A Promise of Fire (The Kingmaker Chronicles, 1)

I'm sorry that I let this book sitting on my kindle for quite a while before I finally read it last night - well, make that this morning because I didn't finish it until 4am, sleep be damn! I'm also sorry that I read it because now it's over and I have to wait until Feb 2017 for the next book! Life is cruel that way. But this book was so worth skipping my badly needed sleep. I don't even know where to start as there were so many things I loved about this book. The heroine, Cat: yes she's strong and has all kinds of magical powers bestowed to her by Gods (yes, she's protected by multiple Gods!), but she has tons of insecurities and vulnerabilities and it's wonderful to see how she evolves throughout the book. For one who never experienced love as a child, it's understandable how prickly and distrustful she became as an adult. It's also very heartbreaking to see how fiercely she tries to stay alone and unattached for fear of bringing death and desctruction to those she reluctantly comes to love. It takes almost the whole book before Cat will finally admit her love out loud to Griffin, and I would have been so frustrated with her stubbornness had it not been so clear that she loves him from the way she acts and reacts to Griffin. Despite what another reviewer wrote about Cat being weak because she needs Griffin's protection, no, that's not it at all. She's already strong by herself and there are plenty of heart pounding battle scenes in the book to proof it, but she's stronger together with Griffin, and isn't that the whole point of being a couple? She needs Griffin to learn how it feels to be loved and to love in return. To have the courage to grab what happiness she's been blessed with, despite her utter belief that it will bring nothing but doom to her and those she loves. I simply loved Cat. The hero, Griffin: Cat called him Beta Sinta in the beginning and I smiled everytime I read it because her initial frustration with him and her confusion over what's happening with her came through with just that nickname. Griffin is such a wonderful hero! He's possessive and his treatment of Cat could use a bit of polish in the beginning, but he never does it out of malice. He just wants to secure Cat the only way a warlord knows how: by literally tying her to him with a magic rope. But he also learns slowly that the greatest treasure is not one possessed by force but one that's been given freely and willingly. He's patient, loyal, fiercely protective of Cat, and despite his title, he's definitely Alpha. Unlike most Alpha though, he actually listens to Cat and wants to learn from her. The story: I can't say enough about the story. The plot itself is not new, but the way it's written, and world building, the richly drawn characters, the emotion of each character that jumps out of the book with just a sentence or two. It takes great skills to write a not so new plot and makes it feels new, refreshing, and heart-poundingly adventurous when you read it. In short, it's an excellently written story. I can't believe this was the Author's debut novel! Why wasn't she published sooner?!! Go read it, you'll be glad you did! Just make sure don't start too late at night like I did, or you'll end up skipping your sleep altogether.

Amanda Bouchet heard all the gripping of fantasy fans across the nation that desired a fantasy romance that was NOT for young adults and decided to grace our lives with her Kingmaker Chronicles. With a snarky and powerful heroine, a conquering alpha and his dashing team of warriors, and a magical world on the cusp of dramatic change, fantasy romance fans finally can breathe and enjoy a book up their alley. Initially, I picked up this book because it had a neat looking cover (yes I know, I know. I fell prey to the worst trap. Sometimes it happens no matter how much I chant to myself "don't judge a book by its cover." At least this time it worked for good.) However, I stayed reading this book and the next and the next because Bouchet spins such an interesting and powerful story. While the idea of magic, conquering warlords, and a powerful girl in the middle of all the chaos is not necessarily unique, how Bouchet decides to combine all these factors produced a story that not only captures readers but keeps them coming back. I have read this book three times, at least, and I still love each time I read it because I find new aspects of the story I never noticed before. As with every book, there are some pros and cons. I like to start with the cons because I like to end on a good note :) So, sometimes this book is a little predictable. You can guess where parts of it are going and how things will end up. I will say that that does not take away from the brilliant writing, world building and character development. Otherwise, the later parts with Daphne (when you read it, you will understand so I'm not going to go into detail) did not seem to really help the plot all that much. They seemed to just be there to fluff and finally push the relationship between Cat and Griffin. Otherwise, on a good note, the world building within this story deserves high praise. Bouchet does a wonderful job of tying Greek mythology to a new fantasy world. Her descriptions and details make the world all the more believable. Magic has limits, it is not just a cure all, and not everything is dependent on it, but it also offers great gains and aid to those who can use it right. The relationship between Cat and Griffin also enhanced the story tremendously. Their romance was filled with tension and spark that drew you in and kept you wanting more. However, if I had to choose one thing that stood out to me as my "favorite," it would have to be the dynamic between Cat, Griffin, and Griffin's team of warriors. The friendship and camaraderie that surrounded Beta team made you want to be apart of that group. Bouchet's decision in writing how these characters interact with each other, with humor, kindness, snark, and love, creates a compelling story that I have loved to read and re-read multiple times. All in all, if you want some fantasy romance, magic, or just plain ole camaraderie and danger, then A Promise of Fire is sure to sate your cravings. In fact, it will probably lead to you buying the next and the next book in order to quickly satisfy your desire to know more about Cat, Griffin, and Beta team.

