scenes are gritty, explosive, and vivid. The characters are very MORALLY GREY. Each act is chosen with deliberation and purpose. Anger is an arrow.
There were a lot of names thrown at you and mentions of clan politics, places, and a wider world I couldn’t follow. Descriptions of characters were similarly very vague or non-existent.
I have watched Arcane, but not played League of Legends. You can enjoy this without prior knowledge of both, yet you might find some of the story relies on you filling in the gaps.
There are also illustrations and they are beautiful! I am not sure if this is the arc copy only, but the hardcover has beautiful coloured art too.
Physical arc gifted by Orbit!
March 15, 2025
review pre-release
looking for the local cuisine application form
4.75/5
There is something so deeply wrong with the Medarda family…I love them so much.
[This contains spoilers for Arcane but only season 1]
I had a lot of apprehension going into this mainly because I already had a pretty strong characterization of Mel and Ambessa and would be devastated if this didn’t align with my read of them. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was. This book goes into how Ambessa became the matriarch of House Medarda. It starts out describing what occurred during the Blood Sweat and Tears music video and the flashback of young Mel we got from s1 of Arcane. Mel is featured throughout the book and it reveals a bunch about her upbringing and the events that led to her exile. This book is full of political intrigue that’ll have you on the edge of your seat, assassination attempts, plotting, betrayal, magical and fantastical elements, and most of all � which I think is the factor that shines through the most � intergenerational trauma. In addition to loving Arcane, if you love Mel and still have questions about her story I encourage you to pick this up.
I love fucked up mother/daughter relationships and CL Clark was able to capture the complexity of Mel and Ambessa’s dynamic and the complicated feelings they have about each other. The amount of inner conflict and turmoil Ambessa experiences throughout this book is extensively and masterfully explored. She is a ruthless warlord, groomed for the battlefield since before she could walk, who lies and schemes and has little room to allow herself to give in to true affection and vulnerability. She is prickly and made of sharp edges, she was taught to associate love with weakness or discipline and prioritize strength overall: a ripple effect that no one around her is spared from. But she is so full of depth, so full of verve, and an incredible amount of repression due to her upbringing that you (I) can’t help but understand where she’s coming from and why she is the way she is and does the things she does.
I also have to give a quick shoutout to my man Rictus, what a guy! I loved his dynamic with Ambessa and you could tell how deep their history went and the mutual respect and genuine love and care they had for each other.
Mel, my sweet princess who recoils at the thought of war and ruthlessness. Seeing Ambessa’s interactions with her family as well as other Noxians, it’s a miracle Mel survived this long in Noxus. She hasn’t changed much aside from gaining some wisdom. Mel is reasonable, caring, willing to see the potential for good in people, and is far more politically savvy than any 15 year old should be. This is exactly what puts her at risk with other Noxians and at odds with her mother who we know has the complete opposite ideology: shoot first, ask questions later. We see this play out on different occasions throughout the novel, it’s one of my favorite dynamics in the book as well as in Arcane because aside from being compelling characters in general, both make good points. Can’t say it was a delight to learn about her origins because her life is so tragic but I loved it. A corruption arc would be cool to see but the fact that Mel could’ve been much worse and is able to retain her convictions and keep herself open to others despite the people she grew up with is so special to me and I love her all the more for it. You don’t see this often, especially not for a dark-skinned black female character. She is flawed but complex and I find that beautiful. I love her in her entirety.
Rell also features quite a bit and her character shines so brilliantly! League players have expressed their disappointment to her retcon which I can understand, but if it helps � if you’re one of those players � the only major difference to her original lore is her age and the timeline of events. I slowly but surely came to love her as a character. Rell is an incredibly skilled 15 year old arena fighter, desperate to prove herself without compromising her dignity. She’s bright-eyed, curious, smart, loyal, and a tad bit shy when it comes to romance :3 she makes an amazing foil to Mel and I can’t wait for the Noxus spin-off to see how their dynamic develops. I enjoyed seeing her interactions with Ambessa, very excited to see what they do with her in the future.
That being said, I was a bit disappointed a certain someone's storyline turned out to be a carbon copy of a MC in Arcane and I also would've liked certain elements explored further (Mel and Elora for one, Mel and Kino for two, and this may be greedy but mentions of Ambessa's queerness for three...the setup was right there bro, throw me a crumb or something).
While this wasn't perfect, I had a lot of fun learning more about Mel's lore through Ambessa and I actually cried several times, especially towards the end.
I definitely recommend picking this up, especially the audiobook as it’s narrated by Ellen Thomas, Ambessa’s VA, which just adds so much more flair to the text. There are still some questions that remained unanswered, but I greatly enjoyed this.
