She is the fox, she is the wolf: 'Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf' review

She was raised by wolves, she was born to lead.

Ambessa Medarda, aka Riot Mommy, was introduced to us in the incredible Netflix original series Arcane, which is part of the lore for the ultra-popular MOBA game League of Legends and has the uncanny ability to continue to make me cry months after it ended. In the eight episode of the show's first season, we are introduced to this absolute powerhouse of a woman as she speaks to a young Mel Medarda, and she proceeds to not only grow on us as the show goes on, but she shows us what a real warrior looks - and thinks - like.

Ambessa quickly became loved by fans as Arcane continued to unfold and we all cheered as she officially entered the League world as a champion on PC and the mobile version of the game, Wild Rift. It was no surprise when it was announced she'd get her own book, too. Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf was released on print, ebook, and audiobook this past February 18th, and I've had the chance to read and completely lose myself in Ambessa's badass origin story, penned by none other than the BFA award–winning editor and Nebula Award–nominated author of The Unbroken and The Faithless, C. L. Clark.

C. L. Clark faithfully captures Ambessa's persona in Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf

C. L. Clark is the master of descriptive writing. Starting with the impeccably written prologue, I began to wonder if Clark is now officially in charge of Ambessa's backstory because it honestly feels like the both of them have been childhood friends. Clark knows Ambessa's heart and soul, and every chapter of Chosen of the Wolf feels like an intimate look at different angles of and obstacles in her life. When other beloved and well-known League champions like Rell, Kindred, Swain, and LeBlanc, just to name a few, make appearances, their unique essences and personalities are very much well-represented as well.

The prologue, as mentioned above, is the written version of the music video for the song "Blood, Sweat, and Tears" (which you can watch below), beautifully performed by the iconic Sheryl Lee Ralph for Arcane's second season's soundtrack. Every instance in this video is delved into, expanded upon, and explained - and holy shit, what a tale. Ambessa exudes badassness. She demands your respect, and this story details just how much she indeed deserves it.

If you're a fan of fantasy fiction, high fantasy, and, of course, League of Legends, you need to read this book. It highlights such a pivotal and strong character, with such an intense story full of blood, sweat, and tears, and it's a must-have for lore lovers of the franchise.

You can grab your paperback, hardcover, ebook, or audiobook copy of Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf at your favorite retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Pixigonal was provided with a free copy of Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf in exchange for an honest review.