"Is this man my enemy?" FINAL DECISION: Fabulous first book in a series about Cat Fisa, the Kingmaker, and Griffith, the man who captures her and then captures her heart. This book is successful at concentrating on the romance while building a fascinating and complex world along with a plot intricate and filled with adventure. THE STORY: Catalia "Cat" Fisa travels as a soothsayer in a circus, but she is actually the Kingmaker -- with the legendary talent of being able to tell truth from lies. Unfortunately, Cat catches the attention of Griffith, a warlord whose family has taken control of Sinta. Griffith wants Cat to use her as a weapon for the newly acquired realm. Cat, however, has no intention of allowing herself to be used again. OPINION: This is a fantastic beginning for a series. My only reservation on the book is that this story is not complete in and of itself and thus if the subsequent books are bad, this one will too. (I might revisit my rating up or down after the other books in the series are published). The best part of this book is that the worldbuilding is intricately intertwined with the romance. No pages of descriptions or explanations. Things are explained as needed through the story in a natural fashion. It makes the story go faster and keeps interest throughout. Cat is a heroine that centered this book and made me want to read more. This is her journey. More than a romance, it is the story of a woman coming into her own destiny. Like many great heroes, Cat is hiding from her fate as the story begins. In danger because of her past and running from her future, Cat has made a place for herself in the circus. When Griffith comes to upset her hideaway, Cat at first hates him and wants to escape, but he also begins to make her part of a team, a family, a place worth defending. Cat has tremendous power. Her weaknesses become strengths, her powers become more enhanced and she is funny and flawed and a powerhouse. Her cynicism is matched with a innocent heart that she denies but which leads her to care and love those around her. Griffith is an interesting hero. Great ambition matched with intelligence and a recognition of the necessity of limiting power. He is like water on stone with Cat. Determined, quietly himself. He is determined and incredibly honest and loyal. He comes from a loving family -- which is a mystery to Cat -- which grounds him. He does what he has to do, but tries to be his best self. The mixture of magic, dragons, help by the Greek Gods gives this book a rich basis for its mythology. The story feels grounded and recognizable without being entirely derivative. This book leaves readers with many questions which I hope will be teased out in the other books in the series. This book shows such promise and I want to see that promise flower into something amazing. WORTH MENTIONING: This is only the beginning of the series. The story is not complete and readers should be aware that wanting to know the end of the story necessitates committing to more books. CONNECTED BOOKS: A PROMISE OF FIRE is the first book in the Kingmaker Chronicles. STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

I’ve been waiting to read this book until the series was complete and interestingly enough, it didn’t end in a huge cliffhanger as I suspected but in a happy for now. Although there are still a ton of questions and actions that might possibly be made, I think I would’ve been able to live had I read it when it first released. I absolutely loved these characters! Cat has a past that is only hinted at as the story progresses. She is fierce and independent and determined to not have any attachments to others. For everyone’s safety. I loved how snarky but cute she was. The slow release of information regarding her kept me on my toes the entire time. Griffin is the hero you dream of. He was protective and strong. Loyal and determined. Once he saw Cat he knew that he had to follow her, know her, make her his. And he did. Despite her own attempts to keep him at a distance. The magic was a great character as well. It weaves the story in the way it needs to go and saves it from feeling contrived or arranged without thought as to what could be real or not. It’s magic and that’s what you accept it as. No realism required. The Beta Team were awesome!!! I loved each and every member and I can’t wait to get to know them better as the story progresses in the next book. What a great read! One of only a few fantasy books I’ve read, I loved the fact that there was such a beautiful balance between the story and the romance. Heroine POV Safe – although some ow drama from a woman in the H’s past but a relationship that has been over No apparent triggers – unless magic, dragons and Cerebus bother you