Wow, the Medardas�.what a family!
looking for the local cuisine application form
4.75/5
There is something so deeply wrong with the Medarda family…I love them so much.
[This contains spoilers for Arcane but only season 1]
I had a lot of apprehension going into this mainly because I already had a pretty strong characterization of Mel and Ambessa and would be devastated if this didn’t align with my read of them. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was. This book goes into how Ambessa became the matriarch of House Medarda. It starts out describing what occurred during the Blood Sweat and Tears music video and the flashback of young Mel we got from s1 of Arcane. Mel is featured throughout the book and it reveals a bunch about her upbringing and the events that led to her exile. This book is full of political intrigue that’ll have you on the edge of your seat, assassination attempts, plotting, betrayal, magical and fantastical elements, and most of all � which I think is the factor that shines through the most � intergenerational trauma. In addition to loving Arcane, if you love Mel and still have questions about her story I encourage you to pick this up.
I love fucked up mother/daughter relationships and CL Clark was able to capture the complexity of Mel and Ambessa’s dynamic and the complicated feelings they have about each other. The amount of inner conflict and turmoil Ambessa experiences throughout this book is extensively and masterfully explored. She is a ruthless warlord, groomed for the battlefield since before she could walk, who lies and schemes and has little room to allow herself to give in to true affection and vulnerability. She is prickly and made of sharp edges, she was taught to associate love with weakness or discipline and prioritize strength overall: a ripple effect that no one around her is spared from. But she is so full of depth, so full of verve, and an incredible amount of repression due to her upbringing that you (I) can’t help but understand where she’s coming from and why she is the way she is and does the things she does.
I also have to give a quick shoutout to my man Rictus, what a guy! I loved his dynamic with Ambessa and you could tell how deep their history went and the mutual respect and genuine love and care they had for each other.
Mel, my sweet princess who recoils at the thought of war and ruthlessness. Seeing Ambessa’s interactions with her family as well as other Noxians, it’s a miracle Mel survived this long in Noxus. She hasn’t changed much aside from gaining some wisdom. Mel is reasonable, caring, willing to see the potential for good in people, and is far more politically savvy than any 15 year old should be. This is exactly what puts her at risk with other Noxians and at odds with her mother who we know has the complete opposite ideology: shoot first, ask questions later. We see this play out on different occasions throughout the novel, it’s one of my favorite dynamics in the book as well as in Arcane because aside from being compelling characters in general, both make good points. Can’t say it was a delight to learn about her origins because her life is so tragic but I loved it. A corruption arc would be cool to see but the fact that Mel could’ve been much worse and is able to retain her convictions and keep herself open to others despite the people she grew up with is so special to me and I love her all the more for it. You don’t see this often, especially not for a dark-skinned black female character. She is flawed but complex and I find that beautiful. I love her in her entirety.
Rell also features quite a bit and her character shines so brilliantly! League players have expressed their disappointment to her retcon which I can understand, but if it helps � if you’re one of those players � the only major difference to her original lore is her age and the timeline of events. I slowly but surely came to love her as a character. Rell is an incredibly skilled 15 year old arena fighter, desperate to prove herself without compromising her dignity. She’s bright-eyed, curious, smart, loyal, and a tad bit shy when it comes to romance :3 she makes an amazing foil to Mel and I can’t wait for the Noxus spin-off to see how their dynamic develops. I enjoyed seeing her interactions with Ambessa, very excited to see what they do with her in the future.
That being said, I was a bit disappointed a certain someone's storyline turned out to be a carbon copy of a MC in Arcane and I also would've liked certain elements explored further (Mel and Elora for one, Mel and Kino for two, and this may be greedy but mentions of Ambessa's queerness for three...the setup was right there bro, throw me a crumb or something).
While this wasn't perfect, I had a lot of fun learning more about Mel's lore through Ambessa and I actually cried several times, especially towards the end.
I definitely recommend picking this up, especially the audiobook as it’s narrated by Ellen Thomas, Ambessa’s VA, which just adds so much more flair to the text. There are still some questions that remained unanswered, but I greatly enjoyed this.
Wow, the Medardas�.what a family!
