Fantastic Beasts meets Assassin's Creed in this epic, gripping fantasy romance from debut author Maxym M. Martineau
KINGDOM OF EXILES by MAXYM M. MARTINEAU
Series: The Beast Charmer #1
Publication date: June 25, 2019
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: paranormal romance
SYNOPSIS
Exiled beast charmer Leena Edenfrell is in deep trouble. Empty pockets forced her to sell her beloved magical beasts on the black market—an offense punishable by death—and now there's a price on her head. With the realm's most talented murderer-for-hire nipping at her heels, Leena makes him an offer he can't refuse: powerful mythical creatures in exchange for her life.
If only it were that simple. Unbeknownst to Leena, the undying ones are bound by magic to complete their contracts, and Noc cannot risk his brotherhood of assassins...not even to save the woman he can no longer live without.
If only it were that simple. Unbeknownst to Leena, the undying ones are bound by magic to complete their contracts, and Noc cannot risk his brotherhood of assassins...not even to save the woman he can no longer live without.
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Praise for Kingdom of Exiles:
Martineau’s impressive debut novel, the first of a romantic fantasy trilogy, marries grand-scale wonder with the intimacy of relationships among traveling companions and a layered plot.
Publisher's Weekly (starred review)
A "lush and sweeping swords-and-sorcery romance"
New York Times
- Publishers Weekly Best Book of Summer 2019
- Bookish Staff Read Pick
- Selected as a June LibraryReads Pick
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maxym M. Martineau is a staff writer and editor by day, and a fantasy romance author by night. When she’s not getting heated over broken hearts, she enjoys playing video games, sipping a well-made margarita, binge-watching television shows, competing in just about any sport, and of course, reading.
Following her passion, Maxym earned her bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Arizona State University.
You can find her on:
Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M. MartineauMy rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
When it came to us, there were just too many thorns. But damn if I didn’t want to cut them all down and see what grew.
Noc is an undead guild master of Cruor. He leads a group of assassins brought back from the dead that must complete each kill contract assigned to them. There is no choice in the matter, it's simply a something they do in order to survive. Even knowing that some of his bounties are innocent, he's resigned to his fate. But it's a lonely life he leads, because even the men and women closest to him must be kept at a distance for their own good. He erected a barrier between himself and the rest of the world-a cold facade that no one is permitted to penetrate. He believes that his past is so tarnished by his misdeeds that this existence is all he deserves.
I thought death had wiped my slate clean when I followed Talmage and became a member of Cruor. I didn’t realize how wrong I was until it was too late. If death couldn’t cure me, then nothing would.
His past life is shrouded in mystery. You're given hints and clues throughout the story, and I think I have an idea as to what he's concealing but this bombshell is left for future books to be revealed. You just know that when everything does come out, there will probably be hell to pay.
Leena and Noc are similar in that they are both outcasts of society. Both fallen from grace and doing what they must, living one day at a time. Leena is a highly skilled beast charmer who has been cast out of her home, Hireath. Betrayed by the man she loved, she no longer puts her trust in anyone but herself. Her one goal is to somehow convince the Council to hear her side of the story so she may return home. It doesn't help that she's been breaking the law by selling beasts while exiled. And the hit put out on her from a mysterious source? That tends to cause some difficulties as well. Leena isn't one to go down easily though, and she manages to strike a deal with the man bound by Cruor’s Oath to end her life. She must provide beasts for his crew in exchange for her freedom. If she can kill two birds with one stone and charm the beast she needs to re-enter Hireath, she may have a chance to reclaim her home and her honor that was stolen from her.
The magical beasts were something completely different for me. I really enjoyed the wide range of species and how their talents interacted and aided the group on their adventure. Leena's skill in charming them was extraordinary. Many times she was facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, putting herself in life or death situations. Yet she faced each and every one with courage that was admirable. There was a lot to love about Leena. She was a strong heroine that was dealt a crappy hand, but always finds a way to outsmart the odds. As she started to develop feelings for Noc, there was a lot of push and pull because he couldn't help but give her mixed signals. Falling for each other could be the destruction of them both.
Noc was an open door. Not because he was easy to read, but because every action begged me to walk right into him. To unearth every secret of my own volition and turn it over in my hands.
The end was action packed, and satisfyingly suspenseful. It leaves off in a happy for now place, but there is plenty of unresolved issues and room for the plot to grow in the following books. This is my first read by the author, and I was very pleasantly surprised. I'm always looking for more fantasy/paranormal books with a strong element of romance, and this fit the bill perfectly. Great world building, original concept, and flawed yet approachable characters that are easy to root for make a well rounded package. I look forward to continuing with The Beast Charmer series next year with The Frozen Prince.
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