Based on the number of good reviews, a list of 'best of 2016' recommendations, and an interesting premise, I was expecting much more than I got from this book. **vague spoilers ahead** The first 20-30% is very entertaining with interesting characters introduced and hints into Cat's mysterious past, powers, and enemies. The prickly relationship between Cat and Griffin is a lot of fun... for a while. Their scenes eventually become repetitive, and the majority of the book is either the two of them doing their slap slap kiss routine or Cat thinking/talking about said slap slap kiss routine. There's not much meaningful conflict between characters, either. Most of the ones who are given significant page time are Cat and Griffin's friends and family, all of whom adore the main couple. Any potentially interesting points of contention between them, like Griffin's abduction of Cat, is brushed aside as no big deal by everyone except Cat herself, who eventually just gets over it because love. The biggest antagonist in the book is a one dimensional minor character, a romantic non-rival of Cat's. Other antagonists are either easily killed off as soon as they're introduced or are only talked about and never show up at all. If you're going into this book purely for romance you might enjoy it. You'll find classic romance tropes here and they're written in an entertaining way. However, despite the hinting at mysterious and dangerous enemies, prophecies, gods involving themselves in mortal lives, etc., this book is 90% a girl falling for the hot dude who kidnapped her. Don't expect much of anything else, like I did.