Want to read
December 11, 2024Have I watched Arcane? No. Do I know who Ambessa is? Also no. Will I read anything C.L Clark writes? Hell fucking yes
Want to read
October 31, 2024oh my god
as much as I love league, I did not expect to see this in a publisher request form + Ambessa actually becoming a champion soon
this is CRAZY
I NEED THIS IMMEDIATELY 😩
as much as I love league, I did not expect to see this in a publisher request form + Ambessa actually becoming a champion soon
this is CRAZY
I NEED THIS IMMEDIATELY 😩
January 20, 2025
3.5 Stars
As someone who has casually watched some of season 1&2 of Arcane, I am aware of the League of Legends universe but not a diehard fan. So I went into this novel to see if it holds up as a fantasy novel without the bias of being a superfan.
I am happy to report that the novel held up well. I have read this author's original work and so I wasn't surprised to find that they brought the same quality to this franchise. This novel featured a fierce protagonist. The writing was rich and I enjoyed the worldbuilding.
I liked it quite a bit so I would highly recommend it to readers who love this universe. As a casual fan, it's a good fantasy story but the kind that is likely to become an all time favourite.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher
As someone who has casually watched some of season 1&2 of Arcane, I am aware of the League of Legends universe but not a diehard fan. So I went into this novel to see if it holds up as a fantasy novel without the bias of being a superfan.
I am happy to report that the novel held up well. I have read this author's original work and so I wasn't surprised to find that they brought the same quality to this franchise. This novel featured a fierce protagonist. The writing was rich and I enjoyed the worldbuilding.
I liked it quite a bit so I would highly recommend it to readers who love this universe. As a casual fan, it's a good fantasy story but the kind that is likely to become an all time favourite.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher
January 3, 2025
an arc of this showed up at my doorstep at 1:46pm and I just finished at 4:04pm. Minus like twenty minutes of me shrieking to all my arcane mutuals those 400 pages had me enthralled for two hours. While this is Ambessa centric, WE GET SO MUCH MEL !!!!
The beginning takes place with that iconic scene of Ambessa asking Mel what they should do about that rebel leader as a kid and then killing her when Mel wants to let her live. It’s word for word what they say in Arcane and now I want the entire series in book format exactly like that. This book ends with Mel being exiled to piltover, and we also get background knowledge on how her golden tattoos/armor came to be(and also the black rose)!!
Also, Ambessa really has a thing for training young lesbians. We get introduced to Rell’s character.
PLEASE I NEED MORE ARCANE BOOKS
The beginning takes place with that iconic scene of Ambessa asking Mel what they should do about that rebel leader as a kid and then killing her when Mel wants to let her live. It’s word for word what they say in Arcane and now I want the entire series in book format exactly like that. This book ends with Mel being exiled to piltover, and we also get background knowledge on how her golden tattoos/armor came to be(and also the black rose)!!
Also, Ambessa really has a thing for training young lesbians. We get introduced to Rell’s character.
PLEASE I NEED MORE ARCANE BOOKS
Want to read
November 19, 2024LETS FUCKING GOOOOO!!!! i'm seated. the bookstore employees are scared and asking me to leave because it's "not 2025 yet" but i'm simply too seated. etc
Read
January 26, 2025RTC
CW: violence, death, war, loss of loved one, human experimentation, torture, kidnapping, child abuse, blood & gore, injury detail, death of father (on page), death of grandfather, pregnancy, alcohol
CW: violence, death, war, loss of loved one, human experimentation, torture, kidnapping, child abuse, blood & gore, injury detail, death of father (on page), death of grandfather, pregnancy, alcohol
Want to read
November 19, 2024oh i love when tv shows get spinoff books im so so excited
March 6, 2025
Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf is an epic fantasy novel, set in the League of Legends universe, written by C. L. Clark, and published by Orbit Books. A story that follows the ascension of Ambessa Medarda to the very head of the Medarda family, with a gripping plot that also takes the opportunity to flesh out a cast of memorable characters, incredibly tense fights and which gives us an unique insight into how Noxus is governed.
Ambessa, warrior, general, and mother. From the very young, she was raised to be strong and ambitious by her grandfather; after he dies without naming an heir, and rumours are spread of Ambessa being involved in his death, forcing her into starting a very own civil war between the Medarda to become the head of the clan. Clark takes this premise to deliver not only an epic story about Ambessa, but also does an excellent portrait about the character and her inner conflicts.
Not only we have a compelling and interesting character in Ambessa, but we have a deep examination over her; a ruthless warrior that was groomed from early age to battle, and that doesn't have margin to show vulnerability or affection. But outside of being a warrior, she's also a mother that cares about her siblings and it's worried about them not being strong enough to take her place in such an aggressive and scheming place as Noxus; she's as conflicted as she perceives them as weak to what she expected.
