The Seventh Champion

By: Sylvia Mercedes

Narrated by: Steve West, Katharine Lee McEwan

A dragon princess joins forces with a scarred prince to escape a competition for her hand in marriage, unaware he is hiding dark secrets of his own in the first of a new romantasy duology from the author of Bride of the Shadow King.

Swept from her quiet life as an apothecary’s apprentice to the treacherous court of the High King, Rosie Harpwood is shocked to discover she is the long-lost daughter of the demonic Dragon Queen. Reawakening her dormant magic is the kingdom's only hope for salvation, but the journey is perilous, and she'll need a champion to guide her. So the High King hosts a series of trials to determine which prince is worthy of the honor — as well as claiming Rosie's hand in marriage.

Rosie, however, has other ideas.

A talented healer and lover of small, fluffy creatures, Rosie wants nothing to do with demon queens or saving the world. Determined to escape this fate, she joins forces with one of the champions to plot her getaway. Prince Valtar may be enigmatic and a little bit terrifying, but something about him makes her blood burn in ways that have nothing to do with her dragon heritage.

Trained from youth to serve the Dragon Queen, Valtar has proven himself a ruthless assassin. Posing as a suitor to get close enough to his target shouldn't be a problem. But Valtar wasn’t planning on his target being Rosie, the girl he failed to assassinate years ago . . . who has haunted his dreams ever since.

Critic reviews

"I've always admired Sylvia Mercedes for the seemingly effortless skill she brings to her storytelling, and it's on display again in The Seventh Champion. With a sunshiney heroine who's a pure delight, a grumpy hero to swoon over, and a thoroughly entertaining, romance-infused, action-packed plot, this book is the absolute in reading pleasure."—India Holton, international bestselling author of The Geographer’s Map to Romance

“I was enchanted from the moment I read the opening line, and once I started reading, I could not stop. Full of charming wit, deadly trials, and the most delicious slow-burn yearning. I am utterly obsessed with this grumpy-sunshine pair!”—Tessonja Odette, author of A Rivalry of Hearts

“The Seventh Champion was such a fun romantasy read! Featuring a dragon princess and the deadly trials that pit her suitors against one another, this book kept me guessing until the last page. Rosie was a funny and endearing sunshine heroine, and Valtar the perfect broody--and loomy!--counterpart. I can't wait for the sequel to find out what Sylvia has in store for these two!”—Demi Winters, author of The Road of Bones

"With delicious banter and a tightly woven plot, Mercedes (Bride of the Shadow King) once again entices readers into a romantasy world they’ll be loathe to leave...Sharp dialogue, plentiful action, and well-developed characters build a fascinating foundation for Mercedes’s promising new series."—Publishers Weekly

"A thrilling and romantic fantasy adventure...The Seventh Champion is a fast-paced and exciting beginning to The Dragon Queen duology."—BookPage

"Mercedes’s (Bride of the Shadow King) Seventh Champion duology opens with a low-steam, action-packed book. Recommended for Sarah J. Maas and Elise Kova fans looking for a story about a young heroine who is waiting to reach her full power."—Library Journal

Wow

This story was incredible. Another gem from Sylvia. She writes such incredible FMCs, this one no different. Her inner voice is hilarious and delightful. The narrators are perfect for the story.

Surprised by how much I loved it. Might be best yet from Sylvia Mercedes.

Wish I wasn’t first to give a 5⭐️ , be more credible. I never heard of this one, wasn’t gifted it and I’m not a beta reader. I stumbled on it and yay! It’s one of those gems I just love finding.
I’ve read quite a few Sylvia Mercedes works, and more in this basic genre.
This is one of best. It’s so well written, Mercedes took her writing and the storyline- up another notch or something.
Great start. First surprise was the humor. Rosie had me laughing often but she’s not a clown or goofball. Cleverly done. The first few chapters anyway, since the story gets increasingly serious as it goes along.
Story seemed straightforward and basic at first but kept evolving into something more complicated and interesting. Another surprise that pulled me in.
The problems that crop up make sense, emotions make sense, new insights/information weren’t obvious a mile ahead but neither so out of blue as to feel “unfair.”
The chapters in Valtar’s POV added depth and needed info to story, and weren’t just retelling previous scenes.
I felt genuinely touched by the evolving love story and came to care for many of the sub-characters.
I don’t leave reviews often unless I’m struck by something. This story was way above what I was expecting and I already expected a certain level of at least keeping me entertained.
I both love and hate it when I really really want to get on with the next installment.
The narrators were both exceptional too. They added to the telling but didn’t draw attention to narration- very professionally recorded.
I really hope the next one comes out soon. This will go in my favorites.

Intrigue

No way to continue the story with out the second book to read and consider

The amazing voice acting!

Loved listening to this book and the voice actors did an amazing job narrating! Their storytelling has pulled me into the story, and I loved it all the way through! Highly recommend!

Ohhhh, Another Wonderful Book

I’m a huge fan of Sylvia Mercedes. This book is no exception. Wonderfully gripping and intriguing storyline with a touch of suspense and slow burn romance.

Great narration