4-4.5 stars I received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not shape or change my opinion of the book. Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the review copy! I thoroughly enjoyed this! What an impressive debut from Amanda Bouchet! The strong characters stood out in this first installment for sure. I LOVED Cat. She is fierce, witty, full of snark, and just all around bad assery. It took me a little bit to get into her narration and her inner monologue…but it completely grew on me. Cat’s narration is like that bestie you have where you know each other so well that you finish other’s thoughts and sentences and snort at corny inside jokes. “I don’t know everything you’ve been through, but I know enough to understand that your past filled you with hostility and hate. But you still laugh. You still love, and you protect the people you care about. You’re not who you think you are. You’re better. You’re more.“ ← THIS is Cat’s journey. Cat is a powerful clairvoyant called the Kingmaker, a status that she goes through extraordinary lengths to conceal. While being the Kingmaker may make her powerful, it also makes her highly sought after and a target. She has finally found some semblance of “home” and “family” traveling with a circus. No one knows who or what she is, and this allows her a sense of safety and comfort. Until Griffin. Griffin is a powerful warlord on the hunt for Magoi to help bring stability to his newly conquered realm Sinta. Griffin is immediately drawn to Cat, and has suspicions that she is more than what she seems and EXACTLY what he needs. I loved Griffin for obvious reasons: he is smoking hot, confident, predatory, deadly with a weapon, super protective….just delicious…(despite kidnapping) he’s honorable. He has a vision of a better world for the people of Sinta and he’s going to do what it takes to get that better world. “His eyes reminded me of Poseidon’s wrath- stormy, gray, intense- the kind of eyes that draw you in, hold you there, and might not let you go.” UM, YES PLEASE!! Cat and Griffin really made this book for me, they were just so well written. Their banter, the stubbornness, the tension had me turning the pages. The hate to love thing; if it’s done right it gets me every time. However, what I also loved, and this really is a testament to a talented writer, was how well done the secondary characters were (and there were A LOT of secondary characters). Despite that, they felt fully fleshed out, multi dimensional and had depth. The Beta team, Beta Sinta’s family, Cat’s circus family….I loved all of them. I am a huge fan of Greek Mythology. The incorporation of Greek mythology felt a little random to me at first or stunted maybe? But as I continued and got to know the characters and the world better, the weaving in of Greek mythology became more seamless and natural. To the author’s credit, she didn’t info dump. It was a gradual assimilation. I also appreciated the Greek words sprinkled in here and there…”kardia mou,” oikogeneia,” “agape mou” (I already knew agape mou, but I didn’t know the other ones, so I appreciated learning new words!) I think that this gave a richness to Bouchet’s storytelling. I would really love to get a better; more in depth sense of Thalyria and its history and culture (in the political and social structure sense and how those systems came to be the way they are). It’s divided into three territories in which the northern territories are leaden with magic wielders, and magic equals power. Sinta in the south has little to no magic and values muscle, strength, and cunning. How did this division happen? A map of this world would be amazing! (pretty please?) Those without magic, the Hoi Polloi (the common people), are seen as “less than” and discriminated against by those with magic. How and why did this difference in status take root? I think that (especially in fantasy) a well written, intricate world can almost be a secondary character in and of itself. Where we come from; our history and environment shape us, our biases, and our decision making just as much as people do. So I’m really hoping we get a closer look at this world and its history in future installments. I would also love to learn more about Andromeda—cold, icy, completely ruthless queen from the north. I’d like to know more about her bloodline, and what made her the way she is. I think there’s definitely potential here for a villain of epic proportions. The good news is there is more to come in this series and the potential is endless! A bad ass, feisty heroine, a smoldering, broody-yet protective and affectionate warlord, squad goals, ruthless villains, magic, dragons, mythology, steamy romance, adventure—“A Promise of Fire” has it all, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Recently, I'm finding that I can completely forgive over-used romance and Fantasy tropes as long as there is snarky banter. And also the heroine can't be a wet blanket...... And also the hero has to growl and say things like "I claim you" and "you're mine"...no wait, those are actually the over-used tropes I was just talking about! Yep, you guessed it, A Promise of Fire has a growly Alpha-hero (who is actually a Beta, how's that for snide irony) and a super-powerful Mary Sue of a heroine who is beautiful and has multiple ill-defined powers, and doesn't want to let the hero love her because its TOO DANGEROUS for him (cue an exasperated sigh from Kirsten), and to just top off the trope cupcake with a cherry, they also STOP THE HANKY PANKY or de-escalate it about 5 times for no reason that I can see. I mean, wowsers, what with all the wings unfurling in Cat's chest and bolts of lust you wouldn't think they could continually be interrupted without someone actually coming in and interrupting them, but I don't care in the end. It doesn't bother me one whit. The reason I give this one 5 stars what with all the tropes more well-used than a (insert off color reference here) is because of two things: oodles of delightful snarky banter between Beta Sinta (his sister is the Alpha of the kingdom) and Cat but also between Cat and the other hunky members of Team Beta. And also because Cat is super-grouchy. She complains like all the time about it being too hot, or there not being enough fruit or people being stupid. It's fun. Plus Cat has a secret that isn't majorly obvious from chapter one (only majorly obvious from like halfway in when you want to hit Beta Sinta over the head with one of Cat's many knives and be like "duh....how can you not guess who she is?"). Meanwhile, they're gallivanting all over a faux Greek-fantastical countryside complete with cyclops, dragons named Sybaris, lightening scars on the earth from Zeus, and goat cheese phyllo triangles which Cat can't stand. Once in a while they save each other. But in the end, it's all leading up to a second book where they set their sights higher than just jumping each other's bones and surviving the next dragon attack. Going over now to pre-order the next in the series. This is my kind of trashy fantasy romance.

This is the first book in the Kingmaker Chronicles, as well as the first book written by Amanda Bouchet, and it doesn't disappoint! We meet Cat, a Soothsayer in a traveling circus, where she has been hiding for the past 8 years. When someone lies, she knows because she has a very strong physical reaction. She is also sometimes able to absorb magic from others, as she does to help one of the other circus performers. She is always on the alert, though, as she is in hiding from someone or something dangerous. Griffin, warlord and newly crowned Beta of Sinta, one of the kingdoms in Thalyria, has been looking for a Magoi, a person with magical ability, to help him and his sister, Egeria, Alpha of Sinta, strengthen their hold on the newly won kingdom. When he first sees Cat, he is drawn to her in a way he's never experienced, and somehow knows she's the Magoi he's been looking for. He tests her by having her determine which of his 4 warrior companions is a traitor. When she is successful, he basically kidnaps her, intending to return to Sinta with her. Their travel to Sinta don't go smoothly, with Cat protesting and fighting to escape for the entire journey. There are battles, creatures, gods and mythology, as well as some very enjoyable lighthearted scenes, including one involving a drug called Euphoria. Cat is a sassy, snarky heroine with attitude, Griffin is a large, strong, incredibly handsome hero, and reading their story will give you several hours of reading enjoyment. There is a brief rundown of the mythological beings included in the book at the end, so the reader can better understand the background characters met in the story. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, Breath of Fire. This book is definitely a fantastic first book, the first I've read from Ms. Bouchet, and definitely won't be my last. I highly recommend reading this book. You won't be disappointed!