But outside of Ambessa, I have to say that there's a character that steals the spotlight: Rell. Not only we get a totally new lore about her origins, but Clark delivers a character that grows so much during the novel. Rell starts being a naïve but strong girl, who hasn't seen much of the world; but together with Ambessa, she experiences so many more things, and especially, someone who Rell can trust (especially seeing how her parents were focused on exploiting her talents).
The rest of the cast is quite interesting, as Clark decides to put part of the narrative weight into the shoulder of some secondary characters, especially on Mel, a character that is also strong, but not in the sense Noxus and her mother expects, and who is under a great danger if she's discovered by the wrong people.
The worldbuilding was another of the aspects that sucked me so hard into the story; not only how Noxus operates, but also their secret organizations (hello, Leblanc and the Black Rose). We will visit many parts of the Empire (mention deserved to the Immortal Bastion), and arcane powers will be explored. The pacing is relatively fast, and let me tell you, but Clark is an absolute master at writing fighting scenes.
Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf is all I could ask from an epic fantasy novel: an excellent cast of characters, a world that makes me want to know more and a plot that kept me hooked until the end. An excellent novel by such a great writer as C. L. Clark.
Currently reading
October 29, 2024i need this so bad
Want to read
November 13, 2024an ambessa book written by THE C.L. Clark?? sign me up 😍😍😍
April 11, 2025
Ambessa to zdecydowanie książka C.L.Clark, które lubuje się w stoickich akcjach, przestrzeniach wypełnionych piaskiem i pustką, emocjami, które dziko biją pod skórą, nie mogąc się spod niej wydostać. To bardzo wolne, ale jakże wciągające opowieści. Każdy drobny element ma znaczenie, i na każdy z nich przyjdzie odpowiednia pora. Kontynuacja (czy też raczej prequel) do uniwersum Arcane zdecydowanie wpisuje się w preferencje osoby autorskiej � Clark i Ambessa były dla siebie stworzone.
Natomiast chciałabym, by ta ostatnia śruba została mocniej dokręcona. Współpraca z twórcami Arcane na pewno wiele pomogła, ale nie mogę się oprzeć wrażeniu, że jednocześnie narzuciła pewne nieprzekraczalne granice, dlatego też osoba autorska nie mogła pójść na całość. Nie zrozumcie mnie źle, to jest świetna książka. Wracało mi się do niej z pełnią entuzjazmu i zaintrygowania, czytało się długo, a jednak żadna ze stron nie nudziła. Wątki były świetne, bohaterowie cudnie rozwinięci, zwroty akcji � opadającoszczękogenne. Ale mogło jednak dać to 101%, mogło uderzyć jeszcze mocniej.
Nie będę ukrywać, będę często wracać myślami fo tej książki.
Natomiast chciałabym, by ta ostatnia śruba została mocniej dokręcona. Współpraca z twórcami Arcane na pewno wiele pomogła, ale nie mogę się oprzeć wrażeniu, że jednocześnie narzuciła pewne nieprzekraczalne granice, dlatego też osoba autorska nie mogła pójść na całość. Nie zrozumcie mnie źle, to jest świetna książka. Wracało mi się do niej z pełnią entuzjazmu i zaintrygowania, czytało się długo, a jednak żadna ze stron nie nudziła. Wątki były świetne, bohaterowie cudnie rozwinięci, zwroty akcji � opadającoszczękogenne. Ale mogło jednak dać to 101%, mogło uderzyć jeszcze mocniej.
Nie będę ukrywać, będę często wracać myślami fo tej książki.
April 9, 2025
Jestem godna podziwu że, autorka potrafiła nadać autentyczności i człowieczeństwa postacią w których tego nie widziałam.
Nie lubiłam Ambessy, w grze czy też w Arcane, nie przypadła mi do gustu i po prostu miałam ją za tyrana (Mel też nie lubiłam lol) a tutaj polubiłam je obie i z uwagą śledziłam ich los.
Największym zaskoczeniem była dla mnie postać Rell! którą polubiłam najbardziej i mam nadzieję (ze względu na końcówkę że, dostanie swoją książkę ale nadzieja matką głupich bo to rito w końcu)
W przeciwieństwie do Zrujnowania (książki osadzonej w tym samym świecie ale innym czasie) tutaj mało było postaci które już znam ze świata Lola i trochę mi było tego szkoda bo wiele z nich oczekiwałam i chciałam poznać ich losy :/ stąd też mały minusik
Poza tym bawiłam sie świetnie a książkę jak się zacznie to ciężko się od niej oderwać 💜🌸
Nie lubiłam Ambessy, w grze czy też w Arcane, nie przypadła mi do gustu i po prostu miałam ją za tyrana (Mel też nie lubiłam lol) a tutaj polubiłam je obie i z uwagą śledziłam ich los.
Największym zaskoczeniem była dla mnie postać Rell! którą polubiłam najbardziej i mam nadzieję (ze względu na końcówkę że, dostanie swoją książkę ale nadzieja matką głupich bo to rito w końcu)
W przeciwieństwie do Zrujnowania (książki osadzonej w tym samym świecie ale innym czasie) tutaj mało było postaci które już znam ze świata Lola i trochę mi było tego szkoda bo wiele z nich oczekiwałam i chciałam poznać ich losy :/ stąd też mały minusik
Poza tym bawiłam sie świetnie a książkę jak się zacznie to ciężko się od niej oderwać 💜🌸
February 18, 2025
OH. MY. GOD.
I knew I was going to love this, but WOW. I devoured it. Absolutely inhaled it. Arcane has been living in my brain rent-free since season 2 dropped, and while I’m dying to see what happens next in Noxus, this book was exactly what I needed to fill the void.
We follow Ambessa, who is just as ruthless, powerful, and terrifying as I hoped she’d be, but also so much more. She’s strategic, loyal (in her own way), and willing to do anything for her family.
We also got Mel’s POV! Hello?? Absolutely heartbreaking. Seeing her struggles and the weight of her family’s legacy made me love her character even more.
I was obsessed with learning more about Ambessa, Mel, the Medarda clan, and all the messy politics of Noxus. Also, the Black Rose? The mages?? The CODE??? I was SAT.
And the writing??? Perfection. C. L. Clark GETS these characters. The pacing is perfect, and the tension in every scene had me hooked. I’ve been in a reading slump, but I flew through this book because I physically could not put it down. Every chapter pulled me in deeper, and before I knew it, I was at the end, screaming.
Now, do I play League of Legends? No. Am I ever going to? Probably not. But the lore is chef’s kiss, and this book made me even more obsessed with it. Every second of this story was amazing, and now I’m sitting here, dramatically staring into the distance.
If you love Arcane, this book is a must-read.
It’s everything I wanted and more. Thank you, C. L. Clark, for feeding us.
Also, huge thanks to Hachette and Orbit UK for the review copy, you made my year!
I knew I was going to love this, but WOW. I devoured it. Absolutely inhaled it. Arcane has been living in my brain rent-free since season 2 dropped, and while I’m dying to see what happens next in Noxus, this book was exactly what I needed to fill the void.
We follow Ambessa, who is just as ruthless, powerful, and terrifying as I hoped she’d be, but also so much more. She’s strategic, loyal (in her own way), and willing to do anything for her family.
We also got Mel’s POV! Hello?? Absolutely heartbreaking. Seeing her struggles and the weight of her family’s legacy made me love her character even more.
I was obsessed with learning more about Ambessa, Mel, the Medarda clan, and all the messy politics of Noxus. Also, the Black Rose? The mages?? The CODE??? I was SAT.
And the writing??? Perfection. C. L. Clark GETS these characters. The pacing is perfect, and the tension in every scene had me hooked. I’ve been in a reading slump, but I flew through this book because I physically could not put it down. Every chapter pulled me in deeper, and before I knew it, I was at the end, screaming.
Now, do I play League of Legends? No. Am I ever going to? Probably not. But the lore is chef’s kiss, and this book made me even more obsessed with it. Every second of this story was amazing, and now I’m sitting here, dramatically staring into the distance.
If you love Arcane, this book is a must-read.
It’s everything I wanted and more. Thank you, C. L. Clark, for feeding us.
Also, huge thanks to Hachette and Orbit UK for the review copy, you made my year!
March 8, 2025
A fast-paced adventure with plenty of action and intrigue. Though it's set in the world of League of Legends and with characters from Arcane, it's not necessary to know any previous lore to get on with Ambessa.
There's definitely a lot here to like. Plenty of cool action, a few mysteries, and tons of intrigue. There's also a few cameos from LoL characters, enough to give people who do know the game those "Oooh!!!" moments.
Unfortunately, I found the characterisations to be severely lacking in this entry. Every character felt pretty flat and similar. Strange because I love CL Clark's other books.
Overall, a fine entry to the LoL verse with some good back story for some loved characters from Arcane especially.
There's definitely a lot here to like. Plenty of cool action, a few mysteries, and tons of intrigue. There's also a few cameos from LoL characters, enough to give people who do know the game those "Oooh!!!" moments.
Unfortunately, I found the characterisations to be severely lacking in this entry. Every character felt pretty flat and similar. Strange because I love CL Clark's other books.