Okay I’m honestly not entirely sure how to feel about this book.. it started off sooo good! I was loving the writing, the plot, the characters, the banter, the yearning etc. but when we got to around the 50% mark I felt like the plot was being dragged out, but at the same time moving way too fast at times? Also the fmc started grating me 😬 the writing slowly turned more childish with the banter, and I felt like the fmc just kept having the same internal dialogue with herself with no growth really happening? And don’t even get me started on the ending… I was expecting a plot twist, knowing there’s two more books in the series… I was honestly disappointed and left with a “is that it?” Feeling 😅 HOWEVER, with that being said, I still couldn’t stop reading this?! Something just kept me intrigued and wanting to know more, and I’m honestly really wanting to go into book 2 straight away!

Mein erstes Buch von Amanda und es war einfach so großartig. Ich liebe ja Geschichten mit griechischen Göttern, Mythologie, Fantasy. Und mit der Kingmaker Trilogy hat Amanda hier eine tolle Kombination aus allem geschaffen und einen fantastischen Auftakt. Cat ist mir von Anfang an sympathisch und eine tolle Prota. Sie ist eine Heldin, auch wenn sie es selbst nicht sieht, hat so viel miterlebt und durchstehen müssen und ist dadurch zu einer starken Person geworden, aber auch damit hat sie Probleme, dass sie sich selbst so sieht, wie andere sie sehen. Doch dann plötzlich kommt Griffin, und verändert alles. Er bietet ihr Kontra, fordert sie heraus und nimmt sie einfach gefangen: mit seinem Wesen, mit seiner Art und auch mit seinem Körper, denn er bindet sie an ein magisches Seil und nimmt Cat mit zu sich nach Hause. Nach und nach verliert Cat das Misstrauen und beginnt, sich und ihren Gefühlen zu vertrauen. Und sie lernt dank Griffin endlich, was es bedeutet, eine Familie zu sein und zu haben, zu lieben, Freunde zu haben für die es sich lohnt. Zu kämpfen. Die Dynamik zwischen den beiden war von Anfang an herrlich. Zum einen, da Griffin und Cat sich anfangs einfach nichts schenken und sich immer wieder zoffen mit herrlich lustigen Dialogen, zum anderen war einfach von Anfang an da diese Chemie zwischen den beiden. Und doch benötigte es Zeit, dem ganzen die nötige Reife zu geben. Das Ende war spannend und hat mich einfach sprachlos zurückgelassen, dass ich sofort weiter zu Band 2 wechselte. Perfekt für alle Fans der griechischen Mythologie, mit einer guten Portion Romantik und Erotik, aber genügend Spannung und Fantasy.

This book was total perfection - now one of my favourite books - well done to the author. It was well paced, descriptively written and so enjoyable to read. The FMC origin is shrouded in mystery that she withholds from the MMC. Yet, we see glimpses of her past & story unravel in her internal dialogue. Subtle, like secrets, you might miss if the story was boring and you skimmed a section. I found the way the author chose to trickle her story intriguing, rewarding and very engaging. The chemistry is real between the two of them, and I love Cat's inner dialogue, I giggled on several occasions. I found myself loving all the side characters and really felt to start to get to know them. There are vibrant & articulate romance scenes that feels genuine. Honestly I read the reviews that this series would surprise the reader with how good it is. I couldn't agree more. I read A LOT of fantasy romance style novels and this one is remarkable. I've already purchased the next book, even though there are plenty of free titles to still read on my kindle subscription. Do it, this author is incredible. ☺️

It is a well-written adventure with smart dialogues, and a decent plot. It was hard to put down until I finished it, and I immediately bought the next book of this series.

If you like found family this book is for you. The main character is fun and we get a great story full of hotties and greek mythology. This book was good and worth reading, I feel like it was definitely the best one of the series. The series is still one going with side characters getting their own spin offs, so potential to spend a lot of time in this world.