Overall, a fine entry to the LoL verse with some good back story for some loved characters from Arcane especially.
Want to read
January 29, 2025YOU BET YOUR ASS IM GOING TO BE READING 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
January 17, 2025
4.5/5
Ambessa's such an interesting character. She should be so offputting to me, yet Clark writes her in a way that's so so compelling. Always fascinated with the headspaces of characters who've decided to turn themselves into the main character, whether the narrative wants them there or not. Loved how much new screentime we get of Rictus in this. What an absolute bro. Favorite side character.
If I had one complaint, its that as a league fan I wish we got more worldbuilding of Noxus itself. Ambessa is surprisingly standalone with how few league characters make appearances. But the story itself does mostly take place on the edges of the country so I guess its understandable. On the other hand, its a fantastic companion novel to the Arcane series. We get more of Mel's background filled in and it sets the stage for much of what happens in Season 2.
Ambessa's such an interesting character. She should be so offputting to me, yet Clark writes her in a way that's so so compelling. Always fascinated with the headspaces of characters who've decided to turn themselves into the main character, whether the narrative wants them there or not. Loved how much new screentime we get of Rictus in this. What an absolute bro. Favorite side character.
If I had one complaint, its that as a league fan I wish we got more worldbuilding of Noxus itself. Ambessa is surprisingly standalone with how few league characters make appearances. But the story itself does mostly take place on the edges of the country so I guess its understandable. On the other hand, its a fantastic companion novel to the Arcane series. We get more of Mel's background filled in and it sets the stage for much of what happens in Season 2.
March 6, 2025
What a book! It was such a fun read.
You read mainly from Ambessa perspective but also from Mel and Rells perspective.
Having some prior knowledge of both Arcane and League of Legends helps a bit with understanding the book and some characters. The book even took a few scenes directly from Arcane and surrounding content and wrote them from Ambessa's perspective, which was super interesting!
I was expecting that this book would make me understand Ambessa's motives or even make me see her in a positive light, but man, the whole Medarda family is just an absolute mess it's insane. When I thought it couldn't get crazier it just kept going.
You read mainly from Ambessa perspective but also from Mel and Rells perspective.
Having some prior knowledge of both Arcane and League of Legends helps a bit with understanding the book and some characters. The book even took a few scenes directly from Arcane and surrounding content and wrote them from Ambessa's perspective, which was super interesting!
I was expecting that this book would make me understand Ambessa's motives or even make me see her in a positive light, but man, the whole Medarda family is just an absolute mess it's insane. When I thought it couldn't get crazier it just kept going.
April 12, 2025
i absolutely devoured this book.
c.l clark did a fantastic job staying true to ambessa medarda’s character when writing her backstory. this book made me love ambessa even more tbh. the complex mother-daughter relationship with ambessa, and mel was captured so perfectly, and it’s so tragic knowing the ending (mel medarda they could NEVER make me hate you). i loved learning about the rest of the medarda family.
my one criticism is the pacing, i think that the book was just a bit rushed in terms of the plot.
c.l clark did a fantastic job staying true to ambessa medarda’s character when writing her backstory. this book made me love ambessa even more tbh. the complex mother-daughter relationship with ambessa, and mel was captured so perfectly, and it’s so tragic knowing the ending (mel medarda they could NEVER make me hate you). i loved learning about the rest of the medarda family.
my one criticism is the pacing, i think that the book was just a bit rushed in terms of the plot.
Want to read
January 28, 2025I want to read this for Mel's background story and Mel's background story only. I don’t care about Ambessa 🙆♀�
February 16, 2025
bruh
im gonna give this a proper review once its officially published but holy shit was this good if you love the medardas you gotta read this
im gonna give this a proper review once its officially published but holy shit was this good if you love the medardas you gotta read this
March 22, 2025
⭐️⭐️.5
positives:
- I do feel like the characterizations in here are really strong; also, the world/lore felt well researched.
- I loved Ambessa’s multilayered rageful badass perspective & her unwavering loyalty to her family that leads to questionable morals at times.
- I really enjoyed Mel’s perspectives & those were probably my favourite portions of this book.
- I also think there were some epic quotes/moments in here, & some fun league name drops.
- I was locked in enough to binge this book in pretty much a day and a half?
Negatives:
- My issues are in the story/plot structure primarily. It really just felt like this didn’t really go anywhere new? It just felt pretty repetitive & laid out what the Medarda’s were up to leading up to the Arcane show, all of which we are already told/shown on the show??
I’m quite surprised there haven’t been more Arcane/League books coming out�? (I have read the Lux graphic novels and loved those, and I am interested in trying out Ruination) I feel there’s definitely a market for more!!! I would love to know Ekko’s journey into the Fireflies/Post Arcane Ekko, & prequel Vander x Silco. I’m not a CaitVi shipper personally, but I know maaaaannnyyy diva’s love them and I feel there’s a market for a post Arcane book about them?? Or Jayvik??? Heimerdinger???? Jinx (surviving season 2) and heading to Demacia to kick it with Lux??? I’m just surprised they aren’t doing more because the people want it!!!
I know my rating is low for this, but I do think if you love Arcane but most especially loved Mel or Ambessa, or if you are a League fan who loves Noxus this might be for you 🤪
positives:
- I do feel like the characterizations in here are really strong; also, the world/lore felt well researched.
- I loved Ambessa’s multilayered rageful badass perspective & her unwavering loyalty to her family that leads to questionable morals at times.
- I really enjoyed Mel’s perspectives & those were probably my favourite portions of this book.
- I also think there were some epic quotes/moments in here, & some fun league name drops.
- I was locked in enough to binge this book in pretty much a day and a half?
Negatives:
- My issues are in the story/plot structure primarily. It really just felt like this didn’t really go anywhere new? It just felt pretty repetitive & laid out what the Medarda’s were up to leading up to the Arcane show, all of which we are already told/shown on the show??
I’m quite surprised there haven’t been more Arcane/League books coming out�? (I have read the Lux graphic novels and loved those, and I am interested in trying out Ruination) I feel there’s definitely a market for more!!! I would love to know Ekko’s journey into the Fireflies/Post Arcane Ekko, & prequel Vander x Silco. I’m not a CaitVi shipper personally, but I know maaaaannnyyy diva’s love them and I feel there’s a market for a post Arcane book about them?? Or Jayvik??? Heimerdinger???? Jinx (surviving season 2) and heading to Demacia to kick it with Lux??? I’m just surprised they aren’t doing more because the people want it!!!
I know my rating is low for this, but I do think if you love Arcane but most especially loved Mel or Ambessa, or if you are a League fan who loves Noxus this might be for you 🤪
March 18, 2025
this one’s for the girls with complicated relationships with their mother
Ambessa was so easy to hate in arcane and while she does a lot of also morally bad stuff in this book, i can’t help but love her. THIS is how you write a very complex character.
she’s so ruthless to everyone and is serious as hell when she says ”A wolf has no mercy.� but she’s also a mother and her complicated relationship with Mel and Kino is driven by her fierce love for them and was written well.
also MEL I LOVE MEL! her pov’s were some of my favorites, she’s trying so hard to prove her strength. and finally getting some answers about her birth father and her tattoo’s was great.
i also haven’t played League of Legends a day in my life and don’t plan to but i would love to read more about Rell, plus i do love me a little sapphic romance and i though hers with Tora was so cute.
RIOT GAMES PLEASE GIVE ME MORE NOVELS ON ARCANE CHARACTERS🙏🙏🙏
”But mark me, child, if you want to last in this world, you must learn to be both the fox and the wolf.�
“Because I think that is too often the trouble with parents. They see only what they want for us, and not what we are in front of them."
“A Medarda does what it takes. No matter what it takes."
"Call me cruel and tell me that you have never known me, not once. I would do anything for the good of this family."
Ambessa was so easy to hate in arcane and while she does a lot of also morally bad stuff in this book, i can’t help but love her. THIS is how you write a very complex character.
she’s so ruthless to everyone and is serious as hell when she says ”A wolf has no mercy.� but she’s also a mother and her complicated relationship with Mel and Kino is driven by her fierce love for them and was written well.
also MEL I LOVE MEL! her pov’s were some of my favorites, she’s trying so hard to prove her strength. and finally getting some answers about her birth father and her tattoo’s was great.
i also haven’t played League of Legends a day in my life and don’t plan to but i would love to read more about Rell, plus i do love me a little sapphic romance and i though hers with Tora was so cute.
RIOT GAMES PLEASE GIVE ME MORE NOVELS ON ARCANE CHARACTERS🙏🙏🙏
”But mark me, child, if you want to last in this world, you must learn to be both the fox and the wolf.�
“Because I think that is too often the trouble with parents. They see only what they want for us, and not what we are in front of them."
“A Medarda does what it takes. No matter what it takes."
"Call me cruel and tell me that you have never known me, not once. I would do anything for the good of this family."
Want to read
February 4, 2025AHHHHHHH
mel povs?!?!
mel povs?!?!
February 14, 2025
if i had a nickel for every time ambessa picks up a troubled and conflicted gay to be her henchman i’d have 2 nickels, which isn’t a lot but�
i just finished this and i want to scream but i can’t because i’m on the train, so i settled for a dramatic slamming-the-book-closed and an ‘oh shit�.
3.75/5
[review]
if you liked arcane this may or may not make your head explode. if you have not watched the show fear not, the bullet points below aren’t spoilers but probably won’t make much sense so feel free to skip past these !
- my jaw was on the floor from page 17 omg when you start this make sure you have your phone on hand !!
- set a few years before the show, this book offers so much insight into ambessa (obviously) but now everything she ever did makes so much more sense. sure i don’t agree with it but wow gifts love a traumatic backstory for some context eh ?
- we get to meet lots of new characters from the wider league of legends world (i have never played this game my knowledge is from my constant googling) and of course learn a little more about mel and her brother’s past. i learnt so much lore it felt illegal and my heart broke
we are introduced to ambessa, a war general whose father has recently died, and follow her struggle for power against her cousin in a fight to be his true heir. it’s very political but also quite brutal and heartbreaking.
ambessa is a difficult character, morally grey if you will, and the pure conflict and frustration i felt whilst reading her passages was so intense: i had this constant sense of dread, which probably isn’t exactly a selling point, but it meant i just couldn’t put this book down.
the pacing was…okay. the first half was fine but i think it did end up dragging at points in the middle and felt a bit more clunky towards the end.
as much as i loved learning about the world and meeting new characters i do wish there was MORE. with a few exceptions, everything and everyone was very surface-level. considering there’s quite a bit of travelling from place to place i’d expected us to learn more about these places and come to understand the people. there were a lot of times when i thought we’d get more info on a certain character/location but we just…wouldn’t. i think part of the problem probably stems from the sheer number of people and places, but even significant players weren’t as thoroughly explored as i’d have liked to see.
oh and this is just a personal thing and may not be as prevalent in the finished copy but the word ‘opulent� was used SO MUCH to describe basically anything remotely fancy.
despite my criticisms i did really enjoy this book � i would LOVE to see more instalments in this world because one is simply not enough.
tw: violence, blood, graphic gore/injuries, death, death of loved ones/family figures, kidnapping, manipulation, torture
i just finished this and i want to scream but i can’t because i’m on the train, so i settled for a dramatic slamming-the-book-closed and an ‘oh shit�.
3.75/5
[review]
if you liked arcane this may or may not make your head explode. if you have not watched the show fear not, the bullet points below aren’t spoilers but probably won’t make much sense so feel free to skip past these !
- my jaw was on the floor from page 17 omg when you start this make sure you have your phone on hand !!
- set a few years before the show, this book offers so much insight into ambessa (obviously) but now everything she ever did makes so much more sense. sure i don’t agree with it but wow gifts love a traumatic backstory for some context eh ?
- we get to meet lots of new characters from the wider league of legends world (i have never played this game my knowledge is from my constant googling) and of course learn a little more about mel and her brother’s past. i learnt so much lore it felt illegal and my heart broke
we are introduced to ambessa, a war general whose father has recently died, and follow her struggle for power against her cousin in a fight to be his true heir. it’s very political but also quite brutal and heartbreaking.
ambessa is a difficult character, morally grey if you will, and the pure conflict and frustration i felt whilst reading her passages was so intense: i had this constant sense of dread, which probably isn’t exactly a selling point, but it meant i just couldn’t put this book down.
the pacing was…okay. the first half was fine but i think it did end up dragging at points in the middle and felt a bit more clunky towards the end.
as much as i loved learning about the world and meeting new characters i do wish there was MORE. with a few exceptions, everything and everyone was very surface-level. considering there’s quite a bit of travelling from place to place i’d expected us to learn more about these places and come to understand the people. there were a lot of times when i thought we’d get more info on a certain character/location but we just…wouldn’t. i think part of the problem probably stems from the sheer number of people and places, but even significant players weren’t as thoroughly explored as i’d have liked to see.
oh and this is just a personal thing and may not be as prevalent in the finished copy but the word ‘opulent� was used SO MUCH to describe basically anything remotely fancy.
despite my criticisms i did really enjoy this book � i would LOVE to see more instalments in this world because one is simply not enough.
tw: violence, blood, graphic gore/injuries, death, death of loved ones/family figures, kidnapping, manipulation, torture
Want to read
January 4, 2025Sorry WHAT??? An Ambessa book????? need this badly. ASAP
Want to read
November 24, 2024CL CLARK WRITING FOR MOTHER AMBESSA ??????? WHAT THE FUCJJDNDBDBD
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